MATURE content. Talk of gay sex at one point, anyway.
I actually wrote this questionnaire myself just over a year ago, November sometime when my internet was down. Of course I had help from other memes that I'd saved, but yeah. I've edited it up a bit because it was originally worded so that the character would answer, but since characters don't always tell you everything...yeah. Feel free to use it for your own characters, I'd love to read them.
CANDIDATE: RUTILUS PHOEBUS
1. What is their birth name? Has it changed and if so, what has it changed to? What do they call theirself? Do you have any nicknames? Do these nicknames have any particular special meanings, are they used by specific people? Do you have any titles? What does your name mean? Who named you? Do you like your name?
His full birth name is Rutilus Phoebus, and that's never changed, although I did originally want to call him Phoebus Rutilus instead, thinking 'Rutilus' sounded like a stupid name. The problem was that 'Rutilus Phoebus' translated from Latin to mean golden/shining sun, and so the other way around it wouldn't really fit. His parents, Amicus and Enya, agreed mutually on his name, wanting a Latin one like his father's.
His most common nickname is Rut, pronounced 'root' rather than 'ruht', although in his early forest days a lot of female friends seemed to call him 'Ruttii', a name that he didn't particularly like. The name Tut was used by old friends too, originally derived from Tutenkahmun, for whatever reason. A friend that couldn't pronounce his name properly (Jarvis) called him Sunshine Poppykins, and his old 'partner in crime' (Tuna) nicknamed him Delicious Walrus. His adoptive brother (Jared) and a close friend (Lorak) have been known to call him Tutti Frutti after the Little Richard song, or Fruit, from time to time.
I gave him the title of goldrose, or goldenrose, for lack of a better one. Rut occassionally dislikes his name because in the human world, he's never met anyone else with the same name, never even heard of someone, and co-workers and human-world friends tend to poke fun at him. That, or they find it intriguing, and want to know if he speaks Latin. The answer is no.
2. What gender are they? Do they act like a stereotypical person of this gender? Should they have been the other, judging by their personality, looks, likes and dislikes? Would they ever wish to change their gender?
He's male, definitely a manly man. -snicker- He does generally...sort of act like a 'normal' guy, but he is incredibly sensitive and he definitely has a sort of effeminate streak. Hell, maybe he should have been born a woman, but...nah. He's into rock music, video games, smoking, drinking, women and setting things on fire, so stereotypically speaking, definitely male. And he can't cook to save his life, so he'd be a terrible housewife. I'm sure he's joked about wanting boobs before but I reckon he's quite happy having a penis and not bleeding seven days a month. |:
3. What age are they? When and where were they born? What's their zodiac sign? Does it fit them at all? Is there anything special about the day of their birth? Were they born under unusual circumstances?
Right now he's...twenty six, he'll be twenty seven this year. September 1st; human world, Bristol 1985, I think. Entered the forest sometime in June or July I think, in 2008. His zodiac sign is Virgo, which fits him surprisingly well to some degree given that I picked his birthday completely randomly. No unusual circumstances that I can really think of.
4. What's their nationality? Do they speak with their country's accent? Have they lived in any other countries? Are they patriotic?
He's English, and speaks with the sort of general English accent, the common Londoner's accent. He was born in Bristol, but didn't live there long since his father was constantly travelling, constantly looking for somewhere new, fueling a desire to see every place he could in life. Settled in Scotland for about a year when Taliene was born, moving in quick succession to France, then America, and finally back to England after Enya pleaded with her husband to slow down and let Taliene, at least, have a childhood that wasn't filled with moving around all the time. Rutilus isn't patriotic, no; he doesn't see the point.
5. Where do they live now? What kind of building is it? Do they live alone or with other people? Do they enjoy living with these people?
Now, TEF's human roleplays are awkward for specific locations. Here, I tend to just avoid naming a specific location, though it would be either America somewhere or England. I think he likely moved to New York about a year ago when I was barely ever here, but since moved back to wherever he lived before. I like to think he lives somewhere in England, near Birmingham or Liverpool, but for the sake of roleplay he tends to just live wherever the hell. It's always the same building, though, that doesn't change.
Since he has trouble with money, having a crap job in HMV that he hates despite thinking it would be the best thing in the world, all Rutilus has ever been able to afford for the past few years since he moved out of his siblings' house, is a tiny little apartment on the second floor of a two-story block of flats, four apartments in total. His door is number four. There's a hallway that leads up to the livingroom, attatched to which is the kitchen, with an empty arch joining them rather than a door. In the hallway are the doors to his bedroom, bathroom, and a spare room that he mostly stashes junk and band-related stuff in.
Rutilus lives alone, although for a long time Maha (an old TEF character of mine) lived with him. He likely stayed in her apartment when he was living in New York, since she was his only contact there besides Tuna, and they grew very close during that time. Maha eventually moved out, a bit of a wanderer herself. Rut's been meaning to get himself a kitten for some time now. |8
6. What is their profession? Do they enjoy their job? What was their dream job as a child? What is their dream job now?
As mentioned above he works in HMV, a music store. Originally he did enjoy the job, but recently he's realised that the pay is crap and he really can't be bothered with it. He only recently managed to get the job and was unemployed and depending on Taliene and Jared for money for a long time before that, so he feels like he can't quit.
When he was a little kid he wanted to be a detective; he used to say to his mother that when he was a proper detective, he'd 'find Daddy and bring him back home for her'.
For a long while now he's wanted to be an English teacher, and I've been debating on whether or not he has the degree for it but has just been reluctant to do anything with it for fear of losing his job. It's a job that would actually suit him since he doesn't go out much anymore and has a lot of free time. The only problem is that his forest life would likely get in the way of his teaching, so he might have to be a part-time teacher, if he's ever a teacher at all.
He doesn't see it as a serious profession for the future given the state of the music industry today, but Rutilus and several friends (including Maha and Danila) have made themselves a band. They haven't entirely worked out what the hell they're really doing yet, so it's just a hobby for now, but they do hope to make some extra money with it.
7. Are they religious? If so, what religion do they follow and why? If not, what are their reasons, what is their view on religion in general? Are they atheist or just agnostic?
His parents were pretty hippie-ish, and rather than teach him about religion they taught him about love and freedom instead. Therefore he wasn't influenced by religion as a human child, and since his time in the forest as a fawn was very limited - his parents wanted to introduce him to it properly much later, when they felt he was 'ready' to understand it; Amicus was the only parent that was born in the forest, and it was he that introduced Enya to it when they were younger.
Rutilus only believes in the gods that he has seen proof of - the Twins. However he has little to no real faith in them, despite knowing that they (at Tuna's plea) helped save his life when Murrough almost murdered him. He sees no truth in the majority of human religions.
8. Do they believe in Heaven and/or Hell? If so, what do they think it will be like? Which of the two do you/they think they will go to when they die, and why? Do they think that it would be fair for someone to go to Hell? What do they believe happens when you die, or do they just not think about it?
He doesn't particularly care about death, or what could come after. It's not something he spends a lot of time thinking about, though he is certain by now that he doesn't want to die. Rutilus shares my view of 'Heaven'll be boring, Hell's a party'. His judgement on fairness would depend on the circumstances.
9. Do they enjoy having their photograph taken? Do they take a lot of photographs of themselves and/or other people? If so, why? For sentimental value, or just for fun? If not, why? Are they self-conscious or do they just plain dislike it? Would they ever take a naked picture of theirself?
Rutilus loves having his photograph taken, but only with other people, since he otherwise can't see the point in it. I imagine he has photographs of most of his friends, both for fun and sentimental value. He doesn't know when he's going to lose the next person that means something to him, so he likes to have something left of them.
A naked photograph...
...I wouldn't put it past him.
No I'm kidding he's not brave enough for that |:
10. Who are the people that mean the most to them? Have there been others that have since left or passed away?
Taliene, his sister, used to mean the world to him. She's still obviously a very important person in his life, they've always been close and he'd hate to lose her, but there is a sort of distance between them these days. They're very different people from who they used to be and for Rutilus that's hard to handle. It's uncertain if he would die for her as he always used to say he would.
Jared, his adoptive brother, is definitely one of the most important people in his life. They used to argue quite a lot and Rutilus used to bully the younger, but particularly since Taliene changed so drastically, they've become very close, possibly as a substitute for the closeness they both had with their sister. Rutilus is very protective of his brother and doesn't like the thought of anyone hurting him.
When he was a child he was very close to his father, for the seven or so years he knew him, at least. Rutilus used to listen to Amicus' stories about 'deer with wooden masks and golden pelts' and think that he was making stories up. Of course, later in life when he returned to the forest properly, he realised what his father had been talking about all along. Rut still holds a bitter resentment towards his father for leaving, mostly because of Caedo, the stepfather that took his place.
Rutilus has made some strong friendships in the forest, bonds that he thought would never break, but he is not a lucky man. Almost all of his closest friends have disappeared, or passed away. Among these have been: Tuna, who he was closest to in the human world but now has almost no contact with; Fenqua, who died in battle and later appeared to Rutilus as a spirit at the place where he sleeps; Emiva, who left and came back several times before disappearing again; Isis, whom he distanced himself from considerably after she fell pregnant with Virgil's fawn, later disappearing; Rowan, whom he once loved, the peahen that left and possibly died; Auge, an attraction that faded; Sulwyn, his first relationship that lasted, though he never loved her, and broke her heart after she left him; Her, his first love, the one he would have married, the one he had fallen for whilst still with Sulwyn, the one that would eventually leave him for a good friend of his; and Poltergeist, the niece he swore to protect, who passed away after childbirth.
He still has a close friend in the soul-shifting stag by name of Lorak, one that he used to utterly despise due to his generally depressing demeanor but later became close to in times of trouble. Rutilus often finds himself sitting at Lorak's grave just to think; a place of solace and peace.
His closest friend to date is Martisol Morales, his gypsy of gold. It was her disappearance that led Rutilus to believe the Gods had truly forsaken him, and move to New York for a change, a new start. But it was her return that brought him back, and made him stay.
Rutilus did love Martisol for a long time; their close relationship was often seen as something more by others, and for a while he hoped that it would become just that, only to realise that she was very much enamoured with someone else. A darker, mysterious stag. Reminded very much of his thoughts after being left for Vipin, Rut found it difficult to conceal his hurt, but nevertheless he managed.
His feelings for the doe are complex; not so simply worded as 'romantic' or 'platonic'. His fear of tumbling headfirst into the depths of love again has not left him, regardless of how well any relationship might work out. Rutilus is aware of his own complex nature and fears an official relationship, particularly with Martisol - terrified of all of the things that could go wrong, and thoroughly unwilling to take a risk with their friendship, at all.
11. What style of music do they like? Who are their favourite bands or singers? Why? Have they ever seen them in concert? Are they still alive today? What would they do if they died?
Rutilus is very much stuck with 50s blues, 60s, and 70s rock/bluesrock. He doesn't listen to much modern music but will nevertheless tolerate it. His favourite bands/musicians include; The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Carla Bruni, Led Zeppelin, early70s!Queen, The Doors, The Who, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Holly.
Since most of them are dead/disbanded, no, he hasn't seen them in concert.
12. What songs do you consider their theme songs? Why?
No Spare Parts by The Rolling Stones, generally because it's a goddamn sad song and the talk of a father leaving and the character speaking with their sister asking them to come home and yes. And there's the line "lonely hearts, they're just made to break, there ain't no spare parts, ain't no oil to change".
Chuck Berry's 'Rock and Roll Music' covered by The Beatles. I'm using the Beatles version because they're his second-favourite band, and John Lennon's voice is fantastic. Not an 'important' theme song; pretty much describes his opinion on music and god damn it if you want to dance with him, it's got to be rock and roll.
So Long Marianne by Leonard Cohen is a song that Fayne once referenced in a writing involving Tuna and Rutilus. I didn't know what the lyric was from at the time, and this was...two years ago or so and I still managed to recognise the words when I heard them. Pfft. 'I used to think I was some kind of gypsy boy, before I let you take me home'. It reminds me of Martisol and Rut, actually.
Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones. It's not exactly a sad song, but it sure as hell isn't happy, sort of...desperate, maybe. The repeated line 'and I won't forget to put roses on your grave' is what nails it for me, but the rest of it - a bitterness towards someone richer, 'better' than him - and the line 'I'll be in my basement room, with a needle and a spoon, and another girl to take my pain away' I sdfkjsdfh. Man.
Yer Blues - The Beatles. Rutilus' depressed periods. Yes I'm lonely - wanna die. Feel so suicidal, even hate my rock and roll etc, etc, etc.
13. How do you/they think they will die? Have they ever tried to commit suicide? Would they do it again? Would they try it at all? Why/why not?
I wrote death scenes for each of my characters a very long time ago, and I think the only one that still appeals to me is the one I wrote for Rutilus. He was shot in an alleyway by accident and died alone, basically. I think Rutilus would prefer to die alone, without anyone else around him. He'd want to say everything he kept bottled up before he died, but of course he might not get the chance if he's alone when it happens. Rutilus is quite certain that if he dies before his time, it will be murder, whether purposeful or accidental.
He slit his wrists as a teenager once, to make a statement of 'I hate my fucking stepfather, mum why are you with him?' and accidentally overdosed on painkillers whilst very drunk about a year ago. He hasn't ever really tried suicide, and though he did think about it a few times, he deems it as wrong because things always get better, in his view. Therefore he would never try it.
14. What's their sexuality? When did they realise this? Have they ever had any problems with their sexuality? How were they resolved? What do their friends and family think? Are they homophobic? If so, why?
Rutilus has always considered himself to be hetereosexual, and for a long time - even in the present, though to a lesser extent - he did come across as quite homophobic. At first he even disliked Jared after finding out he was gay, and even took his teasing too far because of it. Rutilus has always been afraid of people thinking he's attracted to men, but recently he seems to have dropped much of his worry about that.
Once, he was made to kiss Vipin; the two were pushed into eachother by two teenage does. This resulted in Rutilus hiding himself away for an entire day, too embarrassed to face the stag again until eventually he went to Vipin and seemed to admit that he might have minded less than he made out.
During his stay in New York the question of his own sexuality arose and Rutilus very reluctantly admitted to himself, but no-one else, that there are some males that he is indeed attracted to. These tend to be 'alpha' males; he has never found himself attracted to someone he considers to be on the same 'level' as him, such as Lorak, Draak, or Seed. Rutilus does get very affectionate with close male friends that will accept it, but that does not mean he has an attraction towards them.
In the human world he almost instantly developed a strong attraction for someone he met through other human friends. This attraction was sexual rather than romantic and almost resulted in Rutilus having his first homosexual experience, but he made a very hasty retreat when things got too 'heavy'.
[ hi I roleplay outside of TEF |: ]
Rutilus has a fear of lying with another man, probably due to his assumption that it would be incredibly painful, not to mention the fact that he would have no idea what he was actually doing.
All in all Rutilus prefers women; he feels safer with them and much more comfortable. It's very unlikely that he'll ever turn around and label his sexuality as anything other than straight.
15. Do they smoke, drink alcohol, and/or take drugs? Have they ever? Why do they do it?
Rutilus used to smoke constantly, but for a long time now it's become less and less frequent; likely the decline was started by an inability to afford cigarettes. Now he only tends to smoke when he's stressed, angry, or otherwise upset, in an attempt to calm himself down.
He still has a bit of an alcohol problem; he used to drink frequently and was almost never seen without a hangover in his human life, escaping to the forest in his attempts to relax and clear his head. Since he managed to overdose because he was drunk, however, he's barely touched a drink save for on special occassions. In times of extreme stress he often can't help but want to get drunk to 'escape', and keeps a supply of alcohol regardless of whether he plans to drink it or not.
I realised recently that it's very likely that Rutilus has smoked weed for some time now. The chances are that he was introduced to it by one of his bandmates (not Danila, who cannot ingest human medicines or drugs for fear it will mess up her alien system; perhaps Maha, who seems the most likely to try drugs). If it was Maha, it's likely that he's smoked it for about a year now, since his stay in New York, but his usage has declined considerably. He has tried cocaine once in his life whilst in New York and does not plan to use it again, ever. Rutilus has also ingested hallucinogenic forest mushrooms by accident before, on more than one occassion.
16. Does the character cry a lot? What makes them cry? Do they get embarrassed when they cry infront of other people?
Rutilus actually very rarely cries. He's always been that way from the very beginning. The only things that really make him cry are things involving other people. For instance, if a mutual friend of Rutilus and Martisol passed away, and Rut found Marti crying over them, it would probably make him cry too.
Generally he doesn't actually cry over death, perhaps because he's become accustomed to losing people.
17. Do they have any scars, birthmarks, tattoos or other distinguishing features?
He's had a tribal-ish tattoo of the sun on his chest for years. There's also a scar in the shape of his pictogram on his left calf which only appears in human form.
18. Are they right-handed, left-handed, or ambidextrous?
Left-handed.
will finish this in a while 8D
-must do this sometime- I'm
I'm definitely going to make a blog full of memes/questionnaires at some point for my chracters.