Silent

He let his hand run over the white sheet he had hung over the bed. When they were little, Micah and his sister used to build pillow forts, hiding from the world as he was doing now. 

Downstairs he could hear his father making himself tea. He would leave something for Micah, but wouldn’t come looking for him if he didn’t show up. Micah didn’t blame him. A man who used to not believe in the supernatural couldn’t deal with the way his son communicated. Micah saw him flinch whenever he spoke to him.
 
So he chose to remain silent.

Profile -Tint

Name: Tint
Age: came into being 10 years ago, has the mind of an adolescent
Relative: Ava (Mistress)
Hobbies: causing mischief, doing whatever the heck he wants
Powers: can appear anywhere at will (including the realm of fairies), possesses the magick of sprites
Type: Fairyland Pukipuki Pongpong
Face-up: navci
Wig: by me
Eyes: Blue glass eyes in 8mm

Tint is Ava’s Sprite and therefore she should be his Mistress. While sprites are tiny, they are powerful beings, albeit hard to control. Much to Ava’s dismay, Tint is particularly headstrong and refuses to follow her orders unless they are brought forward as a request. Even though they don’t always see eye to eye, Tint loves Ava dearly.

Profile - Ava

Name: Ava Alana Degenhertz
Age: 17
Relatives: Micah (younger brother), Tint (Sprite)
Hobbies: Glipball, collecting and pressing wild flowers
Power: She is the first one to have been admitted to the Edgecombe Academy for the Gifted on account of having a Sprite. Until recently, Sprites were not considered a gift and a person with a Sprite was not considered to be what the public calls a "Glip".
Type: Souldoll Soulkid Ahee
Face-up: navci
Wig: JPop - Kana in rosegold 6-7
Eyes: HGC - Mauve - D400 (low lens) in 14mm

Ava is a strong willed person and can be stubborn at times. Once she has made up her mind, she will rarely change it. Shunned as a child by her peers because of her Sprite (which are considered to be unlucky), she doesn't trust strangers easily. Once she becomes your friend, however, she will lay down her life for you.
She loves competing with other people but is short-tempered when she loses. She is one of the best Glipball players in school but unfortunately doesn’t get along with her house’s captain, Phineas, which tends to cause problems.
She has a deep connection with her brother and feels very protective towards him. However, since Micah isn’t old enough to enroll in Edgecombe Academy for the Gifted, they can only see each other during the holidays.
Unlike Santana, she hasn’t made a lot of progress controlling her powers, as Tint, her sprite, doesn’t like to be controlled.

Profile - Santana

Name: Santana Theresa Priest
Née: Santana Theresa Stevens
Age: 16
Relatives: Phineas (older brother)
Hobbies: Writing for the school newspaper, reading, investigating
Power: Santana can cool down her surroundings.
Type: Blue Fairy Tiny Fairy Emilie
Face-up: navci
Wig: Cancan – R53a in Dark green mix 8
Eyes: Light blue glass eyes 14mm (for now)

Santana has always been a bit overlooked in her family. Her brother’s powers make her stand in his shadow. However, she's not one to hold a grudge because of that, and loves her brother dearly nonetheless.
She's been best friends with Ava ever since they met and seems to brighten up the life of everyone she meets. A constant source of optimism, she hardly ever thinks badly of someone. 
Santana does not retain body heat as easily as other humans do. At times she needs to constantly absorb heat, which in effect cools down her surroundings. Within a few years at the Edgecombe Academy for the Gifted she has learned to focus her ability so as to cool objects at her will.

Are you waiting for me?

It's Christmas morning (well, more around mid-day really), I'm watching my brother play Skyrim and looking around on teh internets. Inevitably, I end up on doll sites, among them Pipos. I might have mentioned a couple of times how much I like both Rooney and Derek. So when I went to window shop and stare at Derek, trying to remind myself that R.Pi.s are hard to clothes-shop for, I so did not put him into the shopping cart just to see how much he would amount to with beast hands, tail part and EMS. I assure you, I did not.

Oh Derek.

Picture by Pipos

So while I was not doing all that, I found a teaser on BJD Collectasy that I had previously missed. While the new cat girl wasn't that interesting to me, something else caught my eye:

They are bringing back Rooney! So now I'm trying to ignore the fact, that some of my dolls are in need of new eyes and I've been meaning to not purchase any new ones until I've gotten them all school uniforms. Pipos Layaway program, here I come. ;D

Questionnaire Continued: Living

Living:

Curtain open/closed?

Phineas: I don't think I've ever consciously thought about that. I think the curtain in our room is always open.

Santana: Hm, when it's dark out, I like them closed. During the day I like them open.

Yanír: Open! Being inside so often makes me feel claustrophobic, so when I'm in my room, I like having as much light as possible.

Ava: I like the voile closed and the curtain open.

Sleep in the dark? With lights?

Phineas: To be honest, I like a little light.

Santana: I like to read at night and often fall asleep with the light on. I can't remember when I last fell asleep without the light on.

Yanír: I don't have a preference either way. One of my brothers has night terrors, so I don't mind sleeping with the light on.

Ava: I rather sleep without light, but Santana reads until late at night and leaves it on.

Do you shower often?

Phineas: I don't know. Is once a day "often"?

Santana: Err... yes?

Yanír: I prefer baths.

Ava: I exercise a lot, so sometimes I shower twice a day. I suppose that's a bit more often than I should.

When do you shower? Morning? Night? Anytime?

Phineas: I prefer taking a shower in the morning. I have trouble waking up and cold shower certainly helps.

Santana: Whenever I find the time. The bathrooms can be pretty full in the mornings, so sometimes I take a shower at night instead.

Yanír: I like taking a bath at night. It helps me relax and go to sleep.

Ava: I like taking a shower in the morning, but if you don't get up early enough, you have to wait in line to get free a shower stall.

Do you sing in the shower?

Phineas: Hehe, no.

Santana: Once, one of the girls started singing in the shower and then another one joined in and pretty soon we were all singing a round.

Yanír: My singing voice is awful, so no.

Ava: Oh yes. When I'm alone that is.

Are you a homebody? Or more of an outdoor person?

Phineas: I enjoy being outside, though I don't mind playing Glipball inside when the weather is lousy.

Santana: I like being outside when the weather is nice. Nothing beats sitting on a bench with a good book. But during fall or winter I prefer being indoors.

Yanír: I'm an outdoor person. It amazes me how much time humans spend inside buildings. I wish more classes would take place outside.

Ava: Definitely outdoor. I love being outside, it doesn't matter what the weather is like.

Your favourite spot at home:

Phineas: At home the kitchen. In school? The Glipball court.

Santana: The library in school, or if it's nice outside, one of the benches. When I'm home I like sitting in the kitchen. It's the warmest room in the house because of the open fireplace.

Yanír: Here in school I like the grounds.

Ava: I like being in our garden. When I'm in school I also prefer being outside.

If an emergency happens, what is the first thing you grab to leave?

Phineas: I don't think I have anything that is so valuable that I'd run back in a burning building for it.

Santana: My camera. It took me so long to save up for it and it's the most valuable thing I have. I'd also grab my guitar.

Yanír: Hm, I think I'd see if everyone was safe first. I always wear my necklace which is my most priced possession, so I don't really have to grab anything in case of an emergency.

Ava: I have a framed picture of my Mum with my brother when he was little. I'd hate to lose it.

Do you have a library? Music collection?

Phineas: I have a lot of sheet music that I brought with me to school. We have a piano in the common room on which I like to play.

Santana: I have quite a lot of books but I don't think you can call them a library.

Yanír: My people have little need for written accounts, so I never saw a proper library until I came to school.

Ava: I have neither, though Santana has made a little library out of our room.

Do you have a collection of anything?

Phineas: I have a collection of sheet music.

Santana: I suppose I have a lot of books, but it's not like I collect them.

Yanír: Hm, I don't quite understand the human need to collect things.

Ava: When I find pretty wild flowers I pick them and press them to put them into my album. I guess, you can call that a collection.

Do you snore while you’re sleeping?

Phineas: I hope not. Though I don't know for sure.

Santana: Ava says no. I've asked her.

Yanír: My brother claims that I do snore. Although I think he's saying it to wind me up.

Ava: According to Santana I don't.

Other relevant random facts?

Phineas: I wish we were allowed to bring pets to school. I miss our cat.

Santana: I always love winter in school. Everything is so nicely decorated for Yule.

Yanír: Being away from home is an interesting experience, but I never thought, I would miss my family as much as I do.

Ava: I'm quite glad that Santana is my roommate. I can't imagine living with anyone else.

New clothes and a wig trade

Tint got new clothes from Spampy. Finally he looks like a real sprite!

I'm eternally unsatisfied with the wig situation for most of my dolls. For some reason the perfect wigs remain forever elusive. Playing around with Ava's old Sailor Moon-like wig, I thought it might look good on Rosalie. It certainly makes the two of them look more alike. 

I'm actually pretty happy with the wig on Rose. Now to find a wig for Ginny...

Questionnaire of Living

Navci asked me, if I felt like filling out a questionnaire for my dolls. Of course! But because it's a very long one, I think I'll do it in parts as it takes a while to find the right thing for each character. This was a nice challenge and I have to admit I hadn't given much thought to most things in the questionnaire before. Very useful exercise in getting to know one's characters. 

So here is the first part: Food. The participants are Phineas, Santana, Yanír and Ava.

 
Picky/Adventurous?
Phineas: I guess, I'll try anything as long as isn't overcooked or slimy. My stepfather loves gruel and porage, the consistenc alone makes me sick to my stomach.
Santana: Ooh, I love trying new dishes! The more exotic, the better.
Yanír: Being away from home for the first time, I find that people here eat lots of things my family wouldn't consider proper sustentation. I had to get used to eating certain things that I didn't know before. Does that make me adventurous? Probably not, I'm just adaptable.
Ava: I'm definitely picky. That doesn't mean that I won't ever try anything new, but I'm probably more cautious with new food than other people.

Your favourite herb/spice?
Phineas: I'll say Oregano.
Santana: Peppermint.
Yanír: I find it hard to chose. There are so many useful herbs and spices out there. Jacob's Ladder can cure headaches, Marjoram is antiseptic, Pellitory-of-the-wall is good when treating wounds, Roseroot prevents fatigue, Sanicle can help with a sore throat or when you have a rash...
Ava: Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

How do you like your eggs done?
Phineas: Fried, with sausages. No bacon, just sausages.
Santana: Soft-boiled. And I won't eat egg salad. That's just icky.
Yanír: I don't quite know, yet. Apparently there are so many different ways to eat eggs.
Ava: I like scrambled eggs, or hard-boiled. But only if they are still hot. Cold hard-boiled eggs taste like old socks.

Your typical breakfast?
Phineas: Fried eggs with sausages and then baked beans and toast. Perfect way to start the day.
Santana: Toast with marmalade. I love my Mum's oatcakes, but unfortunately there's nothing quite like them here in school.
Yanír: I've grown quite fond of pancakes with chocolate chips. Hmmm.
Ava: Bread with cheese or jam, so Käsebrot or Marmeladenbrot.

Tea/Coffee? How do you like them?
Phineas: Darjeeling. Black tea, not green or white. I like it with milk but no sugar.
Santana: I prefer peppermint tea with two sugars. I don't like black tea or coffee, neither of them taste good.
Yanír: Nothing can beat an infusion of woodruff. That's my favourite hot beverage.
Ava: Coffee with lots of milk.

Your favourite dessert?
Phineas: I don't have much of a sweet tooth. Does cheese count as a dessert?
Santana: Cookies! Or chocolate. Or ice cream. Anything sweet really.
Yanír: I like to smoke pipe-weed after dinner, but in school this is frowned upon. A teacher confiscated my pipe on my second day and I landed in detention for a week. So, no, I don't have a favourite dessert.
Ava: Peppernuts. Are they a dessert?

Do you eat your favourite thing in the dish first? Or last? Alternate?
Phineas: Last.
Santana: Definitely alternate!
Yanír: First.
Ava: Last.

Your comfort food?
Phineas: Hmm, my Mum makes roast venison. Best dish in the world. When I'm in school, I'd say spaghetti.
Santana: My Mum's roast venison. I can't wait for our Christmas dinner.
Yanír: Food that comforts me? I don't know, isn't that what a hot beverage is supposed to do? Then I'll say an infusion of woodruff.
Ava: Probably pizza with lots of cheese. That or warm cookies that come fresh out of the oven.

Your favourite drink (alcoholic)?
Phineas: I don't care for alcohol at all.
Santana: All I've ever tried is red wine and I didn't much care for it.
Yanír: My mother's sister makes a very good brandywine.
Ava: Maibowle, May wine. My father makes it every year for May Day.

Herbivore or Carnivore?
Phineas: Omnivore. I love meat but it tastes better with vegetables.
Santana: I don't know. I guess, I could live without meat but I couldn't without fruit or vegetables. Does that make me a Herbivore?
Yanír: Herbivore. I don't understand how humans can eat meat. I know, I'm supposed to observe and not judge, but it makes me sad how humans treat animals and the world around them.
Ava: I haven't given it much thought. I guess, when it comes down to it, I really like both, meat and vegetables.

Favourite meat?
-> How do you like it?
Phineas: Venison. Roasted. With potatoes and beans.
Santana: Hm, venison? At least the way my Mum makes it.
Yanír: No meat!
Ava: I don't know, steak, probably. I like mine medium.

Favourite non-meat? (fruit/veggie)?
Phineas: Beans - doesn't matter if they are green, red or white. Beans are great.
Santana: Cucumbers; I like them in salads. I also love Tomatoes! In salads, as tomato sauce, as tomato soup, in stews... Anywhere really.
Yanír: Erm, depends if you are asking about roots, bulbs, stem shoots, seeds, leaves, sprouts, buds... And those are only the vegetables. If you ask for fruit, you need to tell me, if you mean berries, stone fruit...
Ava: My favourite fruit? Banana. For vegetables I like pretty much anything you can find on a pizza.

One thing you can never give up?
Phineas: Food-wise? Hmm, maybe spaghetti.
Santana: Any sweets really. I just love cookies and chocolate.
Yanír: Well, I'd like to say pipe-weed, but I've had to give that up. Other than that, I don't know.
Ava: Pizza, I think.

Favourite snack?
Phineas: Crisps.
Santana: Cookies.
Yanír: Sycamore drops.
Ava: Do chips count as a snack or as a meal? In winter I'd have to say cookies, though. Hmm, Peppernuts!

Do you use tabacco?
Phineas: No.
Santana: No.
Yanír: I smoke pipe-weed.
Ava: Never. My father smokes, I really dislike the smell.

Other relevant random facts?
Phineas: An apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Santana: Rainbow sprinkles FTW!
Yanír: Don't eat anything that has a soul.
Ava: Hurray for Peppernuts.