So, I thought it would be fun to have a thread similar to the Adopt-a-Plot and Adopt-a-Character threads, but to adopt character quirks and random traits or habits, in order to flesh out one's already existing characters.
To begin: A character who labels everything s/he owns with his/her name--everything.
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2007: A Slow Cartography - Finished at 60k
54,093 / 50,000
Okt 10, 2007 - 19 33
I don't know any of these from experience, whatever are you talking about!?
*a character who has OCD concerning brushing his/her teeth
*a character who goes into a primal rage when someone utters 'um' around him/her
*a character who carries a stress ball
50,669 / 50,000
Okt 10, 2007 - 19 41
Wow, I completely missed this thread when I made my quirk topic. xP Go me.
This link is awesome:
http://quirks.ben61a.com/
3,276 / 50,000
Okt 10, 2007 - 19 54
A character...
...that can't stand the smell of roses.
...that can figure out complicated algebra equations within seconds, but has difficulty with stringing words together.
...who eat a hard-boiled egg every day.
...who throws up at the sight of mint ice cream.
...with an aversion to daffodils.
50,013 / 50,000
Okt 10, 2007 - 19 54
Here are some of my own quirks, if they help anyone. (:
- I hate the number 5. Honestly, if something has a five in it, I like, freak out. It's such a repulsive number.
- I can't write in pencil. Even math stuff that's supposed to be in pencil. I can't do it.
- I always count to 21 before I get in the shower.
- If I enter a bathroom with a shower curtain, the first thing I do is pull open the curtain to make sure that there isn't like, an axe murderer behind it.
- I assign personalities to cars based on what they look like, how fast they're going, etc.
- I make wishes at 11:11 while touching something red. (a fairly common quirk, but a quirk nonetheless)
- I write microscopically tiny when I get nervous.
I probably have a lot more. xD
And great. You probably all think I'm a freak now, rofl.
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Okt 11, 2007 - 17 46
I totally, totally do the shower curtain thing. It's instinctive. It's a combination of the trailer from Saw and the episode of Becker when Becker imagines his staff all over in a hallucinogenic frenzy and in one part Margret is hiding back there.
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Okt 11, 2007 - 17 52
A person who spends a lot of time doing word-search puzzles begins to attach significance to the order in which he/she finds the words. For example, he/she uses the first word found as a sort of prediction of what will happen that day.
It's not really enough to base a whole story around, like I was originally trying to do, but it would definitely add depth to a character.
62,146 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2007 - 18 21
Hmmm...
*A character who says "m'kay?" after every statement. I had a teacher who did this. So annoying, though I guess it could be word padding.
*A character who, when spraying fragrance on themself, has to spray about fifteen squirts. (I've got a friend who does this...)
10,896 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2007 - 18 21
"If I enter a bathroom with a shower curtain, the first thing I do is pull open the curtain to make sure that there isn't like, an axe murderer behind it."
That's why the shower curtain is never closed unless someone is taking a shower. The first time my roommate left it closed, I freaked out on the curtain. She's not left it closed since. :)
I also can't look in a mirror for more than 30 seconds. I'll begin to see stuff in it.
50,050 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2007 - 18 45
A person who doesn't like to step on lines or cracks. Also, they extend the edge of any line around them mentally and avoid stepping on that at all costs. For example, in a gym, this person would not only not step on the lines, but wouldn't step on a place where one of the lines would be if whoever paints that kind of stuff had continued the line all the way to the wall.
Someone who hates anything asymmetrical which happens to them...um, that sounded strange...okay, if they were wearing a backpack and one of the straps was longer than the other, it would irritate him/her to no end. This person would have trouble with...oh, getting blood pressure taken--it would be taken on one arm only, but not the other.
A person who can't rest until they figure out the pattern to something, such as wallpaper.
A person who tends to laugh high, cheesy, and a lot when on the phone, but hardly ever any other time.
A person who pauses before and after...every...adjective. On the...other...hand, that might get a...little...tedious to write. Ah well.
A person who adopts a strange phrase or word (whether old english, obscure, in a foreign language, etc.) about once every two days and meanwhile doesn't have a conversation without using it at least five times.
A person who has to be the best in little competitions. If it's first come, first serve, he/she has to be there first. If there's a little contest to see who can get the paper in the trash can, he/she simply must outdo everyone else. If the neighbors take pride in their lawn, this person has to have a spotless lawn...etc.
A person who gets distracted whenever he/she counts things, so he/she always has to go back and count them again, and again, and again...
A person who reads too much into what people say or how they say it, and sometimes gives them bizarre answers to simple questions and the like. Perhaps this person also drops hints that he/she thinks are obvious, but other people never get it, so this person gets very frustrated with them.
A person who is scared very easily when people come up behind them and say boo or something.
A person who tends to be mesmerized by anything moving in a predictable pattern.
A person who simply must--do whatever destructive can be done. If the paper can be shredded into little tiny bits, he/she shreds it into little tiny bits. If the paint is coming off something, this person sits down for however long it takes to peel all the paint off with his/her fingernail. Don't ever give this person scissors.
A person who tends to think ahead of his/her words, and ends up saying the first and last part of a sentence without the middle, leaving people very, very confused. This person never realizes it.
A person who gets the nouns in his/her sentences mixed up, whether switching them around ("We went to the bucket and got a store."), replacing them all with the same noun ("We went to the bucket and got a bucket.", or replacing them with some other noun that the person might have been recently thinking about ("We went to the car and got a car"). This person leaves people very confused and never realizes it, either.
People tell me I do the last two, and I won't comment on the others.
3,346 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2007 - 19 36
Must say, fabulous thread idea! Quirks just comprise strong personalities.
-- How 'bout a character who constantly describes all of his/her actions as they are preformed. I.e. : "Opening latop. Going online." as they do said action. They also have a habit of listing to those around them all of their mundane plans in the near future: "Gonna go get my car washed, maybe get a new air freshener. I have some library books that are overdue; gotta return those," all said randomly.
50,000 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2007 - 23 19
I sympathize with the one who has difficulty not repeat-counting things...It takes me forever.
5,000 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2007 - 23 35
I would love to do that to my MC's best friend. He needs a little more depth.
Maybe he will hate techonology, I'm not sure yet.
50,659 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 05 18
Great thread! Here's one--
Someone who apologizes when they 'hurt' an inanimate object. For example, they slam the door, then apologize to the door, or drops a book, and apologizes to it. (I do this. I really can't help it.)
31,607 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 07 55
Guilty as charged when apologising to inanimate objects.
- A Character who must say "toast" whenever walking under anything and hold their breath
- A Character who refuses to walk over three drains in a row, and when they walk over two they must whisper the date it is otherwise they have to walk back over the two drains three times, and then repeat.
Im guilty of all three of them!
9,463 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 08 36
A character who hates piano music, HATES it I say. He's hospitalised for over a week, and on constant bedrest (cannot leave room to explore hospital, etc.). Everyday between lunch and dinner, an elderly gentleman comes to the hospital and plays the grand piano for TWO AND A HALF HOURS. Its up to you whether he plays it well or poorly. X-D
Enjoy.
50,291 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 10 54
Some things I do that must freak people out when they see me:
>>Crack knuckles incessantly. Also neck; twist to side violently to get rid of the semi-permanent crick that comes from being a tall guy forced to use short desks. :(
>>Wear primarily orange. All the time. And I mean all the time. Mix it up with blue, sometimes, because they clash amazingly.
>>Make references to obscure physicists or general scientists.
>>Comment on a teacher's lecture to other students around you while the professor is talking, ie "The 30 years war..." "Which included the defenestration of Prague, best historical event name ever." etc.
I'm sure I'll think of more later.
10,895 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 12 05
Heh, I do that lecture-commenting thing. It's probably very irritating but I really can't help myself!
61,524 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 12 53
I do the shower curtain thing, too. I think it's the result of watching too many crime shows or something. Anyway, here are some quirks I'm contributing:
A character who's deathly afraid of mirrors.
A character who gets extremely annoyed at an ordinary, everyday sound.
A character who always gets their best ideas when they can't possibly write them down, and forgets them before they get the chance to. (Hands up, people who do this! *raises hand*)
A character who gets a really weird expression on their face when they're thinking hard. (I do this. I'll be staring into space, thinking really hard, and someone will come up to me and ask, "are you okay?")
30,115 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 13 04
Some of my own quirks:
Has the compulsive need to provide running commentary during movies, both in the theater and at home.
Yawns when he/she feels awkward.
Often stands on one foot while waiting in lines.
Pokes friends/acquaintances in the shoulder/leg/bum/hip and says 'boop!' just to fill the silence.
Trails off mid-sentence frequently in order to gather thoughts.
Latches onto a catch-phrase/joke and beats it to death for a few months at a time.
50,945 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 13 08
Me too to the shower curtain thing. Not because of movies though (because I don't care about/don't really watch scary movies) but because I don't have a shower curtain in my house (shower seperate from bath) but all my friends do and I'm always really scared that some family member of theirs is going to be in there showering...
50,945 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 13 10
Someone who hates anything asymmetrical which happens to them...um, that sounded strange...okay, if they were wearing a backpack and one of the straps was longer than the other, it would irritate him/her to no end. This person would have trouble with...oh, getting blood pressure taken--it would be taken on one arm only, but not the other.
That's definitely me. I chew food equally on both sides, make sure I brush both sides of teeth for the same amount of time... And if I accidently pinch one arm, or something, I'll have to do something to the other. I just really like symmetry.
13,186 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 15 00
I'll join the club! I say sorry to inanimate objects too!
Um....how about a person who use their hand as a puppet? Like they would have a name for his/her hand and his/her hand would talk and each hand would have a different personality!
I hope I'm making sense!
50,395 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 16 17
This thread sounds fun! Here are mine:
A character who always finishes his cereal because he felt the leftover cereal would feel sad.
A character who loves to walk on drains while walking on the street, and if they missed one, they'll get upset about it.
A character who sings in his dreams.
50,395 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 16 18
This thread sounds fun! Here are mine:
A character who always finishes his cereal because he felt the leftover cereal would feel sad.
A character who loves to walk on drains while walking on the street, and if they missed one, they'll get upset about it.
A character who sings in his dreams.
50,395 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 16 19
This thread sounds fun! Here are mine:
A character who always finishes his cereal because he felt the leftover cereal would feel sad.
A character who loves to walk on drains while walking on the street, and if they missed one, they'll get upset about it.
A character who sings in his dreams.
50,395 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 16 23
This sounds fun! Here are mine:
A character who always finishes his cereal because he was sympathetic for the leftover cereal.
A character who cannot stand the scales of big fish, especially those in seafood restaurants.
A character who cannot stand the smell of cheese.
A character who always walks on the drains, even if it means walking to the center of the road.
A character who bites her nails all the time.
A character who sneezes every morning when he wakes up.
A character who tends to forget recent things.
50,395 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 16 24
This sounds fun! Here are mine:
A character who always finishes his cereal because he was sympathetic for the leftover cereal.
A character who cannot stand the scales of big fish, especially those in seafood restaurants.
A character who cannot stand the smell of cheese.
A character who always walks on the drains, even if it means walking to the center of the road.
A character who bites her nails all the time.
A character who sneezes every morning when he wakes up.
A character who tends to forget recent things.
50,395 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 16 26
This sounds fun! Here are mine:
A character who hates the smell of fish. He cannot stand the scales on big fish either, because it annoys me to see them shine under the light.
A character who likes to walk on drains, even if it means walking on the center of a busy road.
A character who tends to swallow all the 's' and 'ed''s while speaking.
A character who checks his watch every minute.
A character who cuts his fingernails every night.
A character who hates sneezing.
A character who is sympathetic for leftover food.
16,033 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2007 - 23 37
How about a person that leaves almost every sentence hanging... You know using the dot dot dot.
I do it so much, but I usually go back and censor myself, because I feel like a dork.
53,318 / 50,000
Okt 13, 2007 - 00 54
LMAO... I apologise to my inanimate objects too. Actually, just generally talk to them... I'm in my car every day for at least an hour, so my car and I usually have some great conversations/arguments. Mainly about other cars and their drivers. :) (yes, I'd be scared if I were driving in front/ behind us - we're not nice).
Here's some quirks...
- The ability to bring up a "Buffy" reference in almost every conversation. Or some other television show. And when people look at them strangely, they just say 'Buffy moment!'
- Being a major perfectionist, yet refusing to clean their room/house or keep it in order. :)
- Obsessed with buying the perfect calendar every year, yet NEVER USING IT! It's only on their wall for the monthly pretty pictures.
- Hopeless romantic, with huge commitment problems.
- Pessimistic dreamer/idealist. :)