fc: matthew goode, played by ace ( 30, she/her, est )
gender & pronouns: cis-male & he/him
occupation: writer & bookstore owner
“Ah– we’re starting with the hard ones right outta the gate, huh? Ok…it’d be a tie between the library, Norma’s Ice Cream and the Duck Pond, in that order. I can’t tell you how many days I’ve lingered in the library, pouring over stacks and stacks of books. I’d select one, or maybe a knapsack full, and wander to the parlor for a scoop. After a random roulette flavor, I’d find myself at Duck Pond, reading and trying my best not to drip my dessert all over the pages of whatever author I was devouring that day. It usually ended up everywhere else though.”
what is their favorite smell and why?
“The smokey smell of a campfire. My dad was the woodsy type. He hunted, fished, camped. It was only natural he brought me along as often as possible. Whenever we went out, we finished huddled around a fire. I wasn’t much for huntin’ so building a decent fire was my time to kinda say ‘hey– I didn’t fall too far from the tree’. Aside from that, and my looks, we didn’t have much in common. So whenever I get a whiff of burned cedar, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.”
what is their favorite time of year?
“Autumn, October specifically. Georgia has the most amazing weather in October. The cool breezes, the leaves changing colors, pumpkin spice lattes, I love everything about it. Not that I really indulge in the lattes, but I like the festiveness of it. Not to mention, who doesn’t love the magic and mystery ushered in during October? I try to read or watch at least something ‘spooky’ at least once a week during that time. It really gives me a chance to explore the balance of light and dark and dive deep into grittier things. Adds some intensity to whatever I’m working on during that time.”
“Why Madison…I mean– it’s home. Simple as that. Don’t get me wrong, I have a more than healthy portion of wanderlust in me. The minute I graduated high school, I took off to travel. First, by bus. Stopping at every little town from here to Virginia, filling my notebook after notebook, while taking any and every job I could to get me to the next place. Then by car, to the west coast. And by plane, overseas. Not all at once mind you. Just little by little between now and then. I made plenty of mistakes…sometimes I didn’t know if I’d make it the next 5 miles, let alone to my next destination. But somehow through it all, I’d always find my way back here. I’d settle for a while or so, saving back up and be gone again and again. In all my travels though, in all the places I’ve seen, I can’t imagine settling down anywhere but here. Even in the five years that I’ve officially been ‘rooted’ here, I don’t know why. I’ve accepted that in a way, Madison is my own little shire.”
