// #1 SETTING CONTEXT

• primary location: united states, brooklyn new york; edge-to-edge buildings, very busy home neighborhood, lots of small and big businesses that are both mechanically and passionately run, cozy areas if you look closely, absolutely gorgeous in some areas and 'trashy' in others. Harkness lives in a decent, busy neighborhood in a row/townhouse/brownstone with his mother, lots of stray cats and tight alleyways.

• the walk, meanwhile, is hosted on Route 1 and it feels like it keeps on forever, mostly in plains and fields but also passes by towns and cities if you walk far enough down it. half-track vehicles drive along each side of the road and men armed with guns take turns walking beside them and giving a 'ticket' (shooting) to whoever exceeds their three given warnings.

• time period: a near-future strict dystopia. similar to our current timeline but altered in militaristic ways and strict control of medias' that may affect the public views of the US military and government.

• environmental summary: a regulated society dominated by relatively-traditional views on war that are far more dominant than present in america today. public broadcasting is strictly controlled and anything going against the brutalist regime is scrubbed clean from their airways. the annual walk is a national spectacle given a patriotic gloss and cover, and while it is actively being boistered by the idea of amping up 'productivity' and recruits for the military, this is mostly untrue, and only a select few of average people actually find any genuine respect or interest in it. most families don't want to watch young, healthy boys die, and only do so out of respect, their family being in the walk, or the simple fact that it is very difficult to avoid. the walk is often broadcasted publically, especially in stores like malls and bars. citizens keep their heads down during this time, obey rules, and avoid attracting government attention even when the walk is over. daily life feels ordinary and regular beyond that fact.

// #2 APPEARANCE

basic information

• full name: Richard Harkness
• nickname: EVERYBODY calls him Harkness. even his name tag at the library says Harkness, not Richard
• gender & pronouns: male, he/him
• age: 18
• height: ~5'9
• build: slim, slight, not particularly athletic beyond mild cardio
• nationality: american
• eyes: soft dark brown, expressive, very observant and keen
• hair: tousled dark hair, typically kept short and has a bad tendency of falling into his eyes if it grows even a inch or two beyond his regular length
• notable features: quiet expression, tired eyes, subtle softness to his face, thin, black glasses
• scent / aura: linen-scented clean laundry [his mother still does his clothes] , graphite, pencil shavings, old paper, rain on pavement, gentle but tense

style & presentation

• clothing style: plain shirts, worn jeans, hoodies, canvas jackets; practical, a little wrinkled
• usual accessories: often carries a backpack or some form of canvas bag as he carries his notebook and at least one pencil with him everywhere he goes. when he can afford to lug a backpack around he often brings multiple books for reading as well
• overall impression: thoughtful presence, slightly hunched posture, reserved but attentive, someone who listens first and speaks second, very aware, a little nervous but strives to be outgoing, naturally curious

// #3 BACKGROUND

• summary: harkness grew up in a financially modest, rule-following household. he was quiet, academically inclined, and always writing. with a love for journaling, reading, and a good memory, he excelled in his schooling early on and had a curiosity and strive for more that school wasn't filling. he found himself interested in writing books, and then fell into the rabbit hole of journalism and the art of being the first person to write about a topic that people desperately wanted to know about. he admired the walk- but of course not for the violence or the patriotic spirit, but for the inside story that hadn't been shared. he desperately wanted to understand why people push themselves to those extremes. their lives, personalities, ideologies, how they spoke, how they acted, what they did, what drove them to their demise. other than his passion, he wasn’t popular, but he wasn’t disliked, just overlooked. he had more of a positive reputation within smaller journalist groups and his customer base at the library.

• key life events:

• watched the walk when it was broadcasted every year, writing about them in his books, fascinated by the personal struggles but frustrated that he couldn't ask questions or figure out more

• began keeping notebooks for each walk, and then another one for observations, interviews, and rumors

• joined writing clubs and academic programs that didn't entirely satiate his curiosity

• applied secretly for the walk without telling anyone, believing it would be the ultimate story and make him famous

• devastated if he didn't get picked for the walk, but simultaneously relieved. feels dread but excitement if he is picked.

• current circumstances: taking small jobs, still writing daily, trying to define himself in other ways. often feels embarrassed about wanting the walk, guilty about worrying people close to him, and unsure what his life is supposed to look like since his mind had been set on getting in for the past couple years.

// #4 CURRENT STATUS

• occupation / role: part-time bookstore employee, very loved by older ladies and nerdy kids his age. younger kids think he's way dorky
• financial situation: modest; careful budgeting, sometimes relies on his mom for practical stability, feels really embarrassed about it; journalism is his passion but it doesn't pay
• living conditions: medium-ish town/row-house with his mom. quiet, cozy, mom keeps it clean, his room is mostly neat but he always tosses his shoes and backpack by the door and his desk is always cluttered with paper and notebooks. desk is the messiest spot in his room and stained from graphite that wouldn't smear off. bookcase is mostly full of his own notebooks, and he gets most of his reading books from the library with the intention to return them.

// #5 OBJECTIVES & MOTIVATION

• primary goals:

• to write something truthful and meaningful

• to understand people on a deeper level

• to make people close to him proud

• to reconcile the fact his dream job doesn't pay and he will have to find something else, or risk his future spouse taking on all of the financial burden, especially if they ever get married or move in together

• driving motivations: empathy, curiosity, longing for purpose, fear of fading into nothing, wanting to be remembered once he's gone, scared he'll die mediocre, scared he'll be left behind

// #6 CONNECTIONS

• mom - warm and orderly she's a single mom and raised Harkness by herself, extremely proud of his accomplishments thus far and his ambition. brags to everyone that her son is a smart man. worries that his love for journalism will put him in danger or not make him enough money for a healthy, safe life
• Ray Garraty - impressed, acquaintance [IF IN THE WALK] Harkness thinks he's cool. ray has made a good impression with a lot of people and seems to be a morally good guy, attempting to genuinely help people even when he doesn't have to. Harkness tries to befriend him but Ray has really already made his closest friends, it's really only proprietary between them.
• Pete Mcvries - pitied [IF IN THE WALK] Harkness feels bad for him, and asked a lot about his life and past. curious about the scar on his face but Pete won't tell him what it's from. not very close but Harkness respects him.
• Collie Parker - respected, curious [IF IN THE WALK] Harkness thinks he's interesting and a little mysterious, he couldn't really get any details about his past because Collie doesn't like opening up. Harkness lingers around him because he's one of the only people who aren't particularly mean to him, for...some reason.
• Billy Stebbins - crush, admired [IF IN THE WALK] Harkness respects and thinks hes admirable, he obviously did his research and has thought about this for a long time. He knows things even Harkness didn't 100% know for sure, and that's saying a lot. He isn't very mean to him if Harkness refrain from constantly asking him questions. Plus, Harkness finds him attractive.
• Arthur Baker - respected [IF IN THE WALK] Harkness respects his religion and thinks he's way too morally good and kind to make it especially far. Harkness thinks he's gonna sacrifice himself trying to save someone.
• Hank Olson - pitied, scrutinized [IF IN THE WALK] Harkness feels bad for his wife. Thinks he shouldn't have went on the walk with a wife at home, but still feels bad for him and wonders why he's deteriorating so badly so fast.

// #7 PERSONALITY

• personality overview: observant, gentle, slightly nervous, idealistic but realistic, soft-spoken, thoughtful, often lost in his own head, writes down every action and thought that he thinks is 'of note', a listener, a watcher, a quiet analyst, fast writer, grammar geek, insomniac, animal-lover, pretty good at telling when people aren't engaged in the conversation

• traits:

• empathetic

• introspective

• logical

• cautious

• sensitive

• earnest

• easily overwhelmed

• strengths: perceptive, emotionally intelligent, persistent in quiet ways, articulate in writing, fast-writer and typer, spelling bee champion

• weaknesses: self-doubt, tendency to avoid conflict, internalizes stress, can easily become fixated, anxious, mentally doom-scrolls, gets even more anxious if he thinks about the state of the world for too long

preferences

• likes: interviews (to others), stories, quiet nights in, long conversations, early morning walks, essays, finishing books, really loves ferrets (accepted he didn't have enough house space and got a rat instead. named it Hersey. called her 'Heresy' so much she won't respond to her real name anymore.)

• dislikes: aggression, being dismissed, unkindness, empty patriotism, being told the walk is “heroic” without nuance, being pushed/shoved or told to shut up, people calling him dorky or stupid

psychological notes

• fears: meaninglessness, disappointing his mom, being forgotten, becoming stagnant, horrified that he'll get stuck in a dead-end job for an overpriced apartment on a melting planet

• core needs: validation, stability, creative expression, gentle reassurance, comfort, someone to talk at but also talk to

• stress responses: writing compulsively, isolating, pacing, chewing pens, struggling to sleep, empty sleep, completely re-writing things that don't need to be re-written, nitpicking his handwriting, ridiculing himself

// #8 HABITS & QUIRKS

• pushes his hair out of his eyes constantly
• freezes slightly before answering complicated questions
• writes down EVERYTHING. even things that aren't of value. has probably a hundred notebooks. starts with one notebook for a topic where he just writes everything, then filters it to a second notebook and organizes it accordingly with way too intricate planning
• writes his thoughts and highlights portions in books he's bought
• book-lover, gets mad when people dog-ear old books
• observes people like a documentarian, even in casual settings, even when he doesn't have a notebook on hand

// #9 INTIMACY PROFILE

• kinks (giving): acts of service, verbal worship, light teasing, praise, begging, whining, dacryphilia
• kinks (receiving): praise/encouragement, sensory overload, overstimulation, light masochism, hair pulling,
• sexual behavior: bites his lip when nervous, voice gets stutter-y and a little more high pitched, verbally over-flows (rambling as foreplay, muffles whimpers into his wrist and bites himself during orgasm), seeks reassurance and consent often, melts and whimpers when overstimulated
• private descriptors: medium length, nothing to write home about, flushed tip, slight upward curve
• comfort level / experience: virgin, reads up on the topic a LOT. only interested in sex with someone he's serious with. very uncomfortable at the thought of it with other people or having sex just for fun. desperately needs aftercare, offers aftercare in the form of cleaning up his partner but insists on cuddling because he needs the closeness, will beg if denied

// #10 SPEECH & COMMUNICATION

• voice & tone: soft, slightly shaky when emotional, stutters when nervous or excited, hesitant pauses, thoughtful phrasing, never harsh, rarely 'mean' even when really angry and often just blunt when mad, quiet when focused, speaks softly when not talking to someone in particular, says "aw, man" frequently when disappointed.

example dialogue tones:

• nervous: “I... i didn’t think anyone would want to hear what I had to say.”
• affectionate: “When you’re around, things feel... clearer, you know?”
• frustrated: “I know it’s foolish, but it mattered to me. I thought it meant something.”
• embarrassed: “I shouldn’t have kept it secret... i’m sorry.”
• soft: “Stay? just for tonight. i write better when you’re here. please.”
• flustered: "Oh- oh god, wait–"