#yeah i remember this part in her first documentary and kind of being like...eh?

[fideidefenswhore]

Yet, even Chapuys, who gives us this information, says earlier in the same letter that ‘there had been… talk of a new marriage for this king… which rumour agrees well with my own news from the court of France, where, according to letters [I have] received, courtiers maintain that this king has actually applied for the hand of Francis’ daughter’. Chapuys himself therefore does not connect up the rumours of a ‘new marriage’ with Jane Seymour. In early April, Jane was still little more than a lady whom the king was pursuing. At best, in accordance with the conventions of courtly love, she was the lady whom ‘he serves’ – a telling phrase. At worst, she was a passing fancy, whom Henry may have hoped to make his mistress. Chapuys certainly didn’t think much of Henry’s choice. He described Jane the day before Anne’s execution as ‘no great beauty’ and ‘not a woman of great wit’; he implied that she was unlikely to be a virgin, and reported that people said she was inclined ‘to be proud and haughty’. Yet, by this point, the world had changed, and with it, Henry’s intentions towards Jane. It is highly improbable that before Anne was considered guilty of adultery, Henry had seriously begun to plan to make Jane his wife.

1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII, Suzannah Lipscomb

"I hear that, even before the arrest of the Concubine, the King, speaking with Mistress Jane Semel of their future marriage [...]"

[putschki1969]

KEIKO Newsletter #1 Long Interview - English Translation

This is an amazing and incredibly insightful interview so be sure to check it out. Really, everyone should read this. It’s very candid and you will be able to understand Keiko so much better after reading all of this. However, please note that this is fan club EXCLUSIVE CONTENT so DO NOT SHARE on other sites.

❗ Please support KEIKO ❗ ❗ JOIN HER FAN CLUB ❗ ❗ Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

KEIKO Official Fan Club 肉とチョコレート Fan Club Magazine Volume #1: KEIKO Long Interview (p 2-6)

-- It's been such a long time since our last interview. KEIKO: That’s true *laughs*. But let's act naturally without putting on airs, there is really no need for that! -- Right *laughs*. How are you spending your days? KEIKO: I am fully immersed in my music. However, since it’s quite hard to be mobile right now due to Corona, I am mostly focusing on doing research for my voice. Originally I had planned to be busy with music production but due to the influence of COVID-19 restrictions, the recording did not progress smoothly. Quite the contrary actually, it took quite a while to finish a single song, the production almost came to a full stop for some time. That’s how I ended up with a little time to spare for my research. I am the type to really enjoy spending a lot of time working on my songs, so I was absorbed in my research, trying to find the best ways of expression. -- What type of research was it? KEIKO: I am studying how to best approach a new song. How can I align my voice with a song so it resounds in a pleasant manner? It's a lot of fun to figure out the right accents and intonations, where to position my vocals for the best possible reverberation, how to colour my voice to match the melody. Even though we are in this situation, I still feel like I am spending my time efficiently. Therefore, rather than saying, "I will just be patient and wait until this self-isolation period is over", I spend my days doing what I need to do. -- Listening to you talking right now, I get the feeling that you are very straightforward, your approach to music seems to be quite different compared to the past. KEIKO: It's not a better or worse approach but it's definitely completely different from what I used to do so you really cannot compare it... Now I'm working based on my instincts, if I feel like singing a song, then I will just do it. When it comes to “Ray” for example, my staff members recommended it to me, saying it would really suit me. So I just went ahead with it. The more time I spent focused on the song, the more addictive it became. I chose my other songs on a whim too simply because I wanted to sing them. Then I searched for a voice that would bring out the best of the song and make it shine. When I actually try to sing these songs with my own voice for the first time I usually feel like my voice doesn’t match but then I try and try again to pursue a better sound. -- Your own choices lead onto a new path for yourself! The very essence of a solo artist’s activities so to speak. KEIKO: When you say it like that, it starts feeling so real. It was so much fun to get immersed in these activities. -- I think the last time we met was on March 30, 2018, when Kalafina held a stage greeting for the premiere of your documentary film "Kalafina 10th Anniversary Film ~A Sparkling Harmony Spun out of Dreams~". What state of mind were you in after that? KEIKO: We made a commitment, a promise to ourselves, to all our fans and staff members so we were hell-bent on reaching our 10th Anniversary with all our might. As we continued to rush towards our goal regardless of anything else, my physical condition started to deteriorate. By the time we had achieved what we had set out to do I had reached my limit. Therefore I decided to take a rest in order to take proper care of my body.

-- You are the type of person that continues onwards in a stoic manner without ever taking a break... KEIKO: Yes! So I told myself, “you need to rest now!” -- Actually, at that time your physical condition seemed very fragile to me. KEIKO: I am sorry if I made you worry. I was very much aware of my state but I decided to ignore it in favour of pushing further ahead. I was determined to keep our promise. -- And then you finally took a break. KEIKO: I can talk about this openly now but I was actually thinking about completely retiring from music. For the longest time my entire existence revolved around being Kalafina’s Keiko and I was constantly switching the button on and off between my private and professional life. Once I wasn’t Kalafina’s Keiko anymore I ended up losing my presence of mind, I no longer knew who I was as an individual. I thought that there was nothing I could do in the world of entertainment, like I had no place there anymore. After all, you can only be active in this world if there is a demand for what you have to offer. -- Yes, that may be the case. KEIKO: But what the fans wanted was Kalafina. And that’s not something I felt like I was able to restore. “How should I best express myself if there is no demand for what I can offer as a solo artist?” This kind of thinking wasn’t positive at all so I thought I shouldn't return to the industry. That's why I felt it would be best for Kalafina's Keiko to just not do or say anything, I simply “disappeared”. That's honestly the reason why. -- The Keiko I know as an artist is stoic, diligent, very strict on herself but incredibly caring when it comes to others... an image of perfection so to speak. But truth is, it seems that music was your driving force, if you hadn’t had Kalafina’s music, you wouldn’t have been able to move ahead. KEIKO: Yeah, I wouldn’t have been able to move ahead at all. Actually, that’s a character trait of mine, whether you consider that to be a good or bad thing *bitter smile*. I am the type that’s able to keep running and pushing forward because my goals and ambitions dictate everything I do. That's why I couldn't return in this half-baked state of mind, after all, I don’t do half-measures and it would have felt like I was betraying everyone who had been supporting us in the past...at that time, I was seriously considering retirement, I guess it was because my mind and body were exhausted. -- This was probably the first time you ever experienced something like that in your life? KEIKO: Yes, it was the first time for me. Around that time, my nephew was born and we all went to see my grandmother after a long time. Something really weird happened there. When I looked at my nephew who had just been born and my grandmother who was 80 years older than him, I couldn’t help but see a striking resemblance, their faces were alike despite their enormous age difference, isn’t that strange? For some reason, that made me think about "life". Going to visit both of them regularly truly healed my heart. -- Maybe that’s something that would have gone unnoticed if you hadn’t put a halt to your busy life to rest a bit. KEIKO: Yes, I think so. I feel like it's been around 17 or 18 years since I have experienced such an everyday relaxed life. The time with my family released all the tension that had gathered up from my non-stop activities as Kalafina’s Keiko, all of a sudden, my deepest tensions were dissolved. When I was spending time with my grandmother, I remembered "aaah, back in the day, granny helped me put on a kimono!” I wanted to continue that tradition and learn the technique as well so I would later be able to help my niece and nephew put on traditional Japanese clothing. That’s why I decided to go to kimono school. -- Oh I see. KEIKO: Around summer time I met up with an old friend from school. During one of our chats the idea of a trip suddenly came up. Almost everyone has gone on a trip after graduating uni or something but I have actually never gone on a proper “girls trip”. I was like, “yeah, that would be great!” so my friend said, “okay, let’s go on a trip!” and that’s how we ended up taking a girls trip....We went to Angkor Wat, a World Heritage Site in Cambodia, I had always wanted to go there. This trip would not have been possible if I had continued my work as member of Kalafina, when we had made our plans it felt like I was thrown back to my high school days, it was very liberating *laughs*. I really wanted to experience the heat and humidity of Cambodia, the turbulent landscapes of the past and present, and the energy of the people living there. My friend was quite taken aback by my suggestion, "eh! Cambodia?!"

-- She was surprised you didn’t suggest a resort or something *laughs*. KEIKO: She told me, “I just didn’t expect that based on the image you portray” *laughs*. The time I spent with my family and friends separated me from the music I had pursued for such a long time. I didn't listen to a single song. Going four months without listening to music, it’s something I can’t remember ever experiencing before. -- Did you not want to listen to music? KEIKO: Music was just gone from my life or I guess it simply stopped coming into my life. Perhaps my brain was shutting it out in order to heal my mind and body. During that time, I discovered so many parts of myself that were completely different from Kalafina’s Keiko. My true nature I guess. I felt like that was the real KEIKO. I realised, “I didn't know myself at all!”  The truth is, I have many insecurities so in order to protect myself I had created a fortress, an “image of Keiko” with high towers and lots of keys, I had felt comfortable hiding behind that image but the feeling of being released from myself was very refreshing. At that time I felt like I still had many changes ahead of me and that I would like to discover new aspects of myself that I didn’t know yet. I still feel that way. Slowly I want to scrape off one layer after the other from the facade I have carefully crafted throughout the years. -- Interesting. KEIKO: If you are living that kind of life, you are bound to feel better *laughs*.  My health improved a lot! I felt so much lighter, like a heavy burden had been lifted off my shoulders, both my mind and body were able to heal and become healthy again. That was around the end of summer in 2018. During all this time various people from the music industry and media had contacted me because they were concerned. At the beginning, I would just reply, "I'm sorry, I can't deal with this right now..." Gradually though my opinion changed and by the end of summer I felt like I was ready to dip my toes into the industry again, I was like, “okay, let’s talk a little about my options.” I met up with the producer of my current agency. He asked me, "you have sung such a wide variety of songs in the past but what kind of songs do you want to sing from now on?" I couldn’t provide an answer because I honestly had no idea. For a few days I was super depressed because for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what music I wanted to sing. I mean, it’s a really pathetic situation for someone as involved in music as myself to not know what kind of music I want to do in the future. Then one day I thought, “that’s it, that’s enough, this has to stop right now” and wham, my switch was turned on. From then onwards, I was once again able to devote myself to music and I could listen to Yuki Kajiura's music without being negatively affected by it. -- So from one moment to the next you pretty much went from wanting to retire from the entertainment industry to wanting to resume your activities. KEIKO: Well, the demand was great. If there hadn’t been a demand, I would have never returned. Either way, I realise that my break was not a waste of time but rather a necessity. Later when I would discuss all of this with Kajiura-san she told me, "it’s a good thing that people like us are making music. For the general public we are just considered emotionally unstable but when it comes to music we can make good use of all our quirks and channel everything into our work”. Both of us broke into laughter after that *laughs*. -- Artists are truly fascinating people. It's wonderful that you are able to shine on stage. KEIKO: It’s tough for us though *laughs*! But well, it’s our music activities that provide us with energy. Right now I feel most calm when I am at the studio. Once my state of mind had gradually improved, I listened to a lot of live music from various artists. By experiencing music from the audience’s point of view I wanted to use my instincts to find out what kind of music got me excited, hoping that I would find something I would want to sing myself. I checked the songs that I really liked and found cool, I even tried to sing them in the studio. But no matter how many times I sang them, nothing felt right. Until one day when I came across a song that was randomly played on my smartphone, that one felt nice, it felt right. I knew I wanted to do that. It happened to be one of Kajiura-san’s songs. It just felt so genuine. On a whim, I decided to write a letter to Kajiura-san. I told her, "I have reached a point where I can sing again with a positive attitude. I once again realised that I was able to pursue my work as member of Kalafina for 10 years straight because I just really loved your music." That was at the end of 2018 and Kajiura-san immediately contacted me when she had received my letter, "don’t you want to meet up at the beginning of next year?" After not having seen each other for quite some time we talked for about five hours *laughs*. I shared my honest feelings with her and she suggested, "do you want to participate in my lives?" I was like, “absolutely!” So in January 2019 it was decided that I would take part in the upcoming Yuki Kajiura Live Tour.

-- Over the course of a year Kalafina’s Keiko and the Keiko that had absolutely nothing to do with Kalafina converged into a single person and became the KEIKO of today.  KEIKO: I think 2018 was a very important year in my life. Once I had separated myself from music for a while, I was able to realise how important it was for me. After finishing the YK tour, I started delving a little into music production as "KEIKO" but rather than finding the music I wanted to do, more than anything I just wanted to be absorbed in the process of music production. Right now I am very open to all song suggestions by my producer, I won’t give anything a “no go” because I literally want to try everything. I am focused on the task of how to approach any given song. I don’t want to think too deeply about the whole process and it’s not so much about wanting or not wanting to sing it, first and foremost it’s about giving everything a try. -- I think in your previous activites you were taking things too seriously, always thinking deeply about everything and trying to figure out the meaning behind it all. So this new approach is definitely a big change for you, isn’t it? KEIKO: That's true! Sometimes I wonder, "is it okay to be so casual and carefree about it?" But really, more than anything it’s about being happy and I can honestly say that I am super happy focusing on the music production and doing research on different vocal techniques. -- In a sense, you are just innocently pursuing music? KEIKO: Yes and that’s amazing. I came back because I wanted to do this! -- You are able to work on your music with an open mind free from all responsibilities. KEIKO: I guess it’s okay to find joy in the innocence of doing that? -- Music is about being free, we can all enjoy it as we please so it’s totally fine. In fact, now that you are starting your solo activities I think it’s wonderful that you are able to pursue music with this sort of innocence, it’s like you are returning to your starting point and reliving that initial sense of excitement when you were making music for the very first time. KEIKO: I am glad you are saying this *laughs*. I still don't know where my music as KEIKO is heading. Right now it’s just about having fun. It’s really just that.

-- Coming back to your songs, when I first listened to 「命の花」, 「Be Yourself」 and 「Ray」 I felt like I had met a new KEIKO. KEIKO: I'm happy to hear that. -- I would like to talk a little about 「命の花」, it’s the first time you wrote the lyrics for a song, right? How did you come up with the lyrics? KEIKO: Actually, I came up with these lyrics thinking, "I want to sing this song as soon as possible!" It wasn’t so much about, "I want to convey this or that in my lyrics." I just loved the demo tape so much! I wanted to meet the person who wrote it. I was utterly captivated by this song. I listened to the demo tape again and again but I had trouble with the lyrics, I couldn’t really think of anything. I got frustrated because I wanted to sing it already so I just ended up applying all kinds of words to the melody. This is how the lyrics for “Inochi no Hana” came to life. I got sent dozens of demo tapes as candidates for my solo debut but for some reason I was absolutely fascinated by this beautiful melody. -- So you spun the words being guided by the beautiful melody that you fell in love with? KEIKO: It's embarrassing when people say "I was spinning words" becaue really, what I did wasn’t anywhere near as poetic or cool but yeah, I guess it was something like that. Although it was my first attempt at songwriting, one could say that I was able to write the lyrics in a natural manner without getting overwhelmed more than necessary. I was really just going back to my old habit of pursuing the "beautiful sound", something I had done ever since my Kalafina days. It took me some time to match the words born out of my emotions with the sound of the melody. Trying to respect that and wanting everything to match I would sometimes come up with quite mundane and simple phrases. But that was intentional. As long as my words fit the notes, that was fine with me, I think for my maiden work it is the best I could do. -- As a result, I feel like the lyrics resonate incredibly well with this beautiful melody. KEIKO: Thank you. I'm really looking forward to everyone’s reaction, I am wondering if I was able to touch my fans on an emotional level. If possible, I would like to hear a lot of your impressions. "How was it? Did you think it wasn’t so great? Did you not like it? Are you hoping my next songs will be better?” I wanna hear all of it *everyone laughs*.  The staff members I'm working with right now sometimes have very different opinions, which is quite refreshing, it’s a lot of fun and very educating to work with them. They provide a stimulating environment where I notice things that I would’t have noticed before, they make me think about all kinds of things and they inspire me to be interested in lots of stuff. While exchanging opinions, I really feel like we have become TEAM KEIKO. -- You seem super happy and content talking to me like this. KEIKO: I keep wondering, is it okay to be like this? Am I being too naive and innocent? -- No! I Not at all! I think it’s perfect. Rather refreshing actually. KEIKO: I am a newbie after all (as solo artist)! *everyone laughs* -- One can tell that you are blessed with good staff! KEIKO: But really, it’s all an accumulation of my past activities. If it hadn’t been for my 10 years in Kalafina and if I hadn’t taken a well-needed break, I wouldn’t have this environment now. -- That’s true. As for "Be Yourself" and "Ray", they are quite the curve ball for everyone who is familar with your previous work. KEIKO: Indeed. I never meant to sing "Be Yourself" but when I mentioned that I really loved the song my producer said, “oh really? Then you should sing it!” *laughs* I asked myself if I should really take on the challenge of trying to sing a song with such a fresh and exciting vibe... I don’t think it would have been possible without my current staff members. I was able to take on the challenge because everyone was encouraging me and enjoying the ride along with me, no one was limiting me or questioning my potential. Until I actually worked on the song it was like a bag full of surprises for me, I had to idea what to expect and I couldn’t imagine the final outcome. By singing this song, I feel like I have expanded my range of music. As a listener, I have always loved listening to songs with such a youthful vibe. But never ever could I have imagined that one day I would be singing such a song myself *laughs*. I sang this song free from all obstructive thoughts, with a completely open mind, just focusing on the rhythm. As a result, it turned out to be a pretty tough song to sing so I spent about 3 days in the recording studio. -- I think your singing voice sounded very unique since it was inspired by the fresh and exhilarating rock vibe. This song must have really made you aware of your unknown abilities. And I felt that "Ray" was a song that powerfully conveyed your expressive power and passion as a solo singer. KEIKO: When it comes to “Ray” I wanted to find something that would properly represent “KEIKO - the solo singer”. Also, I wanted it to be a song one could listen to repeatedly without getting tired of it. I feel very insecure about my voice and I usually don't feel like listening to my own singing over and over again. However, I thought that I had to overcome these insecurities if I ever wanted to sing for my audience as a solo artist. After a lot of research we finally decided on "Ray". I recorded it with a particular focus on even the smallest sound. After dealing with this song, I had a much easier time approaching new songs. I got much faster at finding the right sound and expression to suit a new melody. This was definitely the song that solidified my singing as a solo singer. -- Regarding “Hajimari wa”, I think we will talk about it in depth when we do our next interview. But overall I would say that you have released some impressive work ever since your solo debut. Solid music with a lot of range and depth. I think your solo debut was truly spectacular. KEIKO: I'm really blessed. To think that someone like me who thought of quitting not too long ago would be given such a wonderful production environment. Moreover, I couldn't have ever imagined all the different kinds of expressions I get try out now, these are all ways of singing that I have never used before. -- I think one can and should try new things at any time in life, regardless of age or the stage you are in your career. KEIKO: By all means! If anyone wants to try something new I can tell you this from the bottom of my heart, "please don't be afraid! If you fail, you can start over, just try to feel like a child again, do not surpress your honest feelings!" I wish there would be more people with that kind of motivation. In the past I couldn't have considered that way of thinking either *laughs*. But now I have genuinely started to think this way. I would like to continue my musical activities conveying these ideas for my loyal fans who have loved me for such a long time and for everyone who I will meet in the future.

Interviewer: Akihiro Tomita He has done lots of interviews with Kalafina in the past, he moderated some of their events, he appeared in their 10th Anniversary movie and of course he is currently Hikaru’s manager/producer at Hifumi.

[writingamongtheroses-archive]

(MA’s never had a sleepover. Riley takes offense. @ursamaaajor and @yourocsbackstory, prompt for Parents. CW for threatened violence and mentions of corpses and disposing of a body.)

“What do you mean, YOU’VE NEVER WATCHED DISNEY!?”

Heads all turned at the yell. Standing on the steps of the school, Riley West gripped Mary Arden Ayres’s shoulders. The latter, who had been messing on her phone, seemed caught off guard. “Never...really watched animation before. My dad told me it was a waste of time.” she said, looking around nervously.

Riley released her shoulders. “Yeah, but didn’t you watch anything like that at sleepovers?”

She shrugged. “Never had a sleepover.”

He stiffened and there was a long moment of silence. “Give me your phone.”

“Wha- Why?”

“Phone.”

Mary Arden quickly handed over her phone. Riley set to work, tapping something out. After a few minutes, he handed it back over. “Done!”

She looked it over with a frown. “What did you just do?”

“Scheduled a sleepover tonight at your place,” he said brightly. “You and I are going to have a Disney marathon and we are going to pig out on junk food and you are going to tell me everything about your childhood so I know how hard to punch your dad.”

Mary Arden was left gaping as Riley merrily skipped down the stairs.

~`~`~

“He’s being ridiculous. My  childhood wasn’t that bad, right?”

Mary Arden finished tying her hair back and turned to her conversation partner. “Right?” The cat ignored her and started grooming his leg. She let out a huff. “You’re no help."

At the recommendation of Frida, MA and Riley would change into their pajamas before the sleepover. She now wore an old button-up and grey sweatpants. Riley would be arriving soon with the snacks and movies. Her mom had ordered pizza and breadsticks. The doorbell rang downstairs.

MA, picking up the cat, hurried out of her room and down the stairs. The rain was coming down outside. She opened the door and stared. “What are you wearing?”

Riley, holding a sleeping bag, three grocery bags, and one large duffel bag, gave a snort. “Excuse you, these are my one of a kind Star Wars PJs.” He received a blank look. “Why does it not surprise me that you’ve never seen Star Wars. Don’t worry, I put those and some non-Disney movies in here.” He patted the duffel bag proudly.

“Right, okay.” Setting the cat down, Mary Arden took the duffel bag and some of the grocery bags. “So, what happens in a sleepover?”

“First,” Riley reached into the duffel. “We’re gonna start the movies off with my favorite: The Great Mouse Detective!”

~`~`~

After Riley’s favorite, movie watching dissolved into taking turns choosing the movie, except when it was part of a series. Riley insisted on watching the series in order. They ate food- Mary Arden finding that watermelon Jolly Ranchers were her favorite candy. It was around midnight when the conversation turned to heavier subjects.

Snow White was singing on-screen when Riley looked down. “Hey, Mary?”

“Mary Arden.”

“If you’ve never watched animation, then what did you watch?”

She shifted, hair having gotten loose when she rested her head in his lap. “Mostly documentaries. Dad thinks animation is childish, not for someone who’s gonna grow up successful. Didn’t have many friends either.”

“Seriously?”

She shrugged. “Well, not exactly friends. Just...people I knew. From school and parties and Mass. Wasn’t really close to anybody.” MA sat up. “Okay, my turn. Why my place?”

“Eh, this place is bigger,” Riley said with a smile. It faded. “And...I don’t know. It felt right. If Allison was still around…”

She nodded. She knew everyone in Sunshine had scars. Riley had been friends with the girl who had lived in the house before her. Now, Allison Green laid in a grave back in Michigan, in the town she had been born in and moved from.

“My turn.” He was silent for a moment. “What happened with Amaryllis?”

Mary Arden, in exchange, was quiet for a long time. She was remembering the smell of something rotting, the screeches of pain, and the weight of carrying a rotting body to the river. “...She asked me for help. She lives in the electronics now. I dumped her body in the river…”

“And then pretended you found it.”

She nodded.

Riley nodded, turning his attention to the screen.

[gilfawley]

have you been re-introduced to gilbert fawley? last we heard, the pureblood was most familiar with timeline three. I don’t recall if they were always a hufflepuff, but I’ve heard the sixth year is still optimistic, determined, altruistic, and overzealous, sensitive, open-book, so that’s familiar. at least he remembers their way around the castle.

hi it bailey back at it again with another one. again it’s just a modified version of my app. o well.

born 21st of june, 1961.

sun sign is gemini — enthusiastic and uniquely charming; you are good at almost anything you put your mind to, and can make just about anyone laugh.

moon sign is libra — likely to be a natural peace-maker. you are probably adept at seeing things from another’s point-of-view, and can be counted on to both listen when needed, and offer objective advice when required. your instinctive ability to get on with others can make you popular and gracious in most situations. you are likely to be respected for your reasonable, fair-minded approach to life. principles will be important to you; you are likely to have a strong sense of justice, and will feel disturbed by any situation that you perceive as unfair.

ascendant sign is virgo — typically humble and at times self-effacing, you can be more concerned with being useful than being recognized. there is a need to be productive; to be of service somehow. you are usually willing to assist and be of service to others, being hardworking, conscientious and studious. nonetheless, you are likely to be a bit on hard on yourself, with a tendency to worry.

midheaven sign is gemini — usually easygoing, though if they have no feeling behind their words, their ideas may get lost in the shuffle. individuals with a midheaven in gemini have a strong sense of intuition, are good at managing their resources and generally have a good sense of pacing.

wand: english oak, unicorn hair, 13″, pliant — for good and bad times and as loyal as the wix who wields it, english oak takes affinity with the magic of the natural world. unicorn hair symbolizes those full of spirit, sweet and gentle, cheerful and value family and friendship. wix who are dependable, humble, independent, caring and loyal. kindhearted and free spirited; optimistic wizards and witches will attract wands of this core. particularly best for water and earth elemental magic, and difficult to turn to dark arts. wands that are of pliant flexibility warm up easily to people, however their potential is based solely upon their owner. pliant wands are what their wielder needs them to be, strengths and weaknesses are one-in-the-same. owners of them are often eager and enthusiastic, tending to be easily impressed or naïve.

familiar: a female snowy owl appropriately named owlivia. patronus: hedgehog — they show happy-go-lucky and kind, slightly naïve optimistic individuals. however it’s also said those with this patronus have a tough personality to them, as hard as it is to believe in gilbert’s case at first glance. to be more on the carefree side, yet still able to be grounded and practical when the situation calls for it; knowing when to fight and when to let it go is important.

amortentia: garden soil, fresh chocolate chip pancakes, bananas, and gillywater.

boggart: goblin — he knows it’s silly, that he shouldn’t be afraid of them really, but the irrationality never seemed to go away. having the displeasure to see one overly grumpy goblin at gringotts when he was six was enough to strike an everlasting fear in his bones. gilbert still feels awful for when he cried in first year after learning professor flitwick was part-goblin.

his sense of humor is lighthearted and genuine. you know that kid who unabashedly laughs at their own jokes/puns? that would be gilbert. that kid that laughs too hard while telling a story, so much that they can’t even finish it? that would also be gilbert.

he’s self-proclaimed king of the forbidden forest, but he also doesn’t like going out in them too much anymore ever since becoming a prefect because he doesn’t want to get in trouble if caught.

probably would stay up until 3am watching nature documentaries if he could get away with it.

absolutely adores gobstones!!!! has been playing since he was a little kid!!! what a nerd, bless his heart. he’s even captain of the hogwarts team. :’’) he’s a quidditch beater too!! joined in his third year.

baby boi is bi bi bi, but he only.....kissed one (1) girl and that’s it kjdbcfdjsnd he’s? not shy or anything, but like...hey sometimes life happens and/or he’s hyperfocused on something else. he probably gets rly flustered when thinking ab other guys like that though bc he’s!! not used to it.

ALRIGHT!

the fawley family was never one for fanatic blood purity, despite maintaining their own place among the sacred twenty-eight throughout generations. from former minister for magic hector fawley, to his son and daughter-in-law, to little gilbert. however they were quickly labeled blood traitors as years progressed. hector jr. and his wife, grace, taught their son the importance of acceptance. after all, they adopted a muggleborn witch and raised her as their own. these ideals and actions heavily clashed with the traditional pureblood beliefs, but the fawley’s paid no attention to the sneers and disapproving looks. they were happy and that was all that mattered.

with his sister being muggleborn, mr and mrs fawley thought it would be beneficial for both children to be acquainted in that world as well. a local playground in the muggle area, he and his sister would spend hours upon hours running around. often, he would pick nearby flowers and bring them to his mother with that bright smile of his. to this day, those moments are some of his favorite.

when his fifth year of hogwarts came around, gilbert was entrusted with a prefect badge. he still isn’t entirely sure how or why they chose him, because he thought there were better candidates, but that didn’t stop him from treating it with newfound pride. he also began working even harder in his classes, despite the occasional exploding cauldron in potions.......oops???? HE TRIES OK IT JUST.....DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK OUT. slug’s pretty patient with him, but like, also you can tell he’s #overit because c’mon gilbert goddamn you’re in sixth year now you can’t keep making silly first year mistakes sometimes :///

ESPECIALLY if you wanna be a healer??? get it together!!!

okay so like --- all in all, gilbert is ambivalent about the other timelines. on one hand, he thinks it’s interesting, but on the other it’s terrifying. he wouldn’t have minded getting the first timeline admittedly, though the mere thought of the second timeline gives him chills. with the war approaching in his original reality, who knew what could become of them? it worries him greatly.

but i mean again overall he.....doesn’t really care? it’s like eh....he’s the same, so is his sister & their family.......he’s kinda weirded out if his friends aren’t the friends he knows but.,,,, water off a duck’s back with this one lmao

TIMELINE ONE --- everything is pretty much the same??? he’s happy????? the happiest ball of sunshine???? still in hufflepuff, still a prefect, still a geek ass nerd who is president of the gobstones team...,,, it’s just gilbert minus the worry of a dumb war tbh

TIMELINE TWO --- it starts off exactly the same but when the war tipped in favor of the death eaters and they won?? hahahaha PAL. OH MAN. BUDDY. HE WAS SSSSSHAKING. not like oh my god i’m scared ( well, yeah maybe that too ) but like..............HECKA MAD. he’s never been really much of a fighter, and he’s the first to admit it, but he’s also not the type to sit back and watch shit like that? very >:(  ,,,,,,,with his family being blood traitors, it wasn’t much of a good time regardless that he’s pureblood lol

buT!! gil definitely 100000% snuck as many assignments back to selina as he could since it was recommended that muggleborns didn’t attend school for, uh, obvious reasons. and you KNOW mcgonagall helped him do it!! 

and....it’s ...,,, 1:40am, so. i should..........go to bed....or something. probably. idk this is a mess as per usual when it comes to me dsjjs but i love him a whole ton

[kiwis-ontheloose]

Honest Eyes: Part 4

So, I know it’s been a minute, but I hope someone is still interested in this series.  I have some ideas that I’m really excited about!  I want to shout out @bribe-the-door again for giving me the guts to do this!  

Jane twisted around in her seat.  Next to her Bex was snoring and Jane just couldn’t take it anymore.  “Hey” she whispered lightly knocking on her friend’s head, “This flight is boring by myself.”  Bex kept sleeping.  Jane sighed and leaned back, in a few more hours they would be landing in L.A. and then who knows what would happen.  John hadn’t come right out and said who they were going to do film work for.  

He had sat in his chair eyes bright “Now it’s a small documentary about a musician creating an album Sony is hoping will blow up.  They want a small low-key team so that there’s no unnecessary attention, and that’s why I think you girls will do excellent!”  Bex and Jane shared a glance before turning back to him.  “Bex, you just know when to turn the camera on, and that’s 70% of a project like this.”  He then turned to Jane, “And you, you are great at putting people at their ease, and getting them to talk and you have a good story-telling instinct.  I don’t have any doubt in my mind that the two of you will absolutely kill putting this together.”  He leaned back in his chair, quite contented with himself, nodding, “This is exactly what Jeff needs and he doesn’t even know it yet,” he looked up at the girls, “So you’re in right?”  

***

Jane and Bex held hands as they fought their way away from the LAX baggage claim.  They hurried to leave the airport, keeping their eyes peeled for their ride.  “What are we looking for again?”  Jane huffed as she dragged her suitcase behind her.

“A woman with red curly hair and a sign that says ‘Welcome J B’ ”

“Good thing they didn’t put ‘em the other way around.” Jane quipped.  Bex shot a raised eyebrow towards her as they continued to hurry through the crowds.  Eventually, they saw who they were looking for.  

“Hey, there, I’m Carla”  the woman instantly put them at ease, “I’ll be taking you to where you’ll be staying.  Are you guys jet lagged or anything?”  They barely managed to shake their heads no before Carla had somehow magically whisked them out to a car and loaded up their luggage.  After a brief discussion, it was decided that they should definitely get something to eat before heading to their final destination.  There were a few more pit stops as one girl would realize they “Forgot that!”  or “Should have remembered, but...”  laughing they finally settled in for the final leg of the car ride completely worn out.  The girls felt themselves drifting off in spite of themselves, waking up only when they sensed that the motion of the car had stopped.  

Jane felt her eyes start to flutter open slowly, as Bex peeled herself off of the seat, there was a man standing on the steps of a huge house, Bex looked at him slowly walking towards them, her eyebrows knit together like she was two steps away from winning a game of Clue.  Carla apparently noticed her face as well, because she nodded towards the man with a smile, “That’s Jeff, he’s a nice boy.”  Bex’s eyebrows shot up, apparently, that was the only clue she needed for whatever question was in her mind.  Carla handed them both a business card, “I wrote my cell phone number on the back, just in case you girls need anything, I know it can be difficult to be in a new place.”  She smiled maternally at them before Jeff opened the door and burst their bubble of warmth.  

“Hey,” he smiled brightly, “I’m Jeff, do you need help getting your bags?”  They tumbled out of the car after him and made their way into the house.  “Don’t worry about meeting anyone tonight,” he continued as they dragged their bags up a flight of stairs, “Pretty much everyone has settled in for the night already, and we’re sure you’re tired after your flight.”  He led them into a beautiful suite.  They were almost too tired to notice how nice it was, almost.  Jeff smiled and said, “Through that door is the bathroom you two will share, you can get to the other bedroom through there as well, the rooms are identical except this one has a balcony.”  He began making his way out of the room, “Help yourselves to whatever’s in the kitchen if you get hungry, and otherwise, we’re all excited to get to know you better in the morning!”

There were a few moments of quiet squabbling before Jane ended up in the room with the balcony.  The girls took showers and tried to calm down, but found themselves curled up together on Jane’s bed whispering to each other.  Bex’s eyes danced as she leaned in close to Jane, “I know who we’re shooting for,”  she wiggled her eyebrows.

“Oh shut up, you do not.”  Jane rolled her eyes, but Bex persisted.  “I do to, and I’ll prove it to you, it’s Harry Styles.”  Jane sat in deep thought for a few minutes before saying, with great uncertainty, “He was one of the ones from One Direction right?”  

Bex started hitting her with a pillow, “I can’t believe I’m friends with such a music snob!” she wheezed out in between laughs.  Jane laughed too tired to defend herself.  “I’m sure you’re right Bex.” she finally said as they collapsed back onto the mattress, half asleep again.

***

The girls opened their eyes, blinking into the yellow sunrise.  They were momentarily disoriented, but soon remembered where they were.  They crept down into the kitchen and then back upstairs with some fruit and granola bars.  They were quite hungry but the idea of eating in front of a house of strangers before swiping on some mascara seemed too intimidating.  Ad they sat on the floor munching Jane remembered what Bex had said the night before.

“Harry Styles, eh?”

“Mmmmhhh, what about him?”

“Do you really think that that’s who our boss is?”

Bex shrugged her shoulders I bit down on her apple.  “Can’t believe you had to think before you placed him as being in One Direction.”  She started typing on her phone.  I’m gonna pull up a picture of him, so you know what kind of guy you’re working with.”

Jane rolled her eyes, “If you’re right.”  Bex handed her phone to Jane.  Jane could hardly believe her eyes.  “Bex!” She hissed, “Bex, Bex, Bex, ooohhhh noooo.....”  Bex had immediately straightened up and started running her hand over Jane’s shoulders.  Jane had crumpled inward and the phone slid out of her hand.  She lifted her head up to Bex.  “Do you remember the Bukowski boy I told you about?”

“Yeah, what about...”  Bex’s voice trailed off as she glanced back at her phone on the floor.  “No,” she said in a hushed voice, “You can’t be for real.” but Jane just sat there, nodding her head.  “What did you say to him exactly?”  Bex asked, “When you were in the bookshop?”

“I told him, that I hope a goose the size of a squirrel shits in his coffee.”

Bex barely contained her laughter.  “Y’know, I’m sure he doesn’t remember.”  Uncertainty was written all over her face and voice as the two girls finished their morning routine and headed downstairs.

***

Harry squinted.  He was holding a kiwi in his hand and Jeff was talking to him.  Manager/Friend Jeff, not Producer/Friend Jeff.  Important difference.  Harry continued down this mental path until he noticed that the room around him had gone silent.  He looked up at Jeff’s unamused face and asked, “Can I help you mate?”

“Why are you zoning out so much today H?  You’re looking at that kiwi like it just told you some unwanted news.”

Harry shrugged, “Maybe it did, ‘bout to have to do the honorable thing and marry this kiwi.”

Jeff rolled his eyes as Harry devolved into little giggles. “As I was saying your film crew, well it’s two people, got in last night.  They came highly recommended, so I suggest making a good impression for at least the first few minutes you see them.  They should be coming down any minute now I expect--”

As if they had planned and rehearsed ahead of time an impossibly tall girl, followed by an impossibly short girl, walked down the stairs.  As soon as Harry saw the second girl, he froze.  It was her.  The girl from the bookshop.  The girl who hated Bukowski and liked to read people’s margin notes.  Right now she was looking everywhere but at Harry.  He figured that she must assume that if she didn’t look directly at him he’d simply stop existing at some point.  

Jeff stepped forward and shook both the girls’ hands as they exchanged morning pleasantries.  He then turned to the group, which included the other Jeff, Alex, Ryan, Tyler, and Harry.  “All right guys! This is Rebecca, but I’ve been instructed to call her Bex and Jane.  Bex is going to be our key camera person, and Jane is in charge of turning the messy, nonlinear, album writing process into a story people would actually want to sit down and watch.”  The men all gave them a warm greeting.

Alex had a dash of mischief in his eye when asked, “Were you girls fans of one direction?  Will you be able to concentrate working with Harry?”  Even though it was meant to be a joke the air in the room became immediately stiffer after he said it.  

The space around Bex seemed to loosen up first though, as per usual.  She tossed her hair over her shoulder, “Yeah, my sister and I are both massive One Direction fans.”  She grabbed an orange out of the fruit bowl and started peeling it, “But, I’m gay so I won’t get distracted.  Now, Jane,”  she motioned toward her friend with her head, “Isn’t gay.  But given that until last night when I looked him up on my phone, she thought that Harry Styles was a bad pun, I think we’ll be fine.”

Manager Jeff nodded and smiled.  “I knew you would fit right in.”  Harry felt a streak of pride as he noticed his friend give Alex a slightly dirty look.  “I’ll check on you guys next week!”  Jeff yelled, and his footsteps faded out of the kitchen.  

Harry looked back, the bookstore girl, no, Jane, was looking around.  She was absorbing her surroundings like a sponge.  Bex, on the other hand, seemed immediately comfortable asserting herself.  “So, I don’t know what kind of schedule you guys normally keep around here, but I think the best thing would be if we do our first day out here without filming.  I’ll keep my camera handy just in case something brilliant happens.  We’ll be as in or out of the background as you think is appropriate.”  

Producer/friend Jeff nodded and he and Bex started talking over some more details of how filming would work.  Harry made his way over to Jane.  He was just about to say something when she spun around, “I’ve gotta get my notebook,” she blurted.  Harry watched her retreating figure, then glanced down at his hand, remembering for the first time in several minutes he’d been walking around with a kiwi.