OC interview
Thanks to @bloodmoonloveletter here, @mk-writes-stuff here, @illarian-rambling here, and @elsie-writes here!
Last did Wade here.
Doing Jazlyn now because I don't talk about her enough and I'd like to develop her character more!
Are you named after anyone?
“Nope. The one and only, girl. I'm just Jazlyn!”
When was the last time you cried?
“Oh, pfft! I don't cry. Maybe out of sheer boredom listening to Dr. Ass-ghar ramble on about her rules and how I'm not following them! Like, girl, I can't help that I have fire powers and lit something on fire! That would be like getting mad that Gabe got a little dirty. Oh, and her meetings are the wooorst. Yeah crying for my life in there.” [It was during Ewan's clarinet solo actually]
Do you have kids?
“Girl, what? I'm not even eighteen yet! Close... I'd love kids, honestly. A lot of them! I'd have so much fun with them!”
Do you use sarcasm a lot?
“Look, I know I come across as someone who uses sarcasm, but I'd rather just flat out say what I'm thinking. Why be like ‘wow that was so riveting’ when I could say, ‘this is the most boring crap I have ever seen in my entire life’? So much easier, no mental hoops. Besides, Ewan is the most oblivious to sarcasm I have ever seen.”
What’s the first thing you notice about people?
“Their confidence level. I can usually tell how someone feels about themselves based on how they stand. Posture is the key, but also what they're doing with their hands.”
What’s your eye colour?
“Brown. With some golden flecks when the light hits them right, according to Ewan.”
Scary movies or happy endings?
“Easy, scary movies. This question is stupid - they aren't opposites. However, nothing is more fun than a horror movie. Love getting the blood pumping. Yelling at the characters for being massive dummies is also the best. Horror is the most entertaining to watch with others. Ewan thank the Lord is also a horror enthusiast. We make a habit to have at least one or two horror movie nights a month.”
Any special talents?
“Oh, several. I am pretty athletic. Took cheerleading a while back and now I am on my high school basketball team. At first, I wasn't sure I would like basketball - my coach in middle school pulled me aside and recommended it due to my height, but I love it now. I am also getting pretty good at learning archery. Lighting the arrows on fire makes that more exciting. I am also pretty good at martial arts and my pyrokinesis. Working on breathing fire without burning my throat. Thank the Lord I have Wade to heal me so I can try again!”
Where were you born?
“I was born in flippin' Utah. I know--lily white state, you'd never guess. Ewan and I plan to move somewhere else once we can. Can you believe he was born in Alium? That ain't fair.”
Do you have any pets?
“Ewan and I plan to one day get a dog. We have been planning on moving in together for a while.”
What sort of sports do you play?
“Like I said, basketball. I would love to learn how to play this Alii fireball sport. It's very similar to basketball, but pyrokinetics pass around fire. That sounds like so much fun, man. Did you know they have to keep a healer at each game because not all pyrokinetics are immune to fire? And the audience can get hit too if they're not careful! This sounds like such a fun sport.”
How tall are you?
“I have finally passed six-foot-three. Alii heights are a blessing and a curse.”
What was your favourite subject in school?
“I hope you tell me PE counts as a subject cause I ain't saying anything else. School sucks, girl. I have gotten detention for the lamest reasons imaginable.”
What is your dream job?
“I would love to be in sales. Something about convincing people to do what I want is inticing. Planning on getting a marketing degree when I go to college next year.”
Tagging @leahnardo-da-veggie @eccaiia @mysticstarlightduck @monstrouswrites @mrbexwrites @gottestod-writes @willtheweaver @winterandwords @i-can-even-burn-salad @elizaellwrites @chauceryfairytales @somethingclevermahogony @faeriecinna + anyone else who wants to!
TSP intro
TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites
Blanks below the cut
Are you named after anyone? When was the last time you cried? Do you have kids? Do you use sarcasm a lot? What’s the first thing you notice about people? What’s your eye colour? Scary movies or happy endings? Any special talents? Where were you born? Do you have any pets? What sort of sports do you play? How tall are you? What was your favourite subject in school? What is your dream job?
^for an easy copy and paste
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Nan remembers what it was like having siblings.
Her brother - once the smallest daughter, is now old, fat and handsome, and integrated himself into the village. Finding two husbands, and by extension gaining a wife in law. He has lots of children and grandchildren. Siru babysits the lot of them.
Her sister, tall and clawed, never knew when to be quiet. Their father hated this. She never knew when to be quiet, until she slipped out in the heart of night, and was never seen from again. Their father hated this even moreso. He never called their sister by her first name again. Nan always wished he was mourning in secret. Or at all.
She always felt like the last person remembering her sister - though to be fair, her brother was much easier to remember by comparison. He was still here. Visible. She didn't like the siblings separating, but couldn't have left her father and brother behind in pursuit of the lost chickling. And Father Yngve, well.. He was done running after, when someone in his life went.
This all ran through Nan's mind, as she packed a fourth sandwich into the shoulder bag. It was.. Something akin to 3am - She thought, glancing at the grandfather clock in the livingroom. That clock stopped years ago. Siru used to crawl inside it when she was a wee peep. Nan smiled, but it dissolved. Yes, Siru.
She'd always compared her runaway sister to Lassi. Fair comparison, really, even though Lassi made his departure very loud.. Nan stopped to hold herself. But thinking about it now, the circumstances matched Siru better. The oppressive silence around it all. Really, the two women even looked like each other - all thanks to Old man Yngve's genes, most of which Nan hadn't gotten herself.
She heard shuffling. Siru was getting ready to leave again. So Nan had been on time with the preparations afterall. She'd always thought of herself as adaptable. She could hear her daughter trying her damnest to sneak past the kitchen - usually she was good at it, but unbeknownst to Siru, she often got away because Nan let her..
This time would be different.
"Rise and shine Siru darling. I made you some ehh, let's say early breakfast!" Nan said, barely turning back to spot Siru frozen by the doorway, gobsmacked to have been noticed. She didn't reply anything. But Nan was used to that by now.
"You could have one sandwich now or we can just hit the road. I already ate." Nan said, before she could slip away again, walking up to Siru with her bag slung over her shoulder.
".. Huh"
"Ykno.. Get going? Wherever it is you're going - I'm coming along." Nan clarified. Siru still looked a bit flabbergasted, creasing her brows. "No way."
Nan crossed her arms. "Yes way. You just show me where to." Siru's presence tightened at the words, and Nan could tell there was slight panic swirling within her, trying to come up with some excuse to leave her home.
See, Nan had done all this thinking. Unlike back then, now, she could afford to follow when someone was going. She'd let her sister walk out and slip away, same with Lassi. But really all that was left to stay for was the house. Siru of course still came back after her little trips, but really, why not go see where it took her?
Siru opened her mouth after a second of feverish thinking, but Nan stopped her. "Now firstly, I've taken time off work, and secondly if you dare say it's too dangerous for me, you underestimate your old hen!" she proclaimed, tapping the old gash on her jawline. Siru promptly shut her mouth. Nan walked up to the front door with a certainty and confidence, that could not have communicated how deeply she didn't know what might be in store for them. And how deeply she truly worried for her daughter. Speak of whom, was still stalling behind, barely ready to open the front door.
"Guessing you.. don't trust me..?" Nan let out, gaze falling to the floor humbly. Siru scrambled up to her, voice getting caught in her throat. "I-I do, I just.."
"But?"
"I do trust you. But.." Siru trailed off. But not whatever we're going to run into out there - was the implication. Nan tightened the grip on her bag for a bit, leveling her anxious mind. She sighed and took Siru's hand into hers, giving it a squeeze.
"Well, whatever is going on.." Nan looked up to her eyes. "It can't be worse than not having you around anymore. I love you, Siru. No matter what."
Siru seemed struck by her words. Torn, disbelieving even. "No matter what..?" she asked, almost a whisper. It felt gravely serious. Nan patted the back of Siru's palm with her other hand, putting a smile on her face. "Well of course, if you're up to something nefarious, I'll steer and scold you however needed, but that don't mean I wouldn't love you all the same! Quite the contrary, even, wouldn't you say..?"
And wasn't that fair?
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“How (Not) To Be a Vampire” (for Yoel)
The night of All Hallow’s Eve is a time for tricks, treats, and all-around merriment for the children of Stoke and their families. In the Ruggaboor household, however, it’s just another night for a certain to go out on the prowl for “treats” of his own. But before he can do that, he has to put a couple of kids – and a few misconceptions – to bed.
Serves as a written companion piece to these images.
Sebastian, Hunter, and Ballantine Ruggaboor belong to @yoel-o-fellow.
Content warning: Mild language, drug usage (smoking), and some suggestive dialogue regarding Sebastian’s “evening plans”.
——————–
October 31st, 1972
Stoke-on-Trent, England
The Ruggaboor Residence
8:42 PM
Magic mirror on the wall, who’s the scariest one of all?
Ballantine beamed as she took yet another twirl in front of her bedroom mirror. Her cape cascaded in around her in black silky waves before settling down flat on her back again.
“BOO!” she screeched, scrunching her nose and wriggling her fingers. Her eyes seemed to flash with intensity, and her false fangs seemed to glimmer before the glass. She couldn’t help but smile proudly at her display. She looked positively horrifying. Bela Lugosi would eat his heart out at this perfect act of scariness.
“Pfft, you’ll never scare ‘im, sis!” Hunter sneered, back leaned against the doorframe. “Dad’s twice as big as ye, an’ he’d be as keen as mustard to scare ye back even harder!”
“Tha’s not gonna stop me,” Ballantine retorted. “An’ I will too scare ‘im!”
“Will not,” Hunter quipped, folding his arms.
“Will too!” Ballantine snapped, hands balled into fists.
“Will not!”
“Will too!”
“Will not!”
“Will too!”
“Look, Ballty, jus’ accept it. Yer not scary. I only got ye tha’ costume to humor ye.” Hunter huffed. “An’ also because ye suck the life out o’ me,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Oh yeh? I’ll show you who’s not scary!”
With the edges of her cape firmly grasped in her tiny hands, she took off down the stairs, where her target lied in wait.
“I’m gonna give ‘im the scare of his life!”
———
Sebastian hummed ponderously as he gave himself one last look-over in the living room mirror.
Eyes? Yellow and a bit bloodshot. He was only a few weeks away from turning thirty-one, and yet his jaundice had already dealt him an unfair amount of unkindness. But he at least still had his enticing dark brown irises. Women go crazy for dark brown eyes.
Teeth? Yellow, and framed by red inflamed gums. His breath probably didn’t smell that great either, but that’s nothing a little spritz of breath spray won’t fix.
Hair? Oily, and a little itchy if he were to be honest. But it was combed out, and that’s better than nothing, right?
Sebastian sighed.
Whatever. It would have to do. Stoke birds were always easy to snatch up. The fact that it was Halloween would only be a plus. He was bound to catch more than just a few eyes out at the pubs tonight.
But first, a quick smoke.
Sebastian popped a cigarette between his lips and rummaged through his pocket for a lighter. After a few unsuccessful clicks, a steady flame finally ignited. But before he could bring it up to singe the tip, a loud high-pitched voice pierced through the dead air.
“BOO!”
Sebastian sharply inhaled and quickly turned to face the source of the disturbance. Standing at the foot of the stairs was his six-year-old daughter, dressed in her smiley-face pajamas – along with something extra he did not remember her having before. He grit his teeth tightly.
“Ballantine, wha’ in the bloody hell are ye doin’ down ‘ere? I though’ I told ye to go to bed! An’ where did ye get tha’ costume from?!”
“BOO!” Ballantine shouted again, fluttering her cape and baring her false fangs. “I said BOO, Daddy!”
Sebastian’s eyes widened for a brief second, before settling into an amused half-lidded expression. “Is tha’ supposed to scare me?” he rasped, unlit cigarette tightly gripped between his teeth.
“I’m a vampire, Daddy! BOO! Fear me! BOOO!”
Sebastian blinked twice in bewilderment as the child continued pushing her charade. She looked just like how her mother did when she tried to be scary as a kid – not scary at all. Only cute. A hearty giggle began to bubble up at the back of his throat.
In the many Halloweens gone by, when he snuck out of the house to meet her and pull some tricks on the other children together, his reaction to her progressively scarier costumes were always the same – laughter. First, she was the bride of Frankenstein. Then she was a witch. Then she was a vampiress. It didn’t matter how much she contorted her face or how “frightening” she dressed – she always turned out adorable.
And her frustration at not scaring him only made him laugh harder. God, he loved her – she always tried so hard for him. And now their daughter was following in her mother’s footsteps. He clapped a gloved palm tightly over his mouth as a humored smile threatened to show itself, and a losing battle with his laughter raged within.
First came a snicker. Then came a chuckle. Then came an eruption of guffaws the likes of which neither he nor the child in front of him could never have imagined.
“Hoohoohahahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Ballantine’s eyes widened. Why was her father laughing all of a sudden?
“Wh-wha’s so funny? Why ain’t ye scared, Daddy?”
Sebastian folded his arms over his abdomen as he bent forward, the sudden force of his laughter already wreaking havoc on his nerves.
“Ooh hoo hoo hoo hoooo, oooooh ‘m sorry, Ballantine, ‘s jus’ tha’ – tha’ ye look so – so cute! Ahahahaha!” He knelt down to Ballantine’s level and ruffled her hair.
Ballantine’s lips tightened. Why was he being so… playful? And more importantly, why wasn’t he scared? She pouted as an embarrassed flush flooded her cheeks.
“’m not cute, ‘m scary!”
“Righ-ha-ha-igh’, su-hure ye are, hahahahaha!” Sebastian chuckled, discreetly wiping a tear from his left eye. He rose back up to his feet and turned back to the mirror to try and light his cigarette again.
“Hoooo... yer too much, hahahaha.”
Ballantine huffed, crossing her arms tightly to her chest. “’s not fair… I was tryin’ t’ be jus’ like you!”
Sebastian froze. His eyes shot wide open. He whirled his head back around to face his daughter.
“You wha’?”
“Well, yer a vampire, an’ yer pretty scary, so I thought I’d try to do the same things you do.”
A pause. Sebastian couldn’t help but raise both eyebrows at those words. Was this kid serious right now?
“I don’ know where ye got tha’ idea, bu’ ‘m not a vampire.”
Another pause. Ballantine suddenly felt her insides twist into knots. “Y-you’re not?”
Her father shook his head. “No. ‘m not. An’ neither are you. Tell me… where did ye ‘ear tha’?”
Ballantine swallowed. “Um… Hunter told me tha’, Daddy. H-he said that we had to be vampires to… look the way we do.”
Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose as an irritated huff escaped his nostrils. Perhaps reading Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” to him a couple of years back wasn’t the best idea after all.
He got back down to his daughter’s level, placing his clawed hands on her tiny shoulders. She held her breath as his face grew closer.
“Look, Ballantine – yer brother’s full of it, alrigh’? Imaginative lad, sure, bu’ he’s got me aaaaall wrong.”
“Bu’, bu’, you dress all in black, an’ drink blood from a glass, an’ only seem to be awake at nigh’. Hunter also told me tha’ he saw ye bitin’ some o’ the women ye bring home. He says ye do it to suck their blood.”
The man snorted.
“Look, Ballantine, all these things I do ‘ave a reason, alrigh’? And it ain’t because ‘m a bloody vampire. Fer instance,” he began, holding out part of his long black cape, “I dress in black because I jus’ like to. I like the color black – tha’s it. Tha’s all there is to it. As fer the ‘blood’ ye say I drink, well…”
He strolled over to the refrigerator and pulled out a tall green bottle, half full with a deep red liquid.
“I ‘ate to break it to ye, bu’ it’s not blood at all. It’s wine. It’s a grown-up drink. Comes in red or white, an’ is made from grapes.”
Ballantine raised and eyebrow thoughtfully. “So… it’s grown-up grape juice?”
Sebastian shrugged. “Yeh, sure, I guess ye can call it tha’.” He slid the bottle back in the fridge.
“Oh,” Ballantine murmured. So black is just her dad’s favorite color, and he just likes to drink red wine a lot. In hindsight, it all made a lot of sense. Maybe she should have thought of that beforehand.
“Then… wha’ abou’ the fact tha’ ye sleep all day an’ only go out at nigh’?”
“Well, fer one, there’s not much fer a bloke like me to do in the daytime.” he stated, adjusting his sleeves. “Not without th’ coppers gettin’ involved, anyway,” he thought. “Nighttime is jus’… more convenient an’ excitin’ fer me.”
“Bu’ wha’ about the women bitin’? Is Hunter wrong about tha’ too?”
Sebastian’s throat tightened. He took a deep breath and cleared it before giving his answer.
“Well… tha’s the only thing yer brother got righ’ about me. I do sometimes bite them. Bu’ not fer their blood.”
Ballantine raised an eyebrow curiously. “Then… why do ye do it?”
Sebastian’s eyes darted about the room for a second. “Let’s jus’ say tha’ it’s… somethin’ they like.”
Ballantine tilted her head. “Why do they like it? Doesn’t it hurt?”
“I’ll… explain tha’ another time,” Sebastian murmured, a flush of heat threatening to show itself on his face. “The point is tha’ all these things I do ‘ave a logical explanation – many things do.”
“They do?”
“Indeed they do, m’ dear. In fact,” Sebastian began as he glided back to the mirror, “look ‘ere – do ye see my reflection?”
“Y-yeh?”
“Well, if I were a vampire, I wouldn’t even ‘ave a reflection. There’d be nothin’ at all. An’ on top o’ tha’ …”
Before Ballantine could blink, her father had scooped her up into his arms and brought her back to the mirror.
“Oh, lookie there – you ‘ave a reflection, too. So, yer not a vampire either.”
The girl’s eyes became almost as large as her grandmother’s china saucers. What was happening right now?
“Vampires also despise garlic and things made of silver. I, however, love both of those things. I mean look, m’ cloak’s clasps are made of silver, fer Christ’s sake!” He pinched the skull-shaped clasps holding his cape’s collar together and brought them closer to his daughter’s face.
The girl looked closely at them. She didn’t feel the least bit ill. Perhaps her dad was right. “So… we’re not vampires?”
“No, Ballantine – we’re not. We’re Ruggaboors. We’re our own kind o’ beast.”
“Then... why do we ‘ave sharp teeth, an’, an’ pointy ears, an’ black hair?”
Sebastian averted his eyes for a quick second in the direction of the main hallway where a certain painting of a certain ancestor was hanging. Is now the time to tell her that story?
He took a deep breath. No. Not yet.
“Those are all jus’ coincidences, Ballantine.”
“Co-in-cidences?” Ballantine asked, tilting her head.
“’s a great big fancy word fer similar things tha’ happen tha’ aren’t connected. Like me ‘avin’ all these vampiric traits while not bein’ a vampire. Ye get wha’ I’m sayin’?”
“Y-yeh, I guess so,” Ballantine replied with a shrug.
“Good then. ‘m glad we’re in agreement on tha’”, Sebastian said with a surprisingly gentle smile.
Just then, the grandfather clock in the main hall began to chime. It was now 9:00 P.M.
“Alrigh’ wee child. Time fer bed now,” the man said, bringing his child close to his left shoulder.
The girl swallowed dryly yet again. Wee child? She didn’t remember ever being called that before.
Carefully, the man took his first step on the stairs, and began his ascent to the attic, making sure to keep the girl in his arms secure the whole way.
“Um... daddy?” Ballantine murmured.
Sebastian stopped. “Yes?”
A pause.
“‘m... sorry tha’ I thought ye were a vampire. I jus’ though’ tha’ this was what we really are. We don’t look like most people, so, I though’ we had to be a monster of some kind. Ye know?”
Sebastian clamped his mouth tightly. An apology? From his daughter? He found himself putting his brain into overdrive as he tried to encode a proper response to this... unexpected verbal gesture.
“Aw, well. Jus’… don’ believe everythin’ yer brother tells ye, alrigh’? Yer far smarter than tha’. I know ye are.”
“Okay…” Ballantine replied meekly, unsure of the strange feeling settling into her stomach as her father continued to carry her gently upstairs. What was up with him tonight? He didn’t usually act like… however he was acting now. Kind, perhaps? She didn’t really know.
Once they reached the top of the stairs and entered the attic, Hunter’s eyes instantly lit up seeing a confused Ballantine being carried in by a not-so-frightened Sebastian. She had failed her mission.
“Aha! I knew ye couldn’t scare ‘im!” he jeered, pointing a stubby finger at his sister. Ballantine stuck her tongue out in response.
“I’ll talk with you later, Hunter. But fer now, you an’ yer sister need to go to sleep. I’ve got some very important business to tend to tonight, and I’m already runnin’ late as is.”
Hunter’s eyes widened. “Wha’? So yer jus’ gonna leave us ‘ere alone all nigh’?”
Sebastian sighed and rolled his eyes. How much more dramatic can this boy get?
“No, Hunter – ‘m not leavin’ ye all by yerself. I called yer mum earlier today to let her know tha’ I was goin’ to need someone to watch you. I’m leavin’ the door unlocked so tha’ she can let herself in and watch the place while I’m gone.”
“W-when will ye be back, Daddy?” Ballantine asked.
“I should be back before sunrise tomorrow. I highly advise both you an’ yer brother stay in bed and not bother Miss Zelia for the duration of her stay. She’s… had a real long day, an’ she really doesn’t wish to be disturbed.”
“Dis-turbed?”
“’s jus’ another way of sayin’ ‘bothered’, Ballantine,” Sebastian huffed as he set her down on her bed and shoved the covers over her.
“Aw, c’mon Dad, ‘s not tha’ late. ‘m not even tired! Why can’t my sis an’ I go trick-or-treatin’ tonight? All the other kids in town are doin’ it, so why can’t we?”
“You’ll both get to ‘trick or treat’ when I say ye can, an’ this year, it’s out o’ the question. I need someone to watch ye while I’m gone.” Sebastian rasped. “Normally, I’d ‘ave yer granny do tha’, but she’s still in th’ hospital,” he added.
“Well, why can’t Miss Zelia take us trick-or-treatin’?” Ballantine chirped. “She can watch us while we go to each house an’-”
Sebastian cut her off. “I told ye, Ballantine, she’s tired. She cannot be disturbed – er, bothered tonight. Yer not goin’ anywhere, an’ tha’s the end of it. Understand?”
Ballantine’s smile and eyes fell. “Oh, right.” She did not like it when he roughened his tone like that.
“Good, then,” he said, his smile returning. “You two sleep well, now. I’ll see ye both in th’ mornin’~”
With that, he slid out of the room and shut the door behind him.
For what felt like the longest time after his departure, there was no sound in the dark attic. The children could only stare up at the musty ceiling in pure bewilderment. Once the echo of booted footsteps faded from hearing range, Hunter took his chance to whisper what was on his mind.
“Blimey… wha’s his deal? He’s actin’ so… weird.”
Ballantine clamped her mouth and pulled her sheets close to her chin, still trying to ease the unfamiliar flutter in her belly. “I… I don’ really know, big brother. I… jus’ don’ know.”
Hunter uttered a sigh as he lied back and pulled his covers up to his chest.
“Well… wha’ever it is, I guess we shoul’ feel lucky he’s not mad – he gets real nasty when he’s mad.”
“Yeh,” Ballantine trailed off. She turned over to face the window.
All the houses were aglow with hand-carved jack-o-lanterns, and she could faintly hear the sounds of rustling leaves and children’s laughter carrying on the wind. She pressed a tiny palm longingly on the cold glass. She found it so strange and unfair that their dad wouldn’t let her and her brother trick-or-treat with the other kids. But she found it even stranger that her father – her own father – was capable of smiling so many times in one night.
This had been one bizarre evening.
She sighed and pulled the covers snuggly over her shoulder. Maybe November will start out a little less strange.
“Well... nigh’, sis.”
“Nigh’, bro-bro.”
———
Sebastian’s smirk spread from ear to ear as he made his way down the block, buckled boots jingling, silver tipped cane twirling, and cigarette lit at last.
Finally. Time for him to get down to the “important business” he had been planning all evening for. First stop – the Burgundy Sky Lounge.
He chuckled to himself. Such silly little ones. To think – him, a vampire!
He had to admit though – it was a little flattering. Perhaps he could use that as part of a pick-up line. He wasn’t entirely sure how well it would work, but one thing was for certain – from here on out, he was going to do all his lady biting away from home.
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