RESOURCE CHARACTERS Out To Dinner: Your Characters and Food

Dusk

the eye of the beholder
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Hello, Iwaku! Food says a lot about a person. No person is entirely neutral about every aspect of food (or if someone is I've never met them). Throwing up a list of likes and dislikes is not a bad place to start, but there is a lot more to our relationships with food than that. Experiences such as culture, class, and the way we were raised play into that relationship. Since neutrality is rare and there is so much that goes into it, this is one of the first exercises I like to do for my characters. I find it very fun and helpful, so I wanted to share it with all of you. Plus, it's super fun to see all the variety in results.

Don't feel pressured to address every question I listed under a larger topic. Not everyone has strong feelings about everything – and there are other things some people feel strongly about that I didn't include. I tried to stick more to broad "consider this" questions.

In General:
This is all about how your character feels about food overall. Is it an experience to be enjoyed among family and friends, a simple means of sustenance, or something else entirely? How much do they value food, as either a thing to be enjoyed or a resource? Are they wasteful? How do they feel about leftovers? Are they someone who saves leftovers or do they throw out anything that wasn't eaten after the meal? Is eating a routine? Do they prefer to eat on a schedule (strict or vague) or is whenever a good enough time? Do they snack a lot (or at all)? How do they feel about eating out? Is it for special occasions or a regular occurrence? Do they enjoy it? When they do eat out where do they like to go? How about fast food or takeout?

Regarding Cooking:
This is all about your character and cooking. Do they enjoy it? Do they have the time for it? Is it just something they, unfortunately, have to do? When did they start cooking? Are they good at it? What aspect(s) are difficult for them? Is it a social activity or does everyone need to stay away from them and out of the kitchen while they are cooking? Are they someone who pops a frozen dinner into the microwave and calls it good or do they make every meal from scratch? How do they feel about other people making food for them?

Preferences, Broad Strokes:
Here is where we finally get into the specifics of what foods your character likes and dislikes, and why. Do they like a wide range of things with variety or are they a picky eater? A sweet tooth? And adventurous eater? Which tastes, textures, temperatures, and combinations do they like? Which don't they like? Do these preferences change a lot? Does the time of the year or the weather influence any of these? Maybe it doesn't at all. Is the ripeness of produce important to their enjoyment of it? Do they have a preference for over or under-ripe fruits or vegetables? Is it a case-by-case basis?

Preferences, Small Strokes:
And here is where we narrow down and focus on specific foods, more than categories. What are some of their favourite foods? Some that they find gross? What are their nostalgic or comfort foods? What are some foods that don't fit their general preferences, either for known or unknown reasons? Maybe there is no reason your character shouldn't enjoy cottage cheese except that they were forced to eat it as a child and can't stand it now. Maybe they got food poisoning off of one of their favourite foods and are a bit more reluctant about it now.

Drinks:
This is all about beverages. Does your character drink a lot of liquids? Which ones do they prefer? Do they like water or do they always want to drink something else? Is the temperature of the drink important? Do they like putting ice in their drinks? How do they feel about thick or carbonated drinks? Do they like juices that have pulp in them?

Drinks, Boozy:
And now we get into whether or not your character likes to drink, and what kind of preferences they have regarding it. The first question, of course, is do they drink? If so, do they drink frequently? Do they hold their alcohol well? How do they feel about drinking? What are they like when drunk? Have they ever been drunk? Are they a social drinker? A reckless drinker? When they drink is the goal to get smashed or do they want to keep a nice buzz going? Do they have a good grasp of how much or little they can drink to get the result they want? Which types of alcohol do they enjoy? Do they like mixed drinks, shots, a nice glass of wine? If they like mixed drinks which ones, either specifically or broadly. Do they follow their shots with chasers? How do they feel about drinking games?

Bonus:
If they got to pick their last meal, what would it be and what are the reasons for it?
Do they have any food allergies or food intolerances that weren't listed above?
 
Thierry Esser
34 - Animal Husbandry Specialist - From Vienna, Austria
Starring in ARC-ALPHA: ESCAPE LOGS

GENERAL
Thierry sees food as a source of comfort and sustenance, though it's not something that's constantly on his mind. If anything, he thinks about the mealtimes of his pets and the animals at the sanctuary more than his own routines. He does like to cook and tries to stay healthy, sticking to a vegetarian diet and generally avoiding snacking or eating when he isn't hungry. He feels very strongly about foodwaste and tries to waste as little as possible, composting anything that he or his animals cannot eat in order to make use of everything that comes from the process of feeding himself. He likes to eat out, though it's not something he's really constantly looking for, so if he does, it's often someone else choosing the restaurant.

REGARDING COOKING
Cooking is a newer hobby of his. He only started doing so a few years ago, but he likes to think he's gotten decent at it. He likes to make simpler food, something along the lines of a salad or rice with veggies and some assortment of sauce. It's more calming to not worry about making complicated things, so he avoids working on anything that would take him more than an hour or two of work to pull off. Thierry lives with no one else but his pets, but he often looks up recipes of snacks that he is allowed to make for them. He doesn't mind company in the kitchen, as long as they're not making a mess.

PREFERENCES, BROAD STROKES
Thierry likes to think that he's pretty adventurous. He enjoys trying out recipes from other countries and the like, though he does struggle with spicier foods, despite liking the taste. His tastes are more plain than anything, with no particular textures or anything that he likes, but he does prefer a warm meal over a cold one.

PREFERENCES, SMALL STROKES
Picking out fresh veggies and fruits at a local market is one of his favourite hobbies. Locally sourced is always his favourite when it comes to beets, potatoes, apples and corn, but when it comes to produce that must come from out of Austria, his favourites are definitely clementines. Peeling and sharing citrus fruit with someone special is his love language. Other favourite foods are wild rice, gravy, orange jam and sourdough bread. As for foods that he doesn't like, he would generally say that he has none, but he is a liar. Being vegetarian, he does not consume any meat, but he also prefers to stay away from marzipan, liquorice and cilantro.

DRINKS
Thierry prefers not to drink alcohol, so he has no preferences regarding them. However, he does love having hot drinks! His favourite would definitely have to be green tea, with nothing added to it, to help him relax. He generally avoids coffee, preferring hot chocolate as a nice substitute. When it comes to cold drinks, his favourite is either orange juice (with pulp), or just plain old water.



Thanks for a fun little guide as per usual, Dusk :D Always nice to see what you come up with.

@Waking Nights You are summoned to complete this for Jason >:D
 
Jason Pierce
23 - Mechanical Engineer - Chicago, USA
Starring in
ARC-ALPHA: ESCAPE LOGS
In General:
Jason sees food largely as a necessary evil, he keeps his head down and works so often, so frequently that bodily reminders of hunger mostly come across as annoyances. He is willing to go out of his way to eat something nicer but that’s mostly only with friends, a ‘social eater’ if you will. Jason does his best to stick to a schedule for eating, something he regularly slips up with and only really remembers when his stomach starts inverting itself. Food’s just not that important to him, so long as he eats enough to keep on moving, that’s enough.

Regarding Cooking:
Jason doesn’t dislike cooking but it takes time, time he could be spent doing other things. To that end he generally prefers quick to produce meals, things like frozen dinners or cup noodles, they’re not the healthiest but he’s so active most of the time it barely matters. Given his background, cooking comes as easily to him as his work, when he actually tries. It’s just a series of steps with various pieces of equipment after all, you just eat the end result instead of letting it do something. Admittedly, though, he does enjoy people cooking for him, since he gets all the speed of a quick-made meal and the taste of a well-prepared meal.

Preferences, Broad Strokes:
He likes most foods, he does have a general dislike for sour foods mostly because they take longer to eat. Originally, he disliked bitter foods as well but being an engineer means lots and lots of coffee, as a result he’s more neutral on it now. If he had to pick something he favors, probably savory food, meats and sauces and the like.

Preferences, Small Strokes:
Jason doesn’t have any particular favorites, again, he could recall perhaps a steak from a restaurant he enjoyed? Yeah, he’d like that again. Oh, wait, yeah, not a fan of lemons or limes for obvious reasons.

Drinks:
Water all the way, cheap, easy, and tasty. He might have an occasional soda or shake but water is his go-to. Considering how hot and sweaty his work can get, having a flask loaded with plenty of nice, cool water is critical. Juice with the pulp please, he ordered the juice, he’s gonna get the WHOLE juice.

Drinks, Boozy:
Not really a drinker, sometimes enjoys rum or whiskey but that’s about it. Not much for alcohol as he’s most often on the clock. When he goes out with what few friends he has though, he has been known to occasionally drink enough to get drunk. When *intoxicated* he tends to be very friendly and loving but not understand boundaries so much anymore. He is willing to play drinking games out of sheer competitiveness though.

Bonus:
Full Thanksgiving Dinner, why? It takes the longest to prepare and eat. He is, in fact, that petty.