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On a scale of “is occasionally forced to bathe” to “Instagram model with sponsors to hoe for” how involved is your OC’s Skincare routine? He showers almost every day, sometimes twice (once after his morning run and usually after work), and prefers scalding hot water. It's... hygienic, but isn't great for the skin and hair so he uses a basic moisturizer on his face and conditions his hair and that's about it. He's long given up on his hands being anything but rough, calloused and stained.   What are your OC’s food preferences (flavors/textures/spiciness/calories/ when and how they eat) and how did they get that way? He isn't at all picky and will eat almost anything, but grew up with his family cooking a lot of traditional Arab and Middle Eastern foods so he has a slight nostalgic bias for those flavor profiles  and ingredients (lamb, mint, chick peas, lentils, harissa, etc.). He loves spicy food, both in terms of heat and flavor, to the point of regularly snacking on raw chili's.

Due to his inhuman nature, he burns through a much higher calorie load per day than a normal person (with similar consequences of being a bit tired and irritable if he misses his goal for too many days in a row, but nothing catastrophic). He compensates by munching on small, frequent high-calorie and high-protein foods in between proper meals. Cheese, nuts, hard boiled eggs, dried fruit, avocados, jerky, etc. His desk drawers in the shop are usually a prime foraging ground for snacks, which he will cautiously allow. He tries to eat healthy most of the time, but is definitely not one to turn his nose up at junk food if it's going to hit the spot.

His best food love in life will always be sandwiches.

What’s something pointless/petty/unimportant that IRRATIONALLY ANNOYS THE HELL out of your OC?

People who refer to their pets as fur babies. It's a dog, fuck off. 

What’s your OC’s response to being asked for money by a homeless person?

He doesn't mind giving a spare buck or two if they're straightforward about it, especially if they approach him first since he's... kind of an intimidating-looking dude and hey, props. He doesn't consider it any of his business what they use it for, and if the request comes with an obviously construed sob story then he's more inclined to tell them to take a hike.

Doesn't stop for pan handlers at intersections or anything where he's driving, though. 

Does your OC get lost easily? What do they do when they do get lost? Not usually? He has a decent sense of direction and knows how to use a GPS/his phone so it's usually a non-issue. In a foreign city and where he has no access to directions he might be a little more worried, but his anxiety is less social and more internal, so he's not above asking strangers. 

What would STOP your OC from Doing The Right Thing in a tense situation? This is, obviously, very situational. It depends on the people and circumstances involved. Abe tries to be a decent person, and in most situations he'll try to do The Right Thing, but there are obviously some grey areas. Would he return someone's dropped wallet on the street? Of course. Does he also strip and sell stolen cars for profit by moonlight? ... also yes.

I'll expound on that a little bit, since it's a pretty good example of his moral compass and there are a lot of variables.

Running a chop shop obviously isn't something that he just one day decided to do for a thrill (he's not Casey). It was born out of financial desperation, explicit knowledge about how the automotive industry works, running with a fairly rough and tumble crowd at the time, and working through some pretty emotionally rough times of his own. Although his parents weren't destitute by any means,  he wanted very fucking little to do with either of them after the long, drawn-out media trash fire of his mother's court case and eventual incarceration. His dad's deportation was just... mwuah. Cherry on the cake. Instead, he cut off all contact with them after filing for legal guardianship of his sister and kept their collective heads low while he worked in buddies' garages, as a line cook, working overnight loading shifts at warehouses, etc.

Given some of the friends and cohorts he had at the time, not all of whom had squeaky clean records themselves, one thing led to another and it turns out that hey, petty crime is a lot easier than working yourself to the fucking bone every night to put food on the table!

He was about 20 at this time, so... you know, young, dumb, full of anger and hurt and pride. Fuck you, world. Fuck you very much. I don't want your help.

Obviously this was also rather stupidly risky given how highly publicized his mother's legal battle was. He kept it pretty small time and low-key for the first couple of years, until things had cooled down, but it's still kind of a miracle that he didn't get himself caught red-handed for anything major. He was still struggling for sure though, even with his side hustles. This was also about the time that Casey drifted back into his life. Rather than a hand-out or an inheritance, hey what do you know this old family friend is a pro at cheating the system and he has definitely stolen cars more than a few times in his long, long life. So even though Casey's moral compass is spinning at 200 mph at all times, it's the first kind of support system that Abe doesn't immediately reject, and the rest is a bit history.

Now, of course, he's in his early 30's, his sister is independent enough to be moved out and working on her own, and his day job of an auto repair shop is actually doing pretty damned good, enough that he could comfortably live on it. He's matured enough to regret the people he's indirectly screwed over through his criminal activities, and would love to just go legitimate from now on. Even if things fail, he's made amends with his father and his pride and feels comfortable in his support if everything somehow goes to shit.

It's easier said than done to just cut ties and fly away from the people and the criminal network he's quietly embroiled himself in for over a decade, though. He's really, really good at it by now, a reliable supplier, and always hides his tracks well. But he's a big boy, he can get through that he thinks, make a graceful exit. Yet there's still that "what if" anxiety over pulling the plug on something that’s running smoothly and having it blow up in his face. Not just financially, but legally. He's happier than he has been in a while, has a stable relationship, a good job outside of the chop shop, etc. As much as he's constantly vexed by Casey and considers him a chaotic nuisance in his day to day life, Abe also has healthy amounts of both respect for and fear of him. He's not an easy person to read or anticipate, and Abe has worked himself into knots over how the dullahan will react if he tells him he wants to go cold turkey.

So that's... that's a bit where he's at right now. Not doing The Right Thing in the overall picture, but somewhat paralyzed by anxiety and some concept of loyalty. Realistically, could your OC (in their normal circumstances- i.e. at thier own house/battlecamp/spaceship etc.) keep a small child alive for a week if they had to?  A Dog?  A Houseplant? A rock with a  smiley face painted on?

Absolutely. Criminal activities aside, Abe is a very responsible person. He basically raised his much younger sister when he was barely out of teenager-hood himself. He also has a small dog that he basically removed from her care when she was going through her own growing pains and wasn't properly taking care of her, and has since turned the pup into a model citizen (that he still dotes on very much, to be sure). He's not exactly a nurturing person, he doesn't think, and has zero plans on having kids of his own, but he's definitely the first pick of his employees and friends who need a dog-sitter for the weekend. In a pinch, he has even been begged into watching their actual kids for an afternoon or so. If your OC had to take the S.A.T. tomorrow with one night to prep, how would they do?  both emotionally and academically. Haha, he would have an absolute fucking meltdown! Abe doesn't consider himself very smart, to the point of being a bit self-conscious about it. He was a solid average student in high school that got by on a lot of athletic merit. Of course, like many people, he does have a lot of intelligence in very specific areas but has a hard time equating that to bookish or academic knowledge.    What would cause your OC to chose to do something petty/pointlessly cruel?

I don't know about pointlessly cruel. He's definitely the type to get back at people who are riling him up via a sharp word or prank, but he's not the type (anymore) to pick fights over nothing. Lose his temper easily, yes, and especially in the past, but he's aware of his issues with that and works hard to control them now. On a scale of “Complete and Justified nervous breakdown” to “Conquer The Entire Galaxy and become an Immortal God-Emperor”, how well would your OC handle being abducted by Aliens? Definitely leaning more towards the former. Probably one good "what the fuck is happening" panic attack before locking down into survival mode and just trying to size up how to either get along with or take out who he needs to in order to protect himself/his loved ones. What song is 100% garunteed to get your OC beyond turnt and will be sung loudly and emabarrasingly, either in public or the shower?

"The Number of the Beast" by Iron Maiden, but lots of classic metal hits. He's not shy about singing, like, ABBA or Queen, either, around anyone including his actual musician boyfriend. Moreso in the kitchen when he's cooking than the shower (that's for adult activities) but you know. What perfectly-normal-to-them-thing does your OC do that confuses/pisses off/terrifies thier neighbors?

He doesn't have close neighbors on purpose, to disguise the traffic and noise of his after-hours activities. Beyond the obvious, though, most people's back yards don't habitually explode into temporary infernos when they need to let off some steam and/or are so fucking sick of winter that a built-in flamethrower seems better than shoveling. Under what circumstances would your OC appear naked in public?

Uh, hm. He's not uncomfortable with his naked body, quite the opposite (dude keeps in shape very much on purpose, okay?) He might be cajoled into nude modeling for an art class or something if he had the explicit consent of his partner, but otherwise it's just when he takes his glamour off. Even then, there seems to be a bit of intentional magical finagling that conceals the important bits from the public eye because he's not an actual animal and nobody needs to see a thirteen foot monster just hanging dong in the middle of the park. What thing did your OC’s parents do that your OC wishes they had a better explanation for?

Minor idiosyncrasies and major political decisions both aside, Abe exists in a universe where the inhumans can be anywhere from approximate to human lifespans or to flying off into the several century/millenia mark, with any variation in between given the individual and their species. He's a relatively "young" monster, in his 30's, but both of his parents are much, much older and have lived whole, complex lives for centuries that didn't include him.

Samir and Raima definitely went out of their way to acclimate themselves into modern society, and how they raised their kids, so it wasn't like his childhood was that out of the ordinary (for being, you know, a family of djinn and with immigrant parents). That said, sometimes he struggles with the concept that  his parents both have other, grown children from past relationships that he'll never probably meet or know about. Even though he's an adult by human and mental standards, he recognizes that he hasn't lived long enough to even really conceive of the whole lifespans of two people that are closest to him, and that's... a bit wild?

He feels this way with Casey to an extent, too, but Casey isn't family, and also presents himself as a bit more pointedly abnormal, so it's harder to subject him to human standards. Raima however was definitely the PTA mom who showed up with perfect brownies and was also old enough to kick it with Achaemenes.

How often does your OC “zone out” or do things on autopilot and how severe have the problems that have arisen from that been?

Pretty often, but it's not usually a problem. He's been working as a mechanic long enough that his day job is pretty old-hat, comfortable but not boring and he can go through the day on autopilot if he needs to or has too little sleep (not... uncommon). He still gets a little adrenaline thrill with a backlash of minor guilt and frustration from his midnight escapades, and is much more mentally present and on alert for those.

For the rest of his life and hobbies, Abe tries to be present. If he's lazy or spacy, it's only with close friends or his boyfriend in his downtime, with whom the mood can be shared or else discussed if it becomes an issue. How strong or weak is your OC’s Impulse control? What’s the worst thing that happened becuase of thier Impulsivity or inability to be so?

As far as immediate gratification impulses, Abe is alright. He has minor impulsive thoughts, like anyone, that lead to bad take-out or doing something fun over something he doesn't want to focus on, but overall he's a largely responsible adult.

The only major caveat is that he's an ifrit, and he falls victim to the tropes of many fire elementals. Namely, his powers are tied to his emotions, and they naturally tend to run high. It's taken him most of his life to get a good handle on it and even though his emotional and physical control is really quite good these days, he still has his moments that he's deeply ashamed of.

When he was younger, singed furnishings were the norm and went hand in hand with any young child's emotional meltdowns. Fortunately, his dad was also an ifrit, thusly fireproof, and could mitigate the damage. Things were a little dodgy for his adolescent, teenage, and young adult years. He scorched a few people, some needed medical attention, he ate himself up with guilt until he cried, got better about his control, you know the pyro drill.

He's never seriously hospitalized anyone or burned down anything irreplaceable, and he's much better about his emotions and temperament now, but there's still that razor's edge of doubt that's always present in his thoughts.   How does your OC sabotage themselves?

While he's pretty savvy and in control of his business and casual relationships, he's a fucking dunce at romantic conquests. He wants to love and be loved very much, but that sort of intimacy requires a long, hard look at his own self-doubt, self-control, etc. He's often been the one to break it off in the past, more out of frustration or disappointment with himself than because he didn't like his partner. He can keep a good, casual thing going for a while right up until he gets nervous, cuts and runs, or subconsciously turns himself into such an insufferable asshole that he gets turned out on his ass first.

It's really not like he didn't have good role models, since his parents were loving and demonstrative with each other, but it's been a chronic problem for sure.

Anyway, his current relationship has been going well even through some bumps, and he's both relieved and happy about that while also trying not to gnaw off a metaphorical limb with imagined disaster scenarios. Shut up, stop thinking, you love him, he loves you, you're HAPPY.

What’s the trashiest item in your OC’s wardrobe, when was the last time they wore it and why do they still have it?

Oh, man. Out of all my fashion disaster Lousy Coffee OC's, Abe is an underwhelming culprit. He's a low-key dude and sticks to denim, t-shirts, and tank tops, sometimes leather. He prefers sleeveless to let his tattoos do the talking.

Sometimes he leans a little hard into the Rockabilly vibe with some bowling shirts, which don't look bad on him, but one year Jen got him this as a Christmas present, and every time he wears it nobody can take him seriously.

(It's because his unglamoured form is largely black and orange and it's a bit too on the nose) How Dehydrated is your OC right now? Are they going to fix this?

Subjective, since he's a fire monster. He's probably alright, but will drink a glass of water if you give it to him. What’s your OC smell like?  no, not that “Vanilla and Anxiety” evocative stuff, realistically.  Body odor? what have they been touching all day? When was thier last shower? Did they put on any kind of artificial scent?

Definitely sweat and body odor in the morning when he first wakes up and after his run, but he showers afterwards. Motor oil, carbolic soap, more sweat, sometimes a kind of bonfire crispiness if he's been in a mood, mild dog stank, and have you ever smelled a warm horse like outside of its manure stall and just standing in the sun being clean and nice? Not to be too purple prose but that.

[beastlycoffee]

More Unusual Questions for your Muse

🦇- If your muse had wings, would they be feathered and bird-like, leathery bat-like wings, or insect-like fairy or butterfly wings? 🙊- How good are they at keeping secrets? 🎖- Is your muse the “forgive and forget” type or do they hold grudges? ⚖️- If your muse had superpowers, what would they be? 📐- Did your muse get an education? What was their best subject in their studies? 🖋- If your muse was an author/poet, what kind of stories would they write about? 📕- What “Banned Books” could you see your muse reading? 🔖- When they shop, does the price or product matter more? 🐶- If your muse was forced to get a pet, what would they get? ✌️-How often did they get into trouble as a kid? ⭐️- What’s their favorite constellation in the night sky? 🍼- Would your muse raise an abandoned orphan they found or opt to relocate them to an orphanage instead? 🏄‍♀️- What kind of leisurely sports do they partake in on their downtime? 💐- What are their favorite flowers? 👑- How would your muse react if they suddenly found out that they were the long-lost heir to a rich kingdom? 👒- If your muse were to take someone on a first date, where would they go and how would they behave? 💥- if Your muse wakes up with complete amnesia, how would they react? How scared would they be? What caused it? 🍳- What does your muse’s typical breakfast, lunch, and dinner look like after their larder has been fully replenished? 🎣- Would your muse go fishing for any reason? Would they catch-and-eat or catch-and-release? 🎼- What part in a choir would your muse sing? Soprano (½), Bass, Tenor, or Alto? 🎬- Pick three movies you could see your muse watching (and enjoying) 🎨- Find two famous pieces of artwork you think your muse would enjoy.

[beastlycoffee]

6. If they're a fan of Hot Chocolate, Tea, or Coffee, how do they like either of those drinks prepared?

RV: He enjoys most sweet things, though Hot Chocolate is unlikely to occur to him. It's not part of his cultural landscape, and the couple of times he's tried it, it's been of a cheaper and more watered-down brand. Tea and Coffee he both adore, preferably hot and preferably done up to maximum indulgence. He takes his tea with sugar and milk, coffee with the same plus cardamom and sometimes vanilla extract. He's not necessarily wooed by fanciful coffee shop drinks like a Starbuck Mocha Caramel Frappucino. He just likes raw sugar and fat in his caffeine vehicle.

JN: She consumes a pretty substantial amount of coffee, usually at least several cups a day and taken with a bit of cream and sugar, though she can just as easily have it black. Usually hot, except in the summer. She makes tea a little more than occasionally, usually to wind down from a day at home, and almost always takes it hot, with a small amount of honey. She has a decent collection of looseleaf teas and an infusion cup, with a preference for Darjeeling but also heavier, darker tastes like Pu Erh. Hot Chocolate she only has maybe once a year or so, on snowy days and when she's feeling nostalgic.

  EL: Drinks a regular amount of hot coffee, typically from the museum cafe. He's not very particular about brand or quality, despite that he can fake it for the right crowd. Usually takes it hot, with a small amount of sugar and no cream. Drinks tea off and on, depending on which life he's living.

CS: Hot, black tea is his staple. If there's a pot of coffee going at the shop, he'll partake, but otherwise lives by his electric kettle. He has a piecemeal collection of both looseleaf and bagged teas, doesn't have much preference besides "get it in me now". Usually he takes it straight, but might add a teaspoon of honey when he's under the weather.

AS: Usually swigs down plain, hot black coffee of a completely horrible quality. He absolutely cannot differentiate or care about a one dollar cup from a seven dollar one. If he's feeling a calorie deficit, he'll dump a few full-fat creamers in, but otherwise is fine with it just black. Doesn't usually go in for tea. He'll drink hot cocoa now and then, on snowy days and when Annie demands it.

NL: Hot coffee with one sugar and one cream, once or sometimes twice a day. Thank you.

RT: She can't tolerate tea or hot chocolate. Given that her palate is so limited, she's developed an intense relationship with coffee. She's explicitly particular about the bean and roast, and while she'll grudgingly drink what a cafe or bistro has to offer, her own blends are no doubt superior. Hot in the winter, and cold on the warmest days of the year exclusively.

SW: Starbucks garbage. Not a fixture of her childhood, but load her up with a mocha cafe frappe now and she's happy.

SD: Super EXTRA Starbucks garbage. She has the whole secret menu memorized. Mint tea was a staple of her childhood, when sick, but she doesn't give much thought to it now. Hot Chocolate is fun, but only when mixed with a healthy portion of rum.

[beastlycoffee]

5. What's their favorite type of weather? Do they like to do anything specific on days when the weather is how they like it?

RV: Like Sanjit, he prefers it bright and hot with the added caveat that he is actually cold-blooded and becomes somewhat sluggish and sad during the several-day-long snowstorms that occasionally strike the region. He has a SAD light therapy lamp that he basks under in his natural shape, for a few hours a day, during the longest months.

JN: She's pretty malleable to most extremes. She's from Wisconsin originally so snow doesn't necessarily faze her, but she does prefer spring and all of its budding new-ness. In the winter months, she focuses her recreation inside the city to bars, clubs, friends' houses, etc. In the warmer months, however, she tends to venture outside the limits for some communal time with nature.

EL: Faaairly ambivalent. He's lived in several different climes, the most extreme of which has probably been Louisiana. He didn't love the humidity. Probably wouldn't function well with the extreme cold, but he's alright with temperate climates where snow is a relatively temporary presence. His ideal weather is a warm, dark night somewhere between August and September, when the swelter has faded from the air to allow an edge of crisp pre-Autumn and a good view of the stars.

CS: Totally unfazed by the seasons. His temperature proprioception is a bit stunted, so while his body may move more stiffly on the blisteringly cold days, or loose and pliant and more sweaty on the sweltering ones, these thoughts of discomfort don't usually reach his brain. He likes rain.

AS: He similarly has a slightly "dulled" pereception of the weather, and usually runs a little cold, even in the height of summer. His favorite weather is conducive to good hunting, even if he doesn't actively partake in it much anymore. The bright, dry cold after a snowstorm is ideal, especially when the precipitate is in ideal conditions to be packed down by a dog sled. It's a condition less enjoyable in the heart of the city, but he can still resonate to wilder times. 

NL: She'll suffer any season, but cold, wet, and overcast are her ideals. She vastly preferred the weather of the Pacific Northwest US, where these were the regular. She still tolerates snow very well, but summer is a sweaty nightmare that she rides out in full-blast AC. Too much sun is... something than she can appreciate as a benefit to others, and the plant life, but she'll avoid it whenever she can and without making a big deal out of it. Thanks. RT: She will tolerate anything, for the sake of good business and connections, but tends to tolerate heat more easily than cold. That said, modern climate control technology is one of her very favorite things that humans have produced. Even if she can bake in an asphalt oven, it's a consistent and rewarding pleasure to escape back into a locus of central air. Ritu's obsessive element of control over most aspects of her life plays into this easily.

[beastlycoffee]

4. What would their favorite cartoons be, and why? What would their favorite characters be?

RV: He usually won't pursue them on his own, but if an animated Disney or Pixar movie that looks cute finds its way onto Netflix, he'll totally watch it. Loves Ghibli movies, but he has to watch them alone because every single one makes him cry. If South Park is on, he'll watch it in the background.

JN: Was an anime fangirl for a brief period, but mostly for classic 90's/early 00's titles like Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, etc. If an interesting concept crops up now, she'll watch it, but doesn't go out of her way. Her favorite anime movie is Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Intense love of Aeon Flux and other Liquid TV MTV-era nonsense. Mildly delighted by Steven Universe, but hasn't seen a lot of it. Likes Bob's Burgers and Archer a lot, loved Metalocalypse. Louise Belcher is her spirit animal.

EL: He saw Triplets of Belleville once and liked it.

CS: He likes a few Adult Swim titles like China, IL, and Superjail. The more surreal and weird, the better.

AS: He's seen every single episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Every. Single. One. Apart from that, he's been backseat consumer to basically any cartoon that Annie enjoys, which are many and varied. Fortunately, she's got pretty good taste and doesn't go in for anything too childish, Disney is kind of hit or miss. Girl loves her some horses, though. Loves her some horses. He's pretty ambivalent about all of it but Applejack is obviously the best pony.

SW: Totally enamored with both Steven Universe and The Venture Bros. Might watch an anime series now and then, on the recommendation of others, but definitely not a priority for her.

SD: Watched a lot of them as a kid, across a pretty broad spectrum. Now she'll watch Adult Swim or Netflix titles off and on. She likes Bob's Burgers and Rick and Morty, mostly. If it's too strange, she's not really on board. Anime is a weird concept that she can't quite get into, either.

[beastlycoffee]

3. What kind of video games would they play? Any specific titles?

RV: He's not technologically literate enough for most video games, but very simple puzzles like Candy Crush or Two Dots on his phone delight him. Sandbox games like Minecraft would also appeal to him very much, if someone sat down and taught him how to play.

JN: Loooves her some video games! Didn't have many game systems/access to games as a kid so some of the classics like Mario or Sonic are a bit vague for her, but she enjoys some others with fantastical themes like Castlevania, Final Fantasy, or Zelda. Missed the Pokemon trend entirely. Currently she doesn't have time for a lot of them, but she definitely still has a WoW account that she tends every now and then, and plays a few co-op FPS games with Abe and Mikkel, among her other friends. Went hard into TF2 when it was popular. Mains Zarya and McCree in Overwatch.

EL: No interest in most video games, but definitely has a lot of weird, indie apps and stories on his phone. He's entranced by surreal and puzzle games like Year Walk, Escape the Room, Limbo, etc.

CS: Has a couple of sidescrollers on his phone. Once he lost an entire year of his life to Farmville. That's it. His computer is a piece of shit, but he'd probably play WoW with Jen if invited and had the capacity.

AS: He's super good at Hello Kitty Nail Salon and Cooking Mama. Recently Annie has been getting more into the vein of more complex games that have a plot, so while he tolerated the endless parade of pink and cats and sparkles, he's secretly relieved and interested to watch her explore the Zelda and Pokemon games. She hasn't quite figured out Skylanders and might not have the means to play it, but is intrigued by it. She's forever desperate to make friends, so once the idea of kid-friendly MMO's like Wizard 101 are presented to her, she'll definitely latch on to them. It's gonna have to come from someone other than Asa because he barely knows what a computer is.

NL: Puzzle phone games, mainly. She also played an embarrassing amount of Pokemon Go. Didn't talk about it, of course, but there was a gym near the station that went undefeated for basically five straight months and if you don't think it was because of her Jolteon named Henry, you're wrong as hell.

SW: Didn't have exposure to many video games in her childhood, but she's desperately intrigued by them when she happens to visit someone with a console and some titles. She acquired a lap top for school that she uses to play some Flash games, and has tentatively been saving up for some type of system, but is a little shy to present the idea to her roommate, Joel.

SD: Also loves her some games. She mostly favors handheld titles, has played all of the Pokemon games, really enjoys Fire Emblem. Has some games on her phone, but not as many as some might expect. Mario Kart champion

[beastlycoffee]

[beastlycoffee]

2. Say your OC made a playlist on Spotify. What bands would be on that playlist? Any specific genres?

RV: He has one! It's mostly kicky, upbeat tunes. He loves the Scissor Sisters and will listen to any stereotypical gay/drag club type of music (Lady Gaga, hello?). He also likes some reggae and classic rock, plus one or two more serious pieces. Tom Waits is a secret favorite, he has a crush on his voice. Kollywood music is also real real good, but it has to be in Tamil or he’s not on board. He's got a pretty open mindset to music but likely wouldn't listen to anything too long, dramatic, or depressing. He's more likely to use Pandora, personally, because it takes less effort and decision-making on his part to craft some fun playlists/stations.

JN: Also has one! Looooots of indie stuff. So much. She loves soulful, slightly eerie female vocalists like Mariee Sioux, Fever Ray, Cat Powers, etc. Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks were her staple growing up, so a fair amount of that as well. Between her teenaged and adult years she got more into the punk and metal scene, but again still favors female-fronted bands if she finds them. Big fan of Stray Pussy. She has intensely well-tended Spotify, Pandora, 8tracks, and last.fm lists for various moods and occasions.

EL: Oh my god this is the hardest one for me to pin down, as evidenced by his Spotify list. His personal music taste is all over the place, but I think genres he reliably comes back to are classical and operatic, for when he's feelin' fancy, but also old-school country, for when he's feeling pretty specifically not. He went to a couple of Grateful Dead and Hot Tuna concerts back in the day, loves him some Cash and Bobbie Gentry, etc. Modern country is pretty repulsive to him but anything that embodies that slightly unsettling, Southern gothic vibe is delicious.  He probably knows what Spotify is and might have one, but is more likely to rely on Satellite radio, or his cd and vinyl collections.

CS: Usually defaults to whatever is playing in the shop. I don't think he'd go to the effort of making a Spotify list, if he even knows how it works. Rock and metal are bread and butter in the shop, and with his general lifestyle, and he likes that just fine. Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, etc. all very reliable standby bands. He's also an embarrassing Irish stereotype and will bust out an old jig or tune, sung loudly and unashamedly, at any provocation. Do you want some Danny Boy? Buy him some beers, he'll sing you some Danny Boy.

AS: Totally unaware of Spotify. Doesn't listen to much music, period. Most genres just sound kind of... acceptable to him? He doesn't really have an opinion. You could play him death metal or elevator music and his reaction to both would be kind of "...huh, okay." He does have a few songs that he personally relates to and gets emotional over, but he plays them very close to his chest and doesn't listen to them often, because strong emotions are generally unwelcome things with his situation. As for music that occurs in his background life, he has an eight-year-old daughter. Ask him how many times he's heard the Frozen soundtrack. No, really, go on. These are the eyes of a man who has gazed into infinity, and seen only Elsa. RT: She doesn’t use Spotify, but does enjoy opera, classical, and a few 60′s-70′s bands. 

SD: Has a Pandora and a Spotify, and they are RIFE, absolutely STINKING with club, dance, rap, and pop bullshit. Upbeat, catchy songs primarily, but how much Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears can you cram into one playlist? She has no idea but just watch her, son. Throw some Michael Jackson and Spice Girls in there for good measure because why not? 80's hits are a little outside her experience but she still likes them. Arab artists are equally fair game as US/EU ones. Anything that hasn't seen some kind of top 40 chart in its lifespan is just beneath her notice. She’s gone to quite a few concerts, her favorite to see in person is Slime Rickey, even though he’s a bit outside her preferred genre.

[beastlycoffee]

Character Questions

Alright, my plan here is to answer each question one at a time, using however many characters I can craft a feasible answer to. Some are less developed or applicable to the question than others so I’ll just skip those. Fortunately, I can answer the name question for everyone!

1. What's their full name? If they're an alien and their name is in their native planet's language, have you thought about what it means?

RV: Ravi Sakaleshwar. In the Tamil naming tradition, surnames are not common, so he uses his father's name as his but doesn't feel any strong connection to it, as he doesn't feel any strong connection to his father. He was a pleasant but neutral presence in his early childhood that parted peacefully, and hasn't been given much consideration since. He was much more attached to his mother, but using her name in every day circumstances that would necessitate a surname brought on too many emotions. I lifted the name "Ravi" from The Life of Pi without any knowledge of its meaning, I just liked the sound of it, but apparently it means Sun and that's hella appropriate. Also worth mentioning is that the character used to go by the pseudonym of Hemlock exclusively, in a different universe where he still grew a lot of deadly plants. He was not specifically Indian, then, so full name was Ravi Samoren, and so rarely addressed as such that he stopped short when called by his birth name. I may get back around to something like that, if I introduce Aolani into Lousy Coffee-verse more seriously :1

JN: Jennifer Cartwright. She cringes at the long form of her name. Doesn't hate it, but it feels alien to her, so she firmly and insistently introduces herself as "Jen" and nothing else (pretty much my direct experience between Elizabeth and Liz). Cartwright is her family surname, which she has mingled feelings on. She doesn't have a great relationship with her birth mother and father, but hasn't gone through the mental or legal processes to get it changed to something less traumatic and more meaningful. In a vein of vanity, she also admittedly does like that it sounds old-fashioned, and marries well with the witch convention of being addressed as "Witch <Surname>". Witch Cartwright sounds like someone who definitely could have been burned at the stake, and she likes that.

EL: Elias Pasquier. It's the most recent re-invention of his name, and he's old enough to have had a lot.  They always start with an E, a running joke that he keeps with himself. This one was chosen to convey a specifically French vibe, which he is happy to play up for his audience of rich socialites. In the past it's definitively  been Ezra, Ezekial, Ebo, and Etienne, among others he may or may not cop to, and all have depended on where and how he lived in this invented life. His first name was Exalius. It was originally mutated from something Latin that I super can't remember now, maybe exitalis, which is "devising"? I don't think that was it, but the meaning fits. His surname is always kind of plucked out of a hat to match the new given one he's picked. Etienne Clemenceau when he was living in Louisiana, etc.

CS: Casey O'Hearn. He's tamed it down to fewer letters over the years, but originally it was something like the original Irish form, Cathasaigh. It means vigilant, or watchful, which according to him is pretty appropriate given his feelings towards the al-Azraq/al-Aswad family. His surname was originally Eachthighearna, which means horse lord, appropriately enough. It originally came from a Dalcassian family who ruled  Ui Cearnaigh, near Six-mile-bridge where he was born.

AS: Asa Warren. His original, Cree name was Ká-péyakwáskonam, roughly translating to "he who aims with one arrow" and often shortened to One Arrow, when interacting with British and French settlers. He stubbornly resisted the taking of any Anglicized name, so usually just went by One Arrow, outside of his tribe.  It was given to him for his expert marksmanship and hunting skills, traits which don't really have much place in the modern setting. "Asa" was taken after he'd transitioned back to living among humans from his crazy, murderous wendigo days, and was simply the name of an English trader who he'd liked very much and always treated him well, when he'd been a human. Warren was chosen completely arbitrarily, a neutral sound to match his new persona.

NL: Cornelia Hunt. Like Asa, this was a traditonally "English-sounding" name that she took on for any prolonged interactions with human society. She like it for the "nel" sound that matches her actual name, and because it's malleable enough to produce several different nicknames -- Nelia (her favorite), Nel, Nelly, etc. Her original name is Neilde Yaa Nxagut, which means something like "I am walking home" in her mother tongue of Tlingit. When a thunderbird takes flight, their wingbeats produce the typically expected crash of sound and weather tied to their name.  It's something she's learned to suppress over time, but in her earlier years she opted to awkwardly walk among her human companions, rather than startle with a clamorous exit.

RT: Rituparna Ghoshal. First name snatched from a king of Ayodhya, purely because I liked the sound of it, but it's a fairly common-ish female name. Surname also chosen completely arbitrarily, because I like to match long with short in the naming convention.

SW: Sawyer Reis. I love gender-neutral names, and Sawyer is one of my favorites. I think I first heard it on a female character in Cats Don't Dance, for whatever that's worth? Surname chosen completely arbitrarily, but probably better linked to the German origin than the Portuguese one. She's white as hell.

SD: Sa'idah al-Aswad. Saidah means "fortunate", which certainly applies to how far in life she's gotten based on luck and the good will of others. She shortens it to "Sai" for her friends and coworkers, but will respond to the full form. It's usually only employed by her family, specifically her brother Abe when he's reached his limit with her. She uses her father's surname out of convenience, and to match her brother while divorcing herself from her mother's influence, but really doesn't have strong feelings about either of her parents. If she wanted to maintain a name-relationship with anyone, it's Abe, so it stays both by choice and by default.