#dairine callahan

[dubiousculturalartifact]

Fridge thought fully like, twenty years later, when thinking about the concept in Young Wizards about how a wizard is picked to be offered wizardry and given an Ordeal because they're potentially the exact right person for a particular problem:

So Dairine, given the power of wizardry, decides to go find Darth Vader and kick his ass, right?

And there’s like some discussion about how, if she uses her raw wizardly power to ‘go find Darth Vader’ then she’s inevitably going to end up attracting the attention of the universe’s equivalent thereof.

Which okay, I always just nodded along to the logic of, big bad guy=big bad guy, and treated it more as a humorous bit, than something fundamental to the entire dang plot.

Because what my brain somehow failed to conceptualize, (and this may have been obvious to some other people), is what happens to Darth Vader at the end of the movies

Namely. He gets redeemed, because someone is willing to reach out and help him along towards that.

She didn’t just summon the attention of the Lone Power by trying to manifest Darth Vader into the universe by sheer ten year old stubborness, she summoned SPECIFICALLY the version of the Lone Power where Reconfiguration was a built-in possibility.

[wipbigbang]

WIP BIG BANG SIGN-UPS ARE LIVE!

The 2024 round of WIP Big Bang is now open for sign-ups! Any fandom is welcome, as long as the fic is 500 completed so far and will be at least 7,500 words upon its finishing. Signing up is easy: just fill out the form linked below after you read the FAQ and take a look at the schedule.

[fiction-quotes]

Even before she'd been a wizard, waiting had been tough for her. Nothing happens fast enough – that had been the most basic motto of her short life. When she'd become a wizard, at first Dairine had thought that that would be the end of waiting, at last – that everything would begin happening at a speed that would suit her, and that the world would finally start working. Now, looking back at that early time, she had to laugh at herself. Dairine had discovered the hard way that even becoming a practitioner of the Art that sourced its power from the magic at the heart of the universe was not guarantee of protection against bureaucracy, accident, or failed expectations. Entropy was running, and in an environment conditioned by the never-ending battle against that ancient enemy and its inventor, not even wizardry could necessarily make your wishes come true.

There were other compensations, of course. On her Ordeal and after it, she had seen things that few other human beings have been privileged to see. She had watched the Sun rise through Saturn's rings, heard spring thunder in Jupiter's atmosphere, watched distant galaxies rise over alien landscapes; she had even officiated at the birth of a species. But none of these experiences had gone very far to make her any more patient. Maybe when I'm older, she thought. By the time I'm twenty I'll probably have it licked.

  —  Wizard’s Holiday (Diane Duane)

[qpr-competition]

Introduction: Dairine Callahan and Roshaun ke Nelaied from Young Wizards book series

Quotes from submissions:

«they literally spend a good bit of time being annoyed with people for looking at them like "what is going on between them???"

they are the source of one of my absolute fave quotes of all time wherein responding to Dairine's question "so you do want to be just friends?" roshaun says "for so high and honorable an estate, 'just' seems a poor modifier to choose" regarding their intense friendship

it's the real deal. legit putting their lives on the line for each other, intense closeness that they struggle to put a name to ("the problem is there isn't a word for what we've got" YES THERE IS), enemy coworkers to friends to qp besties HELL YEAH

also the way one's grief is written when the other goes missing (AND THEN GETS FOUND) just Does things to me, its so real and deep»

[grapefruittwostep]

I was so cool and fine and normal about Dairine Callahan at age ten (I was NOT, I was SO NOT NORMAL, and I have never become normal about her, she is a childhood blorbo and I have been rotating her like a 90’s windows screen saver for twenty-two years)

[cambriancrew]

What is Young Wizards, is it anything like The Aepects by L C Mawson at all????

(And if it isn't that's even more of an excuse to Tell Us About Young Wizards!! Win-win!!!)

AHHH YES. We could talk about Young Wizards literally for hours.

So. It's, in a nutshell, a series by @/dduane Diane Duane, about teenagers who get the ability to use magic, which is enacted primarily by use of the wizardly language The Speech, in exchange for using it to fight the Lone Power who created death and entropy. The main wizard characters are Nita Callahan, a nerdy bookworm with an affinity for plants; her best friend Kit Rodriguez, who has an affinity for mechanical things; and Nita's little sister Dairine, who is a geek whose Wizards manual is a walking laptop. The books are incredibly inventive, with places in them like an alternate universe Manhattan where cars and other vehicles are alive; multiple distant planets, each with amazing aliens; the bottom of the ocean; Ireland where the myths really are true; a Mars where people's ideas of Mars from various forms of media including War of the Worlds and Marvin the Martian from Looney Tunes are present.

They're also beautifully diverse and life affirming. The Senior Advisory wizards are a gay couple. Kit is Hispanic. One major side character is black and autistic. There's other various queer characters. The series deals with serious topics like bullying, cancer, death and loss. But there's a throughthread of determination and hope.

Also, supportive adults! Parents who really care about their kids and support their wizardry! Family dynamics that are actually really good! (Most of the time. Nita and Dairine have their moments lol.)

And then there's the Oath. It's so wonderful, we patterned our Code of Conduct partly on it. There's many different versions, but the one we love the most is as follows:

In Life's name and for Life's sake, I assert that I will employ the Art which is Its gift in Life's service alone, rejecting all other usages. I will guard growth and ease pain. I will fight to preserve that which grows and lives well in its own way. Nor will I change any creature unless its growth or life or that of the system of which it is a part are threatened, or threaten another.

To these ends, in the practice of my Art, I will ever put aside fear for courage, and death for life, when it is right to do so, looking always to the Heart of Time where all our sundered times are one and all our myriad worlds lie whole in That from which they preceeded.

Also an art version of the Oath:

I can't seem to find the original creator of the art, it was someone on Tumblr but Tumblr search isn't helping, as usual.

We want two tattoos based on this series. One would be Wizard's Knot plus the first little part of the Oath, "In Life's name and for Life's sake". The other would be the traditional greeting of the Lone Power: "Fairest and Fallen, greetings and defiance." Probably would have that one surrounding the semicolon for depression survival, as suicidality is our personal battle with this universe's version of the Lone Power.

They're also super cheap to get as ebooks through the author's own website, as long as you're not in the UK due to Brexit.

We cannot recommend this series highly enough. If you do end up buying the series and reading it, let us know! We'd love to hear what you think. :)

[earlgraytay]

rules: make a poll with five of your all time favourite characters and then tag five people to do the same. see which character is everyone's favourite!

(I don't actually remember who tagged me but I tag @yooniesim @mercurialmalcontent @raymondshields @verdigrisvagabond @terrarkul @last-starfighter)

[sophieakatz]

Thursday Thoughts: This Is Our Wizardry

Diane Duane’s Young Wizards books meant a lot to me as a kid, and they still do. I’m rereading the series again for the first time in years (specifically the New Millennial Edition ebooks, which I highly respect Duane for creating). While writing this blog post, I’m halfway through the third book, High Wizardry, and I’ve realized that while I have changed in many ways over the years, my childhood self and my current almost-thirty-year-old self have one thing in common: we both think that this is the best book in the series.

That’s not to say that I don’t like the other books. But there’s something about the third book – the one with the computers, the one about the little sister, the one where they go to space for the first time – captured me like none other.

But why? Is it because Nita puts on a WALL-E t-shirt in the first chapter? I do love that detail – if you’ve ever interacted with me at all then you’ll know I love WALL-E with all my heart – but it’s more than just that.

Is it because I, too, am a younger sister and a too-bright-too-early bookworm, and so I related well to Dairine Callahan? It’s certainly part of it. I can be just as territorial as Dairine, and god knows I’m just as nerdy (if I could tell Dairine that I was a writer for the Galactic Starcruiser…!). However, my bookishness is much more Nita’s love of words and escaping into a story than it is Dairine’s desire to know so much that the world can never hurt you.

Is it because the Doctor shows up in this book? Nah, I didn’t know what Doctor Who was yet when I read this book as a kid. But, again, I do love that detail. Diane Duane really is one of us.

What truly grabbed me about this book is the idea that is first put into words in this book – an idea that is central to the worldbuilding in this series.

When the Powers offer wizardry to you, it is because there is a problem in the world that you are the perfect person to solve. You will need help to solve the problem, and you will receive that help. But the point is that the world needs you, as you are, here and now. You don’t need to be someone else. The world needs you – your mind, your heart, the decisions that you will make. All you need to do want to help, and to say yes when the call comes.

And this is true of all wizards, all the people who serve life and slow entropy. This isn’t a “chosen one” situation. Dairine isn’t “more” important than anyone else. Nor is Nita, nor Kit. But their importance is undeniable. This resonates with me as strongly now as it did then. I never wanted to be THE chosen one as a kid. I never thought that I was more important than anyone, and to this day, I hate the idea of someone else, anyone else, thinking that I see myself as superior to them. But even when I was little, I wanted to know that I mattered. I wanted to know that I was special and important in the same way that all people who do good in the world are special and important.

As an adult, I have learned the power of being willing and able to be the right person in the right place at the right time. I know I can make the world better for the people around me with my writing, with my thoughtfulness, or even just with my smile. I believe, more strongly now than ever before, that anyone who wants to can do the same. It’s a power we are all given, if only we choose to accept it. This is our wizardry.

[yusukesmomjeans]

"Speaking truth to power is never 'out."

- Dairine Callahan

[maybeasunflower]

"You do have the idea of being ‘just good friends?’" He gave her a sideways look. "For so high and honorable an estate," Roshaun said, "‘just’ seems a poor modifier to choose."

-- Wizards at War, by Diane Duane

Probably what bothers me the most in media is how being 'just friends' is seen as something bad, something nobody wants. The classic downtrodden expression of 'we're just friends,' like it's a failure. Why is friendship seen as a step, not a final goal? Why can't we see deep friendships between people on TV and not have it portrayed as 'not enough'? There are so many types of love, man, and every single one of those is enough.

Edit: Since this is getting a lot of attention, I just want to clarify I'm annoyed at how, traditionally, romantic relationships are seen as the 'final step' and friendships/platonic relationships are seen as the lesser option. Friendship is never the lesser option.

[lonepower]

i was tagged by @cronchcake for a 10 characters from 10 fandoms thing (tyvm!!) much like you and your tagger, however, I have NO idea what the rules are so i just went mostly with characters i consider my Blorbos Ever over characters that might be more current 😅 in no particular order, we have:

Evelyn Carnahan from The Mummy (1999)

the Hollow Knight from Hollow Knight

Frey Holland from Forspoken

the Lone Power from Young Wizards (aka my other canon url which I'll probably go back to sooner or later, but right now the bottles are stillllllll popping lmao)

the hybrid from Prey 2017

The King in Yellow (and his errant children) from Malevolent

Spock from Star Trek (leonard nimoy only. that new shit butchers my boy ):<)

GLaDOS from Portal/2

Eris Morn from Destiny (2014-2016, rip 😔 it's too bad they never made it into a series like they said they were going to...)

Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean (<- him. he's The One. my absolute blorbo ever. one blorbo to rule them all. the BOAT, if you will. i will have too many feelings about this shitty octopus man until the day I die, presumably from having too many feelings about this shitty octopus man)

there's others, some of which may ultimately rank higher, but these are the ones that sprang to mind as being either particularly long-lasting, Feelings-inducing, scrunkly, and/or machine washable. honorable mentions include Nie Huaisang and Wen Ning from The Untamed, Ed'rashtekaresket from Young Wizards, Daud from Dishonored, Freya from God of War, Vaurien Scapegrace from Skulduggery Pleasant (I just think he's neat!!!), Dairine Callahan from Young Wizards (are we noticing a theme here?), His Imperial Majesty Joshua Abraham Norton I (By the Grace of God the Emperor of These United States and Protector of Mexico) from real life, and Sasha James from the Magnus Archives.

idek who to tag for this. I always feel like it's presumptuous to do to other people even though I am never anything less than DELIGHTED to be included. if you see this and you want to do it, consider yourself tagged (and tag me I want to see-)

[qpr-competition]

alright, so i dont have the energy to make Information Posts for every contestant right now (i will try to draft several but its gonna take a while), but i do want to give you the list

in alphabetical order (including the "the"s) of the media theyre from:

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey

Hideki Hinata and Yui from Angel Beats

Achilles and Patroclus from Aristos the Musical (i have been asked to emphasize that this is specifically the musical portrayal)

Chalco Yong and Ikora Rey from Destiny 2

Senku Ishigami and Gen Asagiri from Dr Stone

Hawke and Varric from Dragon Age

Edgin Darvis and Holga Kilgore from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes from Elementary

Peri Dubois and Abel Moreau from Entropic Float

Zagreus and Dusa from Hades

Polly and Yaretzi from Hello From The Hallowoods

Nepeta Leijon and Equius Zahhak from Homestuck

Serene-Heart-In-The-Chaos-Of-Battle and Luke Sunborn from In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Jay Ferin, Gillion Tidestrider, and Chip from Just Roll With It

Sakuko Kodama and Satoru Takahashi from Koisenu Futari

John Doe and Arthur Lester from Malevolent

Venus McFlytrap, Rochelle Goyle, and Robecca Steam from Monster High (the ghoulfriends book series)

Criss and Cross from Roleslaying With Roman

Anzu, Kazuki, and Junta from Romantic Killer

Zolf Smith and Oscar Wilde from Rusty Quill Gaming

Jas Emari and Sinjir Rath Velus from Star Wars Aftermath Trilogy

Blind and Sphynx from The Gray House

Camilla Hect and Palamedes Sextus from The Locked Tomb

Tim Stoker and Sasha James from The Magnus Archives

Jet Siquiliak and Buddy Aurinko from The Penumbra Podcast - Juno Steel

Moraine Damordred and Lan Mandragoran from The Wheel Of Time

Chongi-Re, Numeri, and Butler from Tropical Rouge Pretty Cure

Chance and Shadow from Woe.begone

Alana Maxwell and Daniel Jacobi from Wolf 359

Joe and Sasha from Wonderlab

Dairine Callahan and Roshaun ke Nelaied from Young Wizards book series

Joe Tazuna and Sara Chidouin from Your Turn To Die

i dont have any dates for you regarding either the introduction posts or the polling starts; i hope to be able to do the latter within the next week, but unfortunately for all of us i have adhd

[dukeofriven]

Always hated these particular covers. Dairine looks one malicious flesh-to-porceline spell away from turning into a Precious Moments figurine instead of someone who can drop-kick you to the kerb and kick your ass six ways to Sunday. She's trained in martial arts for pity's sake, look as those noodle arms. She's small because she's eleven not because she's an anemic Victorian waif.

Title: High Wizardry | Author: Diane Duane | Publisher: Magic Carpet Books (2003)

[fiction-quotes]

Dairine was good with computers. It was just one more kind of knowledge, good for using to keep people and the World off your back; and computers were really surprisingly easy to work with once you got it through your head that they were utterly stupid things, unable to do anything you didn't tell them how to do, in language they understood. In her few months' work with the Apples at school, Dairine had become an accomplished hacker.

She utterly disdained the 'phreaking', the breaking and entering of electronic bulletin boards and systems that interested a few of her malicious classmates. It could get you thrown into prison. What fascinated Dairine was advanced programming, the true hacking – getting a computer to sing, or talk, or play involved and clever games, or make you a sandwich. All these things were possible, with the right peripherals and a clever programmer. That she was; and the computer – tireless listener, absolutely obedient to orders, and endlessly forgiving of mistakes – was the perfect companion. They worked well together. Even her teachers had noticed that the machines 'behaved' better around Dairine than around anyone else.

  —  High Wizardry (Diane Duane)

[earlgraytay]

Thanks for the tag, @bakomglaset !

Get to know me

Share your wallpaper:

A pretty image of Beignon from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.

The last song you listened to: SING by My Chemical Romance.

Currently Reading:  The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Last Movie: The Super Mario Bros Movie.

Craving: Chocolate. Specifically, Cosmic Brownies. :(

What are you wearing right now: Pink linen button-down, navy blue sweatpants.

How tall are you: Taller than Miles Vorkosigan.

Piercings: Used to have my ears pierced, but the holes closed up.

Tattoos: None.

Glasses? Contacts?: Yes, glasses.

Last drink: Coffee, three sugars.

Last show: Splitting my attention between Trigun (with my friend Lifa) and Oshi no Ko (with my partner).

Last thing you ate: Pizza with my bestie!

Favourite colour: Lavender.

Current obsession: Too many to count! Let's go with the kids's book I'm writing. Or the Vorkosigan Saga. or Bugsnax. Or Trigun.

Unrelated Obsession: The Sims (2 or 4)

Any pets: Do ball jointed dolls count?

Do you have a crush on anyone: Not sure how to answer this question, tbh!

Favourite fictional character: oh god there are so many

Miles Vorkosigan. Dairine Callahan. Vash the Stampede. Mina Murray-Harker. Jo March. Elizabeth Comstock.

The last place you traveled:  The last big vacation I took was to Montreal for CrossingsCon! It was really exciting.

I tag @yooniesim , @amairylle, @terrarkul , @fierceawakening, @ladyyatexel , @tabby-shieldmaiden , @tyrantisterror , @0koyote, and anyone else who wants to do this!