True Heroes A to Z: X Factor

True heroes are all around us, in our every day lives, but some people stand out. During this A-Z Challenge I hope to share several of my real life heroes, and invite you to share yours in the comments.

-factor: this is my eXtra cheaty post, because let's face it, no one's name starts with X. (Okay, maybe there are a few people, but admirable ones?) So, as long as I'm cheating, I'm going to rant about Leonardo Da Vinci.

Everyone knows this guy for his art: The Mona Lisa, etc. I've heard it said that if his images could be restored in full detail, we'd be blown away by the colors and detail, and I believe it.

He was so much more than a painter: an inventor, a mathematician, a sculptor, a musician, engineer, botanist, writer, teacher and more... He was a creative factory of awesomeness. An innovator.

He imagined up flying machines, a tank, solar power, an adding machine, and even theorized about plate tectonics. He had something, a raw creativity that I admire in anyone, and he pursued it. It's that kind of creativity I hope to cultivate in my own children through allowing them to pursue their interests educationally, a huge reason we home school.

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Jane Eyre meets Supernatural

So while we're talking about the X factor, let me introduce a character who has it (originally interviewed by Kerri Cuevas HERE): 

Bellezza takes a seat, honeydew ringlets spilling loosely over thin shoulders. No more than thirteen, she glares through chocolate eyes that bear as much gravity as a black-hole.

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

*blinks in horror* Die. Maybe I’d have to start plotting my own death from boredom.

What are you most proud of about your life?

No man or cage can hold me. I am free. Like the wind.

Do you think you’ve turned out the way your parents expected?

My parents had no expectations, weak things that they were.

You’re saying they’re dead?

Killed old pappy myself.

Can I ask why?

*grin fades* Depends. Do you like horror stories? *brows lower* Keep on this line of questioning and your life will be one.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done to someone?

*cocks her head grinning* I sent a woman as strong as myself to the Soulless. And may she suffer for eternity.

Why did you do that?

*grimaces* She stabbed me with gold. Do you know what that feels like? Imagine acid—liquid acid beneath your skin. Now times that by one hundred.

What are you most afraid of?

If you tell anyone this, I will dangle your innards from the nearest flagpole. Understood? *squints, pointing with a threatening finger* I am irredeemable. In the end I will be alone. But I must continue in my mission, for myself, for those who have suffered. I am a product of my circumstances, a tool no loving or respectable person can be. I am needed. 

Who is your favorite inventor? Who is your favorite artist? Do you allow your creativity to come out to play? Met any characters who really have the X factor?