Q&A
1. What is your character’s full name? What is the meaning behind it (literal, symbolic, plot point, etc.)? Maya Adriana Omasu. Maya translates to stream or brook and Adriana means “dark water.”
2. Did your character choose this name or was it given? She was given the name by her parents.
3. Does your character have any defining physical characteristics? Do they show or hide them? Why? Maya has significant tissue scarring around her wrists and ankles that she has constantly covered or hidden. She claims they are from a bad allergic reaction to her work gloves that could not be healed over time but they are really scars from her previous abusive relationship.
4. What is your character’s body type? Does your character like their body? Maya is very athletic and always has been. She loves going on runs to clear her head or working out at the rehabilitation center. I don’t think she confides in any sort of particular body image. She typically just stays fit for her mentality and her job.
5. What is your character’s fitness level? I assume advanced. Maya regularly works out and exercises at least 5 times a week.
7. Do the opinions of others affect your character at all? How does your character react to compliments? Is your character normally skeptical or accepting? Why do they react this way? How does your character react to criticism? Why do they react this way? Maya, as much as she hates to admit it, cares greatly about other people’s opinions of her. Self-image is practically her everything because at the end of the day when she goes home, she is the only one left who knows her true past and sees the type of person she really is. It’s the dark reality she constantly hides from. Her entire mentality rides on the opinions others have of her. She works so painstakingly hard to try and polish the mold of a person who she wishes she could be but never can. So knowing this, it comes as no surprise that she doesn’t take well to compliments. She tries to accept them whole-heartedly but it never fully sinks in. However, at the same time Maya reacts the exact oppositely of criticism. Whenever her image is soiled in any way she becomes abnormally defensive and hurt. This becomes a reoccurring mechanism she used to cope with her own reality.
9. Who does your character consider their parents? Maya’s relationship with her parents is detached and rather off-putting to say the least. She hasn’t spoken to them since she moved out years ago and has no future plans to reach out to them now. Despite her bad blood with them she still considers them her parents.
11. How was your character’s childhood? How were they raised? Maya’s childhood was constructed in waves. She was the first born of the three Omasu children and so her responsibilities were set at a very young age. Her parents initially showered her in their high expectations but that later on dissolved with the birth of her sister and especially her brother. With each sibling brought new duties and expectations. She was imposed the title of a caretaker and it was anticipated that she fill in for gaps that her parents neglected. This predisposition transformed her entire purpose. She felt hollow and meaningless within her own family. It was as though her entire existence had been created for the focus of her family’s success rather than her own individual worth. Regardless, she was able to fashion a false sense of purpose by means of protecting her brother and sister from the same detachment she succumbed to. She took it upon herself to be the parents that her siblings should have had. This led to mixed feelings with her brother and sister and even led to the stripping away of Maya’s childhood altogether.
16. Is your character artistic? How are the arts viewed by the government and by society? How does your character view their art? How do others view their art? How did they learn/develop this ability? Maya is not artistic in any way. She does though admire art from afar, especially written forms because of her brother and his talent of writing.
17.How much money does your character have? Why? Is it different from their parents? How does your character normally obtain money? Maya is doing very well for herself financially. Her job at the rehabilitation center is stable and has allowed her to make a respected name for herself among her aspired profession. She lives within her means comfortably although it is still not the most abundant of lifestyles.
19. Is your character a supernatural being? If so, what are the weaknesses of that creature and how does your character deal with it? Does your character try to blend in with humanity? Why? Maya Omasu is a water and previous bloodbender. Her biggest weakness is hands down her past. She blames herself for everything that happened to her when she was being abused by her ex, Bato. Although what she went through and what she was forced to do was not her fault, she is still haunted by the monster she was turned into. Her entire life now is carefully constructed on top of a colossal foundation of lies that each day challenges its ability to stay afloat.
