#sunny hopeson

[rhetoricalrogue]

Find the Word Tag Game

I was tagged by @evilbunnyking to find trace, touch, kiss, and laugh in my WiPs.

Trace and touch, from an Astrid/Adam snippet that's still being picked on:

Cool fingers traced along the edge of her scar, causing gooseflesh in their wake. "How old were you when this happened?"

She watched as his hand reached the deeper marks along her ankle where the scarring went deeper. "Nineteen." Astrid settled further against the sofa, trying her best to act unaffected by his touch. She knew she wasn't doing a good job either, but he had the grace not to say anything. "Nineteen with the entire world ahead of me, before some guy t-boned my coach's car."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay. We were lucky to make it out of that crash without being hurt worse. I don't know how lucrative a career in professional fencing would have been and you only get to go to the Olympics once every four years." She wiggled her toes. "It would have been nice to have been able to go to the one I qualified for instead of healing up from surgery, though."

Kiss, from some vague Elena/Arturo feelings that are still percolating in the noggin:

"Doctor Martinez."

Elena saluted her co-worker with her chipped coffee mug before setting it down to grab a clipboard with her daily rounds. "Doctor Jimenez. Cold enough for you this morning?"

He gave a quick look around the infirmary tent to make sure there weren't any eyes on them before moving close. "It sure was." Reaching out, he took her mug and drank from it, making sure to press his lips to the place hers had been. It wasn't exactly a kiss, but for two people trying to fly under the radar to avoid the no fraternization rule, it would have to do. "The other side of the cot was cold without you."

Laugh, from a Lilian + Tristan + Sunny beach day idea that's been keeping me company this week:

"He's barely fifteen months old," Lilian protested. "I don't think he's going to be swimming laps any time soon."

"Hey, it's never too early to teach him! I was just a little'un myself when the priestesses taught me to swim in the lake behind the temple."

Lilian smiled as Tristan's babyish shrieks of laugher filled the air, the barest bubbles of surf rushing over his feet as she held him upright, wet sand scrunching between his toes. "Give him a year or so, then you can take him out to swim to your heart's content. Until then," she picked her son up in her arms and pressed a smacking kiss against his sun-warmed cheek. "There's a picnic lunch to be eaten and naps in the shade to be had."

#thank you for the tag! #this is from FOREVER AGO sorry about the wait! #I'm determined to to through my mentions and get things out tonight #astrid sinclair #dr. elena martinez #lilian mardoris #sunny hopeson #tristan mardoris

[rhetoricalrogue]

It’s Friday night, so more random facts about my various d&d characters!

Dani has several botanical tattoos. She found an artist who does amazing photorealistic work and gave him samples of five different plants native to Antiva. Each one represents one of her family members: she may never be able to go home to see them in peace, but she carries them with her wherever she goes.

Brie’s biological father is a tiefling and it’s very obvious that her mom mixed up the town she hooked up with the blacksmith in (Pinewatch blacksmith was shocked at getting a baby with “I don’t want it, it’s your responsibility now” but wasn’t going to argue with an orc who looked like she could snap him in two like a twig. He also knew the Pinewitch blacksmith could barely look after himself let alone an infant) because even though they’ve never met, they share a lot of similar physical traits. She also picked up speaking fluent infernal fairly quickly, but that may have been because she grew up hanging out with her adoptive father’s best friend, the tiefling who owned the tavern across the street from their workshop. Brie also may or may not be resistant to fire, but her dad doesn’t want to test that theory out and claims she never gets hurt around the forge when she starts apprenticing under him because of his exceptional fire safety lessons.

Sunny falls a little in love with everyone he meets. He’s very much a romantic who sees the beauty in everyday occurrences and considers those moments little gifts from Sune to brighten the day of those willing to see them.

Mouse doesn’t remember much about her birth family. All she recalls is that her mother smelled like lilacs, her father had a soothing voice, and her older siblings cared for her. She doesn’t know that her parents were tyrannical villains who murdered anyone who tried to break free from their rule and often tortured townspeople for sport. The night their home was attacked and her mother screamed for her to run was the night heroes broke through their defenses to put an end to their reign of terror.

Molly’s mother is a goddess of the sea and a patroness of sailors (and pirates.) Molly keeps a vial of salt water with her everywhere she goes so she can keep her connection to the sea even on dry land and often adds salt to her bath water to feel more at home. She often casts Commune and has a shell with her she’ll press her ear up against. She knows it’s a trick with the way air flows through it, but she can clearly hear the crash of the waves and her mother softly singing her to sleep when she gets homesick for the feel of the ocean beneath her feet if she’s away from her ship for too long.

#daniella brambilla #briel morningstride #sunny hopeson #little mouse the thief #molly hastings

[rhetoricalrogue]

I have a lot of feelings about Lilian and Sunny, but not enough energy to fully articulate them, so have some Kermit-inspired flailing over these two best friends:

Sunny is incredibly upset that his singing is deemed to be “boring, uninspired, and not accomplished enough to hone his skills” by one of the teachers at the Seven Strings Academy for the Performing Arts school Lilian teaches at. He left home in order to train as a bard because he had a dream that his goddess Sune had prompted him to share beauty with the world and singing has always made him feel at peace and close to the goddess he serves.

Lilian tells him that it doesn’t matter how polished he is: he is beautiful because he sings with his heart. She tells him that alone he may sound unpracticed, but he has a natural gift of harmonizing with others that lifts their singing up to a different level. Then she finds the instructor who told him that he shouldn’t quit his day job and verbally rips them another one in private. (She may be enraged on his behalf, but she does try to keep a sense of professionalism around her colleagues, even when they don’t deserve it.)

Sunny was raised by priestesses when they found him abandoned at their front steps. He’s most at home in similar temples to Sune and has a friendly, easygoing attitude that has him welcome everywhere he goes. Lilian does alright for herself when traveling alone, but she makes more networking connections and finds that she has more comfortable lodgings when the two of them hit the road together.

When at home, Lilian has a habit of walking to the main city gates and waiting from sunset to an hour or so after dark for Reasons. Sunny knows why, which is why he’s always there to keep her company when she wants it, offer a shoulder on hard days, and distract her with good humor when he senses that she needs it. He doesn’t know what he’d do if he meets the reason she’s waited every day for the past two years, but it would probably include a very heartfelt apology before punching the Reason in the face for breaking his friend’s heart.

Sunny has met Lilian’s family and they’ve pretty much adopted him as their third child. He’s younger than both Lilian and her brother, so he’s become the unofficial baby of the family.

He’s also the best [redacted] a [redacted] could have. Definitely the Fun One.

Lilian often shapeshifts into Sunny when he asks how his hair looks so he can have a mirror whenever he needs one. She’s morphed into his figure so often and hangs out with him all the time that she has his mannerisms and speech patterns down to the point that she can easily pass as him.

Sunny taught Lilian how to whistle. Lilian taught Sunny how to play hammered dulcimer. Both of them aren’t very good at their respective taught skills yet, but they’re working on it.

Both of them don’t think it’s weird to share a bed when out on the road. Snuggle piles are such a big thing at home because the two of them are very much touchy-feely type people when it comes to friends and family.

Both of them adore babies. Lilian can sing the fussiest to sleep with ease and Sunny just beams at crying babies and they calm down.

Apart from [redacted] and her birth family, Lilian counts Sunny as one of the very few people she would easily do anything for, no questions asked. He would do the same for her.

#lilian mardoris #sunny hopeson #I want to write something about these two but the words will not happen #Sunny is very much inspired by Harry Chapin’s song Mr. Tanner #he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul/he did not know how well he sang/it just made him whole

[rhetoricalrogue]

I’m listening to oldies at work and just got weepy over a lyric that hit as incredibly spot on for Sunny.

Son, I’m working. Please stop being distracting.

#I need to find a game for him #sunny hopeson #earnest ray of sunshine #pretty boy paladin #slight orange tabby cat behavior with random strokes of genius thrown in #desperately needs to be the prettiest person in the room #but will admit defeat if there’s someone there that’s prettier #his arms are so muscular so he can be the best at hugging

[rhetoricalrogue]

🖊 🖊

Let’s talk about Sunny!

🖊 he was left on the doorstep of a temple dedicated to the goddess Sune. He doesn’t know who his biological parents were, but he was raised by the priestesses at the temple and considers them his family.

🖊 could not handle spicy food at all when he first met Lilian Mardoris, but she helped him with his spice tolerance after he got laughed at by some of the bards in training at the school he wound up at. He still won’t pick anything with a higher heat level than medium for himself, but he can take little samples of spicier foods without breaking into a sweat now. His favorite combo is chocolate and chili peppers since the sweetness from the chocolate balances out the heat from the peppers. Luckily, he and Lilian have a similar sweet tooth: their favorite dessert is a saffron and cardamom flavored fritter drizzled with either honey or a sugar syrup. It’s sticky and a little messy, but so worth it.

Bonus 🖊: he’s particularly proud about his hair. It’s this deep golden honey blonde color and falls down the middle of his back, almost to his waist. The weight of it makes it super straight, but if it’s shorter, it has a natural wave to it that doesn’t quite curl. He usually wears it in a ponytail or a braid, loose bun, or one of those messy half-ponytails where you don’t quite pull it all the way through the tie. He’s not fussy about his hair or anything, but he knows that it looks good no matter what he does with it. Seeing as he’s a Paladin to Sune, making sure that he keeps an attractive appearance is one of the ways he pays homage to the goddess of love and beauty.

#sunny hopeson #I can’t talk about Sunny without talking about Lilian #they’re extremely close best friends #he kind of reminds her of her own brother so she treats him like he’s a younger brother #and he’s always wanted a sister so he treats her like the older sibling he never had

[rhetoricalrogue]

I have a lot of feelings for this new boy, so I'm going to spill them over here. Technically, he's a backup character for the campaign I'm currently in, but I really hope I get to use him in another campaign (mostly because I love my bard so dang much and I'm going to do my best to keep her squishy self alive!) Plus he's an open book, whereas Lilian is like an oyster you've got to pry stuff out of at the risk of accidentally stabbing yourself (although I'm dying to spill the beans on her backstory. DYING, I say!) and I don't have any spoilers to hide from anyone with this guy.

Name: Sunny Hopeson. He got his name because the women who found him on their temple doorstep thought he was such a happy little baby who laughed all the time and was rarely upset. Since he didn't have a surname, they figured that "son of hope" would be a fitting one.

Age: 25

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 210 lbs, mostly all muscle

Appearance: TALL and BEEFY. He's mostly long, honey blonde hair with biceps, thighs, and a tree trunk torso with a bit of a soft belly. He tends to slouch to make himself look a little smaller and to fit under low doorframes.

Sunny likes to keep his almost mid-back length hair braided on both sides of his head and then kept loose around his shoulders or gathered in a low ponytail or a messy bun at the back of his head. He has dimples on both sides of his mouth when he smiles (which is often, he's honestly a happy guy) and is currently trying to grow out a beard after one of the nuns who lived in the same temple he does mentioned that he would look good in one. Right now he's got a decent head start with some thick stubble that's a shade darker than his hair. He has bright blue eyes and THICK eyelashes. His nose was broken once in a fight where he put himself between a woman and a man who was getting too handsy and is a little crooked because of it.

Class: Paladin/[REDACTED](multiclassing for this campaign only if I have to use him in case of a Lilian permadeath. It's kinda complicated and probably the ONLY spoilery thing with him.)

Occupation: Jack of all trades. He helps out in the temple to Sune where he was left at as a baby and grew up in under the care of the priestesses there, helps the farmers in the local village with planting and harvesting, moonlights as the village tavern's bouncer even though he was young but was already starting to sprout up and look intimidatingly built. When he was nineteen, he got a wild hair to become a bard, so he packed up his things and took off on the road for his first adventure.

Turns out that he can't carry a tune in a bucket, even though he really, really likes the act of making music. He's earnest and tries his best, but bless his heart, his best can make people's ears bleed. Even so, he decided to make a home in Ank'Harel and stay at the bard's college there, where a bard by the name of Lilian Mardoris took one look at him and adopted him on the spot because if she didn't, someone was going to pick this poor boy's pocket and make off with whatever valuables he had. Over the years, he and Lilian became close friends, even after he left the college and found a place in a local temple to Sune where he studied to become a paladin to his goddess. Lilian got him a kalimba for one of his birthdays that he can play somewhat decently, if not a little off-key most of the time.

Traits: Optimistic. So, SO optimistic. Living up to his name, people have to work hard to bring him down, but then he picks himself back up quickly with a laugh and a joke. The glass is half-full and if it were up to him, he'd find a pitcher to fill it to the brim. He'll help everyone he can, no matter the personal cost. Lilian did teach him some street smarts, so he's not as naïve as he had been when he first stepped foot in town, but he still believes in the inherent good in people. The trust he has in people, especially higher-ups in his temple, can be a flaw of his.

Polite. Calls everyone ma'am or sir. Respects women and will defend anyone who looks like they need his help. He's the type of guy who would go "Hey! Long time no see, how are you?" to a stranger who was being bothered by some creep and then offer to walk them somewhere safe/stay with them until their ride got there. He's also the type of guy who would let anyone who had too much to drink crash at his place and would make sure they were comfortable and put a glass of water and an empty bucket nearby for when they woke up with a massive hangover. Loves cats and dogs equally. Plant dad with a knack for being able to grow anything in any climate, probably a side effect of taking the Oath of the Ancients.

#sunny hopeson #d&d character #i just think he's neat #going off the script and making a blonde guy instead of my usual tall dark and handsomes

[rhetoricalrogue]

I did the first nine pictures to show up on your Pinterest page aesthetic meme and accidentally came up with a moodboard for a new character that’s been hanging out in the back of my mind lately.

#Sunny Hopeson #earnest ray of sunshine #he can’t play an instrument to save his life but he Tries His Best

[rhetoricalrogue]

WiP Wednesday

tagged by @ejunkiet and @roguelioness, thank you both! Here's a little something with two of my d&d characters Lilian and Sunny that I'm picking at to hopefully have done in time for OC kiss day.

“What’s this?” he turned just enough to take the cloth wrapped item Lilian offered him.

“I saw this in the market and I thought of you.”

Sunny unwrapped the gift and stared at the kalimba in his hands. “Lil, you know I’m not good at music.”

“Nonsense, darling. You’re one of my favorite musicians to listen to.” She leaned forward and rested her chin on his shoulder. “It’s such a happy sounding instrument, how could I not associate it with you?”

He ran his thumbs over the metal keys, listening as they made soft chiming noises. “I don’t know how to play.”

“Well.” Lilian moved from her seat behind him to situate herself at his side, the half-finished braid she’d made slowly uncoiling and his long hair sliding over his shoulder like a stream of molten gold. “As luck would have it, you are in the presence of a bard who lives to share her knowledge of music with others.”

Sunny couldn’t help but grin. “A rather modest bard, even.”

“Truly, a rarity. You should consider yourself most fortunate.”

#wip wednesday #on a Wednesday even! #lilian mardoris #sunny hopeson #these two are glued at the hip for the most part #both of them looked at the other and went 'this is My Person' #absolutely nothing romantic about them but they would 100% die for the other #he can't play any instrument at all but he has a lovely singing voice #one of their favorite pastimes is dressing up and going to fancy parties where they're the prettiest people there #a trip to the local spa is another favorite BFF way to spend time together #Lilian was in dire need of a friend for her backstory and Sunny popped in my head and went HELLO I AM HERE WHO CAN I HUG???

[rhetoricalrogue]

Some more Sunny and Lilian friendship thoughts:

Sunny can’t play an instrument to save his life, but he has a lovely baritone voice. It isn’t anything he’s professionally worked on or something that he really cares to use as a way to earn coin, but singing and the act of making music makes him happy.

Lilian taught him some songs and will play along on whatever instrument she has at hand. Sunny has a natural talent at harmonizing, so they often sing duets together.

Has been recruited to haul her hammered dulcimer around town on multiple occasions. He doesn’t complain because it’s one of his favorite instruments to hear Lilian play.

Has recruited Lilian to shapeshift into his exact likeness to make sure his hair looks okay when there isn’t a mirror around on several occasions. She doesn’t mind because sometimes she’ll prank him by making it look like he’s got spinach stuck in his teeth or he has a breakout on his forehead, just to see him do the “why did you let me go out in public looking like THIS???” thing.

Sunny had zero tolerance to spicy foods before meeting Lilian. Now he can handle maaaaybe the lower mid-range on the spicy scale, but he adores wandering through the market and seeing how people can take different ratios of spices to make a blend all their own.

Met [REDACTED] and became the best not quite [REDACTED] ever. Just loves that [REDACTED] to bits.

Don’t mind me, I’m stuck on Sunny humming or quietly singing to himself while doing everyday tasks or singing in areas that were built specifically to echo in a way that carries a person’s voice further than it normally would.

The two of them totally would have been a couple, had it not been for Reasons. Sunny *had* flirted, but quickly got let down easy. Instead of being awkward, he asked if she had room in her heart for a friend. They’ve been almost inseparable since.

Lilian has a daily ritual of walking to the main city gate and standing out until nightfall, just staring at the road as if she’s waiting for someone to show up. Sunny knows who she’s waiting for and usually waits off to the side with her to walk her back to her place once the sun goes down. He never says anything, just offers his hand to her for support. The deity he follows revolves around love, and he understands that sometimes love can hurt, even if one wishes it didn’t.

#sunny hopeson #lilian mardoris #best bff combo I’ve thought up #they do spa days together

[rhetoricalrogue]

I’m in that “I love you with all my heart, but I still don’t know anything about you yet” phase with Sunny, which means I have not so much Thoughts, but more Questions for him.

Like, where are you from? What were you doing before you decided to start wandering? Was there a REASON you picked the place you ended up in or was that just coincidence? You’re absolutely horrible at playing instruments, but can you sing? Something tells me you have a beautiful baritone singing voice.

Are you a flirt? Are you shy? So you act one way but inwardly panic at social interactions? How devout are you to your goddess? What are some of the ways you show your devotion to her? Who was your first kiss? Are you in love or are you single and ready to mingle? What are your thoughts on where you ended up? What’s your favorite food?

Tell me these things, my new child! TELL ME!

#sunny hopeson #all I know is he’s 6 foot and some change #and is all solid muscle and long hair #who gives AMAZING hugs #and he tries His Best at everything while being a ray of sunshine

[rhetoricalrogue]

It’s Friday night and I’m full of Lilian + Sunny BFFness.

There was definitely a time when Lilian and Sunny decided to visit a city neither of them had been to before and used fake names the entire trip. Lilian was stumped as to what to go by, so Sunny leaned over and went “I can call you Betty, and Betty when you call me you can call me Al.”

Sunny has visited Zadash to meet Lilian’s parents and brother. Her parents immediately adopted him as a third child upon spending five minutes with him.

She took him to a fancy opera while in town (using her family’s season pass and box seating) and he fell in love with the entire experience. Did not hide the fact that he cried at the tragic ending either.

They look nothing alike but people often confuse them as siblings, twins even, seeing as one usually knows what the other is thinking and they tend to finish their sentences.

Lilian has shapeshifted to look like Sunny’s twin before. She also has morphed herself to look like him when he asks her how he looks when there’s not a mirror around.

They usually share a room at whatever inn they stay at. Bedtime rituals include brushing out and braiding each other’s hair and sharing skincare products. Sunny usually starfishes on his (and most of Lilian’s) side of the bed while Lilian curls up on her side and rarely moves from that position once she falls asleep.

Sunny cannot play a musical instrument to save his life, but he can whistle. Lilian often plays tunes that he can whistle along to so he’s included in the music-playing.

He taught her how to handle a longsword in exchange for her teaching him how to dance.

Sunny gives the best hugs ever. Lilian’s lap is the preferred place to take an afternoon nap, especially when she plays with his hair or gives him a scalp massage.

She’s not religious but she admires his devotion to his goddess. She asks him questions about his faith and he explains without ever making her feel like he’s talking down to her or trying to recruit her. He feels the same admiration towards her when she enthuses about creating music or compiling folklore from her travels. She never makes him feel lesser because he doesn’t have the same musical talent and he appreciates her sharing things with him and encouraging his own desire to create, even when most attempts fall flat.

#lilian mardoris #sunny hopeson #they’re becoming my favorite OC + OC best friend duos ever