#but sis also liked the toy I knitted for her which is neat. I like being able to do nice things for the people I love.

[earthdeep]

ahhh. I've had a great christmas this year. went over to my sis' for a slightly lowkey afternoon bc she's caught the same nasty cold as the rest of us. but we still did presents and food and trivial pursuit and Bothering her chinchillas (so fucking cute so fucking soft im luv themmmmm)

ended up having christmas dinner at home with just my folks as an evening meal instead which worked fine. was fucking tasty.

so yeah. nice day.

[raphaelarider]

The Sorting Hat || WDPA Challenge 001

Personal Questions

What is your real, birth name? Any nicknames? When and where were you born? Raphaela Florence Lights. Raphi is easier for people to say, so that’s my go-to nickname. I was born in Mercer Island, Washington, on June 21st, 1996

What is your Myers-Briggs Personality Type? (If you don’t know go here, this question is optional.) ENFP

Do you have a nickname? What is it, and where did you get it? Raph and Raphi are my most commonly used nickname. My papa called me Sunshine because of my optimistic personality, and Simon has taken to calling me that, too. I’ve heard Blondie pretty often. Lola calls me Razzles.

What do you look like? (Include height, weight, hair, eyes, skin, apparent age, and distinguishing features) I’m about 5’3”, with long golden hair and huge green eyes. I look about 25-27, but I turn 21 in June. I have freckles across my nose and on my shoulders. Also, I’m pregnant.

How do you dress most of the time? Do you wear any jewelry? I’m most often seen in dresses in shades of pink and purple, as those are my favorite colors. I also wear a lot of floral print, and have been known to walk around barefoot most of the time. I don’t wear a ton of jewelry, usually just small earrings. Of course, I wear my wedding ring all the time, stacked on top of my mama’s old gold ring.

What don’t you like about yourself? What kind of things embarrass you? Why? I don’t like my height; I wish I was taller. I’m embarrassed by my clumsiness, I still haven’t gotten used to running everywhere, and I trip over my own feet at least once a day. I wish I was more graceful.

In your opinion, what is your best feature? My best feature, physically, would be my eyes.

Where do you live? Describe it: Is it messy, neat, avant-garde, sparse, etc.? Si and I live in a pretty nice apartment a few blocks from campus. It’s an artist’s paradise, full of easels and paints and projects all over the walls. It is bright, with lots of windows and shades of blue and yellow. I love our little home.

What is your most prized mundane possession? Why do you value it so much? My mother’s gold ring. It makes me feel as though I still have a physical part of her to hold to.

What one word best describes you? Bright.

Familial Questions

What is/was your family structure like? (i.e. are you adopted, how many siblings, pets, etc.) My grandmother adopted me after my parents passed, and the two of us lived alone for quite some time, until Pascal found me.

Who was your father, and what was he like? Who was your mother, and what was she like? What was your parents marriage like? Were they married? Did they remain married? My father, Michael,  was the CFO of a major airline based in Seattle. He was extremely quiet, but a smart and caring man. He was the king of our household, guiding and protecting us no matter what. My mother had the opposite personality, but shared the same strength and wisdom. Her name was Felecie, and she was a botanist who taught at the University of Washington. They were happily married, and I was very close with both of them.

What are/were your siblings names? What are/were they like? (If you have siblings) I have no siblings.

What’s the worst thing one of your siblings ever did to you? What’s the worst thing you’ve done to one of your siblings? (If you have siblings)

When’s the last time you saw any member of your family? Where are they now? I last saw my Grandmother the night before she left on a three day trip to Spokane. I have not spoken to her since I left, which was the next morning. That was two years ago.

Who is your closest friend(s)? Describe them and how you relate to them. I would say my closest frend is my husband, Simon. He knows every part of me, and we love each other more than I could describe here. Besides him, Shego is also very close to me. We’ve even kissed once. I consider Nav my brother. He walked me down the aisle in place of my papa. I’m also close with Tiggs, Ariel, Anna, and Lola.

Childhood Questions

What is your first memory? I remember playing with my parents in a park, and Mama catching a butterfly on her finger long enough for me to notice all the colors.

What was your favorite toy? I had a pair of moon shoes, they were fun to bound about the Tower in.

What was your favorite game? My grandmother and I were great at hide and seek.

Who was your best friend when you were growing up? I didn’t know any people besides my Grandmother while I lived in her house.

What is your fondest childhood memory? Every year my parents were alive, they would take me to the Summer Solstice Festival back on Mercer Island. I loved watching the lanterns float into the sky. I plan on taking my daughter to see them every year.

What is your worst childhood memory? The day my parents were killed was the worst day of my life.

Adolescent Questions

It is common for one’s view of authority to develop in their adolescent years. What is your view of authority, and what event most affected it? I believe that authority should mostly be listened to and respected, as a result of growing up in a house where Grandmother always knew best. Now, though, I believe that it is okay to bend the rules, so long as no one gets hurt.

What “clique” did/do you best fit in with? (Royals, Dark Royals, Wallflowers, Bookworms, Punks, Hipsters, Rejects, etc.) I’ve been a Royal for as long as I’ve been here.

What were/are your high school goals? What were/are your uni goals? My high school goals were to finally get out of Seattle, which I did. Now, I’m studying art history in order to be a curator for a museum somewhere in LA. My number one goal at this moment is keeping my daughter safe and making sure she is loved.

What is/was your favorite memory from adolescence? What is/was your worst memory from adolescence? My favorite memory is baking cookies with my grandmother. My worst was the time she told me I couldn’t go to the festival on my birthday, after I had had my hopes up for a while.

Do you own a car? Describe it. If not, describe your dream car. I have a little blue Prius.

Occupational Questions

Do you have a job? What is it? Do you like it? If no job, where does your money come from? I’ve been working at Ann’s Flowers in Santa Monica for two years. Recently my work has been featured at the Museum of Modern Art in Los Angeles, which brings in a little extra money and will help when I go on maternity leave.

What is your boss or employer like? (Or publisher, or agent, or whatever.) Ann is a wonderful little old lady who cares so much to make sure all of her employees are enjoying their work. She is very active for an older woman, and always carries candies in her purse.

What are your co-workers like? Do you get along with them? Any in particular? Which ones don’t you get along with? All of the flower shop employees are very sweet. Most of them drive the delivery trucks so I only see them when they pick up the bouquets.

What is something you had to learn that you hated? Setting the temperature on the oven higher to speed up cooking time is not always the best idea.

Do you tend to save or spend your money? Why? I try not to be, but I’m a bit of a reckless spender. Simon has tauht me to be more careful with my money.

Likes & Dislikes Questions

What hobbies do you have? I’m most often found painting or drawing, but I also play guitar, bake, knit, cook (barely), sew, and dance (ballet).

What bands/artists do you like? What song is “your song?” Why? My taste in music is mostly folk, artists like Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers. My favorite song right now is Follow the Sun by Xavier Rudd, because it reminds me of adventuring and summer days.

When it comes to politics, do you care? If so, which way do you tend to vote? If not, why don’t you care? The more I learn about politics the more I consider myself an activist. There are so many causes to get behind! I take personal issue with deforestation and the violation of human rights.

What time of day is your favorite? What kind of weather is your favorite? I love sunrise, I’m an early bird. My favorite weather is warm and sunny, especially in the springtime with the breeze and the smell of the flowers.

What is your favorite food? What is your least favorite food? My favorite food is hazelnut soup, and I hate tomatoes.

What is your favorite drink? (Coffee, Coke, Juice, Beer, Wine, etc.) Strawberry lemonade!

What’s your favorite animal? Why? I love all animals, although I’m partial to chameleons. I’m trying to convince Simon to let us get a dog.

Do you have any pets? Do you want any pets? What kind? I don’t consider Pascal a pet, but others might, so I’ll mention him here. He’s my chameleon.

What do you find most relaxing? (Not as in stress relief, but as something that actually calms you down.) Laying in the grass to watch clouds is the most comforting to me.

What’s a pet peeve of yours? People who don’t seem to have any long-term plans or goals.

Sex & Intimacy Questions

Would you consider yourself straight, gay, bi, pan, or something else? Why? I would consider myself straight.

Who was the first person you had sex with? When did it happen? What was it like? How well did it go? (If your character is sexually active, if not, skip this question) The only person I’ve had sex with is Simon. The first time was a few months into our relationship. It was actually really nice, but it’s gotten a lot better since then.

Do you currently have a lover/crush? What is their name, and what is your relationship like? What are they like? Why are you attracted to them? Si and I have been together for about a year and a half, and have been married for six months. We often compare ourselves to the sun and moon, opposites, but can’t e without each other. We’re both artists and we both love the outdoors. We travel together as much as we can. I love everything about him. He is so kind and affectionate and warm. He is my other half.

Describe the perfect romantic partner for you and describe your perfect date with them. My perfect partner is someone who will love me unconditionally, and laugh at all my jokes. Someone who is braver than me in the dark, and probably likes burnt food, and isn’t afraid to have a bit of fun. I’d love to take them to a museum, where we talk about paintings and people and get ice cream after.

Do you ever want to get married and have children? When do you see this happening? I am married, and will be six months along with my first child this week.

What is more important – sex or intimacy? Why? Intimacy. Sex isn’t meaningful without it.

What was your most recent relationship like? Who was it with? (Does not need to be sexual, merely romantic.)

What’s the worst thing you’ve done to someone you loved? I ran.

Drug & Alcohol Questions (if your character’s a drinker/does drugs, if not, skip to numbers 5 & 6)

How old were you when you first got drunk? What was the experience like? I was 18. It was about three weeks in to my first year at WDPA. I don’t really remember most of it, except that I lost my wallet.

Did anything good come out of it? Did anything bad come out of it? I realized I really like strawberry daiquiris. I didn’t have a debit card for a few days.

Do you drink on any kind of regular basis? I used to drink occasionally, but haven’t since I got pregnant.

What kind of alcohol do you prefer? White wine or something fruity.

Have you ever tried any other kind of “mood altering” substance? Which one(s)? What did you think of each? I think one time I did on accident, it was at a party. I thought it was fun.

What do you think of drugs and alcohol? Are there any people should not do? Why or why not? I think everyone feel alright with trying everything once. It’s all part of the human experience.

Post-Powers Awareness Questions (For those who have powers)

When did you go through when you gained your powers? What was it like (in your opinion)? I was unaware of my powers until the age of five, when my grandmother adopted me and informed me.

What do you think now of being magical? Is it cool, or have you been screwed? I think it’s great that I can help people, especially if staying young is important to them. However, my grandmother believes that people may use me for my powers, and that I must be wary of the greedy.

Do you have a mentor? Who are they? How did you become their student? I don’t. I’ve never met anyone with the same power as me.

Do you have any magical items? Where did you get them? No, I don’t.

Think of a major event that happened during your training/initiation. What was it? I was never really trained, besides learning the incantation that causes the glowing.

What is something you had to learn during your training that you hated? Why did you hate it? I learned that my grandmother didn’t like it when I sped through the song, but I was always in a hurry, and I thought it produced the same effect, and that it didn’t matter how fast I went.

Thoughtful Questions

What about you is heroic? I believe my altruism is heroic. No matter what, I think that people are ultimately good, and that they should have the chance to redeem themselves if they have done me wrong. It takes a lot to forgive some people, but it’s worth it in the end.

What about you is social? What do you like about people? Everything about me is social. I enjoy people, I enjoy their resilience, and dreams, and every quirk about them that makes them unique.

If a magical being, describe the color of what magic you use, is it of a light color, bold and bright, pastel and sparkly, etc. My magic is gold, and shimmers brightly, even in the dark. I’m like a glowworm.

Are you a better leader or follower? Why do you think that? If you think the whole leader-follower archetype is a crock of shit, say so, and explain why? I like to think that I am a leader, but not in an outstandingly forward way. I do my best to lead quietly, and be an example to people who are having a rough day, and need to know that things always get better.