Character Solidifying! [x]
43. Does your character have any secrets? If so, are they holding them back?
Oh yes. Silas harbors a few secrets that could easily keep him up at night--not that they tend to after so many years. The first is his entire affair with Billy Thatcher (the lover he left behind on the surface); specifically, the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate end of their relationship. Once he’s in Rapture, Silas hardly ever says a word about the guy. And, in the unlikely event that he’s ever brought up by someone else, Silas immediately gets defensive--sometimes physically.
Also, Silas is (at least in part) responsible for his own father’s death. Long story short, he threw a tantrum & set his family’s garage on fire before fleeing home for good. Unbeknownst to him, his father was in said garage & died shortly after in the hospital of complications from smoke inhalation . The worst part is that Silas feels next to no remorse about it. In his mind, the ‘asshole had it coming.’
There's more, but you get the picture. And yes, he is now (and will forever be) holding back.
44. How badly do they want to obtain their life objectives? How do they pursue them?
Silas is fiercely driven by his passions & professional goals, and pursues them with everything he has. The man has sacrificed family, health, love, shelter & security to achieve what he has in Rapture, and I can confidently say he’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. I can’t stress enough how willing he is to do whatever it takes to get what he wants (or feels he deserves). And, when you consider how hard he works, how formidable he is, how actually talented he is, and how entitled he believes himself to be, he’s virtually unstoppable.
Y’know, ‘till Sander sends a wrench-wielding test-tube baby to end his life.
45. Is your character pragmatic? Think first? Responsible? All action? A visionary? Passionate? Quixotic?
Silas doesn’t quite fall under one extreme or the other, but he leans closer to pragmatic. He’s got a good enough head on his shoulders, sure, but he’s the emotional sort & has a quick temper. Emotions aren’t always rational, and yes, he sometimes acts before he thinks (especially when it comes to arguments). But, he’s by no means an idealist. Just a healthy daydreamer.
46. Is your character tall? Short? What about size? Weight? Posture? How do they feel about their physical body?
Silas stands remarkably fit at 6′3 with long, gangling limbs. He’s slender, but strong (especially with the help of SportsBoost), and elegant in his own way. He’d often slouch in his youth, especially as he was growing into himself, but stands taller & with more confidence as an adult. He carries a lot of tension in his posture, actually, especially in the workplace. And, as far as self-image goes, he knows he’s appealing without fixating on it much. I think he has a healthy appreciation for his own body by now, even if he was on the shyer, gawkier side as a teenager.