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I look forward to your rant.

(I'm not so centered on it as you are, but I've always been bugged by the fact that I don't include enough scent detail in my own writing, just because it's the sense that's most linked to memory and so really helps in forming strong impressions of people and places.)

Edit: So Kotomine eats all that Mapo Tofu deliberately so that his B.O. can torment the noses of all the supernaturally-sensitive types he hangs around with?

What are Wynn, Gabriel, Rufus & Uriah scents?

Ilya tastes like Marshmellow. :3

Originally Posted by ItsaRandomUsername

Oh hey, another smelly person! Howzabout that?

Welp, now I'm curious. In your opinion what do you think folks like, say, Gil, Shirou, Illya, and Kotomine smell like?

Shirou smells like Archer without the leather honestly. That same forge smoke and steel smell once he starts tracing. Possibly fresh cooked food.

Ilya? Juniper and something cold, like snow. Something that marks her as not quite a normal person.

Kotomine probably smells like Mapo Tofu and wine.

Gil? Possibly some really exotic and old perfume like frankincense and myrrh.

Gil has the original smell

Oh hey, another smelly person! Howzabout that?

Welp, now I'm curious. In your opinion what do you think folks like, say, Gil, Shirou, Illya, and Kotomine smell like?

I actually HATE writers that do that mainly due to a certain fic. His characters were werewolves and abso-fucking-lutely everyone had a scent to the point I was waiting for him to lampshade it by having the main character's love interest in a room with 4 other lavender scented females and forcing him to choose one while blindfolded.

The fact of the matter is that scent is fine if it makes sense in context, like fire, horrible perfume, ozone, etc. However, having someone smell like chocolate mint is VERY hard to relate to mainly because real humans don't do it and it feels really artificial in describing a character. Unless there's a GOOD reason for it, I associate it with a mary sue trait in much the same way a bad author will haphazardly tack on skills.

I.e. She can play the piano, she has sparkling ruby eyes, she can play the violin and speak Japanese, Farsi and Russian, also her scent smells like Lilacs and Jasmine on a cool summer breeze.

Granted, if it's used well in a story it works. i.e. the dude is a clone/doppleganger and only her keen sense of smell alerts her to the ambush just in time.

I lost my dad's parents as well, Elf (yeah, I know, late reply), and let me just say that it wasn't easy on anybody... especially to clean out what used to belong to the deceased.

Now, I'm not gonna rant about that, seeing that I never went through cleaning out their stuff. I'm just going to say that I honestly wish to have known them better (they lived on the opposite end of the country from me). Besides which, I can say if Grandma died first, Grandpa's life would have been worse than how he had it before died.

Grandpa's given name was Daniel (I think), but everyone called him Harold, his middle name. I still miss my family that has passed on.

Sorry to hear that his later years weren't so hot, but what a great life. Reminds me of my maternal grandfather Freddie, who was a Vietnam vet.

If he goes, and I won't say he'll go yet, may it at least be comfortable.

I'm so sorry for you grandfather, Elf.

But maybe it's better to go this sudden than slowly fade away. My grandpa didn't have Alzheimer's but Parkinson's (and some other diseases), which isn't that bad, but the last couple of years were hard. He had sometimes clear moments, even in the last months, and then he gave the impression he would have wanted to go already (he even said once that he wants to die), because that was not life. I was sad, and I wouldn't have wanted to let go, but now when I'm older, I've understood it better. I've also seen friend's grandparents with Alzheimer's, and it's very hard when the actual person has gone, but the body still lives.

I don't expect this to help you in any way, I just wanted to say that this might not be the worst way to leave, when he still knows who he is and who you are.

I'm sorry to hear about your impending loss, Elf, though I'm glad that you had as much time as you did with him.

Never really knew my grandparents. My paternal ones were dead before I was born, being born at the turn of the century will do that to you. The less said about my maternal grandparents the better. Closest experience I have to watching grandparents wither away would be my Maternal Great Uncle. Got severe brain damage after being attacked in the DC metro. Wicked terrible to see since he was smart as a tack before it happened.

My grandfather is a World War 2 veteran who was, just in the last year or so, taken with Alzheimer's as well. He will be succeeded by six children and, including myself, six grandchildren. He's always been supportive, even if I don't often agree with his political or economic views, and while he was healthy I very much enjoyed being around him.

Now he's just fading a little each day, and I am so very far away. So... I get a little of how you feel, Elf. Hugs. Lots 'o hugs.

My own grandfather passed away about two years ago, on Canada Day - his name was also Charles, though everyone called him Chuck. I feel a little bitter about the day, since he died around 11pm and I should have been there but I'd gone to some local festivities instead and was a bit out of town. He'd gone through a lot in his last years; he was a northern man and liked to keep busy, but he was into his eighties and wasn't in the best of shape, so he wasn't allowed to keep logging as he loved. He spent his last year down in my home town, in the Fraser Valley, and I think that's what might have led to his passing so shortly after he came here; the air isn't as clean down here and he was away from most of his friends who'd been with him for most of his life, and I wish he could have enjoyed his last few years of life some more than he did.

Always hold on to those memories you have of your granddad, Elf. I'm sure he's happy to have had someone like you in his life.

Been there when my grandfather departed. Died while I was holding his hand. I was happy to met him, he taught me values that I still cherish. He had a long and difficult life but never ever did I see him complaining about anything. Always nice and patient, he would sit on the bench in the garden of our house and we would stare at the stars while he would share one of these improbable stories only old people can bring up. He would always cheer me up as a kid when I got scolded and stuff.

On the last days, he wasn't conscious anymore, so I'd sit there for hours and count him own stories . Never been good at that though. He died without regaining consciousness.

While it was a difficult hurdle, It helped me keep focus on what's important. People don't die when they pass away, they leave behind a legacy. As long as you can keep these memories you shared with him close to you, the loss will eventually become strength.

Wishes with you and your family.

Sorry to hear about the crisis, but try not to let yourself be wound up by the fact that he's nearing the end of his life. He lived a good long life, though from what it sounds like, your grandmother may have made it a bit of a mar.

I know that feeling of thinking he was someone else, though - my Grandpa Paul was literally the spitting image of a stereotypical Santa Claus, to the point I called him that when I was really little. I've been told I resemble him quite strongly when he was younger (I've only seen a handful of pictures of him before 40 or so) so hey, at least I can do that when I'm in my fifties or sixties (though I'll hopefully be a fair bit thinner then than I am now.)

. . . I so want to hit you with an "I told you so" right now - because I did, a couple of years back. I warned you that this day would come.

That said, however, I agree with Raven's statement on getting old - and Dezo's on vampire characters, but that's not germane at the moment.

. . . Or should that be, "not St.-Germain?"

Originally Posted by Kelnish

When I say "oldfag" I'm usually talking about Elton John and his ilk.

And you're not a kid (unless you lied about your age)

Originally Posted by Raven2785

As another "Oldfag" as the young kids like to call us these days

When I say "oldfag" I'm usually talking about Elton John and his ilk.

If you ask me, 30 isn't old at all!