Character list

[tickletheory]

New stories, new characters.

Modern - 2010's

I don't have a clear outline yet. I want to explore the characters, their personalities and relationships with each other.

I want to write a bit of a coming-of-age story of young-adult years in the 2000's from the perspective of Tala, the main character. Some topics that I might brush on: Filipino-ness, Otherness, East/West culture, nostalgia of youth, growing friendships and changing relationships, first romance.


In a new country, new school, with no parents and no baggage, Tala's determined to experience all the new things without guilt and permission. Her conflict over a friend's fling wasn't strong enough to crush her curiosity. As someone who's only had one relationship before, maybe now is a good time to casually meet people so next time she'll know what kind of guy she really likes. After all, if everyone else is doing it then it should be ok, right?

Some of these things may change.

Last updated: 30 Dec 2018

Tala Gabrielle Dizon

• 17, F, an exchange student from Manila
• Likes movies, anime
• A bit shy, easily feels nervous, sensitive but determined
• Wants to be independent, sometimes struggles to put herself 'out there', but still tries
• Cheerful, has few friends
• Frugal
• Used to be neighbors with Luis

Nathan Luis Ortiz

• 18, M, an exchange student from Manila
• Likes photography, basketball
• Mischievous, loves to horse around
• Easily annoyed, can be insensitive when he was young
• used to be neighbors with Tala
• Loves making jokes, outgoing, overconfident, makes lots of friends, liked by many

Bella Shuen

• From HK
• Quickly became close friends with Tala while on exchange
• They don't have classes together, but are in the same exchange program, and lives in the same dorm building
• Likes singing at karaoke, shopping, traveling
• Always goes on trips with Li Lingli
• Likes Luke (3rd generation Chinese-American student) . Sort-of in a relationship (fling?)

Li Lingli

• Also an exchange student from HK
• Travels often with Bella
• Loves to eat, shopping, traveling

Daniel Ng

• Local, student in the university where Tala and Luis are doing their exchange
• Was in the same community service group as Tala
• Quiet, hard to talk to at first
• Strong sense of responsibility
• Doesn't normally start conversations
• Likes hiking, reading, movies
• He and Tala meet again 4 years later after the exchange program, though they were not particularly close during uni days

Luke, Tyler, Bryan

• Exchange students, different program but same university
• From different parts of the US

Kannika

• A full-time exchange student from Thailand, but moved countries when she was in middle school, so she is quite local
• A common friend of Tala and Daniel
• Two years older, and leads the community service group they all volunteer at
• Likes hiking, tennis