I am a worm of low degree. OF LOW DEGREE.
In other words, I can’t believe how shamefully I have neglected you all lately! I feel like I need to reacquaint myself with Curious Wren, dust off the cobwebs, fling open the windows and let the fresh air in…
In my defense, the Older Sister and I are road-tripping right now which, by the by, has been a magical and rewarding experience. Made new friends (I fully intend to visit Germany someday now), bought lots of books, wandered idyllic side-streets, cried over the beauty of sprawling, green landscapes… the list goes on. Yay for road-trips. I can feel my soul stretching and deepening every time I go on one.
Anywho.
I feel like I need to reacquaint myself with all you dear, wonderful people too so please, pretty please, tell me how life has been! What are you reading/writing/learning? How has your May been thus far and what are the happenings? I wish to know all, lovelies. And have a chocolate chip cupcake whilst you’re at it. ^_^
And now, Beautiful People. Also hosted by Sky.
I was toying around with the idea of several different stories this time–the questions are just. that. good–and I finally decided to use two characters from my science fiction, steampunk series Mingled. This is the first time I’ve mentioned it on the blog, but it’s basically like the Avengers meets Star Wars and it’s quite deliciously steampunkish and futuristic. The idea is that a special team called Mingled is formed by the leading governments of three planets (including Earth) and they end up like this adorable gang of feels and angst and much mission accomplishing.
The charries are as follows:
— Captain Lukas Keyes. Ship captain and leader of Mingled. 28. Male.
— Lechra Keyes. Historian/Translator. Lukas’ younger sister. 24. Female.
— Archangel “Angel.” Gunslinger-esque agent. 32. The Keyes siblings best buddy for his whole life. Male.
— “Dead Shot.” Infamous assassin. Crack shot, hence his “title” given to him by a past client. Uncertain age. Male.
— Sii Sari. Top bounty hunter. 26. Female.
— Laser. Tech geek. Near genius. 20. Male.
(I’ll be highlighting Dead Shot and Laser since they are polar opposites.)
Dead Shot
1. How often do they smile? Would they smile at a stranger?
Once upon a time Dead Shot hardly ever smiled, and when he did it was more of an ironical smirk, but now that he’s part of the “gang”–what with ridiculous antics, constant humor, and slowly-growing friendships– he has ample cause for unexpected smiles. Which, of course, remain unseen because he never takes his face mask off.
He does not smile at strangers.
2. What is the cruelest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?
One word: “No.”
He became an assassin.
3. What is the kindest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?
For Dead Shot actions speak louder than words every time. Lechra once brought him a mug of tea when he was in a rough spot emotionally and mentally (which she didn’t know at the time). He was so touched he couldn’t even bring himself to drink it. Lechra found the mug later, still full to the brim with ice-cold tea. She thought he disliked it.
4. What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
This ties in with #2, but essentially that memory is the whole reason he chose to become an assassin–and not only an assassin, but the best one to be had.
5. What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?
How to Win Friends and Influence People? Or any book teaching people skills that doesn’t involve broken necks, a switchblade or poison.
Actually, probably the Bible would he best. *coughcough*
6. Have they ever been seriously injured? How severely? How did they react?
Hah. Hah.
Dead Shot’s been pulled from death’s door enough times to make him a walking miracle. Eventually he became skilled enough and subtle enough that not many people have the training to actually be a threat to him.
If he’s hurt he tends to himself stoically or seeks aid if the injury is too severe for even him to handle.
7. Do they like and get along with their neighbours?
He and Lukas have built a cautious balance of trust and respect in their respective roles as assassin-who-answers-to-someone-besides-himself-now/ship captain turned leader of a motley crew.
Dead Shot holds a high opinion of Lechra. Sii Sari annoys him to no end.
His and Angel’s friendship is of the love/hate variety and Laser is like the kid on the block that you tolerate and end up getting out of scrapes left and right.
I love these guys so much.
8. On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being easy and 10 being difficult) how easy are they to get along with?
Depends on who he’s around. As a general rule, he’s about a 5. Only because he has a tendency to blend in with the background and people forget he’s around. Until he abruptly joins in the conversation, that is.
He regularly gives poor Lechra and Laser near heart attacks.
9. If they could travel anywhere in the world, where would they go?
Well, seeing as he can already travel most anywhere in the world, and has actually traveled further throughout the galaxy than most people….
10. Who was the last person they held hands with?
Probably his mother? Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far–oh, wait.
Laser
1.How often do they smile? Would they smile at a stranger?
Laser has an exhaustive repertoire ranging from a deceptively innocent smile to genuine mirth to full-out glee. He uses said repertoire frequently.
If a stranger smiled at him he’d probably either grin back or pretend to be blind depending on his mood.
2. What is the cruelest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?
Most of his peers had nothing but negativity to say about his level of brilliance, but the worst was when his girlfriend broke up with him and told him that the only thing keeping him from being utterly worthless was his brains.
Needless to say, since then Laser’s avoided relationships, and most girls around his age.
3. What is the kindest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?
The kindest thing hasn’t been said to him yet.
4. What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
His grandpa taking him on an illegal space jump. Laser was grounded for six months when they got back, but the dazzlingly splendor of the universe was burned into his mind and the resulting hunger to travel throughout the galaxy directly influenced his decision to join Mingled.
5. What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?
I…. actually have no idea.
PSALMS. He needs all the verses about how loved and precious we are.
6. Have they ever been seriously injured? How severely? How did they react?
He broke his left wrist once. Worst three months of his life (he’s left-handed). And he has a germ phobia of sorts so when he gets so much as a paper cut he’s scrambling for iodine, skin adhesives, ANYTHING AT ONCE PROMPTLY AND ASAP.
7. Do they like and get along with their neighbours?
Wellll. Laser has authority issues so his first few months interacting with Captain Lukas were….. interesting. Angel is his object of hero worship (which said Hero feels slightly unworthy of/soaks it up like a sponge. Oh, honey). Sii Sari is basically like the intimidating big sister and Lechra the lovable big sister… who still has stern moments anyway.
Dead Shot scares him, and also fascinates him because ASSASSIN. Laser’s still very much a boy at heart, bless him.
8. On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being easy and 10 being difficult) how easy are they to get along with?
A six, methinks. Being just out of his teenage years he’s still going through some rough patches when it comes to maturity and all that. But Laser tends to be a weird combination of easy-going and high-strung so it makes for some interesting group dynamics. Basically nobody in Mingled has any qualms putting him in his place if need be, but they all are affectionately rough or supportive depending how they express their care for him.
(For instance, given a certain situation, Sii Sari would hit him upside the head and tell him to stop being such an idiot. Lechra would ask him questions designed to get him to think it through.)
9. If they could travel anywhere in the world, where would they go?
He particularly wants to visit the Scarlet Cities that orbit Jupiter. His Grandpa told him incredible tales about its people and the spice markets and how if you stand under the golden hourglass in a particular market square, you can actually see all seventeen kaleidoscope-like cities at once.
10. Who was the last person they held hands with?
Lechra. It was in the middle of a mission, Laser happened to be along instead of on the ship running backup as per usual; he got distracted, Lukas had no intentions of leaving him behind so when they were discovered he told Lechra to grab the “kid” and make a run for it.
This not-actual-family makes my heart happy.
Curious Wren 