#about craig

Craig

—    basics.

▸     is    your   muse    tall    /   short    /    average?

Craig is taller than average, coming in at just under 6′1″. He’s the tallest of his siblings, with his two younger brothers hitting between 5′9″ - 5′11″. 

▸     are    they   okay    with    their   height?

He’s cool with it, but sometimes worries that he can appear more aggressive because of his imposing height. He’s a gentle giant most of the time, but he will admit that his longer stride has helped in his line of work. 

▸     what’s    their   hair    like?

It’s currently a bit shorter than he usually keeps it. His ideal look is something he would describe as “casual viking”. His hair is dark blond, not-quite-wavy, and prone to frizz and texture. This is a good example, though it’s usually just hitting his shoulders. 

▸     do    they   spend    a    lot   of    time    on   their    hair/grooming?

He likes to keep his beard in check, and usually keeps it slightly grown out. His hair is pretty thick and can get gross quickly when he works out, so he keeps it as well-maintained as he can. He doesn’t spend a whole lot of time on self-grooming, but enough that he looks clean and presentable.

▸     does   your   muse   care   about   their   appearance/what    others    think?

Honestly? Not really. He likes to look good and feel comfortable. He’s had some comments on his hair, usually about the level of professionalism, but while at work his hair is usually tucked away anyway, so what he chooses to do while offduty is his business. 

—    preferences.

▸     indoors    or   outdoors? 

Outdoors. As expected from someone who embodies ‘lumberjack dad’, Craig loves to be outdoors. He takes the twins camping almost every summer, and he was also responsible for the treehouse and swing in their backgarden. 

▸     rain    or   sunshine? 

Rain. After a long day, there’s nothing he finds more relaxing than sitting on the back porch with a beer and listening to the rain. 

▸     forest    or   beach?

Forest. See ‘lumberjack dad’. He’s pretty good with his hands, is good at climbing, and would survive in a wilderness situation 9/10 times if he was dropped into a wooded area. 

▸     precious    metals   or    gems? 

Metals.

▸     flowers    or   perfumes? 

Flowers. It’s nicer to have a bunch of wildflowers on the kitchen windowsill than it is to make the house stink artificially. Plus, flowers look nice. 

▸     personality    or   appearance?  

Personality. If you’re chill and on his level, then you’re alright. 

▸     being    alone   or    being    in   a    crowd? 

This one could honestly go either way. He values his personal time, but even then he loves to spend time with his kids. So being in a crowd is more his vibe, especially hockey crowds. 

▸     order    or   anarchy? 

Order, though he knows ‘perfect’ order doesn’t exist. He’s seen plenty of misplaced anarchy in his day and, while he knows it has it’s place, he believes that the system must always come back to a state of order or society would collapse. So, while the system may need to be changed, the constant state cannot be an anarchous one, or the system will never be aptly replaced. 

▸  painful    truths    or   white    lies?  

Truths. He has always been open with his kids, and hopes that they will be comfortable enough to be open with him. He isn’t one to shy away from a painful truth, but knows that can be hard for some people to hear. He tends not to lie, but will try to find a way to soften the blow if he can. 

▸     science    or   magic? 

Science. He understands the appeal of magic, but hasn’t ever been particularly drawn to the supernatural. He enjoys the knowledge that almost everything has a scientific reasoning, as it makes the world easier to understand and the universe easier to fathom. 

▸     peace    or   conflict? 

Peace. Craig is always the peacekeeper, whether on the job or offduty. He’s a good mediator, and prefers to find ways around a conflict instead of becoming aggressive. 

▸     night    or   day?  

Night. Again, he finds the quiet calming. 

▸     dusk    or   dawn?  

Dawn. The fresh, crisp morning air cut by a strong mug of coffee is one of his favourite scents. 

▸     warmth    or   cold?  

Warmth. Once autumn/winter hits, you will not see him without one of several fleecy jumpers or hoodies. 

▸     many   acquaintances    or    a   few    close    friends? 

Close friends. He knows the value of having people close to lean on in hard times, and the support of his close loved ones has been invaluable in his life. He would rather know the people he’s with than have vapid small talk. 

▸     reading    or   playing    a    game? 

Reading, particularly newspapers. He likes to be caught up with current events. He also likes to have physical newspapers more than digital ones as, once they’re out of date, they can be used for other things. 

—    questionnaire.

▸     what    are   some    of    your   muse’s    bad    habits?

Despite encouraging his kids to be open with him, Craig has a tendency to hide his negative emotions for fear of putting extra pressure on them. Some lesser bad habits include: not cleaning his hairbrush, biting his nails when they ‘get too long’, forgetting to lock the back door after bringing the dogs back in, and being overly self-critical when he builds something that he considers ‘sub-par’.

▸     has    your   muse    lost    anyone   close    to    them?     how    has   it    affected    them?

The big one was losing his wife, Marie, to cervical cancer. It was a long battle of testing and treatment, only for her to get a reccurance a few months after being declared clear in year two. They had been together over twenty years, having met during university, and despite the long time spent struggling, he still feels like her death was sudden. He really struggled managing his grief alongside continuing to raise Anna and Andrew, and initially tried to shift his own grief to the back of his mind so he could better help them with their own. 

The time spent with Marie near the end taught Craig a lot about himself. He realised how little he cared for outward appearances, as he shaved his hair alongside her when hers began to fall out. He learnt that he had the ability to remain strong, even when faced with the greatest tragedy of his life. He learnt that if this, the worst thing he had ever imagined, didn’t break him, then there was nothing that could. It took him a long time to recognise those things, and he still wonders if there was anything more he could have done, but he knows that Marie is better off now than she was suffering, and he knows that he is a better man for having stuck by her and his family through the tragedy. 

▸     what    are   some    fond    memories   your    muse    has?

Craig will always claim that his fondest memories are his wedding and the birth of the twins, but the ones that come to mind are often a lot simpler. The kids first words (Anna’s was “juice” and Andrew’s was “car”), Marie laughing as he tries to cook, Anna smiling at him over her shouder when she learnt how to ride a bike, Andrew blaming Anna when he got caught drawing on the wallpaper, or watching the twins sleep with his wife and realising how lucky he was to have the family he always wanted. 

▸     is   it    easy    for   your    muse    to   kill?

No. Craig has a hard line against that, and it would take a hell of a lot to push him over that line. He knows loss, and he doesn’t wish it on anyone. 

▸     what’s    it   like    when    your   muse    breaks    down?

He’ll be flustered, and won’t know what to do with his hands. It takes a lot for him to cry, but if he does he won’t hide it. He’s not a loud man either, so he wouldn’t be shouting much. He’ll be quiet, but it’s the quiet that allows him to dissolve. He’s also a hugger. 

▸     is    your   muse    capable    of   trusting    someone    with   their    life?

Yes, but it takes a lot of trust. He has to trust the people he works with if they go into a dangerous situation, but he trusts them implicitly. He trusts his family with his life, and most likely always will. 

▸     what’s    your   muse    like    when   they’re    in    love?

An absolute puppy. This man will wait on you hand and foot. When Marie was pregnant she had to tell him off for offering to carry her everywhere, and he would barely let her lift a finger. He will absolutely never admit this, but he’s a complete romantic. 

Tagged by: @illicreatxm

Tagging:@bystcrdust,@naturally-recklessly,@a-simple-rper, and anyone else who wants to do this ✌️