Beautiful People (September 2016): Rayfus

What? Two posts in two days? We thought this was the blog of the woman who doesn't live here any more. After all, the only thing that has happened recently was a tag (which scarcely counts) and a 69-word "happy birthday" post, which definitely does not count.
Nonetheless (don't you love that word? and nevertheless...), here I am. I realized that I have never done a BP for Rayfus*, or any other character questionnaire that I can remember.

Well obviously that's got to change, so here we go.

*The disgusting and weird and very not medieval name is going to be changed in second drafts to Lancelot, as this character basically fulfills Lancelot's functions in my Arthur story. However, I currently have another character named Lancelot (for no other reason than that when I was twelve I thought it would be fun to name a character Lancelot and make him have nothing to do with Lancelot — ???), so I'm waiting to officially change it until he has another name.

1. How did you come up with this character?
 Rayfus appeared at the same time the story did. I was (not surprisingly) talking to myself and making up a story, in which a woman who had just given birth was worried about her baby's safety. It came out that her husband was dead and she was worried about this man, Rayfus, because he wanted to be king, but her son was the heir. At some point in here, Rayfus became her son also. And then I said, "Hey, I could make this a King Arthur story" (because this sounds just like a King Arthur story).

2. Have they ever been starving? Why? And what did they eat to break the fast?
Definitely not. Princes in wealthy kingdoms don't have to worry about that sort of thing. And while he has been on war campaigns where belts might have been tight, Rayfus is not the sort of person who'd feel oblige to deny himself because "the men have to."

3. Do they have a talent or skill that they're proud of?
Rayfus is not an unemotional person, but he prides himself on his control of his emotions. Also, he is very good at reading people and staying in control of most situations. Thirdly, he feels that most people don't have the "vision" he does to see bigger and better things happening. (Except for being politically conservative/old-fashioned, he is in favor of "progress" — *shudder*).

4. List 3 things that would make them lose their temper.
1. His wife, Guillamine (another name that is likely to change) gets on his nerves, so if he was already stressed/annoyed he might lose his temper with her.
2. When his carefully laid plans are ruined because one of his "lackeys" makes a mistake.
3. If someone started saying he was very incapable and had no ability to rule, etc. it would make him very angry, but he would still be able to control his temper, partially by assuring himself they had no idea what they were talking about.

5. What is their favorite type of weather? Least favorite?
Rayfus isn't too particular about the weather, but I think he likes cloudy days best. He doesn't like snow.

6. What is their Hogwarts House or MBTI personality?
 Well, as I said yesterday, I don't believe in MBTI so much... but I think he is either ESTJ or ENTJ (probably more of an ESTJ).

7. Are they more likely to worry about present problems, or freak out about the unknown future?
Rayfus doesn't "freak out", but he definitely plans ahead for different problems and scenarios. Current events can stress him if thing aren't going according to plan.

8. What is their favorite thing to drink?
A good red wine.

9. Favorite color? Least favorite?

Indigo/Royal Blue would be his favorite. Practical, not too "flashy", yet denotes his status with proper dignity. Least favorite: Beige. Too plain.

10. What is a book that changed their life?
Reading wasn't very common in the Middle Ages, and Rayfus isn't a big reader. He does read books on military tactics and such, and no doubt those have affect his life.

A Graduation Party

As you may or may not know, I am graduating high school this year. As you also may or may not know, I have a cynical streak. When I start looking at senior picture ideas or thinking about graduation videos, that streak comes out very strongly. (Everything looks and sounds sappy and cheesy.) (I intend to have a very short graduation video and play "In the Mood" rather than a song with words. I'm not unsentimental, but I dislike music that tries to get me to be sentimental. I will feel it or I will not. Don't try to mess with my emotions, you sad songs. That's rude.)

Now, I don't believe in "introverts" and "extroverts". I don't think that when God made people he said "I'm going to make 10 introverts now, and then 10 extroverts tomorrow". I think every person needs both alone time and socialization. If the whole MBTI thing helps you, great. It is an interesting perspective, but not accurate in my humble opinion.
However, I tend toward needing more alone time. Or, at least "just family" (which includes certain friends) time. I never like crowds. Even youth group is a little much for me some time. So the idea of a graduation party where more than 15 people (probably five times that much, at least — gasp) are invited is a little frightening, to say the least.
So, in order to be prepared for this ahead of time and be able to get used to the idea, I wrote out my invitations. What do you think? Does it look good?

Join us for a party from 5:00-8:00 (doors close at 5:15), May 20th. Phones will be checked at the door. Water will be served on the front lawn. 

To help the graduate prepare for being a poor college student, we will spend the time discussing economics and the principles of being frugal. If you are handed a different topic card, please stick to it. No frivolous chitchat will be tolerated.

Please bring $10 to cover the costs of paper and cups. Don't forget to dress up: women in below-the-knee dresses (no bare shoulders), men in suits.

*Invitation only. No "plus-ones". RSVP by May 1st.

A Tag

I have been tagged by Lover of Lemmas! Just so you know, I love being tagged but rarely do I follow the rules.
 The said rules (which are basically the same for every tag):

Note the person who nominated you (see above).

Answer the questions.

Nominate 10 bloggers.

Write them 10 questions and tell them you've tagged them.

The questions:

1. Do you play a sport? Is there a sport you want to learn?
English country dancing is a sport, right? I'd like to play croquet more often.
(as far as actual sports, absolutely Not. I'm not a sport person At All.)

2. Sunrise or sunset? Why?
Sunrise. I love mornings, and I also think that sunrises are very delicate and gentle. Sunsets are almost too glorious. I love the gentle wakening of the earth.

3. What was your dream job as a little kid?
Well, I remember thinking quite distinctly, when I was very young that I wanted to be a mother, and failing that, a nun. I liked this idea for some time; then I fantasized about writing books and illustrating them. I also wanted to teach a one-room school house at one point. (Now I'm closer to the mother/nun idea again ;P ).

4. What was the last movie you watched you really liked?
We just watched Annie Get Your Gun last weekend. Being an old movie, it's definitely racist towards Native Americans, and the ending is less than satisfactory (but it's a musical so we forgive plot details). I also watched The Young Victoria a few weeks ago and that was soooo good.

5. What songs are stuck in your head?
I woke up with this in my head. Yesterday, I had a few French sentences that whirled in my head for hours. It was kind of exhausting. (Quelle est l'heure? Quelle est l'heure? Quelle est l'heure?)

6. What is something that makes you feel nostalgic?
Lots of things — going through old letters, journals or emails, but I'm guessing that is pretty common. Recently, the fact that the days are getting dark earlier is making me nostalgic because it makes me think of drama, of the practices towards the end of the season when you keep leaving later than it officially gets over and it's completely dark and you're carrying lots of stuff. Specifically, it makes me think of one Sunday during the Anne of Green Gables season when we were putting up the set for the less-than-a-week-away performance, and because I was there and the Gilbert actor was there, our director had us run some extra scenes. And then some friends who are now my secondary family gave me a ride home for the first time (I think) and I felt a little bad (which is funny, because I now force myself upon them and ask for rides without a thought).

7. If you were granted an extra hour to your day (so you have 25 hours) what would you spend the hour doing?
Can I be boring and say sleeping? I can't complain because I've been getting about eight hours every night, but an extra hour wouldn't be bad. OR I'd get up an hour early and do me some writing before breakfast. That would be kind of cool. Can I get that extra hour, please?

8. What is one of the most embarrassing moments you're willing to share?
When you are walking through a grocery store/your coworker comes up behind you/the good looking employee walks by, and you're TALKING TO YOURSELF. (In a British accent, no less.) (I almost always talk to myself in a British accent. But sometimes it's French.)

9. If you could customize your car license plate (for most U.S. readers, that means pick any combination of 5-7 words and letters), what would you want your license plate to say?
I've always thought it'd be cool to have a customized plate, but they cost more per year and I've never settled on one thing. I wouldn't want to have to say something like "ILVJAAS" because what's the point of a personalized plate if no one can figure out what you're trying to say? (Props if you can figure that one out). Anything I'd like to have stamped on my car is more than seven letters. Hm... I guess "JANEITE".

10. Rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, or the ocean?
The ocean. I don't like sand but I love the ocean. Ponds/lakes/rivers all tend to be 90% mud. I do like little streams though.

I'm going to be terribly un-fun and not sportmanshiplike and not tag anyone. I don't follow that many blogs (it looks like I do, but three of them are just food blogs and half of them never post) and those I do have already been tagged. Yes, yes, rules and all that. Sorry, sorry.

Cheers!

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