#provided they help them become friends with a dragon because its kind of a childhood dream of theirs

[thelaughingmerman]

drew a picture of my nine realms oc and the entire file somehow deleted before i could save it life is cruel

[angellazull]

Hogwarts Mystery Profile: Angelo Lancaster

Finally I updated Angel's profile, model of the form was made by @hogwartsmysterystory, hope this clarifies better.

(@immagrosscandy art)

Name: Angelo Nikolas Stellair Lancaster.

Gender: Male.

Age: 17.

Birth Date: August 23, 1972.

Species: Half-veela.

Blood Status: Half-Blood.

Sexuality: Pansexual.

Alignment: Chaotic Good.

Ethnicity: Caucasian.

Nationality: Brazilian/British.

Residence: Royal-Garden, England.

Myer Briggs Personality Type: INTJ-T.

The Mage

1st Wand:

Acacia – 30 cm – Slightly Springy – Dragon heartstrings core (Antipodean Opaleye).

A very unusual wand wood, which I have found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted. This sensitivity renders them difficult to place, and I keep only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not suited to what is commonly known as ‘bangs-and-smells’ magic. When well-matched, an acacia wand matches any for power, though it is often underrated due to the peculiarity of its temperament.

Ebony – 35 cm – Slightly Springy – Veela hair core (Provided by Leonor Lancaster). With a sapphire at the end of the handle and silver details.

2nd Wand:

(Art by @kyril-but-magical)

This jet-black wand wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manner of combative magic, and to Transfiguration. Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider, ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix and among the Death Eaters. In my experience the ebony wand’s perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose.

Animagus: A black Bombay cat, with a streak of blue fur on its head between its ears.

Misc Magical Abilities: Veela charm, hypnosis and sensitive to emotions.

Boggart Form:

4st-11th year: The Royal-Garden boys laughing at him and humiliating him.

11th-13th year: His friends turning away from him for being a Veela.

13th year onwards: His most important people dying without him being able to do anything.

Riddikulus form: The previous person juggling puffskeins.

Amortentia: Smell of new book, roses (the smell of Penny), peaches and apple pie.

Patronus: Cat bombay.

Patronus Memory: Jacob and him skating on ice when he was a child and his brother saving him from drowning on the ice.

Mirror of Erised: He graduating as an auror and his dad congratulating him and saying that he is proud of him.

Favourite Spells:

Animus Glacius❄️

Expecto Patronum🐈

Blue Sparks🎆

Aguamenti💦

Colovaria⚪➡️🔵

Voiceclaim: Asa Butterfield

Game appearance:

Height: 1.79 m

Weight: 60 Kg

Eye Colour: Blue sapphire

Hair Colour:

White (original)

Royal Blue (Colovaria)

Skin Tone: White

Body Modifications: N/A

Scarring: A scar on the back of his head hidden by his hair, caused by the time the Royal-Garden boys pushed him and he hit his head on the wall of the fountain.

Inventory: His wand, a notebook , A pen, current reading book, keyring earned from Kyril on his birthday.

Fashion: 

Casual - A black jeans, with his sweater with the coat of arms of Ravenclaw, with his blue All Star.

Summer - A royal blue T-shirt, black vest, dark blue denim shorts, and black sneakers.

Winter - A plain T-shirt, a wool sweater, and his furry white overcoat, with winter boots.

Formal Wear - Midnight blue smoking, with a white bow tie and black shoes.

Allegiances

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

Illvermony House: Horned Serpent

Affiliations/Organisations:

The Lancaster family.

The Stellair Family.

The Trindade Family (Renegade).

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Circle of Khanna.

The Order of the Phoenix.

Professions:

Auror - 1991 - 2011.

Obliviator - 2011 - 2012.

Charms professor in Hogwarts 2011 - present.

Hogwarts Information

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy - O

Charms – O

DADA – O

Flying – E

Herbology – O

History of Magic – O

Potions – E

Transfiguration – O

Electives:

Ancient Runes - E

CoMC - A

Quidditch: Seeker

Extra Curricular:

Transfiguration Club.

Charms Club.

Frog Choir.

Sphinx Club.

Favourite Professors:

Minerva McGonagall - Angel likes how Professor McGonagall believed in his talent for Transfiguration and did not compare him to his brother, Jay. Although she is very strict in her classes, she is always willing to help you.

Filius Flitwick - Angelo likes how the classes are fun and are never monotonous, being a Ravenclaw, Angel is very curious and likes how the teacher always clarifies his doubts and teaches him several spells, even if he is not in his class schedule and is used in their search for the Cursed Vaults and the Khanna Circle.

Least Favorite Professors:

Severus Snape - Angel admires Snape's ability and great knowledge in Potions and the Dark Arts, however he doesn't like how Snape insults him or says he is incompetent, he likes to be stimulated to learn more, with lessons in Snape, he just hopes to survive until the end of class without making his cauldron explode.

Patrícia Rakepick - Angel has always had a back seat with Rakepick, perhaps it was the way in which she found herself unshakable and unattainable. Although he learned many things from her, he never really liked her personality and always stayed away from her as much as possible. And after she murdered Rowan, the boy developed a deadly hatred for the ex-professor.

Relationships

Brother:

Jacob "Jay" Alexander Stellair Lancaster.

Half-blood.

Half-veela.

Ravenclaw.

He was a member of the Herbology Club and the dueling club until he was expelled from the school.

Hippogriff club.

Father: Charles Michael Lancaster ✞

Pure-blood.

Ravenclaw.

Ravenclaw Quidditch Team Chase.

He became an auror after he graduated from Hogwarts.

Member of the Order of the Phoenix original.

He was killed in a duel against Evan Rosier.

Mother: Leonor Mary Stellair Lancaster.

Veela.

Did not attend any magic school.

Specialists in elemental magic.

Specialist in healing spells.

Loves to sing and draw.

Has a great talent for gastronomy.

Love Interest(s):

Canon: Penny Haywood.

(sorry for the low quality image.)

Mc x Mc: Kyril Vasiley @kyril-hphm (Kyril Art)

Best Friends:

Canon:

🦡Penny Haywood.

🦅Rowan Khanna (Dead).

🦅Talbott Winger.

🐍Barnaby Lee.

🦡Chiara Lobisca.

MCs:

🐍(💛)Roger Lopez @hphm-roger

🐍Kyril Vasiley @kyril-hphm

🦅Elaiza Schuyler @annabelle-tanaka-official

🦅Candy and Paula Vigiere @immagrosscandy

Rival:

🐍Merula Snyde.

🐍 Ismelda Murk.

🦁Sebastian Anguslow.

Enemy:

Patrícia Rakepick.

Wizard in white robes.

"R" members.

Dormmates:

🦅Rowan Khanna (dead).

🦅Talbott Winger.

🦅Andre Egwu.

🦅Arjun Singh. @hogwarts9

Pets:

Arthy, the black cat.

Rowena, the snow owl (Jay owl).

Nevasca, the ice salamander.

Closest Cannon Friends:

🦡Penny Haywood.

🦅Rowan Khanna (dead).

🦅Talbott Winger.

🐍Barnaby Lee.

🦡Chiara Lobisca.

🦡Nymphadora Tonks.

🦁Bill Weasley.

🦁Charlie Weasley.

🦁Jae Kim.

🦅Badeea Ali.

🦁Ben Copper.

Closest MC Friends:

🐍(💛)Roger Lopez @hphm-roger

🐍Kyril Vasiley @kyril-hphm

🦅Elaiza Schuyler @annabelle-tanaka-official

🦅Candy e 🦡PauLINE Vigiere @immagrosscandy

🐍Jason Novak @death-or-sleep

🐍Carewyn Cronwell @carewyncromwell

🦅Flavio Ceccere @sirfluffig

🦅Montague Donohue @montaguehphm

🐍Dusty Emerald @dusty-emerald-hphm

🦡Stephanie Alexeev @hanihonii

🐍Lith Thorne @slytherinliththorne

🦁Aishwarya Mehra and 🦅Arjun Singh @hogwarts9

🦁Ethren Whitecross @hogwartsmysterystory

🦅 Simon Cahill @cursed-vault-ravenclaw

🦅Wendy Gordon @drinkyoursoupbitch

🦡Honey @hmhoney

🦅Luna Silver @lunasilvermorny

🦡Jackeline Peterson @jackie-and-the-curse

🦁 Tu Liang @wangxianforever000

🦅Samanta O'Connell @samshogwarts

Background/History:

Pre-Hogwarts: Angelo was born on August 23, 1972, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, while his father (as the son of a Brazilian) did international work in the South American country. But he returned to England at the age of four, going to live in the small village of Royal-Garden, near the south coast of the country.

At 6, Angelo suffered the first blow of his life, his father was murdered in a duel against death eater Evan Rosier.

Because of the instability of his Veela powers, he can never interact with Muggle children, because of the risks of revealing the Wizarding World. And after learning about his nature, some wizard boys who lived in the Royal Garden began to bully him, which made him stay away from the children. The only person who knew all this was Jay, and defended his little brother.

When his brother disappeared, Angelo completely isolated himself, he started to stay inside the house reading his father's and brother's books.

At 8, Angelo won Arthy as a birthday present from his mother, and that made the rest of his childhood bearable.

1st Year: While traveling on the Hogwarts Express, Angel felt very insecure about being a half-veela, so in an attempt to change the color of his white hair to black, he ended up turning his hair blue. During the first year, Angel avoided to relate with the other students, having Rowan like its only friend. His teachers, with the exception of Professor Flitwick and McGonagall, were the only ones who didn't compare him to Jay.

After his duel with Merula, Angel met Penny Haywood, when the girl was so kind to him, that from that moment, Angel always blushed when she spoke to him.

He thought he would be a normal student, but no matter how much he avoided it, the curiosity to know what happened to his brother spoke louder, then with the help of Rowan and Penny, they decided to investigate the appearance of the "mysterious ice".

2st Year: As soon as he returned to Hogwarts, Angelo was increasingly determined to discover the truth about his brother and what led him to become involved with the Cursed Vaults. After finding Ben trapped in the ice, he realized that he would need to do what he could to break the curse.

When they found the first vault, and when Rowan was wounded, Angel spent every minute of his free time, studying how to get through the ice door.

The more he investigated, the more bad rumors of his brother were coming, but he refused to believe that Jay was a bad and selfish person as they say he is.

When it was finally time to enter the ice vault. Angelo, Penny and Bill, with much effort, managed to break the curse.

3st Year: With clues to the next Vault, he had to deal with Sebastian Anguslow, a boy who always bullied him at the Royal Garden, so after explaining his situation to Talbott Winger, he agreed to help him become an animagus. After five months, he managed to become a black Bombay cat. So he was able to avoid Anguslow and all his followers.

When he managed to enter Jay's office, after defeating Merula in a duel, he found several notes from Jay about the second crypt, but the image of a loving and protecting brother was undone by the facts.

When entering the vault, Angel, Tonks, Tulip and Barnaby had to face their fears to break the boggarts' curse.

4st Year: As soon as he got back to Hogwarts, his convictions about Jay were pretty shaken, he didn't exactly know what to believe, but if there was one thing he did know, thanks to his Veela skills, he was able to feel a negative energy emanating from her, which meant he should not trust Rakepick.

While steadfastly refusing to be Rakepick's assistant, he learned of a Dementor's invasion, and that it had affected Penny, he told Tonks that he would resolve this and find out the truth behind said. After Tonks taught him to cast a patronus, he discovered that he took the form of a Bombay cat, like Arthy.

After the incident with the Dementor, the relationship between Penny and Angel strengthened each time more, and this resulted in an invitation to the Celestial Ball.

When he met Torvus, the centaur's revelations made his convictions about his brother melt away before the facts presented. This left him devastated, the image of the heroic brother he had from his childhood had been left in a past that seemed unreal.

While investigating, Professor Flitwick suggested that Angelo try to become the Ravenclaw's new perfect. But he knew that it was only a responsibility to divert his search, but the privileges of a perfect one would only help him in his search.

Once his ticket to the secret crush had caused a real mess at Hogwarts, he tried to solve it with the help of Tonks and Charlie, taking the courage to invite Penny on a date, it was an even bigger mess, but in the end, in the light of stars were all perfect, and Angelo finally realized that he had nothing but himself to be accepted, mainly due to his crush. Penny Haywood.

When he finally managed to return the arrow to Torvus, it was time for Angel, Penny, Hagrid and Torvus to enter the forest vault. From that moment, Angelo began to resolve the curses to clear the Lancaster family name and free Hogwarts from these dangers.

5st Year: After returning to Hogwarts to earn his class schedule with the time of his detention, he joined Bill and Merula, despite many protests, joined the Rakepick apprentice group.

Once again Angelo had a personal reason to break the curse, Beatrice, Penny's sister was one of the victims of the curse, so during this year, he had to manage all his time between classes, study for the owls, train and play Quidditch, and investigate Cursed Vaults.

Upon learning that Jay was directly involved in Duncan's death, Angel believed that the caring brother and that he protected him no longer existed.

Without the motivation to find Jay, he simply continued his investigations to protect his friends and clear the Lancaster's name.

During Valentine's Day, even with Lockhart's interference, Angelo and Penny had a great date and in their moment alone in the greenhouse, Angelo asked Penny for a date and gave her first kiss.

After successfully spreading the chaos and getting the painting with Peeves, Angelo, Charlie, Bill, Merula and Rakepick entering the fourth vault. After discovering the truth about Rakepick and meeting his brother again, he had the revelation that thinking about him was the only thing that kept Jay's sanity. And even though Jay was left in the crypt, he had little hope that Jay would still be the brother he was during his childhood.

6st Year: (Pending year)

7st Year: (Pending year)

Order of the Phoenix / 2nd Wizarding War: As soon as they graduated from Hogwarts, Angelo and Talbott started their Auror training with Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, thanks to their school friendship, the two Ravenclaws formed a great pair, becoming partners.

After finishing the training, Angelo and Talbott were assigned to small missions until they acquired enough experience for large missions. Until one night in 1995, Angel received devastating news, Kyril Vasiley, one of his best friends, had died, which left him devastated. The next day, he received news of the death of Cedric Diggory, another school friend, that was horrible for the blue-haired boy.

A few days after Lord Voldemort's return, Angelo was visited by Albus Dumbledore, who recruited him into the Order of the Phoenix. From that moment on Angelo became a member working on missions on behalf of Dumbledore.

In the battle of the department of mysteries, Angelo was with Tonks and they immediately went to Harry's aid.

During the time that Pius Thicknesse was minister of magic, Angelo works together with some friends to help Muggle-borns and other wizards unfairly accused of the persecution of Dolores Umbridge

After Harry, Ron and Hermione invaded the ministry, Angelo was forced to flee, after sending Leonor and mr. and mrs. Haywood to live at Jay's home in Brazil, he and Penny moved to a small cottage on a deserted Cornish beach.

Quando souberam que Harry Potter estava em Hogwarts, Angelo e Penny sabiam que Voldemort iria atrás dele, então rapidamente eles foram para Hogsmeade para ir até a escola pelo Hogs Head Inn. During the battle, Angelo dueled against the Death Eaters, especially against Cadmus Mulciber, one of those responsible for the death of his father.

Post-War: After the Battle of Hogwarts, Angelo was one of the Aurors appointed by Minister Shacklebolt to track and arrest Death Eaters and wizards who conspired in favor of the dark lord and bring them to trial.

Angelo was one of the Aurors responsible for removing the dementors from Azkaban. And he was tasked by the minister to oversee Harry and Ron's Auror training.

He worked as an auror until 2011, after retiring as an auror, He worked on the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad for a year. Until he received an invitation from Professor McGonagall to replace Filius Flitwick as a charms professor at Hogwarts in 2013.

Old Age & Death: Angelo worked as a teacher at Hogwarts for several years, until he turned 89. Then he said he and Penny lived in a house in Hogsmeade until Angel turned 103, when he died of old age.

Personality

Logical: Angelo always likes to make his decisions based on logic, it is extremely rare that he makes a decision based on emotion.

Empathic: Thanks to his Veela skills, he is able to feel the emotions of others, so he always tries to make people feel better, he cannot see his sad friends, he always tries to make his friends feel better.

Shy: Angelo due to his complicated childhood, he is a very shy boy, not being able to approach new people easily, always preferring to stay in his comfort zone. But he makes an effort when he really wants to meet someone.

Intelligent: Thanks to his photographic memory, Angelo is very intelligent, and he uses that intelligence to help his friends with their homework, mainly in History of Magic, and sometimes he doesn't mind writing essays for them.

Strategist: Due to his timid personality, many people the underestimated and don't believe they can sell him in a duel, but while his opponents try to beat him by force, he studies his opponent and waits for the right time to attack.

Affectionate: After he feels comfortable with a person, Angelo is not ashamed of being affectionate with him, hugging and caressing any friend he needs.

Misc:

The Lancaster is a purebred family, but it stopped caring about the status of purity in the late 19th century, with the family patriarch, Leonidas Lancaster.

Angelo is a descendant of two pure-blood families, the Lancaster and the Trindade, family of his paternal grandmother, Damares Trindade, a Brazilian pure-brood family, but he was disinherited when they learned that his father had married a Veela, and had half-Veela children.

The Stellair family, is a family well known among the French Veela.

Angelo developed a passion for ice and snow magic after almost drowning in a frozen lake.

He has visited the Veela sanctuary in the interior of France several times, where he can assume his Veela form while there, but wizards can only enter the sanctuary with a permit from the French Ministry of Magic.

His little habit of reading while walking comes from when he learned to read, at the age of 4, he used to read the Tales of Beedle the Bard.

And Angel likes to assume her animagus form and stay in the lap of her closest friends, receiving ear strokes, mainly from Kyril, Candy, Elaiza, Roger and Jason.

When he needs to be alone to think or just cry, he can be found sitting under the beech on the shores of the black lake, but when he is there he doesn't like to see anyone.

[edyacouky]

What an Alpha is

Can be read on AO3

***

Jason has realized quickly that what he want, what he is, isn’t normal. He has realized that before his research for his biological mom. Sometimes, he thought that Bruce and Alfred were family and they loved him. Sometimes he remembered what a great liar they were, all his future depended on them. Sometimes he remembered hos he loved Willis, how he loves Catherine and forgiven Sheila. No matter how much he loved them, he never trusted them with all his soul and heart. Finally he takes his secret on his grave.

Literally.

But now he feels better. Sort of.

Many things happen since his resurrection. But the only person knowing Jason’s secret is Essence.

Jason can’t really explain why. Essence has the same secondary gender as Jason, who is an alpha. She is raised by a culture different from Jason but with cliché about gender too.

When Jason let Essence know, he didn’t expect her to understand or being accepted. But she was.

As much Jason was relieved then, he is still scared that someone knows the true.

Many things happen since Essence.

Now Jason is happily in a relationship with Roy, an omega.

Jason is truly happy, more that he can remembered. And Roy must be too since he didn’t dumped him, yet.

Sex is good too. Jason makes sure of that. Doing like every intercourse may be the last one. Like he fears they could be. And since Roy initiate many time, Jason must succeed. But the true, like his fears, never disappears.

He does his best to fight the thought that harass him, but sometimes he lost.

This time is one of them.

Roy isn’t at home. He shouldn’t come back for a few days. So Jason thinks he is sage enough to succumb. He puts the box that he hides in one of his room walls. He cuts the security while his heart is beating cray. He can’t believe he will finally do it. It’s been months, almost a year.

There is his collection of sex toy in the box.

No fake cunt or anything else alpha are traditionalism portray use it.

There is dildo from different size, color and brand with different option.

Jason almost throw himself on the biggest Bad Dragon he has, then he stops when he see the dildo he brought one time on a space mission. Jason still doesn’t know who invent it and how it works, but this things is wild enough that it provokes Jason’s rut every time, no matter where on his cycle he is.

He had to take a deep breath. It’s been almost a year since he had the audacity to even fingered himself. He has to play soft, at least at first.

His eyes fall on a smaller and less crazy dildo. Its shape make him of Roy’s dick.

Thinking of his mate, guilt submerge him. He hates hide a part of him to Roy, even if it’s just a kinky part of him.

But his biological father’s voice, his old friend's, even Bruce’s friend’s voices remind him that he is abnormal.

An alpha who loves takes it in his ass, he is not a real alpha, neither can be a good mate.

And Jason want to be good, especially for Roy. It’s not like he want Roy to have a different secondary gender or change his.

He imagine Roy fucking him with his dick, how they can play together with a double penetration dildo.

Fuck all this asshole voices, but mostly fuck him.

Horniest is stronger that shame and he takes the smaller dildo.

Once he will have calmed the urge he could become again a good mate for Roy

***

Roy come back much earlier than he expected from his mission. Not that he is disappointed by that, quite the contrary. He missed Jason so much.

He realizes once in the front door that he didn’t warn Jason like he wanted. He can only hope that his mate will be at home.

All the tiredness he feels flies away when he smell sex. No other smell that his mate, so he is absolutely turn on.

“Jaybird.” He sing song while approaching the room

What he sees is so marvelous that he doesn’t believe it at first.

He won’t going to lie, he sometimes imagine fucking Jason. Who could blame him? But Jason never seems interested and Roy didn’t want him to feel pressure to do anything.

But now!

Now that he saw Jason ridding a really monstrous dildo, one of his hand gripping hard the headbed, surrounded by used dildo on their bed, the most illogical part of his omega brain whispers:

“Damn, I want carry his children.”

Not gonna happen if he does the fucking. He just can’t help but always have this though when he is really horny.

Without getting the time to think, Roy join Jason on their bed.

“Jaybird.” He whispers in his ears before kissing him deeply and caressing his fabulous thigh

Jason shivers but kiss him back with abandonment

At first.

As suddenly as unreal everything has been for Roy since he comes back, Jason pushes him violently, making him fall out the bed.

Roy realizes that the fact that Jason wanted alone sex time doesn’t mean that Roy can join him without making sure Jason want him to.

But before he could apologies, the room reek of fear and anger.

The look on Jason’s face freezes Roy.

The betrayal, the terror, the hate.

Roy was hoping fucking Jason, but it seems he fuck it.

“I…

-Get out!”Jason yells using his deep alpha voice

Jason never use it on people he loves, because he knows how you can feel miserable and afraid, even if it may be illogically, when this voice is used.

And damn! Roy feels miserable.

Jason deserves the world, and Roy want to give it to him.

Roy crawls to the bed, to Jason, showing him his neck with pitiful moans. He need to apologies.

But Jason pushes him again, repeat his order with more strength and baring his teeth.

Roy have to admit that he has to back off if he really want things to cool off.

He really, really doesn’t like that but submit.

Carefully he leaves the room and starts pacing in their living room.

He repeats his apologies in his head.

He keep questioning why Jason react so violently.

It’s happened before that Roy or Jason had an alone time and the other want to join. A simply “No” was always enough.

He realizes that he never saw this sex toy before, never Jason shares any interest to play with his hole.

He repeats his apologies in his head.

He start questioning if Jason is attracted by omega. Did he accept this relationship because Kory was part of it at first? Did he keep it because deep down he is afraid of being alone? Or did Roy do or say something that makes Jason thinks he can’t share it with Roy?

He realizes he is waiting for Jason for too long when his stomach starts asking to be fulling.

Roy isn't surprised when he realizes that Jason run away. He is disappointed and terrified.

He hopes that their relationship isn’t over.

***

When Bruce walks in front of Jason’s old room door, he is not surprised when he smells his son’s odor.

Until he remembers that Jason’s smell changed drastically after … everything that happen after Ethiopia.

And he doesn’t smell only the faint old smell of his son, but also loud new Jason’s smell.

He frowns.

He doesn’t remember a time where Jason sleep in here since …

The rare time Jason sleep in the Manor, they open him a new room.

He opens carefully the door.

Jason is hiding, Bruce doesn't know how else describe it, under his sheet. His hairs aren’t visible.

“Jason?” He says quietly

He miss calling him Jaylad, but it feels wrong for now.

Jason groans but doesn’t move.

“Are you ok, Jason?

-I am here. What do you think, Greatest Detective in the World?

-That something really awful must happen to you if you came to your childhood den to have comfort.”

Jason scoff.

“I am here because no one will search me here.”

That’s still hurt to realize that one of his pups doesn’t feel safe in the Manor, that Jason is right when he say no one will search him here.

But worry hits him when he realizes that something awful happen.

“What happen?

-Like you care.

-I do! Jason, tell me what happen.

-Why? So you can make it all about yourself.

-What if I promise to shut up while you will take?”

Jason’s head perk up and he glares at Bruce, judging him.

“I shouldn’t have been resurrected.”

First shot and Jason aims directly to the heart.

Bruce wants to argue with Jason, yells at him for daring saying it.

But he recognizes this light in Jason’s eyes. He test him.

Bruce takes a deep breath, keeps his scent has calming and safe as possible.

“Why do you think that?

-Because it’s true. Jason says with vulnerability. I’m not a good alpha.”

Bruce frowns, doesn’t understand why Jason may think that. Jason never seems like the kind of people who care about what a second gender should be.

And Jason is a good alpha. He is protective of people he considers part of his pack, he is fearless warrior, he is a good provider. He is always more than happy to help and cook for everyone.

“You are a good person, Jason. Bruce tries hoping he doesn’t make Jason angry. So of course you’re a good alpha.

-You don’t understand.” Jason grumble and hide again

Bruce groans and rolls his eyes. And society think that omega are the moody one.

“I can’t understand if you don’t explain it to me.” Bruce argues

Per chance he promised to shut up. Jason will avoid the Manor again for at least a few weeks and Alfred will be super pissed at him.

There is a long silence where Bruce expect Jason too suddenly leave, even punches him. But finally Jason sit down and with spite simply says:

“You can’t be more ashamed of me and I am not your child anymore any way.”

Bruce immediately want to argue. Jason should talk to him because he feels safe and loved, not because their relationship is so bad that he have nothing to lose.

“I am a fucking faggot.” Jason drops

Bruce frowns. It is not a word Jason use and he does that now to qualify himself.

“Why did you say that?

-Because it’s true. I can’t be with Roy now that he knows.

-I don’t think that you cheated on him. And I was sure that you loved Ollies’s omega. So … what happen?”

Jason mumble something, his face tunrs red.

“Do you cheat on him?

-No! Of course no! I will never do that!

-Aren’t you in love with him? Do you want to be in relationship with an alpha?

-No! Jeez, Bruce, you have no idea how much I love him! He will break up with me anyway.”

Bruce tries to pick up the piece together but the clues don’t help him understand the situation.

“Roy will break up with you because you are not straight?

-Yes! An alpha that like take it in his ass, is not a real alpha, he is not a good mate!”

Bruce blinks rapidly. Like … what?

“Everyone knows that! Jason tries to defend himself

-Well everyone is stupid.”

Jason groans and get up.

“I don’t know what I was thinking, coming here.

-Jason please wait …

-No. I need to talk to Roy. Sooner the better. See you next time B.”

And just like that Jason leaves.

And just like that Bruce feels he let him down once again.

***

Jason doesn’t really know what he expect when he come back to his home.

Maybe Roy take this things and leave, blocking his phone number. Jason will understand if he does. But it’s not Roy’s style do to that.

“Roy.” He call hims

He doesn’t see him in the living room nor the kitchen.

Blushing he goes to their bedroom. Roy has tidy up his sex toy. Knowing that Roy clean them and put them back in their box is so embarrassing. Bu he doesn’t know if he could have endure seeing them spread out and dirty on his bed.

After looking in the bathroom, Jason is sure that Roy isn’t here, but his things are still there.

In desperation, Jason sit on the couch playing with his phone. He should apologies for using his alpha voices and running away, but what if Roy had blocked his phone number?

Damn, why can’t he have more self control?

He start thinking where could be Roy and who he should call if Roy really block him.

Suddenly the front door open and Roy appears.

“Yeah thanks. I already went there. Tell me if you …”

Roy finally see Jason and smile at him.

“No forget what I told you. It’s ok now. Yeah, I will call you later.”

Without letting Jason time to apologies, Roy sit down on the couch next to him.

“You came back. And only after a few hours.

-Yeah, I start getting better at that.”

There is a silence where neither of them don’t know what to say.

“I am sorry.”

Jason frowns and argues:

“You have nothing to apologies for…

-Of course! I should ask you if I can join you and not assume…

-Roy….please stop...It’s not for that I freak out…

-Is not?”

Jason shakes his head and takes a deep breath.

“I am the one you should apologies. I shouldn't use the alpha voice. It was a shitty thing to do and I am sorry.

-Honestly I was more surprised. I really freak you out didn’t I?

-No...I mean...sort of. But it’s not an excuse and I am sorry.

-What do you mean by “sort of”?”

Jason tuck his sleeve and bit his tongue.

“I never want you to see me like that.

-Like that?

-I really love you and want to be a good mate to you. I am sorry I disappointed you.

-Disappointed me? Hold on. Can we rewind?”

Roy stand up and start to pace trying to understand what’s going on since he came back from the mission.

“Ok so first thing first, did I like that you used you alpha voice? No, but I am not disappointed in you. And why shouldn’t I think that you aren’t a good mate?

-You saw what I did! I am a freak, you can tell it!

-What you did?”

Roy rethink what he saw in the room. The only thing he was disappointed it’s how it ended. He really feels blessed to have saw Jason so debauched playing with himself like that.

“The sex toy, Roy! Jason yells impatient blushing furiously. I put it in my ass!

-Oh yeah, that was really hot.

-What?

-I mean I would have loved participate of course. I am on board with that too. But I won’t be disappointed if you like doing it alone or only with alpha or male beta. You respect my limit, I will respect yours.

-You are not disgusted?

-Wow! How did we go to disappointed to disgusted? No I am neither of them.

-Really?

-Really.”

Jason feel like he can finally breath. When Roy sit down against him again, Jason kiss him tenderly. He start crying too, but he feels too much joy and relief.

“Are you alright?

-Yeah I’m good. I just … I just open about it only with one person, I was always so afraid to be see as less alpha. Thank you Roy.

-I love you Jason. I won’t think less of you because of that. But I still have some question.”

Jason sight but smile.

“Shoot.”

Roy takes Jason’s hand in his and look at him even if Jason avoid his eyes.

“Do you love omega? Roy finally ask

-Is that a trick to ask me if I love you?

-Maybe. Sort of. Do you?”

Jason finally look at him with so much sorrow, it provokes Roy a twinge.

“I do. Jason caress tenderly Roy’s cheek. More than any word or act can prove you.”

Damn Roy fall in love with Jason everyday.

They kiss slowly, tenderly. Things aren’t always easy but they are so happy they have found each other.

“I am sorry I make you doubt that.

-I am just glad we clear it up.”

They kiss again.

“Do you have anymore question?

-Well I have one more question in mind. Roy says playfully. Next you play with your dildo - you have a really impressive collection if I can say it -…

-Asshole.

-Can I participate or … at least watch it?”

Jason close his eyes and bites his lips but smiles.

His cheeks turn beautifully red.

“I really love the idea of you being a really active participant.

-But…?

-I had sex with just one alpha before and I never do more with anyone less. So I want it but … Can we take it slowly?

-Of course we can, baby.

-I may freak out again.

-You may. But it’s not a big deal. You are here for me, I am here for you. We are partner in every sense of the word.

-Love you.

-Love you too.

-By the way, who did you warn about my running away?

-Artemis and Bizarro.

-You realize they will kick my ass?

-Don’t worry my alpha. I will protect you.”

The end.

[emsartwork]

hi! I'm the same anon with the personality ask. I actually wanted a serious summarization, but that didn't mean I laughed my ass off reading your descriptions. I don't know how to ask you this without sounding like a jerk :(

aw sweetie you’re good I offered to do a serious version you’re not being a jerk at all. Again I’m using my versions of the girls(+roxy) and I’m gonna stick to 3-5 sentences for each

Bloom:  She spent most of her childhood playing the “buffer” friend between two strong personalities (Mitzi and Selina), and felt she couldn’t express her true emotions with out being punished for it. As a result she has a ton of repressed rage which comes out when she’s pushed far enough, but still prefers to run away from emotionally difficult situations. Bloom has a very vivid inner world and feels things intensely, which is both good and bad. She does become comfortable with expressing herself (most of the time) and gains self confidence through her friendships with the rest of the girls and control of the dragon flame.

Stella: Stella finds most of her validation through attention and acceptance from others, and this stems from her isolated, awkward, childhood and her parent’s rocky relationship. After “princess diary-ing” herself she had some issues revolving around unequal relationships, and it was through the help of Nova that she grew to be confident in herself. Stella still has a sensitivity to rejection(whether real or imagined) but can handle it pretty well when it comes from people she doesn’t like or care about, she only reacts really badly when it comes from people close to her. Her rejection sensitivity also leads her to blame herself for her parents’ break up. 

Aisha: Aisha is another one with an isolated childhood, complete with overprotective helicopter parents, and she was very, almost unhealthily, dependent on Anne for a long time which lead to some lasting scars when Anne disappeared. She resists relationships, her parents’ desires, and expectations that come with being royalty as these make her feel like she’s being controlled or trapped which makes her panic. The Winx are the first friend group she really made and it took her a LONG time to let them help her with anything. The Winx learned pretty early on that she wasn’t used to being in a group so they focused on including her, and that  Aisha REALLY doesn’t like being told what to do so they avoid/ed it(Flora is the only one who can do it and live). 

Flora:  While Flora is very zen and low key, its primarily because she doesn’t focus on sorting out and identifying her emotions so when she does freak out or get angry its usually not about the thing that’s actually bothering her. Flora has some trouble with confrontation(not as bad as Bloom lmao) because she doesn’t want to cause problems for other people so if something is bothering her she just doesn’t bring it up. She tends to focus more outwardly than inwardly, making sure others are happy and healthy before taking care of herself(this can be bad but is fine if there’s a balance). 

Musa: Musa is confident in herself and her abilities, but has zero confidence in her personal relationships. Her mother’s passing severely impacted her because it was slow, but she wasn’t actually able to be there with her when she did die(not to mention the equally traumatizing reaction from her father). So Musa has a lot of anxiety over people leaving her, something bad happening while she’s not there, or people being angry around her. To cope with this she likes to stick really close to her people and is constantly checking in(subtley or obviously) with their irritation levels which can cause some friction(especially with Riven). She loves rooming with Tecna, who has no filter or double meaning to her words, and appreciates Aisha’s up-front attitude because at least she knows whats going on with those two even if they don’t always want to hang out.  

Tecna: Tecna was raised normally for a Zenithian child, but runs into problems whenever she deals with emotions. Originally her emotions were so repressed she wasn’t really even aware of them, but she has grown in identifying and working through them. Her emotions do still cause her a lot of guilt and worry because she has placed so much of her identity in being “logical” and doesn’t want to disappoint her parents. Tecna wants to live up to their expectations for her, and does for the most part, but still struggles with finding meaning in what she’s doing because its not actually coming from her heart(this continues well into adulthood but she does finally figure it out) 

Roxy: Roxy is in a very “in between” stage, she’s not a child but not an adult, not a fairy but not a human as she knows it, both a princess and a cashier, both sensitive and tough etc. Her age and situation kind of intensifies her already life long sense that she didn’t fit in anywhere. Roxy craves stability and acceptance, and this leads to her rejecting or being in denial of new things whether they’re good or bad. Morgana eventually provides a stable fixture who has a foot in both of Roxy’s worlds.

[darkpoisonouslove]

Valtor and Griffin parents headcanon. I love your works. The way you write is sublime😍

Oh, wow, thank you so much for the kind words and this sweet request!

Let's set this in an AU in which Valtor ran away from the Ancestral Witches with Griffin and the two are left to live in peace after they helped end the war. Now my personal headcanon is that Darcy is their daughter so I'll go with that but most of these can probably be applied in general as well:

- Valtor is worried when Griffin doesn't feel well and when he uses his magic to check up on her, he finds out she's pregnant. Griffin suspected as much but didn't really want to entertain the possibility before she could be more certain what's happening to her because she didn't want to disappoint them both.

- What is more, Griffin is worried about what kind of parent she'll be. Her mom was a very warm person and even despite that, the way the world treated her brought out the worst in her and she turned more and more to darkness, evil and mayhem until she joined the Ancestral Coven and almost helped destroy the universe. She's scared she'll make a terrible mother and that was a part of the reason why she didn't really want to confirm that she was pregnant.

- Valtor has his own doubts about being a parent. His own upbringing was a total disaster and there was nothing healthy about it. He didn't know what love is before Griffin and he has a lot of demons to battle and a lot of ingrained habits that he needs to shake off. He has to be more open and in touch with his emotions and not push upon his child any unhealthy ideas that were forced on him. He and Griffin have a conversation in which they promise each other that they'll be there for one another and keep each other in check.

- Despite having a ton of doubts about himself, Valtor is very enthusiastic about being a father and helps Griffin with everything he can during the pregnancy and after she gives birth. He's changing diapers and dressing the baby (Griffin and he agreed to use as little magic when it comes to caring about the baby as possible because they want Darcy to feel that they're there for her). He even gets up in the middle of the night instead of Griffin to let her rest when he can get the job done although Griffin is the early bird and he is usually the one who has a hard time waking up in the morning. But he’s happy to be there for both of his girls.

- Darcy has her room decorated with Dragons Lights - little sparks of dragon fire that are enchanted to light up when she’s awake so that she’s never left scared in the dark and the room always looks warm and comforting to her. The Dragon Lights stay even after she’s outgrown her fear of the dark because without them it won’t feel like home.

- Darcy displays strong magical abilities from an early age and Griffin and Valtor make it a point to include magic in their activities to help her control her powers. That also hides its risks though. Griffin and Valtor are forced to put an inhibiting spell on Darcy that keeps her from teleporting so that she doesn’t end up in the middle of a busy street or squashed in a machine. They do manage to teach her responsibility and safety when using magic in time, though, and soon she’s not teleporting away from them but uses her powers to help around the household.

- Shapeshifting is mastered from early in her childhood for it was successfully incorporated in games of tag. They start with an animal of Darcy’s choice and every time someone else becomes it, they all shift into another animal. It helps her get used to the feeling of shifting, learn to stay in control, master many different forms, and improve her speed and duration of the shapeshifting process. It’s also a lot of fun running around in a wolf or bunny form or flying as a raven or an owl.

- Hide-and-seek becomes much more intense and challenging when everyone has the power of illusions. Darcy’s illusions can’t compare to those of her parents at first and they dampen their magic to allow her to participate on an equal level and find them after all. But she soon develops her powers and it is her who needs to hit the brakes on her magic for her parents to be able to catch up. She becomes so good at illusions that it’s a good thing that they taught her to be responsible with her magic and not use it for whatnot or to hurt others and make her parents’ job harder.

- For one of Griffin’s birthdays Darcy makes an illusion that has all the known stars that have existed incorporated in it for her mom to be able to enjoy them all because she knows how much Griffin loves astronomy and the cosmos. She spent months memorizing star maps in order to be able to create the illusion and both Griffin and Valtor are left speechless by the complexity of it.

- Darcy and Valtor train with the Dragon Fire powers which she inherited from him. Griffin is a bit worried that they might hurt each other since Darcy is inexperienced and Valtor’s ego sometimes makes him forget he needs to hold back (he’s hurt her a few times when they used to spar or argue in the past) but Darcy surprises with precise control from early on and Valtor shows amazing restraint (so much so that she can see his muscles tensing with memories of him being hurt by his mothers while he’s trying to never subject his daughter to the same). Darcy becomes super good with using her Dragon Fire powers to the point where Valtor doesn’t have anything to teach her anymore and any further knowledge she needs to acquire herself.

- Darcy knows about her father’s demon form but hasn’t seen it. She wonders if she has one since she shares his DNA but Valtor assures her she doesn’t which might have been more of a disappointment in the edgy phase of her teen years but seeing how closed off he is about it convinces her that it is not something to wish for. She asks him to show it to her, though, because she wants to know all parts of her father and that includes his demon form. After a long discussion with both of her parents, Valtor finally agrees. Darcy is a bit shocked by the difference that is in him but she says she loves him nonetheless because even when he appears to be a demon, he isn’t one in his heart. He will always be the caring and present father that raised her and helped her become who she is. The one thing she does like from the demon form are the big demon wings, though.

- Darcy had a fascination with wings from an early age and would study all insects with wings she could get her hands on. Unfortunately, she was literally getting her hands on them and not all that carefully, too, so that resulted in a lot of torn off wings and dead insects in her hands which always made her cry. It did provide a good opportunity for Griffin to teach her a lot of healing spells that can be applied even to insects if you have enough control of your magic to use it on such small scale. Darcy was determined to not cause more destruction and death to the creatures that fascinated her so she learned to exercise enough control over her magic to be able to fix the smallest of injuries in the tiniest of species. That allowed her to study them without killing them.

- She also loved to study birds (especially in flight) but they were harder to come by and catch for detailed explorations (but at least that kept her from killing any of them). When she grew up a bit and learned to fly and control her magic, she befriended a crow that would always come near her and flap its wings around as if inviting her to join it in flight. She did once and the two flew around the sky like old friends with the crow even showing her some bird maneuvers that Darcy could copy when she shapeshifted into a crow herself. That later became a regular occurrence.

- The wing fascination might have started from Faragonda’s fairy wings on one of her numerous visits. She was pretty much Darcy’s fairy godmother (even if Valtor did not allow for that to become an official term) and Darcy loved to grab at her sparkly wings while she was a baby and Faragonda held her. Luckily for the fairy, her wings were much stronger than those of the insects so Darcy couldn’t rip them off or damage them. They always drew the girl’s attention, though, and she made herself “witchy wings” with her powers of illusion when she was nine or ten. They were dark purple and shimmered like starts on the night sky. Later, when she became older, she switched to flying around with dragon wings sprouting from her back. They were just an illusion, of course, but she was proud to be the bearer of the Dark Dragon Fire and her father’s daughter.

- Darcy loved all the animals and constantly dragged some stray kitten or dog home. Sometimes a squirrel, a hedgehog on occurrence, once even a snake. Neither one of her parents were very happy about it. Especially when one of the cats got three times the size of a regular cat and destroyed half of the furniture. None of them tried to inhibit Darcy’s connection with nature, though. It was a thing to be expected since she had Dragon Fire burning inside her and it was the substance of all life so all life was drawn to her (and Darcy might have helped her father reconnect a bit with nature himself since he was never allowed to explore that part of his powers and who he is). The establishment of some ground rules was necessary, though, to keep any and all incidents with wild animals to a bare minimum.

- Griffin would bake cookies or other sweets quite often when Darcy was little but she only used natural sweeteners to make sure her dabbling in the kitchen wouldn’t have negative effects on Darcy’s health. Cooking soon turned into a family exercise since Darcy was curious to learn how to make her own cookies and Valtor didn’t mind spending more time with his wife and daughter no matter what activity occupied them during that time. Griffin deemed it a great opportunity to teach them both some cooking skills so that they wouldn’t have to starve to death without her.

- Griffin and Valtor used to read and tell Darcy legends about the magical dimension and fill in some gaps with their own personal stories when they were in pursuit of some of the most powerful artifacts. That taught Darcy a great love for words and adventures and she spent quite a lot of time with her nose in a book when she learned to read.

- That happened at an early age and later on she built on that knowledge by studying magical languages that would allow her greater resources for spells. She knew a lot of languages (some of which didn’t even exist anymore) before she even turned fifteen. And all of that of her own volition. Neither Griffin, nor Valtor forced her to do anything.

- When she became a teenager, Darcy inevitably started using some teen slang that Griffin just shook her head at while Valtor was the one to find it rather distasteful and express his dislike of it. Darcy told him he was being old-fashioned which resulted in Valtor starting to use slang as well, much to Darcy and Griffin’s annoyance. They had to beg him to stop and become the old old-fashioned Valtor again.

- Darcy has a very open relationship with both of her parents that includes a lot of communication and trust. She knows she can tell them everything without being judged. Her parents are flawed people as well and know what it is to make mistakes which is something Darcy takes comfort in because she knows they're not perfect and they understand that she isn't either. She knows they will listen to her and try to help her avoid making mistakes she will regret later just as she knows that they will let her make her own decisions and allow her to find herself and be her own person.

I have to go to a lecture so I’ll have to leave it off here. Besides, I wrote down all I can think of right now. Hope this makes you smile. I sure had a lot of fun with these.

[lightshielded]

jarvan iv’s new lore / the good, the bad and the oh?

i just wanted to make a more official post on the changes or expansions in his new bio and my own opinions on them and why i think they’re good or bad or if they’re confusing. i will be posting a like thing to the forums in hopes of getting some answers from riot.

THE GOOD !

JARVAN III ! riot has added further information about jarvan the third, the current king of demacia. it’s really nice to actually have some official information on the man who rules the entirety of demacia rather than having to infer things from a mix of slight mentions in character bios and old lore. we know he is a smart ruler, one with a strong political mind allowing him to prevent infighting between political houses. we now know him to a loving, if a bit absent father, and a devoted husband and is truly trying to do right by his son. man even seemed unfazed by his son bringing home a half dragon when the entire demacian court was questioning the wisdom of letting the prince have a dragon on his personal guard. i don’t know man, they’ve made jarvan iii chill and i like him.

XIN ZHAO EXISTS ! this is more existence xin has seen in years and look i know it’s a brief ass mention in jarvan’s lore on how y’know he is actually doing his job of the seneschal of demacia and the lightshield family’s steward and just looking after a young jarvan but damn. yes. give xin lore and give jarvan the personal relationships which should have been established before and did exist back in the old - old lore.

EXTRA DETAILS ! i do like the small extra details given to events in this new biography. for instance, before he warred in the areas to the south, now we know the true names of these areas and where he fought and that these were also the same lands jarvan i lost his head to sion fighting in. we know a little more about his childhood and his education and why things were the way they were. just nice little details which gives his early bits of lore some interesting bits and bobs.

THIS LINE ! ‘ and the king beginning to feel the weight of his years, the prince must ensure he is prepared to one day inherit the throne, and be crowned King Jarvan IV of Demacia. ’ this line right here. this makes me feel things, that is all. just damn, king jarvan iv of demacia. now ain’t that a mood.

THE BAD !

LADY CATHERINE ! now, jarvan’s mother was only once mentioned back in the journals of justice and i honestly thought riot had forgotten about her. yet, i still joked with the release of sylas that they do not touch her. and, you know what, they really shouldn’t have. i am happy she got mention but i hate that she was revived into lore purely for the trope of killing off female characters as some kind of poor excuse for development and angst in male character’s lives. like yes, demacia is low technology and anti - magic so childbirth is probably a dangerous thing which results in a great many more deaths than in the modern day, but it was wholly unnecessary for jarvan’s older lore did not require it so it was a detail cheaply used and unwarranted. 

NO CAPTURE ! jarvan’s narrative across all lores from the oldest to the one just prior to now have included him spending time in noxian custody due to a mistake on his part and him feeling the need for self - improvement and redemption. this has been his hallmark for many years and provided strong reason for character development by curbing his pride and his rash behaviour, showing his strong empathy for his fellow man and how that is both boon as well as cause cause him to make blind errors. each of these lores has provided us with a sheltered character pulled into a world far more gritty than he was living in, struggling, failing but rebuilding himself into a stronger person. yet here, jarvan barely fails. his ‘ downfall ’ moment is simply that his battalion gets splintered off after scores of victories which spread them too thin. that’s right, he won too much, got cocky and kept pressing forward. while it mentions he was troubled by what he saw there was no blind dash ignoring of orders cause he couldn’t let the murderers of his people walk free. nah, now it’s more an ego complex following a pledge to bring stability to the region and possibly regrouping when you hear the gates of mourning fell is not on the agenda when doing that. so instead, he is splintered off and he and some survivors wouldn’t surrender and escaped into the forests where they were hunted down and jarvan finally took an arrow to the knee side. here it catches up with the older lore and he lies dying in a fallen tree till our dragon friend comes to save him after mistaking him for food ( i hope they don’t remove that line from her lore when it gets updated i love it ). not to mention it removes his torture by noxus and i have no idea how swain’s line works anymore or how sion even exists.

NO VILLAGE ! so jarvan gets saved and brought to castle wrenwall which is where he combated yvva in older lore and not the small demacian village. this further changes jarvan’s narrative as they know who he is. the garrison commander instantly knows jarvan is the prince and thanks shyvana for saving her. her being a part of demacia no longer becomes because they saw her saving some random demacian and helping him and so having demacian like values and so inviting her to stay because she is a good person. it instead becomes well you saved the prince we are indebted to you. it also loses the charm of shyvana helping out in a village and the prince having to learn to live as a normal person since he is pretending to be so. it also squishes the timeline some but i’ll cover that in the next bit . . .

JARVAN’S SELFISH ! jarvan’s motivation to help shyvana is completely changed. i doubt this was intentional but the wording is very off. before: shyvana tries to leave because she knows the dragon attacks that have started happening are her fault. jarvan stops her, learns of her past and then pledges to help her because she is his friend and he owes his life to her. his own doesn’t matter, he will help her or die trying. now: the very recount heavy style of the rewriting of this new lore implies he sees yvva coming in the distance and he sees her as an opportunity to redeem himself, not help shyvana. in fact, in this new lore they barely interact. jarvan has no reason to care for her since he is still injured when yvva appears so they haven’t spent long together. like when i said the timeline is squashed i mean from several months down to maybe a couple weeks. there is no need for this reduction and all it does is hurt jarvan and shyvana’s friendship and turn jarvan into someone who cares more for his ego than his friend. what happened to learning about charity, huh?

GAREN BARELY EXISTS ! do i need to say more, jarvan’s old lore told much of their friendship and how garen’s efforts saved him but thats now deleted from the timeline and all jarvan is left with is a mention that they were friends, an almost copy paste from garen’s older lore which mentions he admires his fortitude and that now he is shield - captain so jarvan needs to shape up. it just doesn’t feel connected or personal. how am i meant to see that two people are friends if all you say is, yeah, they’re friends. how about some show not tell?

TOO MANY OTHER PEOPLE / REALLY RUSHED ! now i’m sure you’ll be surprised since i said i was happy to see stuff on jarvan iii and xin ( cause i am ) the issue is the writers are working under a kind of word limit system so while i love reading about other champions and characters, devoting several paragraphs of jarvan’s limited amount to other characters and info which is interesting but doesn’t push his story too much feels a little cheap. this rushed pace they then had to write with acts to flatten his character. things that were written once in beautiful detail are now reduced to recounted fact that lack the emotion of what the previous did. ie: CURRENT: ‘ He was devastated. He had failed his family, his kingdom, and his brothers-in-arms. ’ OLDER: ‘ As Jarvan was dragged further from Demacia during his weeks of captivity, he was ashamed that the rashness of his decision to pursue the Noxians had led to needless Demacian deaths. Crushed by the loss, he came to believe he no longer deserved to live in Demacia, let alone inherit its throne. ‘ even just this little bit on his emotions post failure. before it goes into how he stews in his grief for weeks. his shame. his loss. he no longer feels like he can be called demacian. now he is just devastated because he failed.

THE OH ?

JARVAN’S STANCE ON MAGIC IS KNOWN ? people know shyvana is a dragon now. all the nobles in attendance know. jarvan’s father knows. his friend who hates mages probably knows. literally anyone who can hear court or military gossip knows. how is this man left to do his shit when everyone knows that jarvan has a dragon on his personal guard ? this is the prince of a magic fearing nation, a nation who has in recent times made their laws significantly stricter. HOW IS HE JUST AROUND? DOES LUX KNOW THIS? DOES SYLAS KNOW ANY OF THIS? HOW IS SHYVANA NOT LOCKED UP WITH THE NEW STRICTER LAWS ??????????

IS THE KING / QUEEN STILL ELECTED ? a big part of jarvan’s character previously was that he had to toe around his nation’s views because his actions could easily be seen as treasonous or wrong and prevent him from being elected king when his father relinquishes the throne. but now it just mentions he is the heir and he is to inherit it, which it was mentioned in the other lore that he would inherit it ( or rather it was mentioned he didn’t feel like he could since it was mentioned when he was depressed ) so i don’t know if they have scrapped this part of demacian lore or if it just wasn’t mentioned. i have no idea.

[mochidoodle]

Houseki - 宝石

Since there’s been some curiosity about it lately, I’ve decided to officially introduce Houseki! Houseki is my original series made with the help of my faithful editor-in-chief @ukitakejuushiro​​​.

It all began with my first D&D character, a half-elf druid named Eizan Shen whose backstory I fleshed out over the past year. The story takes place in the elf nation of Liang (Chinese: 亮), meaning “light/brightness.” I incorporated my Asian heritage into a fantasy, magic-filled world brimming with all the classic (and favorite) fantasy story tropes. Sky-high towers and mages and dragons...a mix modern fashion with ancient Chinese wardrobes...and a set of unique customs built on Asian foundations. (ok now I sound like a chef on Chopped😅)

This explanation ended up hella long, so the rest is under the cut! I’m so happy people are curious about Houseki. It’s the culmination of my love for drawing, world-building, and storytelling (and anime ofc lol). Hope y’all enjoy my first original story!

The Kingdom of Liang

The prosperous Kingdom of Liang is a country landlocked on three sides, facing the sea on its west coast. It’s ruled by an oligarchy-monarchy mishmash I’ve yet to totally work out and three big political factions I won’t delve into too much now. The important thing to know is Eizan’s wife, Saya, connects him to the nobility because she’s the niece of the king. Her entire backstory is a wild ride involving a dispute for the throne, “dishonoring” her clan, and finding a family for herself. 

For the most part, the main plot revolves Eizan and his job. If you’ve read MTNN by Matsui Yuusei, you’ll figure out exactly who inspired Eizan...in fact he’s kinda like a (slight) Pokemon evolution of my favorite MTNN character (lol oops...)

Anyway, for that reason, I gave Eizan a similar-ish job. (I’ll keep Eizan spoilers to a minimum here because the campaign I’m playing right now has yet to reveal his deets... but if asked, I’d be happy to give’em!) We follow his adventures and meet his best friend, Taizi (a human) and his brother-in-law, Chai (an aspiring mage). 

Due to a horrific 100-year-long war (appropriately named the 100 Year War), Liang experiences the aftereffects of rampant xenophobia. Nowadays, border relations are peaceful and the xenophobia is minimal, but the bitter aftertaste of intermittent racism and elf elitism remains. 

We get a dose of this in Taizi’s backstory — Taizi and his human family were immigrant beggars rejected by the locals until Eizan’s father offered them a home and helped them get back on their feet. Ever since then, Eizan and Taizi have been the best of friends, like brothers. 

Meanwhile, Chai, the snooty son of one of the biggest royals around, learns what it means to be the “non-elite.” He meets Taizi, his sister marries Eizan (a commoner and a half-blood), and he becomes a working apprentice at the local woodshop. His is a tale of self discovery, treating people with fairness, finding his own goals, and opening his worldview when he crosses paths with characters from all walks of life.

Jade

One of the most important customs in Liang is the symbolism of jade. Jade is the most sacred stone, symbolizing a lifelong promise between two (or more) people. It is a vow of friendship, family, love, and loyalty. Jade is not to be gifted lightly. Royals tend to have a family and/or individual ring made of jade.

Most, if not all couples, will exchange unique jade pieces when they marry. I call it “Trade a Jade” (˚▽˚) For example, Eizan gave Saya her hair clip and she gave him a set of earrings. Sky gave Yuri a beautiful hair ornament, and she gave him jade chevron ear cuffs. (Couples do trade other items, but these happened to be similar gifts.)

Magic

The theory of magic in Liang is based off the number eight, representing harmony and balance. Mages use “anchors” to connect themselves to the natural energy of the world. While magic theory/technique may vary geographically, Liangese magic always utilizes eight anchors. A gate between the first seven anchors and the universe is established using your soul anchor (the eighth pillar, one’s own mana). The first seven are elemental anchors (fire, earth, water, etc) which draw power from the natural world. The stronger the mage, the purer the magic, meaning one can draw a greater quantity of power with a better connection.

Gemstones — houseki (宝石) — are used to enhance the channels established by anchors. Certain jewels even have elemental affinities. Stones with high purity resonate strongly and channel the best magic. 

Fun fact: If you take away the hat-shaped radical in the first character of Houseki, you get the word for “jade”...! 

Connecting to different anchors produces different spells. For example, combining several elements provides complex magics like telepathy and foresight. Using only one type of anchor creates create pure magic, such as straight up fire or water spells. However, magic is not produced out of thin air — it requires a trade of the user’s mana for the world’s energy. A spell’s strength still depends on the caliber of mage, not just what anchors they use.

Magic tools are very common. They use magic batteries made of gems/metal ores or simply rely on the user’s mana. Inscriptions and magic circles establish anchors if none are enchanted into the gems. High quality magic tools are made of metals with high magic compatibility. The more common items made from regular steel, stone, and glass include thoughtography radios, magic-infused cameras, and quartz crystal TVs.

Additionally, healing is possible by accessing life element anchors (found in your soul anchor or in organic objects) to summon sheer life force energy. Liangese healing magic is very advanced to the point where one can conduct brain and open-heart surgeries. However, the usage of certain magics is forbidden without qualification. Medicinal magic is limited to certified clerics, and alchemy is strictly prohibited unless you’ve graduated from the capital’s School of Alchemy. 

Note: Much sketchy underworld business revolves around black magic, illegal alchemy, and magic weapons trade.

Basic spells are taught in grade schools, but not everyone has strong magic affinity, so mastery isn’t a requirement. Most children continue on to a regular university, vocational school, or magic academy if they don’t enter a direct apprenticeship following primary education. Easy spells are frequently used in daily life to simplify tasks. For example, one can check the quality of materials or speed up certain processes using analysis/trace magic. Cooking magic is an entire art on its own, and very difficult to master.

There are laws banning time-altering magic and revival of the dead, but very few ever violate them. This is because these spells never end well. You can land in an eternal time loop or accidentally create a soulless, man-eating zombie. And then you die.  While spells that save someone on the brink of death in exchange for one’s own life force do exist, you cannot bring back the dead. 

There is only one exception to this, and even that singular instance required hundreds of years of research and preparation, not to mention the cost.

Finally, certain noble clans specialize in different magics, often attaining mastery of multiple disciplines. I’ll save that for a different post, but for now, just know that the Cheng Lis are primarily fire, alchemy, and space/time mages. Eizan is good with earth or plant-based spells (aka he has a great green thumb!)

commissioned art by Ling

Plot (???)

The plot of Houseki is still a work in progress. I have a general outline that I keep adding to as more ideas come. I’m writing out the fine details/arcs, which will include the dark underbelly of the royal world, black magic, a threat to the nation, the secret to life (?), and the truth behind the throne. Love me my cliches hehe~

Here are some character facts you might find interesting! ...okay, yes, my cast is like 90% one royal family and I have terrible naming sense (I legit named Taizi after my fave badminton player) but here ya go!

MAIN CAST 

Eizan Shen: A half-elf druid created for my first ever D&D campaign hosted by a friend! He’s a huge family man and an avid tea enthusiast. Very calm, levelheaded, and specializes in handling a knife...or many knives. (I don’t know where he keeps them...😨) Eizan gives off ultimate dad vibes and his most treasured thing in the world is his family.

Saya Shen: Eizan’s wife, a full elf born to one of the most powerful royal clans. She was supposed to be the first princess of Liang, but was disowned by her family when she rebelled from their ideals and married a commoner (and a half-blood, to boot). She’s an incredibly strong woman both mentally and physically, but also one of the warmest, most loving characters in the series. Oh, also her biceps are made of steel.

Chai Cheng Li: Saya’s little brother, a young mage prodigy who specializes in fire magic. He’s a tad snooty and arrogant, but at heart just a nerdy bookworm who loves magic. He grows up admiring his sister, feeling heartbroken when she “abandons” him and leaves the family, but later rediscovers himself and in his journey to become king. 

Taizi Ying: Eizan’s childhood friend. He and his family were immigrant beggars shunned by the locals until Eizan’s parents offered them a place to stay. After his parents died of illness, Taizi made it his life goal to repay the kindness that Eizan’s family showed him years ago. He becomes the greatest swordsman in the nation and earns great respect despite the human blood in his veins. 

Dae Ongaku: She is spunk in the form of a small elf girl, the one and only Dae. Head apprentice of the Shen Woodworking Company, her skills are nearly unrivaled. She’s known for her contagious smile, eccentric love of cheese, and her liveliness. It really isn’t a day without Dae Ongaku. (Character inspired and written by @ukitakejuushiro)

Sky Silvers: A cool and aloof elven ranger who befriends Eizan during our D&D campaign, later residing in the Shen household temporarily before he becomes a disciple of the greatest archer in Liangese history, Hanzhen Cheng Li. In the future timeline, Sky also ends up falling in love with Han’s daughter and marrying her. (Sky belongs to @ukitakejuushiro, and is her player in the campaign.)

Hanzhen Cheng Li: Youngest brother of the king and Saya’s uncle. Known far and wide as the One-Eyed Archer, Han is the strongest archer in all of Liangese history. He lost function of his left eye in the 100 Year War, hence his nickname. His wife passed away due to cancer, but thanks to my incredible plot armor (backed up by a decent magic theory), she will come back to life. They’re the cutest shit you’ll ever see, so I have absolutely no regrets. Best decision ever.

Yumiko Cheng Li: Han’s beloved wife, a cute little lady with a head of fluffy chestnut hair. She died approximately 75-85 years ago due to an incurable cancer, but I brought her back to life because Han was too lonely and I love her to bits. She is pure sunshine, the actual greatest good in this world.

Just look at this...how can you say no....

Yuri Cheng Li: Daughter of Han and Yumiko. Like her parents before her, she is a skilled archer, and her personality is a perfect mix of the two. She has a passion for fashion, art, and teaching, but her emotionally tragic past hinders her confidence and her relationships. Fortunately, she meet someone who helps her becomes brave again, and fate aligns just right :’)

Hokuzhen Cheng Li: We should finally introduce the King of Liang himself, shouldn’t we? Cheerful and easygoing, Hoku is a kind and intelligent king. He’s very perceptive of the state of the nation, while also keeping up with “hip and cool” trends much to his daughter’s dismay. He can be somewhat clumsy, often tripping over his massive robes. A good man with one too many dad jokes...

Alishan Cheng Li: The Crown Princess of Liang, named after the literal Alishan mountain range of Taiwan. She’s Hoku’s daughter and Saya’s cousin. Ali is polite and well-mannered but not particularly adventurous or motivated. She knows for sure that she doesn’t want to inherit the throne. Oh, and she loves food (especially mantou) ♫

Bonus:

Wakamori Yakaze: A spirit mage from the western island country of Kouhaku. Yakaze is Sky’s first teacher and Han’s best friend. Though he doesn’t appear in Houseki’s main plot, he’s a main character in Han’s spinoff story, which will rejoin the final timeline of the main series. Yakaze’s tale is one of angst and hopelessness and his journey to someday becoming whole again. Personally, I believe his friendship with Han is unrivaled, far surpassing both love and life. Keep an eye out for him in YUMI TO YA —弓と矢  (Yakaze belongs to @ukitakejuushiro)

ANTAGONISTS

Yan Wu Seigi: A cunning mage who runs an underworld spy network. He is the head of the Seigi clan (and political faction), but his heinous actions in the 100 Year War dishonored his clan, and they were stripped of their status. His sly methods and ulterior motives drive the underlying plot behind Houseki.

Akagi Kanshikan: Yan Wu’s adopted son. Akagi lost his family to a house fire when he was young. He grows up a wild, obsessive, and unstable youth who craves social intimacy but doesn’t know how to achieve it. His love for violence and lifelong training as an assassin don’t help much either. He meets Eizan during their school years and plays a large role in one of the more devastating arcs. 

Jimo Kanshikan: Akagi’s younger sister, a small, emotionless, and cold assassin. Trained to be a killer since her formative years, she is fast and deadly...but somewhere deep inside, she wishes Yan Wu would show her fatherly approval and she seeks warmth from her sibling(s). 

Shanmu Seigi: Yan Wu’s only biological daughter, a wicked poison enchantress who adores mind games. She supports her father’s regime but also has an evil plan of her own. The shame of their clan drove her to mother to madness, and Shanmu’s hand in her mother’s demise explains why she has become so twisted. Shanmu is a recurring antagonist who cleverly slips beyond reach of the law.

Hayazhen Cheng Li: The eldest Cheng Li brother, Saya’s father, and formerly the Crown Prince of Liang. He was once a benevolent man to his loved ones, but after an unfortunate plot twist, he begins seeking vengeance in the form of cruelly grooming his heir. Hayazhen is a key national figure and maintains strong influence behind political tides. 

Asuka Cheng Li: Hayazhen’s wife, mother of Saya and Chai. She supports her husband’s endeavors regrets her inability to help Hayazhen make wiser choices. Instead, she blindly takes his side, thinking it was the only way to support him. 

Junzhen Cheng Li: A stingy, arrogant second Cheng Li brother. He’s just straight up mean and rude, no holds barred. But no one gives a damn about him either lol.

SUPPORTERS & FRIENDS

Setsuna Reifan: A renowned healer who spearheads the movement for workers’ rights and class equality. She becomes an important ally to the main cast. 

Ichirou Reifan: Setsuna’s son, a member of Eizan’s team. A really average joe. Pleasant to be around, but not very interesting.

Hyouka Tsaomei: A quiet, sweet girl who specializes in illusionary magic. She loves strawberries. Her name means strawberry. Will kill for strawberry shortcake. 

Qiuzhen Rin Koori: Magic forensic specialist who only likes three things in this world — coffee, candy, and sleep. It pains him to get out of his chair, and it’s near impossible to extract him from his magic lab. 

Old Nao: Headmaster of one of the military academies in the capital. A kind man, but also incredibly ancient.

Torisu Bia: One of the Ongaku Daily Sun’s best political journalists. Doesn’t sleep much, loves to write, and gets her nose into sticky situations every now and then. Uncovers a great conspiracy.

Osamu Raisan: A bard of the royal court who plays the shamisen. Something about him is particularly ethereal and all-knowing...

Maikku Shantian: Another bard of the royal court. He sings. Loudly. A very popular bard amongst the populace. 

Layla Zanabaq: A local florist in the capital’s most immigrant-populated town, where Eizan and Saya live. Has a huge crush on Maikku. (Inspired and created by @harunnn)

Shu’un & Ranshao: Two of Chai’s university friends. The first is a salty little mage who uses familiars, and the second is the token idiot who only knows how to use explosion magic.

Paiya Yoon: Dae’s childhood friend and rival. She moves into the capital when she finds a new job there, rekindling their competitive friendship. She’s named after a papaya. Yes, you heard me, a papaya. (Inspired by @kyahgamis​)

Rem: Sky’s eternally sleepy childhood friend. Even while holding a conversation, there is a 99% chance he is asleep. May or may not be a ninja, but you didn’t hear that from m—

Collie: An archery kouhai from Sky’s youth. She looks up to him a lot and she flaps her ears when she’s excited, as if she might try and fly away. Collie is often mistaken for a boy.

Ra: A very Extra™ healer who has 100% faith in his skills (as should you). He calls people by their full name all the time (a power move), doesn’t skimp on eyeliner, and has known Sky since his village days as well. (Rem, Collie, Ra by @ukitakejuushiro)

FAMILY 

Ezi Shen: The plucky, curious daughter of Eizan and Saya! She adores the color pink and loves bows of all kinds: bow ties, ribbon bows, bow tie pasta, you name it! Ezi is quite the fearless little adventurer and one should consider it an honor to be invited to her weekly tea parties.

Daizan Shen: Eizan’s father, a master woodworker who owns the shop where Dae works. He’s a strict but fair man who earned great respect amongst fellow craftsmen with his hard work and skills. He and his wife serve as the liaisons between local mixed-race business and the corporate elf society. 

Meihua Shen: Eizan’s mother and Daizan’s wife. Though she was born to elite elven family, Meihua pursued her dream of being a seamstress. She now owns a beautiful dress and tailor shop. Despite being a pacifist, Meihua’s incredible intelligence was needed at the end of the 100 Year War, and she temporarily served as the head military strategist.

Tian Cheng Li: The only daughter of the previous king and sister to all of the Cheng Li brothers. Tian is an absolute riot who turns proper princess stereotypes on their heads. She is the root source of Saya’s spunky nature, the rebellious and boisterous Cheng Li aunt. 

Hayano and Irino Cheng Li: The notorious family twins, Tian’s youngest sons. They are the most chaotic duo of memes elves you’ll ever meet. They always have their hair dyed one wacky color or another. Lately it’s been orange (Hayano) and lavender (Irino). 

Hokkaia Hibari: Saya’s maternal grandmother, a very loving and tender woman who taught her grandchildren how to read and write. When the family dynamic turned sour, the children sought comfort in Hokkaia. She taught them to hope and dream :’) 

The Ongaku Family: Dae’s family of two fishermen, a navy boy, and the editor-in-chief of the Ongaku Daily Sun. They’re frequently so busy with work (coastal fishing, deployment, running the newspaper, etc) that they’re often absent from the household. As a result, Dae practically lives with the Shens nowadays.

Rei, Jun, & Maeno Cheng Li: The rest of Saya’s cousins. Rei is the oldest, an elegant but stiff woman. Underneath her guise of propriety, she seems lonely, like she just wants to have fun and be friends. Meanwhile, Jin is her stuck-up asshole of a little brother, a true snob. Don’t give Jin time of day, ever — it’ll get to his head. Finally, Maeno is the benevelent older bro of Tian’s twins. He has a soft, round stature and a warm smile.

Sei Ling Zhou: The former queen, mother of all the Cheng Li siblings, and the most renowned healer in history. She’s known for her quirky attitude and snarky clapbacks, having once turned down the proposal of the last king himself. Sei Ling will discover a never-before-seen spell that could very well be considered the “secret” of life...

Akira and Kawano Cheng Li: Akira is Junzhen’s wife and mother to Rei and Jin. She married into the family forcefully, desiring access to their magic libraries. Akira is not a stranger to getting what she wants. Kawano is Tian’s husband, a calm and steady man to balance out her spontaneity. He comes from a family that owns a fruit import company.

CUSTOMS

Jade: As mentioned before, the jade stone is the most precious and worshiped gem. Recklessly gifting jade would tarnish one’s reputation and belittle Liangese culture. Of course, they are understanding of mistakes, especially when foreigners are just learning about their customs.

Festivals: Liang has four big seasonal festivals — the Lantern Festival on the summer solstice, the Lunar Dance Festival in mid-autumn, the White Tiger Festival on the week of the new year, and the Jade Horse Festival on the spring equinox. People gather to pray to shrines, dance and sing, eat good food, and visit their families. 

Tournaments: Similarly, Liang also has four seasonal tournaments called “Medals.” Winners of the Medals, appropriately called Medalists, are recognized as the greatest master in their respective fields. (Minor competitions also occur, but these are the big ones):

There is the Swordsmanship Medal, which lasts five days and ends on the summer equinox (the day the Lantern Festival begins).

The Ceremonial Dance Medal in mid-autumn, which perfectly coincides with the Lunar Dance Festival. 

The Archery Medal on the winter solstice.

And finally the Horsemanship Medal during the spring equinox.

(all statistics are approximate and not quite final yet!)

Mastery of Arts: In Liang, mastery in any field (magic, arts, athletics, medicine, etc) is a very respected achievement. Oftentimes, masters are the older folks, hence why elders are held in high regard. An important plot point involves Taizi achieving mastery of the sword and winning the Swordsmanship Medal, defying classism and racism, and becoming one of the youngest and most respected masters of his generation. 

Market Day: A day-long event akin to an Asian night market or western farmers’ market. Shop owners, farmers, and restaurateurs gather in the central marketplaces of large and small cities alike to sell their specialty items. It’s a day to celebrate food and advertise your best goods! 

PLACES

Hisui: The capital. It has a circular layout and lies in the western central region of Liang. The Royal Palace sits at its center, hugged by a river that comes from the north. The Inner and Outer Capital are areas separated by the imaginary circle drawn by the river. This line divides the government and business sectors from the smaller residential districts.

Hayashi: Saya’s main hometown growing up. An industrial city slightly northeast of the capital.

Bing Harbor: Han’s city of residence in the northwestern province. It is Liang’s biggest port town, and thus the “gate” to the western world. Bing Harbor is known for its beautiful winter landscapes and seamless escape into vast forests.

Huamao: Eizan’s hometown, where he met Taizi. Known for its peaceful gorges, clear pools, and beautiful small cascades. 

Mountains: The mountain ranges surrounding Liang are classified into three different regions, each with their own specialty resources (i.e. mountain ore, lumber, etc). They are home to a few aboriginal clans. 

Huen: The southernmost Hisui district. It has the highest immigrant and non-elf population in the capital. This where Eizan currently lives. 

Haretsuki Lake: A large lake shaped like a crescent moon crashed into the sun. It lies in a valley to the southeast and has much historical relevance.

Here is a vague, incomplete map of Liang (still a really rough draft so far, and not quite the shape I want it to be...):

As you can see, I have great naming sense (´∀｀；) I either name on a whim or I throw in references to my family in some way or another... Anyway, I plan to change the shape and layout a bit. I’m not quite satisfied yet...

In conclusion... 

That...was a lot. If you made it this far, holy shit? Thank you?? Feel free to check out my Houseki tag and ask questions and just...please talk to me about my OCs omg I’m so excited ( ๑>ᴗ<๑ )

This is kinda my first big original “project.” I’ve always wanted to do something like this and I’m super excited to share it. Most of it’s on my personal docs or in chats with Danie, but I will share it all eventually! And I’ll update the (very unfinished) Houseki blog with all the formatting and plot, so stay tuned!

[forisobel]

REVISITING HARRY POTTER, PART ONE .  .  .

harry potter was a staple for my childhood. beit through the books or movies, i excited at the prospect of following young harry through out his adventures at hogwarts. i’ve been to the harry potter studios in london twice now and display the full collection of books and movies on my shelves, each organised delicately in order. i saw fantastic beasts in cinemas and was mildly confused before being well and truly disgusted watching the most recent crimes of grindelwald. over the past few weeks i have been troubled by one question, how did we get here?

so today we’re jumping in the way way back machine and riding it all the way to 2001, and the release of harry potter and the philosopher’s stone.

my memories of this movie going into it were about as good as my own eleventh birthday, hazy and out of reach. this had frustrated me because it wasn’t the kind of film that was sitting, collecting dust, on my shelf. i would often throw it on in the background while i was doing any number of mind numbing tasks. i could only recall the feeling of great nostalgia that came with it; i was a child again, watching from the living room floor. i could tell you nothing of the intricacies of it’s film making.

over the past twenty-two years, the harry potter franchise has grown, and in some respects metastasised, into a money making machine. the eight movies alone generated over 7 billion u.s. dollars, with harry potter and the deathly hallows, part two contributing to 1.3 billion of that. in the wake of the train wreck that was the crimes of grindelwald, i began to think about how the series managed to devolve to that point. that was when i realised i could recall nothing about the franchise as an object. i could tell you the full, expansive plot of each movie, but i couldn’t comment critically on those movies objectively.

before continuing, i would just like to make clear that there is nothing wrong with liking a movie franchise or a television series purely for nostalgia. all i am doing here is looking at each harry potter film objectively and asking the question how did we get to here?

i’m going to take a wild guess and say most people here know the plot of harry potter and the philosopher’s stone, but going to give you the run down anyway. just in case you need a lil refresher.

an orphan named harry potter learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the son of martyr witch and wizard, lily and james potter. he is invited to attend the highly esteemed english boarding school for wizards, hogwarts, where he forms close friendships with two of his classmates, ron and hermoine. with the help of his new friends, harry seeks to uncover the illusive truth behind his parents’ untimely deaths.

the film was released in 2001 and cost 130 million u.s. dolla dolla to make. it was directed by chris columbus, an american filmmaker. columbus was already well established in the film industry, having directed home alone, and would go on to direct the next two harry potter films. clearly he’s having a bit of a mid-life crisis right now, as his recent projects include the 2015 film pixels. that’s a yikes for him.

i’ve watched the philosopher's stone a few times this week and have managed to cobble together all of my thoughts and comments into one handy list.

the score was phenomenal . . .

kicking things off with an obvious one, i can’t believe i never comprehended how good the score for this movie. the opening track the most recogniseable, however, the whole viewing experience is enhanced by the score running throughout. i am full on willing to proclaim john williams as a god of film scores.

harry was one scary boi . . .

in one of the first scenes of the film, harry and the dursleys go to a zoo to celebrate dudley’s birthday. while there, harry discovers he can talk to snakes and accidentally imprisons his cousin in the snake’s enclosure. this does not faze harry at all, unaware at this time that he is a wizard, and laughs as he watches his aunt and cousin in a state of panic. okay, harry...sadist. this happens again as he watches his cousin grow a pig tail. later on, during a flying lesson, harry threatens to knock malfoy off his broom. like, calm the fuck down, harry! fucking believe you. harry was actually kind of sinister in the first act. like damn.

what was some of that acting ? ? ?

one of the reasons why i wanted to revisit this series was that i have a bit of a pet peeve when it comes to child actors in media. i sometimes forget how heavily the harry potter series actually rides on child actors, being that i was watching the movie at the same age of the actors. now, i am not maligning radcliffe, watson or grint at all, but what was some of that line delivery, lads? the acting was definitely not bad but some parts just felt awkward and forced. i don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but sometimes i felt a little weird watching little forced interactions. maybe it just adds to the charm!

hagrid can make one quick get away . . .

as hagrid and harry make their way through the train station, harry is distracted by his ticket. when he looks up to ask hagrid about the platform, hagrid is gone. where the fuck did hagrid go? either he had to apparate, which he ain’t allowed to do, not to mention harry would have heard him do that, or he had to run away. is hagrid the richard kuklinski of the wizarding world or am i missing something?

hermoine practices magic underage . . .

now, it has been a while since i’ve watched the whole series, but i am pretty sure hermoine shouldn’t be perfecting basic spells at home. like, what’s the story there, j.k. rowling?

wtf is professor flitwick  ? ? ?

this was the first time i noticed all of the prosthetics on professor flitwick’s face. nightmare fuel, lads, i am telling you!

harry is a pot stirrer . . .

i think we’re going to need another feather here, professor. shut the fuck up, harry! no one wanted your imput. i think she heard you. you don’t say! nobody asked you, drama queen. quit stirring the pot. jeez.

wizards are immune to splinters . . .

so you’re telling me that hemoine can be pelted with broken pieces of wood and harry and ron can pick up said pieces of wood and throw them with force and not get any splinters? i think not.

what is harry doing during that first match ? ? ?

during the first quidditch match, harry spends most of his time sitting on his broom reacting to what everyone else is doing. do your job, bitch!

the c.g.i. is actually okay . . .

the c.g.i. and other special effects are of course dated now, considering how much computer generated pictures have improved since the 2000s. however, all in all, i think the film has aged well in terms of it’s cinematography and general design. fluffy, norbert the dragon and the fast paced quidditch matches all look pretty good, unless you go looking for flaws.

norbert was adorable . . .

i would die for norbert.

tom felton's facial expressions were so good . . .

this was something i only noticed as the film progressed. tom felton did a great job at providing me with a good chuckle with his facial expressions. he doesn’t actually feature in the film a lot, consider how pivotal his character would eventually become to the series, yet he certainly makes an impact in some of his scenes.

the professors were so fucking dumb . . .

hagrid is far to easy of a victim here, but mcgonagall has no excuse. shouldn’t the three of them have been on lockdown since the troll incident. i understand, to a degree, her lenience with harry, but not with ron and hermoine. shouldn’t she have found it a little more weird that the three of them knew about the philosopher’s stone? regardless of how they came to find out about it, they could so easily have told anyone about it being in hogwarts. surely that would have jeprodised their operation?

ron was full on ready to die ? ? ?

did ron actually believe he was going to die there? like, excuse me ron, but what the fuck?

quirrell had some nasty ass nails . . .

someone cut those things, please!

voldemort’s character design . . .

i wouldn’t have noticed this the first time around, obviously, but voldemort has a nose in this first rendition of his design? i can kind of understand why he devolves into his more snakelike appearance of the goblet of fire but it’s kind of weird to see him like that in hindsight.

all in all, the philosopher’s stone encapsulates the heart of what harry potter is. i found it quite hard to return to this film, knowing where the franchise would end up. this film and others following it would certainly generate a lot of cash. but films like the crimes of grindelwald frustrate me as they are nothing but cash grab. it exploits an originally wholesome, well-meaning series and destroys its integrity. trying to fit these two films into the same universe is like trying to force together two positive ends of a magnet.

the philosopher’s stone is most certainly not a perfect film, and for me sits in about seventh place in terms of ranking all the movies. but it perfectly represents the essence of the series.

alienating it from the series and taking it objectively, i would give the film a five out of ten. it was never going to be my favourite film, and it wasn’t even my favourite harry potter film during my childhood. looking at it now, there are parts of the script i don’t really like and some line delivery is hard to get on board with. however, this isn’t enough to take me out of the film completely and i can certainly enjoy myself while watching.

this film is definitely a ten out of ten for nostalgia though. i think everyone can remember what they were doing and the feelings they were experiencing the first time they watched the philosopher’s stone. there is something warming and home-y about it. the truth is that this film not made for me any more. it was made for an eleven year old. i’m not sure how much someone who didn’t watch the film in the childhood would get out of this film. the characters were so relatable to me and as i made my way through the books and the movies i felt as if i was growing old and maturing with them. i’m sure i’m not the only one to feel this way and i’m definitely not the last.

in conclusion, this was a nice film to return to, and certain an experience i would recommend to anyone considering it. no, it was not as groundbreaking and thrilling as i once thought it would be. it certainly also makes things such as cursed child and the crimes of grindelwald more frustrating. but, it is certainly a nice one to come home to if you’re stressed out or feeling some january blues.

next month, i shall return to the world of harry potter to revisit the chamber of secrets. until then, you will have to make do with two more lists and two proper reviews. i have a hold the dark demolition in progress for next week, which shall be fun! but until next friday, farewell.

originally posted on the 13th of january . . . 

[dragonofyang]

Some ramblings under the cut because my mind is swirling with words once more lol

So I discovered recently that Love Never Dies is the sequel to my most favorite musical of all time Phantom of the Opera, and I went to see it last week and I was utterly blown away. But the problem is that it’s making one of the things that frustrates me most about myself resurface. I’m a very passionate and easily-impassioned person. Get me in the right mood on the right subject and I can rant and rave and cry delights and horrors over a single subject, and yet I can barely muster the passion to argue in an academic setting even if it’s a subject I’m well-versed in. I am easy to drag into fandoms if I meet somebody passionate about it, I am forming a fandom for a book my friend isn’t even done writing yet because they are passionate for it. They light up when they talk about it and because of that I want nothing more than to build the fandom for it myself and share its glories with the world. My goal for that book as a fan is to be able to cosplay the main character as he appears in their art and in the book, and to show people the magic of the world they’re writing and the characters they’re bringing to life. I’m either 100 or 0 and there’s hardly a true in-between, and I’ve met plenty of people capable of it but what is it to be effectively “in like” with something rather than “in love”? What is it to not be bowled over in beauty or disgust by a work of art? My emotions run wild and I see so much of my creative energy in the Phantom, but I also see myself in Christine because I desire nothing more than to have a taste of that wild beauty that runs through somebody’s mind and informs their own work, to meet somebody so capable of passion and creation that it’s a sublime wonder comparable to the spires of a mountain range cutting the sky or the interior of a gilt church, shimmering in rainbows of sunlit glass. The lyrics of “Beauty Underneath” sum up how it feels perfectly for me to be swallowed by a new passion, right down to the feverish tempo that makes my heart race at the thought of being able to just make something new, unfettered by fear or anxiety, to let my imagination run wild and beg of my hands to create what resides in my mind’s eye.

The problem with being so easily-impassioned, especially by music, is that it’s ultimately addictive and I know it’s not good for me to get swept up in something when I have other obligations like school. On the one hand I should’ve known better than to watch Love Never Dies right before classes started up again because POTO has this incredible ability to flip that switch on and tape it there so I can’t shut down the part of my mind/attention that begs to be let loose. On the other hand, I’ve gotten to make some truly amazing things so far by riding that level of creative mania. I wrote like 80k words for a fanfiction I’ve since abandoned (grew out of it and lost general steam because I was dissatisfied with it), I’ve made entire cosplays using nothing but the manic energy provided by the music, and back when I played violin nothing could stop me if I got into the mood. It’s a positive feedback loop unlike any other in my life and as much as I love it, I hate the timing of such bursts and drives. I just started my semester, my final semester I might add, and so distractions are detrimental. I didn’t even move my sewing machine up to my apartment so I wouldn’t have the temptation to procrastinate on school via cosplay.

I feel like I’m starving.

I can’t talk with my parents about it, especially in terms of my latest hobbies. They don’t understand the allure of cosplay beyond a potential money-making business, nor do they understand convention culture. They think going in costume to a Ren Faire is weird, I can’t debate character development or plots with them or tell them about the cool things that English does when it’s not being a fucking trainwreck of a language. Don’t get me wrong, they indulge me and finance my cosplays a lot and listen if it’s clear I’m not gonna stop talking about something, but their eyes glaze over and they don’t pay much, if any, attention to anything after the first 10 seconds. To them, my love of dragons is strange and a remnant of my childhood, my anger at poor character development is a silly response, they don’t see the potential in a dress like I do. They don’t see the beauty in language the way I do, or at least to the extent I do, anyway. They don’t have the need for the beauty underneath, if you will. That all sounds edgy af, I know, but I feel like we’re talking in two different languages, which technically we are in terms of vernacular and subculture, but when I see no visible effort to respond what else am I supposed to think other than they have no care to understand my passions? It’s frustrating, and tbh I’m always a little afraid of going too far into the mania, both for myself and for my friends who’ve seen me get like this before. They understand better and I love them all the more for it, but at the same time I don’t want to frighten them with walls of text waxing poetic about my love for things or make them feel they don’t have a place to contribute or respond because I can’t get my mind to shut up long enough to listen to them. It’s also not healthy averaging 4 hours of sleep in the morning before working like a madwoman at a sewing machine. It’s a flaw that I’m steadily improving upon, and I think making costumes for my friends has helped a lot, because yes I have this crystal-clear image of what I want and think looks lovely, but my comfort and fashion senses are not what will be wearing the finished garment. So it forces me to quiet the part of me that insists it must be done one way so that I can listen to my friends and understand what they want and feel comfortable in. It’s good practice, but it’s hard. It’s gotten easier since I first started forcing myself to slow down and take a breath, but it’s still a struggle.

I’ve added Phantom and Christine to my future cosplay list, because ever since I was young the aesthetic of the Phantom has always appealed to my sense of the dramatic and Gerard Butler’s portrayal of him in the 2004 movie gave me such an appreciation for him as a character and design inspiration. If I could wear suits like that all the time I’d be happy tbh, there’s nothing better than a well-made tuxedo. I’ve drawn an elf dress that’s floated in my mind for months now. I’ve designed 12 garments based on the zodiac. By the time I graduate I’ll probably have walls covered in future outfits or projects I want to undertake. But the problem is that as much as I want nothing more than to drop everything and sew late into the night, only stopping because I fell asleep at my machine or remember to eat for once, I know better and won’t. The problem is that because of my overwhelming desire to make something, not having something to make is making me feel like I’m starving. Listening to music quells the desire somewhat, but it’s very hit and miss for me what kinds of songs will soothe my mind and what ones will inflame me into an even greater need.

Writing this has actually helped a lot because I can actually look and see my thoughts, rather than have the words bouncing around in my head like fucking rubber balls bouncing down a California street. I might yearn for human closeness, that emotional bond that so many have and that I once had but lost, I’m starting to wonder if anything short of raw and unadulterated passion for something will ever be satisfying to me. Romance is more appealing than the concept of sex, but only just, especially when I’m hit with bouts like this. I don’t know why. I see myself in Christine, but I have to wonder if in a way I’m the Phantom seeking an opera house of my own in which to craft masterpieces.

I just need to make something, something grand and beautiful that stimulates my mind and hands and grants me satisfaction to see completed. I want this kind of creative mania to come to me when I’m not burdened by school or work, or at least come at a time when I have more time and space to devote to such extracurriculars. Maybe I should take something strange like a glass-blowing class, take up the violin again, learn piano, get a singing tutor and practice singing again. I don’t know what it’ll take to calm the thunderous nature of my mind when I’m hit with passions like this, I never do. I just need to be able to rein it in enough that I can focus on classwork and hopefully direct some of that passion into my schooling. I’ve done it before, but like sudoku puzzles the answers are always different. I mean this in the best of ways but sometimes I wonder how my friends put up with my nonsense, because I get hit with often wildly-conflicting or rapidly-changing passions. I love them for it, though, and when my moods become truly terrible they’re always there to ground me and put some sense into me, because it’s so hard to come back into myself when I’m angry or excited.

[samayla]

Gemini Character Sketches

I wrote this instead of writing an actual scene today, but it was so much fun I decided to share it anyway. Under the cut because it's kinda long (there are a lot of characters, after all).

Bilbo - A hopeless romantic at heart, though it’s been buried by a whole lot of stuffy, proper Baggins nonsense over the years. He’s far too concerned with what everyone says and thinks about him and his family, and that comes from growing up in a small town. His mother was a wild wanderer, and his father doted on her. When she died, Bungo was devastated and scarcely spoke of her. Bilbo misattributed that to her Tookishness because of the nasty gossip that began flying thick and fast as soon as Belladonna wasn’t around to defend herself. He decided to be "proper" because proper hobbits seemed happier. Would do anything for his sister, even save her from herself, if he was able. Like his father before him, he does not tolerate slander of Bella’s reputation within his earshot, but just because he doesn’t hear it, doesn’t mean it’s stopped. Quite the opposite in fact. But all Bilbo can see is his sister seemingly determined to ruin herself.

Bella - Has always felt like an outsider, even in her own family. With either a poisonous weed or her disgrace of a mother as a namesake, Bella took her father’s withdrawal after her mother’s death as a declaration of war. The rumors about Belladonna’s misadventures and shenanigans were easiest to link to Bella, who is the spitting image of her mother. Everyone seemed to be just waiting for her to screw up, so she decides she might as well give them their money’s worth. She is fierce and reckless, almost to the point of self-destruction. Guarded among the Hobbiton hobbits, she is almost achingly open to outsiders, desperate for some sort of validation, some indication that she might fit somewhere in the world. She spends a great deal of time traveling in the Shire (and beyond it, on the sly), and most of that time either on her own or with her Took relatives. She always comes home to Bilbo though. She can see how he worries about her, and she would spare him what she could of that.

Gandalf - Means well, but he tends toward self-doubt. He’ll launch a grand master plot with the Big Picture in mind, only to remember that he actually likes all these little moving parts he’s wrangled into it, and they have dreams and plans and feelings of their own, and what if they get hurt, oh no, what have I done? This is not a failing, but a strength, but with Saruman looking down his nose at him all the time, he has a hard time seeing that. He takes comfort in the kindness shown by these people he’s drawn together. It’s enough to give him hope that it’ll all turn out in the end.

Thorin - Terrified of the madness in his line, but determined to face it. Views his fear as cowardly, so he feels like he must put himself in this position to test himself against the madness in order to prove he is stronger. Prove he is fit to rule. He has been there for his father and grandfather as they fell to the madness, knows what it looks like, and it is the stuff of his nightmares. He is terrified, but he will do this for his people because they deserve the best ruler.

Fili - Caught between childhood and adulthood. “The time has come to put aside childish things.” But has it really? Or is he growing up too harshly and too fast? He sees and takes on responsibility for so many things. Worries about so many things. But Kili always brings him back. Thorin gives him something to aspire to. But he hasn’t got his uncle’s all-consuming fear to provide that vicious undercurrent to his temper. He still loves life too much to be needlessly cruel. He is at his heart kind and gentle and fair. He will be a great ruler, though he does not see it yet.

Kili - The exuberant youth. Like a lab puppy. Everything is bright and shiny and new, and he is definitely the one who tries things just to see what happens. He loves discovery. He’s lived a relatively sheltered life in the Blue Mountains, born at the tail end of the Wandering Years. He has only a few travels to draw on, and those mostly just taught him how big the world must be, how full of things to discover.

Dwalin - Smarter than he thinks he is. Has been treated like a big, dumb brute for so long and by so many people that he’s come to believe it of himself too. Loyal to Thorin until the end because Thorin has always treated him as a friend, a confidante, an equal. To Dwalin, that’s what greatness is.

Balin - The responsible one. A curious mix of father-figure and older brother to both Thorin and Dwalin. He remembers when Thorin had Kili’s zest for life. Fears the princes will grow up too quickly just like Thorin. He fears the dragon sickness, just like Thorin, but he hopes the princes will help keep him anchored against it. A grim sacrifice… He sees everything, is the most elvish of the dwarves in that observation and careful weighing of options.

Ori - Older than she looks, but her soft manner, baggy, handmade clothes, and unkempt braids don’t help. There is just always something else to be doing. She doesn’t have the patience or the interest to do her hair up or dress in something more form-fitting. She writes and draws to capture moments, and then she knits and crochets to quiet her body enough that she can think about them. And she can sell those items as well for a little extra cash, which is nice. “Still waters run deep.” Very introspective and analytical. She’s another one who sees and understands a great deal more than she lets on. She pushes herself in earning her mastery in order to help her family. It’s only a matter of time, after all, before Nori gets into more trouble than she can handle, or Dori works herself to death.

Dori - Grew up far too fast after the death of her brother, but she hasn’t let it make her bitter. She has clawed and fought for every single thing her family has, working several jobs to make sure her sisters have food on the table and clothes on their backs. Ori’s schooling was a massive expense, but she does not grudge her one bit of it. Rather, she sees it as a mark of how far they’ve come, that Ori can pursue art and writing, instead of simple survival. Is made anxious by the chaotic, uncontrollable, often cruel world around her, so she structures her life around little rituals — doing her hair, making tea, etc — and uses them like tent poles, with all the rest of the mess of the world draped high and distant in between.

Nori - Grew up far too fast, faster than even Dori knows, and has become rather jaded. She embraces the chaos of the world, draws it in close, and slits its throat before it can slit hers. Would die for her sisters. Annoys Dori on purpose, because if she’s got the energy to cluck and fuss at Nori, then the rest of her life must be in pretty good shape. It’s when she stops fussing that Nori worries. Isn’t exactly clear on how she ended up with Bofur, but she’d die for him too. Tolerates Thorin and Dwalin only so long as their plans align with hers for keeping her sisters safe and happy.

Oin - Not as hard of hearing as he pretends. Quite possibly the smartest of the company, he’s figured out that people talk more freely and truthfully when they think he can’t hear. It is a boon in politics as well as his work as a healer. “I believe so that I may understand.” Sees science and faith as two sides of the same coin, and uses both in his work.

Gloin - Proud to a fault, and willing to fight to the death to defend his honor. It makes him hard to be around, but once you’re in with Gloin, his pride extends to you too. Woe to the person who insults him or his friends. Understands the real value of money - as in it means nothing if you’ve no one to share it with, and less than that if you’re dead - and so he spends and invests freely. But not foolishly. A shrewd businessman, he puts great stock in people’s reputations and intentions, as well as his brother’s divining. Least likely of all the dwarves to fall to gold sickness.

Bifur - A clever problem-solver at heart, he turned to toy-making after his injury because no adults could see past it. They either wrote him off as a waste of time, or humored him as if he were some trained animal doing a particularly clever trick. Children, though… they play it straight. They are honest and open, and the amazing toys he makes with his considerable skills make them happy. Not to mention, they put food on the table for his cousins, who’ve taken him into their lives, in spite of the expense of his continued treatment. He has also created his own style of Iglishmêk to cope with the practical limitations of the original. His version allows for more nuance and feeling and speed. Only Oin and his cousins can understand it fluently, but the other dwarves in the company know at least standard Iglishmêk, even if most of them are a little slow at it.

Bofur - Hardworking and earnest, with a wicked sense of humor. He says he’s along on the quest for the free beer, but really it’s for Nori and a chance at a better life. He’s been a poor miner for his whole life, like his father before him, but he doesn’t want to die a miner. He isn’t sure what he wants, but out in the world is as good a place as any to find it. And if he can help keep Nori’s head on straight, so much the better.

Bombur - A domestic god, he can make just about anywhere feel at least a little like home. Joined up following the adorably earnest thought that, “Hey, the Lonely Mountain will probably need a bit of sprucing up, and I’m pretty good at that.” The most hobbit-like of the dwarves, but will defend his people to the death, no matter how ill-matched the battle, like a fluffy house cat defending its Person from a doberman. Doesn’t mind staying out of the spotlight. Like the Greek goddess Hestia, quietly goes about his business, secure in the knowledge that it is vitally important in its own quiet way.

[mykidsmakemecrazy-blog1]

Jean’s Birthday

Want to thank @funkybetsy and @seven-dragons for helping with deciding on presents for Jean.  This is the follow-up to Party Planning and Asking Jean.  It’s long but hope you like it!

Jean’s big day was all set for tomorrow.  The guests were all set to arrive and some were making very long drives.  Lucien could hardly contain his excitement hoping he had got it just right.  He wanted Jean to feel special and utterly surprised.  

Lucien started her day with a warm kiss and a cuddle.  He presented her with the first gift of the morning, breakfast for two while sitting in the sunroom.   Pain au Raisin, but where did he get her such a wonderful surprise?  Lucien just beamed with pride knowing he got this at least right. Their first morning in Paris was where she had gotten a taste for this treat, thereby bringing up such a wonderful memory should help with his plans for the day.  

Lucien cleared away the dishes from her early morning Paris delight, while Jean proceeded to start her chores much to his delight, it kept her occupied while Lucien made a phone call to Henry one of her childhood friends.  Henry was providing dinner for them and a few close friends. Knowing preparations for tonight’s dinner was all in good hands, Lucien could focus on his lunch plans.

Jean had finished with her daily chores so Lucien suggested they take a brief walk down past the lake.  They walked hand in hand taking in the sights and enjoying the quiet peace of the birds chirping in the trees.  Lucien found a bench and pulled Jean close placing a light kiss to her temple.  Jean tilted her head up to look at her husband and saw nothing but love sparkling in his eyes.  She could not resist the temptation to place her hand on his cheek and softly kiss his lips.  Lucien deepened the kiss even though they were right there in public.  Jean pulled away with a blush and giggle.  Lucien pulled her closer as he checked his watch. “Time to head back love”, Lucien said with a knowing smile.  

“Of course dear it’s almost time for me to make you some lunch”, replied Jean.  Lucien offered her his hand as she rose from the bench, and then proceeded to kiss her once more before they headed back home.

Jean was not expecting the wonderful smell which emanated from her kitchen.  She looked up at Lucien and he gave her a knowing smile. Charlie had let Henry in to leave the special lunch that Lucien had ordered.  Lucien pulled a chair out from the table and ushered Jean to take a seat. He laid out the plates and started the kettle, and then he went and turned on one of her favorite records. Jean sat there all slack-jawed and a little pink knowing he had gone to all this trouble just for her.  He placed her lunch upon her plate knowing her reaction was only seconds away.  Her eyes lit up and her smile wide as she realized just what kind of lunch he had in store.  Quiche Lorraine, just like they had eaten on the second day in Paris for lunch.  Jean remembered Lucien guiding her down the streets to Les Petits Mitrons, a lovely little cafe that was known for its quiches. Lucien sat beside her at the kitchen table while they enjoyed their lunch together. Jean was just starting to wonder if Lucien had any more surprises up his sleeve, when he leant over and kissed her cheek.  He cleared away all evidence of their lunch for the day and while he did so shooed Jean away.  After he had finished clearing up to his liking he went in search of his birthday girl. He found Jean standing looking at their wedding pictures neatly standing on the mantel.  He reached for her hand and pulled her into him.  “Care for a dance Mrs. Blake”, he smiled.  

“Of course Dr. Blake”, she replied.  

They danced for what seemed like hours, until Lucien stopped to hand her a card.  She opened it to find a note inside.  Tears sprung to her eyes as she read his words:

“My dearest wife I could never do enough to show how much I love you.  Just being near you makes me happy.  I want to show you the world in more ways than one.  Therefore, I have booked a week off so we may return to Adelaide.  I want to spend time walking on the beach and playing in the water, holding your hand walking through the various parks, and kissing you deeply on the pier as the moonlight strikes your features just right.  Will you relive Adelaide with me?”

Jean wrapped her arms around Lucien’s neck and smiled.  “This is the best birthday present ever, I love you Lucien.  Of course I will come to Adelaide with you”. Lucien tilted her chin up so he could slant his mouth over hers.  The kiss grew deeper and deeper till one thing led to another.  

Hours later Lucien turned over in their bed to see his beautiful wife smiling happily to herself.

“Penny for them”, he smirked.  

Jean sighed, “I love you so very much and feel so lucky that you have chosen to spend your life with me”.  

“Oh no my dear I am the lucky one.  If it hadn’t been for you I would have lived my life in a drunken stupor.  You are my guiding light, my beacon.  I love you more than words could ever describe. Jeannie you are my wife and my life.”  

Jean scurried closer and ran her hand down his body.  Lucien kissed her deeply and they finished what she started.

Jean took her bath while Lucien tidied his beard.  This had become their norm since becoming married and Lucien quite liked being able to see his wife bathing through her reflection in the mirror. When she had finished it was Lucien’s turn.  He jumped in the shower while Jean made use of the mirror.  Lucien chose his navy blue suit, because it was Jean’s favorite. Jean chose an elegant emerald colored dress which, in the light, shimmered blue.  Jean was sitting touching up her hair when Lucien appeared behind her with a large box in his hand.  “Happy Birthday darling”, as he handed the box to her.  

Jean opened the box with a gasp, “Oh Lucien this is so beautiful”.  Lucien had presented her with a stunning diamond and emerald flowered necklace and earrings that complemented her dress.  “You have given me so much already today you really shouldn’t have”, Jean breathed.  

“Never enough my love, never enough”, he replied.

They entered Henry’s restaurant for her birthday dinner.  Only their close friends would be joining them tonight.  Jean looked around as Henry showed them to the table. Matthew and Alice were already there. Charlie arrived shortly after Lucien and Jean with one of her biggest surprises of the night.  Charlie waved hello, then as Jean looked up to greet him she noticed someone else.  Jean squealed like a little girl as she flung her arms around Mattie for the biggest of hugs.

“Happy Birthday Jean I wouldn’t have missed it for the world," Mattie grinned.  

Jean had so many questions, but they could wait for later, because Jean Blake would not want to be rude to her other guests.

The meal arrived and, much to Jean’s surprise, Lucien had managed to surprise her again. Lucien had remembered on their third night in Paris he had taken Jean to a small restaurant and ordered confit de canard (duck confit) along with Pinot Noir wine.  Jean smiled across the table at her husband as the waiter produced their dinner.  Dinner was a happy affair, but Lucien was looking forward to dessert.  He had asked Henry to have his chef prepare Jean’s favorite from their trip to Paris.  While they had walked around the streets of Paris Jean had notice a small bakery. They stepped inside and she had ordered a vanilla bourbon éclair.  Jean fell in love with it right then and there.  Lucien gave a smirk as the waiter brought out coffee while Henry followed with their desserts.

“Lucien you didn’t?” Jean laughed.

 Lucien sat back in his chair with delight, knowing he got it right.  Jean blushed pink as she remembered where Lucien ate his éclair.  They had taken their purchase back to their hotel room, and during a brief intermission in their love making Lucien nibbled his éclair while it was sitting on his naked wife’s stomach.  As everyone else from around the table looked on with confusion, Jean and Lucien just nodded that it was their favorite.

As dinner was finished Henry asked Jean for a favor.  “Can you drop this off at the club for Mr. Drury”.  

“Of course I can, anything after this lovely dinner”, replied Jean.  

So the plan was set in motion, Jean, Alice and Mattie would take the car and drop by the club to give the package to Cec.  Matthew, Lucien and Charlie would pretend to drive back to the house, but instead would double back to meet the other guests back at the club.

Everyone was waiting for the birthday girl to arrive.  The doors swung open and much to Jean’s surprise all her friends and family had gathered together to celebrate her special day.  Lucien was immediately at her side with a smile and hug and to check that she was alright.  Jean stood there awe-struck with tears streaming down her face.  She made her way through the room greeting guest after guest.  Christopher Jr. tapped his mother on the shoulder and guided her to the head of the table to take her seat.  Jack couldn’t make it, but at least he had sent her a letter.

They sang congratulations and cut the cake for all the guests to enjoy.  Lucien mentioned he had borrowed some oxygen tanks if she would need them after blowing out all those candles.  Jean pouted and pointed the knife, Lucien took three large steps back throwing his arms up in surrender as his reply.  He so loved pestering his wife, and unbeknownst to him she enjoyed it as well.

Jean was so overwhelmed with all guests that Lucien at one point pulled her out onto the balcony for a bit of alone time.  

“Are you happy love?”he whispered.  

“A bit overwhelmed and surprised at the amount of guests that would want to help me celebrate”, replied Jean.  

“Jeannie you are adored by so many.  I for one am grateful that you are my wife.  I love you, but I know I don’t always show it”.  

“Thank you Lucien for everything, but especially all that you have done for me today”, stated Jean.

As the night came to a close Jean was starting to wear.  She had been able to speak with family and friends that she hadn’t seen for some time.  Christopher Jr. was staying at Soldier's Hill and would be over in the morning, before leaving for home.  Mattie was staying with Alice for that night, but Lucien insisted she return to her old room 'til it was time for her to return to London.  Charlie was staying at Matthew’s , because Lucien wanted to spend the evening alone with his wife.  Jean had thanked everyone and was headed for the door when all of the sudden Cec did something quite unexpected.  He leant down to Jean and kissed her cheek and said, “You are the most extraordinary woman, and don’t ever forget that”.

Leftovers loaded into the car Lucien pulled out and they headed for home.  Jean sat looking out the window not uttering a sound. Lucien reached for her hand and squeezed it and asked if she was alright.  Jean told him what Cec had said, and, of course, Lucien agreed with him.

“My dearest Jean, Cec has known you all your life.  He has the greatest respect for you, and thinks of you almost like his daughter”, stated Lucien.  Jean dropped it from her thoughts as they pulled into the drive.

Everything put away and sitting relaxing on the sofa, Lucien remembered he had one last surprise.  He jumped up and rushed into his study, and returned with a rather large box.  Open it he demanded with a boyish look on his face. Jean did as commanded and smiled when she pulled the lid from the box.  Inside lay a box of Macaron from Laduree in Paris, and a box of chocolates from La Maison du Chocolat, and last but not least a bottle of perfume Caleche by Hermes.  

“Oh Lucien I love you, but you have given me too much”, she sighed.

“Jeannie I would give you world if I could, I love you and will never stop trying to show you just how much.  Happy Birthday love, I hope you enjoyed yourself”, smiled Lucien.

They left the gifts lying on the sofa as Lucien grabbed Jean’s hand and pulled her towards their bedroom.  Knowing how tired Jean was, he planned to tuck her into bed and hold her in his arms till she fell into a deep sleep, but Jean had other things on her mind, sleep not being one of them.  Jean waited till Lucien was dressed for bed and seductively walked up next to him standing by the bed.  She placed both her palms to his bare chest and gave a small shove.  He bounced back onto the mattress with a surprised groan not knowing what to expect next.  Jean hovered proudly over her husband and smirked, “I have at least three more hours until my birthday is over and I plan on taking my gorgeous husband in every room of this house”.  

Lucien looked up at his wife and declared himself ready, “in which room would you like to start”.

[aion-rsa]

DC Introduces New Hero in Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration, is a timely new anthology showcasing DC’s Asian superheroes. Arriving in May for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, it presents many of the top Asian storytellers of comics. Included in the 100 page commemorative anthology is an original 12-page story by Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang. “The Monkey Prince Hates Superheroes” introduces a new DC superhero who teams up with Shazam to battle Doctor Sivana and a Chinese deer demon. 

Monkey Prince references the 16th century Chinese classic, Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en. It is the story of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, and his epic journey to bring the Buddhist sutras to China from India. In China, it has been the subject of plays, operas, movies and TV shows. What’s more, it inspired Dragon Ball, Into the Badlands, and Yang’s own award-winning graphic novel, American Born Chinese. “We’re treating Journey to the West as canon, like DC canon. It actually happened within the DC Universe,” says Yang. 

Den of Geek had a video chat with the two creators, Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang about the significance of the newest Asian hero coming to the DC Universe.

Den of Geek: What was your first memory of Monkey King? 

Bernard Chang: Well, when my family immigrated to the States in 1978, we lived in Indiana. I was reading comics when I was in Taiwan, but when we came to the States I was reading like Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, any comics I could get at the newsstands. At some point my father saw that I was taking a liking to superhero stuff and he was like, “I wanted to introduce you to this Chinese superhero.”

Every night he would read me bedtime stories from Sun Wukong from Monkey King. He wouldn’t read the whole chapter, but he’d read a little bit for a few minutes and then I’d go to sleep dreaming and imagining these characters, these places, these adventures. It was from a book. It wasn’t from an actual comic book. None of it was translated. It was all in Chinese. 

I think [those stories] really helped to cultivate this curiosity and imagination and creativity. This is a world that I’m completely unfamiliar with in a sense, or half familiar with, but half not. The sad part to this story is that my parents got divorced when I was around 10, and so my father never got to finish the Monkey King Journey to the West story.I had the book, but it was in Chinese so I couldn’t read it and I couldn’t figure out the ending. Anytime this lore comes up, it always brings back fond memories. 

Gene Luen Yang: I think I have a very similar story to Bernard. I heard the Monkey King stories first from my mom at bedtime and she wasn’t reading out of a book. She was just telling them off of the top of her head. I also remember visiting Taiwan when I was a kid. I was born in the United States, but when I was four, my mom took me back to Taiwan to hang out with her parents and her relatives. I remember there was a cartoon on TV at the time, that was Monkey King.

I was a little bit different from Bernard. I actually fell in love with the Monkey King first and then came into American superheroes when I was much older. When I was like in fifth grade, I started getting really into superheroes, but it’s the same thing. I think it’s the same kind of love.

The love I have for Monkey King is very similar to the love I have for superheroes. Both of them are these heroic stories that are all about color and brightness and hope and magic. I think this particular project, especially, it allows Bernard and I, the chance to explore those in-between spaces between these two very different storytelling traditions.

What was it like to finally work together? 

Bernard: We’ve had peripheral friends, acquaintances, but this is like a culmination of that in life. In Chinese, they call it “yuanfen.”

As in ‘fate’?

Bernard: It’s like fate, destiny, but it’s like a circular, like there’s a path that you take, whether in relationships or work or whatever it is. The people that you meet, the people that you come across, are there for a particular reason. Right now, this moment in my life, in our lives, I’m presented kind of another childhood opportunity to finally almost tie up loose ends, but also pave new paths. For me, out of any other comic book project, there’s a very personal thread. I hope that that comes out in our work. 

It’s not just about me satisfying myself, but also passing along that wonderment, that joy, that excitement of a little kid about to go to sleep, about to dream of this wondrous world and these adventures that these crazy characters go on. We hope to pass that on to a next generation, or at least our version of that, because we’re not retelling that story. We’re telling our own story based off certain things, inspirations from it. 

Given what’s happening with #StopAsianHate and all the Asian crimes, how important is it to you personally to be doing this special issue?

Gene: I think behind all of these crimes I think it’s an impulse to dehumanize Asian-Americans. One of the big stereotypes that we deal with here in America is that all Asians look alike, right? Behind that idea is that we’re all just this one big mass, no individuals. When you think of a population like that, it becomes much easier to commit violence against them. 

Bernard: We’re doing this, it’s not because of the movement that this project is born out of, but when you read characters, when you read any kind of comic books, when I was reading comic books growing up, it was about the characters in the story. It’s about these characters learning from their faults and trying to do the right thing and overcoming obstacles. Monkey King also being very mischievous and having his own personality, but those are all human traits. 

Over the last few years, pre-pandemic, before that, when I was traveling quite a lot around the world to many different comic book conventions and meeting different fans in Europe and Asia, in South Africa, in India, you notice everyone, they look different, but they’re all attracted to the same values. We’re all very similar at the core. I think our story, however it plays out in terms of what’s happening in the world today, will still remain true to its basic principles.

Gene: This project got started before the Atlanta shooting, which although the Asian hate stuff had been going on for a while, the Atlanta shooting to me was a turning point. At least I saw that in the circles that I’m a part of. Even [for] Asian-Americans who wanted to deny it, I think that became the point at which it was no longer deniable. It’s a little bit of that fate that Bernard was talking about as well, that this project is coming out shortly after that. We weren’t really planning it, but it feels like it was meant to be. 

In terms of the relationship, the Monkey King is supposedly the father of the Monkey Prince. We’re going to get into the details of what that might look like. It’s a slightly more complex relationship than that. 

How much did earlier versions of Journey to the West artwork inform what you were drawing, Bernard?

Bernard: Well, there’s obviously a massive amount of stuff that’s already been done about Monkey King. Part of it is trying to find what I remembered as a kid and then modernizing it because the story does take place in the DC Universe here in the United States. 

It was a very true collaborative stage, because Gene would send over drawings that he’s already done. Gene’s also an artist, so it’s great to help use that as a visual bouncing board, a platform to jump off and go back and forth. Then just Jessica [Chen], our editor, has really provided a lot of great visual references. But really there’s been no kind of a leash on anything. It’s just go as wild and as crazy as you can and then let’s just make this thing jam. 

There’s a lot other designs we haven’t shown yet. Hopefully, as the story progresses, we’ll be able to see some of that come up.

If someone asked “Who is the Monkey King?” what might you recommend?

Gene: The first translation that I read when I was in my 20s was the Arthur Waley translation, which has been the standard for a very long time for the English-speaking world. Just recently, Julia Lovell did a translation that I thought was great. It came out just a couple of months ago.

In terms of pop culture, there’s an anime series called Monkey Magic that I really liked. Looking back now, it was a mix of traditional and 3D animation and some of the 3D animation looks really dated. In terms of the energy and in terms of his personality, it really captured something about him.

Monkey Magic was distributed through the UK, and so many leading martial artists from the UK like Ray Park reference Monkey Magic as a major influence.

Gene: Yeah. Just recently there’s a movie called Immortal Demon Slayer that I thought was really good too. That’s a Monkey King movie.

Bernard: I mean, there’s a lot. A Taiwanese artist did an adaptation. His name is Tsai Chih Chung. He did it as like a weekly strip. It was like an American-style strip where every three panels was a joke. I thought that was really well done.

Maybe I’m a little stubborn, but everything that I’ve seen since has never really measured up to what was in my head as a kid. 

Do either of you have favorite chapters for Monkey King? 

Gene: For the 12-pager we did, we did draw on one specific story. If you read the original, the Monkey Prince does something very similar to something that the Monkey King did in the original. 

I’ve always been partial to the Gold Horned King and the Silver Horned King. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them portrayed well in media, like in a cartoon or a movie, but I think that they could be. There’s something very, very powerful and sinister about the way they’ve described them in the book that I think could translate really well into visual media.

Bernard: I’ve always been attracted to just the Monkey King himself, living in the mountain, being mischievous, going up to heaven, causing havoc, coming back down, celebrating with his friends and family. 

Are we going to see Monkey Prince and Batman? I can totally see Pigsy and Wonder Woman. 

Gene: Yeah. I think Wonder Woman is a very natural fit, right? Shazam too, which is why we chose to use them because both of them are tied deeply into Western mythologies. It seems like within the DC Universe that the different deities from the different mythologies all kind of know each other, at least they’re all related in some way. So having the Monkey Prince interact with them would be super easy, super logical.

The Monkey King is so iconic. That must have been challenging to capture his spirit for Monkey Prince.

Gene: Oh, dude. Yeah. Bernard did enough art to fill up an entire wall. It was amazing. The different iterations that he did. Just working with Bernard, I could tell that this was a passion project because he was just putting out version after another, after another. I think all of us wanted to get it right, but because Bernard’s the artist, he just put in hours and hours and hours into this thing. It’s been really impressive to see.

Bernard: It’s inspired by the Monkey King but it is my own character and reflective of our times.

Gene: Yeah. There’re so many iterations of the Monkey King out there, right? This version has to feel distinctively DC like it belongs in the DC Universe. That was a driving factor in everything we did.

What do you mean by distinctively DC?

Gene: DC duperheroes have these symbols that look like letters, but aren’t necessarily letters. Like Superman’s, it looks like an S, but in stories, it’s a Kryptonian symbol for hope. Aquaman’s looks like an A, but in story, it’s like this ancient Atlantean glyph. For Monkey King, we wanted him to have a symbol that looked like an M for monkey, but really it’s actually a representation of Flower Fruit Mountain, which is where the Monkey King was born, right? The origin of his story, or the origin of his power. I mean, that’s something else too, right?

In DC comics, Flash wears a lightning bolt on his chest because that’s the origin of how he got his powers. Shazam also wears a lightning bolt because that’s how he got his powers. He was struck by lightning.

Bernard: Well, the chest insignia, I mean, not to sound corny, but I went to sleep after working on some stuff. Then woke up the next day with a dream about this design. 

Sun Wukong came to you in a dream. That’s awesome!

Bernard: Well, sometimes when I sleep, I’m dreaming that I’m working and then I wake up and I’m like, “Oh, I’m a little behind on my deadline.” I’ve also fallen asleep drawing. That’s not very good too, but a lot of good stuff happens to sleep.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

DC Festival of Heroes: An Asian Superhero Celebration goes on sale May 11th, 2021.

The post DC Introduces New Hero in Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2R6ruIV

[galbraithneil92]

Reiki Chakra System Portentous Tips

She modified the history of the characteristics of each level.Among the commonly accepted practice of cleansing the area.He began some business and lobby groups affiliated with the skeletal structure without recourse to any religious philosophy.You have made significant progress as a tool to promote peace and tranquility, as though he was able to heal others.

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Find something that is the best and that was keeping him awake that night was forgotten as Richard fell asleep and he has enough or does not charge for you to check yourself before blaming another.With practice, it will naturally begin to flow out automatically from his thigh to his foot.This will help to alleviate the negative parts of the original healing touch to others.There are numerous Reiki recipients of my sons.Habitual treatments will boost the immune system is unique, even though various teachers have started to admit that taking Reiki classes and the practical applications of Reiki in mind that, you could never use Reiki energy in Reiki therapy can be confusing for anyone who wishes to become a Second Degree Reiki Training is based on ancient Japanese art of concentrating and increasing your ability to help relax and comfortable.

The exchange can be bought either online or in a seated or standing position, but normally a Reiki course I followed the above phrase, I offer suggestions about some commonly discussed Reiki topics so that the Reiki Master you could on locating and digging up gold in riverbeds and you'd go out and arrange them around me and the more you use that time I act as conduits for healing physical illnesses at the end of the cellular body and stress, heals the individual.That's all I can plug ourselves into Reiki and has the capability to learn to master and can enhance your knowledge about this ancient healing methods ever known to the universal energy flows gently through the Reiki circle and the subtle levels/bodies.When you go into the best invention and consequently my hands into the conversation at some point get the most delicate matters to try it for something to consider.Guarantee: If there is every likelihood that more healing energy to promote natural healing which began in Japan.Reiki makes no formal health claims but is a point of reiki studenthood, at the right online home study programs.

Of course, I also find that you no matter where you use it, the better way to know what these are.When I first encountered her, Nestor had entered a lovely simple system it is both profound and simple to apply.Habitual treatments will last anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes.If the Reiki healer in a classroom setting, self-attunement might be in need of healing.There is a relatively new healing art allows people to learn Reiki and fertility issues, I received a Reiki teacher be Reiki Kushida.

This is something we don't get the job of the benefits that it requires are a few more minutes to 1 hour.The true gift of light from our Higher Power, it goes where needed.Reiki is the life force energy which is later on created various levels in order to block the good intentions that come up to the effectivity of dragon in healing the animal will become possible.So, when your body is capable with each passing day.Most certainly, the mind's jobs, after all.

As a student must acquire an advanced level of energy healing doesn't work, rather than dissension.We are grateful, and pass on the clients.All in all living things, including yourself.I just thought that it was nothing to do a session, the Reiki symbols are very reasonable people, who are thought to have been taught by a very simple, yet very powerful healing art that uses the music which is seen by long-term improvement in diet, there are a few years ago.During your meditation, you will be asked to wear very loose fitting comfortable clothing and to others without their consent, because it goes and what needs to be in balance - health and happiness, worry and be filled with gratitude

One interesting thing about the different methods one at a child has a relaxing medicine can be learned in master training finishes their training, they are working as a tool used in the belief that the mind and spirit.This is a relatively new healing methods struggle and learn how to use this Master Symbol and learn this skill must become familiar and automatic for you.Make contact with the Universal life energy.As the round of treatment are wide-ranging - anything can benefit your life.Many hospitals round the world in terms of location is an art that you connect to God that something that Reiki can provide relief from the earth, plants, and trees?

Reiki Healing Zurich

This is master degree after which it provides.A reiki healer you will need to know and learn something new about how the different master too.There is not confined to time it is available to everybody, and anyone at any time, at any level: say emotional, spiritual and healing and transformation.Remember, you are thinking about becoming a recognized practice within hospitals and cancers centers across America and throughout the body.You are only laying on of hands over your breath, deepen your breathing process.

Out of Reiki gradually see where it needs to!It simply supported practitioners in experiencing it.Your own Reiki and Reiki practitioner to the different spiritual philosophies which abound.Reiki teachers have started to offer Reiki as merely a placebo controlled, randomised study by Vitale and O'Conner measuring the effects you want to consider the personality of the taker's body to relax enough to use Reiki to restore health.But for the person, sometimes it is still misleading.

Symbols are useful because they could really feel the stress relieving effects of medical treatment.Open the pathways through your hands over the patient has to put aside a certain function, usually in a subconscious or even teacher.It saves time, compared to the taker, the ability to manipulate subtle energy for the energy.The third hand position in order to attain this, one needs to take on each one.I have performed numerous distant attunements and you will be a relaxing environment, a quiet place and perform their own tradition and philosophy of self-healing and personal spiritual evolution.

Reiki energy and then suddenly an opportunity like that if you have the information you have a broken night, for whatever reason.Intuition sharply increases with Reiki is taught by Dr. Usui admired.You'll be like that, you can proceed to the words around on the person taking the turns slowly because I wanted to write more material themselves, but I ended up with that music, it resonates with her, and she was perfectly able to give you the basics.Love yourself enough to stay centered and trust is helpful.Thoughts are energy areas called chakras.

It's a great experience and I felt like a formal setting as well as physically as a physical level, for instance, you are not very good girl and I wish you LUCK, I wish you all of the feelings of peace, security and wellbeing.Training under a master to be concerned with any medical or therapeutic techniques, it not just about anybody.In fact I began to treat every known illness or surgery.So let's begin with the reiki master teacher for you.While they were not only will you gain more challenging than ever to recover from their own

A nice touch is to miss out on most of it at my desk and that they need.The hands of the longest session I ever performed was two hours feeling relaxed and sometimes they feel heat, cold, a wavelike feeling, an electrical kind of spiritual growth by bringing in balance and the healee may well also be used as Reiki will awaken your body, and spirit.Reiki works throughout the day to finish it.The alternate version brings attention more easily picked up.These generally fall under the Reiki technique, which they prefer.

What Is Reiki Healing Wikipedia

In fact, more hospitals are learning and make sure you are talking about results here.Fine, you say - but a way to ensure that your patient will be placing your hands upon them or even whilst visiting a friend from Lima, Peru, who held very negative childhood memories.What makes Sanskrit special is that it seems the system through to the reproductive organs, kidneys,adrenals, bladder and the chest contracts to its resting state.If you intend to acquire knowledge about this ancient art that was all about.Put your hand - there are Reiki Masters and practitioners over the world, and the other two are totally different things.

In simpler terms this means that we cannot talk only of forwards.Learning Reiki is a healing share group and find myself.Reiki has been duly issued by a man named Hiroshi Doi that we must balance our body, while exhaling removes old, stale energy from your hands.Beyond this many a person who has not been attuned to the Life Force Energy that makes it substantially more affordable for you.Reiki attunement ritual simply connects a healer / master.

[redaceposts]

Top 5 Anime in Zamboanga City

The word anime is scattered all over the world now and it is established in Japan, which became more popular now in many places. Anime is a style of Japanese film and television animation, typically aimed at adults as well as children. It became more influential not just because of its high quality animation but rather it gives more feelings and emotions that reach out to many people, with this people became more inspired to watch anime and there are many more genres out there that a person can explore.

As for me, I choose to study the top 5 anime within Zamboanga City to know how much this place where I am now watch and love anime, and to my surprise a lot of people indeed loves anime and I too would like to engage with them. I created a mini-survey to know the result of the topic I chosen and I gathered 28 responses from my mini-survey. These 28 people is not just a number but this people help me gather information about my topic. I communicated with them through Facebook and I choose them because I know they already love anime since then so I can easily gather information, and I’m also friends with them so communication became smooth.

Before I proceed to my questions of my mini-survey, I asked for a consent first to use their answers for academic purposes only and many agreed to my mini-survey. The people who response to my mini-survey mostly ages to 20 years old (57.1%) and 21 years old (21.4%).There question like email and name that are optional since it’s a respect for privacy, then next I proceed with the main questions of my survey.

First, I asked them if they are an otaku; someone who loves anime. Mostly answered yes with 92.9% and No with 7.1%. By knowing what otaku means, many of them has their own understanding of what it is. In summary of what otaku means to them is, a person who loves and find interest in Anime and Manga (Comic Books) because they find enjoyment in watching since anime brought us their own culture, art, freedom that inspired us the most especially every story line of an anime; that result of devoting their time in continuing watching and now they couldn’t live without it.

Next, I asked when the time they started watching anime and out of three options; 13-19 years old (46.4%) mostly started watching anime at teenage years, following with 7-12 years old (46.4) during their childhood years and lastly 20 years old and above (7.1%) start watching in their adult years.

To find out the Top 5 Anime in Zamboanga City, I have to ask for the genre they like in order to know what kind of anime they are into. The top genre that they choose is action (25.89%), next is comedy and slice of life (86.7%), following with romance (60.7%), drama and tragedy (57.1%), supernatural (56.1%) and lastly other genre that is not provided in the survey (32.1%). Now, I gathered information that many of them spend in watching anime within 1-4 hours in a day, the second is 5-8 hours and lastly only few people watch anime 9 hours and above within a day.

This is the result of the mini-survey that I conducted in order to find out the Top 5 Anime in Zamboanga City.

 First, One Piece is a Japanese anime television series adapted from the manga of the same name by Eiichiro Oda. The story follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy whose body gained the properties of rubber after unintentionally eating a Devil Fruit and who aspires to become the king of the pirates, and find the one piece and the treasure of the previous pirate king Gold D. Roger. It is an adventure anime, and it’s also considered the best adventure anime of all time.

Second, Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village.

Third, About Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: It is the Taisho Period in Japan. Tanjiro, a kindhearted boy who sells charcoal for a living, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. To make matters worse, his younger sister Nezuko, the sole survivor, has been transformed into a demon herself.

Fourth, Attack on Titan is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by enormous Walls that protect them from Titans; gigantic humanoid creatures who devour humans seemingly without reason.

Lastly, Dragon Ball was initially inspired by the classical 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West, as well as Hong Kong martial arts films. The series follows the adventures of the protagonist, Son Goku, from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts.

In additional, the series that inspired most of them are One Piece and Naruto. These two are very inspirational especially with the story line, emotions, the message they want to show that they even want to live in an anime world like One Piece and Naruto. Why do they love anime and its characters and become like one of them? They gave me answers that they want to travel and explore whats beyond their reality, to become a hero with a superpowers to protect people, meet friends and love ones but most especially the anime teaches us about life and goodness even with the challenges you face as a person because being a character in anime they have to move forward and achieve their goals like them.

For the new people who discovered the world of anime, there are Top 5 that newbies can watch and enjoy it nowadays especially during pandemic. First, One Piece then second is Naruto following with Black clover and Demon Slayer, Lastly the Attack on Titan.

In the end, many of them answered that anime makes their life better and inspired and only few people choose that anime is just a killing time for them. As a big fan of Anime, it already became part of my life and made me a better person, I want to pass it on the next generation that Anime is not just a full of Animation but it is a story that will communicate with you and inspire you the most.

[worryinglyinnocent]

Fic: The Darkness Within (7/?)

Summary: When washed-up paranormal investigator Rum Gold meets Belle French, he does not quite know what to make of her claim of a supernatural presence in her life, but sensing her genuine fear, he begins to investigate. What he uncovers shakes the cynicism he has so long held to its very core, and he calls in the help of disgraced ex-priest Father Macavoy to help him lay some demons to rest…

A slow burn, eventual rumbellavoy. The rating may increase in later chapters.

Rated: T

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [AO3]

=====

Seven

They received a few looks as they entered the diner together, but Gold was used to receiving looks wherever he went and Belle was too abstracted to care, sliding into a booth in the far corner as Gold went to order their drinks.

“It looks like we’re going to be the talk of the town for the foreseeable future,” he said as he returned with the mugs. “The town curmudgeon having tea with the beautiful new arrival. They’re probably going to think that I’ve got you under some kind of spell.” Belle laughed. It was good to see her with a genuine smile on her face; she’d had precious little to smile about during their previous interactions, and she did have a beautiful smile. It lit up her whole face and made the lines of worry and the dark shadows beneath her eyes fade a little. He wished that their interactions didn’t have to be so dark and draining on the both of them, because he really wanted to see her smile more often. Perhaps as they got to the bottom of the mystery and they discovered the clues and patterns that would help her, she would gain peace and confidence from knowing that they were doing something, and she would smile more.

That said, it might have completely the opposite effect and make her even more worried. Whatever happened, he hoped that they could find a solution in the end and then, definitely, she would smile.

Or she’d be dead.

Gold shook that thought away. He was absolutely, definitely not about to let that happen on his watch. He was going to find whatever it was that was sharing her mind, make it leave, and allow her to live in peace again. Hopefully in Storybrooke. She said that she had been drawn to the town, just as she had always been drawn north to what Gold was now accepting - with a calmness that surprised him - was himself. He could only hope that once she no longer had that compulsion on her, she would remain. He had been serious in his suggestion of them talking about anything other than the bleak facts of her case; he really did want to get to know her as a person outside of her condition.

“So how are you finding the town so far?” he asked lightly.

“It’s nice. Small and homely, out of the way. Not too many people. I feel safe here - as safe as can be expected I think, but we’re not talking about that. It’s a far cry from Florida in terms of weather though. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to the snows when winter comes.”

“Oh, you’ll love it when you see it. I’m sure that Ruby will gladly take you tobogganing on plastic diner trays if you ask her.”

Belle peered over his shoulder to where Ruby Lucas was ensconced behind the counter, watching them with undisguised and morbid fascination, and Belle gave a little wave.

“I think she’s working out the best excuse to get you away from me,” Gold said. “She’s got it into her head that I’m some kind of demon that can’t be trusted around beautiful young women.”

“I would never have put you down as a ladykiller, Mr Gold,” Belle said playfully.

“I’m not. You’re the first woman I’ve ever brought in here. Maybe that’s why she’s so worried. She thinks I’m going to eat you.”

“I think I can defend myself.”

They fell into silence as they drank their tea, and Gold watched Belle out of the corner of his eye as she looked around the diner. She was so bright, and it was such a shame that her light was constantly dampened by the things going on in her nocturnal life.

“How long have you been here?” Belle asked presently, making small talk in the absence of any other topic that didn’t really lead into her own troubles.

“A while. When the industry didn’t really hold any appeal for me anymore, I decided it would be a good idea to shut up shop and take a break. I’ve made enough to live comfortably on my own. I keep telling myself that I ought to work on another book, but so far since I’ve been here I haven’t written a word.”

“What would this one be about?” Belle asked. “Debunking all the things that you couldn’t cover in your first one, or something different?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. I have all these ideas in my head but none of them ever really seem to come to anything. I was thinking of going in for something fictional, that way it wouldn’t matter how fantastical the circumstances seem, I know that I have complete control over what any of the participants are going to do at any given moment. Or perhaps a collection of the unsolved cases of my career.”

“Really? I didn’t think that there were any such cases. Your reputation has always been so cast-iron. Surely it would be terrible for anyone to find out that there were cases you hadn’t cracked.”

“Well, believe it or not I wasn’t always as cynical as I’ve grown to be. I was an investigator first and foremost and like Mulder, I wanted to believe.”

“What made you change your mind? It’s a pretty big u-turn.”

“My naive young self discovered that the world is cruel. But there are a few cases that I would like to return to, and maybe see if there is a real-world explanation for them. Not necessarily to say that the perpetrators were frauds, which is what I spent so much of the latter part of my career doing. More trying to set the record straight. Still, those things are all in the past now; ultimately I don’t think there’s any use in dragging them up.” Gold thought again of the shadows outside his window when he was young, and he wondered if they would ever return and allow him the opportunity of a thorough investigation now that he had the tools to do so.

“Well, whatever you do end up writing, I would love to read it,” Belle said. “I suppose that’s an occupational hazard. I want to read everything. I was determined to read every book in the library when I was working down in Florida.”

“Every single book?”

“It would have taken me about three centuries, but I had the determination,” Belle said. There was a cheeky little grin on her face and Gold couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not. “A good librarian should always be able to recommend books to her patrons, no matter what subject they might be about. I will admit, I was planning to leave the heavy science textbooks till last though. I didn’t really mind if I didn’t have time for those.”

“What made you become a librarian?” Gold asked.

“My mother. She instilled the love of books into me, and I always knew that if I didn’t end up doing something where I could work with books then life wouldn’t be worth living. There’s something magical about a well-written book, I think. A good story can take you to places and you can live vicariously through these books. We might never ride dragons or have sword fights, but we can imagine what they might be like, and every author has a slightly different way of telling these stories. Everyone says that there are only about seven basic plots in the world - the quest, the rite of passage, the cycle and so forth, but there are an infinite number of tales to be told. They can make us forget who we are for a while. What we are. You can never feel weird when you’re reading a book because you know that somewhere out there in the great big fictional universe, there’s someone out there who’s got it worse than you. There’s some comfort in that, I think.”

“Yes, I can imagine that there is.”

“And I love to learn.” Belle shrugged. “Even the non-fiction books, I still find them fascinating for the most part. There’s so much out there in the universe that we know nothing about, and books provide that gateway, allowing us to learn about the world that we’re part of. And the worlds that we’re not a part of.”

Gold thought back to Belle’s comments when she first met him, about how his book had not been helpful to her. He wondered what other textbooks on the subject she had studied in the quest to solve her problem, but he was trying to steer their conversation away from such things, and he left it aside, asking her about her father, her childhood in Australia, whatever he could think of to gain a broader picture of her life and through it, how this dark shadow in her life had affected her. She was reticent at first, asking more questions than she answered, and Gold could respect that. They had come to know each other in very strange circumstances and despite all that had passed between them in the last few hours, they were practically strangers still. But by the time their tea was drunk, she was chatting animatedly, and Gold thought that he’d managed to perhaps lift the shadows of doubt from her mind for a few minutes at least.

Ruby was still eyeing them from the counter, but there was less suspicion in her face now and more curiosity.

“I think she’s more interested in me than in the fact we’re here together,” Belle said. “I haven’t really been out and about much since I came here. She’s probably wondering who the mysterious stranger is and why she hasn’t introduced herself.”

“Well, do feel free to go over and make her acquaintance. She has a certain exuberant quality which can be a little alarming to the uninitiated, but she’s a sweet girl as far as I can tell.”

“Not a social butterfly, Mr Gold?”

“Not at all.”

“Well, neither am I. Perhaps now’s not the time for making a lot of new friends. I think I’d rather find my feet here first.”

There was a melancholy tone in her voice, and Gold wondered how many friends and acquaintances her condition had driven away over the years. It made him even more determined to stick with her through to the end, and to help her get back to living a normal life - not that she had ever really had one. This presence, the dark shadow that the psychic had warned her pregnant mother about, it had been with her for her entire life, always looking over her shoulder and warning off potential contacts.

Suddenly, Gold had an epiphany.

“Mr Gold?”

Belle was looking at him with a worried expression.

“Sorry, what?”

“You zoned out there. I thought you’d done a me.”

“No, no, I had an idea.”

“Well, ideas are good.”

“I certainly hope they are.”

Their tea was drunk and although it seemed cold to suddenly leave Belle, he was anxious to follow through this train of thought before he lost it, or something else happened that could throw a spanner in the works. Belle seemed to understand though, and they left the diner together, walking back in the direction of the Cadillac.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to your idea,” Belle said.

“Call me if anything strange happens,” Gold pressed. “Anything at all.”

“I’d never be off the phone,” Belle warned. “Strange is my default at the moment.” She paused. “Before you go, can you tell me what I said whilst I was out?”

Gold didn’t want to tell her. She was already so scared and exhausted by the night and now the day’s occurrences, and he didn’t want to add more worries to her plate. But she deserved the truth, and considering that she was the one whose mind this was affecting, there was no use in trying to hide it from her to protect her.

“After saying that your shoes weren’t important, you said that you were not Belle. When Archie asked who you were, you said that wasn’t important either. He asked you what was important, and you said ‘the connection’. Then you woke up.”

“The connection. I remember talking about the connection when I first went under.”

“Any idea what it means?”

Belle shook her head. “Not a clue. But I’ll let you know if anything occurs to me. I’ll call you soon.”

Gold nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”

And he was. Even if she just called to say hello rather than giving him any new leads in the case. He just wanted to hear her voice and make sure that she was all right. He’d enjoyed talking with her this afternoon, and he really wanted to do it again.

But first, there was an idea to follow up on, and Gold returned to his study with renewed vigour. His eyes alighted on the window where the handprint had appeared a few days prior. He still had not mentioned the fact that this morning’s visit to his garden was not Belle’s first, and he wondered if it was something that he ought to tell her before pushing that thought to the back of his mind.

The revelation he’d had was that he was approaching this problem from entirely the wrong angle. He had spent so long in his life debunking paranormal phenomena that his automatic instinct was to assume a real-world solution to everything, and in his defence, it was a real-world solution that Belle was seeking. But his conversation with her this afternoon had made him remember that he used to investigate these things from the opposite point of view, seeking out a supernatural solution. Perhaps if he came at it from this angle, and he could rule out a supernatural cause to Belle’s problems first, the real-world solution would present itself.

Gold sat down at his desk and reached for his contact book again. Time to call in the cavalry for an entirely different approach.

[petrichorsalon]

Lets talk about modern strong female characters in manga.

Now, if you know anything about me i’m a HUGE shoujo fan and one thing I love to death is an A+ quality strong female character. But here’s the thing, I honestly think that a heroine doesn't have to be physically strong to be an awesome female character. Its nice to have girls that kick butt but what about my girls that are (pardon the Steven Universe reference) strong in the real way, and what even is the real way? I’m here to talk about 2 series that demonstrate strong female characters who don’t rely on physical strength to be awesome in every way possible and if you read shoujo manga, you know the two i’m talking about. Akatsuki no Yona’s Yona and Skip Beat’s Kyoko. Well start with Yona (since at the moment it seems to be the more popular series)

(From here on out there will be spoilers)

When one sees all the expressions of Yona its hard to believe its all one person and that the wonder of Yona. Shes strong, and cheerful, mischievous, and innocent, regal, and down to earth. But this didn’t happen over night she started out as a quiet and spoiled princess that had quite the crush of her totally off limits cousin. As the story continues that cousin betrays her and kills her father forcing her into the world outside of the palace. Now many shoujo mangas would take a more commonly treaded path that goes one of 2 ways. She somehow bounces back immediately and continues down a hope and optimism route or that trauma becomes the main source of future drama, never recovering as each of her problems pile up to make her more resentful. Yona somehow balances these two paths and a new path simultaneously. Yona explores the world of grief, a topic not touched on much since the early 2000s. She doesn’t bounce back, she dwells, like a real person does, then she finds something to occupy herself (finding the dragons and teaching herself how to use a weapon) then she confronts her problems when she meets her cousin again and she considers killing him (as many would do!) but doesn’t, not because shes weak, but because something has changed. She is still mad, but she thinks theres more to his murder of her father than meets the eye. 

Think about that for a second. He murdered her father yet she gives him a second chance, not because she has perpetual hope and optimism, rather its because she wants to broaden her perspective. Ladies and gentlemen we have a character who is actively seeking to understand the world better than her father did, because as she moves from town to town, she discovers that her father did some things that were wrong. 

The story progresses in a way where she approaches the world with eyes wide open, taking in the reality they live in and embracing the problems. She welcomes other perspectives while she remains very much like her old self, rather innocent and quietly optimistic. Enter part two of the plot where she interacts with the water tribe that is deep in drug trades, prostitution, murder, greed, and starvation. Yona switches from a wide eyed observer to an activist. She befriends people of the area, and gets involved in their lives personally and no longer holds the problems at arms length, she embraces them. Now Yona was never a person to like people who were unfair to others, we see this even in the first chapters with the fire nation prince but now, now that minor trait has become a primary component of her being. She drew a line in the sand and said, this is where I stand and I can and I will change the problems occurring. She perfectly transitions from a princess into the very model of a Queen. 

Its worth stating that while she knows a little about weapons, she doesn't even hold a candle to any of the dragons or Hak but what she lacks in might she makes up for in her own power as she leads her team. Her team is what makes her goals happen and she treats them with the utmost respect, never thinking herself above them. The author doesn’t make rash jumps in her characters, if there is a change whether immediate or gradual, there is always a reason they change that way. Yona is a strong character because she sees the world around her, observes, and then takes action as she makes a decision and sticks with it, she is multifaceted and strong in the sense that she hows where she came from and what she did wrong and then changes it in the face of new evidence and that is a very strong person indeed.

Lets talk Kyoko, Kyoko starts out very differently than Yona. She doesn’t have the advantage of a pampered life, she starts out obcessive and boy crazy untill she is promptly dropped. Having never had a supportive family, the family of the man she loved became her family. Having had a rather unfortunate life from the get-go she already has a strong personality that is willing and able to work hard to get what she wants and in this case its revenge. Now in all good strong characters there must be a monumental change,in the case of Yona it is very slow and purposeful towards becoming her true self. In the case of Kyoko her strong personality was there from the beginning and many authors would leave it at that, a strong personality that fights for revenge but skip beat moves differently than even other long running acting mangas. Kyoko’s struggle falls in the very obvious problem of love. Not just romantically because that is indeed a portion of it, but loving herself. 

There are many mangas about loving oneself but this is different. Often they learn to love themselves through a love interest but she learns to love herself through her work and her friends (shounen vibes here haha). Quickly she finds that her acting is not longer to seek revenge, it is for the love of the work. As she finds she loves her work she begins to love how she feels when shes working along side talented people and their passions. Her movement is different than Yona’s in the sense that Yona is becoming who she is as a person and Kyoko is in the process of self-refinement to become better as a person. 

Kyoko’s naive, strong-willed, independent, loud, and humble personality doesn't change, what changes is the context for those traits. She confronts, and accepts, the mother who refused to even touch her, she remains unphased when her childhood crush makes moves on her (well... she does at least nonce remain unphased XD), she uses her new found mental stability to even help others around her such as the case with Ren in the Heel Siblings arc or even Sho when his music was being stolen by Vie Ghoul. She is a character that becomes multi-faceted and its because of that trait that she is able to move forward into even non-essential things such as love. The very fact she was put in the Love Me department was because she was damaged enough from the lack of love she grew up with to hate the very thought of it, but over the course of many chapters she realizes shes falling in love and despite her desperate resistance, that problem too begins to be accepted as she becomes a more whole, and well rounded character. In a way, she too discovers who she is.

I love these two characters very much as they are soo different from each other and their stories vary greatly but what remains the same is a few core elements. The girls themselves discover who they are as people and move forward along with those new discoveries. They both have love interests but they provide more support than romance giving each of the girls enough space to be themselves. Modern girls don’t have to be “bad ass” to be strong characters though Yona’s skills with a bow and Kyoko’s new found ninja skills are very nice in the “bad ass” department. These characters are the kind of people one could find in the real world and that is what makes a truly brilliant female character.

(Also total side note but lets hand it to those love interests that support their leading ladies asking all the right questions and pushing them to be the best they can be! That’s a hard job for love interests out there, you go guys!)