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lovleez · 3 years

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oner 《恶浪》 mv/film theory

(this is less of a theory and more of a debunking of the mv though)

warnings: mentions of violence, murder (i wont include gifs of the bloody moments but it will be discussed!!!), animal abuse, and a bomb or two ? (someone gets blown up ;-;)

honestly the debunking might get a lil bit dark around the ling chao and ziyang individual parts, so be warned of that!

it would be helpful for you to watch/listen to these to process whats going on here:

oner 《恶浪》 mv (cw blood, murder, animal abuse, & heavy violence - please dont watch if these are triggers for you!!!) (there’s also eng subs in this link ^^)

oner - AGENT (this is a song, but there’s quite a bit of dialogue near the end that ties into this plot!) (cw gunshot, beeping noises that resemble a bomb ?? - all at the end of the song w/ the dialogue)

okay lets dive into it d(^-^)> !!!

to get the important info out of the way!

the start of the mv shows the three of them chilling on the couch, as friends do, watching,,well themselves on the screen (oner’s past performances as idols) (and i do believe that the idols part of this has some significance that i can figure out). the important takeaway from the beginning rlly is that they’re three good friends...who are completely unaware of each other’s secret occupations

their occupations being: ziyang, a murderer, yueyue, a spy, and ling chao, a hacker

now to jump into the main story! (starting around 1:35)

yueyue and ziyang both have the same target: the man in the restaurant. however yueyue gets there first and does his job well, as he gets away without being caught. ziyang is frustrated that his target is taken already.

*interesting detail here, but when trying to enter, ziyang shows them a ring with a purple jewel in the middle for entry,,,coincidentally, the man yueyue kills in the bar in his personal segment in the film later also has the same ring? obv the ring is for the restaurant entry so maybe ziyang wasn’t going to kill this “boss” but maybe negotiate/discuss something with him instead...but also thats disproven by the fact that ziyang pulled out a gun to presumably shoot him before realizing the dude was dead....

but also,,,suspicious how there was a zoom in to the purple ring when yueyue kills the man in the bar..maybe it means more than we think it does? altho im not too sure what to think abt it for now

for reference:

ziyang’s ring

dead man in bar’s ring

moving on

okay so since yueyue is a spy n all, he has to confirm his kill somewhere right? this somewhere is a phone booth,,,one that ling chao has rigged up with a bomb,,,,

speculation: someone hired ling chao to kill someone who will be approaching the phone booth; at this time, lc doesn’t know that this someone is yueyue (and is v shocked to see him there through his cameras as evident by his “what the hell! are you kidding me?”)

....and after this part the film dives into their personal stories to give more background on who these three are (i’ll expand on those after i finish explaining the present timeline ^^) before coming back to the main story

so!

ling chao “accidentally” blew up yueyue oh no (he’s still alive tho yey)

& then yueyue holds up a piece of candy,,,and immediately knows its ling chao (cuz its the piece of candy lc was eating earlier in the film)

(and to take care of all loose ends that my brain is providing me with: in the beginning they didn’t know abt each other’s secret occupations...how does yueyue know that lc is capable of doing this? my answer: they used to be agent buddies!!! i’ll expand on this later hehe)

and so

it was at this moment ling chao knew...he fucked up

he’s afraid yueyue might come after him.

which, is exactly what yueyue does

after going home or somewhere, yueyue receives a text telling him to get rid of “them” (ling chao) bc his “identity is exposed”

....so now yueyue has to go and hunt down his buddy ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

and they fight! looks very painful for ling chao,,,poor dude,,,

since ziyang comes out from the back door to join the fight, theres two possibilities that come from this:

1) ling chao knew yueyue was coming and knew he couldnt take him down himself (lets be honest; he looks rlly scrawny) so he called ziyang to his location for backup (how could he know ziyang can fight? agent buddies 👐)

2) ziyang and ling chao live together in the same house

anyways, both results making it obvious that ling chao and ziyang are on the same team while yueyue is on another (lets ignore the fact that ling chao was getting up to fight ziyang as well)

the fight scene is so dramatic oml T-T

ziyang could also be motivated to beat up yueyue in this fight cuz the dude did take his target before he himself could (loophole: how did ziyang know it was yueyue who took his target? answer: maybe yueyue left like a signature or smthn at the crime scene, or ziyang saw him walk out ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯ )

and when they all beat the living heck out of each other and are dramatically lying down in different areas of the room

the tv turns on to a council saying “still want to be idols?”

(and remember, the thing they were watching on tv earlier was themselves performing,,,as idols. i cant connect it further than that so lemme know if yall figure smthn out ^-^)

so mayhaps this council is yueyue’s agency and they wanted to turn the trio against each other...? they would have set this whole situation up: they knew ziyang wanted to kill the restaurant “boss”, so they assigned yueyue to take care of him first, which creates conflict between those two. then, they hired ling chao to rig up a phone booth with a bomb; basically setting him up against yueyue

whether this council succeeds with their plan or not is unrevealed bc the film has a “to be continued” at the end, so the storyline still will have more to it!!!

although i would say the council succeeded since they all did beat each other bruised and bloody

that leaves the question: why is the council setting them up against each other?

what are there previous connections beyond them just being friends 👀 ?

and here i shall bring back the “agent buddies” bit i was talking abt earlier, as well as why i linked the agent song in the beginning

near the end of the mv, there’s quite a lot of dialogue between the three of them, and it goes like this:

[robotic voice: welcome agent oner

ling chao (?): check

yueyue: yo what up guys!

ziyang: yo what up bro

ziyang (yueyue?): alright lets take them out

yueyue: okay gentlemen we got a lot to do

ziyang: ey we gotta finish this quick, i got a date tonight

yueyue: really?

ziyang: no hard feelings (couldnt catch the rest)

yueyue: okay shut up

ling chao: hey guys, i saw a hit

(?): copy that

yueyue (ziyang?): hold your breath....now

ling chao: guys watch out

yueyue: okay guys locked and loaded

*single shot can be heard, then the reloading of a gun*

yueyue (?): go go go!

yueyue: fire fire fire!

yueyue: ???? *indistinguishable orders*

ziyang?: i got trouble i got trouble

yueyue: ?? i got ?? lets go

ling chao: stay together

ziyang (yueyue??): okay set to kill

ling chao: damn the truck is (blown?)

yueyue: what the hell

ziyang: okay let me (???) it

*bomb beeping noises*

yueyue: ???? clean this blood on my shirt]

(not sure how accurate my hearing is but its enough to make some guesses 😅)

agent buddies! the three of them used to be agents, as the song is titled, at some agency...and they probably made a pretty strong team together

the agency story would explain why they all seem to be good fighters too!

thats why the council might have wanted to tear them apart. perhaps the council was doing something that they knew would displease the trio, so they needed them separated lest they team up and try to defeat them

i also think this audio could have been describing a mission going wrong for them, possibly their last one as a team. someone was probably hurt (im betting on either ziyang or ling chao), and they quit the agency and aimed to live normal lives from then on

...but old habits are hard to forget, so ziyang starts to kill ppl in his free time, yueyue joined another agency as a spy, and ling chao uses his hacking skills for other purposes

however they all dont tell each other, which could add on to the tension of their fight at the end of the film

now to dive into their individual bits of the film. these all don’t connect much to the main lore, just expands onto their lives with their secret occupations btw!

YUEYUE

his segment details moments in his daily agent life; im guessing he’s not very happy with it judging by his nightmares? or the nightmares are bringing up his past at his old agency which he does not like

he’s also master of disguise woah

personally i think he’s losing “who he is”. he’s always playing the role of another person, always putting on another disguise...so he starts losing his sense of identity (if that makes sense ;-;)

(and if you wanna stretch it and make things wholesome, maybe the only times he [feels like himself] is when he’s around his two friends)

so basically: he’s always filling out other personas to the point where he doesnt know who he is anymore

(this is also the segment where he kills a man in the bar with poison,,,and the man was wearing the same ring as ziyang,,,,which is like Hm. why’d the directors do that 🤔)

ZIYANG

aka the murderer :D

(and not just regular serial killer type, more like joker-esque type where they’re a bit insane,,,)

okay his segment starts of with him dragging a man through a white room, where the floors is covered with plastic, and on the walls are a bunch of clay molds of human body parts

my brain has concluded that! ziyang takes clay and makes molds of his victim’s faces/body parts of who he kills! to make statues!

(i dont even know how i got there aksjdhdh but thats just what i assumed the first time i watched this film thingy)

and to make it more messed up than it already sounds,,,im guessing he’s a famous statue maker too, and holds shows where he presents his works to the public and maybe even bids them off ?

,,,,little did the audience know,,,,

(this kinda remind me of sally and gabe’s statue from the pjo too now aksjhdkdh)

(i got this assumption from 6:50 in the film where he walks out in front of an audience who start clapping,,,and let my brain run wild with the rest,,,)

of course, he probably kills off the people he was the molding the clay off of once he’s done with his works,,,or sometimes even in the middle of his works as shown in the mv (*-* )

but alas that is not all to his story,,,

judging by his flashbacks when he’s beating that one dude to death with a bat, he used to be bullied when he was in school, which seems to be the source of all his anger throughout the film..

( yeah he killed the bullies too (_ _ )> )

its part of his personality to be rough and short tempered - he doesn’t like people looking down on him (as the bullies did)

and,,,if you want to be wholesome again! perhaps he found some bits of happiness and peace when hanging out with the others :]

LING CHAO

cw: animals abuse!!!

his is pretty simple and is already explained in the mv itself! i’ll walk ya’ll through it though in case you didn’t watch the film tho akdjdjkf

basically: he’s just a dude who loves dogs :]

a lot

in his segment, a girl (handong, looking absolutely stunning ToT) approaches him wanting to take home another stray, and when he asks her where how the previous dog she adopted was doing, she says that “my bestie loved him a lot, so i gave him to her” ( -_- )

so...he lets her keep the dog, but also decides to keep an eye on her...to the point where she becomes very paranoid that someone is stalking her (which..she isnt wrong in)(but she doesn’t believe it to be ling chao because they’re..dating? i think? and he lulls her into a false sense of security that he’ll protect her from harm)

and then bam! one day he breaks into her house, steals the dog away, and then,,,,blows her up,,,,,

(i must say as disturbing this scene is,,,,i absolutely adore ling chao’s look here askjdjfd)

(i mean?? look at him?? loving the black lipstick ugh)

(v pale tho ;-;)

okay anyways the next flashbacks reveal that handong was abusing her dogs & starving them, and him being the animal lover he is, decides to kill her for it ig

(also she,,,stabbed the other dog that she “gave to her bestie” so-)

yeahh thats the end of his story; nothing much to take from it except that his hacker skills are still intact past agent days

annnd thats a wrap folks! nothing else to expand on; i’ll definitely make another part to expand on this if they decide to release another mini film in the future tho :]

#violence cw #animal abuse cw #oner #yueyue #mu ziyang #ling chao #ayra goes crazy #so i didnt add much original lore here but...eh...#cant wait to see how qins ent is gonna expand on the onerverse :>#plz tell me if i missed any warnings!!

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missjosie27 · 4 years

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Year 2 Part 10- New Revelations

Well, my friends this is it.

Year 2 is in the books. And after year 3 (due to JC's milking of this game for all its worth) the years will get steadily longer and the chapters more varied. But for now, we've finished two years and I really hope you guys liked it. As always, comment and review! Send a kudos!

I already have a head start on Year 3 so be on the lookout for it within the month. Until then, stay frosty!

Year 2 Part 10. New Revelations

For the span of about twenty four hours, David almost thought he got away with breaking into a cursed vault without any higher authority discovering so. Hogwarts was still settling down from the ice attack, which thankfully had abated. As he suspected, the ice immediately disappeared upon the defeat of the Ice Knight and their entry of the vault. Dumbledore had also returned, and his presence immediately restored order. Where he had been, however, remained the subject of speculation.

The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been postponed to the following weekend which meant that the primary focus for the student body was exams, much to their chagrin. For himself, David wasn’t looking forward to the Transfiguration test as he could barely look Professor McGonagall in the eye. He wondered whether or not she knew about their little excursion into the vault. The answer to that question came rather quickly.

He and Rowan were walking back from Charms the following Monday when his head of house stood right in front of the fat lady, eyeing them with an extremely stern gaze. It certainly did not give the warm and fuzzies, a sentiment echoed by his best friend.

“I don’t like that look,” Rowan whispered.

“Yeah, you don’t say.”

“David Grant,” McGonagall called out to him in her usual brisk tone. “Last weekend was not the first time cursed ice has appeared at Hogwarts, it is also not the first time it has suddenly disappeared. Can you explain this?”

The question was a rhetorical exercise. He resisted the urge not to gulp as it was abundantly clear what she was getting at. When he didn’t answer she continued.

“Up to your common room Mr. Khanna, I need to speak with Mr. Grant, alone.”

The Indian lad didn’t have to be told twice, uttering the password and scurrying up the stairs faster than a jackrabbit, as McGonagall continued.

“Like the previous instance, it seems to have appeared when someone tampered with a Cursed Vault, and disappeared when the door was opened. I’m sure you can guess who was responsible for opening the door the last time.”

“Jacob,” David breathed out.

“Precisely. We don’t yet understand how the vault reappeared, or who first tampered with it this time. Truth be told, there is still much we don’t understand about the Cursed Vaults, but I’m not going to bother to ask if you were responsible for what occurred last weekend.”

He wanted to make a joke, but he knew better than to do that in front of a woman such as Professor McGonagall. Therefore, he stayed silent.

“You are the only student who has shown the interest, recklessness, and talent to do such a thing.”

You’re forgetting Merula Snyde, David thought to himself. She fits all three of those categories…except for talent maybe. Hehe

“We know that you, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Haywood were all involved in this. Therefore I will be taking one hundred points from Gryffindor. Mr. Weasley in particular was adamant of your innocence which was noble of him…”

“He had nothing to do with it,” David quickly interjected. He could take losing house points, but it was common knowledge that Bill also desired to be a prefect the following semester when he entered his fifth year. If he had to take the blame for all of it, he would. “Penny didn’t either.”

A strange look of respect appeared on Professor McGonagall’s face, temporarily softening her strict stance.

“It is good to see such strong bonds between you and your friends, Mr. Grant. Miss Haywood’s punishment is not up to me. But rest assured that Mr. Weasley’s prospects of becoming prefect have not been damaged by this incident.”

David gave an inward sigh of relief. He would not have been happy with himself had his actions jeopardized Bill’s higher goals.

“But that is not the end of the matter for you,” his head of house continued to admonish. “You will speak to Professor Dumbledore about this matter. He may not be so forgiving.”

Resisting the urge to hang his head in defeat, all David could do was utter a solemn, “Yes, Professor,” and begin to make his way towards the Headmaster’s office.

“Mr. Grant? You may want the password. It is ‘lemon drop.’”

They always did say he was a bit mad, he commented on the password being named after a muggle sweet. But it made no difference. Albus Dumbledore was one of the most, if not the most powerful wizard in the world; a man who held the power of his schooling in the palm of his hand.

It was not a comforting thought, but either way he had to face the music.

“Let’s get this over with,” he muttered to himself.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Upon saying the password, the gargoyle jumped aside revealing a spiral staircase which led to the confines of Dumbledore’s office. When he reached the top, David was immediately struck by how vast and intricate the place was. It was like no other room in Hogwarts he’d ever seen. To describe it took a lot of words that weren’t coming to him at the moment.

There were many elaborate and intricate looking instruments placed unevenly around the shelves and tables that adorned the room. Some looked vaguely familiar to David while others defied comprehension. Surrounding the vast semi circular space were also legions of portraits, some of which looked as though they belonged in the Middle Ages while others were more modern. Up above on a railing was a giant blue sphere that looked like a globe and an attached telescope for the purpose of astronomy. And then of course, there was the center of the room which housed the desk of the Headmaster himself, who was dressed in rich, purple robes. Perched above him was also a strange, red and gold bird of unknown origin.

Talk about an impressive setup, David thought to himself as he approached the centenarian, who was currently writing a letter of some sort.

“Professor?”

“I will be with you in a moment, David,” came Dumbledore’s light response, though he did not look up from his current task. “I’m sure you can understand why I have pressing matters to address…”

I know, because of me

“…in the meantime, please feel free to look around as I finish this last task.”

David did so, staring at some of the metal instruments but having enough sense not to touch them as he did not want to break anything. However, he did bend down and look at one of the most peculiar of all: a gigantic bowl with a shiny, silvery substance on the inside. It practically hypnotized him and as he peered closer he swore he could see images floating through the silvery liquid, some of which seemed familiar…

“Any closer and you’ll be in more trouble than you already are, brat,” a snide voice called out from above.

David snapped out of his trance and looked up to see one of the portraits sneering down at him, a thin, bearded man with a pointed hat topped with silver, green robes. He disliked the portrait immediately.

“Oh yeah? Who the hell are you?”

“Phineas Nigellus Black, Headmaster of Hogwarts from 1892 to 1925. And I must note your distinct lack of manners, young man. Were this my day, I could have you physically whipped for such disrespect.”

David narrowed his eyes and replied in a bored tone.

“Yeah well that’s why I’m alive and you’re six feet under, you git.”

“Insolent-”

“That is enough Phineas,” the firm voice of Albus Dumbledore interjected, coming over to the scene. “Though David I must ask you to step back from the pensieve, as entering it would cause you to see things I do not feel are appropriate.”

“A pensieve,” he repeated, obliging the elderly man. “I’ve heard of those but never seen one in person.”

“You may find that they are useful for old fools such as myself, who have far too many memories and enjoy indulging in the past when useful to the present moment,” Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. “But for a young man as you are, I doubt they would serve much purpose.”

“There are some things I’d like to forget…others I’d like to remember more clearly.”

“A unique observation for someone your age, however, we both know that is not the reason for your presence here today.”

They had come to it at last, and David supposed there wasn’t any use in putting it off much longer.

“It’s not. What was that you were writing, though?”

A noise of disapproval could be heard from Phineas, but Dumbledore ignored it.

“Questions. Questions that I hope will finally provide answers.”

The answer was vague, but David did not press the matter, and began using a more formal tone of voice.

“Professor McGonagall said you wanted to see me, sir?”

“Indeed,” Dumbledore replied, placing an arm around his shoulder and leading him away from the pensieve. “It would appear you discovered the source of the mysterious cursed ice. You revealed a vanished staircase using advanced transfiguration beyond your year, explored long forgotten corridors of this school and broke an ancient curse on a vault that many refused to believe existed despite overwhelming evidence.”

So he did know everything. There was no point in denying it then. If nothing else, he had to explain to the Headmaster the reasons for his actions even if it was an exercise in futility.

“I’m sorry I entered the vault without telling anyone, Professor. But there was no time. The ice was spreading everywhere, and I was the only one who knew where the vault was located. I had to do something before the entire school froze over. People were trapped.”

Dumbledore’s eyes peered deep into him, however, as if waiting for him to reveal the full truth he was not telling.

“I’ve heard my brother’s voice both outside and inside the vault, sir. I saw visions of the ice and more.”

“Visions like the one you just described are very rare indeed,” Dumbledore explained to him, placing his hands directly underneath his chin. “You might ask yourself whether what you perceived is something else entirely.”

“I’m not sure what to say, sir,” David admitted. “To be honest, this whole experience my first two years has been…a lot.”

“Quite understandable, especially with the recent adventures and a history such as yours. Is there anything you can say for yourself in the meantime?”

On the surface, Dumbledore’s words suggested punishment and explanation but knowing the Headmaster by now it was also an invitation to ask more than what could be expected from a normal authority figure. That being said, there were so many thoughts spinning inside his head he barely knew where to begin.

“Sir, I promise I didn’t purposefully try to subvert your authority or anyone else’s. I didn’t go looking for this vault at first, it’s almost as if it found me. There’s so much I still don’t understand. I asked you last year what the vaults were, but this year raised so many more questions. Why do they exist in the first place? What is their purpose? And why do I keep hearing my brother’s voice? Am I mad?”

A regretful, almost sad look passed on the Headmaster’s face, as though he were empathetic to the young Gryffindor’s plight but unsure on just how much to reveal.

“I believe you, David. However, as to your questions I’m afraid my knowledge is still barely beyond yours. Why these vaults exist within the Institution of Hogwarts or what their true purpose is, I do not know. I do have theories, but that sort of speculation is too dangerous and implausible to indulge until we know the truth. Regarding your brother, I have a much more concrete theory, but I cannot confirm it until I have further information.

“What I can say is this: Jacob Grant was an extraordinarily perceptive person and had a sixth sense about most things. The connections between family members, magical or not, are still active and real. Far from being mad, I believe that your hearing his voice suggests he is very much alive, both figuratively and literally.”

Dumbledore stood up and looked towards the window.

“As for the vaults, I’ve been attempting to locate someone who may have the answers. But for now, I am awarding you one hundred house points for your heroism in breaking the curse and once again ridding Hogwarts of the cursed ice.”

Hardly daring to believe he was being rewarded a second time, David had to keep his eyes from popping out of his sockets.

“One hundred house points?!” he blurted out before he could stop himself. “Thank you, Professor.”

There was still twinkling in the blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore, but his voice gave off a sternness as well.

“Thank me by leaving the search for your brother and the remaining cursed vaults to me. We will talk at the end of your third year, and I would like to discuss something besides curses and your frequent involvement in these vaults.”

David nodded emphatically (it was amazing how the power of this man could corral him into behaving like an angel) though in his heart he wondered if truly would be able to heed the Headmaster’s warning. As he stated before, trouble at Hogwarts always seemed to find him, not the other way around.

“Now then, I believe you have exams to study for and a Quidditch match to attend,” Dumbledore beamed underneath his thick, white beard. “I must say, I do hope the contest is much more even than it was last year. I’ve heard wonderful things about young Charlie Weasley on a broomstick.”

For his part, David Grant could only grin widely.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The end of the 1985-86 school year brought on a bevy of good news and celebration for David and the rest of the Gryffindors.

For starters, the greatest Gryffindor Quidditch Team in a decade pulled the hat trick, defeating Ravenclaw 550-460 in a high powered shootout that went on four hours and featured over eight lead changes. The Bronze Eagles had pulled ahead by sixty points when Charlie Weasley, in his greatest feat yet, swooped in and caught the snitch right underneath beater Erika Rath’s left foot just before she connected with a bludger. The celebration that night in the Gryffindor common room was so enormous and so merry that even Professor McGonagall didn’t bother to stop it. Her joy of winning the cup, though subdued, was just as great as anyone else that day (including Blishwick and McLaggen, who ended up passed out in a tide of alcoholic, yellow vomit).

The victory also allowed Gryffindor to edge out the Slytherins for the House Cup, which was also the catalyst for another wild party (though this one McGonagall later put a stop to). On top of that, David found out that his marks had indeed been able to surpass the previous year’s in most subjects with the exception of Charms, a subject that had always been up and down for him. But overall, he figured his parents would be pleased with his academic effort this year.

The cherry on top of all these positive moments came on the second to last day of Hogwarts. The seventh years were already preparing for graduation while the rest of the school packed their things and enjoyed the free time they had in the sun. That morning, however, as the last day of mail came in. It was a normally sparse load- very few owls swooped in but to David’s surprise he received a thick, white letter with no return address, an oddity to say the least.

“Check this out,” he said to Rowan as he passed the letter to him while eating his cornflakes.

“No return address. Maybe it’s from an admirer of some sort.”

“Wouldn’t there be something to indicate that?”

“I don’t think you should open it,” Ben said nervously, setting down his toast. “If you don’t know who it’s from it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Come on, Ben,” Rowan laughed. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. Could be your parents sending you a surprise gift for your birthday.”

David narrowed his eyes at the letter.

“Rowan, my birthday was almost six months ago.”

“And?”

“And ....” a cocky, monotone voice interjected. “For once, I think the scaredy cat is right. I know a laced parcel when I see one.”

Jae Kim swooped in and snatched the letter before anyone did anything else.

“Hey!”

“You’ll thank me later, Khanna trust me. You do not want to open this.”

David knew that with Jae it was usually best not to ask anything further of him but his curiosity was stronger this time around.

“How can you tell?”

“I’ve smuggled in contraband hundreds of times,” Jae responded, dangling the letter from his thumb and index finger as though it were a dead rodent. He gave it a small sniff. “I also can tell when someone is trying to send an anonymous prank. The most common of which is undiluted bubotuber pus. And this thing reeks of petrol.”

“But that’s crazy. Who would want to send David a laced letter?”

David titled his head slightly sideways and was able to get a look at the Slytherin table. A group of the younger ones were huddling around, looking in his direction as though waiting for some reaction. At the center of that group was none other than Merula Snyde, who was smirking as though she had won a lifetime supply of chocolate frogs.

“Methinks a certain Slytherin girl is seeking to do you in,” Bill chuckled as he took a seat next to them.

“Then I guess it’s only fair that I return the favor,” David said with a sly grin. “Bill, if you need to excuse yourself in order to keep your chances of being prefect, I understand.”

“What’s that now? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the eldest Weasley said with a wink.

David grinned and turned back to his second year house mates.

“Ben, charm this to fly over back to the Slytherin table. Rowan, tell me when they’re not looking. Jae, can you make this explode on impact?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

A few spells and a flick of Ben’s wand later, a white envelope airplane soared its way towards Merula Snyde and her gang of Slytherins.

“Hey Merula!” David called out.

“What?!” she snarled, unaware of what was about to happen.

“Catch.”

The paper airplane took a nosedive and landed directly in front of her with a mighty *thud of an explosion as green and yellow smoke filled the air, causing her whole posse to cough and cover their faces and mouths. It didn’t take long for painful sores and boils to start dotting all over their skin. Positively furious but with nowhere left to go except Madam Pomfrey, the Slytherin girl and the rest of her mates took off running but not before Merula called out one last time.

“I HATE you, Grant!”

The Gryffindors laughed at their misfortune, enjoying the spectacular backfiring of the attempted sabotage.

“Will you look at that, she really does care,” Bill teased, giving him an elbow.

David snorted, flipping more bacon into his mouth.

“Don’t you start.”

“I’m with David,” Rowan chuckled. “Breaking the curse on that vault is going to make Merula crosser than ever. She’s probably coming up with a scheme as we speak.”

“Yeah, well she’ll have to clean the bubotuber pus from her hands first.”

More laughter ensued.

It truly was a good day to be alive.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The train ride home was uneventful as David, Rowan, Ben, Jae, Charlie, and Bill swapped chocolate frog cards and played several rounds of exploding snap. In his second year of experience, it always seemed to David that the train ride home was always shorter than the trip to Hogwarts. He wondered if there was a reason for the inconsistency in that perception of time. Either way, it was far more difficult this year saying goodbye.

“Have a good summer, mate,” Rowan beamed at him. “You’ll have to write me this time around.”

“Me too,” Ben pipped up. “I…uh, don’t have an owl but my parents are starting to learn more about how the magical world works. I’m sure I could persuade them.”

“You know I’ll be in touch as best I can,” he assured them both.

“At some point we need to have you round for tea at the Burrow,” Bill said, clapping on the back. “Charlie’s already told mum all about you and she’s talking of knitting you a sweater for next Christmas. Hell, the twins already think you’re a celebrity.”

Charlie rolled his eyes as he unloaded the last of things off the train.

“Gee, Bill, make our family seem loonier than they already are, why don’t you.”

“You’ll get over it, Quidditch hero. She’s going to have a cake ready for you when you get back you know.”

The last to say goodbye was Penny, who gave him a big hug and the most radiant smile he’d ever seen from the blonde.

“I’ll see you next fall, Hero of Hogwarts,” she beamed at him. “I hope you’ll write me.”

“You know I will,” David said with a lopsided grin.

“And I can’t wait to see what kind of adventure we go on in our third year.”

“Maybe we could just have a normal year for once?”

Penny gave his hand one last squeeze.

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to be the case. Not with you around, anyway. See ya, David!”

As she turned and ran to a blonde woman that looked like her mother, David did the same. Saying the last of his farewells to his friends and scouring the platform for his parents. They wouldn’t be hard to find, even among this crowd.

When he did, however, the reaction wasn’t at all what he expected. Dressed adequately in muggle clothing (a suit for his dad, and a cardigan/sun dress combination for his mom), David saw that their expressions were grim and not at all pleased. His mom, a blonde woman with blue eyes and a height of about 5’5 was giving him a stare only a mother could give her son. His father, who resembled him in looks and hair color, was less severe in his expression but underneath that neutral exterior was also a man who probably was equally as upset as his mother. Though they had different ways of expressing it, David knew whatever was going on wasn’t good.

“Err…hi, guys,” he tried to greet cheerfully, bringing up his luggage from the rear. “Happy summer?”

“David John Grant,” his mother stated.

His full name. Not a good sign.

“Come along. We need to have a very long talk.”

#hogwarts mystery #hphm #hphm fanfiction #writing #david grant #merula snyde #penny haywood #bill weasley #charlie weasley #rowan khanna #ben copper #jae kim #minerva mcgonagall #albus dumbledore #parents #gryffindor #quidditch #erika rath

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demiemdi · 4 years

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Blog #05

February 03, 2020

For tonight's entry, I dedicate this one to my sister-like cousin. Ivy, happy birthday.🎈

I have known you for 16 years already. Eversince, we did things together; when we were younger, we used to take baths together and re-enact some popular scenarios in Mara Clara, Agua Bendita, Ina Kapatid Anak and many more while the shower is on, not minding how many minutes we have spend there doing dramas and all. I can never forget those moments, it only proves that, we can't stop time. We get old, and so memories do.

We'd play barbie, watch Bratz and had that "Oh yes" greeting while having that girly bump after a long time we haven't seen each other. I remember using swimwear during summer, we'll only wear them if one of us will encourage the other to do so. My doll house which I received on my seventh birthday, we used to play them, the "lutu-lutuan" games, survivor of the philippines.😂 It so happened that you live in Manila that time and I was still in Bataan, so we usually just see each other occasionally, my childhood friend lives so far, I'm always at home since I was a kid, no doubt I am still. Char.

First photo was taken at Baguio year 2013 and the second was just recent. It's been seven years already and I'm thanking God that I've shared those years with you. You're sixteen, I'm afraid you won't need me when the time comes. I may not say this everytime but I want you to know that I'm proud of you. You've been a brave girl, you have faced a lot of hardships mostly, all by yourself. I have come up to realize that someday, you won't share me stories the same way you did when we were younger and you were just entering High School. We don't even have that same shirt anymore! Kidding, it's funny how we had that "couple shirt" before, wearing it proudly. And now we both say the same thing whenever we find pictures of us having similar shirts, plus, style! HAHAHAHAHA OC dawgs XD char.

Maybe it's because how our family raised us, that our bonding is beyond strong. You are that one person I won't hesitate to tell everything about, whom I won't have to remind names of people and past events repeatedly whenever I need to mention them again in my chika, the person who won't judge every other stories or decisions I am making, who can bear with both my silence and loudness, and the person who can easily sense what I'm feeling and do nothing about it. Char! You have that attitude, and I have too, so maybe we clicked and had it the best way around.😉

I don't know why I find it funny that you call me "Dem" and the other embarrassing nickname I have in my childhood instead of "Ate" but whatever, I got no issues about it, but it makes me feel you won't respect me and that you'll just roll your eyes whenever you want to roll them. But anyway, you don't do that habitually, so that's totally fine, hehe.

You are my MIBF buddy, but we did not had the chance to do it for the past 2 years because I don't know, you'd tell me you're too busy or too lazy to come or money-less to do so, that's why for two years I do it alone or go with Wilson. Or, maybe because your taste have changed when it comes to books, you're maturing, I can'ttttttt!

Anyway, like the previous blogs, I want to tell these people who are currently reading this how much of a person you are, you're a monster, RAWR HAHAHAHHA! She likes Starbucks, so much!! I remember the first time I tried that coffee, it's because of her. She made me became open of things I didn't know existed, I am not into coffee that's why it never crossed my mind to stop and buy there before, but now, whatever. Still not, but Tim Hortons? It's a yes!! Hello there, WMTBMG!

Want to know more about her? I'll tell you more haha XD She likes Ice cream, knows how to play a guitar, she loves books, achiever at school (valedictorian, flexed 😎), SWIFTIE!!!!! ❤️ A Paramore & 5SOS fan! What else, Adele, Ariana Grande, KathNiel din HAHAHAHAHA for like 8 years, eversince, you won't believe but that's fine, we watched every KathNiel movie together for that past years. We got keychains, magazines, cinema tickets, facebook posts in 2012, but no fancams, no videos nor pictures with them, only by memories and heart. Charot nagdrama sa fangirling life😂

Anyway, most of the time she looks like not in the mood or will just punch you anytime you greet her expression, but she got a kind heart, a soft one. You won't know until she began caring about you, 'cause she's a February baby, toyo gurl you know HAHAHAHAHAHA charot. She loves her family of course, we all do, despite hardships. She dreams about being a cardiologist someday, super brave diba! We are a family of Doctors, dejk. She can paint, she can sing, she can dance Chichiquita, she can look like Kathryn Bernardo effortlessly XD HAHAHAHAHA SANA HALLS!

Above all, she loves me. Yie!!!!❤️ Of course she's my sister eversince I was born in this world and we've know each other since the day she first yelled "Waaaahhh wahhhh wahHhhhh" and up to this day. I've shared her my secrets that no one knows except her, my weaknesses and fears, even the smallest thing that I consider insecurity. I don't know if I can ever meet a person whom I can comfortably talked about everything, just like how I can tell it to this woman everytime. You maybe unaware, but this girl knows you without you knowing her. Maybe because you are one of the people I met or currently meeting? You choose, this one hardly forgets.

To Bilog,

Happy birthday. It's 12 midnight, I have classes later and you do too. But I want to be the first person to greet you though I know someone already greeted you earlier than this early. I can't thank you enough for being my great cousin, I get to be the most real me when you are around while you laugh about how I look stupid with my jokes or how I repeat outfits and not even combing my hair after taking a bath. You are the person who knows me, I do believe that of course, we always had the back seat of the car occupied and share stories during the ride for almost 10 years not counting in the other more times where we talked about people haha, such a chika girl HAHAHAHA.

Always remember that I might not be the first person you run to whenever you feel sad, worried, frustrated, angry or whatever, because I am having that feeling too, but may I remind you in this letter that I am here for you. I'm your ate and that will never ever change. You grow so fast, I kinda miss our bonding before. Anyway, I'm sending you big goodluck in your life, Doctora! Be happy and take care of your heart, okay? Love you bilog, happy birthday.♥️

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clownsgobeepbeep · 5 years

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Hehe 💀

142.)Werewolves

Let’s meet somebody in the Reverse Vampire AU

“We have had a few offers here and there, quite high ones in fact.”

“Oh, really now? What’s the highest one you’ve been offered?”

Inside what was now technically an abandoned building, walked a pair of adults with a child following suit. This building was an aquarium that had gone out of business a while ago, the property now being on sale.

“Trust me, you don’t want to know, and I also am not able to tell you unfortunately due to the contract. However, just between you and me, I’ll say that this man doesn’t want to bring back the aquarium. He wants to discard of the animals as quickly as possible to then destroy everything. Build his own thing he says.”

“That’s so sad!”

The adults ceased their walking, turning around to face the child who ‘s expression matched what she had said.

“Where will all the animals go?”

“I...I’m not sure dear.” the man of the adults wasn’t sure how to respond, not wanting to further upset the little girl who then turned to her mother.

“Mommy, you’re going to save all of them, right?”

“Oh, Lily...” her mother held her breath, turning to the man who happened to be her former employer before the aquarium closed down. “I, I don’t-”

“Coraline.” the man placed a hand on her shoulder. “How about, you and I go into my old office? Your daughter can explore the aquarium while we have a quick chat.”

“Lily?” Coraline turned to the child who looked up at her, still with sad eyes. “Are you alright wandering around by yourself?”

“Of course mummy!” Lily gave an eager nod, then turning on her heel before dashing away as her mother called out to her.

“Make sure you don’t go too far nor too close to the open areas!”

“Yes mummy!” Lily called back, already far from her previous location as she ran past a plethora of entries leading to other hallways or exhibits. Her little feet eventually brought her to the large open area that was technically the entrance, more like what came after people were allowed into the aquarium.

Lily tapped a finger against her chin, debating which area she would explore. There were so many things to do yet so little time, even with the complete lack of guests since the only ones who ever came were the owner, interested buyers, and her mother who frequently took care of the animals.

“Sharks? Open Ocean? Otters? Hmm...”Lily continued tapping her chin, eyes squinted as she slowly spun in place while eyeing each of her options, shutting her eyes before spinning rapidly. Once Lily felt herself get dizzy, she lifted a wobbly hand to point, opening her eyes to see at what she had randomly chosen.

“Jellyfish!” Lily exclaimed, hurrying over to the exhibit entrance where she was met up with a darkness. Honestly, it kind of didn’t really seem like it considering how several lights were off and it was already night time.

The child made it inside, her eyes growing wide and practically twinkling as she now admired the pretty lights inside the huge room. Several of them came from the tanks, Lily noticing this as she approached a large cylinder-shaped one, containing moon jellyfish that all seemed to change colors due to the lights.

Green eyes specifically landed on a large jellyfish, all of them glowing green in the moment, but this particular one seemed to have to more of a hue. Lily’s eyes were kept on it, watching as it floated down, ever so slowly, and without a single care. However, as the jellyfish reached near the bottom of the tank before eventually floating back up, Lily’s eyes landed on something that stood on the opposite side. This something was a figure, one who noticed her, soon rushing away into the darkness.

“Hey, wait!” Lily watched as they left, then tapping her chin, asking whether or not she should go and follow whoever this was. After a minute or so, Lily nodded before she ran off and exited the jellyfish exhibit, coming into the light at the entrance before she heard something fall over on the ground. This caught Lily’s attention before she whipped her head around, spotting a flash of black before she followed it.

“Wait up!”

Lily saw as the figure dashed away into another one of the rooms, one labeled as Open Ocean. Hm, she hoped she didn’t fall into one of the mini oceans inside, but she knew her way around obviously. So, she ran inside and looked around, hearing footsteps to her right where she then headed to.

Glancing around, Lily found nothing, so she stood in place to listen once again, eventually hearing even the quietest of footsteps. She turned around, noticing that something moved in the darkness, two glowing orbs that she knew did not belong to any of the fish.

“Hey...I won’t hurt you. I pinky promise.” Lily gave a kind smile, stepping towards the darkness as the footsteps she heard signaled that the person was backing away from her. Lily however, didn’t care, or at least she didn’t seem to worry while hoping that whoever or whatever this was didn’t fear her.

“My name is Lilian, but you can call me Lily.” she softly spoke, seeing as the figure continued to step back until coming into the light they didn’t know was behind them due to a skylight. Lily then stopped walking, her expression turning into a confused one as black came into view, black hair, or fur actually.

“Whoa...you’re a...you’re a...” Lily breathed out, seeing as the figure now identified as a werewolf, still backed away. She noticed that it was rather small to all the other ones she had encountered or seen from afar, and it didn’t seem to be very threatening actually. In fact, it looked almost...scared.

“I won’t hurt you.” Lily repeated, taking a single step which made the werewolf immediately turn and jump away, not having realized that right behind was an open pond, thus causing them to jump right inside.

Lily gave a gasp, especially as she heard the werewolf give loud whines while splashing around which made Lily run towards the pond. She reached inside the pond which wasn’t as shallow as the others due to originally having contained stingrays. She eventually caught onto the werewolf’s limbs, attempting to pull it out of the water, though it proved difficult as it moved around so much in a panic.

“Stop moving! Let me help!” she exclaimed, eventually helping the werewolf out as it fell to the ground completely soaked. However, since it was no longer under the moonlight and instead in the darkness, Lily noticed that all the fur had gone to its head as human hair belonging to a boy who shivered on the ground while curled up.

Lily noticed he wasn’t wearing anything but a bandana around his neck, prompting her to shut her eyes and even cover them with her hands.on’t l-leave me

“You’re naked!” she exclaimed again, hearing as the boy gave loud breaths. “But, are you okay?”

“N-n-n-no....” he replied. “C-c-c-cold...”

“Right! Um, stay here! I will go to the shop and get you some stuff...like towels and clothes!” Lily announced, moving her free hand around as she attempted to maneuver herself through the area.

“W-wait.” came the boy’s voice, making Lily stop walking to listen to him. “Don’t...people....s-see me.”

“Don’t worry about that, um...what’s your name?” Lily turned around, uncovering her eyes to take a peek at the pale boy who was still trembling on the ground, and he unburied his face to look up at her. Lily noticed a lovely pair of blue eyes, making her feel somewhat funny in her belly.

“C-cold!”

“Right! Sorry!” Lily turned red, then turning to run away out of the exhibit.

______________

“So, what were you doing inside the aquarium all alone?”

Lily now sat beside the boy, both sitting on a bench that was in the darkness of the building. The boy still shivered, clutching on tightly to the towel wrapped around him. Beneath that, he wore souvenir clothes that Lily luckily found somewhere around, though they were pretty big on him.

“No...nobody’s here...I like to be a-alone.” he gave a soft shrug, water still dripping from his hair as he gave a sneeze. “I don’t like wa-wa-wa-water....”

“Then why the aquarium?”

“Nobody...expects, me...here.”

“Oh.” Lily gave a nod, then taking a peek at the boy’s face before he turned to look down at her. He was no doubt taller and something about him...something made Lily give a happy sigh as her belly felt funny and her cheeks warm, all in a nice way.

“What...what is it?”

“Nothing.” Lily fluttered her eyelashes, the boy noticing this as well as the fact that Lily was now leaning close to him which made him give a weird look.“What’s your name?”

“Name?”

“Uh huh.”

“Sch-Schrader...”

“Schrader?” Lily tilted her head before the boy gave a nod. “I like that name.”

“Lily!” came a voice, startling both of the kids, especially the boy. “Lily! Where’d you go?”

“I’ll be right back, it’s my mother.” Lily told Schrader, hopping off the bench before running off to eventually find Coraline.

“Lily! Where did you go?”

“To the ocean.” Lily giggled, then taking her mother’s hand. “I have to show you somebody I met!”

“Met? Was somebody else here?”

“Uh huh!” Lily dragged her mother through the aquarium, leading her back to the bench she had been sitting on a while ago to see...nothing but a towel. “Wait...”

“So, where’s this somebody?”

“He was right there!” Lily pointed before running over to the bench, noticing that there were still wet spots. However, she heard a caw, making her and Coraline turn to the side as a crow now flew down until landing on top of the towel.

“How’d that get in here?” Coraline furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, Lily turning to her with equal confusion in her features. “Is this your friend you were talking about?”

Lily glanced at the crow who gave another caw, its legs shifting before Lily gave a soft nod.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, little crow.”Coraline waved at the crow who surprisingly cawed in response. “Anyways, Lily, guess what?”

Lily took a glimpse of mother who flasher her fangs in an excited grin.

“My offer was accepted! The aquarium is ours now!” Coraline squealed before hugging Lily who hugged her back, no doubt just as excited as her mother. However, Lily was also quite...sad, if that was even the correct word to describe it. Her eyes glanced around, never noticing the blue eyes that peeked from behind a wall, their owner too scared to come into the light again.

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dergeistvond · 2 years

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Uhm, Weather Update, now! Did anyone miss these? I did, hehe, anyway. Here's your check up on the blogger's state, haven't had a weather update since what almost a year! If we don't talk usually or you haven't been stalking my secondary 1) thank you 2) please don't follow it if you do check it - then you probably have no idea of how I'm holding up. I'm confused honestly, it's a peaceful 1AM as of now and I'd hate ruin my mood but I gotta be honest I'm not holding up pretty well. Black heart anon figured out I'm still debating over staying, I figured in the last months or so I'm having certain behaviours I thought I left in the past but apparently not, I'm still horribly rude to people when I'm mad at myself, I'm still obsessing over what once was. I found out I'm afraid of the future, the pressure everyone puts on me simply making me avoid every task I set for myself this break, I found out I'm horribly shy as well, again! Which is odd to me as I'm usually quite outspoken (edit: but now that I think of it I also sorta developed a stutter that shows up when asked even what my name is and IT SHOULD'VE BEEN A SIGN), I don't know what happened to me, but I figure lack of real time connections made me like this. Sadly there's not much to be done in this case, there's nobody new to meet now and I promised I'm not going back to who once was. Oh but I can't just be moppy here huh, I've been trying to distract myself - is it working? Mmm, maybe? I'm not quite as angry as I were before so maybe yes, am I still heavily focusing on the traumas that characterize me in my head? Yeah… shitty thing, I know but hey, my esteem so low at this point I could not care any less. I've been trying to sever some connections for the better of me, and been having a break from the good majority in general - if I avoid you it's nothing personal, I'm just not in the mood be talkative as of late. I've been feeling desolate in my isolation but I found sone joy in it as well so it's not as bad as it might seem as I'm writing this, I actually feel quite okay, might I say good? In the present moment that is (01:42 AM)

Should you be concerned? No, I'm fine, regular old habits rolling. Should you reach out? Sure thing, I don't mind company, Hell I've been clinging to @/yeschelseabuns these days like a parasite. If you do reach out please note I'm getting overwhelmed very easily as well lately, please be casual.

Edit: I've reread my previous Weather Update Entry and I seemed so hurt but, hopeful. Literally so full of hope and rage like some wildfire, I can't help but wonder where that hope went. Is it because I'm on somewhat better terms with my family? Maybe. Surprise!! I'm on better terms with them, obviously not as close as I would've preferred, but it's something and I'm glad I worked into it,I still feel like I don't belong here but I swore I will make place for myself sonewhere and, now thinking of it, my hopes are coming back. I think I found a reason to go on, to make myself the place I was never made. To feel safe in my own hands. I'm no longer scorching, blazing, but I'm still the one holding the matches.

Edit 2 cause I just fucking realised I've been focusing too much on mental and all of us know I'm heavily misanthropic due poor bodily health uh, yeah mmm can't say I'm improving anything. I've been trying to eat more leafy greens to help my iron deficiency, I've been cutting out on coke, but let me tell you I've been so sickly this month for NO APPARENT REASON. Just random fevers, waking up feeling sick, even throwing up but uhm yeah we all know I'm horrified of that shit. In the past 4 to 5 days I've been finding it incredibly difficulty eat AT ALL, just being nauseous and dizzy, obviously I'm adapting fast, I was hungrier the first days but I still lack apetite, I'm ok now I think, idk, people pointed out I already slimmed down slightly but my bags have gotten darker. Neither have I been sleeping, as is obvious cause it's fucking 2AM right now, but I'm ok? My headaches haven't been present so far which is good. I feel weak, but I can't bring myself eat forcefully. I've been trying to go out these days, with nobody in particular, just me and the trees and grass. Been talking to myself again and I missed it so much I'm not sure if it's okay but I missed me (?) So much he's such a good listener he gets me I am so happy whenever I hear him, I'm maybe either narcissistic or going mad but I love talking to myself it's literally so fun. I could go on and on about it haha but it's pretty late anyway so I'll stop here.

#Vent #Yeah actually not quite smh

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betweenthetimeandsound · 3 years

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Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (#170-161)

#170: Dino Merlin and Beatrice -- Putnici (Bosnia and Herzegovina 1999)

“Šta smo ti i ja, do putnici bez mjesta?”

“What are we, if not travellers without a place?”

In the relatively dull set of 1999, Putnici was a highlight at first listen. From the ethnic instrumental to the almost-philosophical lyrics, I am taken onto the journey Dino and Beatrice go on, with a mix of Bosnian and French lyrics (with the latter a bit less developed than the former, as it sounds like a basic conjugation table). It’s a bit funky, a bit hipsterish, but all kinds of enjoyable. Too bad there isn’t a clear performance video on the internet; every time a video featuring them appears, it gets muted.

It's a shame because it deserves a lot more attention, even though I don't think about it occasionally.

What's a bigger shame was how Bosnia needed ~150 points to make it through to the 2000 contest. They had a bunch of lower-midtable finishes throughout the 1990s, including a second to last in 1996, thus putting them in this position. Despite getting their best result at the time, they still got relegated because of their five-year average.

(On another note, did anybody actually contact Amina to get her to perform the French parts? Asking for a friend.

Personal ranking: 1st/23 Actual ranking: 7th/23 in Jerusalem

Final Impressions of 1999: Compared to the years that preceded it, 1999 was a bit of a letdown. The loosening of both the language and live-music rules didn't immediately lead to better quality songs, as I find most of the field pretty dull. While I accept the top two, I'm not sure how good they were in the end, and the best song of the year used backing vocals on the track. Ugh.

The stage was nice, though one blogger mentioned the "half-finished" catwalk on the left-side, and I can't really unsee that now.

#169: Dana -- All Kinds of Everything (Ireland 1970)

“Seagulls and aeroplanes, things of the sky Winds that go howling, breezes that sigh City sights, neon lights, grey skies or blue All kinds of everything remind me of you...”

The four-way tie of 1969 resulted in four countries withdrawing for the following contest, stripping it down to twelve countries. That year, while short, had its fair share of gems, of which All Kinds of Everything rose to the top of the crop.

While a bit overlooked today, All Kinds of Everything stands out with its tenderness and innocence, as Dana lists the things which remind her of her loved one. It's a list-song, sure, but one that works effectively with Dana's sweet voice.

And Ireland's first win has done wonders--not only was it a hit across the continent, but it represented some semblance of calm. Dana was originally from Northern Ireland, so representing Ireland during the Troubles initially wasn't the best solution. Once she won, she was greeted back in song (and Dana herself was a politician at some point).

If Amsterdam 1970 had a worse winner, we wouldn't have a contest to speak of.

Personal and actual ranking: 1st/12 in Amsterdam

#168: NOX -- Forogj, Világ! (Hungary 2005)

“Ne bánts, világ, Ne ölelj, ne érezz, Szerelmed jobban fáj, Ne játssz, világ, Eressz, ha boldog táj hív.”

“Don't hurt me, world, Don't hug, don't feel Your love hurts more Don't play, world Let me go if a happy land calls”

What happens when you combine Riverdance and influences from the previous winner? You get a vibrant, spirited song with really thoughtful lyrics in between. The mix of percussion, ethnic-influences, and dancing create a throbbing beat to this overlooked bop.

As mentioned, the lyrics are part of this intriguing package. Here, the narrator wants to discover more of herself. The ones mentioned here are a bit paradoxical, in that she wants to to be embraced, but also wants to discover more. Szilvia has a delicate voice, but it works in this context.

For a year which is known for its ethno-bops, 2005's grand final started with a good dose of energy. (And Hungary had to leave the way they came...suddenly)

Personal ranking: 3rd/39 Actual ranking: 12th/24 GF in Kyiv

#167: Aminata -- Love Injected (Latvia 2015)

"I’m safe into your hands Let’s move away, the edges expand"

While I knew for a while Love Injected was a fan-favorite, I initally didn't get it. Most of the time, I listened to the refrain in clips, which put me off from listening to the entire thing.

It wasn't until I stumbled on a mashup of this, with Truth and Skeletons, which it all makes sense. As I liked the latter two songs more, I was initially hooked, but it was the bridge to Love Injected that really stood out to me.

When I watched the final performance in Vienna, the dark sensuality of the verses that attracted me. Very minlmal synthesizers, but well-executed. The chorus then made sense in context, as Aminata shifts from the soft, delicate vocals to a more powerful explosion. Combined with the minimalistic staging, it turns out as a contemporary and sophisticated package.

Personal ranking: 6th/40 Actual ranking: 6th/27 GF in Vienna

#166: 1X Band -- Tih dezeven dan (Slovenia 1993)

“Kako dobro se zlivam v ta svet, ki me omamlja, Kako vase potegne me čas, ki ne obstaja?”

“How well I merge with this world that dazes me, How I'm absorbed in time that doesn't exist?”

Slovenia managed to break off of Yugoslavia with relatively less bloodshed than their fellow successor states, thanks to only needing ten days to fight the Yugoslav army in summer 1991. As a result, they managed to avoid the worst of the conflict, and hosted Kvalificacija za Millstreet, the pre-qualifying round for seven new countries in 1993.

1X Band managed to win that, only to place poorly and getting relegated for the following year.

It wasn’t fair, because Tih dezeven dan is a solid debut entry with some incredibly thoughtful lyrics. Compared to its fellow ex-Yugoslav debutants, it focuses more on existance and how life would be nothing without dreams. Combined with an easy melody, it conveys its own mood--a bouncy, fun soundscape (and good orchestration) with a questioning theme.

(or was it fair because of those costumes? They were better at Kvalificacija za Millstreet...)

Personal ranking: 5th/25 Actual ranking: =22nd/25 (with Denmark) in Millstreet

#165: Urban Trad -- Sanomi (Belgium 2003)

“Léala, léala, sorimana, sorimana.. “

Who would’ve thought a song sung in a fake language would almost win the competition? And in a very tight voting sequence; there was a three-point gap between first and third (for the latter, it's #241).

One thing which helps is the folksy sound of “Sanomi”, which makes it sound more like a folk chant than something gimmickier, like the country's 2008 entry. Personally, it sounds like it could be a song about the joys of fishing, hehe.

The duo’s voices work together to create a mythical atmosphere, and it really challenged my favorite that year with its surrealism. Combined with the drum-machine and the record-scratches, it's still grounded into 2003, without making it sound too over-produced.

In the end, would it have made a better winner? The 2000s featured a bunch of first-time winners, and having Belgium win could bring some help for Western Europe, who progressively became more cynical towards the 100% televote era. On the other hand, it would've reflected the 1990s more than the 2000s, so where would the contest go then?

Personal and actual ranking: 2nd/26 in Riga

#164: Chanée & N'evergreen - In A Moment Like This (Denmark 2010)

“I'm lost and I don't know Where am I supposed to go? I still miss you so...”

You know that last song in a movie which sums up the whole thing while it plays in the credits? And then you ask yourself what that song is called because it got stuck in your head for a while, and then you get relieved because you finally found it on Youtube/Spotify/Shazam?

That’s what I get from In a Moment Like This; its placement as the last song in 2010 grand final adds to that feel (thank you random running order). There was a bit of controversy about the melody itself, because it resembled that from "Every Breath You Take", but it’s still really relaxing and the staging tells a story.

Notoriously, Chanee and N'evergreen didn't really get along that much, and apparently it showed in their chemistry. But in the end, they played their parts in this performance, and got rewarded for it justly.

Personal ranking: 5th/39 Actual ranking: 4th/25 GF in Oslo

#163: Vlado Janevski -- Ne Zori, Zoro (North Macedonia 1998)

“Стој, не зори, зоро, душманке В пушти ноќта да ги сокрие, Очиве што раѓаат бисери, Срцево што друга не љуби,”

“Stop, dawn, don't rise, you fiend, Let the night hide these eyes which bear pearls This heart which can't love another.”

The first song from North Macedonia, and the last song with an orchestral arrangement. Historical significance aside, it’s a powerful song, with an interesting story to tell.

The narrator has his mother go out (in traditional Macedonian way, apparently) and ask for his girlfriend's hand for marriage with the rest of the family. During the night, he waits with tears in his eyes, waiting for an answer. And so he calls on the dawn to not come until then.

Curiously, the original version featured more ethnic instruments, but the orchestration in Birmingham, along with Vlado's deep vocals , was worthy of a finale. Even though the song was a bit too low-key to end the contest (and I kept thinking that the Turkish entry preceding it would make a more dramatic one, along with a better showcase of the strings), there's still some melancholy at the end of an era.

Personal ranking: 5th/25 Actual ranking: 19th/25 in Birmingham

Final Impressions on North Macedonia: They can't catch a break sometimes, can't they? From being the only constituent state of Yugoslavia to not participate while they were all together, to having good songs with bad stagings, it seems like they don't always have the best luck. That said, they still have a bunch of good songs on their repetoire: hopefully their 7th place in 2019 will show that they can do well. (And they have more entries here in this countdown than both sides of Czechoslovakia, hehe)

#162: Brainstorm -- My Star (Latvia 2000)

“I will follow my star till the end of my days And my heart's gonna lead me through so many ways And if you're gonna join me, I'll be your guide Baby, never say never, be my runaway-bride“

I find it weird that Estonia and Lithuania managed to debut in 1994 (and the former participated in Kvalificacija za Millstreet in 1993), but it took six more years for Latvia to do the same. They had the opportunity to do so in 1999, but waited one more year.

When they did so, it turned out it was worth it.

My Star a whimsical song, and reminds me of bicycling on a sunny day. The performance is more of an acquired taste with Renars' eccentric vocals and dancing, but after a few watches it just brings instant joy.

Unfortunately for Latvia, it's also a case of "peaking too early". Despite winning two years later, I still think it's their best song--it's some solid pop-rock with a bit of magic, which one can't say of "I Wanna".

(interestingly this also has some closing-credits energy to it, haha)

Personal ranking: 2nd/24 Actual ranking: 3rd/24 in Stockholm

#161: Roger Pontare -- When Spirits are Calling My Name (Sweden 2000)

“So bring me the power, I'll be the king of the land and the seas Show me the way to go, let me fight with my body and soul”

Originally from the Volga River region of modern-day Russia, the Sami people have inhabited parts of Northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland for millennia. For centuries, they hardly had any contact with their Germanic-speaking Scandinavian neighbors until the 18th and 19th centuries, when the Norwegian and Swedish governments wanted to have more control of the north. This also interplayed with the environment today.

When Spirits are Calling My Name hints at fighting for the protection of theirs lands and beliefs. The native peoples from other groups come and perform with Roger, and that solidifies their solidarity.

This is so epic, and I love the combination of pop/schlager and ethnic elements here. It's rousing and proud and determined--honestly, I would've preferred this to win rather than the entry they actually won with in 1999.

I've also heard about people preferring the original Swedish version--I get it, especially as Roger flubs some of the lyrics in the second verse, but I think the English one holds up just the same!

Also, the performance had the first use of pyrotechnics at Melodifestvalen, so yeah yeah fi

Personal ranking: 1st/24 Actual ranking: 7th/24 in Stockholm

#eurovision song contest #esc 250 #esc top 250 #esc bosnia and herzegovina #esc ireland #esc hungary #esc latvia #esc slovenia #esc belgium #esc denmark #esc north macedonia #esc sweden #vintage eurovision #three minutes of eternity

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youreghanamissme · 6 years

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The Last Post

This is the last post I’ll be submitting to this blog. I miiight be compelled to post all those informational entries about Ghana I always thought up, i.e. transportation, the local cuisine, top asked questions about being in the Peace Corps/ Ghana (aka “what was dating like?” and “how do you stay healthy?” hoooo-yeeee haha), social/cultural tidbits, etc. but I might be too lazy. If I do post up anything non-Ghana/ Peace Corps related, it would be on my personal blog. Go ahead and message me if you want the link to that since it’s just about me and not about this experience.

The much-hated question: “So how was Ghana?”

What I want to say: I don’t reeeally want to unpack this right now over dinner, Sheila. We haven’t seen each other in over two years, and I really can’t do the whole peace-corps-service-in-Ghana thing justice in 30 seconds. I really just want to eat this plate of Thai food I haven’t had since 2016 and not listen to myself talk.

What I actually say: It was good. I enjoyed it a lot. There were times that were really tough, but I regret nothing, except maybe sometimes willingly taking a chance on cold food.

Or, conversely...

In one word? Umm... hot.

Being back has been quite a whirlwind. Internet. ALL. THE. TIMEEE!! Driving! A refrigerator :D I now have a smartphone in America, something that was not a thing for me before I left for Peace Corps (brick phones, RIP), and I. LOVE. IT. Perhaps a little too much. Those apps really got me, man, because I am completely addicted to podcasts. And I’m always collecting new ones and asking for suggestions, so if you got any... holla at yer girl ;)

Basically me, all the time, sans velvet blazer. I need to get me one of those.

I’ve gained quite a bit of weight too. I mean, I wasn’t slim... more “normal bod,” but I was exercising regularly and not eating processed food (as much). Lately, your girl has gotten thicc. Booty booty rockin’ it arounddd, rockin’ it arounddd... to the other side of the kitchen for some thirdsies, thanksss ma! My biggest guilty pleasure has been cereal and pizza.

Costco pizza has been giving me life*, and y’all know I live near a plethora of fast food joints, right? Round Table Pizza, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, McD’s, In-N-Out... America, you know how to trap a girl!! But right now it’s been YOLO, even when I have a hard time getting back into all those Ghanaian bespoke clothing I spent a lot of my monthly allowance on. That’s another two great things about being back: cool enough to wear sweatpants, and socially acceptable if I wear shorts (I wore some in public the other day and I felt a lil’ nekkid ;)

*fyi: pineapple belongs on pizza

I was travelling for a bit, and now that I’ve been back to America, I’m off for a month again! This time to Vietnam with my mum and my older sister. We haven’t been back to my mother’s country in over two decades; I was four years old the last time I’d gone, and that was because of a family emergency. Why the long wait? I’ll tell you why: it ain’t cheap to fly there! Plus, I’ve been hustling ever since I graduated from college, so it was no contest: savings, bills, rent money > Vietnam vaca.

Luckily, my sister paid for my ticket (bless!). The original plan was to go to Vietnam and explore southeast Asia after the Peace Corps, but since my sister is a teacher, I’d have to schedule my Close of Service date to coincide with her Spring Break. I wasn’t able to because PC Ghana staggers COS dates so that communities don’t experience a mass exodus once a year. They experience mini-sayonara’s thrice a year lol. There can be a lot of drama when your cohort is figuring out who gets what date; it really depends on the people. Most of everyone wants to leave as soon as possible to catch graduations, see family, or just get. the. hell. out. of. there. Waiting until my sister’s summer vaca meant that we had more time to be in Vietnam, a country that we mostly have to seek information about for ourselves as American children of Viet refugees, and I appreciate that our mum is making the journey with us. The trip will be our first time exploring the whole country. No one has been north of the southern region. I’m thrilled to see my mother’s village, my father’s hometown, and also explore the mountains where my father was held at a concentration camp for almost seven years after the war. Vietnam has gone through so much industrialization and cultural change in the last few decades; I’m sure we’re all bundles of apprehension, wonder, and excitement! Once I get back, I need to hit the ground running; no more travel for me for a while!

At the moment, I’m set up to re-attend school. I’m going back to finish up some pre-requisites for nursing school (that’ll take me a year as the anatomy & physiology portion is a 3-part series offered once a quarter--eww--and nursing programs typically last 2-3 years,so I’m looking at the next 3-5 years until I finish #lesigh) to get a second Bachelor’s degree. I know, I know. A second BS? Damn, gurl. You coulda saved yourself some moolah by getting it right the first time! But I don’t regret anything. I love nutrition, and studying it was a big source of joy. I’m rather scared as a twenty-something who likes to create, be in nature, and help people... I know there is an intersection there somewhere, but I’m having a hard time finding it. I’m pulled in three separate directions: pursuing nursing, pursuing environmental science (a passion that has been steadily growing since college), and forgetting academia for now and just working on a farm with nutrition and youth and nature... it’s all very romanticized and a total quarter life crisis. I’m wondering if nursing would open some doors for me to work with women and international settings (other huge passions of mine), perhaps in midwifery (to tie in the nutrition component), and in rural areas (to be more in settings that are more nature, less city... though I love the city and am I city grrrl at heart). The creative side will just be brushed onto my spare time, like it has been for the last decade lolol (but really doe...)

I’m in a transition mode right now, and “trusting the process” is hard when the process is scary af! But at the end of the day, I acknowledge it’s scary and daunting only because I’m reveling in my own fears of failure and self-doubt. Still, that doesn’t make it any less scary and confusing :(

I implore y’all to go forth and pursue what makes you smile. It’s hard to navigate that in this society and culture where we’re all so immersed in the sense of time and money and the pursuit of happiness. Hell, I’m hella guilty of that. Yoo-hoo, nursing? Financial stability but also rewarding profession. I’m worried about making the leap to go back to school as I’m not a spring chicken no more! I’m still young (Asians don’t raisin, holla!), but Peace Corps Ghana definitelyyy took at least two years off my total life expectancy haha Still gotta reiterate: no regrets there. I’m older and a lil’ wiser and a lot more grateful for my time on Earth and the space that I occupy. I’m taking this sharper perspective to do good on some of the things I talked about in previous posts:

I signed up for a novice swimming class (your girl is about to learn some life skillz!)

Attempting to live more minimally (donating a lot of my clothes)

Reaching out to old friends to reconnect; fostering friendships

Be more kind to my other Mother. Continually attempting to start a compost pile in the backyard, and I bought a pack of stainless steel straws as a first step

So that’s it for now. HMU if you’re ever in NorCal in the next few years and/or you want to continue creepin’ on me as I try to navigate this post-Peace Corps life on another blog hehe (there is a certain source of vanity and joy from taking about myself, whatever forever~)

#peacecorps #ghana #pcghana #rpcv #transition #trustheprocess #pizza #america #cultureshock #daria #podcasts #podcastaddiction #nursing #secondcareer #quarterlifecrisis #vietnam #happyfeet

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athyrabunlord · 6 years

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LLSHP Interlude2 - Of Feathers and Wind

Arc1: [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7]

Arc2: [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14]

Arc3: [Chapter 15] [Chapter 16] [Chapter 17] [Chapter 18 - sanguinem pudicitia (TBD)]

Interludes: [Carbonado (1)] [Carbonado (2)] [Of Feathers and Wind] [Delphinus (teaser blip)]

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

[FFN link] (up until ch14!) [Pixiv Link] [Translated to Chinese by plin2290]

A/N: Here it is, a Ruby-centric chapter! Surprised? (⌒ω⌒) Yup, this interlude is told from Ruby’s POV, about various points throughout the story so far and her relationship with the other girls, such as \CYR/ and more. And in spite of my simple 5-bullet point outline, this turned into the longest chapter ever wtf. Hope you’ll enjoy this, and any feedback is welcomed as always! Words: 10,159

“It’s rare that you have a day off.”

Ruby nods distractedly, tugging her favorite lop bunny plushie under her chin and tightening her hug. She shifts a little and smiles when she feels a warm body lying down behind her as if offering to be her cushion. Just as she leans back against the large wolf, her golden-haired companion also flops down against it, making the wolf growl in exasperation.

Ruby giggles at Kanan and Mari’s interaction, grateful for their company on an otherwise inane day at the Kurosawa Estate. It’s rather pitiful that she has no idea what to do with her free time, having very little of that in all her fourteen years of life.

Hobby? She does like creating things, whether it is plushie toys or adding accessories to her own clothing, but it’s getting more difficult to hide them. There is no trustworthy person in the House of Kurosawa, especially the house-elves. It’s not because they have bad intentions or anything, but rather they are under strict orders to obey their masters and mistresses. The word of the patriarch, her grandfather, is absolute. Even Father and Mother cannot defy him.

Friends? Ruby has no friends. Unlike some Purebloods or Half-bloods who go to community schools prior to entering Hogwarts or other magical schools, she learns magic under various instructors’ tutelage. Due to her jam-packed schedule, she is unable to mingle with other peers let alone go out to have fun. She grew up watching the lonely silhouette of Dia’s back and learns to suppress that destitute feeling herself.

It’s only recent years that Ruby notices the change in her older sister’s demeanor. As soon as Dia earned her private compound after becoming a Prefect, she constructed a small garden as if in defiance of the family’s pre-set structure. Also, unbeknownst to their large family, she modified the spells to the perimeter in order to allow secret entry for her two best friends.

Mari Ohara and Kanan Matsuura, the two friends who have made Dia smile, are now keeping Ruby company as per her request. At first, Ruby feels awkward around such strangers, knowing they are just doing her sister a favor. But as time goes on, she could sense that they are genuine in trying to help out the Kurosawa siblings. In a way, they are a bridge between the sisters.

“Hehe, that bunny sure looks like Dia~”

Ruby smiles up at the smirking Mari. “It is supposed to be Onee-chan! See, I made one for Onee-chan when we were younger, and she made this lop bunny for me.”

“Daww, if only we could sneak you over to her side of the compound right now…”

Kanan huffs and paws at the tatami in agreement.

“Thank you, but I don’t want to risk you two getting caught.”

The house-elves have turned a blind eye to the two visitors, as they had entered Ruby’s room in their Animagus forms. Their orders are to keep unauthorized people out of her room, and nothing about animals, so on this technicality they are able to keep up with this arrangement. Ruby isn’t sure what their response would be if they were to leave the room, so it’s better to play safe.

“Such a cute little sister~ I’d love to adopt you but that overprotective condensed carbon would have my head, teh-heh.”

Truthfully, Ruby enjoys being pampered by Mari. Both she and Kanan are rather forward in their physical affection, something Ruby yearns for from her older sister but she could only recall a few instances that Dia ever hugged her.

After all, such open displays of emotions are not allowed in their proud Pureblood household.

Dia has always been strict towards her, unyielding and perhaps even harsh in reprimands, yet Ruby could feel that her sibling truly cares about her. All those countless times Dia would slip snacks to her, sneak into her room to read storybooks to her whenever she had nightmares, and all the times she would speak on her behalf in risk of punishment.

Ruby just doesn’t know how she could ever return such gesture. Anything she can do, Dia definitely can do too. Just how can she help her sister, if ever?

“So, just how much free time do we have?”

“Hmm, until dinner time I think? My tutor had an emergency that requires his immediate presence so he would not be available for this whole week. Father said I should use this freed-up time to prepare for next week.”

“Next week huh… my my, even Ruby-chan is going to Hogwarts now~” Mari caresses the younger girl’s hair. “How time has flown by, ne, Kanan?”

The wolf lets out a sharp bark, its unusually long tail wagging and practically sweeping the tatami.

“Yes, I’ll… finally be able to leave here and join Onee-chan at Hogwarts.” Ruby unconsciously sinks against the wolf even more and smiles appreciatively when Mari wraps a comforting arm around her.

“We’ll have so much fun together! Although, as per Dia’s request, you’ll have to pretend that you don’t know us, okay?”

Ruby pouts. “I don’t understand. Sure, I know why we have to be so secretive here, but why at Hogwarts too?”

“You never know who’s watching. Besides, Dia was… well, you have heard about unknown assailants going after her right?”

“Again!?” Ruby covers her mouth after the loud squeak, hoping that hadn’t caught a house-elf’s attention. “I thought that hasn’t happened for years, and the previous assailants have long been identified and caught…”

“Yes, but these are new enemies. Unlike the past cases, these new ones don’t seem interested in ransom, or damaging the Kurosawa name - they are keen to capture Dia alive. The way they move and cast magic… there’s something off about them. Very off.”

“T-Then, I’m sure Grandfather can figure out something and-”

“No.” Mari’s surprisingly firm voice makes Ruby wince. The older girl smiles sheepishly and softens her voice. “There’s a reason, a reason we can’t divulge, but it’s necessary to keep this a secret just between the three of us. The most I can tell you, Ruby-chan, is that this is the problem Dia’s facing. She doesn’t want to endanger you.”

“I-I can take care of myself though…”

“We know, dearie. We’ve tried persuading Dia, oh believe me, but you know how obstinate that penguin is~” Mari shakes her head, only to yelp when the furred form behind them transforms and causes her to lose balance. “Oi, Kanan!”

The ponytailed girl winks at her and gives Ruby a brief hug. “We need to keep our status as unregistered Animagi a secret as well. This gives us a lot of advantages to staying undercover - although, those attackers have already labeled me as Dia’s guard dog or even the school’s hound or something. Of course, we’ll try to keep contact as much as possible, hmm?”

“Okay…” Though still sad, Ruby relaxes in the older girl’s embrace and tries to suppress her trepidation. She truly enjoys Kanan and Mari’s company, that they are able to fill in the lonely void, but it just isn’t the same as having her Onee-chan around.

The older they become, the harsher the House of Kurosawa is at disciplining them. Indeed, this week is very rare for her, since her daily schedule is usually filled back-to-back with very little room for rest. Perhaps, her grandfather and the other elders have finally given up on her? Deeming it useless to train her because she will never be able to catch up to her sister anyway?

Such thought makes her feel both relieved and frustrated at the same time.

As if sensing her concern, Mari joins the hug and whispers encouragingly. “You have the potential. Just ignore whatever those geezers tell you! You’re a strong witch, Ruby-chan, perhaps even stronger than Dia in a way.”

Ruby blinks, unable to comprehend such concept. “Me? Stronger than Onee-chan? How is that p-possible? T-There are so many spells I can’t even cast…”

“You’ll see someday, Ruby,” Kanan chuckles warmly and also pats her head. “Believe in yourself.”

“Uyu…” Still confused, Ruby allows herself to relish in the older girls’ comforting warmth since she won’t be able to enjoy it once she goes to school. She’s used to being alone, so even if she’s unable to make any friends in Hogwarts, she should be fine, right?

Really, that dull ache in her heart is nothing more than a minor inconvenience. She just needs to keep up a good front, be the Kurosawa that her family’s raised her to be, and eventually becomes strong enough to assist her sister. Yes, that should be her goal. Otherwise, she has nothing to motivate her, nothing to work for.

What does Ruby Kurosawa want to do? She doesn’t know.

Suddenly, Kanan and Mari transform into their Animagus forms so fast that Ruby barely has time to steady herself. As she watches the wolf and cat slip out of the room, presumably off the porch and into the bushes, she realizes that someone must be coming.

Taking a deep breath, she greets the Head of the House with a courteous bow. “Grandfather.”

The maroon-haired wizard nods curtly and gestures for her to stand up. Though wizened with age, the tall Kurosawa patriarch exudes a powerful and fearsome presence. His emerald eyes are just as sharp as a cunning predator, always watching and calculating. It is through his contributions and achievements that the House of Kurosawa is able to become one of the most prestigious Pureblood families in the magical world.

Though retired now, the former Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot still holds great influence and many from the Ministry continue to seek his advice. Ruby rarely sees the busy man one-on-one and only interacts stiffly with him during family meals.

Therefore, for him to show up here in the afternoon, he must have a few choice words to deliver in person prior to her attendance to Hogwarts. Ruby prepares herself for a lecture about upholding their family prestige.

What is in a surname anyway? What does it matter if you are a Pureblood or not? You are your own person, not a puppet to a mere name. She knows fully well just how much her extensive family has contributed to society, whether as accomplished Aurors, Curse Breakers for Gringotts Bank and more. But surely, those relatives are talented because of who they are individually, not because they’re members of the Kurosawa family.

As the patriarch begins his speech, Ruby’s attention begins to wander in spite of her best effort to listen. She glances at the grand painting on the wall, a painting that every member of the main House has in their chamber.

The Black Jaguar is the representative animal for the House of Kurosawa. Proud and stealthy, the predator hunts with its cunning and prevails even in the darkest of the night, fast like the wind. Independently strong with powerful bites that can pierce even armored reptiles, the Jaguar is the Kurosawa founder’s Animagus form. Every member of the family is acquired to learn powerful offensive spells that can penetrate an opponent’s shield Charms, but Ruby has yet to master any.

After all, the Black Jaguar is everything Ruby Kurosawa is not.

No matter how you look at it, Dia resembles the graceful Black Jaguar more than Ruby could ever be.

She gazes at the slightly ajar door, where the wolf and the cat had gone. At least, Dia is no longer completely bound by her duties. As soon as she becomes an adult and graduates from Hogwarts, she should be able to gain enough freedom and assert a certain amount of power, especially with great friends like Kanan and Mari by her side.

Ruby wonders if she would ever get to experience that.

“Ruby Kurosawa.”

She flinches at the patriarch’s deep voice.

“S-Sorry, Grandfather, I w-was just nervous that I would not d-do well and-”

“It is unbecoming for a Kurosawa to lie,” the wizard’s austere demeanor is rather suffocating. “Weakness is not tolerated. You will hold your head high and speak in a clear voice when you join the House of Slytherin in your Sorting next week. Your older sister has fulfilled my expectations - I expect no less from you. Do you understand?”

She has to clench her fists so hard so that the pain would keep her focused. It takes all her willpower to not stutter as she replies with a louder tone. “Yes, I understand, Grandfather.”

No, she does not.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Ruby could faintly feel herself smiling as she turns and stretches in her cozy bed. Under layers of patchwork quilts and amazingly soft pillows, she is ready to hibernate for a long time! Alas, the biological clock due to her strict upbringing prevents her from falling back to sleep. With a reluctant sigh, she crawls out of the bed and goes about her morning routines.

In spite of just leaving the warm covers, she does not feel the morning chill at all because of how comfortable the Hufflepuff Dormitory is. Though located in the cellars, the chambers are Charmed to have the perpetual warmth of the sun and, whenever needed, provide the actual sunlight. Combined with various plants that furnish the rooms as well as the copper-themed decors, the peaceful ambiance allows students to feel as if they are out in an endless field, embraced and sheltered by Mother Nature Herself.

Ruby hums a quiet tune, greeting her Housemates with a timid smile. She holds her chin a bit higher when they return the gesture, but she still fidgets bashfully as some of the other girls inquire about her wellbeing.

Even though nearly a week has already passed since her Sorting, her Housemates remain concerned about her due to the Howler incident. Ruby will never forget how the Head of House, Professor Koizumi, had sternly eradicated the shouting mail, and how her fellow Hufflepuffs had comforted her. Muggleborn and Purebloods alike are protective her and have been since.

This is the Hogwarts House known for its sense of loyalty, fairness, and dedication. Ruby feels quite loved and relaxed here, though she would need time to adjust to this new style of life. Her magical prowess, previously deemed weak compared to her extraordinary sister, is now hailed as amazing and advanced. Already, she finds herself helping out her peers with some of the school assignments, and she greatly enjoys being able to pass on her knowledge.

Perhaps such standards have always been wrong, or perhaps there should never be such judgment at all. As Professor Koizumi told them on their first day here, everyone should be able to excel at what they enjoy and nurture that.

Truly, Ruby is proud to be Sorted into the House of Hufflepuff!

When she returns to her room, she notices that her pet owl Pana is still snoozing on the bedpost. So is her roommate and best friend.

“Hanamaru-chan?”

Hanamaru Kunikida curls up into tighter in a ball, smiling in such a relaxed way that Ruby feels her soul being healed from the sight. Giggling, she shyly prods at the brunette’s cheek. The soft sensation resembles that of a mochi, prompting her to poke even more.

“Ru~by-chan~”

Whining, Hanamaru stubbornly keeps her eyes closed. Pana lets out a sleepy hoot as well, hopping off of the bedpost to nest on Ruby’s pillow.

“Hanamaru-chan, senpai told me that there’s going to be special bread and buns for breakfast this morning! We’ll have to get ready and-”

“I’m up zura!” The brunette rolls off the bed, wrapped in the blankets and all, and bounces a bit before unfolding like an egg roll.

Ruby bursts into giggles and fondly helps her friend sit up. “Your hair’s all messy, hehe~”

“Yours too~” Hanamaru giggles as well and reaches for the comb on the nightstand. “Pigtails today?”

“Yes please!”

“Leave it to me zura~!”

Ruby closes her eyes in bliss as Hanamaru patiently and gently brushes through her tresses. The therapeutic sensation brings a nostalgic memory of a time Dia used to comb her hair, making her smile whimsically. Well, she needs to get used to the fact that time does not go backward. What’s in the past is in the past, and she has such a fun and welcoming future to look forward to!

“All done! Hehe, you’re so cute, Ruby-chan~”

Though Hanamaru is seven months younger, she has that aura of a loving grandmother that makes Ruby want to rely on her. Yet, at the same time, Hanamaru has childish bouts of excitement that makes Ruby want to protect the petite girl.

Like now.

“So what bread? Are the house-elves going to bring them to the Common Room like last time zura? Or! They’ll pop up out of thin air at the Great Hall as usual? Maybe we should really use those rice cookers Professor Koizumi’s set up for us? I’d love to have some rice for breakfast too zura~”

Ruby affectionately combs through Hanamaru’s disheveled hair, enjoying her friend’s fascination with magic. Being a Pureblood, she is unable to relate to a Muggleborn’s amazement at even the simplest of spells. However, she supposes that it is similar to how she feels about Muggle technology. Steel boxes with wheels that run on something called electricity? Small rectangular devices that can communicate with people who have the same thing no matter how far they are? In her opinion, Muggle inventions are so much more incredible than magic.

Hanamaru seems uncertain about things like ‘internet’ and ‘computer’ though. Maybe she should ask Kanan and Mari whenever she gets to see them. She did glimpse them a few times at the Great Hall and around the castle, but there hasn’t been any opportunity for them to talk in private.

As for Dia, Ruby vows to find her elusive sister. She has a feeling that Pana has something to do with Dia, and there’s so much she wants to talk with her sister after all! Such as, the House of Hufflepuff is so much more wonderful than she could ever imagine.

She cannot imagine herself as part of the House of Slytherin, as per all the other Kurosawas.

“Okay, one more try zura…”

Ruby watches with bated breath and inwardly cheers on for her friend, whose brows are furrowed in utter concentration.

“Accio glasses!”

The thick-framed glasses twitch a little but otherwise do not move from their spot on the table. Pouting, Hanamaru retrieves them manually and put them. “What am I doing wrong zura? Mari-senpai was able to summon it from who knows where!”

Having heard all about her after-curfew adventure, Ruby could only chuckle ambiguously. How is she supposed to tell her friend that the enigmatic blonde Ravenclaw is just as skilled as Onee-chan?

“You’ll get better, Hanamaru-chan! It’s a higher-level spell, and this is only our first week at Hogwarts!”

“Right… there are so many books waiting for me at the Library zura~” Hanamaru’s eyes glaze over in reverence, and she’s practically skipping as they make their way out of the Dorm and towards the Great Hall.

Ruby shakes her head in exasperated fondness, resigning to the fact that she’ll have to enlist the help of their mutual friend later to drag Hanamaru away from her Shangri-la.

And speaking of the girl, the raven-haired Slytherin is tapping her foot impatiently by the door.

“Hey! You’re late! I bet Zuramaru overslept again huh?”

Yoshiko Tsushima is an odd person but in a good way. There’s always a special zest in everything she does, a sense of purpose and confidence that awes Ruby ever since their encounter back at the King’s Cross Station. Her dramatic poses and rather comedic dialogues never fail to brighten up her day.

Yoshiko’s sharp gaze sweeps over them and, a moment later, she is fixing their scarves and picking out lint from their hair.

“Geez, you two, what can you do without me?”

Ruby nervously glances around, sheepish that she appears less than impeccable in public. Perhaps being in the relaxed atmosphere of Hufflepuff Dorm makes her drop her guard. But then, she reminds herself that she no longer has to fear any repercussions from her family now. Surely, a bit of mess is okay?

But see, Yoshiko is also a very nice girl. She might hide it under cynical remarks or seemingly aloof expressions, but Ruby could tell that Yoshiko does look out for the two of them, claiming that the ‘two critter-like Puffs need a clever Slytherin to lead them!’

Hanamaru stares at the smirking girl. “Yoshiko-chan, where’s your bun?”

“My b-?” Yoshiko flusters and combs through her hair with her fingers nonchalantly. “The great fallen angel just happens to decide upon a different hairdo today. O Little Demons, it is pitiful that you cannot sense the aura in which the night sky-”

“Ah, I know, Yoshiko-chan overslept too and only made it here just moments before us zura~”

“Did not! As I was saying, the night sky-”

“Let’s go get some of the special bread you mentioned earlier, Ruby-chan~”

“Hey, lemme finish, you mere Zuramaru!”

Ruby chuckles at their bickering, playfully allowing Hanamaru to lead her past the growling Yoshiko as they search for a vacant spot to sit down. Sometimes, Ruby still wonders if she’s dreaming, that she’s able to meet and make friends with kind girls like them.

Indeed, she’s quite blessed here at Hogwarts, especially in the company of her two best friends.

She inwardly vows that she will help them however she can, and contribute as much as she could to the House points as a thank you to the House of Hufflepuff.

This shall be her new goal!

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

“For Kanan-chan’s sake, we’ll definitely win the first Quidditch match of the year!”

Smiling slightly, Ruby watches Chika swinging her Beater clubs and shouting in the empty Pit. The bleachers creak a bit as You sits down beside her and joins her in observing the mikan-haired girl’s exercise.

“Kanan-chan was here earlier, flying on her broom but Professor Sonoda saw her and, well, you know how our Head of House is like,” You chuckles quietly, her gaze filled with fondness as it follows her teammate’s energetic movements.

Indeed, the Potions Professor is a strict witch who also has the best intention to her Cubs. “I’m sure she just doesn’t want Kanan-chan to get hurt more…”

“Haha, oh I know, Professor Sonoda cares about us a lot! Did I tell you she’s the one who took us to the Diagon Alley after delivering the letters to us? And years before, she accompanied Kanan-chan too!”

After a few moments of silence, You speaks up abruptly, her blue eyes narrowed in contemplation. “I wonder why Kanan-chan got hurt in the first place though. I mean, she is stubborn enough to not go to the Infirmary for treatment but this is preventing her from a Quidditch match! Chika-chan and I are looking forward to it so much too, so there’s no way Kanan-chan did this just because! There must be a reason…”

Ruby nods, also frowning. Something feels off ever since Yoshiko and Hanamaru brought her to the Room of Requirement, and they began intensive training under the three Fifth-Years’ tutelage. While Ruby is infinitely glad to be able to spend time with Dia, she can sense that they are not telling her a crucial fact.

After all, before her entry to Hogwarts, Mari and Kanan had told her that it was best to keep a distance from them due to Dia’s unknown attackers. Yet now they want to train her to defend herself better?

And why Hanamaru and Yoshiko too? What is she missing? Just what had injured Kanan? Why are the attackers also targeting Yoshiko?

And, why are Chika and You being kept out of the loop too?

“I’m curious too, but I trust them.”

Ruby and You look up to see Chika smiling assuredly at them. The sun-like girl twirls the bats, only to groan in frustration when they slip out of her grip and lands a few paces away. The other two girls chuckle at her antics, and Chika’s smile widens.

After the laughter dies down a little, Chika folds her arms behind her head and turns towards the Pit. “Riko-chan, Kanan-chan and the others, I believe that they have a good reason for keeping secrets from us. I don’t wholly agree with that of course, but I can understand and appreciate their sentiment.”

“You mean, if we know something that might endanger them, I’d withhold the information?” You is about to salute but hesitantly drops her hand. “I guess so, but I’d still tell them so we could all work on confronting the problem together…”

“Bingo! That’s what I would do if I were in their shoes!” Chika pulls a startled You to her feet, hugging her and spinning her a few times. “Hehe, as expected of You-chan! I knew you’d understand me!”

“Ahaha, I am your childhood friend after all,” You grins, this time giving Chika her best salute. “So, the reason we’re not pushing them for details is because-?”

“I still respect their decision.” Chika then holds out her hand towards Ruby, her smile warm and kind. “You think the same too, don’t you, Ruby-chan?”

“… yes. Onee-chan’s always wanted the best for me. I-I’m willing to wait.”

“That’s our Ruby-chan!” You and Chika both pull Ruby up and give her a brief hug. “We’ll wait until they are ready to bring us into the loop. Until then, the best we can do is give them our support.”

“Y-Yeah. I will become s-strong enough so they can depend on me more,” Ruby timidly does a Rubesty pose. She’s seen the determination in Hanamaru and Yoshiko’s gaze every time they practice-dueled against Dia and Kanan. Her friends are driven by something, making them formidable and seemingly invisible in spite of not being able to land a hit on the two older girls.

It’s aspiring to watch them.

“Ah, but you can depend on them more as well, Ruby-chan.” Chika squeezes Ruby’s hand encouragingly. “They are your best friends, just as you are theirs. I’m sure they’d want you to rely on them more too.”

“And there’s us too, Ruby-chan.” You wraps an arm around the pigtailed girl’s shoulder and nods at her partner. “We may be two grades apart, but we are more than just senpais! We’re crewmates of the same ship, aren’t we?”

Ruby bashfully shrinks but giggles at their affectionate gestures. She randomly met You one day when she was running away from the ghosts and the older girl away from her fanclub. Through You, she got to know Chika and they’ve been close ever since. Even though they are not from the same House and the same grade, she finds it incredibly relaxing and fun to be in their company.

As inseparable as the Gryffindor duo is, she’s never felt like an outsider whenever she is with them. That’s just Chika and You’s rather magical charisma.

“I really admire you two,” Ruby whispers as she shyly loops her arms through the older girls’. “S-Sometimes, I just… I just…”

Chika and You patiently wait for her to gather herself, smiling when she gives them uncertain glances. She swallows hard and lowers her head in shame when she finally allows her weakness to slip out of her heart. She hasn’t revealed this to anyone, not even to her bunny plushie or Pana.

“Sometimes I just want to curl up and pretend I don’t know anything just so I don’t have to deal with it all. I-I’m not brave at all.”

“Neither are we, Ruby-chan.”

“Ha ha, we maybe Lions, but that doesn’t mean we’re brave!”

“Uh-huh, it’s more like, we’re impulsive and don’t really think about the consequences, kishishi~”

“Act first, think later, yousorou~”

“Right behind you, Captain Watanabe!”

“That’s the spirit, Firstmate Takami! But, see, that’s why Riko-chan often gets mad at us, ahaha…”

“That’s just our way of dealing with things.” The humor from Chika’s expression is then replaced by uncharacteristic seriousness. “I try to find see the silver lining in things, to make it easier to confront whatever’s in my way.”

“So that you’d find the confidence to walk forward, to hold your head high. Always have a hopeful outlook, Ruby-chan,” You gently caresses Ruby’s hair. “You don’t have to be brave or anything. You just have to be yourself.”

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to take a break, to stay away from all the hardships.”

“No one is invincible. That’s why we have each other. We know they’ll have our backs, especially during our downtime, because we will do the same too.”

“So, please don’t feel bad for coming here to the Pit for fresh air, Ruby-chan. We’re here, yeah?”

Ruby could feel her eyes dampening under the lovable duo’s warm gaze.

“And you know what? You’re braver than any of us, willing to throw yourself into this without knowing anything just so you could help your friends.”

“O-Of course, they’re very important to me.” Sniffling, Ruby hastily wipes away her tears and meets the duo’s eyes without hesitation. “I’ll do anything I can to help them!”

“Uuuu, our Ruby-chan’s grown up so much, Miss Watanabe~”

“I understand, Miss Takami, she definitely can fly on her own~”

Ruby can’t help but giggle at their parent-like theatrics. She does feel like a weight has been lifted off of her chest. Sharing a grin, Chika and You summon their respective brooms to their hands.

“Speaking of flying, now that we got all that off our chest, let’s go for a race! Nothing beats lifting the spirit than a good ol’ lap around the Castle!”

“Piki?!”

“Come on, Ruby-chan, join us! I saw how you were on your broom - I was there during the First-Years’ first Flying lesson!” Chika pumps her fist, passion blazing in her eyes. “I know both Hanamaru-chan and Yoshiko-chan enjoy flying, but so do you! You also have the most flying experience out of the three of you, so there’s potential!”

“Ever thought about joining the Quidditch team? I think I overhead Mari-chan asking you guys one time,” You smoothly Accio’d Chika’s Beater bats for her. “Dia-san was the reason why I became a Seeker. She was just so amazing - it’s unfortunate her duties don’t give her enough free time to be on the team.”

“I-I actually didn’t know Onee-chan used to play Quidditch until recently, but I-I did know she’s a good flyer,” Ruby nostalgically clutches her hand to her chest. “When we were younger and had more free time, she used to take me to the sky on a specially modified broom that can seat two people.”

“Daww, that’s so sweet of her.” “Then, wouldn’t you like to play Quidditch too?”

“I did consider it, but in the end I-I’m happier on the ground,” Ruby finds herself blushing, hoping her reasoning doesn’t sound silly. “After all, all of you are up in the sky, so it’s better that I’m on the ground so that if a-any of you somehow falls, I-I’d be able to save you.”

“Ruby-chan!” “Ru~by~chan~!”

“Piki!!”

Though flustered, Ruby soon joins the older girls’ laughter. The way the duo treats her is similar yet different than how Mari and Kanan treat her, and she greatly appreciates their support. While she doesn’t understand You and Chika’s attachment to her, she’s quite content with being their cuddle toy. Dia will always be her big sister, but there’s always room for more sisters in her group of family-like friends.

“Oi, what’re you ruffians doing with her?”

Peering over Chika’s shoulder, Ruby notices Yoshiko and Hanamaru heading towards the Pit. The two girls appear disheveled, most likely after another intense dueling session with the Fifth-Years, yet they look strangely proud as if they’ve accomplished a great feat.

“Ruby-chan, we weren’t able to have lunch together earlier, so let’s go have an afternoon picnic by the Lake zura~” Hanamaru happily holds up a basket full of desserts and sweets. “Chika-san and You-san, please do join us too!”

Yoshiko strikes a pose before glaring at the Gryffindors. “Hmnff, be thankful for the benevolent Yohane-sama’s invitation, O Lost Ones. Lily is looking for the two of you, for your unfinished mock exam papers.”

Ruby giggles at Chika and You’s comically fearful expressions then and there, and even more so when they fly away at an incredible speed just as she notices the Ravenclaw Prefect approaching them from a distance.

“I think they’ll be fine. Let’s go have the picnic, Hanamaru-chan, Yoshiko-chan!”

Though puzzled, the two girls smile at her and they each automatically loop arms with hers. Everything will be fine because, at the end of the day, they are all together.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

“Um, d-do you know where Hanamaru-chan is, Riko-san?”

Riko pauses in retrieving a book from a bookshelf, lips pursed. “I… believe I saw her earlier with Kanan-chan and Mari-san.”

“R-Right.” Ruby’s shoulders droop as she returns her attention back to the thick tome on the table. Her mind, however, is definitely nowhere near the condensed paragraphs of texts.

“You’re worried about Hanamaru-chan and Yocchan, ne?”

Ruby nods shyly, unable to meet the older girl’s gaze even as the latter gingerly sits down beside her. The Moonstruck incident has affected their group dynamic more than she has expected, and the cracks are widening too much for her not to worry.

In spite of recovering steadily, Mari is being kept under watch by an unusually surly Kanan. Having known the two longer than the other two First-Years, Ruby understands that it’s just Kanan’s way of caring for her girlfriend, that she’s simply being overprotective. Alas, Hanamaru is determined to cheer up the older girls and also to train herself harder after feeling so helpless at the Shack.

Another reason is, as Hanamaru had privately revealed to her, to give Yoshiko the space she needs. The Slytherin has been brooding and unenergetic even since finding out that she may have inadvertently killed the werewolf that chased her. No matter how much they tried to convince her otherwise, Yoshiko simply closes off herself and is often wandering around the castle, looking for something.

Ruby sighs quietly. Months ago, she is certain that Hanamaru would have persisted in accompanying Yoshiko. Instead, she even forgoes her books and solely focuses on improving offensive and defensive magic with Kanan and Dia.

Does being a couple change their dynamic?

Prior to Moonstruck, her two best friends had assured her that nothing has changed, and it was true that they acted mostly the same. They had just been more open with each other, especially in imperceptible physical contacts like holding hands and lingering touches. She doesn’t know if they realized it but it was quite obvious how much they like each other just from their gaze alone.

Truly, Ruby is very happy for Hanamaru and Yoshiko from the bottom of her heart. Therefore, seeing them both like this frustrates her, due to how useless she is in helping them. She doesn’t know if she should join in Hanamaru’s training or go look for Yoshiko. Usually, she would be sparring with Chika and You as well to improve her dueling capabilities, but she feels unreasonably exhausted today and thus ends up accompanying Riko to the library.

It’s a nice change of pace in this peaceful atmosphere, and Ruby can appreciate why Hanamaru loves this sanctuary so much.

“I believe they will be fine, Ruby-chan.” Riko’s voice is gentle as she organizes the parchments strewn over the table. “It’s just my conjecture, but I think they are trying to regain their sense of self-worth, to retrieve their confidence, before they can bring themselves to face each other again.”

“I see…” Ruby says hesitantly, half-understanding Riko’s point but not really either. “Shouldn’t it be better for them to stay together, especially during such rough times?”

“Yes, it should be, but that’s something we cannot interfere with. Yocchan and Hanamaru-chan would have to take that step themselves. When they are ready, we can give them the nudge they need.”

Ruby nods in contemplation, using the minimal knowledge she has of couples. Kanan and Mari bicker quite often but it’s mostly harmless and playful, and Dia would be there to play mediator whenever necessary, or so the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had told her. There are You and Chika, whose closeness makes Ruby think of a married couple from storybooks but it doesn’t seem like they are a couple? Prior to Moonstruck, Yoshiko was determined to set them up for some reason, and Ruby is quite supportive of that idea.

If they are indeed a couple like Kanan and Mari are, would they have avoided each other like Yoshiko and Hanamaru are doing? If one of them got injured, would the other become overbearing like Kanan does to Mari?

Ruby doesn’t know, but she dearly wishes to help her friends like how Dia is able to.

“Um, what would you do in this situation, Riko-san?”

“…me?”

“Yes, erm, w-would you seek out You-san and Chika-san to bring them together?”

Riko has an oddly distant look then, making Ruby wonder if she had spoken something she shouldn’t have. “I would… want to, to do everything I could so that things would go back to the way it was, but that’s not up to me to decide. I cannot… force them.”

“Right. I think I can understand that.” Ruby recalls all the instances when Yoshiko and Hanamaru looked like they wanted to ask her about her relationship with her sister, but they did not pry out of respect for her privacy. “T-Thank you, Riko-san.”

The older girl gives her a soft smile before resuming to tidy up the paperwork and books. As Ruby observes Riko, she couldn’t help but find similarity in how she and Dia work. Both are diligent and take everything seriously, that they would shoulder responsibilities more than they need to and they often play the anchor in their year-groups.

Is that what attracted them to each other? While it had never been stated aloud, Ruby has seen the way her sister looks at Riko, especially during the Banquet, and their respective reactions at Riko’s Patronus.

Truthfully, Ruby is rather envious of how the pretty Ravenclaw has captured Dia’s heart. She always feels like she hasn’t spent enough time with her sister, even though it’s already more than she could’ve imagined compared to back at the Kurosawa Estate. Therefore, it’s as if Riko had taken what remains of Dia’s free time away from her…

Alarmed, Ruby shakes her head and guiltily lowers her head for even thinking of such horrid thought. Riko makes her sister happy, that’s the most important thing!

“Are you okay, Ruby-chan?”

“Piki! U-Um, I was just thinking, um, it’s nothing!”

Ruby feels even more ashamed under Riko’s concerned gaze and squeaks when the latter places a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I… um, if you’re okay with it, I’d be more than happy to h-help you with any problem-?”

Riko’s voice is rather uncertain, though for some reason that makes Ruby think of her sister and words slip out of her mouth before she realizes it.

“How are things between you and Onee-chan?”

“Dia-san and I-?”

Deeming it already too late to salvage the situation, Ruby nods nervously and tries to meet Riko’s eyes. “Y-Yes. I k-know Onee-chan’s busy ever since the incident at Hogsmeade, so you probably haven’t had the chance to meet often-?”

“It’s true, we are both quite busy but we try to meet as much as we could. She’d send me letters and…” Riko trails off, blushing and averting her gaze. “Why do you ask?”

Ruby wasn’t expecting the normally composed Ravenclaw to become flustered like this. Envy is slowly overcome by curiosity as she peers at the older girl. “I’ve never seen Onee-chan like that with anyone. She’s happy with Kanan-chan and Mari-chan but it’s different with you, Riko-san.”

“S-She is?” Riko’s cheeks darken and she seems to be lost in thoughts for a moment. Then, as if making up her mind, she squirms a bit before whispering. “May I ask you something, Ruby-chan?”

“What is it?” Ruby sits up straight, surprised and certainly unprepared for what Riko does next.

“T-This… this is more than just a gift, isn’t it-?” Carefully, the Ravenclaw tugs a necklace from under her collars, the black diamond glinting under the lighting. It isn’t just any other jewelry, but the carbonado necklace that Dia had received on the same day she first got her wand. Ruby herself had received a similar ruby ring dotted with spinels and small pink-sapphires during the same occasion years ago.

Such gems are considered precious not because of its value, but because of what they represent for a Kurosawa.

“D-Do you know what this is, Riko-san?”

“Dia-san’s told me that, this is a black diamond thus it represents her, that it would protect me.”

“Yes, every Kurosawa owns a piece of jewelry like this. He or she is supposed to keep the item until…” Ruby gulps, awed by the revelation before her. Any vestige of jealousy dissipates as she finds herself smiling joyously at the blushing girl. “Until she finds that special person to give it to. Onee-chan gave you the necklace because she considers you her other half, Riko-san.”

“E-Eh? Ehhhhhhh?!” Riko hastily covers her mouth, glancing around her to see if anyone’s looking their way. Thankfully, the library is quite empty on a sunny day like this. “I-I mean, I know of its importance, a-and what it means for a Pureblood to give away a jewelry but, s-still, other half? T-That’s just, I mean, we’re still so young to be thinking about-?”

“This just means Onee-chan is really serious about you, hehe.” Ruby finds Riko’s reaction rather cute. She’s always thought of Riko as a mature and reliable senpai, and now she could see why Dia is so fond of her.

“W-We’re both still students a-and-”

“Well, when did Onee-chan give it to you, Riko-san?”

“… w-when she told me she loves me.” Riko mutters quickly and proceeds to hide her face behind her scarf. Her reddened ears remain visible, however, and Ruby finds herself giggling again. Her earlier bout of jealousy seems silly now, for this means that her family truly is growing.

Dia may be the only one related to her by blood, but she deems their group of nine a family and now, one of them will become even more special.

“Yup, Onee-chan is serious about you. While this is different than an engagement ring-” Ruby beams at Riko’s incoherent stammering and continues. “- it’s still something. A promise ring or, rather, necklace. She just wants to show that she still wants to be with you after she graduates. Of course, that’s just from her, so you don’t have to feel pressured to-”

“But I love her too,” Riko blurts out and, in spite of her fierce blush, her voice is steady and firm. “I want to be with her no matter what happens.”

“I’m happy to hear that!”

Riko seems surprised when Ruby gives her a hug but returns the gesture a moment later. Ruby smiles contentedly at the older girl’s whispered words.

“Thank you for accepting me, Ruby-chan.”

And so it is with bouncing steps that Ruby heads for the Room of Requirement, ready to train until utter exhaustion to celebrate this occasion! Unexpectedly, she only finds one person in the chamber but it’s the person she wishes to speak to the most at that moment.

“Onee-chan!”

“Ruby?” The Head Girl pauses in scribbling something on a parchment and, immediately, Ruby knows what it is.

“Oh, don’t mind me, Onee-chan, I’m just going over there to practice more Transfiguration spells. Where are the others?”

“Hanamaru-san somehow convinced Kanan-san to bring Mari-san to the Quidditch Pit, and Chika-san and You-san joined them,” Dia shakes her head in exasperated fondness. “It is a nice day out after all, for once, and Professor Ayase is insisting that I join my friends out under sun instead of being cooped up in the Castle. You should go as well, Ruby. I will do so too after, uh, sending this letter.”

“Okay! Oh, by the way, Riko-san is free too and in the library right now.” Before Ruby could slip away, she hears the chair squeaking and hurried footsteps behind her.

“R-Ruby? Why would you say that? D-Do you know something-?”

Ruby smiles at her flustered sister. Though nowhere as apparent as Riko had been, Dia’s loss of composure is still visible and Ruby finds that quite endearing. “I was just talking to Riko-san and, well, I’m really happy for you both!”

Dia opens her mouth and closes it a few times, unable to utter a word. She coughs and tries to appear nonchalant. “… what do you think then?”

“Hmm?”

“Of us. Riko and I.”

The lack of honorifics, the quiet tone, and the almost pleading expression are new to Ruby. She’s never seen her sister so vulnerable, and it takes a few moments for Ruby to understand what’s happening.

Her older sister is asking her for her opinion, her approval even.

Ruby gulps nervously, uncertain what to think of this new position, but then she realizes that there is no reason to be. All she has to do is to convey her thoughts in simple words.

Smiling, she reaches for Dia’s hands and holds them firmly. “I think the two of you are perfect for each other. Congratulations, Onee-chan!”

“…thank you, Ruby. That means a lot to me, to us.”

The smile that Dia gives her is the most beautiful one she’s ever seen.

Instead of going outside to the Pit, the Kurosawa siblings then spend the rest of the afternoon chatting about random but fun topics. Even though Ruby wants to give Dia alone time with Riko, the Ravenclaw had responded to the letter that she plans to stay in the library a bit longer and would join them later.

Perhaps Riko notices that the sisters never had much opportunity to be in just each other’s company, and for that Ruby is very grateful. After all, their group of nine is tightly-knit and there are usually groups of three or more at one place at a time. Dia has her own circle, and Ruby recognizes that she has grown up as well. No longer the little girl in her sister’s shadow, and any of the senpais’ protective shrouds, she’s found her place with Hanamaru and Yoshiko.

While Ruby is slightly saddened by the thought, she is also proud of how far she’s come from the lonely critter practically confined in the Kurosawa Manor. Her world has long expanded from just her and her sister, and it will continue to grow.

Dia mentions how difficult it would be for the Elders to approve of her relationship with Riko, but she has prepared herself for the hardships ahead the moment she gave the necklace to Riko. Without any hesitation, Ruby offers her full support in anything she could do in the years to come. Dia is legally an adult and, in just a few more months, she would be officially recognized as a full independent witch upon graduation. Even though the Kurosawa Patriarch’s position remains indomitable, Dia would at least have enough power on her own since she would not have to rely on her family.

If worse comes to worst, she can choose to break away from the House of Kurosawa, like some of the blacked-out names in the family tree had done.

Of course, Ruby hopes things will not come to that, but she will be ready.

Nothing shall stop her from being her sister’s pillar of support.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Ruby jolts when something drapes around her shoulders and is about to stand up but a familiar voice halts her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I tried to get your attention a few times but, well, I thought you’ve fallen asleep.”

“I-It’s okay, I j-just didn’t hear you.”

Embarrassed, she gratefully tugs the warm shawl around her shoulders and tries to wipe away any traces of tears. To her mortification, more and more tears keep leaking out and she finds herself sobbing again. Hasn’t she cried enough already? All she’s done this morning is hide at this corner of the Greenhouse to let loose her emotions.

It’s too hard.

It’s too much to wake up in the Hufflepuff Dorm and not seeing Hanamaru’s sleepy expression.

It’s too much to go to the Infirmary and see Hanamaru’s smile while knowing her best friend no longer remembers her.

It’s too much to look up the staircase and not being able to go the Room of Requirement, especially knowing that her sister and Riko won’t be there anyway.

She so wants to be strong for her friends, knowing how much pain Chika and You must be feeling, knowing how much Yoshiko has suffered and still is, and knowing how Mari and Kanan are trying to keep everyone together.

But in the end, no matter how many encouragements she’s received since coming to Hogwarts, she’s still just a crybaby.

“Shhh, it’s okay to cry.”

When Professor Koizumi gently embraces her, Ruby crumbles and allows herself to bawl like she’s never done before. There’s only so much she could keep inside, only so long that she could fight down her flight instinct.

She’s always liked her Head of the House. The Muggleborn witch rather reminds her of Hanamaru, serene and infinitely patient, but also gets childishly excited when it comes to certain things. Such comparison makes her heart ache even more, and she clings tighter to the maternal woman.

She doesn’t how long she’s stayed like that, relishing in the protective hug and rhythmical caresses on her back. Sniffling, she reluctantly pulls away and tries to clean away the mess she’s made on the Professor’s dress.

“I-I’m sorry, I d-didn’t mean to just-”

The ochre-haired witch only gives her a kind smile. “There’s nothing wrong with crying. In fact, I’d be even more worried if you aren’t crying.”

Confused, she peers up at the Professor, who taps the ground with her staff and seems to beckon the magical plants with her magic. A soothing aroma fills the air then, and it somehow helps Ruby to calm her breathing and washes away the fatigue.

“Being emotional means you still have the capacity to feel, that you have yet to lose hope. It’s better than nothing at all. You’re frustrated, you wish the outcome could’ve been different. You don’t want the same thing to ever happen again. Then, doesn’t that mean you’re still willing to fight for your beliefs? Losing emotions would allow despair to settle in, and that’s when the wall separating you from the rest of the world would be erected.”

Ruby flinches, the image of Yoshiko’s forlorn silhouette flashing in her mind. The Slytherin has become so very withdrawn, and something tells Ruby that it’s not just about Hanamaru’s loss of memory. Something else must have happened down in the Chamber of Secrets.

It’s understandable that none of them could truly smile again after everything that’s happened, but it’s as if Yoshiko’s lost the special spark that makes her who she is.

“How… how should I help? How can I take down that wall?” Ruby lowers her gaze, her grip tightening on her wand. “I will never give up, but saying it and actually achieving it are different things. I haven’t been able to help anyone, not my own sister, not my best friends. I-I feel so useless.”

“That’s something I can relate to. Something many of us can relate to, I’m sure.”

“…really? B-But Professor, you’re so a-amazing and… I can’t imagine you ever feeling helpless.”

“On the contrary, I’m only able to get this far because of my friends. It’s under their encouragements that I’m able to pursue the path I love. But see, I also believed in myself and tried my hardest.” Professor Koizumi’s voice is soft as she pats Ruby’s head. “I do not know the whole story behind you and your friends, Ruby-chan. I wish I could help you more, so just know that all of us will be here, whenever you’re ready. I’m certain the other Professors have told your friends the same thing.”

“I-I wish I could’ve told you more but w-we can’t,” Ruby swallows hard and shakes her head. “Besides, this is something between the nine of us. If we can’t solve it amongst ourselves… if I can’t do something to help them out, that… would be meaningless.”

“Nine… is it?” The Herbology Professor sweeps her gaze over the Greenhouse and taps her staff again. “Together, the nine of you can surely summon a miracle.”

“…really? But-”

“Magic is capricious. Some would even say it’s sentient. Unlike the rules of science in the Muggle world, magic is not bound by restrictions. There are always exceptions and endless possibilities in the world of magic,” Professor Koizumi reaches for the vines that have extended from the other side of the Greenhouse and dropped something in her palms. “Ruby-chan, you’re one of my seedlings, my Hufflepuff. You will bloom when the time comes.”

Ruby blinks as the woman conjures a basket and places several sweet potatoes in it before giving it to her. “Professor-?”

Her Head of the House smiles. “Replenishing your energy is important, Ruby-chan. Please have these while they are still hot.”

She could feel the warmth from the freshly baked sweet potatoes, from the Professor’s smile, and from the inner strength that coursed through her veins.

“T-Thank you for everything, Professor Koizumi! I-I’m really glad to be a ‘Puff!”

Ruby fidgets a bit and decides to give the woman a shy hug before exiting the Greenhouse. She’s very grateful for her time here in the House of Hufflepuff. Though still sad and overwhelmed by all the terrible things that happened, she’s comforted by so many good memories with her best friend - sharing snacks within the Dorm, out in the Greenhouse or even at the monthly outdoor grill hosted by her House.

Even without her memories, Hanamaru would surely appreciate this simple yet meaningful gesture.

As she continues her trek back to the Castle, a burst of gale makes her pause and wrap her scarf tighter around her neck. She turns towards the direction of the Lake and notices a dark spot fluttering near the shoreline.

“That’s… the bat, that’s Lucifer. Then that must be-” Before Ruby realizes it, she’s already heading towards the lonesome figure sitting on a boulder near the Lake.

Yoshiko doesn’t seem to notice her approach, her expression closed off and her gaze solely focused on a glimmering shape hovering in front of her. The silver Patronus resembles a fish, though it doesn’t seem like any species Ruby has seen before.

Lucifer lets out a curt screech when she gets nearer, prompting her to halt warily. Yoshiko glances at her and nods in greeting before shifting her attention back to the Patronus. Crooning, Lucifer then flies towards an overhanging branch and perches there, maintaining a distance between them as if keeping watch.

Ruby tentatively steps forward. “Yoshiko-chan-? Um, a-am I interrupting something-?”

The raven-haired girl shakes her head, her hand outstretched towards the Patronus to pat it. Even though her fingers sink through the silver fish’s translucent body, she seems satisfied with the way it glows brighter.

“S-So, that’s your Patronus, Yoshiko-chan. It looks strong.” Though still uncertain of the situation, Ruby boldly sits down next to her friend and sighs in relief when the latter doesn’t reject her presence.

“… strong, huh. Right, I guess it is.” There’s an odd smile on Yoshiko’s visage. “It’s a coelacanth. It’s… a deep sea fish that Hanamaru and I learned about together, from an encyclopedia, many years ago.”

Ruby gazes at the glimmering Patronus, marveling at its form and its saturated magic. “H-How were you able to summon the Patronus, Yoshiko-chan?”

“Honestly, I don’t know how I managed it, other than the feeling that I know I can do it.” Yoshiko’s expression becomes blank again as the coelacanth swims around the air and under the Lake’s water. “Of course, a happy memory helps. I think… Lily focused her feelings for Dia-san, while I did the same for Hanamaru. Except, rather than just thinking about a single memory, it’s more of a collective feeling.”

“Collective feeling-?”

“Yeah. A certain resolution, I’d say. It’s not exactly ‘happy’, but it’s still a positive emotion. It gives me the strength to keep going.��

Ruby gingerly gazes at Yoshiko, recalling what Professor Koizumi just told her about emotions. Yoshiko is sitting beside her right now, within arm’s reach, yet why does she feel so far away? Based on what she said, she still has hope and treasures their bonds.

Then, what is this sense of finality?

“Yoshiko-chan, d-don’t leave us, okay?”

Yoshiko turns towards her abruptly, eyes narrowed. “What makes you say that?”

“Yeek! Um, I just… it’s just a feeling…”

“You’ve always been a perceptive one,” Yoshiko chuckles quietly, flicking her wand and dispelling the Patronus. “Don’t worry. Whatever you sensed, it’s not what you think. I’m just… lost, I guess. I can still keep training, learn more spells, become better at dueling, but then what? We don’t know where the enemies went. We don’t know what’s going to happen to Hanamaru, Lily, and Dia-san.”

Ruby drops her gaze and rests her hands on her lap.

“All I can do now is try to improve and strengthen my Patronus. It’s the key to defeat Y… that feathered witch. With this goal, I have something to work towards and keep myself occupied so I don’t have to think about all… that.”

“Patronus, huh.”

“Yeah. So, what do you want to do, Ruby?”

Ruby looks up into the sky, recalling all those instances she’s set herself goals so that she would have a sense of purpose. While the specific goals change every once a while, the fundamental part remains the same, doesn’t it?

All she ever wants to do is to be helpful. But how exactly? Just stand there and wait for things to happen? Only make a move when the opportunity presents itself?

No, she needs to take control. There’s a difference between just being idle, and patiently wait for the prey to come. Sometimes, you have to chase after your goal. Hunt for it. Pounce after it.

Make the first leap.

“Ruby-?” There’s faint surprise on Yoshiko’s expression, which Ruby counts as a good sign. Smiling, she continues to untie her pigtails and loosens her hold to allow the ribbons to flutter away along with the breeze. It’s been a long time since she’s let down her hair, but she feels just as refreshed as the first time Hanamaru did her hair.

“Hanamaru-chan and I have always looked up to you, Yoshiko-chan. We may not understand the fallen angel or the feather you put in your bun, but we really look up to you.”

Yoshiko grimaces at that, clenching her fists. “About that. Don’t. That’s nothing to admire, that’s not even who I-”

“You’re you, Yoshiko-chan. If you want to return to the sky, then we will be the feathers to help you fly.That’s what Hanamaru-chan and I have promised.”

“But she doesn’t even remember us anymore, Ruby!”

Ruby determinedly meets her friend’s hollow, pained eyes. “For now. She’ll come back to us one day, Yoshiko-chan. In the meantime, I will make sure you can continue to soar without fear of falling down.”

Taking a deep breath, she holds up her wand with a steady grip. “Expecto patronum!”

A burst of light forces the two girls to clench their eyes shut. When they open their eyes again, a large silver feline is prowling along the shoreline of the Black Lake. Graceful and brimming with power, the Black Jaguar Patronus bears an uncanny resemblance to the same painting in her room back in the Kurosawa Estate.

Shocked doesn’t begin to describe Ruby’s feeling, but a part of her understands why her Patronus ends up taking this form. After years of conflict, she’s finally accepted herself and that includes being a Kurosawa. However, rather than submitting to the responsibilities expected of a Pureblood, she has vowed to take control and make it her strength instead of her weakness.

The Jaguar’s fanged grin seems to be encouraging her.

“That’s… amazing, Ruby.”

Yoshiko looks awed, the first expression Ruby’s seen in a long time that’s not wholly shadowed by sadness and pain.

Ruby hastily wipes her eyes and casts another spell. “Wingardium Leviosa.”

The basket levitates towards Yoshiko, who tilts her head questioningly at the sweet potatoes beneath the cover.

“Let’s go eat these with Hanamaru-chan. We should eat them while they’re still warm!”

Whenever you feel down, both you and Hanamaru-chan, I’ll be here to lift you both.

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bentchcreates · 6 years

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Beyond Light and Darkness (Part 1)

This is going to be a two-part blog feature because I want to write about the book as a reviewer, as well as the experiences I had as one of the authors of this wonderful work. Also, fair warning that this is gonna be a long-ass post because I am on a roll. Haha.

Before BLaD

Let’s start from the very beginning, just a brief intro, for context. LOL.

Kath Bute (https://www.wattpad.com/user/kathbute) is actually a group of writers on Wattpad that bonded over the community forums a few years ago, and decided to collaborate and release an anthology of stories we wanted to read.

I was actually the last Kabute to join the first anthology, Beyond Fate and the Stars. I don’t know much about the group before I joined; except that they were working on an anthology based on the 12 Chinese Zodiac (with an assigned emotion) and they were short of one writer to do the Ox. I was very new to Wattpad then and basically just happened to be active in a forum for Filipino Writers, so they asked if I wanted to contribute. And I did. It was one of the first few times people actually asked me to write a new story.

After a few weeks I came up with Seek the Ox, Find Happiness (https://www.wattpad.com/183607408-beyond-fate-and-the-stars-self-published-seek-the) and in the summer of 2016 we had a book! My very first printed book! It wasn’t until MIBF that year that I got to meet my Kabute friends in person for the first time but it didn’t feel weird at all, kindred spirits and all that. (@AlaraChan & @lunatrix)(http://bentchcreates.tumblr.com/post/151133454706/bentch-at-the-37th-manila-international-book-fair )

As originally planned, printing BFatS was solely for us to have a physical book with our names and stories on it, a dry run. And while we might’ve discussed eventually making it available for selling, logistics and other business matters were tougher to figure out once the book is done. (We’re still trying to figure out if this is possible. Hehe.) But we wanted to do it again, and we wanted to do more this time, so we decided to take another shot at a second anthology, with selling the book as part of the plan from the very beginning.

The Stories

We tried our hand at a little bit of indie publishing. We had reviews that helped us with things to improve. We learned a lot from the first take and we had a clearer vision on what we wanted to become of this. The instructions this time was almost similar to the previous one: write whatever genre you want but there will be assigned prompts to follow and a sub theme of light or darkness. Even the interpretation of these themes was free for the author to make his/her own.

I got “A broken wristwatch, peppermints and a hug that goes too far” and in the ‘light’ subtheme. I had finished an NA romance manuscript by then and I got off easy. Others who got perky prompts and then a ‘dark’ subtheme were a little more challenged! Hah!

*Artwork by Trix Luna. My story prompts are here. ;)*

It was quite fun to write. And in the weeks that we were planning this second anthology, my inbox were constantly filled with book ideas; as well as funny messages (and abs!) from friends that were miles away from me. We talked about the book, and then about our personal writing projects, and cheered on each other when the writing gets tough. The friendships I’ve made with this book has got to be the best payoff in this journey.

Anyway, we also decided to open the proverbial doors for two more stories – two new bloods so to speak – so in June 2016, we called for short story submissions for the anthology. Four official entries were screened in anonymity (there were 5 stories, but we later found out @RK Sanchez should’ve already been part of Book 1 so she got in) and it was what I would say was the most challenging part of this. As an old Kabute (heh) and judge, I had a hard time choosing only two over four wonderfully written stories. In the end, I had to choose those who have showed the prompts more creatively and whose stories have captured our hearts. We welcomed @Nigel Libranages and @Raine RIllera into the fold. :P

With the stories and authors completed, we set out to editing, and because we didn’t have a professional editor, nor the funds to actually hire one, we did it ourselves. Around 14 pairs of eyes went through all the stories and different people who wrote different genres offered advice and suggestions for the improvement of our stories. It was team-effort every step of the way.

*My review copy with all the original members’ stories after I was done with my first run through. heehee.*

Development Hell

Development hell or development limbo is media industry jargon for a project that remains in development (often moving between different crews, scripts, or studios) without progressing to completion.

– Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_hell)

We were 14 authors whose writing were more passion projects than actual dayjobs so when each of us got a little busy in the real world, the book got lightly shoved in the backburners. Some authors weren’t able to finish their works and to this day, we’re still waiting for them to release them (*wink wink, fellow kabutes!*) Most of us had a lot on our plates, I for one had to uproot and move back in to my parent’s house, and completing a book seemed like a huge task to strike off our To Do list.

I also had fears. Being a writer who could sell his books had been a big dream of mine and when felt like I was so close to grasping it, I feared it wouldn’t be as amazing as I hyped it up to be. I had to process it for a while, to learn more things about the industry, and ultimately, about myself, before I could fully commit to taking the plunge. And when I felt I was almost ready, I did it. I can only speak for myself but knowing I wasn’t doing this on my own, that I had friends with me, achieving our shared goals together, helped quell those fears. I’m still afraid, I have to say, but it’s more manageable now that I’ve got all these lovely people behind me, as I to them.

It took a few more weeks before we got our fire back (some slots had to be refilled with new stories, we had to hold a small face to face meeting to iron out everything) and when we got to see the artworks for the cover and the genre divisions, the excitement was renewed. I almost missed the cover reveal but when we all saw it, we knew that beauty had to be shared to the world.

*BLaD F2F meeting with Bebe Kabute Irina Jean and the secret agents again! heehee!*

*BLaD Cover reveal (art by @RK Sanchez) and this pre-order promo graphic is by @Johanna Lee

At this point, Summer Feels had been launched and I got to be part of the promo team on social media so what I learned from that I pitched in. In no time, we had a solid contract, a promo schedule, a pre-order form, a slot at #FilipinoBookFriday; and a launch date. @Lunatrix and @AlaraChan were sending us updates on what the book would look like, printing schedules and all. I was so excited I have picked clothes to wear on the launch weeks before. Haha!

*#FilipinoBookFriday promo graphic. Hosted by me and @Johanna Lee

BLaD Book Launch

What we called the book launch was just going to be a small author get together, a meet-up to see each other, collect our books and have a small meal together. I thought about working on an invitation, a graphic I could print out and stick to my journal later, when I found out Trix already made a Programme (so HYPED, I’m telling you!) and we had activities to really set off our baby to a great start.

On November 30th 2017, we met at the CBTL in Trinoma where we rearranged tables on one side of the café as if we got a reservation (We didn’t. They don’t so reservations. Or maybe not for an event as small as ours. hah). We chose that venue because it was sort of a midpoint for where the authors were coming from; Baguio was the farthest point from the North and Laguna in the South (Okay, if we count Australia as the farthest point in the South, then we’re screwed because the midpoint is probably in the middle of an ocean. XD).

We started with a short Kath Bute intro and welcome remarks from Ate Kabute; and then all authors got to introduce ourselves (we introverts get all weird introducing ourselves to people we’ve been talking to for months online!). We got gifts and goodie bags from our artist Kabutes; I even got to do an unrehearsed live-reading of The Time Banker! And then we got to the Q and A part where we got to know more about everyone else.

We also got to sign a ton of the first batch of the print books. Seeing the book for the first time is just totally amazing (the cover is more beautiful in person) and seeing stacks of it together before they are eventually distributed is even better. I took a lot of pictures of the beautiful books and forgot to take pics of the people, haha!

It was such a fun experience, and knowing it had been possible because of this dream we all had, that we were now making into a reality, is priceless. I got to write, I got new friends and now I got a new book! There was hardwork, and I know the others worked harder than I did, but we can all say it is worth it.

What’s Next?

I don’t know how to end this blog. Haha. I rambled on and on about recent history and yada, yada, blah, blah, blah, but now I don’t know what my parting message will be. Classic Bentch! Haha!

I guess I’ll leave you with a link to order our book because now I know you’re itching to get your hands on it: http://bit.ly/BLADBatch2 (Batch 2 is set for printing in January, so delivery dates might be late January-early February)

We’re processing an e-book version for international release so watch out! (Naks, ako yung in-charge dito, so good luck to me. Wahaha) And we’ve discussed the initial phases for Book 3! No further announcements, thank you! Haha!

I think it’s also better to end with a thank you to everyone who has made this possible.

My fellow BLaD authors, thank you for sharing your talents – writing and editing AND artistic skills – especially to Mama and Ate Kabute who started all of this and pushed us to bring our collective best to the world. To my other author friends, who showed support by cheering on us and buying our books!

And to God, because this is your design. Thank you.

*next part will be my review of BLaD as a reader. It will be biased because, you know, I wrote the preface (not-so-humble-brag!) and is currently in charge of promotions, but it’s a GREAT anthology, 500%!

#bookish #bentchcreates #book launch recap #beyond light and darkness #blad #kabute sa wattpad

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misssophiachase · 7 years

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I'm backkkkk! Thanks to the lovely Ashleigh @ashleigh-jewitt-xx for the gorgeous cover : ) She also just happens to be up for best underrated fic cover artist for the Klaroline Awards and you can probably see why (you know just saying hehe) : )

Part 8: The Witch Queen of New Orleans

"She lived in a world of magic, possessed by the devils skew-ew From a shack near the swamplands, made of mud-pile brick." (Redbone)

Mikaelson Compound - Saturday PM

"You're all useless," Klaus bellowed from the balcony, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. "I thought I made myself clear that you weren't to return until you'd found Caroline, no bloody excuses."

"That's just the thing," Josh gulped. "We can't find her. We've scoured the entire city inside and out but there's no trace of her anywhere."

"I'm trying to decide whether you're lazy, incompetent or a mixture of both," he scowled, ceasing his pacing to stare at the boyish looking vampire. "I suppose it won't matter when I come down there and tear out your liver."

"Now Niklaus," Rebekah interrupted, parting his minions as she made her way through the gathered crowd, hips swaying hypnotically as she did. "You know I prefer the kidneys, always makes the best stew after all."

"Rebekah, I'm in no mood for your presence," he growled. Rebekah gave him an exaggerated eye roll before raising his hand to shoo away his gathered minions. They dispersed happily, obviously glad to be away from the Original Hybrid in an increasingly bad and possibly revenge killing mood.

"Well, neither am I King Grouchy but yet here we are anyway," she scoffed. "I had to balance this up and decided that you'd be in a much worse mood if Caroline was still missing."

"Well, you didn't need to come all this way to figure that out," he muttered, taking a much needed swig from his glass of whiskey. It was the only thing that could take away the edge of losing his mate.

Celeste was going to pay, one limb and organ at a time. How dare she come into his territory and kidnap the most important person to him? Obviously it was all part of her big revenge plot but the way Klaus saw it was she wouldn't last the night if he had his way.

He'd managed a few stray hours of sleep the previous night but one thing he couldn't escape were the visions of her. He'd seen her in his dreams, lying tied up and helpless on the floor and all he wanted to do was reach out and stroke her hair, whispering in her ear that it was all going to be okay and he was on his way. But after waking restlessly, Klaus realised he had no idea where she was and it angered him immensely. What was the point of visions if you couldn't make anything concrete of them?

"You're going about this the wrong way," she offered. "Not that I'm surprised given the frantic frenzy you've worked yourself into."

"Did I ask your opinion, little sister?"

"No, but you really should have, big brother," she muttered, emphasising the words big brother for extra effect. "Vampires aren't going to help you. It was a witch that took her and you need one to find her again."

"Besides the two nosy and protective witches, who are plotting my death as we speak, I'm not too sure..."

"I always assumed the King of New Orleans would be a lot more calm," a deep voice interrupted, making him look towards the voice.

Although Klaus had never seen him in the flesh, he instantly knew who it was. His tall stature, deadpan exterior and unwavering glance was enough to tell Klaus that Rebekah had summonsed the most powerful witch in New Orleans. The fact she'd managed to get him to the compound was saying something.

"Vincent?"

"The one and only," he quipped. "I had no intention of coming but your sister possesses this really annoying nagging quality. I could only take so much of that high pitched whining in my ear."

"Tell me about it," he drawled. "So, any chance you could help?"

"Last time I checked this was a mutually beneficial arrangement," he said. "I can help you but what would the great Klaus Mikaelson give me in return?" Klaus was silent for a moment weighing up his options. Caroline was his whole world so he was basically willing to give up his soul if Vincent asked for it.

"Any..."

"Don't listen to him, he's drunk on love," Rebekah interrupted quickly. "But we'd be willing to look at possible options."

"I want freedom for the witches in the quarter," he asserted. "For too long we've been oppressed by your family even though we've never been malicious in return."

"Okay..."

"Again, don't listen to him," Rebekah cut Klaus off with a warning glance. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

"That we live side-to-side in peace, going about our activities as usual but not interfering in each other's lives. You can remain the ruling hierarchy but we are no longer beholden to your orders." Klaus attempted to speak before Rebekah silenced him with her eyes.

"How about we decide on a truce between the vampires and witches for the time being and then once you deliver Caroline Forbes, we'll re-evaluate?" She conceded. "This one's a little love sick so there's no way we're going to listen to his judgment right now." Vincent looked between the two of them curiously before nodding.

"What the hell is going on? Where is Caroline?" A high pitched voice squealed from the front door.

"Who gave them entry rights?" Klaus drawled, looking towards the brunette witches as they approached purposefully.

"Ah, you did brother," Kol scoffed, now coming into view. "When you decided a little dinner party was a great idea. Remember that particular evening?"

"I was being hospitable to our new NOLA residents."

"More like you were trying to woo your mate," Elijah whispered, only loud enough for him to hear. Klaus was really regretting that everyone seemed to know that particular fact. "Oh, if it isn't the…"

"Vincent, yes. I'd say it was a pleasure but I'm not too sure that this situation lends itself to it."

"Long time no see Miss Pierce." Elijah greeted her just as the two witches approached the group.

"Don't you Miss Pierce me," she chided before turning to Klaus accusingly. "Why haven't you found Caroline yet?"

"It's taking longer than anticipated," Klaus responded, albeit feebly.

"Aren't you supposed to be the most powerful creature on earth or something like that," Bonnie muttered sarcastically. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was a stalling tactic."

"I'm officially intrigued. A stalling tactic for what exactly, Bennett?" Kol enquired, moving closer so as to intimidate her.

"Trying to cover up for the fact he was responsible for her abduction."

"We already know he's a creepy psycho stalker," Katherine offered. "So, it wouldn't be much of a stretch."

"That's no way to speak about my brother," Elijah growled at her.

"Oh what are you going to do to me? Rip out my heart, buddy?"

"Some ingrates are making themselves a little too comfortable in our house," Rebekah scowled. "How about a lot less witchy attitude and more solving this annoying problem so I don't have to put up with his bad mood and their unwanted opinions."

"Why do I feel like I've entered a really bad, family sitcom?"

"You're…" Bonnie squealed excitedly, finally noticing the other male in the room, who'd been quiet up until now.

"Yes, I'm THE Vincent," he interrupted. "Now we've got that settled a third time, how about we get to work? Having some extra witch power might actually be extremely beneficial."

"What are we doing exactly?"

"Yeah, I hope it doesn't mess with my new manicure after what this cost me in the Quarter," Katherine muttered.

"Enough!" Klaus bellowed, his patience finally wearing away. "We are doing exactly what you wanted, finding Caroline."

"Celeste is extremely powerful and has many friends who could conceal her whereabouts," Vincent explained. "We'll try a locator spell first and then go from there."

"We already tried yesterday and came up with nothing," Katherine murmured sadly. "It's like she's disappeared off the face of the earth."

"Either that or Celeste has managed to cloak her activities from detection. Its been done before."

"So, how exactly are we going to find her then?" Elijah asked slightly perplexed. "I thought you were the wise one with all the answers." Before Vincent could bite back Klaus spoke, more to himself than anything.

"I had some visions but all I could see was a cramped, window-less room, with a dark floor," Klaus began, hoping it didn't sound as weird as he imagined.

"How exactly are you having visions?" Bonnie asked curiously. "Don't tell me the all-powerful Original Hybrid has some other powers we didn't know about."

"Tends to be the direct result of the whole mates thing, darling," another voice chimed into the discussion.

"Enzo!" Kol grinned. "I'd say I missed you, but I'd be lying."

"You are a weird bunch," Vincent whistled.

"Hold on. This mates thing again?" Katherine asked, her interest well and truly piqued. "I kind of disregarded this theory as cuckoo."

"Can we possibly leave this rather personal discussion for another time," Klaus interrupted, feeling increasingly awkward with every passing moment.

Last time he checked, Caroline didn't know about that particular fact and he didn't want her to find out through Bonnie and Katherine of all people. Klaus had decided to tell her himself before this whole kidnapping debacle decided to mess with his plans.

"No, it really turns out those two crazy kids are indeed mates," Kol filled in on his behalf.

"I suppose it would explain all of that creepy psycho stalker behavior," Katherine responded eventually after finding her voice again.

"This changes things considerably," Vincent murmured. "We can use the mating bond to find her and Celeste. I'm surprised you haven't thought of that yet."

"Well, you see there's not exactly a formal bond yet as such," Klaus uttered, feeling increasingly pathetic that the girl he loved more than anything didn't know or seem to feel it.

"So, you haven't…"

"No, we were sort of interrupted with this whole abduction episode."

"Oh, don't you try and blame it on the kidnapping," Katherine rolled her eyes. "You see Vincent, Klaus here decided to pretend he was under a love spell to get closer to Caroline. Let's just say she wasn't so happy when she found out that he'd deceived her."

"Pretty sure this isn't helping matters," Rebekah drawled. "Can we just get Barbie back so we can return to normal and without these pesky witches in tow?"

"Now, that's not a very nice way to treat our guests, Rebekah," Enzo tutted.

"Since when have you become the New Orleans Welcoming Committee?"

"It doesn't matter if the mating bond hasn't been formally established," Vincent said, ignoring their incessant bickering. "Klaus said he's had visions so the bond is obviously strong enough to try. You don't happen to have anything of hers, it might strengthen the signal."

Klaus had been unwilling to part with the locket as soon as Elijah had given it to him. It wasn't so much that it was something special to her but what he'd found inside. On one side were her parents and the other a silver haired wolf, his exact form when he turned.

He'd been immediately curious as to its meaning and asked Bonnie and Katherine who said it was apparently her favourite animal. Klaus knew no one wore something like that close to their heart for no reason. He knew that because he had something similar. A Wiccan tattoo on his chest which he told people was because of his mother but knowing it was something much stronger that had led to that particular inking all those years ago. Three stages of the moon side-by-side, the Wiccan symbol for the goddess. Caroline Forbes was his goddess, like he was her wolf. Her mate.

"What I'm going to need is for you to close your eyes and concentrate…" he heard as his attention came back to the conversation.

"What so you can try and overthrow the ruling hierarchy while I'm under your spell?" Klaus scowled. He wanted to find Caroline more than anything but he hated feeling vulnerable and in front of powerful strangers in particular.

"Talk about a drama queen," Katherine muttered. "Do you want Elijah to hold your hand, would it make you feel better?"

"I don't know, would it make you feel better to hold his hand," Klaus countered, noticing the slight blush cross both her and Elijah's faces. They were all so easy to read.

"I know you're all immortal but I'm running on the clock here," Vincent growled, pointing to his wrist watch. "Either we do this or never find her, your choice, Mikaelson."

"Fine," he mumbled. "I have this," he pulled the locket from the confines of his pocket. "What do I need to do?" Vincent gestured to a nearby chair where Klaus sat begrudgingly. He suddenly felt like a lab rat the way his siblings and the witches were watching him so intently.

"Close your eyes and hold onto the locket tightly," he directed. "I want you to picture Caroline." Klaus knew that wouldn't be very difficult given he found himself doing that multiple times and on most days.

He smiled sub consciously, watching as her golden waves blew in the breeze, her creamy skin flushed from the afternoon sun and those blue eyes sparkling mischievously. They were at Couturie Forest in New Orleans, sharing a picnic and overlooking his city. His fingers were laced through hers and she was running her finger along his crimson lips slowly, teasing him about withholding kisses because he'd been on an overprotective spree. When it came to Caroline that was just second nature.

Then he heard it, loud whimpers breaking through his dream. She was crying for help and even throwing around a few choice curse words, still tied down and lying on the dingy floor. He began to shake uncontrollably but felt a strong pair of hands hold him down and another on his head firmly. This was a vision he needed to see through until the end if it meant finding his mate.

It was then he noticed the structure behind her. It was simply made right down to the mud-pile brick. He knew that place, he'd roamed through the swamp as a wolf years earlier and happened upon the small makeshift huts on the bank.

Of course Celeste would go there with Caroline. It was part of his history. Not only that, It was relatively out of the way which would explain his minions failures in finding them and as legend would have it immune to locator spells.

He'd vamped from the compound before they could restrain him any longer. As he rushed away he heard their frantic calls. Klaus only leaving them with one statement. "She needs me."

xxxxx

It was dark and the night air still as Klaus made his way towards the huts he remembered as a young wolf. They seemed to be lifeless, until he saw the brief flicker of candle light through a small window.

Caroline was in there. He could smell her. He could taste her and right now all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms. He approached quietly, the wolf telling him to explore the scene before bursting inside.

He made his way around the back, his eyes fixed on the partially open window. As he came closer, he could make out Caroline on the floor like in his visions. She was decidedly quieter, no doubt tired from all of the fighting. His heart went out to her at that moment. This witch was going to pay dearly for harming his Caroline.

He made his way around the front not making out any other forms of life. Maybe Celeste had left momentarily? He was surprised to be able to come inside so easily, he'd half expected a spell on the house so he couldn't enter. At that very moment he knew it was a trap but was already inside, Klaus decided to blame it on his out of control emotions.

"Took your time," she growled.

"I was humouring you Celeste," he joked. "Plus, I knew just how much you'd hate these particularly basic living conditions so decided to leave you here a little longer to enjoy them."

"Even after a thousand years, your humour still hasn't improved," she muttered. "Neither have those evil villain skills you like to wear as a badge of honour."

"Oh, I don't know."

"Yet, here you are trapped inside and completely at the mercy of my powers. You are slipping. I'll blame it on that pathetic crush."

"Crush is a little throw away don't you think?"

"Fine, you are pathetically pining for a witch that has no interest in you," she laughed. "We've had a few girlie heart-to-heart chats the past day and she's told me just how much she hates you." If he wasn't in a tricky situation, Klaus would have been hurt and offended. Plus he figured by the incessant cursing he'd witnessed she probably hated Celeste more than him right now which was a plus in his book.

"So now you've got me, what is your dastardly plan?"

"Still so arrogant even with death at your door," she smiled.

"Well, last time I checked Celeste, I'm an Original Hybrid and pretty bloody hard to kill."

"Except when you're in a house without your powers," she murmured. "And when I have one of these." She pulled the white oak stake from under the table. Klaus was momentarily blindsided. Last time he checked, they'd all been destroyed. "What? Cat got your tongue?" She purred for added effect.

"That's not..."

"Oh yes it is," she grinned. "I came across someone who hates you almost as much as me and they were happy to sell it to me for a reasonable price."

"So, you kill me and then what?"

"Well, I might do a bit of a victory dance then kill your lady love to really rub it in further."

"I'm pretty sure killing her in front of me before you do that will have a bigger impact, you know just saying." He could hear a muffled groan from the next room and Klaus was pretty sure he'd gone down a little further in her estimation. But at this point what was one more thing?

"Given you weakened ability I might just allow you one death wish," she murmured. Moving quickly to the next room, white oak stake in hand, and pushing an immensely reluctant Caroline towards him teasingly.

It took all his willpower not to react. Even with tangled locks, bruises and contusions on her face and neck and partially ripped clothing she still looked so beautiful. He couldn't miss the death stare she was shooting his way while gagged.

"Isn't this a romantic reunion," Celeste teased, looking between them. "Pretty sure she still doesn't like you very much."

"I have to say I'm a little upset by your lack of flair Celeste," he smirked. "I thought it would be more like a live sacrifice." Caroline's narrowed eyes were enough to tell him she still wasn't impressed.

"You were always the one who preferred theatrics, Niklaus," she drawled. "But I suppose that could be a fun twist." She'd produced another knife and was pointing it teasingly at Caroline's creamy chest. Klaus could see her breasts heaving and it was difficult to concentrate on what he needed to do at that moment.

"I'm going to need a soundtrack to go with this visual." Celeste paused briefly before tugging on her gag and letting it fall around her neck.

"Oh what do I care? She's a poor excuse for a witch."

Klaus didn't hesitate, his eyes boring into hers willing her to chant and save her life. He knew she had it in her and right now his didn't matter as long as she lived. She seemed lost momentarily, her blue eyes flickering around the room before her words came out at full force and full volume.

"Vim meam excita, Fulmen! mittatur ictus igneus!" Being a Latin expert it still took Klaus time to translate in his head but he didn't need to finish when Celeste burst into flames. He figured that was one way to take care of her. The white oak stake flew from her grasp and into Caroline's hand.

"I thought you would have gone the Wizard of Oz route," he joked. "You know melted her."

"That bitch was pushing on my last nerve," she hissed, white oak stake still firmly in hand. "It's the least I could do."

"I knew you could do it, love," he smiled. It was always inside her, Caroline just needed to believe. "It's probably the worst time to ask this question but what are you going to do with that?"

"After this whole kidnapping attempt for revenge against you followed by this mates news, I definitely should stake it through your lying, deceitful heart." She warned, pointing it at him accusingly. "But I'm hungry, cold and could really do with a shower. So you might just want to get the hell out of my way."

He moved aside, watching as she lunged for the front door, white oak stake still in her grasp. "So, why exactly do you need that dangerous weapon still?"

"I haven't decided if or when I'm going to stake you," she growled. "This is my insurance policy." Before he could attempt to explain their bond, he heard voices outside.

As he rushed to the front door, they were all there looking at the makeshift hut ominously. Caroline flew into the open arms of Bonnie and Katherine while his siblings and Enzo just looked on with a relieved smile.

"Does Caroline Forbes have a white oak stake?" Rebekah hissed.

"She does," Klaus conceded. "She's still trying to decide whether she wants to kill me or not."

"Sounds like a normal night in the Mikaelson household to me," Enzo joked. "Now let's go get a bloody whiskey, I'm parched."

You can read and review HERE

#the witch queen of new orleans #part 8 #spellbound #sophia chase

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stairwaytomidnightfm · 5 years

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A Stairway To Midnight Radio-with Dave 'Daviscre' Choi

( NOW PLAYING ► Calling Out - Looking For Alaska)

DJ: Good evening, Earthlings! Can’t believe we’re already on the last week of October...how’s this month been treating you? Aside from the weather which is getting colder and colder each day. I hope it doesn’t stop you from accomplishing everything you have been working on. To be honest, on this last week of October...I’ve wanted to do something different in the spirit of Halloween by starting with a strong opening song, but...after talking with our beloved PD, I don’t think it’s a good idea to surprise you guys, our lovely listeners, with any creepy songs as we’re going further to midnight(laughs softly). But instead! We have an interesting guest as my company tonight, to bring that Halloween spirit into the studio. We will meet them in a second.

(A short commercial break, which soon replaced by a creepy background music)

DJ: (talks in a lower tone and speaks slowly) Hehe, are you guys surprised? Do not be afraid...You are still tuning in to Stairway To Midnight Radio...with...DJ...Han (changes to his usual voice) I sound weird so I’ll stop for now. Sorry about that, guys. Anyways! As I said in the beginning, in the spirit of Halloween, we are having a special radio event today. With a super special guest as well to complete our spooky, spooky night. Get your blanket and wrap yourself up, because we have Dave Choi here!

( a dramatic sound effect)

DJ: For those of you who might not know who he is, David--or as I usually call him, Dave--Choi is a Youtuber whose channel holds a paranormal activity content, I would say? He would go to many abandoned places and record himself there, uploading any footages of his experience facing ghosts and spiritual activities. As a friend, I did try to watch his content but I feel like...my guts...and legs...just went numb even on the first few minutes.

Dave : Ah, yes. Hello everyone! I’m David. People around me usually call me Dave. But it’s whatever really . . I’m originally from New York but I moved to Seoul with my parents a decade ago. And I like it here, a lot. Being a paranormal investigator is definitely not a job for everyone. I don’t usually bring friends with me when I work because of the danger that can come with. I’ve been working with this for a few years now, I do have two more jobs on the side but, I enjoy it quite a lot. I don’t only explore the abandoned. For example I’ve been investigating Stanley Hotel, where the movie The Shining got its inspiration from. It’s quite an interesting place. I’ve been to darker places too and It’s very intriguing for me to visit these type of places. Since not a lot of investigators get the opportunity to do so. You did follow with me once on a previous investigation and for not not having been on one previously, you did a good job . . I must say.

DJ: Yeah...I did follow him once, out of curiosity and under a food bribe... It was...a lifetime opportunity… it was an abandoned house, wasn’t it? I’m personally not fond of ghosts and supernatural things myself, but I was fascinated that he sincerely does this job and seems quite enjoying it? You can really find anything on Youtube these days, people for extreme activities and supernatural thing is one of it. But tell me, how did you even start doing this job? Did you initially want to do this from the very beginning?

Dave: There is always huge risks that comes by following along on quests like my investigations, mostly because anything can happen when you explore. Yes, It was one of the few abandoned houses there is left here in Seoul. I’m not going to give away the location for safety reasons. It’s sad some of the buildings are getting demolished but that happens to old places after time pass by. To answer your question, ever since I was a little kid I’ve had dealing with paranormal experiences myself. I did in fact have one of those .. you know, invisible friends. At the time I didn’t know it was a spirit who was lost, it did freak my parents out when they saw me talking to just air. When I grew older, they eventually told me all the experiences that I had as a kid and I got really interested in it so I started to look it up more, and that’s when I found Ghost Adventures and all those other paranormal tv programs so I started to watch them a lot and I wanted to try start it on my own too. So for a beginner like I was back then, I started small since I didn’t want to get caught by security and what not and when I was 18 I started my channel and posted a lot of urban exploring videos and of course paranormal but it hasn’t been until now that interests grew stronger because I did get the chance to meet up with one of the world's most famous investigators, so that did really help me on the way.

DJ: That’s interesting...I would say that it’s like a ‘gift’ for you to use. Some people might use the ability to hurt others but you use it to educate people instead. I think it’s an educational things so people learn that there are other ‘creatures’ around us? I think it’s good that we’re aware of them, so we’ll be more careful when we visit some places. And learning the history too. But, what was the scariest thing you’ve experienced? Did they ever hurt you, or they refused to communicate with you and told you to leave? In the summer, there were severals horror movies released and some of them talked about mythical creatures too. It’s an odd thing to ask you but do you think these myths are correct?

Dave: The scariest thing I’ve experienced happened probably at the asylum outside of Seoul that was demolished this year, I do use a lot of equipment when I do my investigations and sometimes I do wish I had like a small crew with me because it would make everything so much easier. But, it’s hard to find people who has this same kind of interest, you know? And I feel like, not many people tend to think of what happens with life after death. And it’s completely fine to be a non believer. I know some people tend to be open minded while being skeptic at the same time. But I feel like, we all need to learn more of what happens after. Because, when we die, it’s definitely not the end itself. There is so many more things we still don’t know about life after death and the paranormal. I don’t really know much about mythical creatures, but I do think that they are somewhat correct. I do believe that something else do exist out there and we yet have to find it. It sounds really scary though when thinking about and talking about it out loud doesn’t it?

DJ: Oh! Are you talking about this abandoned hospital? I think I heard about this place. Wasn’t there a documentary or a movie about this place? I’m not sure if this is something to be proud about, but our country does have interesting myths to talk about. Whether it’s ghost stories or mystical creatures, there are many things to explore and talk about. Anyways, if our dear listeners are curious about what Dave’s channel, you can go to Youtube and search ‘Daviscre’, D-A-V-I-S-C-R-E--oh look at me spelling in English (he chuckles). We’re gonna take a short break! We still have many things to talk about but let’s enjoy this upcoming song first and relax for a bit~ We’ll be right back!

( NOW PLAYING ► Fall Into You - Toby Burton)

DJ: That was a song titled Fall Into You, from Toby Burton. A good chill song for tonight. Now, we have received some comments in our board. If I haven’t told you guys, you can leave any comments in our board. Go to our website, look for Stairway to Midnight radio and see there’s a comment button there. You can also stream this live broadcast from the website. So, I will read the first comment, which left by our listener, Yuri. Hello, Yuri! She...leaves an interesting entry here. Let me read it for you.

“Hello, my name is Yuri, and I’m a third year high school student. I watched David Choi’s video before and I really enjoyed his content. I’m really into ghosts and supernatural things but my friends and family found it ridiculous for me to have such hobby. One thing that makes me interested in ghosts starts from the rumor of a dead student in our school. Some people said it was a myth, but I personally faced the student. I was in school until late at night. By the time I was about to go home, I had to walk through this main aisle of our school which was known to be scary at night. The ghost girl was originally a student who was found dead in the corridor, and it seems their soul is still trapped in our school. So, I was walking and I heard these steps behind me. The faster I walked, the steps would follow my speed. And when I turned around, there was a dark shadow who looked like a student wearing our uniform with her long hair. I nearly peed in my pants and I screamed for my mom. I never stayed in school until late after that. It was so scary…”

DJ : Whoa...this is…I got goosebumps (a knocking sound on the table suddenly heard) ACK--what’s that?! PD-nim, don’t do that!! Geez, he purposely hit the table like that!! That scared me to death! (the sound of the staffs laughing in the background)... That is so uncool, pranking me...Anyways (he clears his throat, and laughing softly) Sorry about the scream, everyone. I’m weak-hearted more than you expect me to be. Anyways--school ghost stories is always something fun to talk about. Dave-ssi, what about your school? Did you ever have any similar experience?

Dave: That sounds like a really creepy experience. I wouldn’t have want to go back at night either but knowing myself I probably would at the same time. I actually never did go to a public school. Ever since I moved to Seoul from New York, my parents decided it was better for me to study at home so I was homeschooled. I didn’t complain about that though. Which also gave me chances to explore whenever I wanted to and I did all my assignments. So unfortunately I don’t have any school experiences but I have seen dark shadows before and it’s a very scary thing. It’s something that I don’t wish to happen to people but, sadly it’s going to.

DJ : Ah is that so? But still, you managed to go to many places and they still give you stories to tell. As for myself...probably not just my school but many academy have their rooftop locked during final test week to prevent student going up there and jump off the roof. Have you ever heard things like that? It could become a serious issue if something really happened. But knowing how pressuring our school system is, I think students should be looked after and be encouraged in positive way. Also, to our listeners who are still studying tonight, don’t forget to take a break, okay? Talking about ghosts and creepy things might be keeping you awake tonight, though (he laughs softly) Moving on, I’m going to read another comments left in our forum...it’s from Haejin who seems a fan of yours, Dave-ssi.

“My name is Haejin, and I’m currently a college student. Being a Youtuber is a new career dream nowadays. I want to start myself too, but I don’t know how. I admire David Choi because his content is interesting, but I don’t want to be someone who is copying you. Do you have any advice for amateur like me who wants to start a Youtuber career? Let’s hit another subscribers milestone! I’m looking forward to your next content.”

DJ : Oh, that’s a good question. What’s your advice for youngsters out there who wants to, or dreams to be a Youtuber, Dave-ssi? Furthermore to the question, what content makes a good content? As for me, I don’t record myself on camera often because I still feel awkward about it. I prefer to talk and have conversation with someone rather than being the center of attention. Since you’ve been doing this for a while, what’s the thing we should prepare before we start posting on Youtube? Also, do you have any projects coming soon? It seems your fans are listening too and they’re excited to know more about your upcoming videos.

Dave: There is a lot of young investigators out there, but one thing to think about is to be careful about trespassing. And to not get caught in general. But if exploring the abandoned and what comes with, I don’t see why not. I don’t usually sit down and talk directly to the camera, only on different occasions, I am not a vlogger kind of person. You wont be copying anyone since your content will still be a lot different from others, even my own content. We all do it in a certain way. If you want to try youtube, you should. It did sound weird to my parents at first when I told them but I told them it was just a part of my job where I could post these videos I was filming and that they were okay with. There’s a lot of people out there who will enjoy your content so if I were you, i’ve always said this to myself: Never give up on your dreams, if you work hard enough, they’ll come true. And they do. I don’t regret starting it.

DJ : It got deep for a second there...but I agree with him. You will never know what’s waiting for you until you start it. People say that the scariest thing in life--aside from ghosts--is starting on something. Even before it begins, you feel anxious, scared, insecure, overthinking things...and if you let those feelings control you, then you will not go anywhere. But once you go through that starting line, it might be not as hard as you imagine it would be. So don’t be afraid to start things you’re passionate about, everyone! (he laughs softly) Someday, with your hard work, you will be able to reach your dream. Alright, we’re gonna take another break! After this, Dave will still be here accompanying your night on Stairway To Midnight radio. Stay tune~

( NOW PLAYING ►Steel - Wit U (feat. Charcoal & Sleek Jeezy))

#live:broadcast

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hellotvv · 7 years

Text

Past weekend

Honestly this past weekend was pretty good. I wish I did more homework/school work, but it was a fun weekend. I kind of only went home this weekend, since pretty much all my friends were going home or Coachella. So I decided to go home Friday morning, since I was too lazy Thursday night to drive home. Friday morning, I made plans to meet up with Fyona and hang out. We were also doing a clothing shoot for this ugly clothing brand Bitroyd that paid Fyona and I $$$ to do a fashion shoot for their clothes. They shipped me their shirt, and I just didn’t like the clothing brand at all. So I pretty much refuse to post their stuff on my instagram lol, unless they were to pay me for that too. But anyways, Fyona was dropped off at my house, since she had a previous shoot with some photographer. Then we head to Tebo tebo, pretty bad drinks place lol. I haven’t been there in honestly years maybe since senior year of HS? But yeah, Fyona wanted to get an avocado smoothie or something from there. Then we headed to Irvine Spectrum to casually shoot and potentially watch a movie together. We shot a bit, walked around, and got macarons from Honey & Butter. We decided to not watch a movie, since it would have been too late at night, and I had dinner at 7:30 with my cousin Toto. So we went to the Artic to do the clothing brand shoot, and quickly shot since they don’t allow professional photography there anymore lol. It doesn’t really make sense why phone photography is allowed, but ‘professional’ cameras aren’t. Like I could be using an entry level DSLR which is technically not a ‘professional’ camera, and it wouldn’t be allowed. But yeah whatever, idk why they disallowed it. So quickly shot, and then PEACED. Was fun talking to her, listening to music in the car, and then dropped her off at home. Then I headed back home in time for dinner with my cousin. I took her to Kitakata, and we had a big long talk during the wait to eat. Since she was deciding between UC Merced and UCSB... ;-; Her bf does go to uc merced, and she justified it with idk the generic reasons. Going to uc merced would be cheaper, she’s gonna be a Bio major and aiming towards med school, so it technically doesn’t matter what university she goes to, and it’s probably easier to get an A at uc merced for med school blah blah. Uhh, I guess she thinks it’ll be fun, since obv her bf goes there, hypes it up to her, prob knows his friends, and etc. But I went hard on the FACTS and tried to convince her otherwise. Like what if she doesn’t stay a bio major and switch, it’ll be really bad to be grad with a degree from UC Merced etc etc etc. How I can help her get an A, since I know all the classes to take, best professors, etc etc. Blah blah, many reasons. She was fairly convinced and really appreciated the advice. She repeatedly talked about how she feels really loved and is thankful for the advice, and how much she loves me hehe. I appreciate the family love <3 She enjoyed kitakata as well and thinks I’m a foodie. I’m a picky eater lmao, def not a foodie. But I think it’s cute that she thinks I am, despite knowing that I’m a picky eater, since I always show her cool food places. I treated her, then we headed to Rolling Creamery for ice cream dessert. Also since Catherine was working there on Friday night, so I wanted to harass her for fun. She made our ice cream and we skipped the 30 mins wait! While my cousin treated me :) hopefully she’s convinced, she’s going to uc merced this weekend, then ucsb the following weekend. Afterwards, I actually met up with Jia at night!! Dang so many ppl haha. We were going to grab drinks together and decided Tokyo Table (never been) in Diamond Jamboree. But the line for pretty much every store there that Friday night had lines out the door, even 85 degrees bakery/afters/lolicup. There was no way to find parking too, I legit roamed around for 40 mins.... Then Jia suggested we just go to a buffalo wild wings nearby for drinks, and I was like uhh okie then. I been to BWW before in like junior year of hs, but I thought the food was pretty bad LOL. But yeah, it still holds true today lol. We shared an appetizer, and I thought it was pretty bad. But I got a strawberry margarita, while Jia got some beer, then we talked and caught up on the uh idk 2 weeks we haven’t seen each other. Then it was getting late, so we hugged, and went home. We did make plans to maybe vaca in vegas over the summer together haha. TBH, I’ve been making those plans with fking everyone LOL. Kai, Kristy, Jessica, Brent, Bryan, Jia now, Peach, etc... I’m a monster ;-; lol.. I’m just 21 now and it seems fun to go to a bar/club in vegas, go to the buffets, and idk!! Be a degenerate for a weekend haha. Anyways, it was time for bed after that.

Then on Saturday morning, I picked up Cat for lunch, and we went to Omelette house. Since she’s never been there before. I actually kinda like Omelette House, since I normally don’t like omelettes that much... But I really like their omelettes lol. I think Catherine just thought it was whatever, but I think Omelette House is pretty yummy. I treated Catherine, since idk why. We had time to kill, so we went to Irvine Spectrum, and just kinda shot pics for fun since she made me lol... Then she bought some clothes there and then idk we headed back to her place. I think we headed to her place for a bit, and got Tastea thai tea and shared it (she treated me for dis) since my shoot with Jenn was not till 5 and I said hi to mom and grandma haha. The shoot I had with Jenn at 5 was going to be pretty interesting. Since my friend Dana is getting into photography and wanted to tag along for a photoshoot. I normally don’t let ppl, if they’re not gonna like shoot or model with me, since kinda weird just tagging along. But I asked Jenn, if it was okay if Catherine and Dana could tag along. I felt bad asking, since idk I like making good first impressions, and yeah... Catherine wanted to along, since I’m not in the area too often and she wanted to spend as much time with me as possible (her words). Catherine and I watched iron fist at her place, and it’s a pretty good tv show honestly. I don’t think it’s as good as the flash, but it’s pretty good~ Then Jenn came over to my place, since she wanted to carpool. Catherine, Jenn, and I kinda introduced ourselves and talked. We all knew Hope as a mutual friend, and we kinda all met through Hope actually. Jenn prob found my ig from Hope idk. Catherine, I met through a shoot with Hope. Jenn dmed/commented on my ig photo asking to shoot, and I’m glad I said yes. She’s actually really pretty o.o... Anyways, uh went to downtown Huntington Beach, and met up with Dana there. We walked around shooting and Catherine was wearing a cute outfit and demanded I took pics of her too lol... Jenn didn’t mind tho, and the focus was mostly on Jenn still. Dana idk how much she was learning, but she was having fun talking to the models and befriending them. Jenn is actually the most quiet model I’ve worked with. She’s not like super quiet, but just the most quiet model I’ve worked with actually. I guess the models I’ve worked with are generally really talkative and idk. Maybe she’s shy when working with ppl for the first time or because it’s a group idk, since Hope said she’s pretty talkative actually. After the shoot, I was gonna grab dinner with Catherine, and Jenn was down to tag along. Then Dana wanted to tag along, so we all got kitakata. Since uhh Jenn and Dana never tried, Catherine likes the place, and I didn’t care that I just ate at kitakata yesterday night. But yeah... They liked the place, the wait was long like usual for dinner, and talked. Jenn shared how she met her bf actually! So uhh, her bf is not the best looking dude, prob has good personality whatever. But apparently, he made an instagram post asking if any models wanted to shoot, and then she just hit him up, and then they shot together. Then idk how, but I guess they started dating a bit after. I was like o_o... I guess, it gave me a big revelation lol. Maybe it’s time to start hitting on models... But I’ve always been super friendly, professional, never touch models or anything, and yeah... But that does not get me a hot gf by being professional LOL... So maybe, it is time to change my ways. I asked Catherine, if I should, and she was like uhh no theo! You have such a good reputation with your models and most of them end up becoming friends with you. It’s true! I shot with Cindy once, but we still snap and make plans to hang out still, since I was so idk friendly/cool. I’m friends with Hope/Catherine, Chubbybunnies (Ali) is down to hang out still and wants to, and yeah.. ;-; I guess I am a social boi and is good at making pretty friends lol. My friend Chloe and Amandi snapped me again that my friends are so pretty and that they’re shook. BUT having pretty friends does not get me anywhere!! So yeah, maybe time to change my ways, and maybe throw my professionalism and morals out the window.. Since all these other guy photographers are doing it -.-!! Drove Jenn home, hugged Dana good bye after dinner, and then went to Cat’s place to watch Iron Fist for another two episodes almost lol, then went home late-ish. Overall, it was a pretty busy but fun Saturday. I did feel a bit burnt out from that much socializing and talking, since I try to make convo quite a bit, and ask questions to get to know more about people. We all (well for me just Jenn) exchanged phone #s and snapchats and even have a group chat on fb now lol.

Anyways on Sunday, it was pretty basic. My dad got me lunch, then I headed back to SB, and kinda just chilled/unwinded. I had to go through trouble of uploading a bunch of photos from that weekend lol... So many photos ;-;... Jenn texted me early the next morning asking if I had an estimate of when I’ll send her the pics, since she really liked the pics. I felt flattered haha, and thankfully I already had it finished uploading from last night! So I sent it to her and Cat, both actually asked me that morning when I barely woke up for my 8 am on Monday. Jenn actually ended up posting a bunch of my photos, making it her ig profile pic, fb profile pic, etc and it makes me pretty happy actually. It feels good when a model really likes the photos I take and it feels like I did a good job! So yayyyy :) I feel the love!

There’s some other random stuff I wanted to talk about tho besides this recap. Just random thoughts that idk reflect about. I guess thinking on a deeper level is pretty good sometimes, since there’s less reflecting to do before sleeping, I get to understand myself/the world slightly better, and yeah. For my cousin, I have a 50% UCSB convince success rate so far haha. Since I convinced Kristy, but failed to convince Stefanie. For Toto, if I successfully convince her, then I’ll have a 66% success rate!! Pretty cool haha. But I would be slightly sad, if she doesn’t end up going to ucsb and choose uc merced over it lol... Probably since I think it’s the wrong choice. For Stefanie, this is prob something that idk I did realize back then, but OBV will never admit to her hehe. But I can’t blame her for choosing USC over UCSB and I actually agree it’s the right choice. It was her dream school, USC is higher rank than UCSB, and it’s dumb to commit the next 4 years of your life for a boy you’re dating/not dating whatever we had at that time. I think it would be dumb for my cousin to attend/move to merced for the next 4 years just for her bf, since objectively UCSB is a better school and a smarter decision for the future. The reason why I was upset with Stefanie in the past though, I don’t necessarily ‘regret’ that or whatever. Idk how to exactly phrase this, but I think my actions back then were kinda understandable in my perspective. In my cousin’s case, if she did chose UCSB over UC Merced, and I was her boyfriend I’d totally understand if he’d at least be slightly upset if not disappointed. The reason with Stefanie is, initially I had 0 hopes of her ever choosing UCSB, and was like ugh if she goes to USC than long distance and I really did not want that at the time. It just felt like, man I’m in my 1st year in college, and as she knows I really want relationships for the long run. So that means potentially years with no end goal of closing the distance and just have a long distance relationship for years. But I guess when I started to convince her about UCSB or tell her about it, she really kinda got my hopes up that hey maybe she’ll go to UCSB. She even made a whole blog post back then, about how she kinda liked the vibe and questioned if going to USC would be a bad choice, blah blah blah. I guess she even jokingly (but idk I thought was srs to me lol...) promise me numerous times that she’ll go to UCSB. In a powerpoint that I made and that she made, we kinda hyped up what it would be like if she did attend UCSB, and I really got invested and wanted it. So when she obviously chose USC over UCSB, which I don’t fault her for. I hurted obviously. Since the dreams of studying together at UCSB, sleepovers all the time, hanging out, eating lunch/dinner together often, and all our other plans seemed like it was gone, and I was sad. I spent hours every night convincing her, she promised me yes numerous times, and it felt like idk it would happen especially after her visit to UCSB where we kissed/etc. So when she SIRed shortly after, I felt kinda led on/cheated/many feelings. When she chose USC over UCSB, it kinda felt like she was rejecting me in a way, even though she wasn’t. Since it’s like, dang :( why doesn’t she want to be with me or how could she say no to all those cool dreams/plans we had together if she did attend. It also felt bad, since I really wanted a close distance relationship with this girl, since I felt like we could go the distance since we were so alike, she seemed really sweet, and etc etc etc. I didn’t want a long distance either, so when she chose to not close the distance, indirectly rejecting me (even if she necessarily wasn’t) or indirectly rejecting the plans we made, and etc. I felt sad and bad!! So yeah, I guess those were my feelings during that time. Idk if I ever got to properly tell those feelings to Stefanie, since it was kinda ‘dark’ times and we get into a mini-argument because of our different perspectives. I felt hurt, she felt like I was obligated to go to prom with her still regardless of whatever, even tho to me she broke her promise/indirectly rejected me/kinda felt led on too/etc, but I can see how she felt wronged as well. But hey, I mean I guess things kinda did work out. We ended up dating for a year, and I just sucked it up and suffered through the distance and tried not to let it bother me. It did kinda hurt me inside sometimes, when she cried when I had to say good bye and head back to school, after spending a weekend with her. Idk if I told her, but I sometimes cried a bit too as I left alone to the elevator, since it felt awful that I was making her sad and there wasn’t much I could do... :( I had school the next day... Sigh. I even considered the dumb intercampus UC transfer thing, that lets me study at any UC for a quarter/semester. I was genuinely considering a quarter at ucla lmao just to close the distance for a quarter, and give her a close distance bf for a quarter. Anyways, enough of the past. I guess my point is, I do realize that choosing USC over UCSB is 100% the right choice. Stefanie once told me, hey you know, you never told me that you were proud of me or congratulated me for going to USC, since idk kinda brushed the USC enrollment thing under the rug for a while after she SIRed. I recall we were in her dorm room and I was sleeping over when she said that. I think that I replied oh. sorry, congratulations haha. Idk I didn’t think I properly congratulated her that well outside of that, but I mean deep down despite the sad boy vibes, I was happy for her. She got into her dream school and is obv happy there. Regardless of how sad I felt at the time, I 100% agree it’s the right choice and was proud that she got in, and glad she did it. I just hope that my cousin would do the same and choose UCSB over UC Merced, since I genuinely think it’s the right decision objectively and she prob kinda knows it too. I understand how it’s a hard decision, even tho objectively it shouldn’t be, since her bf goes to uc merced and hypes it up/etc. I could also totally understand if her bf does get upset that she chooses ucsb over uc merced, even tho he shouldn’t/whatever, since I was kinda in his position. I guess we’ll see what my cousin decides in the future tho, but regardless I’ll try to support her. Another topic I kinda wanted to briefly touch upon, is kinda this idk idolization thing that certain ppl do, that I think is kinda bad actually. Back in HS, when Jia, Bradley, and I were kinda popular-ish on Kawaii Ulzzang Contest for posting selfies and being cute and having random cute ppl add us on fb and try to hit on us lmao. All of us were friends with Tiffany, who is a nice girl honestly. She uhm, I guess is not as attractive whatever, and kinda viewed all 3 of us highly. Like Jia later explained when Tiffany and her kinda just drifted away that Tiffany kinda treated us like idk as if she’s our fan rather than as a friend. Kinda hard to explain how she did, but it’s like pretty obvious. I think it’s bad only since, idk shouldn’t really idolize your friends or make it seem like you’re lower/they’re superior or anything, and it’s definitely bad for self esteem and def she should have more confidence in her self regardless of her level of attractiveness whatever. Like it made us feel weird, since she idk didn’t treat us like equals. She should have just be confident, normal, talked to us like any other friends, and I think we would have idk have a lot more respect for her rather than kinda pity?? Anyways, Dana kinda did the same thing during the photoshoot. She’s like omg Jenn and Cat, you’re so pretty, I wish I was as pretty as you girls, and etc. Then she in a friendly way makes a group chat for us and asked for their #, and then says she kinda wants to try modeling just once, then asked if they could help her. Which is kinda sounds fine when I write it, but like the way she says it, even Cat kinda addressed it. It just made it feel like she’s a fan girl or something, they’re like great, and it makes it feel like she kinda wants to use them to help her like a social climber or idk. She’s like making a new ig and kinda wants to try to be a popular blogger or whatever, and Catherine especially has quite a # of followers. I guess this is really hard to put into words, but I kinda disliked that. I think Dana is a nice person, but it’s just kinda weird when ppl kinda start idolizing/putting their friends as like superior and feels weird asking for favors already when you barely met ppl like help with modeling/getting Hope to shoot her/etc. Like idk, that’s just me. But I think it does teach me a lesson to kinda just treat everyone equally, like I’m sure that’s how some ppl want to be treated. Like popular super star rappers prob just want their friends to treat them all the same as a normal person rather than like a fan boy or something. Since, then idk it just makes the relationship dynamic awkward. I guess learning from Tiffany and Dana, I won’t be doing the same if I ever try to befriend someone that’s a super star. Definitely do not want to seem like I’m using them. Like many photographers and myself included dislikes when photographers that we barely know/not even friends ask us to introduce them to our x model friend. Since 1, we barely know you to refer you to our models, since if you’re crazy it makes us look bad. I hate it when they hit up models and goes oh I know Theo! or some shit, like it makes it seem like I referred them/am a reference, but I am not. Also it feels like they’re just using you too. So yeah, idk random thoughts about things rn~ Something similar to this is, I learned to not really make self deprecating jokes/etc too often, since actually it kinda unconsciously lowers your ‘worth’ a bit to ppl. Like my friend Calvin kinda does it too overboard and I noticed that when I meet ppl that do it too often too, it kinda does the opposite of making them seem like confident to talk about their flaws. I guess when you constantly talk about how lazy/ugly/fat/how you don’t do anything/blah blah blah bad points, it makes ppl unconsciously or consciously whatever not view you as highly. When I guess the intentions are to seem funny and that they don’t take themselves to seriously and can admit their flaws or whatever. But yeah, idk I just don’t do it anymore, and maybe I’ll do it occasionally if other ppl are to join in on the joke for fun. But otherwise, I think ppl generally like ppl who are confident individuals that knows what they want, but aren’t too entitled. I think being confident is fine, but being entitled is bad~

Anyways enough for this long blog post, hand hurts, but it feels good getting all my thoughts out and recapping my weekend. This weekend might be slightly more boring, but this weeks been good so far. Had a nice dinner just now with Bryan, Kristy, and Jessica. Got groceries with Chloe and late night smash + dinner with Brent on Monday night. Feeling good rn, and gonna try to sleep well :)

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