Eliza mostly watches movies and hands out candy. She loves the old Universal Monster movies like The Wolf Man (1941) and Dracula (1931) and has a marathon every year. When she's older, she'd do a lot of volunteer work with kids and is always happy to dress up for a Halloween party if it makes the kids happy. She makes an excellent Ariel (and knows exactly where to find the perfect Eric).
Cataleya usually ends up looking after her younger sisters for Halloween. She loves dressing up to go trick-or-treating with the younger girls and is always happy to match their costumes. When she's older and living in the city, she loves auditioning for the Halloween ballet! She's very excited to finally be dancing the lead role in the production of Giselle.
Nate prefers to spend Halloween with his brother. He and Swifty have a tradition of decorating together and watching the happier, feel-good Halloween movies like Hocus Pocus and Beetlejuice before going out to watch the Halloween parade. This year, Nate has been roped into taking Swifty, Bumlets, and Skittery through a haunted house. He's not entirely sure how they talked him into it.
If I may ask a question about one of your OCs, how did Eliza first meet any of the newsies?
I actually started writing something about that last night! Eliza likes to go to the park and draw when she has the chance (mostly to get out of the house) and she met Bumlets when he was selling there. As for the others, he's definitely going to introduce her to Sarah first because I love the idea of Bumlets and Sarah being friends and because when you make a new friend and don't want to scare them off, you introduce them to someone sensible instead of the circus that you live with lol! After that, I'd say Swifty would be the first newsie because in my mind, they're best friends (sort of an homage to the friendship between Kevin Stea and Dominic Lucero, who were friends before doing Newsies).
For context for everyone else, Eliza is an OC I've had for years that I'm very fond of and @pandolfo-malatesta has been kind enough to let me babble about her. I'm hoping to incorporate more of my OCs into my world building, namely Nathaniel Liu (Swifty's brother) and the Vásquez girls (Bumlets' sisters). I know they aren't everyone's thing so if you guys aren't interested, you can blacklist the 'my ocs' tag or individual character tags, which I'll make as I go.
Pine Float Press is thrilled to announce the publication of TRANSMISSIONS. A collection of short fiction and poetry from acclaimed science fiction author Eliza Sinclair, including original pieces as well as work previously published by Strange Horizons, Luna Station Quarterly, Apex Magazine and the Book Smugglers.
The selections included in TRANSMISSIONS range from hard-edged military sci-fi to delicately disquieting poetry. Each piece in this collection sparkles with wit, compassion and Sinclair's singular vision.
TRANSMISSIONS is available in electronic format on Lulu.com, with upcoming epub releases on all popular platforms.
Modern dresses I think Eliza and Cataleya Vásquez would like, inspired by @vnewyorku! I haven't talked much about Cataleya, but I do have a plan for her, so this felt like a good post to add her to <3
Do the girls celebrate Christmas? What are some of their favorite things to do in winter?
For Eliza, this is a bit of a complicated question, so I'll start with Cataleya! Under the cut because this got so much longer than I thought it would!
Cataleya is a Puerto Rican Catholic girl who was adopted by a Catholic couple, so to say that Christmas is a big deal in her family would be a serious understatement! Christmas Mass is a must-have every year, followed by a lovingly chaotic dinner with her sisters and her adoptive family. She also loves reading the letter her brother sends them every year. She misses Bumlets so much that it hurts and reading his letters almost makes it feel like he's there with them.
And while I couldn't find historical evidence of this specific thing, based on what I know about the Tarrytown Music Hall and Victorian-era Christmas dances, I think it's safe to say that she would love to go to these! Her dancing dress is secondhand from her adoptive mother and about a decade out of style, but it's still her favorite thing in the world to wear.
For activities, Leya absolutely adores going ice skating and playing in the snow with her sisters! Figure skating developed in the mid-19th century and Leya would love to try out some tricks on the frozen pond near her adoptive parents' farm. Liam and Anya definitely worry about her getting hurt, but they can't deny how happy she looks when she's skating.
And when it comes to spending time with her sisters, there's nothing Leya loves more than a good snowball fight! She's found that when it comes to her sisters, a handful of snow to the face is a surprisingly effective way to distract them from their frustrations. She decided not long after her father died that she was going to do everything she could to make things easier for them and she's got a knack for using humor and warmth to do just that.
I'm bringing this up because I think it's adorable, but Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow recently started the "Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow Winter Stroll," which is a cute little winter festival! And I think since it's her hometown, Leya would really love it!
And since Cataleya is a January baby, I feel it's important to bring up that as something she does in the winter! Family dinners are their go-to celebration, but she also takes time for herself to ice skate and decompress. She loves her family, but they can be a lot sometimes and she treasures the little moments she can have to herself.
Now for Eliza, Christmas is... complicated. She likes the idea of it and is very happy that people have such a nice thing to look forward to, but she hasn't celebrated in years. Partly because her father just can't be bothered to do anything with her and partly because her mother died shortly before Christmas when she was a kid. She thinks her mother might have been Catholic and vaguely remembers going to church with her sometimes, but she hasn’t been back to church since the funeral and isn’t even sure what she believes in anymore.
Mrs. Chastain always offers to do something with her (and her father, as much as they both hate the idea of that), but Eliza just doesn't have the heart to subject her beloved neighbor to that. And honestly, there's a small part of her that resents the holiday season because of everything she's been through. Once she's in a better place, literally and figuratively, I can see her being open to celebrating, but with where she is right now, Christmas just doesn't seem like an option.
That isn't to say that she doesn't enjoy winter overall, of course. Even with her difficult feelings about the holiday, Eliza has managed to find a lot to appreciate about the season. Even though she knows she probably shouldn't, she adores heading out to the park to try and capture the beauty of the frost-coated leaves and the blanket of snow covering the ground with her watercolors. It all feels very magical to her.
Another activity she enjoys, on the days when her father is home and she feels very fortunate to have a room of her own, is drawing pictures on her frosty window. Drawing with her fingers is very different from drawing with a pencil or charcoal, but she enjoys it immensely. It reminds her of when August Chastain told her stories about Jack Frost and how he would paint the leaves in autumn and leave pieces of art etched into the frost on her windowpane. She doesn't believe in Jack Frost anymore, but sometimes she likes to pretend her fellow artist is whipping through the snowy Manhattan streets and causing mischief.
A modern Eliza would likely have an easier time managing her issues with winter, even without her father's support and I can see her watching a few classic winter and Christmas movies every year. Sometimes, when she watches them, she wonders if there’s something irreparably broken inside of her for not feeling much of anything during the holiday, but she also has access to some mental health resources that her father can’t keep her from. Even if she can’t be 100% okay, she at least knows how to help herself a little bit and does her best to take care of herself even when things are bad.
This is 100% anachronistic but Eliza's watch/Eliza's mom's watch that I mentioned in Chapter 1 looks sort of like this one but a little more Victorian. I couldn't find anything more accurate to the period and I really like this one so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Somewhere Between Living and Dreaming (4484 words) by Superhero_fanatic
Chapters: 2/?
Fandom: Newsies (1992)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Bumlets/Original Character (Newsies), Sarah Jacobs/Jack Kelly (Newsies)
Characters: Bumlets (Newsies), Original Female Character(s)
Additional Tags: Fluff, Light Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Abuse
Summary:
"Somewhere between living and dreaming, there's New York." This dime novel romance has been rattling around my brain for the past six years and I figured it was time to finally write it. It follows a young woman trying to navigate life in 1899 New York and adjust to major life changes with the help of some new (very familiar) friends.
New York City, Madrid, and Toronto for Eliza, please!
This got a little long but I'm proud of it!
New York City (What gets them up in the morning?)
Hope. Hope for a better life away from her father. Hope for a future where she doesn't have to walk on eggshells or second-guess everything she says in fear that she'll be screamed at or worse. Hope for the happy life her mother always wanted for her, one filled with love and laughter and joy. It's been her guiding light since Valérie (her mother) died and she's holding on with everything she has. It's not always easy and she's at a pretty low point at the beginning of the story but she hasn't given up. She can't give up.
Madrid (Describe their aesthetic.)
This is one of the questions I was really excited for, but also kind of nervous about, because while I do have a vision for her, I don't know how to describe it.
Art is obviously the main part of her aesthetic. Paint, charcoal drawings, and pencil sketches are the main ones but she loves watercolors the most.
I think the different "academia" aesthetics work, specifically the lighter, airy ones. Art academia (of course!), romantic academia, and light academia are the ones that fit her best.
She developed some morbid tastes as a coping mechanism, so that would come into play as well, though in a less overt way. Mostly just as books and movies that she likes. Maybe listening to a little Bauhaus when she's having a bad day.
The two most important women in her life, her mother and Esme Chastain, are both French immigrants and France/French culture will be important later in the story, so that's definitely an influence on her as well.
I think her hair is an aesthetic statement on its own and should definitely be mentioned. I'm not entirely sure why, but I've always imagined her with red hair. I think I saw an image on Pinterest or something when I first started creating her and it stuck.
I also associate her with Cinderella for a lot of reasons, which is something I've mentioned to you before. "Have courage and be kind" fits her very well.
I'm once again subjecting the world to my Canva addiction, so please enjoy this mood board I made!
Toronto (Describe their ideal partner.)
When she was younger, Eliza was really into fairy tales. She used to fantasize about Prince Charming riding in on a white horse to sweep her off her feet with grand gestures and flowery declarations of love. She wanted him to be handsome and brave and noble and everything she read about in stories. It was definitely one of her coping mechanisms and one she's a little embarrassed by now that she's older.
Now, she just wants someone kind. Someone gentle and patient who's willing to put in the work to really know her. She does still like the idea of sweet words and romantic gestures, but they're a lot more toned down than they were, leaning more toward simple words of affection and flowers on her birthday. I found this on Pinterest and I think it fits her:
I don't think she could be with someone with a temper. She can accept that disagreements happen in relationships and that frustration is normal, but she doesn't do well with yelling or slamming doors. A man with a long fuse would be best, but he should at least have some skill in emotional regulation.
Ideally, I think a "friends-to-lovers" dynamic would work best for her or at least something similar. Of course, she can be attracted to someone and be charmed by them at first meeting because she was charmed by Damián when they met and she definitely found him attractive, but getting to know someone and developing a camaraderie with them without the pressures of courting would be where she shines. And it's not something she's going to grow out of either. It will always be easier for her to trust a relationship that developed out of genuine friendship over anything else.
And yes, she does want him to be handsome (maybe with black hair, dark eyes, and a dazzling smile?)
Obviously, I was thinking of Bumlets when I wrote this, but I want to clarify that the way I write her personality doesn't influence the way I write his and vice versa. I developed them separately and realized later that they were compatible. I know I'm risking the wrath of Shiv Hermann by saying this, but do I think that Eliza and Snoddy could have a nice relationship? Sure! He's also a kind, patient young man with a good heart and I'm sure he'd treat her wonderfully. But I don't think he could make her as happy as Bumlets can (or will, since I'm still at the beginning for them). Besides, he's already got Pauline and that's not a very fair competition for Eliza, even if she was interested in him!
Sorry again that this got so long and thank you for the ask!
