Hello, my fellow Simlies,

I thought it would be fun to do something different on the blog, so I’m starting a Getting to Know You series. This will be where a featured character answers a series of questions. Seeing them in a story is one thing, but I thought this would add a personal touch since this is a good way of seeing how a character thinks and learning how they tick. I got the idea from Kymber, who was tagged to do something similar. Although I wasn’t personally tagged in any of her character interviews, I thought it would be fun to do anyway. I’ll be using the questions she used for her characters but will be adding a few of my own. Feel free to do this on your own blog for your characters.

For starters, let us begin with Liam Kelly. He seems to be a favorite among my readers and is a big part of both Forever in Time and The Pen Pal Project (his profile and letters can be found here on this blog by using the top navigation menu). I hope you all enjoy what Liam has to say.

Let’s get started. 🙂

Name: Liam Sean Kelly, but ye can just call me Grandda Liam. Most everyone does.

Are you single? I am happily married to my darling wife, Goddess Mathilda, who I adore.

Are you happy? Oh, aye, very! When a man has been blessed with the kind of family and life I have, how can he not be happy?

Are you angry? Of course not. Getting angry raises blood pressure and turns my ears red – very unflattering.

Are your parents still married? I believe they are still married wherever they are in the afterlife. They are long dead, but they believed in the sanctity of marriage and family. Their values and teachings are what instilled in me my strong love and loyalty of family.

FIFTEEN FACTS

Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Hair color: Red
Eye color: Blue
Birthday: September 12th
Mood: Nice and mellow
Gender: I am an Irishman through and through
Summer or Winter: Summer
Morning or afternoon: Both
What is your most prized possession? My family
What is your deepest fear? Losing a loved one.
What hurts the most? The unyielding grief when someone dear is lost to ye. Losing a beloved spouse is agonizing, and the loss of a child, no matter how old they are, brings its own unique unbearable pain. It is something I would not wish upon anyone.
What brings you the most joy? Seeing those I love healthy and happy
Does laughter come easily to you? Aye, it does. I’m told I have a wicked sense of humor, which my Lenora certainly has inherited.
Do you cry at the drop of a hat? I’m normally not one to shed a tear terribly often, but I find no shame in a man or woman who cries. Sometimes the weight of a given situation is too much for a heart to bear, so weep, we must.
Do you consider yourself a sensitive person? If it means do my feelings get hurt easily, the answer is no. I’m thick-skinned in that regard. However, I’m sensitive to the feelings of others and have been told I have a knack for offering much wisdom and comfort. I am a Grandda after all and consider myself a rather good one.

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

Are you in love? Aye, most assuredly
Do you believe in love at first sight? An Irish heart is a romantic one. Ye can’t think of Ireland without contemplating magic and love, especially the two together. Aye, I’m a firm believer in love at first sight. That is how it was with my first wife, Anne.
Who ended your last relationship? My Anne did when she passed on, bless her soul.
Have you ever broken someone’s heart? Unfortunately, heartbreak is a part of life, albeit a painful one. It is not for only the young. I’m afraid I broke my Mathilda’s heart when I put my magic aside thinking I was protecting my Lenora. Mathilda isn’t one to wear her feelings on her sleeve, but she told me after we were married that stepping away and respecting my decision was one of the hardest things she’d had to do.
Are you afraid of commitments? Definitely not! Life would be unbearable if ye could not have love.
Have you hugged someone within the last week? Aye, of course! Many, many times over.
Have you ever had a secret admirer? Oh, aye. Mathilda was secretly in love with me and I her, but we were both too bullheaded to admit it until after I’d gone to the Elysian Fields.
Have you ever broken your own heart? I’m sorry to say that aye, indeed I have. I couldn’t bring myself to admit how I felt about Mathilda knowing I was but a mortal man with a very finite life compared to hers. I’d told myself daily that I’d be a fool to go there knowing I would grow old and die while she stayed young, beautiful, and immortal.

SIX CHOICES

Love or lust: Most definitely love. However, a healthy dose of lusting after the one ye love doesn’t hurt.
Lemonade or iced tea: Both. It’s even better, though, with a lovely shot of good Irish whiskey to accompany it.
Cats or dogs: I prefer dogs, but I am a lover of all animals. All creatures have their place of beauty in this old world.
A few best friends or many regular friends: I have many friends, but sometimes it’s nice to be in the company of one or two close friends.
Wild night out or romantic night in: Och, it depends on the situation. My Anne loved to dance the night away when we were younger. Now, being a Grandda two times over with an extremely powerful goddess for a wife, romantic nights in are what Matahilda and I crave.
Day or night: Both

FOUR HAVE YOU EVERS

Been caught sneaking out: Aye, when I was a lad of seventeen. A few of the neighborhood lads and I would sneak out to the local park to do shots of whiskey under the bleachers. Ye see, we weren’t of drinking age yet, so we had to keep a tight lid on it. Well, me Da got wise to our shenanigans and caught me. Och, the man could swear like a sailor in Gaelic. I took the punishment like a man. Did I do it again? Hell, yes! The lads and I just had to find more creative ways of getting away with it, and for the most part, we succeeded.
Fallen down/up the stairs: A resounding yes, actually. Ye see, when the lads and I graduated from under the bleachers to the pubs, we naturally did the Pub Crawl. Unfortunately, there were times we forgot there were steps to traverse as we staggered out the door bellowing Irish drinking songs at the top of our lungs like the bunch of baboons we were.
Wanted someone/something so badly it hurt: There were a few very, very dark times in my life when I lost so much I didn’t think I could endure. The loss of my Anne was devastating, and I remember many long, lonely nights when I yearned for her so badly I thought my heart would implode from the massive weight of grief it carried. The loss of my daughter, Maggie and her man, Patrick, was another heavy blow. I adored my Maggie as any doting father would and prayed to any deity who would listen to bring her back and take me instead. However, when my beautiful Lenora was brought to me to care for and raise, it helped ease the pain somewhat. She needed me, and both Maggie and Anne would have wanted me to be strong for her.
Wanted to disappear: I reckon this would tie in to the previous question. I did want to disappear when I lost those I loved the most, to recluse myself and wallow for a while. Knowing my Anne would have been appalled at such behavior, I pulled myself out of the mire and trudged on. It was either that or roll over and die.

NEVER WOULD I EVER___

• Strike a woman
• Turn down a hug from someone I care about or a person in need of one
• Turn away from someone in need of comfort
• Use my magic to harm someone
• Abuse an animal

FOUR PREFERENCES

Smile or eyes: It’s the eyes that get me first. It is said that the eyes are windows to one’s soul.
Shorter or taller: All shapes and sizes, although both Anne and Mathilda are tall, slender women.
Intelligence or attraction: Attraction first, then intelligence. I’m a lucky man to have both in my Mathilda.
Hook-up or relationship: Relationship, most definitely!

FAMILY

Do you and your family get along? Aye, absolutely! I’m a blessed man to have the family I do. Oh, like any other family, there are disagreements and tough times, but we pull together very tightly when one or more of us needs it. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for any of them.
Would you say you have a “messed up life”?  Och, no way! Despite the heartache and grievous losses, my first life was good. Coming back to the physical world from the Elysian Fields, my second life is even better than the first. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again; I’m a lucky man, indeed.
Have you ever run away from home? No
Have you ever gotten kicked out? Never

FRIENDS

Do you secretly hate one of your friends? Och, no! I don’t hate anybody.
Do you consider all your friends good friends? I believe the term “friend” is used much too loosely nowadays. Ye see, a friend is someone who sticks with ye no matter what. He is someone who gives ye that kick in the ass when needed but gives ye the understanding and compassion, too. From my observations in today’s world, friends stay friends only when it is convenient. When the going gets tough, said “friend” goes running. With that off my chest, I do have many who I consider friends, but there are a select few who I consider true friends.
Who is your best friend? My darling Mathilda is not only my wife, but she is my best friend. We love passionately, but we talk about anything and everything under the sun. My granddaughter, Lenora, is someone I consider to be a best friend. Yes, she is my granddaughter and all, but she is a lovely, intelligent woman with whom I adore doing such things as playing chess, philosophizing, practicing magic, and much, much more. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a couple other people as well. Although not having met in person at this time, I have a couple of pen pals I feel especially close to. Jasper McCumber and I are like two old codgers sitting at the chess table sharing stories about our families and lives, present and past. I can honestly say I felt a kinship with him right away. Emily Sato is a lovely young woman who I consider an honorary granddaughter. We’ve talked about a great number of things, and I love how inquisitive she is about the Supernatural.
Who knows everything about you? That would have to be my Mathilda