credit.
Ellie Linton, from the Tomorrow novel series by John Marsden.
This survey will be updated to reflect her growth in Exsilium (assuming I am not horribly lazy) and also be a place for me to waffle endlessly about random things.
Her present canon point is from just after the group arrive in Stratton after blowing up the Wirrawee airfield.
She was apped into Exsilium at the beginning of February, 2013.
Content Warning for war, death, PTSD, sexual trauma and general awfulness.
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Canonically she is just mentioned as being short, but it's never actually specified. I made her 5'1"/155cm because that's (apparently) the actor who plays her in the film adaptation and whom I use as her pb.
In terms of build, she's pretty light, and definitely on the too-thin side on account of really poor nutrition since the outset of the war.
2. How old is she?
Seventeen, although the books get a bit hazy about the timeline.
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch?
Ellie has quite a presence. She doesn't always stand erect, she can slouch and lean against walls as much as any teenager. Sometimes she is just too exhausted to be able to stand up properly. When she's having a good day and is happy, she stands up straight, shoulders back and all that, but there are times when she is trying to hide in the shadows and she is used to trying to make herself unseen rather than drawing attention to herself, and I think that caution would translate into her posture as well.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Her body has suffered a lot during the war. The aforementioned malnutrition has made her waver between too thin and almost dangerously underweight, at times. She has a cracked patella and some damaged vertebrae. The knee was treated by a military hospital, but it's a recurring problem and gives her a lot of grief if it gets too cold.
She's probably more vulnerable to sickness because of the poor nutrition, but that will improve with time.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
She's not the most graceful person around; she's said that she moves like she's plodding through mud, when compared to her friends Robyn and Fiona. However, she isn't actually that clumsy. She moves very differently depending on her mood; oftentimes she is very cautious. It's become a default for her to try and move as quietly as possible, leave as little trace of her presence as possible, so she is very aware of her movements. There can be a lot of tension in her movements, as well.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror?
Ellie is pretty, although she's very practical, and doing herself up to look nice just isn't a priority. She isn't terribly absorbed with her looks, and her appearance never comes up as a source of insecurity for her. She doesn't compare herself to her friends, and considering she talks (at length) about how pretty Fi is, I think that says good things for her confidence. Not being pretty enough is never a concern we hear about.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
She has a pretty tanned complexion from being in the sun so much, and her skin is tanned, although really she probably suffers the same bane of the occasional outbreak that every teenager (especially those with a shitty diet) suffers. She has a few scars, many more from the war than before' scratches on her arms that she can't remember getting, a little scar near her hairline, and a bunch of others.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
It's quite long. She usually has it out loose or in a low ponytail, and it comes down past her shoulderblades. Colour-wise it's a warm, mid-brown sort of colour. Some bits look lighter when she's in the sun a lot, although I imagine it'll gradually get darker with the absence of really sunny days in Exsilium. Her hair is pretty abused, so it probably isn't in the best condition. (Soon to be fixed by Asami shoving fancy hair products at her. WHAT A BRO.)
9. What color are her eyes?
a beautiful brown like a jersey cow
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
a natural aura of awesome
11. What are her chief tension centers?
Everywhere.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit?
She prefers colours that are easy to use as camoflage, though she's used to doing that for the Australian bush rather than Exsilium; lots of faded colours, blues and greens and browns, or dark blues and blacks. She misses wearing bright colours, so maybe she'll slowly introduce them back into her wardrobe. It's casual, practical, comfortable, but again, living in Exsilium might mean that she wears more fun things from time to time.
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
Yep. Some of her clothes at home had gotten a bit big, or were sort of in tatters. In Exsilium her clothes probably fit a lot better.
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences?
Before the war her job was being a high school student and working on her parents' farm. During the war she was a guerilla fighter, and in Exsilium she has no idea what she is. She wears shorts when it's warm enough, jeans, anything that allows her pretty free movement. She really likes practical clothes.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
I really hope she has some cotton underwear with stupid patterns on them, that'd be delightful.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
It's sort of mid-range, and can have a bit of a raspiness sometimes, in particular when she is tired or stressed.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
She's a good talker, emotive, engaging. She can take her time to speak and think it over, but only only rarely hesitates from actually speaking. By force of habit she speaks quietly, although that doesn't necessarily make her any less angry or emotional when she's talking. Yelling kind of unnerves her, and it takes a lot to make her yell.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
So, so Australian. Of all the kids in the book, she has some of the most Australian speech; she really indulges in the best slang. Occasionally people think the universal translators in Exsilium might be broken. Her accent is quite broad, and far stronger than, for example, Fi's. She's a rural girl.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
She only speaks English.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
No, although she sometimes exaggerates or reigns in her Australian-ness depending on the situation and who she is talking to. She might be more formal if she thinks the person might not take her seriously with the full Aussie twang.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
Ellie is kind of the motivational speaker of the group, helping to get them all going when things look tough. She's a good talker, although sometimes she really, really puts her foot in it. If she is feeling really emotionally vulnerable and unstable, that of course makes it worse and worse. She can say all the right or wrong things.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Eloquent. She's elected the record keeper of the group, and thus is the narrator of the series.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
Both, really. She loves to read, and frequently mulls over really complex issues, getting lost in her mind for a while as she wrestles with big questions. She's also pretty scrappy and street smart, and is generally considered to have good judgment.
2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
There are a lot of times when she has had to think on her feet. She prefers being able to deliberate, but sometimes she doesn't have the option, and when that happens she is able to keep herself from freezing up and losing it. Ellie would rather have time to think and get comfortable with an idea, but instinct just has to do sometimes.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
It goes all over the place, to be honest. She can be very logical or very emotional, and can't always explain why she does particular things. She gets told that she is inclined to think too much and try to get everything worked out and ignore her emotions, but as the series progresses and the war wears her down more, she becomes progressively less emotionally stable and this has a big impact on her decisions and reasoning.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
She attended the primary and high schools in Wirrawee, going through her entire schools career with most of the same people. She seems to be a real enthusiast for English and literature, because she references them all the time, and was in plays at school. She hasn't finished high school, but would probably have been about to start year eleven when the war started.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
Literature is a huge thing for her, but she frequently refers to Drama and all sorts of different classes and school experiences. Her area of expertise is probably philosophy, to be honest, it's like her brain never stops.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
She was an extrovert before the war, and I think she still is, although she has developed more reclusive tendencies and can become really uncomfortable if there are too many people around.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
7. Ellie before the war is very different to how she is at her present canon point. The war has broken her down a lot, in terms of emotional stability, and she can have extremely severe mood swings. Volatile is a pretty good word for her; just how she will respond to any particular situation can be massively changeable. She's very sensitive and very harsh, and has kind of emotionally shut down while also being incredibly raw. Ellie says that she swings between suicidal and homicidal, whether she is feeling as if she is coping or completely falling apart. She gets progressively more humourless and judgmental as the war progresses, and loses more and more of her ability to have faith in other people and their abilities. There are times when she is downright cruel, like her opinion of Kevin.
She is definitely more driven than laid back. Ellie enjoys her lazy days as much as anyone, but she is very competitive and proud. The war has just exaggerated that to an unhealthy degree.
Exsilium is really an opportunity for her to rehabilitate herself, in a weird way, and having a broader network of people is actually already proving to be quite helpful with that. It will take a while, and she is still in a war zone, but there's also enough people pulling together that she doesn't feel that it's all on her, and is likely to become less angry and resentful.
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
It really varies. Anger, lashing out, suspicion are all quite likely, but just what kind of impression they make is a big part of it. Upon arriving in Exsilium she certainly felt worse before she felt better. Most people she was very wary of, but by the same token, she also found familiarity and comfort in a couple of people, and it's a massive relief to have people she can look to for support. (Which would be why she is really emotionally dependent on Steph, oops.)
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
She'd rather act, but sometimes the best thing you can do to survive is react and hope you can twist that to your favour.
10. Which is her default: fight or flight?
Flight, usually. She'd rather escape and be alive so she can plot some fight that won't wind up with her dead. That said, she will do what she has to do, and be bold and brave to protect her friends.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
On a good day, Ellie is a great fan of jokes, puns, all kinds of humour. There's some stuff that she'd just roll her eyes at, because boys are gross that wasn't funny, but there's a lot of things that will make her smile, as long as it is a good day.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She was seeing a therapist (Andrea) in New Zealand, before she was sent back into the war zone. Since then she really hasn't been dealing with it, more just surviving the fallout of her own volatile nature.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person?
Ellie is a big fan of stories, how a person's past shapes their present and their future; there are a lot of things she'd probably mention, if the question were put to her. Growing up on the farm, seeing her parents living their lives and how they acted every day - she talks about her parents a lot, although there aren't necessarily particular moments. Growing up with Corrie was massive, and Homer as well. The beginning of the war; the first invading soldiers she killed, blowing up the bridge in Wirrawee, losing Corrie, finding Chris' body, attacking Cobbler's Bay, being captured, interrogated, placed in solitary confinement and sentenced to death at Stratton Prison. Watching Robyn die, being sent back to war. Screaming in Wirrawee and struggling with the guilt that maybe she was responsible for twelve people dying because her nerve failed her. Successfully attacking the airfield.
And I think going to Exsilium will lead to a lot of changes for her, as well; some of her CR is already really significant. Ezio teaching her to channel her anger, Steph being a constant pillar of support, having a chance to be a (relatively) normal teenager again and be around people who understand.
14. What does she fear?
Death, capture. Failure. Losing people she loves. She's claustrophobic, really dislikes leeches, and one of her greatest fears is being burned alive. She can get awful nightmares and insomnia, as well.
15. What are her hopes or aspirations?
ANSWER
16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her?
ANSWER
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents.
Since the beginning of the war, Ellie has been missing her parents like crazy. They both seem like very strong-willed people, and Ellie has a massive amount of respect for both of them, although she gets as exasperated and eye-roll-y as every teenager.
She helps her dad on the farm a lot, and for a farmer, he's reasonably progressive: very proud of his wife doing lots of things, taking classes. When other farmers have said they'd never let a daughter of theirs do farm work, Ellie's dad said he couldn't run the farm without her. He's not sappy, and it seems like he and Ellie have buckets of stubborness and pride in common; Ellie really idealises him, and talks about him and stuff he's taught her a lot.
She also adores her mother, although she doesn't talk about her as much, but she definitely admires and respects her a lot, and is really lonely without her.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
She is an only child.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand?
No one gets mentioned in particular, although one of her grandparents lived reasonably close in Stratton.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them?
She basically grew up with Homer, whose parents owned the farm next to theirs. He's like her brother, and though they butt heads a lot and sometimes she feels like she has to assert herself to keep him in line, he's also someone she can really count on when things get tough. There are things Homer would say to her that he'd never admit to anyone else, and vice versa.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Her very very best friend and who was also basically family was Corrie. Corrie and Ellie were pretty much inseparable their entire lives, they knew each other before starting at school, even - their mothers were friends. They taught each other things and got into all kinds of mischief together, and were the very best of mates. When Corrie died it took Ellie a long time to figure out how to function without her, even though they'd been apart for some time.
6. Does she have other close friends?
She was very close to Robyn, and hero worshipped her.
Fiona is probably the person she is closest to in canon, although as much as she idealises her, she also kind of forgets that Fi is a capable person and frequently underestimates her. She really does love Fi, but Ellie finds it hard to change her ideas, sometimes.
7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people?
ANSWER
8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends?
ANSWER
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once?
Single
10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Nope
11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest?
Her first crush is never specified (I... don't think). We do know that she dated a guy called Steve, who she broke up with a little before the war, and during the war she has a hot and cold relationship with a guy called Lee. Their relationship is sort of a spiral of despair as the war just keeps damaging them more and more.
She has complicated feelings about Lee, but doesn't think of him romantically at her current canon point (at least, not most of the time. Oh, Ellie.)
In Exsilium she has some very complicated and intense feelings about Steph, but those probably aren't quite "CRUSH" status just yet. She just trusts Steph more than everyone and is very protective and possessive and thinks Steph is the best. Yep. But it's so not a crush.
12. What does she look for in a romantic partner?
Hopefully less of a disaster than her tbh
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any?
ANSWER
14. Does she have any rivals or enemies?
ANSWER
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale?
Canonically, she has only ever been with guys. However, it is also hilarious how frequently she talks about how beautiful/graceful/elegant Fi is.
I think she is more inclined to date guys, but she also has some issues with them, especially after events in New Zealand. Dating girls would be more the exception than the rule, but if she felt really safe with someone and trusted them, that would be more important to her than anything else, because those things have become such massive things that she needs in her life. I guess a 1, in Kinsey terms.
16. How does she feel about sex? How important is it to her?
Content warning for sexual trauma.
Ellie is a romantic. She thinks sex is something that should really be thought about carefully, should be special and only shared with someone you really care about. She tries to be really sensible about it, never has sex without protection. She isn't afraid to draw the line and say no when she doesn't want to have sex.
At her present canon point, she still feels horrible about having sex with Adam, a guy who she got drunk with at a party in New Zealand. She said that she wasn't too drunk to say no, but that she really didn't want to and just couldn't be bothered with saying no rather than just getting it over and done with. It left her pretty fragile, and was part of her kind of shutting down and falling apart upon their return to the war zone. Adam made her feel like he hated her, and she feels like that's how a lot of guys make it sound when they talk about sex.
I think she misses having someone that she can find comfort in, and who she comforts as well, and having that intimacy with someone, but she doesn't miss sex for the sake of it, and really doesn't like the idea of casual sex. She's too vulnerable for that.
17. What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
ANSWER
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type?
Ellie doesn't have a canon birthday, so I just kind of guessed based on a rough estimation that her birthday was likely to be towards the end of the year. Scorpio sounded reasonably fitting for her, so I went with that!
For the sake in some kind of reference point for in-game I'm just going to say her birthday is 16th November, and she was born in 1977 (based on her age in the first book, and that being published in 1993). That would mean she was born in the year of the Snake.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life?
ANSWER
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
ANSWER
4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from hers? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
ANSWER
5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them?
ANSWER
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
ANSWER
2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her?
ANSWER
3. Where does she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is her home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does she share it with others?
ANSWER
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on?
ANSWER
5. What does she do for a living? Is she good at it? Does she enjoy it, or would she rather be doing something else?
ANSWER
6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time?
ANSWER
7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
ANSWER
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is her favorite:
1. Color?
2. Smell?
3. Time of day?
4. Season?
5. Book?
6. Music?
7. Place?
8. Substance?
9. Plant?
10. Animal?
END
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reconnaissance) wrote2013-03-07 08:43 pm
