Character Development Questions: Hard Mode (posted by i-see-light)
For my character Justine Park, 27, United States Marine
1. Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with? She has one step-cousin, Alex, who is ten years younger than her. Alex thinks Justine is the coolest person on the planet.
2. What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like? Justine was very much a momma’s girl although she has retained very few memories of her. She remembers being read to at night and her mother singing to her. Her mom was a stay at home mom who adored her daughter so their relationship was very positive.
3. What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like? Thankfully Justine has no memories at all of her father. She knows who he is but has no desire to have any kind of contact with him. Her father is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of her mother and several soldiers, and trespassing on a military base.
4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know? She was the sole witness to the murder of her mother and two of the soldiers who responded. She was only two at the time of the incident and cannot recall it but has a very strong sense of justice, tends to be very protective of the people in her life, and cannot sleep with doors or windows open.
5. On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets? She always carries her SIG Sauer M11-A1, usually on a hip holster but occasionally on a shoulder holster. She doesn’t often carry a purse so she tends to only have the necessities, compact hand mirror, lipstick, keys, money, wallet, sunglasses. She also carried a pink fluffy heart from a teddy she was given as an infant.
6. Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams? She frequently dreams about going to restaurants and bakeries. She can’t cook worth a damn but loves eating.
7. Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares? Her nightmares usually involve someone being in trouble and her being powerless to help. Limbs not working, running but not moving.
8. Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target? Yes, many times. Her uncle (her mother’s wife’s brother) taught her to shoot when she was eight. She learned at a proper firing range so her targets were paper targets.
9. Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up? It’s almost exactly how she remembers. They struggled due to her father’s drinking habits but after her mother married her wife they lived on a military base and lived very comfortably. Since she has joined the Corps like her step mother and uncle her life has changed very little.
10. Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing? Well it depends on the situation. On tour, more. At home, she’s happy in combats and a tank top.
11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been? A night time jump, her main chute didn’t deploy and her back up twisted before opening. She broke her left ankle upon landing. She’s just thankful it opened eventually and it was only a training jump.
12. In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been? When she got a nice hot stone massage for her 21st birthday.
13. Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way? No, she sees a fair amount of it. It concerns her.
14. Does your character remember names or faces easier? Faces, most people she knows have their names stitched on their clothing anyway.
15. Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not? No. Growing up a marine brat she valued the people around her more than anything, she’d seen people lose their loved ones and realised at a very young age how esily they could be taken away,
16. Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success? Happiness.
17. What was your character’s favorite toy as a child? A little white teddy her mother gave her the day she was born. She still has the teddy to this day although the heart it was holding fell off and she carries it as a good luck charm.
18. Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others? Wisdom. As someone with no desire to climb the ladder she respects those who do but only if they can bring something to the role.
19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before? Due to the short amount of time she usually has free she tends to be very spontaneous in her relationships but choses men who are laid back and orderly who often don’t appreciate her spontaneity. She’s also very outgoing and chatty which can lead her partners to feeling left out or like she’s flirting with other people. When this happens she feels like they don’t trust her and she breaks it off, she can’t be in a relationship where there isn’t mutual trust.
20. In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism? Justine is not quick to criticise others unless it puts her or others in danger. She does, more often than not, compare herself to others to emphasise her shortfalls to herself.
21. If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others? She believes some things just happen, and that you should make the best of the situation. Not everything is going to go right all the time.
22. What does your character like in other people? Energy, conversation, spontaneity, humour. She is a lively person and enjoys the company of other lively people.
23. What does your character dislike in other people? Constant negativity, people who talk down on anyone serving in any branches of the military but especially the marines.
24. How quick is your character to trust someone else? She will trust people until they give her a reason not to. Then it will be VERY difficult to earn that trust back.
25. How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person? She wants to see the best in people, so she will get that niggling feeling in a normal amount of time but until she sees absolute proof she’ll assume they’re innocent.
26. How does your character behave around children? Justine ADORES children. Most people in her squad have kids and she loves spending time with them at any age, she’s always happy to babysit and goes to their parties with the best gifts. Most kids love her right back due to her outgoing nature and complete willingness to play with them and make an ass of herself. She’s not 100% sure she wants any of her own though.
27. How does your character normally deal with confrontation? Calmly, she’s trained to keep a level head. In her head she may be screaming and swearing but outwardly she’ll be cool and collected. She’ll do her best to deal with the matter in a calm, civilised manner.
28. How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation? She won’t unless she’s attacked first. Especially with a civilian since she’s trained in hand-to-hand.
29. What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true? She wanted to be a marine like her mom (step-mom) and uncle Dane. Yes it did.
30. What does your character find repulsive or disgusting? People who show disloyalty. Whether it be someone cheating on a partner or someone betraying the corps.
31. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable. Back yard, squad mates and their families around, barbecue on the go, a beer in hand.
32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable. After her previous experience jumping out a plane she always has a moment of paralysing fear before a jump.
33. In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve? Willing to improve, she knows she isn’t, and can be, perfect but she wants to be the best she can.
34. Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method? She’ll try something and if it didn’t work she’ll try to work out why it didn’t work before moving on to the next thing.
35. How does your character behave around people they like? Lively, outgoing, cheerful. Generally happy.
36. How does your character behave around people they dislike? Slightly more subdued but still cheery.
37. Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status? Neither. She really isn’t interested in either.
38. Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat? If the problem/threat is a problem/threat for others in the vicinity it/they will be removed. If not she will remove herself.
39. Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)? She was stung by a bee once? She plants nice flowers in her garden and has a mini fountain of sugar water for them. So it hasn’t really.
40. How does your character treat people in service jobs? Like fellow human beings.
41. Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first? She has to earn it. Nothing in life should just be handed to people.
42. Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them? Her step-mother. Her step-mother (Ann Park) adopted her when she was two. Ann and Lacey (her biological mother) were only married two months when Lacey was murdered.
43. Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them? No.
44. How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it? She is a very loving person, she loves her family and her friends. She considers her friends her family and would do anything for them. Romantically she has never felt that way about anyone so she isn’t sure.
45. What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them? She believes she will be reunited with her mother. She would rather not die for a long long time but she isn’t afraid of death.
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