#mayari hanan tala

[relmint]

Hanan, goddess of the morning and dawn. In Tagalog mythology, she is Mayari and Tala's sister. She symbolizes the sign of a new day and age, and people pray to her at the break of dawn.

Tala, goddess of the stars. In Tagalog mythology, she is Mayari and Hanan's sister. She is famous for her help in creating the Tagalog constellations and is known to use divine spheres of light to guide sailors to safety at night. These spheres were soon feared as deadly beings of fire called "santelmos" due to Spanish influence.

[redloves]

Dreamswap Triplets

Dreamswap! Tala 🌟

Dreamswap! Hanan ☀️

Dreamswap! Mayari 🌙🌕

Dreamswap Triplet @redloves

Dreamswap @onebizarrekai

[aster-skies]

Spent most of Labor Day weekend dressing up my catgirl, Hanan. I made her near the end of EW (along with her sisters, Tala and Mayari) when I was going through some pretty bad burnout.

I'm still figuring out who she is and a lot of her personality. Seeing as I don't have a canon WoL yet (both Yrja and Kotone are non-wols and are featured in my friend's wolverse) she might fill in that spot as I go through msq. We'll see!

in the meantime, gaze upon her cuteness.

[maya-chirps]

Can you tell us more about Filipino mythology and moneters, cause there's no 1 official website and I almost always barely passed filipino? Can you also list like great sources for me to read? Thanks

I had a pretty busy week last week so it took a while to get to this ask but I'd love to give more info on the topic!

More on Filipino Mythology:

Si Apolaki at Mayari - Bakit may araw at gabi

EN: Apolaki and Mayari - Why there's day and night

An illustration of Apolaki and Mayari created by the illustrator PM Graphix

I am currently still doing a write-up on the Tagalog pantheon so I could start by maybe talking about that and what I've found. For the mythology section of this, let me start with something that's actually not from the Tagalog pantheon but is often attributed to the Tagalog pantheon: the Kapampangan story of Apolaki and Mayari or why the day and night exist. This story has been sourced from Maximo D. Ramos's book Philippine Myths, Legends, and Folktales (which you can buy on Amazon here, sadly I cannot find a free version of the book without going through suspicious links) and posted by Jordan Clark of The Aswang Project on his website.

BATHALA, the creator of the world, had a son named Apolaki and a daughter named Mayari. The light that shone upon the world and enabled the people, the beasts, the birds, and the fish to see came from the bright eyes of Apolaki and Mayari, So all the creatures loved them dearly. Bathala himself was very fond of his children, and he watched over them as they wandered across the meadows of heaven. Since the eyes of Apolaki and Mayari shone continuously, it was always day on the earth. In time Bathala grew feeble with age and died. Then Apolaki and Mayari had a quarrel, for each wanted to rule the world alone. “I am the man and I will succeed my father to the throne,” said Apolaki. “I am going to rule the world, whether you like it or not.” Mayari���s eyes flashed with anger and she said, “I am no less my father’s child than you. I will succeed him to his throne, whether you like it or not!” The quarrel grew from bad to worse, and finally words could not express their furious rage. So they picked up wooden clubs and fell upon each other with fierce blows. Back and forth they fought until at last Apolaki struck Mayari in the face and she became blind in one eye. When he saw his sister stricken, Apolaki took pity on her and said, “Let us fight no more, my sister. Let us share our father’s kingdom equally between us. Let us reign by turns and be friends.” Mayari agreed, and from then on, Apolaki, whom we know today as the Sun, has ruled the world half the time. Mayari, whom we now know as the Moon, has taken turns with her brother in ruling the world. When Apolaki is on the throne, the world is flooded with warm light, because the light beams from his two bright eyes. On the other hand, when Mayari is reigning, the world is bathed with cool and gentle light; for she is blind in one eye.

Now from what I've researched, a lot of places tend to attribute the story to the Tagalog people or state that it is a shared story from both the Tagalogs and their neighboring Kapampangan up north from them but I cannot find any specific source prior to the late 1960s that even mention that Mayari was part of the Tagalog pantheon so it may be a more recent addition.

The source that first states Mayari's inclusion as a part of the Tagalog Bathala's court comes from a paper written by F. Landa Jocano called Notes on Philippine Divinities (1968) where he does not cite a specific source of where he has learned Mayari was of Tagalog origin nor even stated that he had learned it from a Tagalog local and considering Jocano himself isn't a Tagalog nor is he Kapampangan, it's unlikely he's learned it from his upbringing or otherwise.

I had also done a little digging on his sources and none of them bring up Mayari nor her sister Hanan, the goddess of dawn, so the paper leaves much room for doubt. Tala, the goddess of stars, who is also listed in Jocano's paper make a lot more sense despite the lack of sources as it is the actual word for star in Tagalog but I still have to do further research on her as well.

Either way, I had also never heard of Mayari as a Tagalog deity outside Jocano's work and online articles that heavily source Jocano (The Aswang Project, one of the most popular sources for Filipino mythology which I had used as a specific source for Kapampangang mythology, has cited him twice in regards to Tagalog mythology specifically but not Kapampangan mythology). This is also despite me being born and raised within a mostly Tagalog community.

All of that for me to say that this story of Apolaki and Mayari may be a later addition to the Tagalog mythos after interests on Filipino mythology got revitalized from the mid-20th century onward rather than something that has always been a part of the Tagalog mythology.

Note that I'm not saying that it is an impossibility that this had been part of the Tagalog culture prior to that time period, but a lot of sources that discuss this do not bring up this story until after Jocano's work. I will have to maybe do more reading on this to find out more information about this and Mayari's status on whether or not she did belong to the Tagalog pantheon prior to the 60s.

I also want to add a quick note that it's pretty common for people to misattribute this story to the Pangasinense people as well but it may be from both people constantly confusing Pampanga from Pangasinan (think of it as how people confuse Sweden and Switzerland), as well as a name overlap with Apolaki who is referred to as Apolaqui in Pangasinan. The two places are both north of the Tagalog Regions. I might look into this connection/association/coincidence later on.

Further Readings and Sources

It's actually pretty hard to suggest a specific source for Filipino mythology given that a lot of them pull from the same reference (Notes on Philippine Divinities) which I had said has some dubious information but Maximo D. Ramos's book that I had referenced is a good read as it collects various myths from different places throughout the country. I myself had been thinking of getting a copy of the book soon as well as his other books.

Some Filipino Monsters

As for Filipino monsters, I could say that its similar with Filipino mythology, in that with so many cultures, there's many different kinds on who you're asking. These ghouls seem to be more widely similar from culture to culture, however, probably owing to the fact that the Catholic Church didn't discourage the belief in them as much as they did the precolonial gods. Whether you go to the northernmost part of the country to the southernmost islands, there is a lot of similarities between the creatures that they could be classified easier than the gods with some creatures even sharing traits from cryptids from other Southeast Asian countries.

I'll give some of them here that you may hear pretty often when looking through catalogues of Filipino monsters. I have to be honest that I may not source as much for this section since I will be bringing up some personal stories and anecdotes that are passed around the community. I'm also open to discuss more about these creatures as well as other monsters later on.

The Aswang

An artwork of an aswang uploaded to Wikipedia by H.M.Bec

Aswangs are often considered as the most ubiquitous of the Filipino monsters. When you look up monsters from the Philippines, this may be the top result. Aswangs are often portrayed as people who transform into ghoulish creatures that feast on human flesh but especially children, babies, and fetuses. There's so many stories and variations of aswangs, however, that some of the monsters in this list are actually sometimes considered as part of the aswang category depending on the source or who you ask.

Aswangs are shapeshifters, often turning into dogs, pigs, and many other creatures, in order to stalk their prey in the middle of the night.

Aswangs are also considered as one of the main stock monsters in FIlipino media so you may see them as the villains of a lot of fantasy series and movies. They're one of the villains that Alexandra Trese faces of regularly on the folklore-inspired supernatural comic book series turned Netflix original animation Trese. They're also the main antagonist in my favorite FIlipino fantaserye series Juan De La Cruz (although I don't particularly like the lead actor anymore lol).

Here's some stuff I've heard about Aswangs from those around me.

Aswangs often won't attack their neighbors and would rather attack neighboring villages/barangays/towns. This is so they avoid detection or suspicion from their community. So, if you suspect your neighbor's an aswang, then you might just be lucky they won't target you.

Aswangs are often said to have come from the province of Capiz. It's an often common joke and stereotype that Capizeños may be aswangs themselves or know people who are aswangs. The people of Capiz are mixed on how they feel about the association with the provincial government seemingly trying to shake off the specific association to their province.

They can go to mass but cannot stay during the consecration of the holy host. Holy water and holy [coconut] oil also boil in their presence.

When you look directly into their eyes, your reflection would be upside-down. They also don't have the dent between the nose and the lips.

They could pass their curse through different ways and may depend on belief or tradition. One belief states that if a person marries an aswang, they also become an aswang.

One of the other beliefs that can turn a person into an aswang is if one makes contact with an aswang's saliva.

According to another belief, a person could also become an aswang if they ingest a black chick alive.

Similarly, an aswang cannot die until they pass their curse to another person (typically a relative). This is done by passing a black stone or chick hidden in their body to the chosen new curse holder.

They hate the typical ghoulish hated items like holy crosses, water, oils, and the classic garlic and salt, but they also hate calamansi (a small Filipino citrus fruit), and my mother had always told me that they hate suha or pomelo (a type of citrus fruit) and the smell of burning rubber.

A typical weapon used to fight against them or ward them off is the buntot pagi or stingray tail that is often sold in occultic shops around the country. You could also buy this from online stores as I've learned (x)(x)(x).

Now here's a story I've heard about them:

A story I had heard was that of the aswang bus. I had heard it repeatedly throughout the years but the basic premise is that there's a bus of a bunch of aswangs from a different province that's traveling to [province you are in] and are hunting down people at night. This is some of the more funny stories about aswangs because I keep imagining an aswang bus driver purposefully running over people and then a bunch of aswang tourists hops off of the bus to drag the body for a snack later.

I honestly might come back to the aswangs topic later since I had just learned some things from a Capizeña who works to help around our house.

The Manananggal

An artwork of an aswang uploaded to Wikipedia by Gian Bernal

The Manananggal is a ghoulish creature and is often times categorized as a kind of aswang. They are typically humanoid creatures that appear as regular people (often women) during the day, but at night their torso severs from their legs and fly away with bat wings. They often feast on fetuses using their long proboscis tongue.

These ghouls share a lot of similarities with the Southeast Asian ghoul called the Penanggal which is a similar creature but instead of their torsos separating, their heads separate from their body alongside their entrails.

Manananggals are also some of the typical stock monsters in Filipino fantasy stories. I can't think of any specific instances of the manananggal being the main character besides the softer depiction of a manananggal girl named Anna in Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia who acts as a deuteragonist to the human boy Niko. They are also featured in Trese where a tribe of manananggal is shown. They are also the main lead or love interest in some horror movies and even horror romances.

Here's some stuff I've heard about Manananggals

It's name comes from the Tagalog word "tanggal" which means "to remove" or "to separate" and specifically means "the remover" or "the separator". This of course is a reference to the fact that it removes its torso from its legs or separates its body in half.

Unlike the typical aswang which transform back during daylight, the manananggal needs to find their way back to their body or else die by sunlight.

The unattached legs of the manananggal is their weakness. If found by a person, they only need to sprinkle salt or smear crushed garlic on the legs in order to destroy them.

A lot of the typical things that ward off the aswang are also typically effective towards the manananggal.

Similarly to the aswang, manananggals are also said to had come from Capiz.

The list is shorter because honestly, just take what most you've heard about the aswang and apply it here. I don't know specifically if things like the upside-down reflection or the lack of the dent between the nose and lips could apply to manananggals, however, and I don't think I've heard people claiming that about the manananggal.

Now here's a story I've heard about them:

One story I heard that I find quite funny was something my sister heard from one of her high school friends. This friend was struggling to fall asleep at night and was tossing and turning in bed when she heard bat-like fluttering from outside. She went out to inspect the source by looking out the window and was shocked to see a manananggal climbing up a coconut tree and seemingly harvesting the fruit in the middle of the night. She wasn't flying up the tree, she was climbing it.

The next day, an old woman who was selling her goods door-to-door came by their house. She was selling coconuts.

The Tiyanak

A screenshot of a tiyanak from the movie Tiyanak (1988)

The tiyanak is considered as a demonic baby that would transform itself into a regular looking baby, crying in the middle of the night in order to attract their unfortunate target who may feel pity towards the child. The tiyanak may also be classified as an aswang but is typically considered as a separate thing more often than the manananggal from my experience. This creature has noticeably a lot in common with a lot of other Southeast Asian and East Asian myths about demonic babies and toddlers like the tuyol or the tuyul.

Like the previous two, the tiyanak is also part of the typical stock monster antagonists found in Filipino media, but not as much as either the typical aswang or the manananggal. They are often used to add a bit of a scare factor into a story and isn't typically the main antagonist of a story as of recent horror movies (with only a single short B-Movie I could think of called Flight 666 from the Shake, Rattle & Roll horror anthology series. It is not a good movie but it's stupid fun). They are featured, as usual, in Trese as the main supernatural antagonists of a specific story arc. Their depiction from the comic and the Nteflix show has been changed due to the controversial nature of the comic book depiction.

When they appear in a horror series, there's often a sort of reason or lesson as to why one has appeared and typically based on the typical origins of the tiyanak.

The most common belief is that the tiyanak is the ghost or ghoulish corpse that had come from an unbaptized child.

At times, they may be a ghoulish baby that had been created after a woman gets an abortion, other times it is simply just a baby that had died before baptism often as a stillbirth or even as a joint death with their mother.

I had also heard that it may be an abandoned baby that had died to the elements.

It is also believed, the reason that they are cursed to wander the earth after death is because they were not given a name through baptism.

Because of this, when they typically appear in stories, it is often either a story about the bad that could come from abortion or child abandonment depending on the values of the writer.

The tiyanak would also sometimes lead people astray with its cries.

Speaking of its cries, there are some places that believe if the cry sounds loud and near, the tiyanak is actually farther away from you than if you hear the cries to be quieter and farther.

Here's a story I had heard about them:

A common Filipino story of the tiyanak is the parking lot story. Story goes that in certain parking lots of buildings, typically malls, you may hear a baby cry in the middle of the night when you're alone. This is a tiyanak that's trying to lure you in by seemingly tricking you into thinking that it is just an innocent abandoned baby which is sadly common in the country. It is common enough that there are some people who would often want someone to accompany them when they're alone in a parking lot at night.

Further Readings and Sources

As much as I had stated that The Aswangs Project and their handling of discussions about Filipino mythology, specifically Tagalog mythology, is dubious at best, they have a lot of good articles about aswangs that do align with local beliefs so reading through their website for monsters specifically could be a good and free resource. They had also made a documentary that you can watch for free on YouTube that covers a lot of this and more about aswangs.

For written works, I would suggest any of Maximo D. Ramos's works as I've brought up before. There's his published paper The Aswang Syncrasy in Philippine Folklore which is considered as basically the holy grail of Aswang research, which, as I had stated, take up a bulk of the FIlipino monsters. It's hard to find easily accessible PDFs of the paper and I remember that I found a copy of this or a similar work by Ramos but the link has eluded me.

For a less academic and more fun fictionalized source for Filipino monsters I suggest The Lost Journal of Alejandro Pardo: Meet the Dark Creatures from Philippines Mythology by Budjette Tan and David Hontiveros which is available through Amazon here. It follows a fictional researcher and his discoveries of Filipino monsters and other creatures. It's a pretty easy read with a lot of good information about cryptids and monsters from the Philippines, owing to it's style of found media. If you've seen something like Gravity Falls's officially published Journal 3 from the show's universe, it has a similar vibe to that.

That's all I have for now, but I am looking more into this topic! My PC has issues right now so I might answer questions more slowly than my already slow answering speed. I hope this post helped you learn a little more about Filipino mythology and cryptids.

[arthenaa]

Upcoming Auror! Sebastian Sallow x Auror! Reader Fic Details <3

Hi guys! As some of you may know, I'll be doing a Seb Auror Fic soon which will be based in the Philippines <3. Since there's no wizarding lore yet in the PH, i've decided to set the setting first before moving w the story. Here are the details below!!

MOODBOARD

Setting:

Mid-1800s, Philippines.

Hogwarts Legacy Setting will be adjusted slightly before the events of the fiction. (At this point I suggest just not getting into it too much im getting confused as well lmfao)

Details:

(About the Filipino Wizarding Community)

Philippine Magic has deep roots in the dark arts. Wizards and Witches back then often used and were masters in the arts of dark magic. It was often a misconception that the dark arts were inherently evil and while it did hold some truth to it, it all depends on how it's used. Filipino Wizards and Witches value the proper use of dark magic to use it to help people rather than harm them. However due to the misuse of said magic because of its great power, there is then a rise of magic users who seem to use it for personal gain. So these Wizards and Witches adapted their form of dark arts into the magic that can help combat sinister magic. This evolved into healing magic which is the main core of Filipino wizardry.

Marahuyo en Mahika Akademya | Philippine School of Wizardry

(place of reference: University of Santo Tomas)

A school formed to preserve the ancestral magic and history of Filipino Wizardry, Marahuyo en Mahika Akademya is a School of Magic for Wizards and Witches in the Philippines. Founded by Maria Ana Flordeliza Santos, she opened the gates to magic users so that they may expand their knowledge, academic prowess, and capabilities in the field of magic. The school's patron deity is Bathala, the god of creation and the being who granted mahika to the people.

The process of acceptance is quite peculiar. At the young age of 11 is when young wizards and witches will be doing a sacred ritual also known as Pagtawas. While the ritual is used to detect supernatural illnesses, it also detects magical traces within the person. It is a form of healing and a sacred ritual to determine one's fate. A piece of the person's hair will be burned on a special type of candle and then its wax will be poured into a basin. If the wax produces an image or a form according to the person's true self (some form a type of animal or plant) then the person does indeed have magic. If nothing happens, there is no magic within them. From then on, their parents will be responsible for the basic magic curriculum. At the age of 15, they will then be brought to the Akademya by carriages driven by the Tikbalang tribe. They have 5 years of magical curriculum to learn during their stay there. There are three houses to be sorted in Marahuyo en Mahika;

Mayari

known for their bravery, strength, determination, ability to excel in their most desired fields and leadership. They are categorized as the warriors.

Colors: Navy Blue and Beige

Hanan

known for their optimism in the unknown, courage in taking risks, perseverance amidst challenges, and an open perspective in life. They are categorized as the pillars.

Colors: Gold and Bronze

Tala

known for their willingness in helping others, their need for knowledge, vast creativity, and wisdom. They are categorized as the shepherds.

Colors: Cyan and Silver

Philippine Bureau of Magic and Wizardry (aka PhilMaj)

(place of reference: Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar)

The official governing office of the Philippine Wizarding Community. Inspired by Britain and America's Ministries of Magic, the PhilMaj was to be open not only to the PhilMaj community but to wizards all over the world thus the name in English. Founded by the 5 great Maharlikas (aka Aurors), the organization was created to protect the Filipino Wizarding Community from outside threats which includes 'SeroMahi' (Sero (Zero), Mahika (Magic) or the Muggles basically).

The PhilMaj exists independently and separates themselves from their seromahi counterparts as they see seromahis as a threat to their existence if they are to be found. With the Philippines experiencing a great force of oppression from outsiders, PhilMaj has done its best to stay hidden and away from its affairs (they are specifically known to hide too well that they have not encountered any type of exposure to the seromahi community. They, unfortunately, have strict rules regarding wizard —seromahi relationships and usually wizards or witches with mixed bloodlines take long processes to enter PhilMaj. MaraMahika (school) is an exception as it accepts all magic users despite their blood lineage).

Aurors also known as Maharlikas are divided in Divisions. Division I is for investigation, Division II is for order and Division III is social relations.

PhilMaj has different departments to tend to concerns.

Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Department of Protection of Magical Tribes and Folk

Department of Control and Care for Magical Creatures

Department of International Social Relations

Department of Magical Education

Department of Magical Businesses and Endeavors

Department of Magical Transportation and Building

Department of Recruitment and Referrals of Wizards and Witches

Department of Mysteries

Current location of PhilMaj is in Manila, Philippines. (Guarded by the Siyokoy Tribe in the waters of Manila Bay, the waters open like a door as it parts the way underground where the PhilMaj Headquarters reside)

____________________________________________

A/N: i have a shit ton of details in my notes but im sharing the general lore or idea of the magic world in the philippines. this counts as a teaser as well 😎 lmk if i've miswritten something or if some things dont line up. you guys can add ideas as well and ill add them in my notes hehe (if you wish to be included in this fic's taglist, reply to this post or any of my posts regarding this fic ty !!)

[ao3feed-moonknight]

bugna: TAKIPSILIM | destiny's twilight

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/mtqd2PA by DaphneFisherOfficial Under the luminous full moon of the pre colonial Philippine archipelago in the year 900, Mira Batala's fate to serve their patron moon goddess, Mayari, as an avatar was sealed from the moment a divine kiss was bestowed on her forehead from her infancy. Gifted with a second chance at life, her extraordinary birth marks the onset of a divine oath to be honored and fulfilled as immortality soon became a curse rather than a gift. As she outlived her family and becomes the last of her olden lineage, Mira embarks on a millennia-long journey of protecting her people and guiding the travelers of the night through its darkest. bugna: takipsilim (destiny's twilight) is a thrilling saga of ancient gods, boundless love, and a woman's timeless odyssey. As Mira confronts her past and embraces her role as Mayari's Avatar, she discovers the essence of her bugna (true destiny) and the interconnectedness of all strings of fate tied to her own: namely her intertwined destinies with Marc Spector, Steven Grant and Jake Lockley as the reincarnated fragments of her greatest love's past life. Words: 4164, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Moon Knight (TV 2022), Moon Knight (Comics) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, Gen, Multi Characters: Mira Batala-Carter, Mira Batala, Myrna Katigbak, Marc Spector, Steven Grant (Marvel), Jake Lockley, Layla El-Faouly, Arthur Harrow, Khonshu (Marvel), Anubis (Ancient Egyptian), Mayari (Indigenous Tagalog Religion), Bathala (Indigenous Tagalog Religion), Hanan (Indigenous Tagalog Religion), Tala (Indigenous Tagalog Religion), Apolaki (Indigenous Pangasinense & Tagalog Religion), Set (Ancient Egyptian), Apophis (Ancient Egyptian), Ammit (Ancient Egyptian), Hathor (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Relationships: Marc Spector/Reader, Steven Grant (Marvel)/Reader, Jake Lockley/Reader, Steven Grant (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Marc Spector/Original Female Character(s), Jake Lockley/Original Female Character(s), Layla El-Faouly & Reader, Layla El-Faouly & Original Female Character(s), Marc Spector & Original Male Character(s), Steven Grant (Marvel) & Male Original Character(s), Jake Lockley & Original Male Character(s), Khonshu (Marvel) & Reader, Khonshu (Marvel) & Original Female Character(s) Additional Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Eventual Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dreams and Nightmares, Falling In Love, Historical, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Polyamory, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Smut, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Childhood Trauma, Psychological Trauma read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/mtqd2PA

[naebulla]

Hello @estodial 🤗

If you are not busy 😅

Can you draw my dreamswap triplets (Hanan, Mayari and Tala) and their Mother (Dreamswap Rosa)?

Please?

If you don't want to, it's okay 😊

Im sorry Red, i cant draw 4 person in one picture😭

[apuadman]

Why do I love waking up early in the morning?

After I surpassed my Transient Ischemic Attack or Mini Stroke, I even value life more than ever so as even I have difficulty in movement, I strive hard just not to keep my self always lying on the Bed. I am still at my 40's and to be exact at 44 by that time (and still is not until May 10, 2023 as I will turn 45.) And I know the right time will come for me to lie down on a box for long day until I will be turned into Ashes.

Yes! I am open for that possibility to happen, but I am asking the Ancestors not now and allow me to finish the work that I am doing.

So every day, I rise up to my bed and greet the Sun for giving me another day in staying alive with my Body. I thank my physical body for accommodating my soul to stay while I am doing the works that the Ancestors have given me.

I thank Father Time as I acknowledge its role in giving me the Life that I should have and I recognize Time as the Diwatang Mapulon that turns the wheel and heal the wounds of my past.

As of writing this, it came to my mind to search the Filipino Diwata that rules the Time, aside from Diwatang Mapulon it is also Kan Laon who is known as Father of Time also Bathala which the word BaHaLa na is derived.

Though in the Tagalog Pantheon of Deity- Apolaki (the Sun God), Mayari (the Moon Goddess), Tala (The Star Goddess) and Hanan (the Morning Dawn) was referred to the Astrological Divinity as well as the Celestial Light that also governs time.

See as Each days come, it give us new mission to discover as well as to live by.

[gabelesimp]

Amihan also is considered to be a Deity who cannot die, thanks to the locals in provinces, There're so many versions of them, there's also a Moon Goddess called Mayari, she has two sisters, Hanan, Goddess of the Morning and Tala, Goddess of Stars!

Also, Amihan is a Primordial Deity (Odin, I'm watching your bitch ass/j)

I've finally colored them, and I love how they turned out!!! (Yes, we stand modern fashioned Amihan, bc yes)

Yes, I changed her Tattoos to glowing markings!

@riseofamoonycake what do you think of our little Birb Deity? >:D

[felgia-starr]

“The most beautiful divinity in the court of Bathala was Mayari, the goddess of the moon. Mayari had two charming sisters, Hanan, goddess of the morning, and Tala, goddess of the stars. They were said to be the daughters of Bathala by a mortal wife who died after she had given birth to these three beautiful goddesses. Bathala took these three sisters to the sky and made them members of his celestial court.”

[tsoko-late]

siblings (derogatory)

[redloves]

🙂🥲

[penguka]

Philippine gods & goddesses.

Introducing you Philippine mythology! I didn't include them all though! Maybe I'll continue it in future blogs?

Bathala

— Bathala reigns supreme in the heavens, though his beginnings were not necessarily so set.

— The head honcho of the gods in the Tagalog myths.

— The god is known to have married a mortal woman, and from her sprang three of his powerful offspring: Apolaki (God of War and Guardian of the Sun), Mayari (Goddess of the Moon), and Tala (Goddess of the Stars).

Mayari and Apolaki

— Apolaki and Mayari both fought over the Earth’s dominion.

— The sun god wanted to be the sole ruler, but the goddess of the moon wanted an equal share.

— This resulted in a ferocious battle. Apolaki took one of his sister's eyes, but regretted it, and conceded.

— He then ruled the earth with Mayari, only they would rule at different times.

— In the day, it was Apolaki’s moment, and at night, Mayari shone in the sky (though her luminescence is dimmer, due to the loss of one eye).

Hanan

— According to some myths, Hanan is the daughter of Bathala. The goddess has Mayari and Tala as her sisters.

— Hanan is the goddess of morning, dawn, child birth, and new beginnings.

— It is said that she is the deity most important when people enter a new age or a new phase in their life.

Tala

— Daughter of Bathala.

— Ruler of the stars.

The Marias

— Maria Cacao, Maria Makiling, and Maria Sinukuan are mountain goddesses (or fairies) with their own separate jurisdictions.

— The most famous of the three, Maria Makiling, is the guardian of Mount Makiling, located in Laguna.

— Maria Cacao watches over Mount Lantoy in Cebu, and it is said that her domain houses the Cacao plants, a useful ingredient in most Filipino chocolate delicacies.

— Lastly, Maria Sinukuan holds dominion over Mount Arayat in Pampanga. There, she is said to bring forth bountiful harvests from the mountain’s fruit trees.

Dian Masalanta

— Diyan Masalanta is the tagalog goddess of love, conception, and childbirth, and the protector of lovers. 

[tuensartpages]

quick concept sketches!!

i guess you can consider these three as lore olympus ocs, since i designed them with that in mind + imagining them in the same world!! however, these three are from greek mythology; they're actually from the philippines!! say hello to Tala, Hanan, and Mayari!!

Tala is the baby of the family, very shy. Like Persephone, she's new to the world of the gods, having grown up in the mortal realm. However, unlike Persephone, she's around 150 years old; still young compared to the gods tho!! also unlike persephone, she was perfectly content with the sheltered life she had; she didnt want to move to Olympus, but she had to follow her sisters. Is probably enrolled in the same college Persephone is in!!

Mayari, however, as the ceo of the philippine-equivalent business in olympus, insists that Tala be brought to olympus so she can keep a better eye on her ((hehe, eye)) she's a no nonsense woman that is very busy in olympus. Not a fan of Zeus, but respects his power.

Hanan, meanwhile, is the official representative of the company; also serving as a brand ambassador and the one that makes the most frequent visits to the mortal realm to keep things in check. She's pretty snobby and dramatic, but overall very protective towards Tala. Is great friends with Aphrodite!!

Will hopeffully be able to write + draw more about them, especially their to be drawn brother, Apolaki!!

[arthenaa]

Face claim pt 2 for this chapter's ocs

CAPITAN ELIAS FERDINAND ALCANTARA

pogi

AHAHAHHA i love him

half-blood

considered to be Phil-Maj's greatest captains

he was definitely judged for having seromahi lineage but his reputation for being a great auror definitely kept the discrimination under wraps :(

hes so nice tho

sorted into Mayari <3

face claim as Paulo Avelino

HIRAYA ESMERALDA RIVERA

pureblood

was recommended by a babaylan to the datu thats why shes being trained by a captain

specializes in defense against the dark arts and healing wowzers

sunshine <3

loves to call elias 'kuya'

related to Leonor Rivera

sorted in Hanan

face claim as Ylona Garcia

'DATU' CORAZON DEL ROSARIO

pureblood

shes so pretty i can't ....

part of one of the oldest wizarding family

it was practically tradition that a del rosario would be crowned datu

she is mother!!!!

anys shes a great leader

sorted in Tala

face claim as Gwen Zamora

YSMERIA

resident babaylan of PhilMaj

Former headmistress of Marahuyo en Mahika (retired early to give her services to the PhilMaj)

the one who suggested Hiraya to Corazon

part of the oldest wizarding family which are babaylans throughout generations

pureblood!

has reservations about seromahis

cold and ruthless when needed

always serious abt the job

grew up with Corazon

always seen donned with pre colonial philippine trad clothing and her kampilan sword

master of wandless magic and application of mahika on weapons

did not go to marahuyo en mahika as she was trained and honed by her elders from her family (they perform more complex terms of magic and the dark arts)

face claim as Sanya Lopez

To be or not to be (CHAPTER 2)

Auror! Sebastian Sallow x Fem! MACUSA Auror! Reader Series

Story Summary: To prevent a war between humans and wizards, you and Sebastian are tasked with your respective agencies to save the fate of the wizarding world from the hands of a dark wizard in the Philippines.

Chapter Summary: After almost getting yourself arrested and controlling the urge to strangle Sebastian Sallow, you try to remain civil by being the bigger person. More things happen and you meet more people as you set sail to the Philippines.

Chapter warnings: cursing, nothing much really again, plot groundwork, mentions of discrimination and colonization, seb likes to tease u, ominis being adorable and cat like, gladys being gladys i love her sm,

Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1

Notes: WOOHOO CHAPTER 2 BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6k words again enjoy this chapter. hiraya is my daughter i love her. if you want to be part of the tag list to get immediate updates on the next chapters just reply here or on my future posts on to be or not to be !!! see u on chapter 3 miluvs

It was a matter of a few hours before the head Auror would contact you once again to travel. You had already packed your things and made sure to check your necessities (checking your pocket for your wand constantly as a result of the altercation this morning). Now all you needed to do was wait.

Currently hauled in one of the suites provided by the ministry, you sat idling on your bed, eyes trained on the large windows showcasing London. Your hands found comfort in the soft duvet as you continue to admire the scenery in front of you. Gladys sits on one of the chairs against the wall positioned close to the window. Comfortable silence engulfs you both, with Gladys’s coin flicking and the London bustle as your background noise.

You allow yourself to be distracted as your eyes glance towards Gladys’s coin tricks; Watching as it twirls on her knuckles before flicking it up into the air and catching it effortlessly. You somehow get entranced by it that you weren’t able to notice that she stopped. Gladys clears her throat to get your attention.

“Yeah?” You look up at her, clearly still distracted by her previous actions. The woman blink slow like she was trying to access the deepest parts of your mind. You somehow get nervous under her watchful stare. “Are you trying to mind-control me or something?”

“Why do you always assume that I’m going to do something to you?” She raises an eyebrow in mild amusement as she crosses her leg over her knee. She begins to continue rolling her coin against her knuckles as she raises her elbow on the arm rest. You shrug at her question.

“… You’re quite intimidating.”

She lets out an amused scoff before flipping the coin in the air then catching with her other hand and flopping it against the back of her other hand. She lifts her hand off, assessing the coin before looking up at you. You furrow your eyebrows in confusion.

“Heads.” She comments offhandedly before resuming with her coin tricks. You raised your eyebrows to gesture for more explanation. “Heads, I leave you alone. Tails, I give in to the urge to smack you in the head.”

You gasp in horror. “You decide inflicting violence on me through a coin?!”

“I’m not intimidating.” She purses her lips as she becomes more and more entertained with your behavior. “Also it makes things… interesting. ‘Decided through a little game’. Doesn’t that make life more fun?”

“You’re evil, y’know that?” You sneer jokingly as you stand up from your seat on the bed. You head over to one of the coffee tables where a fresh pot of tea is placed. With a wave of wand, the tea pot levitates and pours you a cup of tea. You look back at Gladys who resumes her coin tricks as you wait for your drink. “What’s the coin for anyway?”

Gladys glances at you for a second before looking at the coin on her fingers. “Keeps the voices at bay. When I focus my mind on one thing, it’s the closest I have to silence.”

You nod in understanding. You were somewhat aware of how legilimency worked but you weren’t aware about how hard it was. Hearing different voices all at once can become quite an emotional stressor. You weren’t sure you would be able to handle it. You pour another cup of tea for your companion to help ease her down. Gladys turns to you in surprise, hand pausing with her coin as you pull the other chair to sit adjacent to her. You give her a cup of tea to which she receives gratefully. Taking a sip of your beverage, you decide to start another conversation regarding the case.

“Any deductions from the files you’ve received?” You start off as you take a sip from your cup of tea. Ooh, is that lavender? No wait—Chamomile?

“First one—lavender,” Gladys nonchalantly says, referring to your guess of flavor. You pause for a moment, not yet used to her abilities to access the mind before nodding. She takes a sip first before resuming on continuing her response. “Regina Salazar is of pure blood ancestry. From what I’ve learned of wizardry lineage in the Philippines, originally sectioned in tribes, these pure-bloods would use marriage to have tribal connections and to form united fronts. Naturally, after the colonization of Spain, they had to adapt and took different surnames influenced by Spanish culture to avoid being detected by No-Majs.”

You nod in understanding, watching as Gladys pulls out the folder with a flick of her wand and settling it on the coffee table in front of you. The page flicks to the suspect’s main information and intel. You lick your lips as you assess the information in front of you. Gladys continues her collection of background information. “Overall, because of the whole colonization thing, Philippines has to be one of the—if not the strictest regarding No-Maj wizards or half-bloods. Half-bloods take long processes and series of interviews and checkups before they’re approved by the office. Like a fucking criminal taking parole.”

“Must be a discrimination fest in there.” You scrunch your nose at the insinuation. No-Maj discrimination was already quite severe in the wizarding world. You couldn’t even imagine the severity of it in a place that publicly declares its hate for their kind. Gladys shakes her head in agreement. Your eyebrows then furrow as a question comes into mind. “But Regina has a friendly relationship with No-Majs? That contradicts the whole motive, no?”

“Certainly,” Gladys huffs in frustration as she raises her hand to pick at the dry skin on her lips. She then turns a page to a partially filled page with only the information of the area discovered north of the Philippines. Gladys motions to the page with a light knock of her knuckles against the surface. “It has something to do with this, definitely.”

You tilt your head in confusion as you analyze the vague information. “How are you certain it’s connected?”

Gladys takes a sip of her tea, licking her lips for any lingering residue. “I don’t. It’s just something we’d have to find out.”

_

“What’s up, old man? On your coffee break?” You smile at your former mentor who quietly sips his coffee in the wee hours of the morning. You had spotted the man lingering in one of the ministry’s large empty rooms (presumably used for large events). You assumed this would be the place of traveling with the equipment and size of it all. It could definitely fit a portkey large enough to travel multiple people. You couldn’t help but approach the man and ruin his solitude. Your mentor breaks into a grin at your arrival and he immediately welcomes your presence with a raised arm, inviting you to a hug.

You run like it’s innate for you to immediately dive into his arms, hugging his waist with glee as he squeezes you to his side. The silence is comfortable as you allow yourself a moment of peace. Elliot releases you with two pats on the back before pulling away. He tilts his head, certainly not expecting you to be this early. “Still resorting to that damned nickname, kid?”

“You literally still call me kid.”

“Touché,” He chuckles as he takes a sip of his beverage. “What’re you doing up? Finally exhausted Joanne’s mind-reader?”

“Mhm, literally face-planted on the bed. Had to deal with me yapping both physically and mentally. I think I killed her. Also don’t call her that, she just might haunt you back from the dead.” You scrunch your nose as you joked. Elliot laughs at your jesting.

There’s a lapse of silence before Elliot starts a conversation once more.

“How’s the Sallow boy so far?” He asks with a glance towards you, assessing your body language at the prompt of his question. Your former mentor had the knack of observing first before proceeding on which course to take. A habit that he, unfortunately, brings everywhere even outside of work. The mans was a detective even in his own personal relationship that it was considered annoying. You had learned to deal with it though. Elliot often joked that by the time he was 70, you would be the only person who could tolerate him.

Elliot immediately knew from the way your shoulders fell and the down direction of your facial features that you didn’t have a good impression of Britain’s representative. You huff a sigh as you tuck your hands inside your pockets. “… He’s okay, I guess.”

“Liar.”

“You and your damned eyes. Have you ever considered not noticing every detail?” You deadpanned. Elliot smiles in amusement at your behavior.

“He was following protocol though. Nothing to blame on a man following rules.”

“Oh, I will be the reason you die someday.”

“Oh! The fear! How could I live now!” Elliot dramatically yells to which you smack his arm at. The man giggles like a fucking school girl and you had to remind yourself that this was a grown ass man and not an 11-year-old kid. You wonder if the nicknames should be switched.

“I tried to make amends okay! Technically, he was the one who didn’t scale his puny little ego down so why should I make the effort?” You complain as you lean against the wall he’s leaning at. Elliot leans against your side to which you return the small affection with the rest of your head against his arm.

“Did you say it nicely?” He responds.

“Nicely? What do you mean nicely?”

“You tend to…” He trails off as he makes absurd gestures with his free hand. “Sound not so nice when you make amends.”

You give him an incredulous stare to which he tries to avoid with a sip of his coffee.

“I don’t do that?”

“Yes you do, Y/N.” He smiles innocently. “Remember that time when I had to not only mentally but physically convince you to apologize to that witness just because he was rude to me? You were basically ripping that man apart in your head and I don’t need to be a legilimens to know that.”

Elliot raises his eyebrows to further emphasize his point. You stare him down, trying to challenge the older man before giving up as you turn your gaze to the other side of the wall with a cross of your arms. He stares at you for a few moments before chuckling. That case was ages ago but it had been quite an annoying one. The witness had been difficult to deal with and considered Elliot to be a wizard of low standing because of his lineage. He had refused to cooperate at first but was eventually convinced with the help of another Auror present at the scene. You had almost tried to strangle the man if it weren’t for the old man’s jokes of reassurance. They were jests to lighten up the mood but you knew better. Be the bigger person, kid.

You had to suck it up and apologize with gritted teeth. A regret you continue to have until this day. A shame you weren’t able to curse that man without losing your job.

Elliot pats your back once more to lighten up the mood. “You’ll get along, kid. You’re a presence is a force to be reckoned with. We just hope it doesn’t clash with his.”

Elliot smiles before finishing his coffee beside you. You sigh as a vague response. Just as the old man says, be the bigger person.

-

“Alright! This portkey holds quite a distance as its built for intercontinental travel. The travel time will take a few minutes but it should be fairly short enough to not cause any sort of pain or dissonance with the mind and body.” Ryona Bassett discusses as rotating door is presented in front of you. You take a glance around the room to assess the people expected on the trip. Gladys Hale stands to your left, suitcase in hand as she rolls her coin on her knuckles. Ominis Gaunt, a relations officer you had been introduced shortly a few minutes ago, standing on your far right. Then Sebastian Sallow, the man who had saved you from your imminent death from the hooves of a horse, to trying to obliviate you then and there, then arresting you, to finally be revealed to be your partner in the span of a few hours, stands to your right. The four of you would be heading first while your mentors will wait for the assessment of the situation before following you out into the field.

You let out the sigh as this is considered to be the nth time you had travelled using a portkey. You hope the weirdness of the experience only lessens the more you get used to it.

“You will be greeted by your division captain who will guide you inside the governing office of the wizarding community. Things after that will be debriefed to you by the head of the office. Are we clear?” Ryona finishes as her eyes assess the four of you. You all answer with curt and firm responses. Howard and Ryona turn to each other with a look, some sort of telepathic message only communicated through their eyes. You could almost feel an unspeakable tension before the minister steps forward to address one more thing.

“The fate of the wizarding word rests in your hands. I hope you’ll be able to deliver well, Aurors.” He nods with a smile before motioning the door with his hand. You watch as a bright light emits from the other side. You exchange looks with Gladys before you feel the brush of a finger against your arm. You turn your head towards the culprit with an apprehensive glare. Sebastian peers down at you with a seemingly innocent smile.

“I’ve thought about your offer,” He says your last name with such gentleness it makes you feel uncomfortable for a moment. You lock eyes with him as his eyes never seem to leave from yours. It made your palms sweat from how piercing his stare is. “I’ve decided to give it a chance…”

“Really?” Your facial features relax in relief that it almost makes Sebastian coo at your adorable decision to let your guard down for a moment. He lets a sliver of mischievousness bleed into his smirk.

“Mhm,” He hums as he assesses your face. It almost looks like he’s looking at your lips with the way he’s staring you down. He scrunches his nose before continuing his response. “If you admit that I’m right.”

Your face falls as soon as you hear the words and the brunette erupts into a heap of chuckles before he walks away from your side then walking over to Ominis with a pat on his back. The poor blonde only furrows his eyebrows at him, chastising him for his poor cooperation. Sebastian only shrugs before he casts one last look at you then entering the rotating doors with a push against it. Ominis follows after.

You let out a sigh, deciding to not let yourself get annoyed by his little act but the woman beside you think it’s quite amusing. You hear her low chuckle as she flips her coin into the air and catching it effortlessly as she steps forward to make her way to the rotating doors. She casts one last glance at you as she pulls her hat down with a smirk. “Really? You’re just going to let him have that?”

Your jaw clenches in amusement as your hatred and urge to kick Sebastian Sallow off his high horse doubles over the last few minutes. You would try and plan your revenge now but a cough from Elliot and a nudge of his head immediately reminded you of your current situation. You nod with haste as you grab your case before making your way to the doors. You send one last smile at the old man as he sends you off with a short wave. You push the glass doors, letting the light engulf you.

Then suddenly, everything was black.

-

The world is a blur.

Your senses are in a disarray and you couldn’t sense where you were exactly with the fogginess your brain was currently in. You try to will yourself to blink or move any part of your body, trying to get a feel your current situation.

It was certainly a bit warmer than London, windier as well. Ryona said there won’t be any dissonance. Goddamn liar.

You could feel a presence on your side, a weight keeping you up. Then a voice.

“Y/N?”

It was faint but it was there.

Mom?

“Y/N, wake up. Fuck.”

No wait, it’s Gladys.

“Don’t tell me she can’t take portkey travels?”

Is that the annoying fuck?

“Do you ever plan on keeping your mouth shut, Sebastian?”

The other guy. Blonde? What was his name… Ominous? Something like that.

“Move.”

Now this was unfamiliar. You feel yourself sit upright with a few set of hands. Your eyes seem to not be cooperating as it remained shut. You suddenly smell something strong and pungent. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it but it creates a sudden shock in your system causing you to jolt awake. Your body is forced to move and a cramp forms on your leg as you groan in pain. Gladys, seated beside you, sighs in relief. You take a second to process your environment.

It seems that you’re in some sort scenic view, with the ocean in front of you. Rocks crackle beneath your weight as sand trickles down on the elevated surface from where you’re seating. It almost seems like a calm and refreshing view to see during a vacation but then you’re aware of the 4 piercing stares directed at you.

You recognized the three; Sebastian stands a few meters in front of you with arms crossed, Ominis kneeling on your right and Gladys on your left. That leaves this other guy who’s kneeling in front of you. You furrow your eyebrows in confusion at the sudden addition to the group.

“Good, the herbs worked.” He smiles like a teacher praising a student’s work. “Must’ve hit quite hard, no? Filipino healing potions tend to have strong effects.”

He pockets the vial of questionable liquid and herbs before he raises his wand and casts a dimmed ‘lumos.’ “Follow the light with your eyes, senora. I need to check your responsiveness.”

You follow without questions as he moves his wand left to right. He then asks you to grip his hand with both your hands then try to push his palm towards him. You were able to do them, albeit weakly. It seems to satisfy the man enough though. The man nods in understanding before the wand quickly apparates away. “Your responsiveness seems okay enough. Long distance travels like these leave wizards in a weakened state. I suppose you don’t get that much portkey travel? Your body seemed to shut down on its own. Alright, let’s get you standing.”

Gladys and the man help you in putting your weight on your feet. Still confused by the whole ordeal and the silence from your colleagues, you blink in confusion as you allow yourself to rest some of your weight in Gladys’s hands. “I-I’m sorry… But who are you?”

“Elias Alcantara. Your Division Captain.” He answers with a smile, charming enough to swoon you but not enough to distract you. Christ. This was the officer that the minister and head Auror was talking about. You nod in understanding, slowly pulling yourself from Gladys’s grasp and allowing yourself to stand on your own two feet. “It’s understandable. Most maharlikas get the same symptoms as you on their first travel. We often use portkeys to visit magical tribes due to distance of their locations from the PhilMaj.”

“Maharlikas? Like Aurors?” Sebastian chimes in, body leaning towards the conversation. Elias places his hands on his hips as he turns to look at the young man.

“Precisely. Although, our Aurors do vary in terms of magic.” Elias turns to assess his surroundings. He seems to be looking for something.

“Are you waiting for someone, Captain?” Gladys says with a raised eyebrow. Elias turns to her for a moment before going back to looking. It’s not long before a call of his name catches your attention. A woman rushes towards you with great speed, apparent excitement evident on her face. You notice their similarities in terms of clothing. A uniform.

The thin sheer fabric with exquisite designing on the center of their upper clothing gives a symbolic nature to it. You were sure it held some sort of meaning with the way the pattern and the swirls was formed. The woman wore a black ankle length skirt while Elias wore black slacks. The only difference in showcasing their rank was the color of the upper apparel and the pin on the collar.

You began to sense this magical community’s levels of strictness bleeding through the uniforms of these officers in front of you. Having enough with analyzing the new addition to the group, you focus just in time for Elias to introduce the woman. “This is Hiraya Rivera; she’s assigned as Philippines’ representative on this case.”

“Yes … That’s me … Or just Raya for short. I already… uhm, know you all, so...” She says with much enthusiasm to the point that it makes her awkwardly adorable. Your group only returns the introductions with stiff smiles. It doesn’t seem to bother her however as she clasps her hands together. “Oh! They must be tired. We should go now.”

Elias nods in agreement before following with his response. “Of course. A final debrief will be done shortly on our arrival to the base. This will allow us to proceed with field assessment and investigation.”

The two share looks of approval before moving along and motioning for the others to follow them. The four of you stare at their backs as they move closer to the bay. Normally, wizardry governing offices were meant to be hidden in plain sight and only wizards should be able to see them but so far, all the four of you have seen is a blank scenery of what is supposedly the Philippines’ wizarding governing office.

“Um, to where exactly?” Ominis inquires for the benefit of the group. Hiraya turns around, assessing your confused expressions before smiling as she nudges her head towards the captain who walks towards the shallow parts of the water.

The four of you follow begrudgingly, letting the cold waters seep into your shoes. Ominis clings to Sebastian’s arm, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden change of temperature as he grips his wand tightly within his other hand. Gladys seems to not mind the cold at all as she lets out a sigh and picks up her pace to match with Captain Alcantara. The wind blows against your hair, ruffling your robes as you try to pull them closer against you. The waves pull you closer to Sebastian’s side.

“Not expecting this kind of entrance!” Sebastian tries to shout over the loud splashing of waves against the shallow waters. The waters have already reached to your thighs.

You allow yourself to be slightly pushed by an incoming wave. “Certainly has to be one of the most unique ones I’ve seen.”

Sebastian glances at you with a smirk. “Thought about what I said, Y/L/N?”

You let out an annoyed huff as you faced him with a deadpan stare, giving him no answer as you move towards the front, leaving the two boys to their own. You could faintly hear Sebastian’s light chuckle over the harsh winds. You’d rather be dead than give him the satisfaction of hearing what he wanted to hear.

Okay, maybe…. It was on his jurisdiction to arrest you.

But was it really your fault? He could’ve handled it in a more civil way after he had found out you were a witch. You could’ve been nice and understanding as you were an Auror yourself. But the day had not been the best one and dealing with a man who has now made it his mission to piss you off by not taking you seriously because of your little altercation, has definitely started to put you in a not so civil mood. But of course.

You have to be the bigger person.

Curse you Elliot Fontaine for being a shitty fucking role model. Too imperfectly perfect to be one. The right amount as others would say.

The trio in front of you suddenly stops in their tracks as the water had now reached your hips. It was silent at first. The type of silence that made you unnerved. It was like you were expecting something to jump out of nowhere.

You should’ve held your tongue on that one.

You feel the ripples of water cease into a calm and the sudden eeriness of it all tripled by a dozen. Elias and Hiraya draw up their wands but as the three of you (with the exception of Ominis who is still clinging quite tightly on Sebastian’s arm) follow their movements, Hiraya only stares back with a shake of her head. Gladys turns to you with an apprehensive stare as the three of you slowly lower your wands.

Then the ripples start again. This time more chaotic and aggressive.

A sign of aggression and power. You could almost cower in fear as high pitched noises fill the air. Ominis and Sebastian clutches their ears in response at the howling noise. You see shadows in the water, circling your little group then it jumps. It was hard trying to make a figure out of it as it somehow manages to control the waters as they jump into the air.

Sebastian could make out three creatures circling them. He wasn’t sure if this was part of an initiation but the calm demeanors of the local Aurors at the front seemed to be his last thread of sanity in this very disturbing and panic-inducing moment. The circling stops as the creatures finally end their laps by surrounding them on each side.

They rise from the waters and you could only stare in awe as green scales with fish like heads emerge from the waters.

“What’s happening?” Ominis whispers in Sebastian’s ear. The brunette is entranced in fear by the presence of these domineering creatures.

“You don’t wanna know.” He replies, quietly. The silence is tense and uncomfortable as these creatures with large fins and predatory stares guard your group in a circle.

It’s Captain Alcantara who breaks the silence. “We’re expected. Bisita sila ng Datu.”

(“They are visitors of the Datu”)

The creatures make gurgling and chirping sounds before the so called leader, standing in front of Captain Alcantara, nods its head.

“Very well, Maharlika. Ibigay ang daan.” The leader says in a low and deep voice. It almost sounds too inhuman. Nevertheless, the group of creatures then swim once again underwater. Their figures form in a blur as they began to swim fast into circles in front of your group. A small whirlpool begins to form before the creatures swam back and then towards the whirlpool, using some sort of pressure that bursts the moving waters up. You had expected it to explode into your face, but the waters remain still above you forming an archway to a tunnel pathway. The waters beneath you slowly descend as they put you down slowly onto the sandy path. You see the creatures on standby in the walls of water. They send you a bow of respect before moving along.

(“Lead the way”)

“C’mon, the tunnel closes fast. The longer it stays up, the longer the risk for exposure.” Elias motions the four of you still stuck in a trance. Hiraya smiles as she pulls on your arm, encouraging you to walk with her. Just as Ominis and Sebastian enter the depths, the entrance immediately merges into what it once was. Sebastian lets out a huff of amusement before leaning close to whisper what just happened in Ominis’s ear.

You would think of the gesture endearing if it weren’t for the constant reminder of your dislike for him in your head.

“Apologies for the short freight, that was their main purpose to scare intruders. The Siyokoy tribe can be quite aggressive. Anyways, this way,” Captain Alcantara leads as whisps of blue flames light up as they trudge through a sandy path. You follow the officer, admiring the blues of the tunnel in awe. You watch as school of fishes pass by and numerous sea creatures appear above you. This was marvelous.

Silence lapses once more as the only sounds of the trek below was the sea life surrounding you and the crunch of your shoes against the sandy pathway.

It’s Hiraya who breaks your short solitude. “You’re Y/N Y/L/N right? Elliot Fontaine’s protégé?”

You turn to her with a smile. Her overall demeanor and personality seems too bright for your taste. It definitely is too blinding whenever she smiles. “Yeah—Well, was his protégé. Got promoted.”

You sheepishly reply to which she gasps in surprise. Eyes widening and mouthing forming a wide smile. God, she’s expressive too. “Congratulations! That’s incredible. I’m happy for you, senora.”

It’s awkward once again. The urge to say something back gets lost in your thoughts of thinking of another topic to start. This sends you in a spiral of trying to make your social relations skills work. It seems that Gladys has noticed your inner turmoil as she sends a look of amusement back at you from her position with Captain Alcantara. Your eyes widen at her as a glare to which she only chuckles at.

Thank Isolt Sayre that the gal broke the silence once more.

“I’ve seen your cases a few times on the transmission.” Hiraya timidly comments as she fiddles with her fingers, arm still intertwined with yours. You’ve never met an awkwardly introvert extrovert before. Was that even a thing?

She locks eyes with you in what you could say was pure admiration. “I admire you as an Auror is what I wanted to say… Both you and uh… Senor Fontaine.”

“… Thank you.” You nod shyly. “I’ll make sure to let him know.”

Hiraya bites her lip to control her excitement. You can deduce that this young girl had only been accepted recently. Talk about huge potential. Immediately placed as an Auror representative for a case that could indefinitely mean a war against humans and wizards? What kind of skills and capabilities is this girl hiding?

You decide to find it out yourself.

“Have you only graduated recently? Seems like a pretty big case to start off.” You say with genuine curiosity. Hiraya blows a raspberry as she guides you away from a protruding rock sprouting from the ground.

“Well, it’s been 4 years actually? So I guess that’s still fairly new. So um, off topic but um… Marahuyo en Mahika is a school led by Aurors, well babaylans to be specific.” She lists off. Your eyebrows must’ve furrowed in confusion as she leans in to continue. “Babaylans are shamans, most of them are women. They also wield magic quite differently. Instead of wands, they use weapons. Fascinating, right?”

Your eyebrows widen in amusement. “Weapons?”

“Yep. Well, originally Maharlikas or y’know our Aurors were like that too but they eventually had to adapt to the use of wands. Babaylans are old old. They keep the ancestral culture alive which makes them very important figures in the community.” Hiraya nonchalantly continues. “When you get praised and recommended to the Datu by a Babaylan—Datu is, what do you guys call your… The um… head?”

“Overall?” You suggest. From your peripheral, you see Ominis and Sebastian lean closer to listen in on the conversation. Hiraya nods then you continue. “It’s either President or Minister. Depends on the community.”

“Right. So basically, when the overall head gets a recommendation from a Babaylan. It means big,” Hiraya glances at you to assess your reaction. “They have inner connection to Bathala. They recognize your innate capabilities for magic and your potential for something greater…. Not to brag but yeah, it was mostly why I reached the higher ranks faster. Why I’m being mentored by PhilMaj’s greatest captain.”

Elias hears this. “That better be genuine.”

Hiraya giggles. “Why would I lie?”

You huff in amusement at the girl beside you. Techinically, you didn’t know exactly which field she was recommended for but to have a reliable witch beside you definitely eased your worries. Before you could further admire the literal sunshine hanging off your arm, you were suddenly aware of the large waterfall like entrance in front of you. Too distracted by Hiraya’s chatter, you had failed to realize that you were already at the entrance of the community.

Hiraya turns to you with a giddy smile as Elias pulls out his wand and waves it in a pattern before the waterfalls part gracefully and a whole new scenery is laid in front of you. You enter the place, watching as children flutter around, squealing as they chased one another. You eyed the Spanish influenced architecture and the stone pavements to the dome structure that protects the whole town. It seems to portray a version of day and night. Wizards and witches roam the streets as vendors selling levitating egg waffle balls (the closest thing you could describe it as) and many kinds of delicacies.

“The air is pristine and clean.” Ominis observes to which Gladys hums in agreement. He allows himself to be led by his wand. The waterfall doors immediately led to a small version of a town square. You would immediately be bombarded by the town’s festive nature by the time you enter place. Street lights decorate the place and you watch in amusement as a horse-man? Man-horse? Basically, A horse for an upper body and a man for a lower dressed in formal clothing walks on the other side of the street.

“Senor Cardel!” Hiraya calls at the same horse-man who looks up at the call of his name.

“Senora! Sigues siendo hermosa como siempre!” Senor Cardel greets with motion of the tip of his cigar before chuckling as Hiraya giggles at his compliments.

(Milady! You look beautiful as always!)

Hiraya turns around to see 4 sets of eyes looking at her in confusion.

“Was that a … horse?” Gladys asks, hesitant. Captain Alcantara laughs.

“That was Senor Cardel. A local here in Manila. He’s from the tikbalang tribe.” Elias comments. Gladys sounds a hum of disbelief before continuing to follow the young officer.

As you reach the main town hall, a large path then leads to a large building with grandiose architecture. Gladys glances at you with a knowing look as the four of you alongside Hiraya stand alongside each other.

“This is it right? The governing office?” Sebastian mumbles as the 6 of you watch three people exit the building. There were 2 women and a goblin approaching your little group. One wore a Spanish influenced type of traditional clothing while the other was covered in sleek black with golden jewelry adorning her neck, wrists, and even a form of headband around her forehead. A cloth in exquisite pattern surround her from the shoulder to her hip. A blade is rested on one side of her hip, hands resting on the handle. The goblin, in similar fashion to that of the first lady, approaches behind the two.

“You’re here just as our resident babaylan, Ysmeria predicted.” The woman dressed in beige traditional clothing walks forward. Ysmeria, the woman in black only stares as she analyzes the group before her. Eventually, her eyes landed on you. You couldn’t handle the heaviness of her stare and so you look away.

“Capitan Alacantara, salamat. You have served well and will continue to do so.” The woman praises the young man who nods in respect before taking a step back. The woman then takes a few steps closer to where you four are, kind gaze trained on each one of you.

“We have awaited your arrival. I am Corazon Del Rosario, the ruling Datu. Welcome to the Philippine Bureau of Magic and Wizardry.”

_

A/N: and that is chapter 2 WHWHHWHEHEHEH WELCOME TO THE PHILIPPINES MWA MWA <3 as u can see from this chapter, magical creatures are v much intertwined with society nyehe. More lore explained hihi AND THE INTRODUCTION OF FOUR MORE CHARACTERS!!! Will update the face claims nyehehe lmk your feedback as always!! It always makes my heart warm when I read your responses J

Datu – rulers, chiefs and monarchs in precolonial ph

Babaylan- shamans, often female, who use connect to the spirits and nature to heal and protect. Can also be warriors or leaders.

Siyokoy – underwater creatures depicted to have fish like features

Tikbalang – creatures who guard the mountains. Depicted to have a horse for a head and a human body.

[red-vixens-blog]

WIPs