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#that she avoided calling out to Azar until a moment in DDD where she's so thoroughly freaked out and desperate that she prays to her
beyondthetemples · 2 years
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WHAT DOES YOUR MUSE FEAR?
repost. do not reblog. italicize for ‘uncomfortable, but bearable if necessary’ ; bold for "keep it away!"
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OBJECTS & THINGS :・needles・knives・sharp objects・bruises・blood・paddles/belts/objects used in beatings・germs・vomit/vomiting・holes (trypophobia)・alcohol・cigarettes・drugs/narcotics・pills・medicine・bikes・cars/buses/trains・boats・planes・bridges・elevators・stairs・roller coasters・fire・water・snow・rain・thunder/lightning・dolls/puppets・stuffed animals・balloons/popping balloons・bright lights・crowds・loud noises・animatronics・robots・technology・(other: )
PLACES: ・your home・your childhood home・the countryside・the city・closets・bathrooms・bars/nightclubs・doctor’s offices・dentists/orthodontists・hospitals・operating rooms・schools・jails/prisons・morgues・cemeteries・open spaces・cramped spaces・abandoned places・attics/crawlspaces・junkyards・churches/synagogues/mosques・religiously-significant places・haunted houses・back alleys・the outdoors・the mountains・the woods・the ocean・outer space・(other: places where very bad things happened)
EXPERIENCES & CONCEPTS : ・failing・heights・falling・jumping off a high place・climbing a high place・the dark ・showing off a talent ・the cold/being cold・heat/being hot・eye contact・accepting change・being challenged・getting lost ・getting separated・getting arrested・being trapped・being stranded・being followed・getting surgery・getting tattoos/piercings・swimming・driving・riding a bike・riding in a car/bus/train・flying in a plane・boating/sailing・being on the open water ・getting photographed・religion・thunderstorms ・blizzards・tsunamis・floods・tornadoes・hurricanes・earthquakes・mudslides・avalanches・poverty ・hunger・public speaking・performing in public・talking on the phone・talking to strangers・humiliation・pain・illness・death ・disassociating・danger・surgery・vehicular accidents・being burned・drowning・being choked・being starved・being poisoned ・suffocating・being stabbed・being shot・breaking a bone・being restrained・being laughed at ・being yelled at/demeaned・confrontation ・conflict ・physical fights・verbal fights・war・commitment・isolation ・silence・responsibility・taking responsibility・introspection ・apologizing・falling in love・emotional attachment・emotional intimacy・sexual intimacy・physical contact (any)・getting married・having a child・loveless relationships・unrequited love・falling out of love・divorce/separation ・breaking up・pregnancy・being pregnant・ageing・losing your attractiveness・the unknown・the past・the future・mistakes ・(other: )
CREATURES :・animals (general)・insects・spiders・creepy crawlies・snakes・scaly animals・frogs/toads・slimy animals・mice/rats・rodents・birds・dogs・cats・wolves/coyotes/wild dogs・lions/tigers/wild cats・bears・raccoons・possums・woodland animals・crocodiles/alligators・sharks・fish・aquatic animals・cryptids・aliens・sea monsters・vampires・werewolves・mummies・ghosts・monsters・angels・demons・zombies ・God・the devil・(other: )
PEOPLE :・people (general)・ men・women・yourself・your mother・your father・your siblings・your family・family・parental figures・elderly・adults・teenagers・kids・babies・clowns・drunk people・doctors・dentists・teachers・pastors/clergymen/nuns・religious figures・bullies・criminals・killers・police・authority figures・introverts・extroverts・aggressive people・overbearing people・pushy people・manipulators・hyper-sexual people・anxious people・liars・cheaters・people stronger than you・people weaker than you・(other: )
INTERNAL & EXISTENTIAL : ・not knowing・trusting ・forgiving・forgetting・being forgotten・being alone・being misunderstood・being used ・being taken advantage of ・being unloved・being hated・being abused ・being lied to・being hurt・hurting others・being unpopular・being humiliated ・being stood up ・being ignored ・being powerless・losing power ・being abandoned ・being betrayed ・being replaced・being unwanted/unneeded ・being excluded ・being a failure・being untalented/boring/not special・becoming poor・becoming ugly・losing control (of your situation)・losing control (of yourself)・lacking identity・lacking a purpose ・letting people down・disappointing others・losing friends・losing family・watching loved ones suffer・watching loved ones die ・getting sick・getting hurt・dying・’existing’ but not living・(other: death happening AROUND her moreso than TO her)
#headcanons list#{{ I was so shocked to see emet0phobia acknowledged on this that I HAD to do it? Wow???#Also the ''God'' one is complicated because Azar is basically the Azarathean god (religious leader; more of a high priestess than deity)#but the Azar they worshipped/followed was like. Alive and living and aware for the first 8 or so years of Dove's life#and then still Interactive and Aware and Watchful of the Azaratheans even after she had died#but Dove's mother was so desperate to protect Dove from being discovered that she wouldn't even PRAY about Dove#and Dove picked up on that fear and was afraid to pray to Azar for a good long time even AFTER Azarath fell#that she avoided calling out to Azar until a moment in DDD where she's so thoroughly freaked out and desperate that she prays to her#hoping for an answer and that she would Make It Stop. (She didn't of course because like... DDD Still Happened.)#But it took a LOT of pressure and horror on Dove to finally pray aloud to her and not just secretly internally Hope She Does Something.#Though that changes after The Final Journey (read: the point at which I roleplay her here so this has happened for her already)#when Dove accidentally reaches out to Azar and Azar winds up guiding her on the journey to find these powerful gems#and at the end of TFJ it's revealed that Azar knew she was there all along. But she didn't bother doing anything about it because#in her words ''It wouldn't have made any difference. What happened was doomed to happen regardless.''#so yeah Dove's relationship with her religion is... somewhat Fraught and Hesitant but only somewhat. It's still really important to her.#''Blood'' is kind of dependent on the situation and how much she's forced to interact with it.#She's definitely very squeamish but it's less the blood itself that worries her and more how her stomach reacts to it.#''Killers'' is an interesting one because she's not afraid they're going to hurt her but she's afraid she'll lose control and hurt THEM.#After DDD happens Dove has a very sore spot around murder and murderers.#And there were SO MANY that got highlighted because of her huge struggles with social anxiety.
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beyondthetemples · 7 years
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Character Development Questions: Hard Mode
Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with? Well, she does... The problem is, she and her mother are (were) the only people who know about it. She guards the secret of her heritage, linking her with Raven's bloodline via father alone, with a desperate panicked closeness. Once it's revealed: well, in the canonical stories anyways, Dove grows close to Starfire most quickly, and then to Robin a bit, before she really starts developing a positive emotional rapport with Raven. (Who isn't thrilled to find out Dove is her sister, by the way. Trigon's blood, in her house?! She's sister to THIS fragile little thing? How is anxious, traumatized, avoidant little DOVE supposed to be the one keeping Trigon's powers contained within her soul, with all the worlds and Trigon's containment at stake? She isn't a happy empath. Sooo, of course it takes awhile for Dove to earn her trust.)
What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like? Oh, Dove's mother was the one and only person Dove had ever known until the age of 8, and she was a very doting, affectionate, soothing, careful, cautious, dream-seeking, praising, comforting kind of presence that Dove desperately needed in her life. And anything she thought negatively about, which the little telepath would notice: Alerina was sure to soothe her and PROMISE her: "No, I promise, Yona-- I am not afraid of you. I am afraid FOR you, but I could never fear YOU." "I am worried because Azar is no longer here to balance Trigon beyond our boundaries, not that he is in you." "My nightmares were not your fault. Please don't blame yourself for asking about it." To be honest, Dove's mother was the reason she felt safe, confident, and loved enough to develop JUST enough self-worth to be able to fight back Trigon's influence. Without Alerina, Dove would have given in a long, long time before the prophecy ever came to pass. (Dove didn't have a place designated for her in their society, after all. Her only place in the world, until she joins the Titans at about age 15, or 16: it was at her mother's side.) Losing her is by far the worst thing to ever happen.
What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like? Nonexistent, and Dove would deeply, desperately like to keep it that way. (Trigon's evil and independent power within HERSELF, however, leads to many panicked visions during the DDD storyline, when that demonic influence begins to break free from her fragile hold.) The one thing Dove fears more than hurting someone from her own incompetence, is hurting someone because she's too weak to stop HIM from taking control over her. (In fact: It's the thought of him, in person, coming to Azarath, and discovering her presence, and TAKING HER OVER, that leads her to flee the world-- NOT at all any fear of pain, or dying.)
Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know? Several things, actually. I'll try to keep these brief, though the emotions are realistically quite complicated, and their impacts on her, profound: ~ Long before Dove knew anything about how Scrying worked, or magic, or her powers, or anything involved with their inherent mysticality, the psychism in their veins, and the power in her blood: Dove studied anything her mother studied, often glued to her side, practically attached at the hip under that blanket. And that included when her mother was "studying" fiction books, and prophecies, and stories from other people. More than anything, these accomplishments, these defeats of the odds: These triumphs, shared with her through the words and characters, taught her how to hope that somehow, as long as she kept doing important things, and tried, and tried, and tried: As long as she did these things, she could succeed. And she could never succeed if she stopped trying. Her mother often parroted poetry to Dove when she was frightened or ashamed or self-deprecating, often chanting Dove's favorite words in her alto sing-song voice, smoothly as the silk she would wrap Dove in, until her daughter calmed down, and started singing it with her. Thus, Dove learned the power of hope, and its inevitably renewal-- as long as they kept trying. ~ Alerina had never lied to Dove. But when Dove grew, from a toddler to a talker, and learned how to form her words into questions with deeper, scarily poignant meaning in their answers: Alerina began to explain to her, in more detail, why she must keep Dove so contained; even her heart contained behind a wall of calm quiet and control. These explanations often involved memories, of the moments Alerina had witnessed on the streets of Azarath, the things strangers who had never so much as SEEN the girl called Raven would say about her, how her mother would mourn for her, that she was never allowed to touch her daughter, not ever, not even once. And these are the moments that taught Dove, from her own conclusions, why she must never, ever interact, with anyone, no matter how nice and gentle they seemed. If anyone noticed her, surely they'd take her away! They'd tell her she was never allowed to smile! They'd be cruel and cold to her! They'd HATE her! They'd hurt her! They'd never let her do what was important to her, and they would take her away from her home and force her to hide, forever! Thus, Dove's powerful and relentless social anxiety was born. ~ When Dove was 13, she asked her mother why she didn't try to marry. And after trying to tell her that it would risk Dove being discovered, and Dove telling her that she knew there was more: rather than lie to her daughter, or speak the story past her emotion, her mother showed her the memories. And Alerina did her best, to try and keep the memories faded, vague, uncertain-- she only wanted Dove to know that she was very badly hurt. Dove was drawn into her memories by the emotion attached to them, her own emotions resulting from knowing her mother had been very badly hurt thus strengthened her powers, and Dove essentially lived through the day that Alerina was trapped in time, and raped. The effect is psychological asexuality (though she's still, awkwardly, but capably, romantic), and a conscious, fearfully determined celibacy. She is very, VERY uncomfortable in any situation that she realizes might involve sex, and that includes anything as simple as conversations, movies, and anything triggering the memories. ~ The vision, before she left Azarath. It came on the day of prophecy, when there was enough tension in the air to suffocate her long before the fires started. Her meditating mind was suddenly plagued with relentless and violent images, feelings, PAINS, and the full two minutes of panic-inducing, heat-steeped bodily strain and emotional ravaging tore her mind apart before the too-bright images flooded back in rapid changes until her mind whiplashed her back to her home, and she wasn't able to process everything until she had rested, for several hours, and the one thing that stood out to her was the realization that, she could FEEL Trigon's power, and even as powerful as her mother's love was and her spells were over Dove's soul: There was no way Alerina's gentle spells could hold up against Trigon's power. This realization is the only reason Dove is alive today. (It takes her a very, very long time to figure out. But the loudness and overstimulation and resulting terror from the vision are the reason she has ceraunophobia-- though her phobia extends beyond thunder, certainly her most INTENSE fear; she feels frantic around any sudden loud noises.) ~ Let's just say that one roller coaster ride was more than Dove will ever want, need, or even want to think about. Between associating the memories with emetophobic nightmares coming true, and her absolute need to feel stable and in control (both emotionally and physically): she pales any time she has to step into a moving vehicle, and engage herself in conversation, voluntarily (anything, ANYTHING to stop thinking about it!). ~ Cynophobia (her fear of dogs) is trauma-based. Dove was attacked by a dog after accidentally trespassing in very dark, very deep city territory, and she doesn't know the dog was trained to incapacitate, not to kill-- she's convinced she barely escaped with her life. (Though most of the bites healed, and the only scar she has from him, she can't see because of its placement on the back of her leg.) She's well aware of the phobia and she's capable of submerging the urge to run and hide, and able to reason through the fact that "not all dogs are vicious", and both Beast Boy and Robin teach her dog body language, as a coping mechanism... though she's still very nervous and she treads very, very carefully around them. Just in case. ~ And then there's DDD, which is a very, very, VERY long story. (And with no exaggeration whatsoever, the story currently stands at 250,000 words published thus far, and nearly 50,000 more in my files.) The most life-altering parts, though, are when Dove is unable to quell the demonic urges, her darkest side takes over, and people end up dead before she comes to her senses and realizes what she's done. The helplessness and fear she feels over these 4-6 months puts her in a place where she LETS it happen, and though she is essentially being blackmailed, manipulated, and abused into doing it, she entirely blames herself. She never fully forgives herself. And this is the reason Dove officially, finally, completely and totally joins in the efforts of the Teen Titans, beyond just controlling her own powers. She becomes an active hero protecting Jump City (and the world) because this form of redemption, a concept involuntarily taught to her when she invaded all of Raven's most secret memories during the climax battle, is the only reason she feels she has any right to live. She is convinced that she has to earn her right to a place in this world, and she has to make atonement for her unforgiveable sins, or she'd remain in that terrible, eternally-spiraling place of guilt and grief. And through DDD, she also comes to understand how heavy the burden of her personal responsibility is. To own up to what her powers can do, to CONFRONT them in order to stop/tame them-- and exactly how hard and consistently she has to work to control herself, lest the demon far worse than any stray shots of telepathic energy break free.
On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets? Well, until she joins the Titans, she doesn't have pockets. after, though: She only has "pockets" in her makeshift "utility" belt, fashioned in the style of the black waist-strap she usually wears, just thicker and deeper and far more damage-resistant. Typically it's just little things like water, electrolyte replacements, meclizine, paper with the mission details, and maybe even a pen. And, of course, her communicator. That's usually only with her if she leaves the house, since telepathy works much faster and is much harder to disrupt or eavesdrop on, anyways.
Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams? The nice ones, yes. They tend to be in sunset colors, either in grassy nature areas or in her childhood home on Azarath. Sometimes she dreams of things she saw in her mother's memories, or silly bright moments with Srentha, or times where she was alone at night, in the empty city. She doesn't mind being alone; it was a relief to her, from all the noise and motion and anxiety of having so many people around.
Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares? Absolutely. She has flashbacks of Azarath's destruction, the vision, entirely too frequently. Her nightmares tend to involve either hurting someone, or being accused of a crime she committed and/or was too weak to stop. Her nightmares are either around someone being hurt because of her, the vision, or her father's power forcing her into something she's not, and swallowing everything she is until all she sees is red, red, RAGE.
Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target? No; she can't handle the noise safely enough to risk it.
Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up? Well, considering her previous status was "nonexistent" and she's currently capable of talking to strangers and is provided for by a fairly cozy set of grants: I'd say so.
Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing? More, as long as it's not restrictive. She's comforted by feeling surrounded, in touch with her body, grounded, and it just feels like she's somehow safer when she's covered.
In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been? It's hard to decide whether this was during The Vision, or when she was struggling desperately to NOT let her demon take control again; NOT lose this battle (though she knew she wasn't strong enough to win); NOT let someone else get HURT!
In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been? ...Probably a moment with her mother. Back hen, she could convince herself that as long as she didn't let it bother her (that is: if she submerged all of her fears, and tried to ignore them, and pretended that nothing was a threat to her), she could ignore all her problems, and just sit in the calm and quiet of her mother, of her incense, of Azarath's innate soul-deep PEACE... until it swallowed her fears and she meditated herself into a conduit for pure, prayer-steeped quietude.
Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way? Oh Azar, yes. You don't want Dove anywhere near blood if you need someone patched up. She's squeamish (she gets dizzy and nauseous around blood), it makes her sick (which triggers emetophobia), and her empathic abilities are vague, but JUST strong enough that she'll feel the pain of whoever she's dealing with, her concern triples her anxiety, and it's just a really bad situation for everyone if you're relying on her to wrap a tourniquet.
Does your character remember names or faces easier? Faces, I think... (She's visually dominant, so she remembers images more easily than sounds.)
Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not? Nah, mostly because they've never held any value to her. (She's still struggling to grasp the concept of money at age 18.)
Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success? Success, by far. First of all: Happiness is an emotion. Emotions are dangerous for her. But also, her own personal happiness is nowhere near as important to her as helping to keep others SAFE. Quite often her happiness, comfort, and joys have to be submerged and set aside for the sake of successfully controlling her powers.
What was your character’s favorite toy as a child? She never really played much with toys. She liked using her hands as people, or birds, and played around the house on the plants, or books, or built things out of random items, or made personas for the bowls and spoons while her mother cooked. Toys obviously meant for a child could be too easily discovered if a visitor surprised them, and Alerina never took any risks with unnecessary household items-- especially childrens' toys.
Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others? Wisdom, for sure. Dove's ultimate goals in life are peace and quiet, not contentment and success. If somebody is able to find that in the chaos of this terribly fast-paced, cacophonic violent world: Dove admires that on every single level.
What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before? She's VERY hard to get to open up, simply because she, quite literally, doesn't know HOW to start form square one with a relationship. She never HAD to, until she met the Titans. 14 years of her life, only ever interacting with her mother (who already loved her deeply) and her friend (who basically did all the opening up and ice-breaking or her) left her incredibly unable to communicate effectively and understand how to work a relationship. All she does is default to "do everything to make them Not Hate Me and thus Not Ostracize Me For Being Different". She's a clumsy liar though, and aware enough of others' minds to know when it's getting uncomfortable. Her relationships are all clumsily built, but strengthened by her actual inability to be insincere, and drive to support and comfort anyone who eventually earns her trust, and is able to see the quiet calm hiding somewhere beneath all that social anxiety. (Mostly, this flaw just prevents her from being able to forge a relationship in the first place.)
In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism? Oh, she has ALWAYS quietly compared herself to Raven. Raven was able to keep her powers down. Raven was able to be in a crowd. Raven was living under Azar's wing. Raven's mother was all alone, and thank Azar her mother wasn't left alone too. Oftentimes it's more for analysis and trying to fit it into her understanding of people, society, of their places in the world, and why things are the way they are. It does tend to be in envy more than self-deprecation, and in a twisted way it's also to validate her own envy.
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 definitely always jumps to self-guilting and self-criticism. She can't help it; she's far too aware of how her actions affect (or, should have affected) other people.
What does your character like in other people? Calm and quiet help her comfort levels a TON. Especially on emotional and physical energy levels. Somebody who's steady and confident can work miracles on her own confidence; between telepathically feeling more steady from sensing their certainty, and the relief that SHE doesn't have to direct them to do things, or SHE doesn't have to come up with what to say, takes a huge weight off her sociophobic shoulders. And then, talking and being able to be comfortable, honest, trusting, and reassured that she won't be hated for saying the wrong thing allow her to relax the self-taught fears, and that then allows her other aspects to shine through.
What does your character dislike in other people? Loud talking, forceful demeanors, too much physical motion, going too fast or talking about things too confusing for her to understand (which brings on the social anxiety because surely she should know, and surely they WANT her to know, so if she doesn't, they're disappointed, and if they're disappointed then they must realize what a terrible person she is to talk to!).... Basically, anyone too self-absorbed, angry, or energetic feels abrasive for her to be around.
How quick is your character to trust someone else? It's more about how quick she is to trust herself to be honest around them. Which, does take a very long while. Though, she also has to learn that the person isn't going to hurt her for being Different, or Being Powerful, or Having Trigon's Blood in her veins. How long that takes her to understand depends on how quickly and how poignantly someone demonstrates it to her (which, can also be largely circumstantial).
How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person? She only becomes suspicious if her powers give her reason to. Lie to her, and she will know immediately (telepathy's convenient like that). Constantly change mood, personality, or plans around her, and she will be, maybe more suspicious than concerned, but suspect that maybe something is wrong, either in their life or maybe that she had done...? And of course she grows suspicious if her psychic instincts set off aniety-inducing alarm bells only when they're around, or say certain things, or generally just give her an unpleasant vibe. In fact, this sense of suspicion grows STRONGER if she knows them well enough to spot the difference. (She may not have grown up learning body language and social interaction, but she's naturally attentive, and a quick study on her loved ones.)
How does your character behave around children? Awkwardly. She has never dealt with living beings outside her age range, unless the bird they kept around her house counts. She's sometimes flustered and overwhelmed by childrens' moodswings and strong reactions to little things, and she'd much rather watch them than interact with them, if she HAD to be around... (She'd much rather be alone than work with children, most of the time. She doesn't know how to communicate with them, at all.)
How does your character normally deal with confrontation? Her first instinct is to ignore it and hope it goes away. But DDD taught her just how well that works out (i.e. people die and you get possessed, apparently). She needs time to gather details, as many as possible, and then to step back, calm down if it's stressful, and analyze it in her own mind before she can confront the situation-- especially if it's people. She makes a good mediator, but when it's a problem that's all her own versus somebody else's perspective: She can acknowledge perspective, but isn't very great at finding happy mediums-- especially since she's so flighty and discomfited by change.
How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation? Oh, very very VERY slow. Her reactive mind-paths are deeply entrenched in Azarathean philosophy, so nonviolence and pacifism are her default, plan B-Z, and extensions 1-999. Unless somebody she knows is in trouble. Then the most "physical" thing she'll normally do is either TRY desperately (and probably fail, realistically) to do something dramatically telekinetic... or attack with telepathic barrages until they physically cannot think, see, or even move, depending on the severity of her desperation and emotional stability and control.
What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true? Mostly just living with her mother, until they died in each others' arms.
What does your character find repulsive or disgusting? Blood, v*mit, anything that smells or feels gross to her, sadism, murder, sex, taxidermy, corpses, anything involving bodily fluids or death or unpleasant smelling.
Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable. She likes being in quietude, familiarity, coziness, and peace. Her room, alone, with either gentle rain or clouds outside, and not too much light in her room, and either a book in hand or a journal, or something contemplative occupying her mind. Either that, or with somebody else who appreciates the quiet, or is having a nice conversation with her somewhere else she's very comfortable and very attached to.
Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable. Social interaction with multiple strangers and nobody she knows in the area. (She WILL shut down in this scenario, and inevitably either find an escape route, be sick, or pass out. Whichever happens first.)
In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve? She wILL self-deprecate until somebody is able to distract her, or turn her focus to self-betterment. At least until she's about 15, after 6-12 months on Earth. Then she's pretty much desperate to improve. She is known to still be overly critical on herself, if she doesn't think she's improving quickly enough, but she's also known to push through it and eventually meet her goal, however slowly that might be.
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 doesn't always know what else to do. She puts so much time and effort into finding the "right" answer, that she is likely to keep trying it until her self-doubt defeats her, and she'll give up. Often she gauges the "right" answer by "what will fail otherwise", so she usually already convinces herself that anything else is doomed.
How does your character behave around people they like? Dove is definitely calmer when she knows, trusts, and enjoys the company of an individual. She will speak calmly and more smoothly (though telepathy will always be her preferred, and if she REALLY trusts someone you might not even notice they're conversing, because it's mentally). She tends to pose far more easily and more focused on who she's with, and her words are far more elaborate and honest. Calm, quiet, and gentleness exude from her relaxed presence, and she tends to freely flow between conversations, thoughts, places, and time when there's trust in place.
How does your character behave around people they dislike? It takes a lot to move Dove from "nervous because you're Not Trusted", to "Actively Disliking You". Once that point is reached, she becomes very tightly closed off, refusing eye-contact and often stepping stiff and heavily. She's tense, she's biting her tongue, she won't typically directly confront somebody-- but if it's needed or it gets to the point where she HAS to speak, it's often sharp and biting, and she'll say it with ever-accusing body language and daggers in her eyes.
Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status? ...I'm not sure of the difference. Dove (especially post-DDD) doesn't feel she has any inherent honor. She doesn't perceive the world as having assigned worth to things, not really, especially not things like "Honor". And as for status: She exists in a sort of social bubble, utterly oblivious to any status beyond "person who keeps the people alive" and "nonexistent/pariah". She prefers to straddle the line. But, if this means whether morality or social standing are more important to her? It would strain her with nerves, but she will always do what is moral.
Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat? That depends if anyone else is threatened. If it's a small threat and she feels her intervention will not help: She removes herself. If she thinks her intervention will help herself, but not her antagonist: She removes herself anyways, because it's not worth the energy. If someone else will be helped, despite Dove possibly getting hurt: She WILL step in, and say what she can, before DOING what she can.
Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)? See the part about the dog attack.
How does your character treat people in service jobs? Briefly, uncomfortably, and politely. With respect to their humanity and communication skills, though her social anxiety makes it deeply preferential for someone else to do the interacting.
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? It depends whether this "want" is a survival need (shelter, food, water, health) or a downright unnecessary "want". Also whether it's shared resources or socially judged, because she feels like she has to either REALLY NEED, or have earned, a resource, to take it away from somebody else. Oftentimes she just doesn't feel "want" strongly enough to be glad or sad either way, anyways. (Because that, my friends, entails a reaction, which involves Emotion. Say it with me, kids: Emotions are Dangerous!)
Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them? ...Not that I can think of.......
Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them? Not in any stories that are currently written. (She takes an "Aunt" sort of role in Kary's child's life, but you'd never know they aren’t ACTUALLY related by blood.)
How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it? It doesn't carry the same connotation to her that it does for our society. She can say it easily, but she's more likely to use a phrase that's more specific, and indicate love through concern, mentions, and actions when needed.
What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them? Well, she doesn't know what will happen to her soul. Azar doesn't even KNOW about her, so will she take her in with her mother? Or will Trigon claim his power from her soul, and leave her spirit broken and aimless? She isn't afraid of it, but she doesn't like thinking about it. Ultimately, she THINKS her soul will return to her mother's side. Even if it meant her mother's essence would separate from Azarath's, and their pure life energies would find a quiet place to haunt. But she isn't sure, and that's what bothers her.
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