In this month’s Absolute Write Blog Chain, the topic is:

Post a scene that describes or defines your main character’s attitude.

As some know, I’ve been working on a novel I titled Mystic Therapy. I’m not going to tell you a whole lot about it because I’m trying to find an agent to love the work and want it as much as I love it. I will say though it pairs a Psychotherapist to vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc. with a Professor of Urban Legends and Mythological History who has an alter-ego. 🙂 Anyway, our main character, Morgan Prince, is quite the eclectic woman since she’s human but works with the mythological.

Any guesses to her hair color? C’mon. You can do it. 🙂 There can only be one color for this type of character. Here is how Aaron, her love interest to be, describes her.

Her crooked half smile brought relief and confusion. Aaron tucked the phone into his pocket, leaned on one of the portico supports. He nearly forgot the purpose of his visit as he looked into the green eyes of a beautiful red-head, her hair pulled into a pile of messy lines that fell from the top. Her shamrock colored T-shirt fit tightly against an ample chest; she continued to rock as he took in his fill. Painted toes, the color of a ripe eggplant and skin tight pants, taunted his interest. Her lips, the color of a rose whose petals hadn’t opened, parted; she leaned forward against her knees.

If he couched her in terms of magic, legends and myths, he would have called her a siren without the water or mermaid tail. As he distinctly espoused the opposite of such frivolous descriptors, he opted for urban princess.

But that’s just on the surface. Let’s go deeper.

Morgan has a desperate disbelief in love. So she’s just met Aaron, something connected between the two and he asked her to dinner. Here, she’s discussing him as a problem with her sister Cea. Morgan’s in a tizzy in this scene. I have cut a few key points that are more story specific than tie into Morgan’s attitude, so just know there is more going on, but I want you to see her attitude. She’s tough, confused, bitten by a love she thinks she doesn’t want and still takes care to be there for her sister … at a future time. She’s Aaron’s urban princess, just like he suggests.

“You gotta tell me what to do.” Morgan pushed the door so it wouldn’t slam shut. “I was up at the crack o’ dawn, then I had this super hot guy in here who wants me to ignore his not-crazy-sister.” Cea’s green eyes grew large. “Then he asked me to go to dinner with him.”

[snip … ]

“I assume, by way of this reaction, that you agreed to dinner despite your clear reservations?” Cea giggled behind a hand. Her singsong question did little to curb the irritation.

“How could I not?” Morgan waved a finger at her then pushed her way through to her office. “He’s hot. He’s educated. His smile reaches his eyes. They sparkle like the sun on the ocean at twilight. But, it’ll never work between us.”

Cea batted her lashes. “Well then, you must have been off your rocker to have been bowled over like that.” She laughed. “Nice educated guy who doesn’t believe his crazy-ass sister. He sounds like a psycho.”

“It gets worse.” Morgan huffed out a breath.

“Do tell.” Her wide grin snuck its way in.

“He’s a professor.”

“Oh my god! That’s terrible. What ever will you do?” Cea gripped Morgan’s arms, opened her eyes wide but she couldn’t contain the smirk. “Wait … didn’t you date a prof from Harvard once? Or something like that?” She squeezed her eyes shut. “A guy from animal studies or something?”

“Yeah. And look where it got me.”

Cea looked around the room before she shrugged. “Good sex?”

“No. It got me nothing but heartache. It’s been a year since the last one dumped me thanks to—”

“That’s just ‘cuz he wasn’t the right guy.” Cea’s voice softened.

“There is no ‘right’ guy. There never will be. With the work that I do, they’d have to have a supremely open mind, ‘cuz I will not fall for one of you.”

“Geez sis. You seem to have no option but celibacy then. Maybe you should ditch the whole therapy thing and run to a nunnery?” Cea danced through the room as if she floated on a cloud. “Who do we know?” She tapped her finger against her chin. She giggled, clearly found the situation funnier than Morgan.

“That sounds like sage advice from one of the many who’s secrets I keep and need me around.” Morgan unclipped her hair, let it cascade to her shoulders then replaced it.

Cea took in a deep breath. “Back to mister hot teacher guy. [snip…] maybe he’ll be different.”

“He’s not the right guy, Cea. He can’t be.”

“Why? Not all professors are overeducated, some listen to their inner magic.”

“He teaches history.” She knew her voice held a somber pitch. “A specific kind.”

“Well, then. You should quit while you’re ahead. He already knows everything there is in the world. Why should you even attempt to find happiness with him?” Cea rolled her eyes before she strolled into the living room.

She plopped onto the soft velour, tucked one foot under her in a move that Morgan often found in herself. Cea’s long skirt dipped onto the floor as it fell away from her leg. Morgan took the other end just as casually.

“Now that we’ve decided he’s worthless, tell me all about him.” Eyes as wide as a child at Christmas time, Cea leaned forward.

As if by the command, Morgan dovetailed into the entire story. She did to many Mmhmms and awws.

Morgan looked straight at Cea but let a smile escape. “Why does this make you so happy?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute.” Cea closed her eyes, took a deep breath. When she opened them, Morgan noted the green mixed with a hint of orange — a sign she recognized. “Your eyes are changing and the gold streaks are back.”

Cea shrugged. “You know what next Friday is, right?” She tipped her finger toward her sister.

[snip…]

The sadness that might normally accompany the midnight hour on a full-moon didn’t bother Cea anymore. She didn’t have it easy as a child, but Morgan had been beside her the whole way — big sister to a little one’s nightmare. Those secrets remained tucked away as Morgan took others’ in on a daily basis.

“At least it only lasts a day.” Morgan tried to hide the sadness that infused her voice anytime she thought of the full moon’s affect on her sister.

“Hey, I don’t mind.” Cea waved the thought away. “I don’t have to deal with what you do. [snip…] “I’ll take a day in lockup, thank you very much.”

She smiled behind the fog of gloom Morgan knew clouded one day of every month.

“Some of you should be locked up for all four of your days,” Cea added.

“I think I would take your one day, too, at this point,” Morgan said. “Lot of good my cycle is doing me. Thirty-three, no guy or kids to make Mom happy and no real prospects.” Morgan let herself fall into the couch as Cea’s grin grew wider. “What?” The light in her sister’s eyes left her curious but wary. Please don’t say this one is it.

[snip…]

“If you still can’t be persuaded to join the dark side, then we’ve got to find an acceptable human counterpart.”

“It can’t be him Cea.” Morgan’s voice turned to a plea. “It’s not just his sister he doesn’t believe. He teaches that none of you exist. I can’t fall in love with a man that would never understand you. I mean c’mon. A werewolf? He can’t be my prince charming when he doesn’t believe in fairy tales or myths, especially the simple ones.”

And that, in a quick quip is Dr. Morgan Prince.

Check out the rest of the chain, too!

LadyMage
FreshHell
Collectonian
Lyra Jean Before me
Aimee Laine <-- Me! AuburnAssassin After me!
Aheïla
CScottMorris
ArcticFox
Fokker Aeroplanbau
Alpha Echo
xcomplex
egoodlett
Lilain
defyalllogic