Character Question - Tumblr Posts

I'm going to try and truly make this a dumping ground for my book. I have so many character questions answered, so I might as well start posting them.

If everything goes according to plan, new ones will come out every other day. I'll iron it out eventually.

Character Question 1

What’s their wardrobe like? How do they wear their clothes?

Freddie: His wardrobe mostly consists of polo shirts and dress shorts. He has e a bow tie and a dress shirt for special occasions. He almost always tucks his shirt in. He always wears black sneakers and white socks. 

Zach: Basketball shorts and sports jerseys. That's it. He does have a too-small tuxedo from a second cousin's wedding that he was too lazy to throw out, but that's it. He has a few signed jerseys from a couple of sports games. Every day, he throws on the closest, least smelly clothes. It doesn't matter if it matches or not, since he's always in a hurry he sleeps in most days and generally doesn't care. He has a pair of purple and blue striped shorts, so it can end badly. The fluorescent pink shirt doesn't help.

Bella: Her wardrobe has a lot more variation. It's mostly different patterned t-shirts, leggings, and capris shorts. She does have a few skirts and dresses, but they're not really touched for anything but special occasions. She has a modified tool belt that she wears basically every day. It's the one thing she lets herself wear that's out of the ordinary.

Character Question 3

Do they ever put on airs?

Bella: ABSOLUTELY!! Her entire social life is faked to some degree. She is not socially competent at all, so all her charisma is learned and calculated. This unfortunately has led to some awkward mishaps when someone doesn't react according to plan, which results in a breakdown of some sort. Either she will go completely silent in the situation and/or retreat as soon as she can and/or have a minor meltdown in her room, cursing herself for not putting more days into her education before throwing herself into more research with a new fire.

Freddie: no way, no how, nuh-uh. He is not changing himself so someone of lower intelligence can deal with him more comfortably. He will act however he pleases thank you very much. He will attempt to mask his childishness at times which generally fails since he is nine.

Zach: also YES. He is a people pleaser. (forgoing details that are in the upcoming chapter which is slowly coming together. He was scarred a bit which involved his people-pleasing antics to be amped up. Everyone thinks they know him, but if they take a moment to think about it, they know nothing about his personal life. He is charismatic, he is sporty, he's got good sportsmanship, he will support you almost no matter what. But his favorite color, his address, his room decorations, details about his parents, his idols, his preferences in his friend group? A complete mystery.

Character Question 4

What makes them laugh out loud?

Bella: She loves watching and discussing “childish” shows. It's a guarantee you will get some sort of passionate reaction out of her. She will laugh, she will cry, she will shout. It's gonna be a fun time for sure.

Freddie: It's not exactly a funny thing, but he typically has a sort of manic relieved laugh after finishing a particularly tedious project. The last thing will click into place and he'll cackle a bit, most likely before slumping onto his desk and sleeping for 16 hours straight. If the project is too dangerous or fragile, he'll get up and stagger to the nearest soft surface and then collapse. Sometimes he doesn't make it and will crumple to the floor.

Zach: It's not hard to get him to laugh. Tried and true ways include inside jokes, video game shenanigans, and painful fails on the field that are usually closely followed by him rushing up to the injured person with a first aid kit and sending people to get help. However, he is happiest with Ethan, his cousin and childhood best friend. He loves messing around with him. One of his favorite things is hanging out in their treehouse at their grandparents’ place. They'll disappear up there for hours, only reappearing briefly to get food

Character Question 5

How do they display affection?

Zach: he shows true affection by sharing with you - being vulnerable. He's friendly with basically everyone, but he's only truly honest if he cares about you. He'll listen intently to you, trade stories, and bring you to his favorite places.

Freddie: he'll snark you if he cares - he'll debate you and use more sarcasm than usual. He'll trade playful insults and might give you a decent compliment every now and then. You need a thick skin to be his friend, but it's worth it to be friends with such a sweetheart.

Bella: She will make you stuff. She'll find out what you love and make a system for it - a mini bot or something to organize a collection. She'll make a secure way to trade little messages on a tiny box in case you don't have a phone handy. She'll share her favorite things with you and spend as much time as she can with you, talking about her passions and introducing her favorite activity. (Odds are you'll enjoy them - she has good, extensive taste)

Character Question 6

Strongest character trait? Weakest character trait?

Bella - she learns incredibly quickly. It's probably not technically a character trait, but it's something she has a lot of pride with. Not that she'd be very open about it outside of her minuscule social circle. She loves learning new things and perfecting skills.

This is somewhat of a disadvantage when it comes to more emotional parts of life. She is so used to having a practical outlook, genuine social interactions elude her. She gets along well with her family, but she spent a lot of time holed up in her room with various projects; and she was shy at school, taking a long time to come out of her shell and make friends.

Freddie - his passion is unrivaled. He loves all his projects and will devote everything he had to them. He cares deeply about the few things he has room for in his slowly warming heart.

He is SO stubborn, it's kind of ridiculous. He will not give up unless there's no other option. He has worked on experiments until he has run out of money to buy more containers and chemicals. He will argue until he is sent out of the room. It can be a little destructive. Don't pick a fight with him unless you have duct tape and rope, he won’t shut up otherwise.

Zach - he is very chivalrous. He believes strongly in standing up for what's right and sticks up to his beliefs. He is protective and defensive of things close to his heart. Just generally a softie pretending to be tough.

Unfortunately, he will put up defenses rather quickly. He has many fronts for different situations and, as previously mentioned, he will guard his heart and the things close to it with his life. Basically. He doesn't truly open up willingly or quickly.

Character Question 7

How competitive are they?

Freddie: he is very competitive. He won't show it, but he will try to one-up anyone who tries to match him. He will drive himself to exhaustion trying to beat them. Not great, but it's a bit cute in small amounts.

Bella: She competes against herself. That's it. At least, that's what she tells herself. In actuality, she's totally competitive. It's one of the only ways she shows emotion in public. She will start shouting about board games and will cheer on the sidelines for her school sports team and, if she's feeling particularly passionate, she might jeer.

Zach: he's playfully competitive. Ironically enough (to me, at least) he's the least competitive out of the trio. He sees it as bad sportsmanship and hates bringing people down. He loves a good competition but is a softy about it and cheers for everyone.

Character Question 8

How do they react to praise? How do they react to criticism?

Freddie: he will criticize you right back! He doesn't take negativity towards him well and gets very defensive, lashing out before it starts to hurt. If the criticism comes from someone he respects, he will pick apart whatever is being criticized and improve it tenfold.

He preens under praise. He will flaunt whatever was complimented for days. Don't flatter him too much - his body isn't strong enough to hold up his big head.

Zach: he will immediately try to fix whatever is criticized. He'll drop whatever he's doing and do his best to remove the flaws.

He takes compliments very lightly. He'll say thanks, but it'll take a lot for the intent and sincerity to sink in. 

Bella: She will work tirelessly until she improves whatever is criticized. Sleepless nights, days shut up in her room, she won't rest until it's perfect. She'll work until burnout and then won't make anything for weeks since she's so exhausted.

She'll read very deeply into praise. She takes it better than Zach, but only after analyzing the wording, the tone, and the situation on which the praise was given.

Character Question 9

What will they stand up for?

Zach: anyone who can't fight back. Stories of his mother's kindness and his father's progression has led to him having a righteous view of the world. His nobility wins out over all else. He will put almost anything and everything on the line to save someone who is unjustly suffering.

Bella: uneducated kiddies. I've spoken about this before, but she hates that there are people in the world that will most likely never rise above the station since they weren't educated. It's definitely something she's doing when she has the money.

Freddie: theories he believes in. He doesn't like when people disregard scientific theories without solid proof. He knows how much effort goes into creating something worthy for the public eye, so he may get into debates over new theories. He also defends underrated but true theories, bringing them out into the world and helping the scientists behind them.

Character Question 10

Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy?

Zach: outdoorsy! He actually gets uncomfortable being indoors for too long

Freddie: indoorsy. To quote him on a regular basis, ew nature

Bella: indoorsy. She prefers a controlled environment but can appreciate a good nature walk or park every once in a while.

Hey look! A masterpost with almost nothing on it! This'll fill up eventually, but for now it's pretty empty.

Character Questions (some earlish character development of A New Infection trio)

Short stories/extras

Master list of AUs

Character Masterlist

Anyone using mobile, if you click on the tags below, it'll do what the links are supposed to do

hi! could you do 8, 11, 19, and 28 for all your characters? <333 (your blog is epic and I love your writing!)

8. What are their good and bad traits? Bella: She's very inquisitive and is a fast learner. Unfortunately, she's extremely socially awkward and struggles to connect with people; when interacting, if things don't go the way she calculated, she panics a little. Freddie: Like Bella, he's also very smart. His stubbornness can be seen as good or bad, but it's safe to say he's very stubborn. Much to the displeasure of everyone around him, he's very arrogant with his intelligence and looks down on anyone he considers as beneath him, which is pretty much everyone besides renowned scientists and his parents. Zach: He is easy going and strives to keep the peace in almost all situations. This sometimes leads to him being downtrodden, but it's something he's working on. He's also very closed off and protective, something that can be quite stifling.

11. Do they believe in luck? (I'll try my hand at writing this in character) "Not really," Bella wrinkles her nose in mild distaste. "There's a reason things happen, and I don't mean in a philosophical way. You can calculate the probability of things, and though it may be random at times, I don't think it's luck. Freddie turns his nose up in the air, "Luck is ridiculous and anyone who believes in it is a fool. You get where you want to go with hard work, and any complications that rise up can be traced back to a source." "I mean, I guess so." Shrugging, Zach continues, "I have lucky socks I use for my games, and they seem to work. And I definitely have friends who are super unlucky, they're always in the wrong place at the wrong time."

19.What is their relationship with their family like? Bella: Very close - they all care for each other and try to lift each other up. Though she sometimes shuts herself in her room for days on end, her parents support her studying in projects to the best of their ability. Freddie: He makes an effort to be distant from people. Even when they were on earth, his parents didn't spend much time with him, and even when they did, they were working and kept him at arm's length (he was barely 6, but still). His foster parents are much kinder and make an effort to spend time with him. They've invested a lot of effort into socializing him and undoing the social damage his biological parents did. Zach: Reasonably close - his dad is busy as he prioritizes his job as a policeman over most things in life. He works long hours, but whenever he's home, he spends a lot of time with his son. Zach also has a cousin, named Ethan. They're as close as brothers, though they now only see each other over the summer. Ethan is also one of the few people he's authentically happy around.

28 is on the way

Hi Eve!!! Happy to see you active again!! I'd love to see an answer for 28 ^_^

28 If they could have one wish, what would they wish for? Bella lets out a heaving sigh, "For this to be over." She waves a hand at the outside, indicating the crumbling world she's stuck in. "It's awful what the gas has done to people, and I don't know how much longer I can last. It's exhausting providing for the boys and keeping a calm facade. I hate being in charge and I miss my family. But that's not going to happen without hard work. If only I could wish it away." "My parents!" blurts out Freddie instantly, shooting forward, a desperate fire in his eyes. He clears his throat and shifts awkwardly, his eyes glistening a little. "I need them and I miss them. They were supposed to come back, but they haven't." He turns away, too emotional to continue." "That's a tough one," Zach muses. "Maybe a way to end judging. I dunno how, but if there was a way to make everyone nicer and to stop assuming things about people based on the past, that'd be nice. Either that, or a way to save everyone stuck in this mess.

hi there ;) 53 is one im curious about :^)

53. What is something they want but can't have?

Bella huffs frustratedly, "Some useful help around here. DID YOU HERE THAT BOYS?! GET OFF YOUR LAZY BEHINDS AND HELP OUT!!" She turns back and adds, "And maybe tools. There's nothing metaphorical I don't have access to right now, I'm just suffering from a lack of resources."

"Some peace and quiet," Freddie spits, matching Bella's glare from across the room. "I have private, confidential things that I need to work on, but since I'm part of an alliance I need to contribute to the group so we might be able to survive. I can see the necessity of it, but I still don't like it.

"Respect. It's a little depressing, I know, but I'm not really taken seriously," Zach explains, down. "I think it's because I goof around too much, a least at school, and because I'm too young, or maybe because I'm not confident enough. I can count on one hand how many people I'm myself with - people who are themselves are crazy brave."

Okay, I had to do this.

Sweetheart of a human who doesn't give two shits about gender struggles with an angsty power that caused them to be socially stunted.

Describe your favorite OC but like, really awfully. 

Character Question 11

What sense do they most rely on?

Bella: sight. She has very good vision, surprisingly enough seeing as she does intense programming and wiring sessions. She did make special glasses for magnification so that probably helps. Good vision also means she can see the minuscule movements of finely tuned machines! And she has stellar hand-eye coordination.

Freddie: hearing. He wears glasses, so sight is pretty much out of the question. Sometimes experiments don't visually change but there is bubbling that's rarely heard by anyone but him.

Zach: touch. There is nothing like a lap in a cold pool or dribbling a basketball. It's relaxing for him. As a kid he often stuck his arms in dark holes to see what was inside (he still does it, just not as often) He's also great at gaging air resistance, oddly enough since he isn't skilled academically. It was a matter of practice. When he's pitching or spiking, a few almost throws of the ball will almost guarantee a perfect throw.

Character Question 12

What quality do they most value in a friend?

Freddie: Respect! Despite his lofty view of the world, if you're cool with people, he's cool with you. It'll take time for him to warm up to you and even longer to confide anything to you, but a sure way to get going is to just not be a douche.

Zach: Loyalty! If you're friends with him, he expects you not to betray him or anyone in your life. If you get in trouble together, don't duck out; you will instantly be downgraded to his tolerated list (a very long list)

Bella: Mutualism. Give and take with her. If she gives more than you take, she retracts any advances very quickly. Kinda like favors but with a lot more leeway. That, and being caring. Helping her out when she's down or needs support. Cos she's sure to do the same for you. If you're sad, prepare to be pampered to your wildest dreams. If given the chance, she will rock up to your house with her cutest robot, a stack of your favorite books, and carefully designed support structures for the greatest pillow fort ever.

Character Question 13

What are their ambitions?

Bella: wants to work for NASA. Badly. She wants to out her programming skills to good use. She has the brains for it for sure and has done a few internships/competitions for them.

Zach: he really wants to be a police officer. He'll be able to stand up for what's right and attempt to fill his father's gargantuan shoes.

Freddie: he wants a private lab to run experiments. He may take a few morally grey requests but does have standards (though it's a very low bar, and takes advantage of legal loopholes) He feels NASA will hold him back, so he wants to do his own thing. He'll come up with a few patents, a theory or two, y' know, typical 9-year-old dreams.

Character Question 14

How do you handle conflict with someone else? Do you avoid fights, or are you aggressive? Or are you passive-aggressive and only give the appearance of cooperation?

Bella: Chess master strikes again! She will swindle the other person onto her side. Don't argue with her unless she's sleep-deprived or super hungry. At that point, she will probably break down crying if you try to fight her. Otherwise, she's almost guaranteed to win. But generally, she tries to avoid fights.

Freddie: his only tone setting is sarcastic. He will snark at you till the end of your days and will insult you and argue with you if you disagree with him. He is the Smartest Being, the Supreme Overlord when it comes to having to deal with those of Lower Intelligence. The only people smarter than him are his parents. And the historical geniuses. He's sometimes sent out of the classroom for correcting and/or talking back to his teachers. Passive-aggressive to the end!

Zach: He doesn't want to fight you. It takes a lot to set him off, but once he's mad, it's explosive. Tip! Don't pick on someone who can't defend themselves around him. He will punch and kick and not let up until a respected adult pulls him off the bully. He will fight tooth and nail anyone who is mean to those that are truly close to him. Once he's removed from the bully he will 1. Challenge them to another fight 2. Give them the silent treatment after that. Don't mess with him. Why would you want to see such a happy boi angry? Why?

Character Question 15

Fists or words

Zach: fists all the way. Mostly because he'd be creamed if he tried to Fight with words.

Freddie: basically the opposite. He can ruin someone with words and will be absolutely murdered if he gets into a physical fight. He might claw at you if he gets frustrated, but he's easy to brush off (like a feisty kitten)

Bella: prefers words. Her silver tongue will beat anyone. However, if she's forced to, she can hold her own with fists (even more with a sword)

Character Question 16

If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be?

Bella: her tool belt. It's got all of her most important flash drives and her tools which took ages to collect. Or at least she'd grab that after making sure her family is safe

Freddie: His comics. His portable chemistry kit would catch his eye, but the comics are so much more valuable, in more ways than one. He loves them more than life and they bring him so much joy. Also, they're no longer being printed as quickly as they used to be, so there's a finite quantity in the world.

Zach: He would run up to his bedroom and start tossing stuffed toys out the window. He would stay saving toys until the door was on fire and he couldn't breathe before jumping out the window himself and swinging down the tree.