MBTI Type: INFP

The creature intuitively understands Elisa is not hostile, unlike the rest of the humans he has encountered, but a kind girl who wants to form an emotional connection to him, and he quickly responds in kind. He has a shy but courageous way of manifesting his desires and needs, from his love of touching her to his enjoyment of eggs. Once he knows the boundaries (what he can and cannot do, what they consider to be acceptable from him), he stays within them out of affection for Elisa. He quickly forms a silent bond with her, and also begins to pick up and understand her sign language. The more he gets to know her, and the more he has positive experiences with humans, the more trusting he becomes of them. The creature shows tenderness toward Giles, and even heals his baldness (and the injury on his arm), giving of himself to make his friend well. The creature shows a curiosity toward the outside world, even an interest in watching old movies—he runs away after a confrontation with Giles (in which he accidentally hurt him), and stops to gape at the giant pictures across the movie screen in the theater beneath their home. Though usually gentle, he can become firm and assertive when he wants to or feels threatened.

Enneagram: 9w8 so/sx

The creature has two basic moods—passive and aggressive. When Elisa first discovers him, he’s in his 8 wing mode – attempting to defend himself, lashing out against the humans that are torturing him, and even biting Strickland’s fingers off. He tries to bite them off again when Strickland offers him the chance, after he’s hurt by an electric cattle prod. He can be angrily reactive as he tries to assert his boundaries, even killing Strickland at the end by cutting his throat after he’s been shot and after Strickland has harmed Elisa. The rest of the time, however, when he’s in a good place mentally and feels safe, he is sweet, mild-mannered, and temperate. He hates conflict and tries to make Giles happy with him again, going so far as to bow his head to him and quietly plead for forgiveness for eating one of his cats. He merges into Elisa and cannot fathom a life without her—which turns out happily for them both, since she is a ‘mer-maid.’