#Miss Universe Nepal

[thinfatfit]

fyi Miss Universe Nepal this year is plus-size (Jane Dipika Garrett). from her wiki:

"In September 2023, Jane competed in the Miss Universe Nepal 2023. She was crowned the winner, making history as the first plus-size competitor to triumph in a national pageant. "As a woman who is curvy and who does not meet certain beauty standards, I’m here to represent women who are curvy, who struggle with weight gain, who struggle with hormonal issues", said Jane after winning the Miss Universe Nepal title.[4] At the preliminary competition of the Miss Universe 2023, which took place in El Salvador on 15 November 2023, she emerged as a crowd favourite.[5] She also became the first ever plus-size competitor at an international beauty pageant to place in the top 20 semifinals.[6]"

picture source: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/miss-universe-2023-welcomes-two-174619531.html?guccounter=1

[themakeupbrush]

Miss Universe Nepal 2022 National Costume: SHAKTI The Divine Feminine 

Nepal, a country rich in ancient history and traditions. A country of natural and cultural beauty. A country where divine feminine has been worshipped for centuries. Nepal, the country that transcends Time itself. This year, for our national costume, we take inspiration from Shakti, the fountain of creation, the source of it all. The red color denotes the blood and symbolizes the power of creation. The Trishul / trident represents the trinity of Creation Life and Death. The accessories symbolize the various aspects how our physical body is the yantra or the vehicle to create magic in this universe. This costume reminds us of our own strength. It reiterates the fact that each woman is a boundless source of energy. This costume is here to remind you, your divinity, encourage you to look within and reawaken the Shakti that resides within you. This masterpiece is a celebration of Life Itself.

[conandaily2022]

Jane Dipika Garrett biography: 13 things about Miss Universe Nepal 2023

Jane Dipika Garrett is a Nepalese beauty queen. Here are 13 more things about her:

[not-your-asian-fantasy]

Jane is a nurse and business developer. She advocacates for body positivity and women's hormonal and mental health.

[rapha-reads]

Best of The Voice YouTube channel drops this week's best performances and opens it up with a video of a Ukrainian contestant singing Shum by Goa-A WITH our one true Queen Kateryna Pavlenko, and not a single comment bowing to the greatness that is our High Priestess. Tsssssk.

[zoomvis]

I showed my Jamaican friend the Nepalese Miss Universe entry and he started barking at my phone

[crownsandqueens]

Miss Nepal. Jane Dipika, posing with an employee of Hotel Real Intercontinental in San Salvador. El Salvador.

[normanblogs]

Celeste Cortesi: An interview in Los Angeles

Celeste Cortesi: An interview in Los Angeles

Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi is currently enjoying the cool weather in Los Angeles as she looks forward to spending Christmas and New Year in the US West Coast. Below is an interview she gave to Janet Nepales, an award-winning journalist who is the first and only Filipina member of the prestigious Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

[loriache]

Notes on the World Map: Melini

I'm kind of annoyed the complete World Bible doesn't have a version of the World Map with Melini filled in... unless it does and I missed it, but I literally bought it and looked at the relevant pages for this post! Anyway, I think this is the closest we have. I'm looking at this and -- Kahka Brud literally doesn't have a coast anymore. No wonder they're pissed!! Any industry involving the sea, trade, fishing, etc. is basically impossible now - you'd have to get to the coastline on the west side of the continent. That's probably miles!

Speaking of miles... how big is Melini?

This is where I got... really unwell. So first off, let's assume the official Dunmeshi World Map is a Mercator projection. I think the stage cartography in the Dunmeshi universe is at, it's going to be most important that maps are useful for marine navigation. So we can't just drop an approximate scale onto the grid and leave it at that; we have to work out where the equator is.

The way I've done that is via two places that seem like they have a close(ish) real world equivalent - in terms of climate and culture - Utaya and the Island of Wa (Toshiro's home). The Island of Wa is obviously Japan, and I've seen plausible arguments that Utaya is probably a climate/location similar to Nepal.

So, here's the (approximate) location and latitude of those places on a Mercator map of Earth:

If we arbitarily superimpose the two maps, asssuming they're the same size, we can draw a theoretical equator line that puts the two places at the same latitude, though on a different side of the equator. Putting them on the same side as Earth made the equator really low. I feel like that's ... unlikely, so we're going with this.

That puts Melini at a rough latitude of .. ~55? which would, using the same scale as the previous map, make two squares (at that latitude) about 600 miles. Very roughly calculating the size as given on the map based on that, that gives a width of (approximately) 250 miles and a length of 400, coming in at a bit less than 100,000 miles² due to the shape. Probably it's between the sizes of the UK and Aotearoa.

That really helps me visualise what Laios is working with here when I think about post-canon. Though I reckon what I've done here is "Just enough research to really annoy an expert". Sorry if you're that expert. I really don't know much about cartography <3 It's like that xkcd comic:

On distances, as someone who lives in the UK; with a car, you can get almost anywhere in a day if you're prepared to drive until late. But they don't have cars, so getting from one end to the other would take multiple days of travel. It'd take about 7 days to walk the approx "length", 400~ miles (from the top of Scotland to Liverpool) (according to Google Maps) and 2 days cycling, so probably 3-5 days with horses, depending on how you pushed them. That'd vary a bit depending on terrain, of course.

[ashleyhonrado]

Do beauty pageants promote empowerment in women?

What comes to your mind when you hear the word pageant? For me, the first thing that came to my mind was a lineup of stunning women wearing long and sparkling gowns where women compete fiercely to be the most attractive, intelligent, and all-rounded lady. As many people know, beauty pageant is a popular tradition that rank women according to both their appearance and intelligence. But have you ever wondered how exactly these pageant began?

Due to the fact that people have always valued beauty, beauty pageants can be traced back to ancient times. It started in Ancient Greece, in the city of Troy. A selection panel comprised of men from variety of fields, such as public speakers, warriors, philosophers, actors, poets, and sculptors, judged the contest. At that time, beauty pageants were a fantastic source of amusement for many people. Ancient China and the Ottoman Empire also held these pageants. In 1839, there was also a pageant in Scotland called the Eglington Tournament, where a winner was crowned by a beautiful woman, and the winner recieved the title of "Queen of Beauty." While in the United States, they are said to have first taken place in Atlantic City, when hoteliers decided to hold a festival to attract, summer tourists. It all started with the "National Beauty Toumament" held on the beach to determine which woman looked the best in a swimsuit.

This clearly shows that in ancient times, the term "beauty pageant" perpetuated the belief that women should only be appreciated for their physical appearance But as we evolve, the concept of beauty pageants has also taken on new dimensions and has the potential to empower women by showcasing their genuine identities on stage, since pageants have the opportunity to strengthen their public speaking skills, gain the self-confidence that that is necessary to communicate with a large of audience, and inspire the next generation with the charities that they support. The fact that today's candidates participate in charitable activities makes them excellent models for younger girls. There's no doubt that the women of this generation have more than just a pretty face.

Although it cannot be denied that the earlier versions of beauty pageants have been degrading to the participants, the organizers attempted to showcase the youthful, feminine, and innocent appearance of their female contestants by imposing strict age and weigh restrictions on them. Fortunately, old beauty standards that are no longer accepted by our modern society are also gradually being abandoned by beauty pageants one of the best example is Miss Universe 2019, Zozibini Tunzi, a black woman with afro hair she became the first in the history of the pageant to win with afro- textured hair, which represents an acknowledgement of black beauty on the international stage with beauty contests historically dominated by lighter-skinned contestants and long hair being equated to femininity and beauty, Tunzi challenged patriarchal prescriptions for what an ideal beautiful woman should look like. Another example is miss universe Nepal 2023, the first plus-size woman to enter the Miss universe pageant. Proving that beauty has no single standard and all women, regardless of cize or shape, deserve to be represented and celebrated in the beauty industry.

These beautiful women's brave participation reasonates as a message of transformation and openness in the perception of beauty, contributing to the creation of a more accepting space in the pageant industry and even in our society, as they represent who they truly are. Because joining a beauty pageant doesn't only require beauty from the outside but also beauty inside our hearts. As Miss universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach said, "I am confidently beautiful with a heart."

In conclusion, beauty pageants serve the purpose of providing society with intelligent and gorgeous girls who captivates people with their captivating appearance and passionate desire to improve the world. Pageants play a significant role in empowering women, giving women the opportunity to take on these responsibilities and participate in numerous charities that are vital to the development of the nation or world. One more reason is that beauty pageants provide an excellent tool for girls to express themselves, as these competitions help them go deeper and explore their potential by helping them discover their unique quality and their capacity to improve the world. Beauty pageants also provide a place for discussing current issues, including drug abuse, climate change, and underage pregnancies. This clearly shows that beauty pageants empower all the women around the world, preparing them to be successful as well as providing them the voice and platform to be advocates for younger generations and grow into a successful and impactful queen of society around the world.

REFERENCES

The evolution of “Beauty” – How pageants have changed over time. (n.d.). https://ascjcapstone.com/terms/spring-2020/fmwillia/

Tessmevah. (2014, March 2). The history of beauty pageants. A Little Shred of History. https://tessmevah.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/the-history-of-beauty-pageants/

Livemint. (2023, November 18). Miss Nepal Jane Dipika Garrett makes history as first plus-size model in Miss Universe | Mint. Mint. https://www.livemint.com/news/world/miss-nepal-jane-dipika-garrett-makes-history-as-first-plus-size-model-in-miss-universe-11700302233721.html

[themakeupbrush]

Miss Universe Nepal 2023

[conandaily2022]

5 most beautiful Miss Universe Nepal 2023 candidates

There are 30 women competing for the Miss Universe Nepal 2023 crown. If facial beauty is the only criterion, these will be my Top 5 candidates: #5. Sarosy Neupane View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miss Universe Nepal Official (@mun_missuniversenepal) 4. Puja Paudel View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miss Universe Nepal Official (@mun_missuniversenepal) #3. Prema…

[dochallidayto]

This woman in the attached photo is the winner of Miss Nepal 2023 and will compete for the Miss Universe title in 2024. Progress?? (1) as far as I can tell, this is a real woman, and (2) she's a chubby smoke-show. Yeah I like it!!

[finishinglinepress]

NEW FROM FINISHING LINE PRESS: Room Tone by Vanessa H. Smith

On SALE now! Pre-order Price Guarantee: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/room-tone-by-vanessa-h-smith/

Vanessa Hedwig Smith is a painter, filmmaker, and writer who has lived and worked in India, Nepal, England, and the US. Her series of 94 short films, The Art of Impermanence was exhibited at a satellite Venice Biennale show. She has worked on feature length documentaries, shorts, PSAs, music videos, outdoor installations, murals, and other design projects. Smith is most proud of a BBC Correspondent piece she produced, which was instrumental in helping free a 14-year old girl from prison, which helped changed Nepalese law, and which won the Amnesty International Media 2000 Award. Smith is a co-founder of the mental health series– Let’s Talk. She holds a BA from Stanford in Urban Design, and an MA from Columbia University in Anthropology. Her work has been published in The Search for Reality, #Poetry Apocalypse, Tiny Seeds Literary Journal, Chronogram, Topical Poetry, On the Seawall, and Silent Auctions Magazine, She is at work on a full-length book of portraits.

Her work can be seen at http://vanessahsmithpictures.com

PRAISE FOR Room Tone by Vanessa H. Smith

The “dailyness” in a Vanessa Smith poem is never dull, and never what’s expected. Her west-coast swagger is reminiscent of early Joni Mitchell — “my face, like an interview, / tells the most important / stories first.” Her “uploaded anguish,” is that of a speaker who “wipes daily dabs of lipstick on the car carpet,” saturating the space, making a hole in its place. She sees that a “rolling wave held something back in response to the sand…” and finds a tragedy there. The daughter of a portrait painter, this painter/poet’s first collection is clear-eyed and insightful, poetry that points to her inheritance, a vigilant and insistent gauging: “We wait, we dry out into plaster, and become the wall / The dry and cold of a California I never mastered is coming back in plumes.”

–Elaine Sexton, poet and critic, author of Drive and Prospect/Refuge

This is so moving and delicate — the journey from caring for infants to looking after the elderly and their needs, and all the tenderness and sense of employment (and possibly enjoyment) both require. The rhythms of marriage and divorce work so well on the page. Smith is so right in what she says about January — the way it is always twice as long as any other month. I like the sense of the world in which every tiny thing counts for something and the cost of that on the heart and soul and the corresponding yield…

–Susie Boyt, author of Loved and Missed and My Judy Garland Life

Room Tone is wildly evanescent — traversing expanses of time and space, then spiraling into the palm of Smith’s hand. … [Her] poems are illuminated by a ferocious sense of beauty and tragedy, converging in sublime insight.

–Broughton Coburn, author of The Vast Unknown and Aama in America

In Room Tone, silence is rendered palpable through Vanessa Smith’s hauntingly described scenes of life, love and loss. Whether it’s observation or imagination, there’s a meditative nature to her writing that will transport you to a state of personal reflection. This collection is a call to open your heart to the mysteries that surround us.

–Sara Arnell, author of There Will Be Lobster: Memoir of A Midlife Crisis

Please share/repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #read #poems #literature #poetry

[thatspencerinthesky]

My favorite CP2077 hc

Misty Olszewski comes from money.

There isnt a lot of in-universe talk about her family or financial situation except for the things she’s done in life. In the process of preparing for Jackie’s funeral she reveals that she moves out of the NUSA for a while, moved internationally to nepal and lived there for a year or so (?) but missed the sounds of the city and moved back to NC. She owns a business and is renting out her basement to Vik. In a city that is blatantly below the poverty line in regards to the everyday person, I’d say this is something that is typically out of reach for most. She comments to V that businesses is slow, nonexistent even but doesn’t remark on financial worries. I believe a good explanation is that she likely comes from a pretty well off family background and isn’t in a place where she needs to worry about money. And honestly? My girl deserves it.

My personal favorite is the idea that her family is pretty high up in a corp and very stifling, which leads to Misty finding comfort and freedom in the mystical and occult. Theres literally no evidence to support this other than my brain coming up with little stories.

Misty is absolutely one of my favorite characters in CP2077 and I honestly wish they could have at least some good things happen in her screen time. She deserves all the good things imo

[romerona]

Chapter 7: Strawberry mission.

-In which the daughter of the Lord of Darkness who was born with the sole purpose of destroying the universe falls in love with Peter Parker.-

Masterlist.

-----------------------------

Carina had designated rooms in each of the sanctuaries, Hong Kong, New York, Nepal and London, rooms made for the Agamotto lineage only.

She hardly used them though, as she spent most of her time in the Kamar Taj but from time to time she liked to stay there, whenever she needed to be alone. It was a little of a safe space for her, in there she wasn't bothered nor did she had to meet anyone's expectations, nor did she feel judged with every step she took.

All her rooms except for the one in Kamar Taj have a considerable large space, every aspect within the bedrooms is wonderfully crafted, and her room in London was no different. High ceilings, long walls, and large windows with a wonderful view of the city.

Her bedroom has modern vintage furniture from the bed set, the seating set, the wooden desks and the beautiful library that was below a chandelier. The furniture is said to be made from the finest material and fabric, aside from that, the bedroom contains decorations that look beautiful.

Sitting on a comfortable chair with books covering the old mahogany colour of the wooden table and a cup of Ginseng tea was one of the few pleasures life has to offer, at least from Carina's perspective, the only thing that could make it better was if she had a bowl of strawberries but alas nothing in life is ever perfect.

Her pencil traced words over the white paper. She was doing her homework. It was due for the upcoming week but Carina liked having things from school done so she could have free time.

Mathematics, unfortunately, was what the homework was about.

They were learning about The Pythagorean Theorem, and for the most part, she didn't understand it; why does she need to learn the fundamental relation between the three sides of a right triangle? Oh, and don't let her get started in the hypotenuse.

Regardless, she does her best to have every answer correct, uses every formula and double-checks the results, because as much as she doesn't like it, she was still learning, and most importantly finishing her assignments.

It took her a few hours to finish not just her mathematics assignments but all the others. They weren't much but they were extensive, sort of answering questions 3 to 5 but each question had an a-b-c derivative.

Once her assignments were done she made her way back to the Kamar Taj.

"Good day, Miss Agamotto." Said a voice, making her halt her steps.

Carina turns to the source of the voice and politely smiles at the master. "Good day, Master Rama."

Master Rama was one of the few people who treated her semi-nicely, although most of her interactions usually were short and quick.

"Were you here for a while?" He asked, eyeing the books in her hands. "I didn't see you enter, does the supreme knows you're here?"

Carina nodded, holding the books to her chest. "Yes, she does, I told her I'll be here to do my Homework."

"And are you finished with it?" He asked, an eyebrow shooting to his hairline, quizzically.

"Of course."

"Well, go on then." He held out his hand to motion the way she was just walking. "Don't let me hold you any longer."

"Have a great day, Master Rama." She smiled at him politely once again before continuing her walk.

He sent her a nod of appreciation."You as well, Miss Agamotto."

Coming back to the Kamar Taj, she made it her mission to get a bowl of Strawberries from the kitchens without the cook knowing.

But unfortunately, her planes were interrupted by Eloise Colombo when she used her white cane to trip her.

Carina hissed when she hit the ground, her hand breaking her hand, making her drop all the books in her hand.

"Always at the bottom, aren't you, Carina?"Laughs Eloise, making Hanna chuckle oo.

"Leave me alone." Carina rolled her eyes while looking at the scrape on her scar hand.

"And why would we do that?" Eloise asked with snobbishnesses and sarcasm. "We're just fans, not many people get to know the powerful Miss Agamotto."

"I think you mean the helpless Miss Agamotto, Eloise." Hanna huffed out a laugh.

Carina ignore them, and began to pick up her scrambled books, she went to pick up the last one but Hanna hold it out of her reach.

"What's this?" She asked, looking at it when her eyes lit up in realisation. "Oh, it's the math assignment, I thought it was meant for next week."

"It is, but of course, little miss perfect over here has done it already." Eloise scoffs, crossing her arms vexingly.

"Just give it back." Carina sighs, tiredly.

Hanna turns to look at Eloise while she hums in thought, "No, I don't think we will. This will save us time, Hanna ripped the pages off."

"No, wait—"

Just before Hanna could tear the page a voice cut through, making all of them freeze.

"What is going on?" Said Stephen, walking towards them, a couple of familiar books in his hands.

"Nothing," Hanna said quickly, nervous.

Eloise's head turned to where Stephen has now stopped. "We were just leaving."

Hanna nodded hastily. "Yeah, yeah we were."

"Then give her the book back before you do, it doesn't belong to you," Stephen said, frowning at the girls. "Didn't your parents teach you to not take things that weren't yours?"

Eloise nodded, head down in shame. "They did."

"Who are your parents again? I'm sure they'll love to hear about this." Stephen tilts his head up in challenge.

Eloise nudged Hanna, who was quick to throw the book at Carina, before bolting away, leaving Carina to grab her books and scramble to her feet.

"Kids these days..." Stephen scoffs, shaking his head before looking over at Carina. "You alright?"

Carina nodded while dusting the dirt off her robes. "I'm fine."

"You know, a little gratitude would be nice," Stephen said.

"Sorry," Carina mumbles not meeting his eyes whilst fidgeting with the star stone, she was embarrassed to be caught in a position like that and slightly irritated. "Thank you but I didn't need your help."

Stephan scoffs, eyebrows shooting up unconvinced. "Oh really? Because it didn't seem to me like you wanted them to trash your book apart."

Carina didn't say anything, she just sighed not feeling like bantering with him because she know she didn't have anything under control. "Yeah, I'm sorry, you're right."

"Nothing broken?" He asked after a pause.

"No, just a scrape." Carina shook her head, finally looking at him and giving him a small smile, holding her hand up.

He gazed at her hand. "Just make sure to wash it, otherwise it'll get infected and you'll lose your hand."

"Why thank you, Doctor, what would it be of me without your help." Carina mocks, sending him a teasing smile and making him roll his eyes.

"Where are you going anyway?" She asked, looking at the pile of books in his hand.

"The library." He said, straightening up as if he had remembered what he was doing before coming across her. "I finish the books you gave me and want to start with the next ones."

Carina's eyes went wide. "Oh, already?"

Stephen nodded, slightly petulantly. "I told you I had a photographic memory."

"Geez, what a show-off you are, Stephen." Carina teases with an eye roll as he glared at her.

"Jealousy is not a good look, kid." He turns on his heel and begins to make his way to the library once again.

Carina giggled, scrambling to follow him. "I'll admit, I am a little jealous. I think photographic memory is pretty cool."

"I know it is." He said, glancing down at her with a small grin. "Now leave, go wash your hand."

"I'll do that later, I want to go to the library too now that I know you're going to take the books back."

"Don't." He sighs.

"Too late, come on."

After a few minutes of silence, Stephen asked. "You know, I found it odd that you and your outgoing little spirit didn't defend yourself from those girls, or at least said something back at them."

Carina purses her lips and looked down at her books, feeling a little embarrassed and shy. "I'm not a fan of violence or confrontation so..."

"So, you're just going to let them walk all over you?" Stephen asked frowning down at her, lips falling into a thin line.

"I don't know..." she shrugged hopelessly. "I just don't like it, confrontation makes me uncomfortable, I'll rather just leave the problem for the peace."

"How hippyish of you." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I'm going to give you some advice, a rather good one too so listen up."

"What?" Carina looked up at him in expectation.

"When people hit you or say mean things to you they don't know how much it hurts, they only know who they are aiming at, so you have to learn to hit back," Stephen said, a cold remak in his tone.

Carina purses her lips in thought, what Stephen said did have some reasons but then again, learning how to hit back it'll only become a cycle.

"Easier said than done."

Thankfully, they were quick to arrive at the library, where Wong was sitting at his desk, reading his time away.

"Wong," Carina called placing her books on the nearest table, grinning at him when he looked up. "Look what I brought you. This is Stephen Strange."

"Hey." Stephen gave him a tight smile nodding in acknowledgement, whilst Wong stood up from his chair to greet him.

"Mr Strange."

"Uh... Stephen, please." Stephen said, placing the books on Wong's desk. "And you are Wong, right?" He said, sending Carina a quick quizzical look.

Wong nodded in confirmation as well as Carina.

"So, it's just Wong? Like... Adele?" He asks, amusingly. "Or... Aristotle. Drake. Bono." He glanced at Carina who was looking just like Wong was, unamused. "Eminem."

"Good thing you're a Doctor, 'cause you wouldn't have made it as a comedian, Stephen," Carina said, giggling at her joke, earning an annoyed look from Stephen.

She glanced at the stack of books then at Wong. "There is Astronomia Nova and now that my debt is paid, I'm going down."

She grabbed her books and rounded Wong's desk, and walked down the lower part of the library, where supposedly only masters are allowed but she was an exception, the only rule was that she was not allowed to read the supreme's book collection.

She was fine with it, although she had to admit she was intrigued about those books she'll never dare to read them, not unless she's allowed to.

Sitting down at one of the many tables, Carina pulled out a Magazine she had brought back from England, The Cosmopolitan, not her favourite but it's definitely on the top five.

She hadn't had time to read magazines in a while, too busy with homework and other things, like getting the newcomers to settle in.

Taylor Swift was on the cover, she's a famous singer. Carina knew that because she had seen her on several covers now, she hardly listened to music or knew much about pop culture, but she knew enough to know who the Kardashians are, Kim's her favourite, she knew about Beyoncé, Timothée Chalamet, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Emma Stone, Kanye West, Tony Stark— but she supposed he is a whole category of his own— and a few more.

The pop culture wasn't something she usually looks forward to when she reads a magazine but rather the fashion section. Because fashion magazines show that style is about individuality, it is a way to display people's personalities but it also displays the feelings and mood of a person and reflects on who they are.

Living in Kamar-Taj, where everyone wears the same robes and individuality only exists in the people's hearts, she was allured to learn about it, she found her individuality in fashion, although she doesn't own clothing other than the robes she likes to add her touches from time to time.

"This section is for Masters only." The voice of Wong echoed through the walls, making Carina look up from the magazine at the two men entering the section.

"Then why is she here?" Stephen asked and Carina pulled her tongue out.

"Because at my discretion, others may use it." Wong glanced at her before walking further into the library, in between the shelves whilst Stephen observed the area. "We should start with Maxim's Primer. How is your Sanskrit?"

"Awful." Mutters Carina, eyes back on the magazine on new designs from Versace.

Stephen spared her a glance. "I'm fluent in Google Translate."

"Vedic," Wong told him, handing him the books. "Classical Sanskrit."

"What are those?" Asked Strange, causing Carina to be distracted one more time.

"The Ancient One's private collection." She told him before Wong could.

Stephen frowns, looking between her and Wong. "So, they're forbidden?"

"No knowledge in Kamar-Taj is forbidden. Only certain practices."

"Only for me." Carina huffs, crossing her arms.

Wong sent her a look. "Because those books are far too advanced for anyone other than the Sorcerer Supreme, let alone children."

"Yeah yeah." Carina rolled her eyes, feeling slightly annoyed so she decided to go back to her magazine.

"This one's got pages missing," Stephen said.

"That's the book of Cagliostro," Wong explained while looking for another book at the bottom of a shelf. "The study of time. One of the rituals was stolen by a former Master. A zealot called Kaecilius. Just after he strung up the former librarian, and relieved him of his head."

Carina shudders, fleetingly remembering that night, her hands subconsciously closing at the memories as her stomach did weird twists.

"I'm now the guardian of these books. So if a volume from this collection should be stolen again, I'd know it. And you'd be dead before you ever left the compound." He snaps the book of Cagliostro shut and took it out of Stephen's hands.

"What if it's just overdue?" Asks Stephen, huffing an awkward laugh yet Wong doesn't seem to be impressed. "You know? Any... late fees I should know about? Maiming perhaps?"

"No, just constant scolding," Carina said, smiling at Wong who ignore her and gave Stephen the last of his books. "But I wouldn't push it."

"You know, people used to think that I was funny," Stephen mumbles, taking the books from the librarian.

"Did they work for you?" Wong asks a heartbeat later and Carina couldn't help but chuckle. "Probably, I reckon that memory of his didn't retain any good jokes, if we're leading by previous examples."

"Alright." Stephen huffed and began to make his way out of the section. "Well, it's been lovely talking to you two, thank you, Wong for the books and the horrifying story and the threat upon my life."

"I better see you at dinner." Called Carina as he walked out.

Stephen scoffs, shaking his head, sending her a side glance. "Worry about rinsing your hand, or it'll get her infected."

"What happened to your hand?" Asks Wong once Stephen left.

Carina shook her head and waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing, just a scratch."

He held his hand out, and Carina gave it to him. "I fell earlier today, nothing to worry about."

Wong hums, letting go of it. "Listen to Strange and go wash it."

"Fine." Carina sighs tiredly but stands up nonetheless.

Gathering her things, she bit Wong her goodbyes before going to her room reluctantly, she was craving strawberries.

A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please, if you want to get tagged tell me.