Collaborate with us to create a a new "International Director" of DBRIS character by detailing their upbringing, life story, and association with DBRIS and Disco Ball Theory.
This is the character creation template for the DBRIS International Director. Please thoughtfully respond to the following prompts to craft your unique vision of the character.
Once complete, we invite you to submit a PDF of this document to the Co-Create submission portal. One writer will be tasked with turning their character profile into a personal blog post outlining the character’s life + mission.
**This should take you at the very most 1 hour to submit, a few sentences tops for each prompt is more than sufficient.
Name?Halloran Pattison
Age?30
Gender?Male
What are the 2-5 unique physical traits or wardrobe choices that define this character’s appearance?His hair is curly and black. He always wears conventional outfits with pieces like overcoats, slacks, suit vests, etc. He used to try to straighten his hair, but after joining DBRIS, he slowly decided to let it keep its natural form.
1-3 unique habits/mannerisms?His eyes move a lot when he’s thinking, jumping from one place to another. Usually this is before coming to a revelation or when he’s solving a complex math problem. You might find him trimming his nails, organizing/cleaning his office/the room, or giving strange compliments when he’s stressed because it helps aid his compulsion for normalcy.
What is the most defining thing that happened to them between the age of 1-18?Halloran’s mother was a strange woman. She’d been a theoretical physicist who stayed up late into the night, dressed oddly, took him to night carnivals and parties. Then she found out about DBRIS and worked for them: She started taking hallucinogens and obsessing even more fervently, ranting to him nonsensically. He became self-conscious of himself and tried to be as normal as possible to avoid the same fate as going crazy.
Do they have a significant other? Kids? Close personal friends or confidants of note?He has a group of friends in his field, but he’s never opened up to them. Halloran’s wife doesn’t know the full extent of his childhood, only that he was emancipated, but aside from that, they’re close. Before going to work for DBRIS, he says he’s taking a vacation with some work friends.
Describe this character’s educational and work background before getting involved with DBRIS. What types of “mainstream” science did they study? What degree(s) do they hold? What organizations did they work for?Halloran got his Masters in Quantum Mechanics, and followed it with a PHD by studying abroad. He worked for an American organization after that.
Describe the specific events that happened with the mysterious incident that led to their parent's disappearance. How did this event ignite the character's interest in DBRIS and Disco Ball Theory?Maeve, his mother, was with a few members of DBRIS when they saw the grass snake described in the letter. They couldn’t see what happened, but they assumed she saw her duplicate — but she never came back to tell them. She just vanished.
When he came by to pick up her things, her research among them, she read about her/DBRIS’s findings and started to question if it was real. He let months slip by but it entered his mind too often to ignore. Halloran thought if he joined the DBRIS team he might find some closure or answers he’s not entirely sure he wants.
Describe the state of the character’s personal life after having devoted themselves to Disco Ball Theory? His wife doesn’t suspect anything unusual until one of his work friends, supposed to be on vacation with him, shows up to see if he’s okay. When Halloran goes to talk to her about it, she notes his different appearance to him, and he tells her the truth about the program. It makes her begin to distrust him, but he’s too far gone to stop.Their marriage falls apart.
What is the character’s personal philosophy on Disco Ball Theory?He’s open-minded on all theories of the universe, but he clings to more logical explanations than theoretical ones. The only trouble is when a convoluted theory such as Disco Ball Theory, which he’s been opposed to mostly for personal reasons, makes more and more sense as he studies it.
What are the character's long-term visions for DBRIS, and how do they intend to achieve them?Halloran wants to figure out what the other reality was trying to tell them, as well as how to shift realities. He needs to pinpoint exactly how much tampering would cause reality as they know it to glitch and crumble. His first step is to try to communicate with the other dimensions through QET and TWA and go from there.
How does this character respond to those who believe Disco Ball Theory is a hoax or pseudoscience?He’d tell them they’re better off believing that.
Who does this character work closely with within the organization? Are there any significant friendships or rivalries?
Halloran has a rivalry with another physicist on the team who’s rude and mysterious and claims he can figure it out first. There’s a bit of romantic tension between them. Another team member is very driven, the most normal of the bunch, who’s pretty much the Mom friend that keeps him sane.