I'm trying to get a full mental picture of Bella's love interest, Carud. He's not talking to me much though. I have an idea of what he looks like (The Rock circa Scorpion King..excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin), but...that's not him.

He's got a smartassness to him, a certain amount of badassery, but...that's not him either. He adores Umbra, the darling two-year-old, but I'm not sure how he feels about Bella, or what finally tips him over the edge into loving the crazy broad.

As I usually do, when I'm stuck for inspiration, I turn to my music collection. However, whereas I can usually pick out a theme pretty quickly, Carud is not cooperating.

More Human than Human - Rob Zombie (if there ever was a Mando theme song)
Sex Type Thing - Stone Temple Pilots
Perfect Skin- The 69 Eyes
Firestarter - Prodigy
Freak on a Leash - Korn
Weight of the World- Evanescence
My Last Breath - Evanescence
Like the Rain - Clint Black
Whiskey Hangover - Godsmack
Labyrinth of Moonlight - Asuka Sakai, off the Soul Calibur II soundtrack
...and, to top it off with a final cap of wierdness....
Momma, I'm Comin' Home- by Ozzy Osbourne.

so yes, he's a fighter. Yes, he's gorgeous. No, he doesn't trust Bella. She doesn't trust him either. But yeah- she falls in love with him, and I don't know why. There's a big ol' blank spot in the creative process there.