#amore:task

what are 3 insecurities your character has?

the biggest is his appearance, moreso with regards to his missing limb. he’s still adjusting to life as an amputee and is often on the receiving end of stares which makes him self-conscious, even if there’s no harm there. he’s received plenty of comments that are negative which only solidifies his insecurity, so much to a point where despite being in pain, he won’t take his prosthesis off at home even around holden, his roommate, because he fears a comment will be made. the next biggest one is definitely his virginity -- back home, the man was so career driven that he never truly explored his sexuality, never had that sexual awakening as he was too busy buried in books and swimming in the damn ocean to think about it. but now he’s reaching thirty and he feels like a failure of sorts, but all he really wants is to find someone that he can put his complete trust into so he can be intimate with them. honestly, it’s probably why he’s so tightly wound up. another insecurity he has is to do with his voice -- well, his accent, mainly. he knows it’s different and a little hard to understand, plus he’s lost count how many times people mimic him and it pisses him off big time.

what is something your character is most proud of?

being alive? honestly, johan’s grateful he managed to come out the other side of his accident. not from the injury per say so much as his mental state; he sunk into a dark depression upon awakening and adjusting to this disability he now has. there were times when he wanted to give up as the physiotherapy was just too gruelling to deal with, but he continued to fight and work on rebuilding his strength up and he’s glad he had the guts to leave home and just explore what else is out there.

where does your character feel most comfortable?

swimming in the ocean. he’d be out there for hours if he could.

where do they feel most uncomfortable?

anywhere that’s too crowded because he’s cautious of himself and of being knocked over.

what are some hobbies of your character?

he taught himself to play guitar from his his hospital bed and he still carries on with it now, he’ll have a little sing song too and has tried his hand at writing songs but never to be performed. he’s not interested in that lifestyle so much. as he’s unable to swim until he’s built up more strength, another hobby he’s found is something he likes to call ‘watching sad films to see what makes me cry the most’.

are they more extroverted or introverted?

johan’s probably more extroverted, really. though he isn’t one for going out out often, he loves to be social and goes crazy if he has to be by himself for too long. 

does your character have any scars, how did they get them?

well, the obvious would be the scars on his residual limb from where the amputation was. he also has several scars littered across his lower back, remaining thigh, his arms and his other leg from the accident (he’ll never refer to it as an attack, he’s adamant of it being a misunderstanding) due to the razor-sharp denticles on the shark’s skin causing lacerations. 

what is/was your character’s relationship like with their mother and/or father?

johan is definitely lucky to have two caring parents who have supported him from day one. there’s never been an argument or disagreement between them and since arriving in the states, he has a video call with them at least once a week to check in. he really couldn’t ask for more and he misses them terribly.

have they any siblings, if so, do they get along?

he doesn’t! it’s like his parents knew that he was going to be enough of a handful as it is.

has your character ever had a reoccuring dream or nightmare, what happened?

surprisingly not. johan’s a fairly deep sleeper and rarely remembers his dreams, if he does it’s usually something really mundane. he has been known to talk in his sleep however but it’s always in afrikaans.

what qualities does your character look for in a friend?

someone patient, kind, understanding and willing to just have fun with him.

what qualities does your character dislike in others?

messiness, being obnoxious, disorganised, too cocky for their own good.

how does your character react to confrontation - are they a fight or flight?

johan is a definite flight -- he’ll avoid confrontation like the plague, if it’s physical, anyway. he’ll give a verbal fight if it means proving that he’s right.

how easy or difficult does your character find it to say ‘i love you’ to someone?

johan has never been in love before so this isn’t something he would know of just yet, but he likes to believe in the fairytales and disney movies that when you know you know and he’d say it easy enough so long as he believed it.

have they ever said ‘i love you’ without meaning it?

never! because he’s never said it, haha.

what does your character believe will happen to them after they die? are they in fear of this belief?

johan believes in some sort of afterlife but he’s not sure what exactly. really, he just tells himself there’s something else after for a bit of comfort.

how does your character react toward children?

he adores kids. he’d love to be a father one day and he knows his time is running out, really. but at the aquarium he loves giving talks to the young kids, answering their questions and telling them stories. he’ll always offer himself up for any babysitting duties too.

does your character have any fears? if so, what are they?

yeah, mayonnaise. it’s not so much a fear as it just really, really puts him off and makes his palms go sweaty and he feels sick just thinking about it. he’s also a big baby when it comes to any sort of reptile, especially lizards.

if your character could relive one memory they have, which would they choose and why?