#ill also be asking some more in depth questions to elaborate so please ensure youre in a mental space to do so

[wolfythewitch]

Hi! I need to do some interviews for my thesis about religious abuse and trauma, so if anyone is interested could you please dm me or reply here :0

[alternislatronemhq]

Congrats, Steph, you have been accepted to AL for the role of Remus Lupin (FC: Ross Butler). Steph, wow, what a great application! I think it can be really easy for Remus to be portrayed only one way, and I’m so excited to see how you explored his differences in this storyline. He’s really hurting and bitter because of the betrayal of his friends, and that is going to be such an interesting thing to see played out. With the way you got into his head, I have full confidence that you’ll do that really well! Please send in your blog (no sideblogs for first characters, please) in the next 24 hours and be sure to take a look at our new player checklist.Welcome home, we’re so excited to have you join the family!

OOC

name — Steph age — 26 pronouns — she/her timezone — GMT+1 activity level — I work in a supermarket which is very busy at the moment, so won’t get on every day necessarily but will be around a few times a week easily, particularly afternoon UK time.

IC Overview

name — Remus Lupin age — 26 gender — Male (he/him) sexuality — Gay (closeted)

patronus — Wolf. Remus hates that the animal which best represents his soul is the one which has defined his life in such a negative way. Therefore, he never casts a corporeal patronus when he summons one.

boggart — The Full Moon. This is representative of Remus’ fear of what he becomes each month, his dread of each upcoming full moon and the way each that has passed leaves scars mental as well as physical.

IC In Depth

personality traits —

+ selfless: Remus would do anything for his friends no matter the cost to him.

+ compassionate: Possibly an odd trait for somebody known as a prankster, Remus sees the good in those around him and empathises with them. He would take the side of an underdog over the easier but less righteous choice. His compassionate nature has also helped him to forgive people when they have done wrong in the past, in particular Sirius after the incident of Severus Snape and the Whomping Willow. However, forgiving himself and forgiving Sirius again after the breakdown of the Marauders feels impossible.

+ astute: While Remus generally has to work at being book smart, his sharp perception of the world comes naturally. He can think quickly and intuitively to turn a situation to his advantage, whether that is in finding loopholes for the next marauder prank, in assessing a situation that might be about to turn sour or in identifying somebody who needs a word of encouragement.

- people pleaser: In school, this manifested in Remus’s tendency to look the other way when the other Marauders are breaking rules. He would not participate if he didn’t really agree with what they were doing but he certainly didn’t do anything to stop or stand up to his friends. The biggest threat to his self-esteem is the idea of being unwanted, unloved, or a disappointment.

- self-deprecating: Remus hates everything that reminds him of his lycanthropy, especially the parts of his personality which are shaped by his condition. Though the support of his friends has helped him come to terms with his fate in the past, Remus has always been prone to some doubt and shame over the werewolf part of him. Knowing that Sirius lost trust in him was hard for him but now he almost accepts it as inevitable because he doesn’t feel like he deserved the friendship of the Marauders in the first place.

- vengeful: While Remus will forgive somebody for one wrong if they show contrition, if somebody earns his anger then they should beware. On the wrong side of him, Remus is a force to be reckoned with.

character biography —

(Tws: illness, smoking-related illness, death, depression, poverty and homelessness)

From the night he was bitten, Remus grew up in isolation units and hospital wards and the confining four walls of his bedroom. His life would forever be shaped by that monthly pattern and a fear of others finding out. His home-schooling involved not just basic numeracy and literacy but also astronomy and muggle physics and an extensive education into what it meant to be a werewolf. Every last galleon that they owned went into searching for a cure or moving to another town after their latest neighbours started to suspect something was amiss with the family, a few spare coins each month for each of their vices: Lyall’s italian coffee and books, cigarettes and music records for Hope, and chocolate frogs and colouring pencils for remus. In between other lessons, Lyall Lupin did everything he could to ensure Remus would be prepared for a nomadic adulthood — a life on the streets, friendless and penniless — deaf to Hope’s pleas that they try and help him get back to some notion of a normal life.

Hope’s wish finally came true in the form of Professor Dumbledore, not long since appointed as headmaster of Hogwarts, showing up on their doorstep. Remus was so excited to go to school that he barely noticed his parents’ worried exchanges and fears. It was only later, when Remus started to compare the next year’s full moons to his new school calendar that it dawned on him just how complicated this would be. It was his mother who suggested that he could say she had a chronic illness and that he was visiting her whenever there was a Full Moon but he had not known James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew for long before he realised they would not buy that as a reason for skipping classes or being absent from the dorm every month like clockwork. Remus, glad to finally have friends and terrified he would lose them if they found out the truth, made up different and increasingly more elaborate stories but he wasn’t a good enough liar to hide from his best friends.

The four of them grew closer than Remus could have ever hoped for. They accepted him and supported him. They helped him keep his secret from their other classmates and they were constantly coming up with ways to make things easier for him, whether it was ensuring he didn’t fall behind in classes or sneaking him sweets and tea the morning after a transformation. They learnt to become animagi and Remus couldn’t be more grateful.

Everything seemed to go wrong at once. a betrayal from his best of friends — his only friends — revealing the secret his life had been devoted to keeping for the purpose of playing a cheap and fatal prank on Snape. Remus felt convinced all three of them were in on it because they always were. He avoided and argued and was the most miserable he had been since starting Hogwarts. It was during this period of low that he had a careers meeting that highlighted how dim his prospects after school would be and remus was reminded of what his father had tried to impress on him all these years — that werewolves weren’t supposed to have the sort of life he had been playing at, with education and friends and happiness. The next full moon was during the Easter holidays and unable to bear sitting in the Shrieking Shack alone, he went home. He asked his parents why him. Unable to fob him off with any more half-truths or excuses, his father finally opened up about Greyback. Remus had to hear how his father had once held the same prejudices about werewolves as the rest of the wizarding world and make his own conclusion that maybe he still did. After all, he had almost stopped Remus from living his life after the bite, no matter how much he claimed it was for Remus’ own good. The resulting argument was brutal but soon cut short by hacking coughs and Lyall turning on his wife and snapping at her to stop smoking those damn things. Her hand was shaking as she ignored him and tried to light the cigarette anyway. Remus noticed for the first time that she looked very ill, so ill that his using her as an excuse all those months appeared to be coming back to bite him.

They had been his first ever friends and when Remus returned to school he knew he could avoid them no longer. He needed them. Life would be much too lonely without them, especially if Hope’s days were numbered and, besides, he had grown too used to their being by his side during transformations. He refused to let them talk about it, insisting he didn’t want to relive it when in fact a part of him was worried that talking it through would remind him how betrayed he had felt. He reminded himself of what he had always believed: that he wasn’t good enough for them. That he was nothing more than a monster and at least he should be grateful that they still wanted his friendship. He was indebted to them. How could he keep pushing them away when they equalled the happiest moments of his life so far? Even with that awful incident, none of them were a part of the worst moments of his life. So, he let them fall back together and patch up the cracks in their friendship with jokes and pranks and throwing themselves towards war, knowing that it didn’t matter to him how they felt. They could pity him and fear him and be prepared to brush him away without a second thought again. He would die for them anyway.

Life after Hogwarts was predictably difficult. Employers wizarding and muggle alike did not look kindly on him taking sick leave less than a month after being hired and inevitably after the second Full Moon he was circling ads in the newspaper again. It wasn’t long before the Order of the Phoenix became his primary concern and though the very thought of seeing Greyback again made him felt akin to walking into hell, he found himself accepting the mission of the Order’s spy amongst the werewolves. Only Dumbledore knew the task he was undertaking, the majority of the Order having no idea of his condition and those who did he was forbidden to talk to them about it. Remus started to slip away from himself. He was incredibly lonely without being able to talk to his best friends and each minute with the werewolves brought more danger, more emotional strain, and more questions about whether he had ever really deserved his years pretending to be a normal wizard. The werewolves he had befriended didn’t understand why he would want to live amongst humans and there were others who would never be friendly with him as long as that was the case.

By 1981, Remus felt completely isolated. His mother died early in the year and his relationship with his father was worse than ever. Transformations with the Marauders were a distant memory and instead he spent his Full Moons forced into a life of violence he had always been determined to avoid. He barely saw any of the Order outside of meetings and his attendance at those was becoming increasingly difficult. When he did come back, it was hard to know his place in the meetings, unable to talk about what he had been doing and knowing so little about everybody else’s lives. Only Peter seemed to remember that he was missing so much and made a point of keeping Remus in the loop but so often that consisted of lost lives and disappearances and Remus came to dread the times he would sneak away from the packs. Talks of spies did not help. It was impossible for Remus to think of any of the Order as betraying them and he told the group as much, fiercely insisting that this was what the Death Eaters wanted ⁠— for them to be torn apart by their own paranoia.

So distant from it all, Remus did not realise how guilty he had made himself look until after it all was over. James was in hospital, basically gone, and Peter in Azkaban and it had only happened because Sirius suspected Remus. Fleeing from the werewolves the moment word reached him that the war was over turned out to be a bad idea because all of a sudden Remus found himself with nothing. The friendless and penniless life of the streets that his father had prepared him for was now a reality and he would rather sleep rough than face the guilt that if he had been there, if he had just disobeyed Dumbledore enough to tell the Marauders what he was involved in, if he had been a better friend to Peter, maybe none of this would have happened. It was better than facing Sirius, who was the one person he thought would understand that Remus could never betray them.

plot ideas —

I have always imagined James to be the one who is able to ground Remus and keep him together so without him there, Remus has spiralled. The memory of the Marauders is something bitter now, with Peter’s betrayal and the gaping hole that James leaves and this is a big part of Remus not making an effort to reconnect with Sirius. He definitely spends a lot of time next to James’ bed in St Mungo’s. Even now, if he needs to talk to someone, James is his first port of call. Remus’s certainty that James is never coming back means sometimes he will say things he wouldn’t voice otherwise. Maybe if James does wake up, he heard more than Remus wanted him to.

I would love some other werewolves and some plots involving those werewolves Remus did befriend during the war. He almost feels guilty for liking and empathising with some of them and hates that he relates to them but it had been nice to have people who really understood.

He’s trying to act like his life isn’t falling apart around him for Harry’s sake and so that he can still see Harry while trying to hold both Lily and Sirius at a distance. This will involve a lot of pretending that things aren’t as bad as they really are, that he can manage Full Moons alone and that he is finding legitimate ways to get a proper meal between offers of charity from old friends.

The love he once had for the Marauders is difficult to define. They were his found family and his brothers, the first friends he ever had, the only people he trusted with his whole self. The battle to come to terms with himself not only as a werewolf but a gay werewolf was something he never fully managed though had there been no war the Marauders would have got him there eventually. Now, he’s left wondering where the lines are between platonic and romantic love. The men in his life have been nothing but sex, his ability to trust having been broken too far for anything more. In terms of ships, Remus will be slow to get into anything and it would have to be based on chemistry and a gradual building of trust. He might wonder sometimes if he was in love with James though that is mostly because in his anger at Peter and Sirius he has transferred all the love he held for the Marauders as a unit onto James to make it easier to process the betrayal. It’s no longer the three of them he is grateful to for making Hogwarts the best seven years of his life, but James. No longer the three of them who made him feel worthy of love and friendship but James. In believing that, he can almost cope.

If he’s going to accept help from anybody these days it will be someone who was less a part of the war and who doesn’t have their own family to think about. Much as he values people like Mary and Frank for sticking by him through all the lowest points of his depression, they have their own lives away from him, their own children to consider and Remus feels guilty whenever they express any concern for him. I’d love for him to develop a friendship with someone who makes it easier for him to let others help him, and who might be able to offer him a place to stay more permanently.

extra —

in terms of the canon that Remus believed Sirius to be the spy, I’ve always headcanoned that as being after the war. He apologised to Sirius because he believed the world when they told him Sirius had betrayed the Potters but I can’t see Remus as having suspected that beforehand. I can’t see Remus being able to think badly of the three boys who became animagi for him, not until it’s all too late. Also, I have a general pinterest board for Remus here, though it includes things from various RPs

[heythatpenguinhere]

By Your Side

*Voahahaha! I come forth with more angsty-romance Eleteo for your day! Inspired yet again by real life circumstances with some magical touches to it. Hope you all enjoy! If you have any topics or ideas for me to write on, comment below or message me! Thanks for the support <3

Laying in the doctor’s suite was not how Elena wanted to start her day. She wasn’t too fond of hospitals or clinics as she was headstrong often enough to get by without needing them. She wasn’t too proud to admit when she really, really needed to visit one however, for a sprained ankle or fever could be more damaging if left untreated. But she was a healthy woman! At 18 years she was the picture of health, always finding time to get some exercise of some sort even on royal business days. Her appetite was large and she ate a wide variety of foods to keep a balance. She had never had anything to cause concern for all her life, even if she had been imprisoned in a magical amulet for 41 years and magic pumped through her veins.

Then one day, Elena began to start feeling strange. It had started minor and could have almost been lost in her daily musings. She had begun to have headaches, feel more fatigued, nauseous, she was off balance (more so than normal) and dizzy, and had a constant on and off pain in her lower abdomen. She didn’t think they were anything too concerning though even then; surely she was dealing with “female stuff” and growing. It hadn’t impeded her daily functions much either so there was no real need to create a fuss. She was strong and would chug through just fine. 

-

“Ha ha! I told you I’d be able to get it this time!” Elena shouted in glee. 

The Crown Princess and her royal wizard were practicing magic in the gardens currently as they did from time to time. It was becoming a habit to fill quiet afternoons with rambunctious practice sessions to grow her magic skills better. Her concentration was improving and her emotions weren’t ruling her as often and for that she had to thank her friend. 

“I’m impressed Elena! You are really getting the hang of your magic everyday more and more.” Mateo said as he lowered his tamborita. 

“Ah, I know! I can almost fully channel these crazy emotions into doing what I want. No more magical chaos.” She said smugly wiping her shoulder off. 

Behind them a garden statue crashed into a bush below suddenly, startling the two friends. 

“Okay… no magical chaos starting now.” She said wincing at the damage she had inflicted in the royal gardens… again. 

Mateo shook his head laughing, “Let’s get this cleaned up, shall we?” He said amused and hit his tamborita with the right spell to fix the statue good as new. 

Elena sighed, “Thanks Mateo. This palace would be a wreck without you.” She said and went to put a hand on his shoulder when a stab of pain hit her lower side. 

She doubled over a little and her hand subconsciously reached for the site of the pain. Mateo didn’t miss a beat. 

“Elena! Are you alright?!” He gasped and put his arms around her shoulders to steady her. 

The princess’ head was spinning slightly, but the pain had dulled a bit as she stood up straighter. 

“Ugh...Thanks Mateo. I’m not too sure what happened. Just a bit of pain though, so maybe I overworked myself a little today.” She said holding her head to attempt and stop the spinning in her head. 

Mateo looked at her with uncertainty still; his green eyes glowed sadly. His friend had doubled over rather roughly and she had seemed to reach for her lower side… Was she still in pain? Did she also have a headache as she was now holding her head? It wasn’t that he thought she was lying, but he knew that being as strong and independent as she was that she did sometimes downplay the severity of any personal issues. The last thing he wanted was for Elena to be suffering in silence all alone. She had spent enough time alone in that amulet, he wanted to make sure she never felt isolated again.

Frowning at her still weak state he spoke up again, “Maybe I should take you to get checked up?”

Her face said it all. 

“Hey, I just wanna be careful. I’ll go with you if you want? Please. For me Elena? I would feel much better if you did.” He said with a compassionate look that tugged her heart. She could never say no when he did that. 

She sighed, “Fine. I’ll go get checked I guess.” 

Mateo smiled at the small victory. He cared so deeply for his amiga and just wanted to ensure she was well and able to function. He would never forgive himself if she was ill and he ignored it. Now they would go to the doctor and she would be up and better in no time. 

“Thank you. Now let’s get you to the clinic.” He said, squeezing her shoulders and she nodded softly. 

She moved to begin walking and another wave of dizziness hit her hard. She couldn’t hide the swaying her body did and soon Mateo was grasping her body again. 

“Okay, maybe we go slowly.” Elena said, slightly groggy as the world seemed to pivot around her; colors blurring together. 

Now the royal wizard was beginning to get more anxious. He hadn’t seen Elena weak and helpless too many times before and it never failed to send warning alarms in his head. Without another word he swooped her legs from under her and carried her in his arms. 

“Mateo...You...You don’t have to c-carry me… I-I’ll be fine…” She said, willing the dizziness to stop. 

He shook his head, “You just hang tight okay? I’ll get you there soon Elena. You’re going to be alright.” He said, unsure whether he was fully speaking to her or himself. 

-

Elena lay on the soft bed in the royal doctor’s suite for the doctor to arrive. Her dizziness had subsided thankfully, but she still felt a dull cramping feeling and slight nausea as she tried to relax her body and wait. Mateo sat faithfully by her side as promised; elbows leaned on his knees and his head resting in his palms. He would occasionally look over at her to see if she was in pain or had fallen asleep. He had walked as quickly and as gently as he could to assure she would arrive in a timely manner. He had to dodge several palace staff and guards who expressed concern for the princess, reassuring them that she was just a little under the weather and needed rest. 

He would be lying though if he said he wasn’t worried. He had noticed she was in pain. He had noticed she was in discomfort and dozing in and out of sleep; very out of character for her. She always had bundles of energy to go around and was ready to go at any moment. He hoped the doctor would have some answers and be able to tell them what was ailing the princess. He had hope, however, that it was simply a bug or cold that she would be able to sleep off. She was the strongest person he knew and he had no doubt she would find herself back on her feet as soon as she could. Mateo would do his best to ensure that she actually rested until that point. 

“Mateo?” Elena said looking at her friend who was clearly worried and in his own mind. 

Mateo looked up at her and his thoughts ceased for a moment at the unsure look on her face. “Something wrong?” He asked her, rubbing his robes nervously. 

She shook her head, “Not exactly...Mateo… What if there is a chance that I’m like sick-sick?” She said with a frown. 

The thought didn’t sit well with him.

“Don’t think about that. Let’s just wait to see what the doctor says alright?” He said and grabbed the hand closest to him tightly. 

She was Elena. There was no way she wasn’t okay. To see her questioning herself though and see her so uncertain, broke his heart. Her in pain to any capacity hurt him. He would literally do anything to take her pain anyway and ease her sorrows to whatever capacity he could. He would calm her stresses and emotions and help her find peace in whatever situation because of who she was to him. She was like his light whether she realized it or not. Everything he was, was because of her. 

As Mateo went to open his mouth and spill forth more of his heart, the doctor arrived. 

The doctor was an older woman with a kind face; hair pulled up and paper pad in hand for notes and references to be made. She smiled at the pair and took a seat next to the bed. 

“Crown Princess Elena Castillo-Flores, it is always a surprise to see you here your majesty.” She said teasingly. 

“Oh believe me, it’s a surprise to us too.” Mateo said earning a look from Elena that made him shut up instantly. 

“Royal Wizard Mateo de Alva, it is a pleasure to see you as well.” She said amused to note him by the princess’ side and eyeing their connected hands. 

Mateo blushed brightly and coughed nervously while releasing Elena’s hand. “A-A pleasure to see you as well.” 

-

Mateo stayed by Elena’s side as she explained her symptoms. He was deeply troubled to learn this had been going on a while now and she hadn’t alerted anyone. The doctor nodded, taking notes and asking her own questions to elaborate on what the princess was feeling. She took the princess’ vitals and checked her basic wellness. When it came time to do a more in-depth evaluation, she politely asked Mateo to give them some privacy. 

Mateo quickly stood up, awkwardly bumping into the chair he was in before casting a shy smile of encouragement to Elena. She eagerly returned it, hoping that it would be enough to ease some of his concerns for she knew he had to have them. She felt slight guilt in not opening up to him about what she was feeling earlier on, after all they were best friends. Best friends tell each other everything, but for some reason she had held herself back from letting him know. She owed him an apology for sure and made a mental note to do so as soon as she could.

“Alright Princess Elena have you been experiencing any other symptoms? Anything pertaining to your cycles perhaps?” The doctor kindly asked, feathered pen ready to notate. 

Elena frowned a bit, “I mean… I guess so actually. More painful for sure and different then I recall them to be.” 

The doctor stopped noting and leaned closer to Elena. “Would you please elaborate a bit more? I think we might have to look into what’s troubling you a bit differently.” 

-

Numbness would probably be the way to describe how Elena was feeling. Her mind was blank, save for the words that the Doctor had spoken mere seconds ago. 

“I...I what?” She spoke, unsure if it was anger or despair clawing its way up her throat. 

The Doctor put her hand on the Princess’ shoulder tenderly, before repeating herself. “Princess Elena… Your illness is probably affecting your reproductive system, causing all these symptoms, and while we won’t know until testing confirms it… I am unsure if you will be able to have children… I am terribly, terribly sorry. We will do everything we can to make that possible for you.”    

Elena didn’t move. She didn’t blink or respond in anyway to the doctor’s words. The doctor could feel the heaviness in the room and knew that this was a horrible thing to be told; she couldn’t imagine how the princess was feeling. She wouldn’t have to imagine for long, because soon the room darkened and the wind began to blow harshly from an unseen source. The princess’ dress turned a deep purple although her face betrayed no sign of emotion. 

The doctor braced herself, grabbing items that flew through the air. She knew that the princess was magical and her abilities sometimes seeped into the environment around her with little control; she didn’t know what to do when it happened though. 

As if sensing the princess’ distress or perhaps the magic radiating, Mateo burst through the doors to the clinic. The wind was raging harder now and the Doctor had ducked behind her chair by the time Mateo confirmed that the magic outburst was indeed Elena’s doing. In the center of the storm, sat Elena staring off into blank space; dress a dark purple shade he hadn’t seen before. Something had set the princess’ mood off so drastically that her anxiety had turned into a panic or despair he had only witnessed perhaps a very small amount of times. If Elena didn’t calm down soon, she would destroy the clinic and hurt someone…

He slowly made his way over to her, shielding himself from the wind with his arms. “Elena! Elena listen to me! Whatever is going on, you are going to be okay!” He started shouting to try and get through to her. 

She turned to face him and he noticed tears pooled, but not falling. He finally reached her side and grabbed her clasped hands tightly. 

“Elena, listen to me please. It kills me to see you like this, but you need to calm down. You need to try and relax the magic inside you. I don’t know what is hurting you so badly, but I promise you Elena I will do anything I can to erase it; I will stay by your side. No matter what you face, I will face it. Whatever you have to carry, I will carry it too. You will never be alone again and I will stop at nothing to make sure you are alright. Elena, amiga, please believe me.” He said, struggling over the wind and emotions to speak and moving his hands to now cup her face. 

Looking straight into his emerald eyes, something in Elena broke and the magic swirling from within her stopped. Items fell to the ground and the light returned to the room as only the breathing of Mateo and the Princess could be heard. 

“M-Mateo…” She whimpered and fell into his arms harshly. 

In all the years of knowing her, he hadn’t seen her in this much pain openly around him. He knew she grieved, hurt, and feared, but she didn’t show it too much to the public around her. Whether she felt like she had to handle it on her own or just didn’t want to burden others, he didn’t know. What he did know was that Elena has hurting badly and didn’t know how to process what she was feeling. Why she was feeling like that was another question…

He rubbed her back tenderly and whispered encouragements and beyond in the close space between them. Her tears began to fall and he just held her as close as he could to let her know she wasn’t alone in this moment. 

“She doesn’t know...S-She doesn’t know if I can...h-have a family one day…” Elena said through sobs. 

Mateo’s eyes closed. God no. Not Elena… If anyone deserved happiness and the chance to have a family of her own one day, it was her. She deserved to marry a wonderful man and have a child; an heir to the throne that she would love unconditionally. He couldn’t imagine what she was feeling. Elena loved children. She would always make time to greet and even play with the Avaloran children she encountered. She had such a child-like spirit and protectiveness to her that would be perfect as a mother. The thought of her being unable to have something like that, deeply hurt him even more as he watched her suffer. 

“Oh Elena... “ He said. He didn’t know what to say honestly. 

“How will I have an heir to the throne now? Who would even want to marry me if I can’t give them kids?” She began to say, dress turning a blue color with her despair. 

“Don’t say that. Any man would be beyond lucky to have you in their lives, children or no children. Your worth stretches beyond securing an heir one day. You are the most wonderful woman I have ever known and this will not change that. It won’t change how anyone sees you or their capacity to love you.” He said more stern this time and gazing into her eyes. 

He wanted her to know that he meant what he said and would never leave her. 

Elena hiccuped as her sobs began to relax a bit more. He hoped that his words brought her some relief. She began to wipe her face of the tears. 

“Mateo. Thank you.” She said very seriously. 

He smiled at her adoringly. “Elena, I meant every word. I won’t leave your side. We will figure things out and I will do everything in my power. Have hope Elena. But again know that this doesn’t change anything about you to me. You are still incredible. You are lovely and wonderful. You are...beautiful.” He said then blushing heavily. 

Her cheeks took on a rosy tint as well. “Thanks.” She said as she was trying to process his words. He thought she was beautiful?

“Well, like...I mean… You are…” He tripped over his words again. 

“So you aren’t just saying that to make me feel better?” She said with a slight smile. 

He immediately shook his head, “Nope. I mean it… If that’s okay with you.” 

She smiled. Mateo, with his many quirks and charm, could be the only person outside her family that she wouldn’t mind saying that seriously. He thought she was beautiful. Even after she almost destroyed the room they were in and even after finding out she may not be able to be a mother, he still saw her as if nothing had changed. She wasn’t flawed or damaged in anyway to him and he had vowed many times to stay by her side…

He truly cared about her and she knew it. What other man would be as caring, patient, loving, gracious, forgiving, and more, than him? He would always be there for her and she knew he would keep his promises. Children or not, he would move heaven and hell to make it at least a possibility for her, because he cared about her and knew it was something she wanted one day.

“You may regret saying those words Mateo, because I don’t ever plan to let you go in anyway.” She said feeling much more confident and relaxed than before. 

He smiled himself before hugging her again. “I’ll hold you to it. And for the record I for one would never be put off by this potential…If that’s the way things turned out to be I mean.” He stated, hoping she would catch the meaning. 

Her eyes shined, “That is something that is very good to know, just in case of course.” She said and winked at him. 

Mateo turned a brilliant red before moving on to encourage her further. “Elena have hope. It isn’t set in stone. I know that things will work out for good. You deserve this happiness in your life.”

She took a deep breath before taking his hands. “Whatever the case, I know you’ll be with me and that is more than enough to give me strength and hope. But just so you know, I am happy. I’m happy with you.” 

The two stared at each other deeply. No exact feelings were stated and yet there was a new air around them; an understanding. As they faced each other, they knew that together they could face anything. They would always be together and nothing would change that. 

-

“Mateo! Can you please wake Luz?” Came the voice of the Queen of Avalor. She was pulling her robe on over her nightgown and began to brush her hair by her vanity. 

“You got it mi amor. By the way, you look beautiful as always.” He said, sneaking a kiss on her cheek as he went to the small crib located in their room. 

As she brushed her hair, she watched her amazing husband tickling their daughter to wake. She could hear her little squeals and laughter and the sound never failed to make her heart melt. The sight of her daughter, which she never thought would happen, and her husband (who was still her best friend) was perfect. She had hope and like Mateo promised, all worked out for good and he had more than proven that he would never, ever leave her side. 

[majesticstudying]

A guide to new spec History

New spec history is a damn tough cookie to crack, so I figured I’d compile a list of some of the tips I’ve found so far…

For a summary, just read the bullet headings and italicised text.

General

Revise as you go                                                                                                    I can’t stress the importance of this. There’s so many key terms, names, and years to learn that it’ll be impossible to cram it all in at the end. After every sub topic make a revision resource that you can easily go back to, and actually use it, as often as possible

Know how to evaluate the usefulness of sources                                                                          A really useful way of remembering the main points to consider here is NOP- the nature, origin, and purpose of the source. What is it? Where is it from? What is it for? You can’t go wrong with these, and then just talk about whether it matches your own knowledge. 

 Learn to make links between people and events                                            This is especially useful in 16 mark questions. Form cross links between people and events to reinforce your argument- if you’re saying that Jenner’s vaccination was a turning point, you could link it to the knowledge that it began to change the government’s opinions on helping ill people, and elaborate. It makes not only your knowledge, but also your understanding leap out 

Make sure you know your eras                                                                       This focuses on the thematic study. Make sure your knowledge on what happened when is perfect. Questions will have boundaries (e.g. from 1700-1900) so you want to make sure you’re not dropping marks for including things from the wrong era. It also makes it easier to think of points quickly in exams if you’re sure about them.    

Revision 

Make clear distinctions between topics                                                           One of the worst things you could do is confuse your revision resources and then include the wrong thing in the exam. Make sure your resources are separate! 

Prioritise years, key events and people                                                                               A lot of the time just knowing the names or year etc kickstarts your long term memory in the exam. Be totally solid on all of this important stuff and focus what’s left of your revision time on the extended points. You can’t make considered points if you don’t know the basic info.

Don’t do it last minute                                                                                    Whatever you do, don’t do this. The info from above won’t become ingrained into your memory overnight. They need to be in your long term memory so they don’t get muddled- which they might if you go over them too quickly!

Use all of the resources available to you                                                           Cross reference everything. Make sure you have your facts straight. Revise from your book, revision guide, text book… anything! If you have it, it’s probably useful, so don’t ignore it! There’s so much to learn, nothing is too much. BBC bitesize is also a great resource for quizzes and summarised notes.

In the exam

Don’t get carried away                                                                                 It can be easy to write three sides of paper for an 8 mark question, but don’t do it. Make sure you’re writing enough to get the marks for the question, but don’t overdo it- you’re just wasting time for the bigger questions.

Be concise                                                                                                          Instead of making more shorter points, make fewer shorter ones. Allow yourself the time to elaborate on the point, as just a few well developed points will earn way more marks than a lot more undeveloped ones. 

Be as calm as possible                                                                                 Almost all of the questions need longer answers, and you won’t be able to answer them well if you’re panicked. Prepare yourself for writing these answers beforehand so you don’t become overwhelmed once you’re actually there. 

Double check as much as possible                                                                 Read through your answers. Check all of the important dates and key information to ensure it’s right. You often don’t notice the mistakes you make as you’re writing, so going back through it eliminates the possibility of losing marks that you could have easily avoided

And finally…

Enjoy it!                                                                                                                  It’s a hell of a lot of work but it’s actually really interesting. Don’t just memorise, enjoy your learning and you’ll get so much more out of the course. It seems obvious, but enjoying your work really really helps. 

So that’s it! Sorry it was so long… please don’t scroll past because it’s so long, it’s actually halfway useful.

These were pretty generalised points, so if anyone wants more in depth explanations/tips, just drop me an ask or a message :)