#arthur moretti

Body and Appearance 1. Describe the character’s height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy? 

Arthur is in no way heavyset. Everything about him suggests otherwise. His face is just short of gaunt, with deepset eyes that are constantly rimmed with dark from lack of sleep. He has protruding cheekbones, and though his face is thin, it is not lacking masculinity. Arthur is of average height for a man, probably somewhere close to 6’. He does have strength, and he is built, but it’s an offensive build, designed for speed and quick punches. He does not stand up well to physical attacks. 2. How old is he? 

At the beginning of the story, Arthur is 42. He was born in 1885. 3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch? 

Arthur generally carries himself well. He doesn’t have ramrod straight posture, but he sets his shoulders back visibly when he seeks to be imposing. Otherwise he stands at an easy attention, looking for all the world as casual as he can while still maintaining a wary eye. 4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? 

Arthur is in decent enough health, for his age and the time period. He has a slight limp and will sometimes use a cane, though he usually passes it off as a fashion accessory. He also has a cough that worsens in the winter, he claims he has had it since he was a boy and it is probably aggravated considerably by his social smoking habit. 5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?  He is generally pretty relaxed, or at least he makes it seem that way. Because he deals with explosive clients more often than not (mafia boss) Arthur commands his body to seem as relaxed as possible, so that he doesn’t appear threatening. So he moves in a very fluid, if lackluster way, unless there is danger. 6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror? 

I don’t think Arthur really considers himself attractive. He thinks too deeply about his age and the scars and marks on his body and is generally distasteful of the whole package. To others he is pretty good looking, if a bit gaunt and pale. He could sleep around if he really wanted to, he fits the bill for the average man or woman. 7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? 

Pale and scarred. Arthur has a scar that cuts his right eyebrow in half, another across the bridge of his nose, and one more that runs vertically across the left side of his lip. Otherwise he is very pale and almost sickly looking. 8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style. 

Arthur wears his hair slicked back as is the style of the era in which he lives in. Several whisps of hair always escape from the gel, and hang over his forehead. He used to have sideburns but he shaved them off. His hair is black, though it is turning grey at his temples. His beard and mustache also are flecked with grey. His hair is thick, there’s a lot of it. You wouldn’t be able to tell by the way he wears it though. 9. What color are his eyes? 

Green, though barely. They hover on the edge of green and grey. 10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? 

 I have played with the idea of him having a massive burn scar running from the right side of his neck down his shoulder and ribcage. He served in World War I, and I assume that he acquired this scar then. Sometimes I draw him with it, other times I don’t. It’s mostly healed, so it doesn’t really cause him physical pain, though he would usually hide it with bandaging. 11. What are his chief tension centers? 

I’m assuming this means the tension in his life, not physically. As a mob boss (he runs a circuit for weapons, drugs, pharmaceuticals, you name it) he is under constant stress to keep everything quiet, composed, neat. He rules over everything with an air of commitment, though when he wheels and deals with clients (both above and under the law) he makes everything seem very easy. The job is very stressful however, and he has been known to disappear for weeks to months at a time when he is feeling particularly stressed. His health tends to add to these stress levels. 12. What is the character’s wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit? 

Arthur dresses neatly, often in things that could be considered expensive for the time. Everything is tailored to him, with not a stitch out of place. Arthur has a tendency to keep to neutral colors, grays blacks and browns, though he does have quite a few red waist-coats at his disposal. He usually wears suits, and looks pretty sharp, though when he is in a casual setting he might dispose of the jacket and opt for just the waistcoat and dress shirt. 13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them? 

He is the most comfortable when he is dressed well, it creates a sort of barrier for him that he can hide behind. He seems very comfortable in his suits because its what he wears 95% of the time, its his “official look, people respect him. When he is dressed down he finds himself feeling less confident, feels that he can no longer command as well (this isn’t true, people are still terrified of him, this is just how he feels.) his suits are tailored to him, so everything fits very well. 14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences? 

Free time doesn’t really exist for Arthur. He is constantly working the mob game, he never really has time for a breather. That being said, he does dress down on occasion, and when he does have rare free time, he might simply wear an undershirt, suspenders, and slacks. Nobody outside of his inner circle ever sees him this dressed down, he considers that bad business. 15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? 

Considering this is the 1920s, none of the above. Arthur wears “drawers” under his pants, made of flannel. Speech 1. What does this character’s voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? 

Arthur’s voice is a bit nasal, and an average mid-range male voice. A good sample would be the song There’s Many Ways, by Afterhours. He is very quiet, and doesn’t feel that he needs to shout to get his point across. 2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate? 

He’s an even talker, even under stress. He has trained himself to be an easy talker, smooth and unflinching while a gun is in his face. He lets the barriers drop a bit when he is in private settings, and laughs a bit more,  possibly swears more too. 3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? 

I’m assuming that when angry or upset he might let certain Italian speech tendencies slip, but he trained himself from an early age to not have any sort of accent beyond the local one of whatever place he inhabited. He wanted to blend in more than anything, and so promptly destroyed any trace of a foreign accent in his speech patterns 4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency? 

Italian, and he’s still pretty fluent as many of his “thugs” are off the boat Italians. 5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations? 

When he needs something to be understood very intimately, he might say things in Italian. It depends on who he is talking to, and if their grasp of the English language is profound enough to understand him. Swear words tend to be in Italian. 6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words? 

Arthur considers his words very carefully, because his job requires him to be very delicate around certain situations. He will often rehearse things in his head, and is pretty adept at thinking through every possible situation and the words needed for it. He can be an impromptu speaker if need be, but prefers things to be thought through, to prevent mistakes, which can cost him his life. 7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? 

I wouldn’t call Arthur eloquent, he is sophisticated but its by his own hand. He is self taught at almost everything, so there is always a bit of an un-sanded, rough quality to him. He has a dangerous edge under the waistcoats and cigarettes and glasses of bourbon. He hides this by speaking quietly, evenly, and making sure everything about him is calculated. But if he were to fly into a true rage, all of this would come undone. Mental and Emotional 1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart? 

He is a bit of both. Arthur is self taught, and so used books as a replacement for university teaching. He is street smart because that’s who he deals with and that’s how he gets his money. Arthur is incredibly intelligent. 2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate? 

It honestly depends on the situation. Arthur can think on his feet if the occasion calls for it, he is incredibly quick with a gun but also quick to dispel anger in a situation and come to some sort of agreement. He doesn’t resort to violence unless he has no other choice (which isn’t to say he isn’t violent, he just prefers letting other people get their hands dirty.) He likes to have scenarios planned out in every detail, and is usually prepared for every angle should things go sour.

3. Describe the character’s thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? 

He analyzes everything for a possible turn to his favor. He’s equal parts logical and intuitive, he needs to be in his profession. Arthur is incredibly practical, doesn’t let anything become optimistic or hopeful, because he knows there will be disappointment if he does. 4. What kind of education has the character had? 

Nothing formal. He doesn’t talk about his younger years in Italy, but its assumed that he has never gone to a university (he can afford it at his current age, but doesn’t wish to imply that he needs it and feels that the whole ordeal would be embarrassing.) He reads constantly and takes in information that way instead. 5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?  He is interested in stealing, robbing, fraud, and the sales of ammunition and alcohol. He is always interested in learning new ways to remain undetected. In his free time, he enjoys horticulture, and has a casual interest in horses.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert? 

A bit of both. He is introverted in that he doesn’t let most people into his personal life, doesn’t let others see what he’s really about. He extroverts himself in most situations, simply so that people will read what he has put out for them instead of inferring deeper. Nobody really knows all that much about him, even those who have known him for years. 7. Describe the character’s temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? 

He’s very even-tempered, he forces himself into this mindset because of his duties as a mob boss. On occasion he can have intense bursts of anger, but his other emotions are hidden very carefully and well to prevent him from being seen as weak. Arthur generally comes off as laid back to the outside viewer, though he works furiously to maintain that appearance. 8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? 

It depends on the situation. If he is being introduced to a new police chief or other authority, he is all smiles and bows of the head, coming off as respectable, friendly, and likable. If he is being introduced to a new mob boss of a rival gang, he is unblinking, focused, and polite to the point of being maddening. 9. Is he more likely to act, or to react? 

Once again, depends on the situation. He likes to be the one to set off the chain reaction if possible, but in the market in which he deals, its equal parts act and react against his opponents. 10. Which is his default: fight or flight? 

Fight until there are no other options, and then flight. Fight doesn’t have to necessarily be physical either, it can be a tactical approach. 11. Describe the character’s sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? 

He appreciates jokes more than people think. Of course, the only ones he usually receives at his high-brow affairs are so convoluted and entrenched in culture queues he has to stifle a yawn. When he interacts with his runners and dealers however, its all coarse humor and he can genuinely laugh at their jokes. Pranks are not appreciated unless they are from David. 12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them? 

I haven’t really thought about it. Possibly depression, but nobody really diagnosed anything in the 1920s, so he deals as best as he can. 13. What moments in this character’s life have defined him as a person? 

I think his entire life has been a defining moment. I haven’t really fleshed out his past well enough to make any calls on this, but meeting David was definitely up there as one of his defining moments. 14. What does he fear? 

The loss of his cardinal senses (he loses sight in one of his eyes later on in life,) death of his loved ones. He doesn’t really fear death, World War I kind of got rid of that for him. 15. What are his hopes or aspirations? 

He doesn’t really have any, nothing permanent. He lives day to day and makes all aspirations about running his “business.” If he were to be true and honest he would say getting out of the business all together and taking David to Italy. He would never admit that, he feels like admitting anything so foolish and romantic would instantly destroy the idea completely. 16. What is something he doesn’t want anyone to find out about him?