Sharky's questions for OC's list reminded me of a roleplay character "interview" sheet I saw a while ago, so I thought I would post it for one of my characters. It's really a ton of fun, and it's a great tool for developing a character that you have just the basic traits worked out for. So I decided to interview Shaliph 443, since I didn't really know that much about her before doing this interview.
Feel free to use these questions for your own characters, and post them here.
Note: The opinions stated in this interview are not a reflection of the writer. Shaliph may be my character, but that doesn't mean we agree on . . . well, anything.
Part 1: The Basics
1. What is your full name?
Shaliph 443.
2. Where and when were you born?
I was born in the Sulp Niar pool, on the Yeerk homeworld, in the human year 1959.
3. Who are/were your parents? (Know their names, occupations, personalities, etc.)
I obviously didn't know them personally, but I've heard from older Yeerks that knew them that their names were Heshat 213, Masier 90, and Garith 804. I don't have any idea what any of them were like, all I know is that Masier was a sub-visser at one point. A pretty high-numbered one, though.
4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?
Oh, want me to list all five hundred and ninety-three? We would be here all day.
5. Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people.
I'm currently stationed on the Hork-Bajir homeworld with Yenlin, Korash, and other Yeerks. Our current residence is an old, dusty Arn habitation. Our quarters are smaller than we'd like, but at least it's big enough for three.
6. What is your occupation?
Before I left earth, I guess it would have just been "student." Yeah, I'd been going to human middle school. Just trying to 'fit in,' more than anything else. Hey, we all gotta find our place in this world, right? Good god, I made a bad choice getting myself stuck as an early teenager!
Now, though . . . I'm sorry, but I can't tell you my current occupation. Unless you want me to kill you after the interview is over.
7. Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks.
Well, my nothlit form is that of a roughly 12-year-old girl. Mixed morph, of course. I have sort of strawberry blond hair, which has just a slight bit of wave to it, and eyes that are somewhere between brown and green. I'm 4 foot 11 inches tall (I feel so short when I stand next to Yenlin and Korash), and somewhere around 90 pounds, I think. No tattoos, no scars, and no birthmarks. What else? Oh yeah, style of dress. I like to wear tight-fitting shirts, you know? The kind that are a little eye-catching, but not drop-dead gorgeous. I don't do 'pretty.'
8. To which social class do you belong?
Lower? Middle? Depends on whether you're referring to Yeerk classes or human. I'm pretty much a nobody in Yeerk society (although my connection with Yenlin boosts my status a little bit above the mob of Yeerk nobodies), but as a human, I'd say middle class.
9. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?
Not that I know of.
10. Are you right- or left-handed?
Right-handed.
11. What does your voice sound like?
A little boyish, but still definitely a young girl's voice. Pretty bland, actually. Korash tells me there are loads of kids who sound just like me.
12. What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?
"Hmmph," "You'll regret that," "Leave me alone," and "F**k." And, of course, whenever I utter the word "Andalite" it is with purest disgust.
13. What do you have in your pockets?
The pants I'm wearing at the moment don't have pockets. But I have a Dracon beam in my hand, which I almost never put down.
14. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?
*snrk* Quirks? Strange mannerisms? Do you really want me to answer that question honestly? It's not really . . . well, you know. PG-13. Um, if you're really that curious, ask Korash. He knows.
Part 2: Growing Up
15. How would you describe your childhood in general?
Deaf, blind, helpless, swimming around in the Yeerk pool with thousands of my fellow Yeerks. I can't really complain, though. At least I got to see the home world, and I wasn't born in one of those sterile tanks on a spaceship. Actually, though . . . you know, a lot of Yeerks complain about their childhood, but it wasn't really that bad. Seeing as I am now growing up a second time, as a human, I'm in a good position to compare the two, and I think humans have it worse. At least we didn't have to put up with that stupid farce they call 'school.'
16. What is your earliest memory?
My first host. It was a Gedd, and it was marvellous. The senses were wonderful, but I remember that what I loved most was dominating the Gedd mind with a mere thought. It was an insane power rush, and it was glorious.
17. How much schooling have you had?
About a month or two of human middle school.
18. Did you enjoy school?
*shudder* What is wrong with you, that you would even ask that question? School is where you go to be taught obedience and complacency, not to learn anything useful. It's worse than Yeerk military training. What is wrong with humans?
19. Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?
I'm pretty much self-taught. The various vissers and sub-vissers that I've served under would teach all their underlings the basics that we needed to know for any given job, but a lot of stuff I just had to learn on my own.
20. While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.
Yenlin 705 and Korash 36. I'm not sure if Korash counts, since I didn't really know him until later in my life, but Yenlin has been there for me for as long as I can remember. He's, well, how do you describe Yenlin? He's confident, maybe a little arrogant (especially now, ever since he became a nothlit as an Andalite), and always stands up for what he believes in. After the war, he chose to trap himself as an Andalite, as revenge against them, because after all, what would an Andalite hate more than a Yeerk permanently trapped as one of their own?
Korash is more down-to-earth, more laid-back, I guess. He trapped himself as a human, like me. Even though I've known Yenlin longer, I can't really get as close to him as I can to Korash, you know? I guess Korash is just more sensitive, more brotherly. He's also . . . well, let's just say he isn't an unattractive human.
21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?
Look, I didn't know my parents, and my siblings scattered as soon as we were born, so I don't even know who all my brothers and sisters are. Hell, Korash and Yenlin and I could all be related, and we'd never know.
22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A Visser.
23. As a child, what were your favorite activities?
Well, Yenlin and I made up this one game that I used to really like to play. We'd both go into one Gedd's brain at the same time, and fight for control. Yenlin . . . usually won. But it was still fun.
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?
I was stubborn, ambitious, and determined. I think I got it from Yenlin. I used to try so hard to be like him. I obviously failed, though, seeing as he eventually became a sub-visser and I didn't.
25. As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?
No. My friends came and went, except for Yenlin, and later, Korash.
26. When and with whom was your first kiss?
Korash. August 5, 1990.
27. Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?
Well, I obviously haven't had Yeerk sex . . . But as a human . . . no comment.
28. If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities. If you are just a normal human, describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.
I was born a Yeerk, and when we got defeated in the war, all of us were forced by the righteous, meddling Andalites to become nothlits. Hmmph. Which is why I'm human now. That's really all there is to the story.
Part 3: Past Influences
29. What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?
The Yeerk-nothlit act.
30. Who has had the most influence on you?
Yenlin. To a lesser degree, Korash.
31. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Hmm . . . well, at least until Project Legacy succeeds, I think it would have to be that one time I fought off the Animorphs from the Yeerk pool complex. I was assigned guard duty, thinking it was going to be a boring shift, when BAM, there was an attack! I hit the tiger right in the shoulder with my Dracon beam, scoring the first hit of the battle. They were forced to flee shortly after that.
32. What is your greatest regret?
Being forced to spend the rest of my life as anything but a Yeerk.
33. What is the most evil thing you have ever done?
Evil is in the eye of the beholder, my friend. We all have to do what we have to do to live.
34. Do you have a criminal record of any kind?
According to humans, yes. By the accounts of my own people . . . well, those Yeerks who have turned away from what we truly are may consider me a criminal. But any true Yeerk would see that I've done nothing to be called a 'criminal' for.
35. When was the time you were the most frightened?
It was towards the end of the war. You know when the Animorphs crashed that train full of explosives into the Yeerk pool? I was there. Yenlin and Korash were, too. We always feed together, you see. Yenlin had to nab the first host that stuck its ear into the pool, and then he carried Korash and I out of there in our natural forms. We were obviously blind and deaf the whole time, so we had no idea what was going on, and it was terrifying. I'm lucky to be alive and talking to you right now.
36. What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?
Oh, like I would tell you about that.
37. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?
I would still be a Yeerk.
38. What is your best memory?
My first host.
39. What is your worst memory?
The moment when the Yeerk-nothlit act was passed, and I realized what it meant for my people.
Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions
40. Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?
Pessimistic. Optimists are brainless morons that refuse to see things for what they really are.
41. What is your greatest fear?
That I might have to watch helplessly as our culture disappears . . . and watch other Yeerks stand by and happily let that happen. I'm determined to do whatever it takes to stop that from being our future.
42. What are your religious views?
Yeerks aren't big on religion, but I do pay homage to the Kandrona, which is sort of like our version of God in some respects.
43. What are your political views?
Yeerk politics is all that really matters. That thing that humans call 'politics'? It's a watered down, pansy version of the real thing. All those rules and regulations and moralizing just complicate the real picture. Those who deserve power must seize it, and those who don't get pushed to the bottom of the heap. That's how it needs to be. Nice and simple.
44. What are your views on sex?
Human sex is disgusting and primitive, but I suppose it's better than nothing. What we do as Yeerks, where we fuse three into one, is far more romantic. It is the ultimate sacrifice for the ones you love . . . there is no higher way of expressing your feelings than that. I've heard it described as the most beautiful thing one can imagine, feeling your mind merge with the two other beings you love the most. They say that after you've experienced that glorious ecstasy, you welcome death with open arms, because your life is complete, because you've felt all there is to feel.
I've always wondered, though, how anyone knows that. Right? I mean, you die right after, so how can you tell anyone how amazing it was?
Still . . . I would have liked to have had the chance to share that with Yenlin and Korash one day.
45. Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?
Oh, hell yes. Give me a Dracon beam, and I'll kill whatever my superiors tell me to. I have pretty decent aim, too, not like some morons who they give Dracons to these days.
Really, killing isn't a big deal. You're just helping evolution along. Anything that dies by your hand, clearly wasn't as worthy as you are to live.
46. In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?
Humans do tons of stupid and inane things, but I wouldn't necessarily call them 'evil'. Killing without a purpose, though . . . that just pisses me off. If you don't stand to get a promotion from it, and you weren't acting in self-defense, then you have no business killing anyone. But that's not evil, so much as just plain stupid.
As for a Yeerk (since I think you just worded that question badly, and you actually meant "any sentient being" rather than "any human"), I think the most evil thing a Yeerk can do is to decide that simply being a Yeerk is evil. When you turn against everything you are, you are a traitor to each and every member of your race. Those Yeerks, the so-called "good" Yeerks, those Yeerks who look for a way out of our lifestyle of parasitism, are proving the Andalites right. They're the reason we're dying.
47. Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?
Yes.
48. What do you believe makes a successful life?
Power, glory, and the right to live how you want to live, without anyone telling you what to do with your life.
49. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?
I'm pretty honest, most of the time. Sometimes downright blunt. But I don't like to own up to it when I make mistakes, I suppose. In those cases, I might hide my thoughts and feelings.
50. Do you have any biases or prejudices?
Andalites. F**king arrogant bastards of the galaxy, think they can do whatever they want and tell everyone else what to do. And humans aren't much better.
51. Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it?
Back when I was still a Yeerk, I would have refused to live without a host just so some poor innocent idiot could walk free. The Yeerks who did that, the resistance or whatever, were idiots. Our hosts don't deserve that level of respect.
Today, though . . . I would refuse to cooperate with an Andalite in any way. Do I need a reason why? They're bastards, that's why.
52. Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?
I would be glad to give my life for Yenlin or Korash.
I would also willingly die if it meant that the Yeerk empire would get another chance.
Part 5: Relationships With Others
53. In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?
In general, I respect those above me, I'm ambivalent to most of my peers, and I'll gladly boss around anyone below me. Yenlin and Korash are, of course, exceptions to this, and I love them both dearly. I don't think anyone else could ever get that close to me, to the point where I would treat them as a friend, simply because it isn't worth my time.
54. Who is the most important person in your life, and why?
One person? You're making me choose one person? Whatever I answer, I'm going to piss someone off. So I'm not going to give you a straight answer. Yenlin and Korash are both equally important to me. We are what the Yeerks call desani, which literally translates as "life mates", and desani is a word that actually does not have a singular form. It's taboo to refer to only one of your life mates in that way.
55. Who is the person you respect the most, and why?
See my previous answer.
56. Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people.
Yenlin and Korash are my only real friends. I've made a few acquaintances, but nobody else I would really call a friend. But that's okay, I don't need friends.
57. Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person.
How many variants of this question are you going to ask? Geez, see my answer to the last, like, four questions, already!
58. Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened.
Holy s**t! Look, ask one more time, and I'll strangle you. You know the answer to this question. Let's move on now.
59. What do you look for in a potential lover?
That's a little better. I'll let you live.
Anyway, I look for, well, someone like me. Someone I can respect. But also . . . someone I can be close to. That's why I'm with Yenlin and Korash. Yenlin is like me, and he's someone I can respect. Korash is someone I can be close to.
60. How close are you to your family?
What family?
61. Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?
No. Duh. I can't start a Yeerk family, since we're all nothlits, and we don't want a human family, because Yenlin would have to be left out of that because of obvious biological restrictions, plus who wants to care for squalling babies anyway? Maybe, if we can find a way to reverse the nothlit condition, we will start a family. We won't live to see them, of course . . . but I still want to know that there's a future generation of Yeerks who owe their lives to us.
62. Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?
Probably Korash. He's just . . . more supportive than Yenlin is. I guess it would depend on what sort of help I needed.
63. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?
I would trust either Korash or Yenlin with my life. I'd probably want Yenlin to protect me, though. I mean, you don't mess around with that tail blade.
64. If you died or went missing, who would miss you?
Yenlin, Korash . . . and probably nobody else.
65. Who is the person you despise the most, and why?
Elfangor. When you think about it, it's his fault we lost the war. He created the Animorphs, and then they, a miserable bunch of kids, somehow managed to defeat us. And now we live at the Andalite's whim, held prisoner in alien bodies, watching our own people turn against themselves, and watching our culture die. Augh, I wish I had been Visser Three so I could have had the chance to tear that miserable piece of Andalite scum limb from limb!
66. Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?
I argue when it's to my advantage, but I also know when to be a good little Yeerk and keep my mouth shut. Well, most of the time. I have had the occasional issue with authority.
67. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?
If I can seize a leadership position, you bet I do! But, in Yeerk society, there are limited opportunities to fill a leadership role, because everyone is vying for those positions.
68. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?
No. It's far too easy to get lost in the crowd, and forgotten.
69. Do you care what others think of you?
Doesn't everybody? I mean, I want people to like me, but I guess it doesn't faze me much if they don't.
Part 6: Likes And Dislikes
70. What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
I like to read. Human books aren't bad, most of the time. And I really like music. There's some classical music that's absolutely beautiful.
71. What is your most treasured possession?
This is going to sound a little silly . . . but before I became a nothlit, I had a few cells harvested from my Yeerk body. You know, in case they found a cure for the nothlit condition. They're currently being held in a secret, cryogenic storage facility, along with cells from Korash and Yenlin. The whole thing was actually Yenlin's idea. Anyway, if that counts as a 'possession,' I'd say it was my most treasured one.
If that doesn't count, I guess I'd have to say something stupid, like my Ipod, or my computer. I guess I am pretty fond of my computer.
72. What is your favorite color?
Red.
73. What is your favorite food?
Chicken parmesan pasta. If humans know how to do one thing right, it's food.
74. What, if anything, do you like to read?
Mostly informational stuff. Historical novels, educational books, and the occasional satire or parody. I have to admit, I was a fan of Stephen Colbert's book. He just goes through and points out how ridiculous humans are in everything they do, and I loved it.
75. What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)?
Music and books. Yenlin enjoys a few television programs, but I think all of that is just so banal. It requires no thought, you know? You just sit there, and are bombarded by words and images, and you don't do anything. I don't understand why some people enjoy that.
76. Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit?
Ugh, no. I never did the oatmeal thing, and that's the only drug Yeerks really have that isn't tied to their hosts. It's stupid, why would anyone want to do that to themselves?
I guess I was in a drug-using host for a while, so I let him keep his foolish addiction. But that was just to keep him from complaining. Because, I mean, he was a voluntary. When you have a voluntary host, you have to try and keep them happy, you know?
77. How do you spend a typical Saturday night?
We don't really have "Saturdays" on the Hork-Bajir homeworld, which is where I'm currently stationed. Their calendar is way weirder than that. But we do get days off now and then, and some of us go exploring the other Arn cities to see what we can find, while some of us just socialize. I'm in the first group. Doing nothing makes me antsy.
Back on earth, I would spend my Saturdays either reading, listening to music, occasionally writing something, or working out plans to bring the Yeerk Empire back. Most often the last one, I guess.
78. What makes you laugh?
Humans. Subordinates screwing up. My superiors screwing up. Yenlin's jokes about Andalites.
79. What, if anything, shocks or offends you?
Andalites.
80. What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?
Listen to music.
81. How do you deal with stress?
If it's something I can't handle myself, I usually go to Korash and tell him about it. He always seems to know how to make me feel better.
82. Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan?
I can be either. I'm pretty flexible. I plan things out in advance if I can, but sometimes things come up that you weren't expecting, and you have to be prepared for that.
83. What are your pet peeves?
Andalites. Humans. People who think Yeerks are "evil" for being what they are. Yeerks who think our way of life is evil. When people leave Dracon beams on the lowest setting.
Part 7: Self Images And Etc.
84. Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted?
I wake up, maybe I get ready for school, maybe I decide to skip, depends on my mood, if I go to school, I sit there bored and make faces at the teacher whenever she isn't looking, and if I skip, I might go to the grocery store if there's something I need, or I might do a favor for one of the other Yeerks I know (never hurts!), or whatever. Then I eat, shower, and go to bed.
Since I don't really have much of a set routine anyway, I don't really care if it's disrupted.
85. What is your greatest strength as a person?
I'm persistant. I'll get what I want, one way or another, and I don't give up until I do.
86. What is your greatest weakness?
I'm . . . I guess I'm too afraid of being wrong, sometimes. To the point that I get indecisive on really big decisions. Sometimes, fear of making mistakes can be a good thing, but my indecision can be crippling when I need to make a snap decision.
87. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wouldn't be a f**king human teenage girl.
88. Are you generally introverted or extroverted?
A little bit of both, leaning toward the extroverted side. Well, for a Yeerk, at least. Among humans, I think I seem more introverted, but I don't know whether that's because humans are just more extroverted than Yeerks are, or because I don't consider humans to be worth my time.
89. Are you generally organized or messy?
I'm pretty organized.
90. Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.
I'm good at getting what I want, doing whatever is necessary to get a job done, and being adaptable to new situations.
I'm bad at making fast decisions, admitting mistakes, and submitting to authority.
91. Do you like yourself?
Yes.
92. What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons...)
I want people to know that there is nothing shameful in being a Yeerk. We are what we are, and we do what we must do. Everything deserves a chance to survive, and even animals are allowed to live for what they are. That's why I fight.
I don't really tell people that, though. I tend to tell people that "oh, I'm one of the good Yeerks, parasitism is bad, I'm so ashamed of what I used to be, and I'm so very glad that the wonderful and noble Andalites were here to show us a better way." Total bulls**t, of course, but you'd be surprised how many people I've convinced with that story. Heck, I'm surprised there are morons who fall for that.
93. What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?
I want to see the Yeerk Empire rise again.
94. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Controlling an army of mind-slaves, and . . . whoops you're not supposed to know about that.
95. If you could choose, how would you want to die?
I would die with Yenlin and Korash, and in doing so give life to a new generation.
96. If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.
Yenlin, Korash, and . . . haha, just kidding. No, I'd probably want to try some human drugs, just to see what the big deal is, maybe get myself totally wasted, and then die listening to Beethoven while kissing Korash.
I can tell you what my final words would be. "For freedom."
97. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?
Being responsible for the second rise of the Yeerk Empire.
98. What three words best describe your personality?
Stubborn, ambitious, and dynamic.
99. What three words would others probably use to describe you?
Ruthless, cold, and stubborn.
100. If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character? (You might even want to speak as if he or she were sitting right here in front of you, and use proper tone so he or she might heed your advice...)
You've got the right idea, wanting to preserve your culture. Maybe you're even right. But maybe, just maybe, you should try to find another way? As long as Yeerks are Yeerks, there will be Andalites fighting against you. You are what you are, and Andalites are what they are. That's just the way it is. You can't escape that. And maybe, change isn't always bad.
I dunno. I think I agree with you on some points. Everyone should have the right to be what they are . . . but once that right encroaches on other people's rights, the issue gets a little more sticky. So I don't know who's right or who's wrong.
Yeah, that wasn't terribly helpful, was it?
