#gene is the queen of questionable fashion choices to me

[technovillain]

those are my emotional support trans-coded siblings

[mhdiaries]

Frights, Camera, Action! – Hauntlywood Clawdia Wolf Diary

August 25th

Today I was walking through the streets of Londoom I just wanted to howl and do a little dance because I’m so excited to be here. I didn’t, of course, do the dancing part, since I’m the one with the “clumsy gene” in our family and I didn’t want to fall through an open monster hole cover. It has never bothered me that I’m not as athletic as the rest of the pack, because I think it was pretty apparent even when I was a cub that I was better at writing stories about my brothers’ and sisters’ athletic exploits than participating in them. It’s not that I didn’t try, but my mind and body may have been in concert but they were not playing the same tune. I remember the last organized soccer game I played: the coach put me in the goal partly because I was tall for my age and partly because he thought that perhaps the prospect of a ball being rocketed toward me might keep my attention. It worked for a bit, until the ball stayed at the other end of the pitch for a while, and a butterfly landed on the net. All of a sudden I became a ferocious were-spider who decided to give the butterfly a reprieve. So I climbed up in the net to shoo it away when I heard my dad yell, “Clawdia, turn around!” A ghoul was on a breakaway, and the only thing between her and me was open pitch and the ball. I tried to turn, and my spikes caught in the net, so I just closed my eyes and leaped toward the front of the goal. Somehow the ball ended up in my claws, and I kept the ghoul from scoring. It was my one and only athletic achievement, so I retired with my legacy in check and got a good story out of it, which, I’m sure, will end up in one of my screamplays some day. 

September 8th

I was sitting in the lecture hall today not really paying attention like I should have been, partly because I was working on a not-for-that-class writing assignment and partly, okay, mostly, because symbolism in ghost-modern, neo-realist goblin cinema is only slightly less painful than rolling in flea-infested wolf’s bane. Honestly, I have no idea what a goblin miner wearing a red hat and pushing an empty ore cart says about the state of modern goblin-kobold relations. I’m sure it is profound and important, but well... it doesn’t matter. What did matter, howere, was that the professor asked a question that he wanted all of us to answer, and I didn’t hear the question. I could have asked him to repeat the question, of course, but then I would have had to acknowledge that I had not been paying attention, and since this particular professor hates that, I knew I was going to have to wing it on the answer. Which made me nervous, which made me look for something to chew on, which meant I wasn’t listening to the other answers, which meant I didn’t have a clue when he got to me. So when he said, “Ms. Wolf?” I said I didn’t think I could add anything to the discussion that had not been more profoundly stated in the answers my classmates had already given. This caused the rest of the class to burst out laughing, to which the professor said, “While I appreciate your humility, your answer leaves us no closer to knowing how many siblings you have.” I was mortalfied, but even more so when he said, “Please do try and pay better attention going forward.” Unlive and learn, Clawdia, unlive and learn. 

September 15th

I’ve been using my iCoffin tablet to do some of my writing lately, and I really like it. I mean, I like the tablet. It’s great for doing video chats, and there are some really cool Londoom based apps that have helped me find my way around the city better. As for the writing part, I still prefer my chewed pen and leghoul pad. It may be old-fashioned, but there’s something about a blank sheet of paper that’s less intimidating than a blank scream with a blinking cursor.

October 1st

The only thing that’s coming down faster than the temperature in Londoom right now is the rain. I’m not sure what the real temp is, but you know it’s cold when a werewolf has to put on her fuzzy wool socks... brrr... fortunately, dad did a good job preparing me for this climate by never allowing to turn the thermostat up past the “I can see my breath” mark during the winter. We would say, “Dad, the house is freezing!” to which he would always reply, “You can either have heat or you can eat.” Followed quickly by, “We’re werewolves, for ghoul’s sake, put on a sweater if you’re cold.” Then we’d all look at mom, who would just shrug her soldiers. It was one of the only things she couldn’t change his mind about. So we’d all just sit snuggled together on the couch watching bad TV, complaining about Howleen’s sharp, unclipped paw nails and making promises about what we’d do when we all moved out and got our own places. I distinctly remember saying that I would turn up the heat so high that it would make Gloom Beach seem like a Yeti cave. So the first time it got cold here, I did just that, and it was every bit as amazing as I imagined it would be, until I got my first heating bill. Let’s just say that grocery shopping for the next few weeks gave me a completely different perspective on dad’s old saying. I’m pretty confident that saltines and marmite will never darken the shelves of my cupboard again after having that formerly tasty combination as my only breakfast and lunch option for a fortnight. I’m really missing being able to snuggle up on the couch with my pack of siblings, and I wouldn’t even complain about Howleen’s uncut paw nails... well, maybe not a lot.  

October 6th

I had a great video chat with the fam tonight, and they could not stop talking about Draculaura being chosen as queen of the vampires. They were in complete shock, and I have to admit it was quite a surprise to me as well. The vampires haven’t had a queen since the last chosen one, a young vampire ghoul named Elissabat, disappeared some 400 years ago. What is really curious about this, as if Draculaura being chosen as the new queen right out of the boo wasn’t curious enough, is that Clawdeen told me Draculaura’s choice was confirmed by the Vampire’s Heart. I have actually been doing quite a bit of research on the heart, which is really just a massive jewel with magical properties, for a screamplay I wanted to write about the mystery of the missing queen. There are many scholars that believe the jewel disappeared at the same time the ghoul who would be queen did; so either the scholars are incorrect, or there is more here than meets the eye. I didn’t want to be the one to rain on the funeral though, until I had a little more proof, especially with Clawdeen being so excited about attending the coronation. I did notice that Clawd wasn’t in the room with everyone else, and I’m wondering how he is dealing with this news. 

October 7th

Clawdeen has sent me at least 30 texts and emails since last night detailing the fashions she’s thinking about taking to the coronation. I can see her now running around the room with absolutely every piece of clothing she owns spread out so she can mix and match fashions. She’s probably also been through Draculaura’s closet several times as well. I love her so much and I wish I could be there to make her laugh when she starts getting too serious. She’s so beautiful, though, that whatever she chooses will probably steal the show. I finally got an IM from Clawd asking if we could talk. This wasn’t unusual, since Clawd prefers one-on-one conversation to fighting for face time in a group. When he popped up on the screen he looked terrible, almost like he’d been crying, although it might have just been bad lighting. As usual, Clawd didn’t want to talk about himself and instead wanted to know every little thing I was doing. I finally had to say, “Stop howling around the moon and talk to me, little brother.” So he did. He told me that he didn’t trust the Lord Stoker character that showed up with the Vampire’s Heart claiming it led him to Draculaura. What’s more, neither did Draculaura. They both thought Draculaura would be miserable being queen, but that she would feel honor and duty bound to take the throne. Even so he was trying to be as supportive as possible and went on for a few more minutes about things that were worrying him. When he stopped I said, “You really love her, don’t you?” He looked down for a moment and swallowed hard, “She’s my best friend, sis, and I’m about to lose her forever.” Now it was my turn to swallow hard, and then he made an excuse about having to leave for practice and said a hasty goodbye. I’m going to do some more digging into this, because something doesn’t pass the smell test here, and a Wolf’s nose is always right. 

[rechief]

Queenie “Carolina” McMason’s “Big Ol’ Honkin’“ Character Questionnaire

Courtesy of @danscratch​.

Paging the Ultimate Carolina Fangirl, @temperamentalartist.

A. Psychology

What of the Meyers-Briggs personality types they most fit into? INFP, ENFT, et cetera…

Queenie pretends to be an ESFP -- “playful, enthusiastic, friendly, spontaneous, tactful, flexible ... strong common sense, enjoy[s] helping people in tangible ways,�� -- but she is in fact an ESTJ -- “efficient, outgoing, analytical, systematic, dependable, realistic ... run[s] the show and get[s] things done in an orderly fashion,” per Wikipedia.

What alignment are they? Chaotic neutral, lawful evil, et cetera…

Queenie pretends (this will be a common theme) to be somewhere between lawful and neutral on the good spectrum, but is in fact neutral evil -- she is primarily motivated by self-interest and doesn’t care all that much about whose lives she has to ruin to get what she wants.

Do they have any emotional or psychological conditions? Are they aware of it?

Queenie is a sociopath, but she’s never been officially diagnosed. She is aware that her mental state is aberrant compared to others but doesn’t self-reflect enough to have pinpointed her particular condition.

Do they try to treat it?

On the contrary -- she contributes her condition to her success!

Are they a pessimist or an optimist?

Queenie is an optimist.

Are they good at handling change in their life?

Yes, especially if it’s an upward, or positive, change.

Does your OC tend to assume their interpretation of events and reality is correct, or do they question it? I.e., “I’m sure that’s what you said” versus “It’s possible I misheard you.”

Queenie is quite sure that her interpretations in that regard are correct -- her mental issues don’t come packaged with hallucinations.

Is your OC confident in their reactions to life in general, or do they get embarrassed or easily shamed for it? I.e., if something startles them, do they insist it WAS scary? When they cry, do they feel like they overreacted?

Queenie is confident regarding her reactions and is not easily embarrassed by such things -- but she’s happy to pretend to be in an effort to charm others.

Is your OC a martyr?

No.

Does your OC make a lot of excuses? For themselves? Others?

Queenie lies a lot, but rarely makes excuses.

Does your OC compromise easily? Too easily?

Certainly not.

Does your OC put others’ needs before their own?

Queenie genuinely enjoys taking care of others -- pampering them, that is, in a uniquely Southern way -- but she’ll also kill someone who’s inconveniencing her at a moment’s notice. So, sort of?

Does your OC have any addictions? If so and problematic, have they admitted it to themselves?

While Queenie is not addicted to drugs, alcohol, or any harder substances, she does enjoy the endorphin rush she gets from murdering others a hair too much.

Does your OC have any phobias? If so, where did they come from?

Queenie is happy to pretend that she’s frightened of things to endear herself to others, but she’s actually fairly rugged and has few phobias.

One phobia that she really, truly has is taphophobia -- the fear of being buried alive by mistake and later waking up in one’s own coffin. She rarely has nightmares, but when she does, this is most often what they involve.

Is your character empathetic?

In the sense that she can easily read and play off of the emotions of others, yes; however, she rarely uses this talent for good.

Is your character observant?

Extremely. Every waking moment of Queenie’s life -- even when it seems as though she is completely relaxed and at ease -- involves her analyzing everyone and everything around.

Does your OC have to go through their own trials to learn a lesson, or do they listen and learn from observation and lecture? I.e., does your OC listen when someone tries to tell them the importance of budgeting, or do they have to go experience what happens if you don’t budget first?

Queenie is quite an able learner, whether through lecture and observation or hands-on experience.

What’s one of your OC’s proudest moments of themselves?

”Oh, no, absolutely, Mrs. Redmond,” Queenie was saying, smiling broadly, her voice oozing with saccharine sweetness. “I completely understand. I’ll make sure to speak to Hunter about making better choices. Yes, ma’am. You have a great day yourself!”

The transformation took mere seconds. Almost as soon as she’d exited her daughter’s classroom, leading the blonde, dimpled, tomboyish second-grader by her hand, Queenie’s pleasant expression vanished -- quickly replaced by knitted brows, pursed lips, and a fire burning behind the Ultimate Southern Belle’s blue eyes.

”Mama,” piped up Hunter, looking up at her mother, clearly alarmed. “Are you mad at me?”

Queenie glanced down at her, and her expression softened. “’Course not, sweet pea!” she cooed, quickly, patting Hunter on the head. “I’m mad at your rotten, no-good, ain’t-got-half-a-brain teacher; that’s all.”

”... You are?” Hunter’s eyes -- hazel and stormy, like her father’s -- clouded over with confusion. “But you was bein’ real nice to her.”

”Sugar pie,” said Queenie, opening the door to her pickup truck, lifting her daughter by the hips, and then placing her in the passenger seat and buckling her up, “Mama was pretending to be nice to Mrs. Redmond to make sure you didn’t get a referral for punchin’ that nasty boy. What’s his name?”

”Johnny,” replied Hunter, glumly.

”Johnny,” hissed Queenie, as she eased into the driver’s seat and turned the key in the ignition. “Common name for a common fool. Ain’t nobody who ever amounted to nothin’ was named Johnny.”

”What about John F. Kennedy?” said Hunter, smartly. “He was president.”

"Yes,” replied Queenie, “and then he got killed. See what happens?”

For a little while, conversation between mother and daughter paused, with just the soft crooning of a country radio station, the tires rasping against gravel, and the roar of the engine from keeping the truck’s interior from lapsing into total silence.

”... So,” ventured Hunter, after a few minutes, “I ain’t gonna get in trouble for punchin’ Johnny?”

”Absolutely not,” spat Queenie, adamantly. “The little creep deserved it. Pickin’ on that poor, helpless girl -- why, I bet you’re just about her hero after what you did!” The belle momentarily took her eyes off the road to flash her daughter a sly grin. “As a matter a’fact, I’m proud of you, darlin’.”

Hunter’s eyes went wide. “You is?”

“Mhm!” Queenie was merging onto the main thoroughfare, now, and the truck’s engine whined as she pushed down on the gas pedal and shifted into a higher gear. “You did what needed to be done, and you did it well. I had to work real hard to keep from grinnin’ when Mrs. Redmond said you broke that boy’s nose. That’s a good job.”

“But...” Hunter was clearly still rather confused as to why she wasn’t being punished. “Mrs. Redmond said that next time I should tell her if I see someone botherin’ someone.”

“And what do you think would happen then?” replied Queenie, as she sped up to pass a slow-moving tractor trailer. “That boy wouldn’t get nothin’ more than a slap on the wrist, and then he’d be right back to bullyin’ whoever he darn well pleased.” She shook her head, blonde, wavy hair shimmering in the afternoon sun. “No. The method you chose was much more effective, honey-bunches. I’ll bet you that Johnny ain’t gonna be bullyin’ no one else for a good long time. The only thing we have to work on...” The woman’s grin broadened. “... is makin’ sure that next time, you don’t get caught in the first place.”

“You’re gonna teach me how to be sneaky?” asked Hunter, amazed.

“Oh, pumpkin,” said Queenie, slyly, “your pappy and I are gonna teach you many things. But first...” She smiled, brightly. “Wanna stop for ice cream on the way home?”

“Yes, Mama!” exclaimed Hunter, and then mother and daughter headed off to Dairy Queen to have ice cream and learn all about subterfuge.

Do they get jealous easily? Do they feel bad if they do?

Queenie gets very jealous extremely easily, but she doesn’t feel bad about it.

What instantly irritates them or puts them in a bad mood?

Yankees fans, someone else winning something that she wanted to win, microwaveable dinners.

Are they harsh on themselves?

Yes, in the sense that she’s very driven and will push herself beyond what’s reasonable in order to achieve her goals.

Is your OC intended to be found generally attractive? Unattractive? Average? Is there a reason why?

Queenie is stunning -- in fact, she’s probably the most attractive of my Tabletonpa/DRxZE OCs. This is due to a combination of excellent genes and incredibly hard work -- in spite of regularly feeding others heaping helpings of fatty, fried food, Queenie herself follows an incredibly strict regimen of diet and exercise in order to maintain what she considers a figure worthy of the Ultimate Southern Belle.

Does your OC place much importance on their appearance? Do they feel confident in it?

Yes; see above.

What are some of your OC’s biggest personal obstacles? This could be emotional, physical, social… Are they aware of it? Are they trying to overcome it?

Meeting Dustin “Fujita” De’Vil inspired Queenie to cease her serial-murdering ways and live life on the (relatively) straight and narrow, so her biggest obstacle is probably resisting the urge to solve her day to day problems with brutal and lethal violence.

B. Social

Do they believe you have to give respect to get it, or get respect to give it?

Queenie understands the importance of respect, but doesn’t think about it in those terms. For her, it’s more of a tool than anything sacred.

Do they get frustrated when lines at places like pharmacies, check-outs, delis, banks, et cetera, are moving slowly?

Yes, but she’s pretty good at amusing herself by imagining the ways in which she could swiftly dispatch everyone else in line.

Under what situations would they get angry at servers, staff, customer service, et cetera?

As someone who understands the stress that can be involved in taking care of others, Queenie doesn’t really take her frustrations out on service staff. The only situation where she might do so is if a server were to act unpleasantly toward her husband or daughter.

Do they tip well? How easily can they be moved to not leave a tip?

Queenie rarely eats out, but always tips generously.

Do they hold doors open for people?

Yes.

Would your OC let someone ahead of them in line if your OC had a big cart and the person behind them had very few items?

Yes, she would, since she does her best to always project an outward image of Southern congeniality -- but internally, she’d be bitter about it.

How do they respond to babies crying in public?

Queenie is excellent at getting babies to stop crying -- whether it involves making goofy faces, holding them and murmuring to them, singing to them, or any of the other tried-and-tested methods, she always seems to find the one that works.

Is your OC considered funny? Do they believe they’re funny?

Humor isn’t a huge part of Queenie’s skillset, but she can be funny when the situation calls for it.

What kind of humor does your OC like the most? Slapstick, ironic, funny sounds, scare pranks, xD sO rAnDoM…

Queenie pays attention to many different sources of Southern comedy -- blue-collar comedy tours, “you might be a redneck” jokes, and so on -- but this is mostly so that she can laugh appreciatively along when someone makes reference to them, in the same way that she pays attention to sports or politics.

Does your OC find any “bad” or “mean” humor funny? Do they wish they didn’t?

Not really.

Your OC is running late to meeting someone: Do they let the other person know? Do they lie about why they’re late?

Queenie would let the other person know ahead of time, and then concoct a charming story about why she was late.

Your OC orders something to eat and gets their order done in a pretty wrong way, something they can’t just pick off or whatnot to correct, or something major is missing. What do they do?

Queenie would send it back, but in a polite way.

Do they have a large or small group of friends?

Queenie has a large group of what could charitably be termed “associates” -- people who she spends time with and acts warmly toward, but who she mostly uses, like chess pieces, to advance her own goals. Her number of actual friends is much smaller -- probably limited to her husband, her daughter, and a select few other Hope’s Horizon alums.

Do they have people they are genuinely honest with about themselves?

Her husband.

Does your OC enjoy social events, such as parties, clubs, et cetera..?

Yes! They’re kinda her whole deal, especially if she’s hosting.

Does your OC like to be the center of attention or more in the mix?

Queenie delights in being the center of attention.

C. Morality

Does your OC have a moral code? If not, how do they base their actions? If so, where does it come from, and how seriously do they take it?

Queenie does not have a moral code. She acts based on whether her actions will benefit her or not.

Would your OC feel bad if they acted against their morals? If not, would they find a way to excuse themselves for it?

Morals?

Is it important for them to be with people (socially, intimately, whatever) whose major ideological tenets align with their own?

Not really! Queenie is fairly smooth and quite capable of charming just about anyone, irrespective of their own ideologies.

Do they consider themselves superior or more important than anyone else? Lesser?

Queenie considers herself superior to just about everyone that isn’t a blood relative (or married to her).

Do your OC’s morals and rules of common decency go out the window when it comes to those they don’t like, or when it’s inconvenient? Aka, are their morals situational?

Yes, frequently.

What do they do when they see someone asking for money or food? If they ignore them, why? If they help, how so?

Queenie would bring them something home-made the next time she was in the area.

Do they believe people change over time? If so, is it a natural process or does it take effort?

Queenie herself has made quite a change over time, so she certainly believes that, with effort, it’s possible.

Is your OC more practical or ideal morally? I.e., do they hold people to high expectations of behavior even if it’s not realistic for the situation, or do they have a more realistic approach and adapt their morality to be more practical?

... Morals?

D. Religion and Life and Death

How religious is your OC? What do they practice, if anything? If they don’t associate with any religion, what do they think of religion in general?

For the sake of appearances, Queenie takes her family to the local baptist church every Sunday -- but she is, in fact, agnostic.

Do they believe in an afterlife?

No.

How comfortable are they with the idea of death?

Funnily enough, for all the destruction Queenie has dealt in her life, she isn’t actually all that jazzed about dying.

Would they like to be immortal? Why, why not? If they are immortal, would they rather not be?

Yes! She’d relish the opportunity to be the center of attention for the rest of time.

Do they believe in ghosts? If not, why? If so, do they think they’re magical/tie into their religion, or are they scientifically plausible?

Queenie does not believe in ghosts, but she’s fine with pretending to be scared by them if the situation warrants, and she knows plenty of ghost stories for telling around the campfire to her daughter’s scouting troop.

E. Education and Intelligence

Would you say that your OC is intelligent? In what ways? Would your OC agree?

Queenie is whip-smart -- academically, but also socially and in terms of “street smarts”.

Which of the nine types of intelligence is your OC strongest in? Weakest? (Linguistic, existential, naturalist, et cetera)

Queenie is strongest in interpersonal intelligence -- sensing the feelings and motives of others -- and weakest in existential intelligence -- pondering the mysteries of human existence.

How many languages do they speak?

Queenie’s first language is English, which she speaks quite fluently. She also speaks enough Spanish (with a heavy Southern accent, of course) to interact with the Ms. Florida of any given beauty pageant, who is often Hispanic.

Did they enjoy school if they went to it?

Queenie relished the social and extra-curricular aspects of school -- she was the sort of student who was on every possible club and team. Cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, debate, academic olympics, you name it.

She didn’t enjoy the academic aspects of school quite as much, but was a straight-A student nevertheless.

What’s their highest education level? Do they want to continue their education?

Queenie went on to get her bachelor’s degree; she triple-majored (!!) in event planning, hospitality, and business.

Do they enjoy learning? Do they actively seek out sources of self-education?

Queenie appreciates learning from a practical standpoint, but doesn’t especially enjoy it.

Are they a good note-taker? Are they a good test-taker? Do exams make them nervous?

Queenie’s notes are excellent, written in a loopy cursive and often with a glittery gel pen. She excels under pressure, and as such, she is a marvelous test-taker who experiences no nervousness during exams.

What’s one of your OC’s biggest regrets?

I like to think that, later in life, Queenie came to regret the acts of subterfuge and violence that dominated her childhood and adolescence.

A little.

F. Domestic Habits, Work, and Hobbies

What sort of home do they live in now, if at all? How did they end up there?

Queenie lives in a plantation house on a vast estate in Tennessee -- property that has been in her family since they settled in the United States from Scotland prior to the Revolutionary War.

What’s their ideal home look like? Where is it?

Queenie’s ideal home is pretty much the one she’s living in now -- a big place surrounded by nature.

Could they ever live in a “tiny home”?

She’d hate it. How can you throw a big party in a small house?

How clean are they overall with home upkeep?

Queenie’s house is consistently spotless. She employs a small compliment of waitstaff to help her take care of it.

How handy are they? Can they fix appliances, cars, cabinets, et cetera?

Queenie is actually quite handy. She can put together furniture and appliances, perform basic maintenance on her pickup truck, build a tree-house for her daughter, and all manner of other difficult and laborious tasks. She’s quite good with power tools!

Fun fact: she learned how to use a table saw during an attempt to chop a body up into smaller pieces than usual. It was very messy, but ultimately successful.

How much do they work? What do they do? Do they enjoy it?

Queenie is an event planner, caterer, model, minor country music sensation, amateur dirt bike racer, and all manner of other fun Southern professions. In spite of all that, she balances her schedule out enough that she can spend plenty of time with Dustin and Hunter, her husband and daughter, respectively.

What’s their “dream career” or job situation?

See above.

How often are they home?

Queenie always makes sure that she has at least two days a week free, and is of course up early to make breakfast and home early to prepare dinner every day.

Are they homebodies and enjoy being home?

Queenie doesn’t mind being home, especially if she’s cooking or working on a project, but she loves being out in nature, too.

Do they engage in any of the arts? How good do you intend them to be? Would they agree they are?

Queenie is a talented singer and knows it.

What are some of their favorite things to do for recreation? How did they get into it? What part of it do they like the most?

Queenie enjoys swimming in, and sunning herself by, a lake on her property when she (rarely) has free time. She spends most of what would otherwise be leisure time playing with and raising her daughter, who she dotes on endlessly.

Would they enjoy a theme park?

Sure, but she doesn’t really seek them out.

G. Family and Growing Up

Is your OC close to their family?

Yes! Queenie was raised by a pair of perfectly normal parents: a lawyer (her dad) and a stay-at-home mother who both love her unconditionally and spoiled her rotten growing up. She’s also very close to her husband and daughter, of course.

Who makes up your OC’s family, at least the more important members to them?

See above.

Does your OC find their family supportive? If not, what would be an example why not?

Queenie’s family is very supportive of her!

What kind of childhood did your OC have?

Queenie’s childhood was quite eventful -- a constant flurry of activity. Gymnastics, cheer, cooking classes, ballet, music -- Queenie enrolled in as many and varied activities as she could, and was a consistently high achiever in everything she did.

And when someone rivaled her position at the top of the group, she literally murdered them!

Did they go through any typical phases growing up?

Queenie never really rebelled against her parents or went through the “moody teenager” phase -- she simply didn’t have a reason to.

Do they have any favorite childhood memories?

Queenie has many favored childhood memories -- this includes more normal ones, like winning a trip to a theme park for selling the most Girl Scout cookies, or coming in first place in a youth gymnastics tournament -- and more sinister ones, like the time, during a cake-making contest, that she ruined a competitor’s carrot cake by dumping salt in the batter; or the time she murdered a girl who tried to blackmail her into forfeiting a beauty pageant.

Queenie’s childhood was a wild ride!

Do they have any childhood memories they’d rather forget or be less affected by?

Queenie’s hands shook as she raised the opened bottle of bourbon above her abdomen -- and then, as the dark liquid splashed onto the gnarly, six-inch gash that ran along the right side of her stomach, she screamed through her teeth, frustrated tears streaming down her cheeks.

After three successful kills, someone had finally gotten the better of her -- for a little while, at least. She’d never have expected that Callie had it in her; the girl had always been so sweet, so quiet, so meek. When the creaking floorboard had given away the fact that Queenie was about to stab Callie from behind, she hadn’t expected her to turn, scream, “Not today, bitch!” and then wrestle her to the ground and cut her with her own knife.

Queenie had, of course, managed to wrestle the blade away -- and now Callie’s body lay in one corner, and her head in the other -- but still, it had been a close call. Too close. And now Queenie would have a scar for the rest of her life.

What’s more -- the pain hadn’t even begun. Grabbing a needle and thread that she’d retrieved, after crawling all the way across the room, from her sewing kit, she began to stitch the opening of that deep, gaping wound closed once again so that it would heal properly.

As she panted and hissed and tensed her muscles, she resolved to never forget this moment -- and to never get caught again.

H. Romance and Intimacy

What is your OC’s orientation, romantic and/or sexual? Has it ever been a source of stress for them? Have they always been pretty sure of their orientation?

Queenie is bisexual, which is something she’s been certain of since puberty. She pretends to be straight so as not to alienate her fanbase, but she has been intimate with a small handful of women who she’s sure, for one reason or another, would never tell on her.

Is your OC a thoughtful partner, in whatever aspect of that you want to cover?

Extremely! Queenie is a loving, caring, doting partner -- someone who would do anything, or hurt anyone, to ensure that her relationship remains in-tact.

Does your OC believe there’s only one ideal partner (or multiple ideal if not monogamous) for everyone, or that there are many people who could be right?

Queenie is a “plenty of fish in the sea” kinda gal who believes that one can potentially be compatible with many different people.

Does your OC believe in love in first sight?

Yes.

Does your OC believe in marriage (or their culture’s equivalent)?

Oh, yes. While a big part of her draw as a belle was, for some time, the fact that she was single, settling down with a handsome fella also proved to boost her appeal with a new demographic.

Has your OC ever cheated on anyone or been cheated on?

I’m sad to say that, yes, Queenie is one of my two characters who has been unfaithful, Reed being the other one.

While she’s never cheated on her husband, Dustin, there was a period of time in her teens where she dated a very wholesome boy with whom, for the sake of publicity, she had a pact of abstinence -- this is where her “purity ring” token comes from.

However, I imagine Queenie as the sort of person who wouldn’t have minded sating her libido with other partners during that time-span, since she didn’t think of her relationship as a “real” one and would’ve assumed similar intentions from her boyfriend.

She was surprised at how devastated he was when she dumped him later on.

What do they look for in partners? (Emotionally, mentally, physically…)

Physical attractiveness is important to Queenie, since it’s something she focuses on maintaining in herself a lot. What’s more important, however, is that her partner is as totally, utterly, and irrationally devoted to her as she is to them. Fortunately, Dustin fits the bill!

What’s your OC’s idea of a perfect date?

Anything from dancing at a lovely gala, to muddin’ and fishin’ out in the Tennessee wilderness, to making lightning bug lanterns and stargazing in her backyard. Queenie’s pretty versatile!

What are some things that your OC finds to be an instant turn-off in potential partners?

Boring people. Queenie loves seeing people who lead exciting lives, or who have interesting skeletons in their closets (like her).

I. Food

What are their favorite kinds of flavors– Sweet, salty, sour, spicy, creamy, et cetera?

When a lot of people think about Southern food, the first things to come to mind are fried food (especially chicken) and barbecued food (especially beef and pork). However, the South actually has a rich and varied culinary tradition! As such, it would be difficult to identify a flavor profile that Queenie doesn’t like or use in her cuisine.

Do they have any eating requirements or preferences? Allergies, vegetarian, organic-only, religious restrictions…

Definitely not.

Are they vegan/vegetarian (if their overall culture/species generally aren’t)? If so, why? Do they think animal products are wrong in all circumstances?

Queenie is absolutely not vegan.

How often do they cook? Do they order out a lot?

Queenie almost never orders out and cooks very nearly every meal that she and her family eat.

Are they a good cook?

Superb.

Could they eat the same thing they enjoy over and over and not get bored of it quickly?

Queenie enjoys varying what she eats not just for variety in taste, but also so that she doesn’t get bored of cooking the same thing over and over.

J. Politics, Current Events, Environmental Aspects

Where does your OC stand most politically? What would they align with most?

Queenie thinks of herself as being center-right -- and intentionally gives off the impression that she is staunchly right-wing -- but is generally more of a centrist, primarily because she is a strong proponent of environmental conservation and LGBTQ+ rights.

How politically aware are they?

Queenie has something of an average awareness of politics -- it isn’t her focus, but she still reads the news when she eats breakfast.

How politically active are they?

Not especially. Queenie votes, but that’s about it.

Is your OC the sort to fall for fake news? If not, do they ignore it or make a point to clarify that it’s wrong?

Queenie is far too sharp to fall for “fake news”, but she’s also perfectly willing to pretend to believe in it and propagate it if it will endear her fan-base to her.

Are they or would they protest for a cause they’re passionate about?

Not really, no. Protesters are not generally looked upon fondly in the South.

How do they react to people whose political viewpoints are very opposite of theirs?

Queenie can act very politely indeed toward just about anyone; however, more often than not, she believes that her political opinions are correct and that anyone who feels otherwise simply isn’t as refined and intelligent as she is.

How much interest in environmental health do they have?

A good deal of interest! The natural world is very important to Queenie.

In reality-based or applicable worlds, do they believe in global warming? Do they recycle?

Queenie both believes in global warming (though she’d never say she does) and recycles. She even has a compost heap on her property.

L. For the Writer/Owner

How have your characters changed since you created them?

Queenie has always been an amoral, dangerous serial murderer, but I found that I made her a little battier than I intended at first when I was roleplaying her. That turned out to be really fun, so now it’s just a part of who she is.

What do you consider the biggest themes in your character, if any?

Death, mental illness, the duality of man, Southern luxury.

Did you create the character to be like yourself, did they end up being like yourself, or are they very different from you?

Queenie is pretty damn different from me, which is part of why she’s so fun to play. I’m not ruthlessly ambitious in the way she is, so it's been very entertaining to step out of my comfort zone.

Would you hang out with your OC if you could?

Maybe if I had an armed guard and a food tester.

How did you come up with your OC?

I actually came up with Queenie as a result of my fascination with Hillary Clinton. To be clear, I voted for HRC in the 2016 elections and I do not think that she’s an insane serial killer, but I do find it really interesting that there’s the public HRC, who is this smiling, grandmotherly figure who is also very professional and politically competent -- and then there’s the HRC who viciously discredited the women that accused her husband of sexual harassment, who was allegedly so unpleasant toward the Secret Service agents tasked with guarding her that only rookies who weren’t familiar with her were willing to take the job, and who is often the subject of off-color jokes about her rumored bisexuality.

I thought it would be interesting to create a character with a similar sort of duality, but taken to a ridiculous extreme. Thus, Queenie “Carolina” McMason, the Ultimate Southern Belle / The Carolina Reaper, Infamous Serial Killer was born.

[mhdiaries]

Diary of Clawdia Wolf

I’ll make you a villain if you read my diary.

August 25th

Today I was walking through the streets of Londoom I just wanted to howl and do a little dance because I’m so excited to be here. I didn’t, of course, do the dancing part, since I’m the one with the “clumsy gene” in our family and I didn’t want to fall through an open monster hole cover. It has never bothered me that I’m not as athletic as the rest of the pack, because I think it was pretty apparent even when I was a cub that I was better at writing stories about my brothers’ and sisters’ athletic exploits than participating in them. It’s not that I didn’t try, but my mind and body may have been in concert but they were not playing the same tune. I remember the last organized soccer game I played: the coach put me in the goal partly because I was tall for my age and partly because he thought that perhaps the prospect of a ball being rocketed toward me might keep my attention. It worked for a bit, until the ball stayed at the other end of the pitch for a while, and a butterfly landed on the net. All of a sudden I became a ferocious were-spider who decided to give the butterfly a reprieve. So I climbed up in the net to shoo it away when I heard my dad yell, “Clawdia, turn around!” A ghoul was on a breakaway, and the only thing between her and me was open pitch and the ball. I tried to turn, and my spikes caught in the net, so I just closed my eyes and leaped toward the front of the goal. Somehow the ball ended up in my claws, and I kept the ghoul from scoring. It was my one and only athletic achievement, so I retired with my legacy in check and got a good story out of it, which, I’m sure, will end up in one of my screamplays some day.

September 8th

I was sitting in the lecture hall today not really paying attention like I should have been, partly because I was working on a not-for-that-class writing assignment and partly, okay, mostly, because symbolism in ghost-modern, neo-realist goblin cinema is only slightly less painful than rolling in flea-infested wolf’s bane. Honestly, I have no idea what a goblin miner wearing a red hat and pushing an empty ore cart says about the state of modern goblin-kobold relations. I’m sure it is profound and important, but well... it doesn’t matter. What did matter, howere, was that the professor asked a question that he wanted all of us to answer, and I didn’t hear the question. I could have asked him to repeat the question, of course, but then I would have had to acknowledge that I had not been paying attention, and since this particular professor hates that, I knew I was going to have to wing it on the answer. Which made me nervous, which made me look for something to chew on, which meant I wasn’t listening to the other answers, which meant I didn’t have a clue when he got to me. So when he said, “Ms. Wolf?” I said I didn’t think I could add anything to the discussion that had not been more profoundly stated in the answers my classmates had already given. This caused the rest of the class to burst out laughing, to which the professor said, “While I appreciate your humility, your answer leaves us no closer to knowing how many siblings you have.” I was mortalfied, but even more so when he said, “Please do try and pay better attention going forward.” Unlive and learn, Clawdia, unlive and learn.

September 15th

I’ve been using my iCoffin tablet to do some of my writing lately, and I really like it. I mean, I like the tablet. It’s great for doing video chats, and there are some really cool Londoom based apps that have helped me find my way around the city better. As for the writing part, I still prefer my chewed pen and leghoul pad. It may be old-fashioned, but there’s something about a blank sheet of paper that’s less intimidating than a blank scream with a blinking cursor.

October 1st

The only thing that’s coming down faster than the temperature in Londoom right now is the rain. I’m not sure what the real temp is, but you know it’s cold when a werewolf has to put on her fuzzy wool socks... brrr... fortunately, dad did a good job preparing me for this climate by never allowing to turn the thermostat up past the “I can see my breath” mark during the winter. We would say, “Dad, the house is freezing!” to which he would always reply, “You can either have heat or you can eat.” Followed quickly by, “We’re werewolves, for ghoul’s sake, put on a sweater if you’re cold.” Then we’d all look at mom, who would just shrug her soldiers. It was one of the only things she couldn’t change his mind about. So we’d all just sit snuggled together on the couch watching bad TV, complaining about Howleen’s sharp, unclipped paw nails and making promises about what we’d do when we all moved out and got our own places. I distinctly remember saying that I would turn up the heat so high that it would make Gloom Beach seem like a Yeti cave. So the first time it got cold here, I did just that, and it was every bit as amazing as I imagined it would be, until I got my first heating bill. Let’s just say that grocery shopping for the next few weeks gave me a completely different perspective on dad’s old saying. I’m pretty confident that saltines and marmite will never darken the shelves of my cupboard again after having that formerly tasty combination as my only breakfast and lunch option for a fortnight. I’m really missing being able to snuggle up on the couch with my pack of siblings, and I wouldn’t even complain about Howleen’s uncut paw nails... well, maybe not a lot.  

October 6th

I had a great video chat with the fam tonight, and they could not stop talking about Draculaura being chosen as queen of the vampires. They were in complete shock, and I have to admit it was quite a surprise to me as well. The vampires haven’t had a queen since the last chosen one, a young vampire ghoul named Elissabat, disappeared some 400 years ago. What is really curious about this, as if Draculaura being chosen as the new queen right out of the boo wasn’t curious enough, is that Clawdeen told me Draculaura’s choice was confirmed by the Vampire’s Heart. I have actually been doing quite a bit of research on the heart, which is really just a massive jewel with magical properties, for a screamplay I wanted to write about the mystery of the missing queen. There are many scholars that believe the jewel disappeared at the same time the ghoul who would be queen did; so either the scholars are incorrect, or there is more here than meets the eye. I didn’t want to be the one to rain on the funeral though, until I had a little more proof, especially with Clawdeen being so excited about attending the coronation. I did notice that Clawd wasn’t in the room with everyone else, and I’m wondering how he is dealing with this news.

October 7th

Clawdeen has sent me at least 30 texts and emails since last night detailing the fashions she’s thinking about taking to the coronation. I can see her now running around the room with absolutely every piece of clothing she owns spread out so she can mix and match fashions. She’s probably also been through Draculaura’s closet several times as well. I love her so much and I wish I could be there to make her laugh when she starts getting too serious. She’s so beautiful, though, that whatever she chooses will probably steal the show. I finally got an IM from Clawd asking if we could talk. This wasn’t unusual, since Clawd prefers one-on-one conversation to fighting for face time in a group. When he popped up on the screen he looked terrible, almost like he’d been crying, although it might have just been bad lighting. As usual, Clawd didn’t want to talk about himself and instead wanted to know every little thing I was doing. I finally had to say, “Stop howling around the moon and talk to me, little brother.” So he did. He told me that he didn’t trust the Lord Stoker character that showed up with the Vampire’s Heart claiming it led him to Draculaura. What’s more, neither did Draculaura. They both thought Draculaura would be miserable being queen, but that she would feel honor and duty bound to take the throne. Even so he was trying to be as supportive as possible and went on for a few more minutes about things that were worrying him. When he stopped I said, “You really love her, don’t you?” He looked down for a moment and swallowed hard, “She’s my best friend, sis, and I’m about to lose her forever.” Now it was my turn to swallow hard, and then he made an excuse about having to leave for practice and said a hasty goodbye. I’m going to do some more digging into this, because something doesn’t pass the smell test here, and a Wolf’s nose is always right.