#no matter how hard the Professor is trying to gain respect from other animals they will always treat him like a rat

[arrgh-whatever]

On your hierarchy of animals, it looks like it's supposed to be shaped like a pyramid but the tip is missing. Was it intentional? Is there a secret caste of animals you didn't talk about yet?

...or am I reading way too deeply into a post.

it's me. i'm the secret animal

okay in truth placing birds of prey and big predators at the top just didn't feel accurate

It's hard to imagine that giant bears (omnivores) and moose (herbivores) won't be taken seriously and even respected by them at least to a certain degree. The hierarchy isn't very strict and has a lot of exceptions so no animal feels like it should be at the top

[mycreativereach]

The Birth of Oron

Colossus’ raw power, wolverines’ adamantine claws, Captain America's unbreakable shield, the powers of the Greek gods, and the hierarchy of the archangels. These are but a few to name of the heroes I would watch growing up.

I was always a fanboy for superheroes, especially marvel. I had my time with DC, but I was always more drawn to the stories of the X-men or other superheroes within the realm of the marvel universe. Other means of fantasy such as Lord of The Rings and anime such as one-punch man and Dragonball Z played a part as well, but it was a few that stemmed from my childhood that allowed me to develop Oron the character you read today.

Colossus

To say that fantasy and heroes have had a slight impact on my novel is an understatement. I remember getting up early Saturday mornings, roughly around 8 am, to catch a list of cartoon shows that would appear on Fox. Over a few years, the shows had moved around and switched but I always remember waiting to watch the 90’s nostalgic marvel show x-men. The always progressive stories of wolverine’s trust issues and macho feud with cyclops, gambit’s Casanova chivalrous tendencies towards rogue, and Professor X’s forever dilemma of accepting the very humans who hate him while teaching mutants to be at peace with civilization was what I loved about the show. I couldn’t wait to rush to the carpet in front of my tv and sit for two half-hour episodes. At the time wolverine had been my favorite mutant and marvel character for that matter and still is. But the character that helped shape Oron was colossus. I remember seeing him for the first time, his mutant power of being able to enwrap himself in metal which tremendously increased his raw strength and power reeled me in. His character traits of being a humble Russian farmer with roots of loyalty and fighting for good is also what attached me to him even further. From that point on until this very day, colossus is still one of my top favorite marvel characters and has also helped pave the way for me to creating my character Oron. I knew I wanted Orons characteristics to be someone who came across as hard and cold on the outside because of the lore I had built around him, but I wasn’t exactly sure how I wanted him to look. Eventually between coming across colossus combined with my love for bodybuilding and the aesthetics that bodybuilders bring is ultimately the reason why I created Oron to have more of a menacing appeal to my readers. But as for the color of Orons skin, it’s funny that Oron turned to be blue. I have gotten feedback both negative and even some positive saying Dr. Manhattan has played a role in this decision I made. They are similar in some respects but in all honesty, it had nothing to do with that character. The sole reason is that I like the color blue and decided to go with a lighter or sky blue. Navy blue is my favorite to be exact, but I Liked a light shade of blue that looked on Oron and then decided to keep it. I had gone through several other stages of Oron with different colors and patterns and other anatomical appearances, but I felt none of them looked well enough as the color that he ultimately ended up with.

Sarevok

Another character that played a role in the creation of Oron was the main antagonist of the well-known RPG-pc game from the 1990s Sarevok Anchev from Baldur’s Gate. Still one of my favorite villains ever, Sarevok had the menacing appeal of height, increased strength, and malice that caused him to be feared. But it was his assured intelligence and allured determination that made me enjoy his character. Although I like the version of Sarevok from Baldur’s gate, it is the expansion to Shadows of Amn in Throne of Bhaal that was the version that piqued my interest for Oron. Sarevok at this point comes forward to help his brother, the main protagonist in the entire storyline. The evil aura still emanated from Sarevok but as you play out the game, or read the books, you, in turn, find out that even though this once archrival of yours had been your most bitter enemy was nowhere to help you even with the ominous characteristics he still had. This helped give me an idea to develop Orons past as being one of sorrow and negativity while helping Aurelia and although being a stern teacher, Oron meant the best for Aurelia. There were certain differences between the characters but also some similarities as well in the ways of how they displayed their care for the person they trying to help and the determination and confidence they expressed through their cold hard demeanors with Orons being more serious and Sarevoks attitude animating more of a serious but sinister malevolence.

Marvels Cosmic Hierarchy

Getting older I started to really dive into the cosmic hierarchies of Marvel. The vast powers in the universe always intrigued me as to how powerful they could become and how different beings would clash against one another. Being limited to the capabilities we have as humans always made these stronger beings look much more appealing because I knew it was physically impossible to achieve their prominence of power. Characters like Galactus or the In-Betweener from the marvel cosmic hierarchy would always possess jaw-dropping crazy abilities and crash with other beings of good or evil in the universe. I wanted to adapt powers such as this into my storyline, but I wanted to also make sure the readers knew that no matter how powerful one could seem, everything in my universe can be defeated. We might look at Oron and think that he’s a God of some sort, an undefeatable being with extraordinary abilities. But the truth is Oron could be matched by other relevant powers as well. In Marvels Hierarchy, the order of power is laid out for you to see who is the strongest and weakest of that order, although it's subject to change at times since some beings get stronger and others weaker. But what I enjoy is that even though there is an order of strength of power that doesn’t mean someone of weaker status can’t defeat another being of higher ranking. Because there are so many factors that help accumulate the ranking status of powers you are never fully solidified in that position and can be destroyed. As Marvel fans would know, we saw this when master order and lord chaos put aside their differences and joined together to destroy the living tribunal who was considered the second to the one-above-all who is the strongest entity in the marvel universe. Another example was how the Knull, the divine leader of the symbiotes, such as the one called venom from Spider-Man appeared from the multi-verse and decapitated a celestial, who were known to be some of the strongest beings in the multi-verse at the time. As much as there are hierarchies sometimes there are powers that seem to have been forgotten or hidden away to avoid detection. And even though there is a list of hierarchical power such as the one Oron is a part of you maybe never be truly undefeatable with other powerful beings that roam the universe.

 Greek Gods of Old

Another form of lore that helped shaped my character Oron was the tales of the Greek Gods from Mount Olympus. The many stories and fiery battles between themselves and also the titans intrigued me the most out of the many legends they were a part of. Their supremacy and dominance over Earth and its inhabitants were similar to what I wanted to implement in how Oron was perceived. Each Greek god had a role to play in part to help civilization keep structured. They each had an array of followers, some more than others, and had cities dedicated to their names. They were worshipped and in term bestowed their blessings upon the strongest of their followers and warriors. But Out of all the gods I always gravitated towards Poseidon and Hercules the most. Poseidon’s because of the wisdom yet commanding presence the god held and Hercules because of the demi-gods valiant heart and brute strength. So, you can say these didn’t exactly correctly tie with Oron but there are similar traits from these characters and the motions of the Greek Gods that inspired some of the character traits in Oron.  Although Oron is a hard-pressed individual he still flows with wisdom from the amount of experience he has gained from his years of life as Poseidon expressed through his many gatherings with other Gods and mainly Zeus. Oron’s strength seems to be unmatched and comes off as an omnipotent figure, similar to Hercules, to the people of Earth. As you read along in the novel you come to see Orons shortcomings and also weaknesses which were important for me to show. But whatever Greek God it was, even though they were far beyond mortals, they could have weaknesses emotionally and physically. You could be strong-willed and mentally equipped but even the Gods can be shaken just like when they had to battle the titans for their freedom.

Christian Biblical Hierarchy and its Powers

Growing up I was brought into a family with moderate practice of the Catholic Christian religion. Every Sunday for several years we would go to church and celebrate the name of God like a lot of other Christian families and live our lives as close to those religious morals. Needless to say, as I got older I drifted farther away from the specific ideological catholic beliefs when it came to how we were created. I still did and currently have a belief that there is some sort of greater being in the universe, but I have concluded that I have no idea what it is. For all I know it could be some greater intelligence that has no shape or form. It could be some superior alien race that decided to use humans as a test subject for their own means of biological experimentation. Or maybe we collided with other forms of substances and we weren’t the direct creation from any being at all, just a number of substances colliding together which then took billions of years to create our bacterial organisms that finally evolved into what we are today. Personally, I don’t believe in the latter of the possibilities, I think there is some sort of greater being or spirit, intelligence, or energy, whatever you want to call it, but have no idea what it is. But as I started to sway away from Catholicism the stories of the archangels and powers within the bible didn’t leave my mind so easily. Reading upon how God created the Earth and then the archangels and other stories such as Able and Kane piqued my interest. This was the foundation for the background lore of Illithesium and also my wanting to add Oron to a hierarchy of characters that belonged to the Christian religion but with my own twist. God's love with the strength of Michael and Lucifer's fallen grace would play a role in Illithesium and Oron but differently from how the bible displays it. Oron and these characters were beings of great power, yes, but they could be destroyed and were not immortal as we learned growing up in religion class. They had physical forms and could be spoken to although through a language far beyond our capabilities. Their legendary powers displayed in the bible also are showcased but in a way that it could be explained and understood in a more somewhat scientific down-to-earth method. Adding Oron to the lore of characters that I grew up reading about and knowing with adding many different featured twists was creatively fun. And the lore thickens as I’m currently writing the second book which you’ll get to see hopefully sooner rather than later.

 My Love for Bodybuilding

As I mentioned up above, bodybuilding has been a part of my life since I was 18 and has allowed me to view life in a specific way. If you want results, then you need to go out and earn them by taking necessary calculated actions in order to have success. By doing this over years I build a physique I had once admired and still admire, for myself through hard work and dedication. Involving myself in bodybuilding and reading upon bodybuilders and strength lifters is what really caused me to adopt a specific look to my character Oron. Now not all my characters look as big as Oron as I want physiological diversity in my novels, but the results one can get from weightlifting and the many ways you can build your body are shown through all my characters. But the reason why I chose Oron to not only be tall and broad but heavily muscular was to give an idea of what a superior being far beyond human capabilities can look like at physical peak performance. But an even bigger and more lasting impression I wanted to leave on my readers was that even the mightiest and biggest beings have demons they have nestled inside them. The strongest of us also have skeletons in their closet they’d like to forget that always come back to eventually haunt us. It was to show that it's normal to have to face your fears and to overcome them. It was a combination of respecting the hard work and ethic that goes into building a body as bodybuilders do, whether they be natural or not, and the strength that has to be applied to overcome the adversity of everyday life obstacles, injuries, and more. And to know that a being that may be tall and strong with power none the likes have seen before can still be shattered as nothing in the universe was made to be perfect and will eventually break under certain pressure.  

Last Thoughts

Oron became a staple in the Illithesium novel and to find out more you’d of course have to read up on the book to see what happens. I hope you enjoyed the character of Oron as much as I did create him and giving him life while watching him grow throughout the novel.

If you liked what you read here or have any questions, comment below or send me an email and I’d be happy to chat with you!

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars V (Harry Potter xFem!Oc)

A/N: In this house, we respect healthy friendships where you can roast each other relentlessly.

Words: 3,073

Warnings: None!

Series’ Masterlist

Previous chapter // Next chapter

Chapter Five: The Alley.

It was the first time in days that Mel managed to sleep. After delivering the letter and saving Harry from his awful relatives, things were bound to get better.

Harry moved next to her, she groaned and hid her face under the coat.

"Not yet," She complained, "too early!"

"There's an owl," Her friend mumbled.

"Where?" She slowly opened her eyes.

Harry got to the window and let the owl in, it dropped a newspaper and went over to Mel, starting to nibble on Hagrid's coat.

"Don't do that," Harry tried to scare it away, "Hagrid! There's an owl..."

Mel watched half asleep as Harry paid the owl, she had examined the coins during her flight and was excited to meet Gringotts so she could see a real Goblin. Her mother had given her the key to her father's vault, asking her to take good care of it. Mel promised she would.

They left first thing in the morning, Mel noticed that the motorcycle was gone, so they had to take the boat. Harry kept asking questions about everything, things that she hadn't thought of and was as interested as him to know.

For example, her uncle had been offered the position of Minister of Magic but declined so he could keep teaching at Hogwarts. She felt intimidated if she was honest, Dumbledore seemed to demand respect, and she wasn't sure she could live up to that. If the things her mother and Hagrid said were true, people would be waiting to see her turn into something just as impressive, Mel didn't think she had it in her.

On their way to London, Hagrid asked the boy to read the list of things they needed to buy, Mel slid closer so she could read it too.

It was all sorts of interesting: The titles of their books sparked a feeling in her chest to read them all in one sitting, the uniform and equipment reminded her of the fairytales she had been reading all summer.

"This is it," said Hagrid, after walking for a while, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."

Mel didn't know how that place could be famous, maybe it was famous in the wrong way, for its lack of lighting and how it smelled.

When they walked in, most of the people greeted Hagrid, they were all strange in a way that made her eager to start her education, she wanted to be like every single one of them: Accustomed to their magic.

When Hagrid told them he couldn't stay because he was on Hogwarts' business, the room fell silent.

"Good Lord," said the barman, "is this – can this be –? Bless my soul, Harry Potter... what an honour..."

The man rushed over to them and shook the boy's hand, then he glanced at Mel.

"And this lady..?"

"Mel," She said simply, then Hagrid gave her a gentle push and she cleared her throat, "uh- Dumbledore. Mel Dumbledore."

The man let out what sounded like a squeal and quickly held her hand.

"Miss Dumbledore! We were expecting you too, of course, but the both of you at the same time... What a day, what a wonderful day!"

There was movement around and suddenly Mel and Harry were greeted by a bunch of strangers, all looking as happy as the next. Many names went over her head because she was nervous and didn't know why were they all expecting them. They didn't know anything about her besides her name, what could they possibly be waiting for?

It lasted a while, even a man that was a teacher in Hogwarts greeted them, he was young and it reminded her to a little scared doggie, because he would tremble and stutter the whole time.

Hagrid finally took them out of the fuss and guided them to a back door, Harry and him talked about the young man -Professor Quirrell- and how he had a bad experience with some vampires. He came back terrified of his own shadow.

Mel had an icky feeling about it, she could have the same fate if she wasn't careful enough.

She wanted to be good, make her mother proud and live up to her last name, but it was going to be hard, she didn't know a thing about the world she was supposed to live in.

Hagrid pulled her out of her thoughts, hitting the bricks in front of them and magically forming an archway.

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley"

Brooms, potions ingredients, robes, books, wands... truly a whole world for her to experience, and a whole lifetime to do so, too!

They reached Gringotts, white as every cloud in the sky and Goblins in every corner. Mel was a bit taller than them but she wasn't deceived by the looks, Goblins could be tough if they needed to.

Hagrid went to one of the desks and gave Mel and Harry's keys to the Goblin.

After a careful examination, he gave them back and then they were guided to their vaults.

Hagrid also asked to see another vault: Number seven hundred and thirteen. He refused to say why. 'Hogwarts' business' he mentioned.

When they got to Harry's vault it was very impressive: Piles of coins everywhere!

Hagrid explained how it worked: Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle. She made sure to memorize it.

Her vault was further away, Hagrid said that hers was older since it was the Dumbledore's vault.

When the Goblin showed what was inside she felt a strange rumbling on her chest, similar to looking at a warm dinner after a whole day playing outside. Mel wasn't thinking of it as a fortune she could spend, though. She thought about the security, she didn't have to worry about her mother barely making it till next month. She wondered why, if her mother had the key to this vault, she never tried to take a bit for them.

Then she thought that maybe her mother wasn't exactly able to buy groceries with galleons, so Mel understood why she went to gain her own money in the muggle world.

Again, Hagrid helped the kid to grab enough for a few terms and went back to the cart, looking pretty sick.

They arrived at the last vault, the "Hogwarts' business" as Hagrid kept calling it.

Harry and Mel squeezed each other in the tiny space they had, fighting to get a better view of a... completely empty vault. The girl sat back with a huff, disappointed. Harry tugged at her sleeve and discretely pointed to something on the floor: a tiny package wrapped on brown paper.

Hagrid collected it and sat back on the cart, the children shared a confused glance before preparing for the trip back to the surface.

Once out and about, Hagrid sent the kids to get their uniform while he went over to the leaky cauldron for something that could calm his dizziness.

Once there, the old lady asked them to get to the back of the store where another boy was trying on his robes. He had a sharp chin and cold eyes, he also looked terribly bored.

The problem started when he talked.

A bunch of rubbish, she would say. Even if she understood very little, she could tell what kind of person he was through the tone of his voice. When Hagrid appeared outside of the store and Draco called him a savage, it took everything in her to act politely.

Once out, she angrily whispered to Harry:

"What an idiot," She shook her head, "I hope that whatever house-thing we end up in, it's not Slyth-whatever..."

"Why?" Harry asked, "just because that boy might be there?"

"I refuse to share anything in common with him!" She faced forward with her head held high, "He's annoying"

Harry grinned.

"What?" She looked over to him, "What's so funny?"

"You looked like Aunt Petunia"

She looked at her friend in outrage.

"Don't be rude!" Harry laughed harder, Mel tried to stay mad but she inevitably joined in.

Harry had been quiet for a while, it was weird in him after spending the whole morning making questions. Mel tried to make him laugh, but he only paid attention to the task at hand and bought his equipment silently.

Mel did too, assuming that her friend would talk when he felt ready. He acted like that when something annoyed him and she knew him enough to be patient.

After they bought a good amount of quills and parchment, Harry spoke up.

"Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"

"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know – not knowin' about Quidditch!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry.

"I don't know either," She patted his back softly, "you shouldn't worry about that boy, Glasses"

"What boy?" Asked Hagrid.

The two kids told what happened back in Madam Malkin's and Hagrid was quick to shrug off all of their worries. Although Mel already knew all that: Blood, knowledge, or families shouldn't matter as long as you do your part and you're good at it.

Or at least, she hoped so.

Then they talked about Quidditch -She could definitely become a fan- and the Houses back in Hogwarts. Apparently, Slytherin had a terrible reputation because Voldemort was there when he was young.

Next, they went for their books and potions ingredients.

"A gold cauldron!" Mel laughed, "Are you trying to get mugged? You can't walk around the streets with that!"

"I just thought it was more resistant than the normal ones!" Harry blushed, "Shut up!"

"Sure," She snorted, "you've been rich for what, thirty minutes? And you're already showing off..."

"I'm not," He pushed her away lightly.

"Mr. Potter, would you like me to hold the bags for you? I could hire an assistant for your needs, I see that the extra work is making you moody"

Harry tried to hold back, but when Mel bowed and opened the door for him, he burst out laughing.

Then Hagrid said he would buy Harry a present and Mel beamed at the idea.

"What are you going to get him, Hagrid?"

"He doesn't have to!" Insisted Harry, "Don't ask!"

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at – an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer post an' everythin."

"An owl!" Mel exclaimed, "They're so pretty, Harry! We could send letters to my mum once we're in school!"

"I-I..." Harry was bright red, it had been a while since Mel had seen him so flustered and she was delighted.

"Let's go!" She took his hand and dragged him towards 'Eeylops Owl Emporium' with Hagrid following them.

"You'll have an owl, I'm so jealous," Mel said under her breath, "my mum would never allow me to have one, she'd say they're dirty..."

"I don't think Aunt Petunia will be pleased either," Harry replied.

"Oh, but who cares? They won't annoy you now"

"You don't know that," Mel examined each owl with care.

"I do," She smiled, "they don't know you aren't allowed to do magic"

Before Harry could reply, Hagrid got inside the store and looked around, he asked Harry if he had anything in mind and the boy shook his head.

"What do you think about this one?" The little girl asked, pointing to a snowy white owl.

She got closer to it, her hand dangerously near the cage. However, the owl didn't try to bite her, instead, it inched closer, grazing her fingertips.

Harry got closer too, looking at the owl.

"I do like it," He admitted, "Hagrid..?"

"Yes of course!" Exclaimed the man loudly, "it's yer birthday after all, whatever yeh want, boy"

All the way to the counter, after they were outside the store, Harry still was stuttering his gratitude. Mel stayed behind on purpose, but when she got back, she examined the list on her hands.

"Now we need our wands, Hagrid," Interrupted Mel.

A wand! Hagrid told them that they weren't allowed to do magic outside the school, but Mel was about to start school, so she wasn't too worried about it. Only a wand would tell her exactly how much like her father she was.

So they went over to 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC.' Mel walked in, feeling her skin tingling almost as if the wands were telling her to inch closer.

"Good afternoon," Said a voice on her left.

Harry and Hagrid jumped, taken by surprise. Mel was too eager to feel anxious, she got closer to the counter.

"Hello," She smiled.

"Hello," Said Harry beside her, only a bit more awkward than her.

"Ah yes," The man smiled, "I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Harry Potter."

He then looked at Mel, it took him a moment.

"You look a lot like your mother," He nodded, "but I can see there's a Dumbledore behind those eyes."

He watched the kids closely.

"Miss Dumbledore, if you please," He moved away from the counter and started measuring her body. Then the tape moved on its own while the man rummaged through the shelves.

She tried exactly three wands. Oak, then maple, then oak again.

"English oak with phoenix feather, twelve inches and a half, slightly elastic flexibility," Ollivander said.

Mel felt revived, that wand somehow welcomed her home.

She waved it a little and bright blue sparks shot out.

"Very good!" The old man cheered, "It seems you have found your match, Miss Dumbledore, congratulations! Mr. Potter, it seems to be your turn now..."

Harry, as usual, was a bit harder to find. A pile of wands was blatant proof of it.

Ollivander didn't seem to care as he kept bringing more wands with a delighted expression. After a while, he came back holding only one box, he had an odd look on his face.

He gave it to Harry, and the magic (quite literally) was immediate. Mel and Hagrid clapped and cheered, but Ollivander was in his own head, he kept murmuring to himself.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather – just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother – why, its brother gave you that scar."

Mel watched her friend's wand carefully, frowning at it as if it could act on its own and only did bad things.

"Yes, thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember ... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr Potter ... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great."

"I don't think so," Mel said out loud, "I'm sorry Sir, but he wasn't great. He was nothing but a murderer. My friend will grow up to be much better."

Ollivander, instead of getting angry at the girl, chuckled lowly.

"Let's hope you are right, Miss Dumbledore. After all, your family has the reputation of being almost always right on what they say."

Mel stayed silent. If people kept reminding her how important her family was, she did not think she'd bear it for long.

The kids didn't feel like talking, not even on the train when they were close to going back to their relatives.

Hagrid bought them lunch and insisted so much on their attitude that they decided to share their worries.

"Everyone thinks I'm special," Said Harry, "all those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr Ollivander... but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol– sorry – I mean, the night my parents died."

Mel nodded without speaking, she was chewing a big chunk of her food.

The girl waited for Hagrid to end his speech about how they would blend in easily with the rest of the kids to add:

"I hope you're right, I barely know who my dad was and now they want me to be exactly as his side of the family. I can't do that, I'm not wise or clever..."

"We know," Added Harry, teasing his friend.

"Sod off, Glasses," She nudged his arm.

"Emily will pick yeh up from the station," Hagrid said once they were saying their goodbyes, "here are yer tickets fer Hogwarts..."

Mel and Harry pressed their noses against the glass to watch Hagrid, but he was gone.

"Sometimes I still think I'm dreaming," sighed Mel getting back to her seat, "it's all too good to be true, don't you think?"

"Why didn't you tell me about your letter?" Harry asked.

She should've known. He was smart, Harry would never forget that his only friend hid the truth from him.

"I'm sorry," She said honestly, "I told you, Dumbledore went to my house and explained everything. I wanted to tell you right away! But he... he made me promise..."

"I thought we were best friends."

"Are you really mad at me, Glasses? I rescued you!"

"Hagrid rescued me, you just were with him!"

"Okay, yes," She rolled her eyes, "but I was there, just like I promised"

Harry lowered his head, frowning.

"Glasses," Mel repeated, "didn't I keep my promise?"

"You did," He replied quietly, "at least I won't have to go to school with that horrid uniform my Aunt was making for me, it was all Dudley's old clothes..."

"Gross," The girl grimaced, "oh, I almost forgot! I have a present for you!"

She pulled a tiny package from her jacket and handed it to him.

"Happy Birthday!"

"It's a..." He squinted, tearing up the paper, "a mouse?"

"It's a toy for your owl!" Mel smiled, "I bought it after you left the store"

"Then is not exactly mine, is it?"

"Well, no," She grinned, "but I think you've been too spoiled for today and that's actually useful, it will keep her busy while she's on her cage."

"You're loopy," He rolled his eyes, putting the mouse inside the owl's cage.

"Shut up."

Next Chapter —>

[sope-and-shine]

Christmas Special: Day 24

-> Pairing: Jeongguk x Reader -> Family!AU // Fluff -> Word Count: 2.6k -> Summary: Jeongguk has only ever wanted the perfect job, perfect wife, and the perfect family. This Christmas, you’ve finally been able to give that to him. -> Warning(s): Mild language??? (I forget) // nothing to really be concerned about though

When Jeongguk was younger, he’d always had big dreams of becoming a man just like his Father. He wanted to be a good, strong man, that was kind and cared for others no matter what. He wanted to have a cool job, just like his Dad’s, and be able to take care of his own family. He wanted to have a beautiful wife, someone just as beautiful and as sweet as his Mother to have a family with. He wanted someone who would take care of him and his future children the same way his mother would take care of him.

And he found you.

In college, you both shared your 9 am literature class together for your first semester. You actually didn’t even sit next to or talk to each other for the first few weeks. You didn’t even notice Jeongguk for the first time until that one day in the middle of the class when he ran in late to the lecture, but when he was running down the steps as quickly as possible, he tripped halfway on the lip of a step and tumbled down the remaining stairs until he stopped right next to you, flat on his back. You remember staring at him with wide eyes wondering if he was even conscious until his eyes opened and the first words out of his mouth were, “Well, that definitely could have gone better.” 

Your professor was livid with his outburst, but didn’t nag the boy too hard considering the fall he just had. He only demanded that he take a seat in the next few seconds or he would be removed from the room. That’s how you ended up sitting next to the clumsy boy, sharing your notes out of pity when he realized that he’d missed so much of the class already and quietly asked to borrow yours. He would occasionally make comments on your notes and how easy they were to read - he even drew a few cute little characters that made you laugh when he gave the pages back at the end of class. He then insisted that he buy you a coffee in return for letting him borrow your notes, and after a few minutes of rallying back and forth - with him insisting he definitely should and you trying your best to explain that he shouldn’t trouble himself over a few notes - but in the end you do give in to his wishes.

And that began the wonderful years that you then spent together.

From that first class and that first coffee date, the both of you soon became inseparable. It wasn’t like you treated the coffee shop like a date - but after you did become official in your Sophomore year of college, Jeongguk began to insist that the coffee date after that terrible class definitely counted as your first date together - but at the time you and Jeongguk were just starting out as friends. But as classes continued, and parties came up, and just needing someone to keep you sane in those moments; Jeongguk was the man you were looking for. Study sessions, movie nights, and even the scattered mental health day when one or both of you just needed to step back and breath for a moment. Within weeks the two of you were now the best of friends, and it didn’t take long for something more to blossom in your relationship.

Flash forward three years, and you and Jeongguk have graduated from your perspective majors, you both have amazing jobs that you managed to snag relatively quickly, and you’re now renting an apartment for the both of you. Every morning you get to wake up in the arms of your boyfriend, you get to play with his fluffy hair and leave kisses all over his face until he wakes up, you get to watch his big, doe eyes open and his bunny smile shine bright first thing in the morning. It wasn’t like you were the only one who was winning in this situation, though. Jeongguk was happy to wake up to your smiling face and your small hands carding through his hair, he loved the feeling of your lips touching every inch of his face, he loved the feeling of the warmth of your body next to his, and even when you got out of bed he was blessed with the sight of your bare legs with his shirt covering the rest of you.

Yeah, he loved his mornings with you.

The movie nights that you had back in college were now every night, usually split between Disney, Marvel, anime, or shows the both of you had started to binge on. Take out an instant ramen were constants in your lives, and it was funny just how much the two of you consumed yet continued to not gain anything - Probably due to the both of you being young, but who was really keeping tabs on this? Everyday you spent together, whether they were bad good, whether you wee sick and tired of each other or not, whether you just wanted some damn space or not, you pushed through it all so you could go to bed together in each others arms.

And that’s why Jeongguk loved you so much.

Despite the fights you did have, you would never let him leave the house or fester in anger. Despite your own ill feelings, you would always grab his hand and hold it to make sure he didn’t go anywhere until the two of you talked everything out like adults. Not only that, but when he was sick, you’d always call into his work to inform them he would not be in for the day, then you’d call your boss let her know that you’ll be in just a little later so you could make him homemade soup, you’d get him a waste bin if needed, set up his medicines, and give him a quick kiss goodbye to his temple before leaving for work. 

But you didn’t stop there. 

No.

You’ll come home with more soup from the little shop down the street for him and a silly little card just to make him laugh a little. Sometimes - if you don’t have time to grab or make a card - you’ll take pictures of every dog that you see just so you can gush over them together when you get home. And he loved every minute of it. To see your face light up when you show him every dog that you encountered on your walk to and from work, to hear you talk about your day as if you didn’t tell him everyday, just to hear you talk to him in general! He would never in a million years have imagined that he could admit he was whipped for you.

But it was no surprise that he wanted his ring on your finger.

He told his parents immediately that he was going to propose to you, and he took you on a weekend trip to see your family just so he could ask your father in person to ask you to marry him. Both parties shed tears, and both parties were elated to be joining families. He only had to ask you, and he already had a pretty good idea on how to do so. 

The two of you loved to take walks together in the spring evening, and he figured that was the best opportunity for him to pop the question. All he needed was some help from a few of your friends. So he got the boys together, called your work friends to meet him at the park an hour before you would meet him there - you thought he had to meet with Seokjin and Yoongi - and tell them the plan and send them ahead of him with the flowers and flower petals before you would arrive. 

And boy did you arrive.

He wanted to do you right and make sure you would be happy with your engagement photos, so he asked you to wear something nice so he could take you out for a date night after your walk. You walked into the park looking for him wearing a simple white, a-line, long-sleeve dress with a red scarf wrapped around your neck, and a pair of brown ankle boots. He couldn’t tell if you were wearing makeup or not, but you looked stunning even from afar. He felt his dark jeans with a light blue button down, black shoes, and a dark red suit jacket was nothing compared to how beautiful you looked. He couldn’t even imagine you looking any more beautiful - boy was he in for a surprise - but he still had a mission to do.

“Well, you clean up nice.” You compliment him, taking his hand in yours when you get closer.

He shakes his head with a shy smile, “You look even better. Shall we?”

You nod and follow him down the familiar path, enjoying the scenery around you in the peaceful park. You chat together quietly until familiar face start to appear: Jimin is the first to come up to you, saying a quick hello and handing over a rose before he just walks away without a word. You continue on despite his strange actions, but he’s followed by your work friend Ara with a flower of her own. As you continue down the path, more and more of your friends arrive to hand over flowers - at this point you have a feeling you know what’s going on - but when you reach the gazebo by the lake that’s covered in flower petals, and Jeongguk finally takes a knee and pulls out a little black box, you’re rendered even more speechless than you’ve ever been before. You knew he wanted a future with you, and he’d spoken about marrying you before, but now it was real.

You were going to be Mrs. Jeon (Y/n).

You had your wedding that winter, choosing the most convenient time of the year to get together. It was a little hectic at first with such short notice, but the both of you were able to find a wedding planner to help you arrange everything. You found your venue in a month, chose your decorations by June, you had a dress before August was through, invitations had been sent, and Jeongguk sent the food and music lists to the respective brother he entrusted the biggest day of his life with. And when the day did come, and he saw you in your beautiful dress looking like the most beautiful angel he’d ever seen before being walked by your father, he lost whatever will he had left to not cry in front of everyone he knows. But he still had you, and you wiped his tears despite having tears of your own. You took his hand in yours, and you professed every ounce of love you had for each other.

Together.

But that still wasn’t enough. He needed more to show that you were the love of his life, he needed something bigger to prove all of his devotion to you, and being the beautiful, loving wife you were, gave him that opportunity.

“Gukkie...look at how precious he is…” You cry, looking down at your newborn son resting on your bare chest. You were having your first skin to skin contact with him after 36 grueling hours of labour, and his little body had you convinced it was all worth it. But there was no reason for you to grab your husbands attention; you already had it.

Jeongguk was just doing his best not to cry after having his son come back to your room for the three of you to be alone together. 8 months ago you had told him you were pregnant with his child, 7 months ago you told him he was having a little boy, 6 months ago you first began to show his son was in your tummy, 3 months ago you were helping him unpack boxes in your new apartment, 2 months ago you were having a great time with friends and family at your baby shower, 2 days ago you still had your little boy inside of you, and 6 hours ago you finally gave birth to your first baby. He remembers every step of the way, wrote it all down as it happened so he could remember it when he was old and grey. He wanted to share everything with his son…

And now he was right here in your arms.

“Do you want to hold him, Guk?” You ask, pulling the doe-eyed man out of his deer-in-the-headlights state in the chair next to you. You giggle, “Unbutton your shirt and try skin-to-skin with him.”

He nods, standing up so you wouldn’t have to move too much after all the stress you just put your body through. He unbuttons his shirt just enough for his son to slip through, then he helps you sit up just enough so he can move your son from your arms to his own, pulling the small human close to his chest and resting in the chair next to you again. He stares down at his son, feeling the emotions bubbling in his chest where the little boy rests. Everything about him is tiny, and he’s in so much shock that he was able to create the ultimate form of love with your help.

“He’s so small..” Jeongguk whispers, fighting back the tears so he won’t disturb the baby trying his best to go to sleep. He looks to you, seeing you now resting on your side, facing him with a tired yet content smile. You look radiant even now, tired and worn out from the days activities. He’s so overcome with love just looking at you. “You’re amazing, Jagi.”

“I know.” You tease. You reach your hand out to him and he gladly takes it in his own, squeezing gently. “We did it.”

He nods, “We did it together...”

“It looks like Minjun is all tuckered out.” You comment, adjusting yourself on the bed to be more comfortable as you watch him sleep on your husband’s chest.

Jeongguk rubs the top of you hand with his thumb, “You should join him. You’ve had a long few days, so you should get some sleep while he does.”

“Are you sure?” You ask. Truthfully, you have no doubts Jeongguk can watch your little boy, but you really just never want to stop looking at him. You don’t want to fall asleep and find him all grown up just like that.

“Get some rest, baby. It’s Christmas Eve, so Santa will be coming very soon to deliver presents.” He teases, knowing the boys will be stopping by after seeing their own families and friends to drop off yours and Minjun’s presents.

“Okay.” You reluctantly agree, knowing that you’ll want to be awake at the same time your beautiful baby boy would be as well. Christmas was tomorrow, and you wanted to play with your gift all day and for the rest of your life. You settle yourself in the hospital bed, taking one last look at your son and your husband before letting your eyes close like they’ve wanted to since you gave birth a few hours ago.

Jeongguk watches you settle, warmth in his chest - and not just from his son. After years of wanting and waiting, years of joy, sadness, and high expectations, finally finding the perfect woman to spend the rest of his life with; He now had everything he ever wanted.

Just in time for it to be the best Christmas present ever.

[petting-mutts-and-sticking-butts]

How Veterinary School is the real world equivalent of Hogwarts.

For many veterinary students this profession has been a dream from when they were in kindergarten, much like a young witch or wizard hoping that they get their very own acceptance letter to Hogwarts when they turn 11. Most of them are fairly confident that they are getting it, because they are purebloods (or in muggle terms a legacy student). While others, like myself, are hoping that there magical ability (academic accomplishment and extracurricular activities) were enough to earn them a spot. No matter the background every young witch or wizard is ecstatic when they finally get that letter.

Once accepted, there is a whirlwind of things that need to be accomplished prior to getting on the Hogwart’s express. First you have to go to Diagon Alley (Amazon) to purchase their many school supplies: books, robes (spirit gear/ scrubs), wands (dissection kit), and trunks (backpacks). Getting off the train and arriving to Hogwarts (Veterinary school) you are greeted by the larger than life groundskeeper, Hagrid, who shuttles you across the Black lake to the castle. The whole time all the first years students are getting acquainted and more excited to actually enter the school.

 At our college we have a whole week of orientation, you are greeted by the larger than life dean of student’s and many other higher ups in the college. You are given a tour of the hospital by some of the upper classmen. During this orientation process, much like Hogwarts, our school has houses that you are sorted into. These houses compete throughout the year in various activities to build up the students morale and build bonds that will last a life time.

There are so many classes that you go through in veterinary school that honestly have a Hogwarts counterpart: 

Potions= Pharmacology

Care of Magical Creatures= Medicine Courses

Charms= Emergency Medicine/ Pain management

 Astronomy= Radiology

Defence Against the Dark Arts= Bacteriology/ Mycology/ Parasitology/ Virology

History of Magic= History of Veterinary Medicine

Herbology= Toxicology 

Devination= Clinical Pathology and Veterinary Neuroscience

Transfiguration=Surgery 

 And with each of those courses comes the many professors and the personalities they bring with them.

The Professor Snape: A professor/ clinician that instills fear in every student they come across. They may have a few students that they tolerate more than others but for the most part they hate students. They would really prefer tinkering by themselves and work on different research projects but because this is a teaching hospital they are forced to interact with people. But in their own words “I am tenured so what are they going to do?”  

The Professor Kettleburn: A professor/ clinician that loves all animals, no matter how dangerous they are or how often said animal has tried to kill them. They have some of the coolest war stories around but they also have the associated battle scars. You wish you were as brave as they were but you also question their sanity. 

The Professor Binns: A professor/ clinician that drones on and on and doesn’t even notice that half of the class is not paying attention, while the other half of the class has fallen asleep. Sometimes they even bore themselves while they are lecturing on the subject. 

The Professor Flitwick: A professor/ clinician that is very eccentric and likable. They always seem to be in a happy mood and will do anything in their power to brighten your day. Often times they are exceptional in their specialty making them a force to be reckoned with. 

The Professor McGonagall: The professor/ clinician that seems very serious when you first meet them but as the years go on you realize that they are one of the students biggest supporters. They are hard on you when they need to be, but they are understanding and helpful when it is most needed. They are astounding in their field and are respected by all that know them. 

The Professor Sprout: The professor/ clinician that is very earthy and was likely your toxicology professor. They don’t really deal with animals a whole lot but they deal with the plants that could kill said animals. They are the leader of the misfits but they are very likable people.  

The Professor Trelawney: A professor/ clinician that seems to live on their own planet. Most of the time you think they are making things up as they are going but every once in a blue moon they get something right. And the things they do get right are world changing so that’s why they are still around. 

The Professor Lupin: A professor that was only with your class for a short period of time. They always look disheveled and like they had a hard night. They are very nice and often very good at working with students but misunderstood by most of the faculty.

The Professor Dumbledore: A professor/ clinician that leads a complex life, but also has a taste for some of the simpler things. They are brilliant, eccentric, loving, and strict. You go through school thinking you have them pegged and then you get to clinics and realize that this person is far deeper than you ever imagined. 

The Hagrid: A technician or hospital staff member that would do anything to help the students. They often give tips and tricks that the clinician probably wish they wouldn’t divulge but they really don’t care because they like the students more than the clinicians anyway. They love all the animals as if they were their own, and often times they pour their heart and soul into the treatment of those animals. Treat these people nicely, they will be your best friends during the clinical year. 

The last comparison to be made is between the main characters of the story (including the villains) and all of your classmates. 

Harry: The chosen one. They seem to have all the clinicians and professors on their side. They can do no wrong and very few people truly dislike them. While from the outside looking in it appears that everything in their life is so easy, often times that is quiet the opposite. Rarely do they actually know what they are doing, they just get lucky and have a lot of help.

Ron: The funny best friend to the chosen one. They may be just as smart or be the reason that the chosen one accomplished as much as the did, but because they are the sidekick they don’t get nearly as much credit as they deserve. But they are okay with that, because they are good people. 

Hermione: The brainy student that you hear everyday in class. When a teacher asks a question, they raise their hand first. They are overachievers, so much so that you wonder how they have time for it all (time-turners must be real right?) They have tidbits of knowledge tucked away and they are ready to apply at the drop of a hat. The more you get to know them, the more likable they are but damn were you annoyed before that (this is me...).

The Weasley Twins: The jokesters. The professors know that they are pranksters, and sometimes they help pull off grand schemes. Other professors hate them because “this is a professional program so you need to act like grown-ups.” They may even drop out in there clinical year because this really wasn’t for them in the first place.

Luna: That one classmate that always seems to have their head in the clouds, and when they actually talk you never really know what might come out of their mouths. They are brilliant in their own right but they are extremely eccentric and have some beliefs that are not widely accepted by the veterinary community. 

Neville: The student that you constantly find yourself asking how they got here in the first place, since they are all but a squib anyways. They always seem to be struggling and never really seem to have a full grasp of what is going on. But then you see them in the clinics, and watch them finally gain some traction and see their education come full circle. It’s like something finally clicked and they found their element. 

Ginny: The students from the classes beneath you that are associated with your class for one reason or another. They may be a roommate, a girlfriend/ boyfriend, a classmate that failed a class, or your first year buddy. Either way you see them so much that sometimes you forget they are not part of your graduating class. 

Peeves: They speak mainly in riddles, and they are constantly trying to start some kind of drama. They get along pretty well with the Weasley twin’s because they are all up to no good. They will not rest until mischief is managed. And they show up when they are least wanted, because all they do is make your life harder.

Moaning Myrtle: That one student that you always see crying in the hallways. You wonder what in the world makes their life so hard that they are always on the verge of tears, but who knows maybe that’s just how they handle stress. Everyone is afraid to be left alone with this person because you never know when the waterworks might be coming.

Malfoy: The one classmate that everyone loves to hate. Not only did they chose to act like a total ass-hat within the first year of school, but they continued to make decisions that put them at odds with most of the class. They may have wanted to be a good person, but their inherently bad heart lead them to make all the wrong choices.  

Crabb and Goyle: They are associated with the aforementioned villainous classmate, so everyone still hates them. When in all reality they probably are not that bad but they are associated with the wrong people and have forever been grouped with that hatred.  

Filch: This is the student that absolutely hates anything fun, despises the Weasley twins, and HATES PEEVES! They walk around with a scowl on their face, their scary sidekick in toe, ready to turn in anyone that even thinks about breaking a rule. Sometimes you wonder how they got past the interview process to begin with, but maybe they just scared the interviewers so much that they had to let them in. 

Voldemort: This is the NAVLE in my mind. You can’t reach your full potential if you don’t defeat that damn test. Every year you are in school the weight of that test grows heavier and heavier. You know the final battle is going to test everything you have learned throughout your years of school and training. You know that it is going to be an epic battle of wits and you are going to leave that testing center feeling a lot worse for the ware but it can be done. IT MUST BE DONE FOR YOU TO LIVE YOUR LIFE LIKE THE PROPHECY PREDICTED!

Dolores Umbridge: This person isn’t necessarily a classmate, but it could be. They are despised beyond all others. They are hated more than the NAVLE, maybe not feared as much, but definitely hated more. They have inserted themselves into your veterinary school experience and every minute with them made it worse.

Bellatrix Lestrange: This person is sadistic and enjoys torturing people just because they like to watch them fall apart. They are intelligent but mentally unbalanced and easily lose focus but they are devoted to making the life of their victims worse through the teachings of Voldemort. Often twists reality to suit their view and purpose. Everyone is below them in status, at least that’s how they see things. Evil incarnated. 

Lucius Malfoy: This person often considers themselves better than those around them because of where they come from. Often acting as though other classmates are beneath them because those classmates took a different route to get here. At times they may even attempt to sabotage their classmates because of their belief that they are superior. This person often hides in the shadows, making it hard to detect their true feelings but if you watch their repeated actions their beliefs become very clear. 

Sirius Black: A person that you originally thought was evil due to rumors that had gone around the class. Then you take the time to get to know them and hey become family. People wonder why you like them, but you tell them that this person is good people.

Molly Weasley: This person is a mother figure in your school. It may be a classmate, a faculty member, or supporting staff. They often bring baked goods to class and try to make sure that everyone is happy and taken care of. They check-in often and are always there for you when you are down in the dumps.

Arthur Weasley: This person is a father figure to all. Often fascinated with things that have nothing to do with veterinary medicine. The job that they have often contradicts those outside interests but they don’t mind. They are goofy and light hearted most of the time but will kick ass and take names if need be.

Madeye Moody: This person knows everything, so much so that you are pretty sure they can see in all directions. They look crazy and dangerous but in all reality they are very smart and somebody you want on your team. At times they seem paranoid until their suspicions come to fruition.

Dobby: This is your family and friends that always seem to be there when you need them most. They put up with being treated like garbage because you are their family. Because let’s be honest, these people take the brunt of your piss poor mood when you are stressed. They are the closest too you so they see the absolute worst of you, but yet they still love you. So give Dobby something nicer than a used sock... Say thank you for the years that they put up with you. 

Hedwig: Don’t forget about the veterinary student’s pets. They are the real heroes to this story. Not only do they keep us sane but they put up with our constant poking and prodding. They also get voluntold to be the dummy for sooooo many wetlabs. All the while they greet you at the door with a wagging tail or a rub of the leg and would sacrifice their life for your at the drop of a hat.

[benscursedkid]

Rebekah’s Extended Family: Maternal Side

Paternal Side / Immediate

Aunt: Adelaide Leá Cordeau (née Leon)

Born: October 31st, 1947

Sign: Scorpio

House: Slytherin

Wand: Laurel Wood, Dragon Heartstring and Demiguise Hair Core, 12 ¾ Inches, Soft Flexibility

Blood Status: Pure-Blood

Occupation: Alchemy Professor at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

Oldest of the two, Adelaide was very fond and very protective of her sister

Feared her parents, particularly her father, and therefore was more impressionable, more likely to follow orders and obey them mindlessly

Even if it was just to satiate them and keep herself out of trouble

Scared of what would happen if she disagreed with him so she let herself be manipulated

Better to safe than sorry is her motto

She used to try to appeal to her mother when she was younger but soon realized it was useless

Their mother was a numb, empty woman and advised Delphine to leave her be when she started trying to do the same

Though during summer breaks she did try as often as she could to keep her and Delphine out of the house

But at the end of the day, they always had to come back

That stuck with her

Quieter than her sister, more studious, though they shared equal ambition

Immensely skilled in Potions and Alchemy and was a star pupil in the Slug Club as a student

The only one in her family who was skilled in singing– something she loved to tease Delphine about

Her humor was a bit dry and biting, but witty and very sarcastic

You’d really never realize exactly how respectful or polite she was if you didn’t take the chance to look

She was just as kind and caring as her sister, but not as bold or as daring, and a bit tougher around the edges

Where her sister was outgoing at school and trying— whether it worked or not is another matter —to make friends, she was much more introverted and uncomfortable in the presence of people she didn’t know or couldn’t understand

Good at reading people and used that to her advantage

Tried to take as much of the trouble as she could off of Delphine when their parents got angry, but it only deepened her fear of them

Learned to confuse fear with respect because of this

These actions went unbeknownst to her sister and she liked it that way

It’s better for her not to know, she doesn’t like pity

When she graduated she was similarly married off to a French pure-blood wizard, Jacques Cordeau, who worked as an Obliviator for the French Ministry (she moved to France to accommodate his job and was hired by Beauxbatons)

Covered for her sister when she begged to have her own life for a year and was manipulated by her parents into regretting it when she ended up marrying a muggle

Ignored her entirely for a solid year until she found out Delphine was pregnant and then cut ties with her own family to try and patch things up with her little sister (successfully)

Eventually fell genuinely in love with her husband and had two children

Her niece and nephew are very important to her

Uncle (by marriage): Jacques Emile Cordeau

Born: September 16th, 1945

Sign: Virgo

School: Graduated from Beauxbatons

Wand: Vine Wood, Phoenix Feather Core, 13”, Springy Flexibility

Blood Status: Pure-Blood

Occupation: Obliviator

Grew up with a hefty family fortune

Also an only child, and it often times rendered him rather lonely

Both his parents were business people and they always seemed to not have enough time for him

Not necessarily bad parents, just absent, rather hands-off

A lot of the time when he would ask to spend time with them, they threw money at him and told him to do whatever he wants with it…

“cause that’s what you want, right?”

Suffice to say, it became a learned behavior and he grew up doing much the same thing

Turned into a bit of a loner

And very stand-offish

Came to resent his parents’ money, but because he was practically raised off of it alone he doesn’t know what he would do without it

Very used and accustomed to the classy, rich lifestyle

Doesn’t mean to be rude, but he likes compartmentalizing and prioritizing his time so he hates distractions

Graduated top of his class and gained a very respectable job at the Ministry, people were always sucking up to him

He didn’t like it much and he knew they didn’t really like or respect him just his money or his title

So to get them off his back, he did what his parents would do to him

Tried to do that to Adelaide when they got married, as arranged by their parents

She wouldn’t have it though, instead she took to ignoring him

It took a few years of a loveless marriage for them to open up to each other but they eventually got there

She saw past his face value and commended him for wanting to pursue a profession that helps people

Even if obliviator doesn’t seem like much of a “helping hand” job, Jacques takes pride in it and loves meeting new people

Especially when they don’t know who he is

Was able to see all the regrets Adelaide held in regards to her sister and the fear of her parents she kept buried inside

Had two children, after beginning their relationship a bit backwards, who he adores and absolutely coddles

Enjoys spending time with Adelaide’s family

The ‘Fun Uncle’ to which they always tease “You’re our only uncle!”

Devastated to hear about Jacob

Really thought that kid would go places

Cousin: Priscilla Eloise Cordeau

Born: May 9th, 1970

Sign: Taurus

School: Attended Beauxbatons

Wand: Yew Wood, Unicorn Hair Core, 12 ¾ Inches, Reasonably Swishy Flexibility

Blood Status: Pure-Blood

Her name is Priscilla but will cut you if you call her that

Just kidding

No I’m not

Prefers Pris

Her and her brother, at their roots, are very similar

They both love arguing and debating for fun

Thrive off proving people wrong

Have 194739201 different skills that just kinda happened

Will not hesitate to tell it like it is

The difference? Unlike Dominic she has some sense of dignity

A very classy girl

She’s respectful and polite, knows her manners, and when to hold her tongue

But cross her at your own peril

Everything she does is intentional

Every glance, smile, pat on the back, eyebrow arch is calculated

And she is good at math

But girl has a temper if you’ve ever seen one

Where her brother is more laid-back and, for all his own snark, easy-going, she’s impatient remembers things

You could say petty but she picks her battles

She won’t hold a grudge over little things or even big things so long as you aren’t a problem to her and your mistake won’t change or ruin anything in her routine or her ambitions

But she loathes incompetent and ignorant people

If you are either one of those… just stay clear

Tries to be the nice guy but she truly has little tolerance for such nuisances

Really isn’t that bad once you get to know her

But a lot of people don’t try

Most of them either think she’s really smart and hilarious with her sarcasm

Or extremely bitchy and insensitive

But she does have her redeeming qualities of course

For example, though it’s hard earned, she’s loyal to a fault and will never send any of her friends or family away if they need her

Doesn’t like most strangers or people she doesn’t know but also strangely likes giving back

Does some volunteer work just because “this world already sucks but maybe if I help it’ll be more tolerable”

That’s Pris for “I want to help”

Has a sweet tooth and a soft spot for animals of all kinds

Good with kids

Very be either really crude or extremely graceful... it’s really a coin toss as to which one in the moment

Actually loves history and can’t ever be found without a book on hand

Plays the flute and violin

Good at art and her brother hates it

Cousin: Dominic Jules Cordeau

Born: February 28th, 1974

Sign: Pisces

School: Attended Beauxbatons

Wand: Walnut Wood, Unicorn Hair Core, 11 ½ Inches, Brittle Flexibility

Blood Status: Pure-Blood

A smugly sarcastic little shit and he knows it

Can and will call you out, don’t try him

Sets insanely high expectations for himself so don’t be surprised if he exceeds yours

It’s in his nature to thrive, to be the best

I’m not really one for saying “if xyz was in Hogwarts they would be in abc house”

But this boy has Slytherin written all over him good god

Super ambitious and if he’s thinks you’re competition will cut you down

“It’s nothing personal, you’re just in my way”

Really, though, it’s not personal

At all

It actually takes a lot for him to hold a grudge and dislike a person

So it’s likely he just feels threatened if he gets aggressive with you

For all his tough talk this boy is sensitive

Hates insults and back-handed compliments unless you’re oh so clearly just teasing him and he’s 10008337% sure you’re joking

Has this kicked puppy expression but Pris (and his cousins whenever they’re around) are the only ones he’ll show it to without concern

Really athletic too and can absolutely annihilate you in Quidditch

But he just doesn’t most of the time because his grades are what really matter to him

Is either absolutely shameless or…

no that’s it

He’s just shameless

He can sing, he can dance, likely plays like seven instruments (like the cello and guitar) and speaks two languages aside from French and English, good at sports, math and literature (!?), and flirts like he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it

He doesn’t

But Merlin’s beard whatever you do, please do not give this child a pencil

Or literally anything else that leaves a mark

Absolutely terrible at art and drawing of any kind

And he knows this

And does it anyway

You’d think it wouldn’t be much of a problem when he messes around and draws dicks all over everything because really you can’t ever tell what it is

But that’s exactly why he feels the need to explain it

Chaotic Neutral and proud

Also a hardcore feminist, he drinks his respect women juice

Close with his sister and if you think they’re arguing you’re wrong

Bickering is just how they express their love

She’s a lot like him but classier™️

And she loves to remind him

Grandmother: Chanel Vivian Leon (née Sinclair)

Born: October 11th, 1921

Sign: Libra

School: Attended Beauxbatons

Wand: Pine Wood, Unicorn Hair Core, 10”, Slightly Yielding Flexibility

Blood Status: Pure-Blood

Occupation: Retired Ministry Employee

Youngest of four children, has three older brothers

Used to be close with her second brother, but then he began to socialize with muggle-borns and her parents told her he was a disgrace

Didn’t want to believe them at first

Hasn’t spoken to him since he graduated

Used to love nature and even to this day always keeps a white carnation in her room

Lost the taste for it a long time ago but can’t seem to let that habit go

Can’t really tell if she’s evil or just empty

Not much of an evil-doer herself but is definitely not one to put a stop to it

She just wants to be left alone

Altogether a mediocre human being at best

But her parents were able to get her a husband because she’s Pretty

Shouldn’t have been a wife

Definitely shouldn’t have been a mother

She kinda just sits

And wonders were the time went

How she lost her youth

Why she can’t feel anymore

When the world turned into just a million shades of grey

She’s just a little tired

Grandfather: Cado Josicaiah Leon

Born: August 1st, 1918

Sign: Leo

House: Slytherin

Wand: Red Oak Wood, Doxy Wing Core, 12 ½ Inches, Unyielding Flexibility

Blood Status: Pure-Blood

Occupation: Worked as an employee in the Department of Magic Regulation at the Ministry

Was the middle child of three kids, had an older sister and a younger brother

They’re doing well now, he thinks

Wishes he didn’t push them away in adolescence but too proud to admit it

Has a lot of regrets he’s unwilling to own up to

Became a death eater in the first war but didn’t serve a long term because he provided the Ministry with useful information on his colleagues

Didn’t learn his lesson though

The downfall of The Dark Lord only further pushes him to prove his superiority

Was a very controlling, power hungry man

Didn’t have charisma to hide it

But people respected him anyway because of his family fortune

Very classy and strict

A dictator in the house, liked having the say over his wife and children

Never bothered to hide the fact that he wished he’d had a son instead

Manipulated Adelaide consistently through her childhood and was extremely irritated Delphine seemed to not sway to his beliefs

Disowned her when she married a muggle and convinced Adelaide to do the same

Until even she betrayed him and he was left alone in his house with a wife who never loved him

Joined the Dark Lord again in the second war and got a life sentence in Azkaban that he did not get out of this time

Never met Rebekah and Jacob

Still in prison

[marshmallow-phd]

Fighting Instinct

Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe

Genre: Supernatural, Wolf Au

Pairing: Jongdae x Reader

Summary: He went out of his way to ignore you. You saw his kindness towards everyone else, but he showed you only irritation. And you couldn’t blame him, considering your first meeting. However, little do you know that he’s hiding a dark world, one that you’re pulled into against your will....

Warning: none

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I 15 I Final

**

“From the Navajo to the Ancient Greeks, shapeshifters have been a staple in folklore from all over the world for several thousand years.”

Professor Kim pressed a button on his handy little stick, switching the picture shining out of the projector onto the whiteboard behind him from a regular wolf in high definition to a strange hybrid drawing on animal skin. The man in the drawing was hunched over, his back covered in fur and his fingers coming to sharp, clawed points. A few seats down from you, a girl sighed, leaning in deeper with her chin in her palm, as the teacher pushed up on his rolled up sleeve for the millionth time this period. You could have sworn you even saw her eyelashes flutter.

Professor Kim was not bad on the eyes. He had a pointed chin coupled with a strong jawline, deep brown eyes, and was in very good shape that was shown off by the tight-fitting button down he was wearing tucked into tailored slacks. But it was also hard for you to call him “professor” as he was only a few years older than you. Considering his credentials were over-the-top impressive, you still respected him. The word “professor” to you was just ingrained with middle-aged guys with thick glasses and receding hairlines in tweed jackets. However, you weren’t sure if the female-majority classmates around you felt the same way.

The World Folklore class wasn’t actually considered a credit-worthy elective for most of the majors at the college, but the class was always full anyway. Girls (and boys who swung that way) clamored to get a spot in the hundred-seat lecture hall to be able to stare at Professor Kim for an uninterrupted hour and a half. You were lucky that, as a world history student who needed this class to get full credit, you were able to get priority over someone else who was just going to throw away the money. You couldn’t entirely blame the student population for being enthusiastic for the class. The subject matter was fascinating. Starting off with mermaids and sirens, the lessons only grew in excitement, especially the three weeks spent on dragons.

Legends like that always fascinated you; the things frightened minds can come up with to explain the random bump in the night. But what captivated you more was how universal the legends could be. Different cultures that never met or crossed paths could have similar stories about creatures that could shift into humans or vise versa.

“The one thing that the legends can never agree on however,” Professor Kim rounded his desk so he was now standing in front of it, leaning back on the edge, “is if these types of creatures are just a strange natural occurrence or if there’s magic involved.”

A few students snickered at the mention of magic, the current generation used to Harry Potter and flying brooms.

“(y/n).”

Your pencil froze in the middle of your notes. Without even looking up, you could already feel all heads turning to stare at you, wondering what you did to gain the professor’s attention all of a sudden.

“Yes, sir?” you asked, clearing your throat and sitting up straighter.

Professor Kim gave you a kind smile. “Your papers are always fascinating. Please, tell us what your take is on why so many cultures have made up stories about people turning into animals.”

Great. You were not the kind of person who participated in class discussions. The fear and anxiety of being completely wrong or made fun of for your opinion was overwhelming and it kept you quiet. That’s why you sat in the middle level, just off to the right side. It was an inconspicuous spot; not too far up front where eye contact could be made, but not in the back either, where avoidance was obvious. You liked writing papers, however. It gave you time to think, to go over your words carefully as you constructed your argument. In that medium, you could be intelligent and fearless. This was horrifying.

“Um, well–” you cringed internally. Way to be articulate. You took a moment to collect your thoughts, stealing from the research paper you had already started that wasn’t due until the end of the semester. “Most people would argue that something man is most afraid of is the monster within themselves. Something that is uncontrollable. And these legends are a manifestation of that fear. That while there are scary things out in the world, the most frightening is the one hidden inside.

“However, another argument could be made if you focus on the animal itself. While humans consider ourselves the top of the food chain, that’s based mostly on our level of intelligence rather than our physical traits. How we hold ourselves doesn't stop a starved tiger from mauling you. So, you could say that the fear that created these stories might have actually come from a worry that maybe someday our only true weapon we have against the animals – our brains – could be lurking within them. So, instead of it being about the beast inside the man, it could be about the man inside the beast.”

During your little speech, Professor Kim had crossed his arms, still leaning against his desk, and stared at you with furrowed eyebrows.

“That,” he smiled, “is the kind of thinking I’ve been waiting for in this classroom.” He pushed off the wooden edge, walking around the open area near the front row. “The thing about worldwide folklore is you have to think outside the box. You can’t just create one argument for all these different civilizations who have their own stories to tell.”

To your relief, all the attention was back to the front. Sinking down in your seat, you tried to focus on your breathing, getting your system back down to calm mode. As you did that, your eyes wandered around, perhaps searching for anyone who might still be staring at you. And there was one.

A student several rows down and to your right was staring at you openly, his face blank of any emotion. When your eyes met, he slowly turned back to the front, not ashamed that he was caught, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

You shook off the strange encounter, trying to not dwell on it.

Professor Kim dismissed the class ten minutes later, ending it early. Some girls pouted while others shrugged it off. Ending class early was nothing new. Slowly and neatly, you placed your notebook and other papers into your messenger bag, careful to not jam them into your laptop.

“(y/n)! Can I talk to you for a second?”

You groaned quietly enough so no one could hear you. You’d had side conversations with the professor before. Outside of the classroom, occasionally bumping into him on your way to another class or just roaming around, killing time. He was always nice to you, interested in whatever conversation he decided to start up with you. This, however, was different.

Instead of up the steps and out the doors to the nice cool autumn day with the rest of the students, you fought the tide to get to the bottom where Professor Kim was waiting for you. He’d put on a pair of round, wire-rimmed glasses, adding to his charm.

“Yes, Professor?”

He looked down at you sympathetically. “I know I put you on the spot today, but I wanted to let you know that it’s because I know how smart you are and you need to not be afraid to contribute to the discussion.”

Pulling on your bag strap, you shifted uncomfortably. “I appreciate that, Professor, but I live my life in the shadows. It’s where I prefer to be.”

That made him frown. It was almost angry. “The shadows is not a wonderful place to preside.” He turned off the projector, sighing. “(y/n), what exactly is it you plan on doing with your degree once you graduate?”

Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you hesitated, looking away. You hated that question. You hated it because you didn’t really know. You didn’t want to be a teacher like everyone assumed. Too much attention. A thought that had been brewing in your mind since you started taking this class was researching different legends around the world and compiling them into an academic book. It was a bit of a fantasy you played in your head, locked away in a cabin far from the city, in the middle of the woods near the mountains, where you could breathe fresh air and feel the open space. But that wasn’t exactly a career that could pay the bills.

In the end, you simply shrugged, keeping that information to yourself. “I don’t really know, to be honest. History was just the only thing I was really interested in during high school so it seemed logical to further my studies there.”

Great. You sounded like a cover page for a resume.

“Well, why don’t I recommend you for a teaching assistant that’ll be open with me next semester?” Professor Kim suggested. Your jaw nearly dropped. “It’ll be a paid position – minimum wage, of course – you’ll earn credit towards your degree, and you might even gain some insight to what it is you want to do.”

“Oh, um, well….” It wasn’t exactly an offer you could say no to. Teaching assistant positions were rare and fought over like the Hunger Games. You scratched behind your ear near your hairline, a nervous tick of yours.

“You won’t be teaching any classes,” he promised. “Research assistant might be a more appropriate title for the position. And the occasional test grading.”

Now that sounded much more intriguing. But you still needed to mull it over. “Can I think about it?”

“Of course. Just let me know of your decision when you turn in your term paper.”

You nodded, nearly incoherent now. He was giving you nearly two months to make a decision. What the heck?

“Have a good day, (y/n).” He dismissed you and you took the opportunity to get out, perplexed about what just happened.

Eun Na was waiting for you in the student center at your usual table. She already had her laptop out and was bobbing her head along to whatever weird psychedelic music was pouring out from her headphones.

While you had a few other friends at the university, Eun Na was stuck to you like glue. Your freshman year had been a total nightmare. Evenings and weekends were spent alone as your dorm mates were never in and you couldn’t bring yourself to ask if you could tag along. Making friends was hard to do with mild social anxiety and your friends from high school had gone off to different colleges leaving you on your own.

It was harder to make friends here. In high school, you saw the same people day in and day out so you naturally gravitated towards certain people. But in college, you had to put more effort into it. You had to actually approach people and start conversations. Group projects were your worst nightmares.

But the first semester of your sophomore year was considerably brighter. In your European History 201 class, Eun Na had sat down next to you and introduced herself. And it didn’t stop there. She constantly asked you questions about the homework and the material. Soon, the questions turned personal and you didn’t even realize you were giving her answers that you’d normally withhold. Before you knew it, the two of you were hanging out outside of class and have since became inseparable. She helped introduce you to other people who made college life seem not so lonely anymore.

When you sat down across from her, sliding into the booth while trying to not let your exposed skin from your shorts stick to the vinyl, she pulled out her earbuds and frowned.

“About time you showed up,” she pouted.

You just chuckled. “Sorry. Professor Kim held me back to offer me a teaching assistant position for next semester.”

Eun Na pursed her lips, obviously bothered by your news. “Well, that’s…. random.”

You shrugged. “Not entirely. I mean, sure I don’t really talk during class, but he likes my papers.”

Professor Kim really liked your papers.

You nearly had a panic attack when you got the first one back. There were red marks and little notes all over every single page. You were to the point of tears until you actually read what they said. There was nothing but praise in them. And it happened with each of your papers. With today’s events, you began to suspect that you were possibly his favorite.

“I’m not sure if you should do it,” Eun Na said suddenly.

You knit your eyebrows together, confused. “Really? Teaching Assistant positions aren’t exactly just handed out like that.”

“Exactly,” she countered. “You don’t think it’s a little odd that he just randomly offered it to you? No strings attached?”

You nearly gagged at her implication. “Seriously, Eun Na? He’s not a perve. Besides, if he really wanted to, there’s plenty of female students who would gladly be in that position.”

Eun Na rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She closed her laptop with an ear-stinging slam and threw it in her bag, making you flinch. “I’m just looking out for you.”

“He’s giving me plenty of time to think about it.”

She gave you one more pointed look. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’ll see you in psych.”

You shook your head, unable to believe what had just transpired. Eun Na was usually the most supportive person you knew. She’d never shut you down like this before.

Tapping a pencil against the table, you gave up. You decided that you would think over the offer another time, by yourself, weighing the pros and cons. Until then, it would be on the back burner. After checking the time, you decided it was time to pack up as well. Just before you could zip up your bag, you felt a tap on your shoulder.

Turning to look, you found a very handsome guy leaning towards you from one table over. His tan skin glowed under the harsh lighting and his sharp jaw rivaled Professor Kim’s. Odd, as you usually went ignored by his type.

“You really should pick new friends,” he said in a tone that was completely serious. You didn’t know this guy at all and he had not a flicker of amusement or teasing in his eyes. Who was he to be telling you how to live your life?

“Excuse me?” you said with a scoff.

His face didn’t falter for a second. “You should hang out with other people. You’re going to get hurt.”

Rolling your eyes your stood up and started to walk away. Eun Na came running back up, clearly out of breath. After swiping up her headphones that you never noticed had fallen to the floor, she tilted her head at you.

“What’s up?” she asked, studying your irritated expression. “Are you mad at me?”

“No,” you replied, looking over your shoulder to the nosy stranger. He’d gotten up and was walking past the two of you, not even glancing in your direction as your eyes followed him. “Some people just need to learn to mind their own business.”

Eun Na followed your gaze and a fire lit in her eyes. Her jaw clenched with a sharp noise as her teeth clashed together and she grabbed your arm, pulling you towards the exit. “Come on. We should get you to class.”

[howtohero]

#204 God Brawls

Superheroes like to present themselves as the ultimate forces of good, and frankly, that’s just good marketing. Why would anybody ever come to you for help if you were only like the second or third most powerful force of good or, heaven help us all, the fourth or fifth most powerful force of good? Yet, as it transpires, superheroes are often not the ultimate force of anything except for excessive capes, and even that’s up for debate. Have you ever met Cloakus, the self-proclaimed (maybe?) god of capes? That dude has got excessive cloakery down to a science. And that’s just my point (sort of), it’s hard for any mortal, superhuman or not, to claim to be the ultimate anything, since there will always be some deity or mythological powerhouse from some pantheon or plane of existence that’s been doing it better and for much longer. These beings are often obscenely powerful, aggressively petty, ostentatiously dramatic, and overwhelmingly insecure to the degree that they need everybody to call them gods. 

All of these factors also means that these beings are just incredibly irritable all the time. It also means that there’s nothing stopping them from doing something incredibly petty to another all powerful being. Think about it, if you were incredibly insecure while also wielding potentially-universe-destroying-or-at-the-very-least-destroying-it-as-we-know-it-because-as-we-all-know-matter-cannot-be-destroyed-but-it-can-be-turned-into-an-ice-cream-sandwich-no-problem power and you found out that there was some other guy out there who also purported to have god like abilities, wouldn’t you teleport into his golden cathedral and prank him to show dominance? I know I would. (A prank? How about scattering their still-living body parts across throughout time, space and the multiverse. See, this is literally the reason nobody has granted you unlimited power, you think too small.) Oh please like you also wouldn’t just toss a boston creme pie in their face and call it a day. (Let me out of these infernal parentheses and I’ll show you what I’d do!) No! So, with all of these unquantifiably powerful beings antagonizing each other, it is not unheard of for Earth, which remember, is under your protection, often gets caught in the crossfire.

Normally when you come across two people in outlandish costumes with improbable abilities fighting, you’d do well to ascertain which one of them is the good guy and which one is the bad guy and then launching into the fray alongside your fellow do-gooder. But when the gods fight, that kind of thinking goes right out the window. Even if you’ve, in the past, fought alongside one of these awesome figures at some point in your past, you should not assume that they care on iota for you or your world. They’re simply way too far above you and your mortal, small-scale perceptions of good and evil. Sure at one point you teamed up to prevent another dimension from bleeding into yours but while you were doing it to save lives, they were simply in it to protect their real estate. In the grand scheme of things, Earth is completely beneath their notice, and if they’ve happened to have chosen it for some kind of prophetic ultimate battle against their brother or their counterpart in another Pantheon. (Gosh, remember that 3000 year bar fight between the Greek Dionysus and the Mayan Acan over who could get mortals drunker? They really dragged that one out. {Quit your whining!) don’t think you can just pop in and try to appeal to their sense of benevolence. If these people were interested in saving their lives they’d use their awesome power to be heroes, not gods.

So if there are deities raging in your neighborhood (trust me you’ll know) you have to immediately rally anybody you can to get down to the battle zone and try to clear it of as much civilian life as you can. Every teleporter, speedster and space bus (except for of course the Hedonian, the space party bus that has been keeping the party going since the dawn of space, we would never try to infringe on the eternal party. Please carry on like always.) needs to be on hand to ferry people away from as wide of a radius as you can. When it comes to warring titans, no berth is too wide to give these people. Fights can explode out of control with no warning, you’d honestly be safer getting people off world. (Try sending them to a world that has already been completely destroyed by this specific godly wrestling match. The gods have too much pride to ever ravage the same planet twice during the same fight.) 

Once everybody is as safe as they reasonably can be when two guys dressed like they’re going to a frat party are dueling with the concepts of strife and rage made tangible, it’s time to just kind of do your best. Which sounds bleak but if you’ve got a good crew of superheroes with you, it could be a lot of fun. Like we said, these self-proclaimed gods are bunch of whiny crybabies (yeah that’s right! Come to our house and smite us you whiny crybabies!) just like anything can launch them into a millennia spanning cosmic thumb war, there’s no telling what could get them to stop. So let’s get creative:

List of Things That Definitely Maybe Might Get These Piss Baby Drama Queens to Stop This Nonsense:

Rig up some speakers, get Morgan Freeman on the line, have him tell them to stop it right this instance in his smooth heavenly voice.

Open a portal. Get lots of shoelaces. No wait get the shoelaces first ah dang it dang it, Half-Face McGee fell into the portal. Dang. That guy has really bad luck with portals. I wonder what this is going to do to his face. Sorry guys, that’s on us, we should’ve waited until you had everything ready before we told you to open a portal. Ok, well, moving on then. Get a bunch of shoelaces. Tie ‘em together to create a giant tripwire. Then open a portal to somewhere far away and trip one of the warring titans into it. The other guy might construe this is a tactical retreat on the part of the god you’ve banished and dive through the portal in pursuit. If not, then just do the same thing a second time.

When trying to stop a couple of gods, call in one of your own. Remember that time we had you preemptively trick a trickster god in order to gain their respect. Well its time to call that chip in. Trickster gods have eons of experience in manipulating other gods into doing what they want. Just sit back and leave it to The Real Skeev Shady to take care of things. 

Project cartoons into the sky. This actually worked once. The two gods, I wanna say it was Hades and Greg the Skeleton King, had never even heard of cartoons before. Apparently cartoonists and animators get tortured by one of the other rulers of the underworld. But they were so entranced and, quite frankly, positively delighted by cartoons that they made peace right there on the spot and opened up their own animation studio in Burbank. 

If you’re dealing with weather deities, try breaking out one of those weather manipulators that you’ve confiscated over the years. You may think its unlikely that Earthly mad science would be able to compete with Zeus’s might, but hey you might be surprised, those guys are definitely dedicated to their craft.

You and a buddy should dress up like the two gods and then roll up to the battlefield. You might get struck down for your hubris. You might make these mythological meatheads feel super awkward and send them running home to change. (Just keep doing it over and over again every time they come back in new outfits.) 

Hop on over to Venus, or some uninhabited asteroid, or Universe Designate 3.19∑7 aka the BarrenLand. Then channel your inner ancient deity write the pettiest and dismissive letter you can, fill it with backhand insults and some front hand insults for good measure. Then send the letter to these gods by raven with a stamp on it that tells the gods exactly where the letter came from. With any luck they’ll be so incensed by the myriad of insults that they’ll take their fight over to one of those uninhabited places.  

Snacks? Like a dump truck filled with snacks? Do we think that might work?

Try offering up some sacrifices or incense to the gods to gain their favor then, beg them to leave. (If you need a human sacrifice, Professor Paleontologist personally told me that he’s always been fascinated by the prospect so I think that means he’s down.) Ooh, argh, I really can’t condone that but... hm... Ah, no. You can’t sacrifice Professor Paleontologist. Don’t sacrifice anybody. 

Loudly talk about how lame Earth is and say, within earshot of these divine dolts, that no cool person would ever be caught dead there. These insecure infinites will have no choice but to pack up and move on to somewhere else. For fear of being deemed uncool. Which would totally harsh their vibes. 

[littlemisssquiggles]

RWBY Musings #49: The Bandit and the Assassin. A Squiggle Meister’s Views on Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black for the Future of RWBY.

@mojo72400​ asked “…Any emecury/jaded theories for vol. 6?” Anon-ninja asked “…Question: Thoughts on Merc and Emerald in the upcoming volume(s)? I just have this feeling that while they may get redeemed, it'd be at the cost of getting horribly injured/used by Salem in the process? I mean, with Cinder gone, Emerald is the Only maiden candidate team WTCH has. I imagine the walls are gonna start closing in on these two FAST. :/”

Squiggles Answers:

‘Sup up you two? It took me a while but at long last I’ve arrived at your respective musing. At first I had planned on keeping this nice and short (well...short for yours truly) because to be honest I didn’t have much theories on Merc and Emerald for the next season. However, in true squiggly fashion, as I started jotting down my points, it basically ended up delving deeper than expected.

Anyways I’ve kept you both waiting long enough. Y'know the drill, click forward and let's get into this, shall we?

An Unlikely Trio

I want Emerald and Mercury to stay with Hazel because I think together on their own without the influence of Salem, the three can form a strong family type of bond where they each will be able to compensate for relationships lost or never experienced in their respective pasts. For Mercury, he can possibly find a father figure in Hazel to make up for the lack of compassion and proper paternal guidance he never got from his own abusive drunk of a dad.

For Emerald, she can find compassion in others and learn to feel loved or cared for by another beyond Cinder Fall whose own influence on her was twisted. Emerald only turned to the dark side because of Cinder and was willing to do anything so long as Cinder approved.

According to RWBY Chibi, Emerald idealized Cinder as a proxy maternal figure. I guess to make up for an absence of a real family of her own since she has been surviving alone, starved on the streets of Mistral for many years using only her semblance as a means of perseverance until Cinder took her under her wing.

But I believe that Emerald will soon learn that she can find that kind of solace in Mercury; who will respect her as a close companion, possibly even a potential love interest later down the line if a romance is meant to spark between the two; and Hazel, as a big brother figure. I like the idea of Hazel coming to treat Emerald in the same nurturing and overprotective manner as he did for his deceased sister Gretchen. 

Perhaps Hazel will even begin to see a lot of his sister in Emerald or something along those lines. Speaking of Hazel and his eventual development. For the price of one, I think the Rainart man can gain two young adults that he can learn to treat as surrogate younger siblings for his sister.

A Squiggly Hunch about Hazel Rainart

I like the idea of Hazel eventually coming to his senses about his anger over Ozpin. If I’m being completely honest here, like a number of things about V5, I never quite bought Hazel’s whole revenge story about blaming Ozpin for what became of Gretchen.

Yes, Ozpin was the Headmaster at the time Gretchen was enrolled at Beacon however as Oscar rightfully justified, becoming a huntress was Gretchen’s choice. While it was unfortunate that she died on the battlefield, it doesn’t exclude the fact that it was a path she chose of her own accord and did it in spite of her brother’s disapproval.

This is why I’m hoping for a possible rematch between Oscar and Hazel in which Oscar performs some unexpected feat that reveals the truth to Hazel about the night Gretchen was killed. Either it’s a semblance unlock for Oscar where he gains the ability to probe Hazel’s mind and mentally share with him the memories of the night Ozpin spoke to Gretchen before her mission or perhaps something to do with the Oz-cane. Who knows?

All in all, I want the truth to soon come out to Hazel and once it’s done, I think he will switch sides or…y’know, be brutally killed off for his treason when Salem realizes that Hazel is no longer of use to her, like Lionheart. Though unlike Lionheart, Hazel would go down with a proper fight; dying strong with his corpse being donated for Watts to experiment on for Grimm-hybrid or Grimmoire research. Getting ahead of myself here but you get the idea.

For me, the satire with Hazel’s character is that he’s inspired by Hansel from Hansel and Gretel. As the fairy tale goes, Hansel and Gretel were a sibling pair who got lost in the woods and wandered into a gingerbread house owned by a wicked witch who tried fattening them up to eat them. But as we know, the siblings escape after tricking the witch and trapping her inside the very oven she’d planned to cook them in.

I find it ironic that Hazel is working with Salem, whose been classified as a wicked witch while his fairy-tale counterpart killed the evil witch in his story. Perhaps this is a sign to foreshadow Hazel’s redemption in a way.

Do you actually know what would make an interesting twist? What if… Salem had planned on recruiting Hazel from the start and had actually arranged for his sister’s death as a means of getting him to her side.

Suppose...Salem had sent a younger Tyrian Callows to recruit Hazel with the offer of granting him a much better lifestyle for him and his sister in exchange for his loyalty. Like let’s say, Hazel came from a poor family that had fallen on worse times. After his parents passed away, Hazel was made sole caretaker of his baby sister.

Despite the enticing proposal, Hazel refused since he couldn’t wholeheartedly trust the word of a stranger he had just met especially when he had more pressing matters to deal with, like his sister’ wellbeing.

Imagine…if it was revealed that Tyrian had murdered Gretchen at Salem’s behest. What if…during her training mission from Beacon Academy, Tyrian lured the naïve Gretchen into a trap where he murdered her like an animal cornered by its prey after separating her from her team.

The impression I got from Hazel’s side of the story was that he shared a deeper past with Ozpin. After all, Ozpin did comment to Oscar that he knew Hazel highlighting a history that possibly stemmed even before Gretchen’s involvement. I doubt Hazel’s sister becoming a student at Beacon and dying under Ozpin’s watch was the whole debacle.

Nah. Can’t be. Do you know what I think? What if…in his past, Hazel was a former professor at Beacon under Ozpin. It would make sense if that was the case, right? 

I think before Gretchen decided to become a huntsman, Hazel was a Beacon professor like Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck. He was probably given the position courtesy of Ozpin who decided to take a chance on him giving his harsh past and his strong ambition to care for his family.

Imagine…Hazel formally harbouring a strong respect and devotion to Ozpin, owing the old wizard a lot for helping him turn his life around. Perhaps, in their early years of Beacon Academy, Hazel and Ozpin were actually good friends and Hazel probably confided many secrets about his past in Ozpin because back then, Hazel trusted Ozpin like so many others. Ozpin was Hazel’s friend.

This would make Ozpin allowing Gretchen to attend Beacon while he was headmaster such a huge slap to the face for Hazel and would help clarify why he’d hold him fully responsible for her death.

Think about it. Picture yourself in Hazel’s shoes for a second. Imagine becoming a proxy parent at a tender age as you’re left to care for your baby sister, the only family left in your life after a period of hard times and it’s your responsibility to ensure her safety.

Picture struggling for many years to make a comfortable life for your sister to live in. Imagine meeting a man who literally changed your future---like a beacon shining a path towards a better tomorrow when you’ve been lost to the darkness for so long.

Because of this man, you were able to turn a new leaf. With a new job working under this man, you are provided with the resources to shape your life in a better direction and because of this change, suddenly things improved. You now have a better home. More food and your sister is able to grow up beautifully and safe.

Life is the brightest it’s ever been for you and your family and you owe it all to the man you met. A man named Ozpin. Ozpin had been your beacon in the night.

Imagine having great respect for Ozpin. Imagine even regarding him as an important friend because of his help and your comradery with him. As Hazel, you trust Oz.

Now imagine how you would feel if that same man you trusted so much then allowed your little sister---the same little sister you were trying to protect to enter a school that bred its students for a dangerous profession where she could likely die. Especially if you told said man time and time again that this is not the kind of lifestyle you envisioned for your sister to have.

Let’s say…Ruby Rose was not the first underage huntress Ozpin had allowed to attend Beacon ahead of time. Perhaps it was the same for Gretchen Rainart who probably met Oz when she was, I dunno, fourteen years old or something like that. Due to the strong potential she displayed when they first met, Oz asked Gretchen if she wanted to come to his school and of course, just like Ruby, she agreed. I think there is room for a potential parallel between Ruby Rose and Gretchen Rainart. 

But… here’s the thing too. Another hunch I have is that when Ozpin first met Gretchen, he had no clue that she was Hazel’s sister. Gretchen probably knew fully well who Ozpin was thanks to Hazel but Oz had never met Gretchen in the flesh before. My guess is that he had only seen her in an old photograph of her as a little girl with her family that Hazel would always keep with him. By the time Oz would finally encounter ‘Little Gretchen Rainart’, she would’ve grown into a rather rebellious but strong-willing teenager as opposed to the helpless child her older brother often proclaimed her to be.

It’d be interesting if Gretchen was like Jaune in the sense. While she didn’t fake her transcripts, she did however lie about her last name; going under a pseudo-surname because she didn’t want her brother knowing that she had enrolled at Beacon without his consent.

So I’m picturing a very awkward enrolment ceremony where Glynda Goodwitch is giving all the new first years a tour of the school grounds, introducing them to Professor Ozpin and all the other teachers.

This moment is then cut short when Hazel suddenly recognizes Gretchen in the crowd of students, expressing his disdain and shock at seeing his sister at Beacon in a booming roar that literally shook the compound while simultaneously scaring all the new students who were already intimidated on their first day to begin with.

While I’m not certain how old Gretchen Rainart was when she started Beacon, a part of me would like to believe that she started school around the time Team STQR was still present at the school just to keep things connected within the same timelines.

Perhaps Team STRQ were third years like Team CFVY were when Gretchen joined the school. But that’s just another hunch.

I’d imagine that Hazel furiously confronted Ozpin after embarrassing his sister in front of her fellow first years the way he did. However Ozpin is innocent in the matter because up until the first day of the Academy he didn’t know that the Gretchen he accepted into his school was the same little sister Gretchen related to Hazel. The same Gretchen Hazel had told him wanted to become a huntress but he strongly disapproved.

I’m picturing Hazel confronting Professor Ozpin and demanding that he expelled his sister from Beacon immediately. Ozpin, of course, would counter that while Gretchen did lie about her identity, it was only her last name and based on her brother’s reaction, the headmaster morally understood the girl’s decision to take action the way she did. Since her brother was behaving like a deranged lunatic, not that Oz would dare say that to Hazel’s face.

To make matters short, let’s say, Ozpin eventually convinced Hazel to give his blessing on allowing Gretchen to continue on as a student at Beacon. It was a difficult argument as Hazel was a stubborn mule of a man but Ozpin got him to turn around under the grounds that while Gretchen is at the school, Hazel could keep a watchful eye on her and Ozpin himself promised to ensure her utmost safety as he did with all the students in his care. This is a promise that Hazel took to heart as he told Ozpin, in a very grim tone that if anything were to happen to Gretchen under his leadership, he would hold him most responsible.

And…well…we all know how that turned out, right? I really feel like there is a deeper story involving Ozpin’s history with the Rainart Siblings. One that connects Hazel back to Beacon itself as one of its former professors. I mean it is plausible, at least in my opinion.

 Another theory I have, which is a big stretch is that Tyrian Callows also played a part in Gretchen’s death that Hazel wasn’t aware of. 

Here me out. Let’s say…when Ozpin permitted Hazel to watch over his sister at Beacon, the older Rainart took it to the extreme. Hazel would constantly intervene in Gretchen’s school affairs, from her education to her relationship with other students. This made Gretchen’s experience at Beacon very uncomfortable to say the least. As a result of her brother’s looming presence and him incessantly badgering Ozpin with his overprotectiveness, Gretchen didn’t have many friends. Either folks were too daunted by her relation to the fearsome Professor Rainart or were jealous of the occasional favouritism she received from the headmaster at her brother’s request.  Even her teammates didn’t like her which made cooperating with them very difficult on the training field.

All in all, Gretchen Rainart was alone---her dream of becoming a huntress at Beacon Academy to fight for her Kingdom of Vale being squandered away by her own blood and the very headmaster who claimed he chose her for her potential.

I’d like to think that the only friends Gretchen had at Beacon were third years at the school---Team STQR (mainly Tai and Summer) who were also favourites of Ozpin and another mysterious friend that Gretchen wouldn’t tell anyone about.

This mystery friend that Gretchen was associated with would then be a younger Tyrian Callows, who taking advantage of Gretchen’s loneliness, would become the instigator that would lead her to her eventual demise at his hands.

I really dig the idea of Tyrian being tied to Hazel’s sister because I dig the twist of Tyrian being the one who recruited Hazel to Salem’s side both before and after Gretchen’s death. I like that just as much as I like the twist of Hazel eventually learning that the very man he’d been fighting alongside all this time was his sister’s true killer. Just as much as I love the twist that Tyrian had only pursued Gretchen under his ‘goddess’ command meaning that Salem was also responsible for killing Gretchen.

I mean I had a feeling that Salem had something to do with Gretchen’s death already since my first assumption was that Gretchen got killed by a Grimm and the Grimm are connected to Salem. But as I pondered further, I came up with this better assumption of Salem moulding Hazel into the man he is now and that everything that has happened to him from the time of his sister’s death was all her doing.

She made Tyrian seduce his sister. She order Tyrian to murder his sister and she did it all to make him turn on Ozpin because Salem knew Hazel trusted Ozpin once before.

And as we know, Salem has a habit of making Ozpin’s former allies turn on him so…why not the same for Hazel too. This is only a theory but I quite like it because it gives a much broader correlation to Hazel’s backstory with Ozpin.  It’s what I think could make his eventual turn on Salem far greater than him just coming to terms with becoming a huntsmen being Gretchen’s choice and that no one was to blame for the outcome of said choice. Not even Ozpin.

So yeah, I think at some point Hazel will turn on Salem and when he does, Mercury might wish to join him too. Emerald on the other hand, may be conflicted in the matter.

As I mentioned earlier, I like the idea of Hazel learning to love Emerald the same way he did for Gretchen long ago, even calling her ‘little sister’. I think Emerald can find the family and loved ones she’s desired for so long in Mercury and Hazel. But what could thwart that is her reliance, somewhat Stockholm syndrome-like dependency of Cinder.

Some theorists have speculated Emerald becoming psychotic after the ‘loss’ of Cinder. I, on the other hand, don’t think it’d be that extreme. I think Emerald would become a more withdrawn person instead. I can just see Emerald being completely broken over Cinder to the point that she just turns into a vegetable---an empty shell of herself unable to comprehend what she was going to do with her life now that Cinder wasn’t there to guide her.

This is the reason why I would love to see Mercury step up and become a crutch for Emerald to lean on. For the life of me, I can’t gauge a plausible explanation as to why Mercury would want to follow Cinder. The closest excuse I could come up with is the possibility of Mercury previously having romantic feelings for Cinder in the past.

Sleeping with the Devil

 I mean, RWBY Chibi did hint at that last season. Weird. 

Perhaps once upon a time, Mercury was attracted to Cinder and his feelings for her were what motivated him to work for her. He was attracted to the way she would encourage him to be better and stronger and would stroke his ego if he was successful. But eventually Mercury fell out of love with Cinder when he found a quality in another woman he realized he liked even more than Cinder kissing his ass. When we first met Mercury, he wasn’t the character we now know him to be now. He was so much more serious---angrier.

Current Mercury actually cracks a smile and is prone to sarcastic jabs, mostly at Emerald. He also seems more carefree. I mean, he’s still got his wicked streak which has only been moulded by Cinder and the villain’s influence. However the part of Mercury’s personality that got my attention was his compassion towards Emerald. This was evidenced last volume in the finale episode.

Mercury could’ve easily left Emerald to be captured by the authorities. Not to sound heartless but he had every reason to since she was compromising his and Hazel’s escape after their mission during the Haven Battle was a failure.

If Mercury so desired, he and Hazel could have abandoned Emerald. But he didn’t. Instead Mercury spent a chunk of precious time urging Emerald for them to escape together. She was even the first person Mercury reached out to when captivity was imminent.

If Mercury was the type to truly value strength over signs of weakness then he could have abandoned Emerald to the mercy of the heroes. Instead he kept egging at her for them to go. Even when she fell unconscious he probably made sure that Hazel grabbed her before all three escaped. I think Emerald Sustrai is honestly the only character I’ve ever seen Mercury Black care about. I don’t even think he cares about Cinder that much. When the group learnt that Cinder was defeated, the only person who appeared affected by it the most was Emerald; naturally.

But Merc, he didn’t even bat an eyelash. He didn’t even accost the heroes, proclaiming revenge for taking down Cinder. Nope. Instead he looked to Emerald. His attention went straight to Emerald. His concern went straight to Emerald.

If you were to make the argument with me that Mercury only half cared about Cinder then I would’ve probably agreed with you on that matter especially following V5. I think the only thing that motivated Mercury towards Cinder was what she said to him in their backstory episode. In V3, C7, Cinder asked Mercury if he was anything like his father who was her original target in her recruiting strategy.

I think that’s the line that probably triggered Mercury to follow Cinder in her endeavours. I think all of his life, Mercury was trained to become the best assassin---pushed to be the strongest killer and brutally punished if he failed. The irony is I think Mercury did become the best assassin in the sense that he dethroned his own father by murdering him in cold blood. I think it was Cinder who pushed Mercury in the same manner that his dad did and it was for that reason why he followed her and was probably even interested in her at some point. They say that children who come from homes with ‘tough parents’ eventually pursue people who possess the same qualities that their parents did or something like that.

What if…Mercury did have the hots for Cinder and she used that to her advantage to get the young boy to dance to her whims; all the while using what little knowledge she knew of Mercury’s former relationship with his dad to motivate and even criticise him if he failed.

I mean Cinder once slapped Emerald when she became defiant, imagine how she punished Mercury when he joined the team.

 I know the prospect of sex is an adult theme that isn’t traditionally mentioned in RWBY. I mean I don’t expect RWBY to pull a Game of Thrones and suddenly start introducing characters doing the ole meet and greet between the sheets; even as the show’s cast and story matures with time. However…that being said, with Cinder being an attractive older woman whose been praised for her looks before and Mercury being a naïve teenage boy; lacking any affection from his past life---I’m just saying, I wouldn’t be surprised if Cinder ever used that as a ploy to manipulate Mercury in a sense.

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if at some point in their relationship, Cinder would at times seduce Mercury to do her bidding by promising him sexual favours. That’s a more mature outlook on Mercury’s alliance to Cinder. The child-friendly version would be to say that Mercury was once in love with Cinder whereas the Rated R version would’ve been Mercury being involved in former sexual relationship with Cinder or…at least one where he would blindly follow the older woman for the promise of them being together romantically. 

Y’know like how Deathstroke manipulated the adolescent Terra using her love for him as a means of keeping her in line in Teen Titans Judas Contrast.

It could explain Emerald’s bit of highlighted jealously towards Mercury in previous seasons. Perhaps, there was a time when Emerald and Mercury would compete with each other for Cinder’s affections. I keep saying ‘at some point’ because we’ve never honestly gotten much signs of a rivalry between Mercury and Emerald over Cinder before.

It’s why I’m so confused on what his motivations for following her are. It’s why love is the one answer I can think of that made sense to me. I like it because it might sound ludicrous especially for a guy like Mercury but coincidentally it’s what fits given Mercury’s history especially with his dad. The impression I got from Mercury’s past is that his father was an abusive drunk who never cared about anyone, not even his own child so from the time he was born, Mercury was probably starved of any kind of emotional affection. And the lack of his mother not being in the picture either shows that he’s never had someone to care for him.

I wonder what happened to Mama Black anyways. Perhaps she died during childbirth which could justify Marcus Black’s abusive nature towards his son. Or… maybe Mama Black was previously Marcus’ original stepping stool and he would abuse her just as much as Mercury until one day she succumbed from her injuries and died.

Or perhaps Mama Black took off long after Mercury was born and didn’t even bother taking him with her. Those are three possibilities but my money’s on Mama Black being deceased with Marcus to blame for her death.

For all we know, Cinder Fall was probably the first woman to take an interest in Mercury and, it’s an interest he greatly appreciated and longed for. So I think Mercury could’ve been in love with Cinder. As I said, Chibi did hint at it.

I know the rule of thumb is to not associate things done in Chibi-verse with the canon. However…in regards to Mercury and Cinder, I actually found it kind of weird that Burning Steel (sorry, not sure what the name of the Mercury and Cinder ship is called) suddenly became Mercury’s gag for the latest season.

It came as a real surprise. Up until this point, in the main canon, it has never really been implied that Mercury shared feelings for Cinder. It was never even teased in the earlier seasons of Chibi. Yet, there it was in S3. Hmmm...

.Still, that’s one thing in Chibi I wouldn’t be surprised became canon next season. Perhaps Mercury was in love with Cinder at some point because firstly she gave him the feminine attention he never got as a boy raised by a single father. 

Secondly she encouraged him a way that was like his father while at the same time appealing to a side of him that desired to be better than his father.  Thirdly, she made Mercury feel powerful while his father probably made him feel powerless---powerless to stop his father’s drinking problems. 

Powerless to stop his father from forcing him into rigorous training regiments that stressed and destroyed his body. 

Powerless to stop his father when he would beat and punish him---sometimes for failing his training, other times just because he just wanted to use him as his personal punching bag to vent his anger on.I have this inkling of a hunch where Papa Black is the one responsible for Mercury losing his legs. Some fans have said Papa Black gave Mercury his trademark prosthetic legs. My hunch is the sadistic version of the story where Papa Black deliberately broke his son’s original legs to prove a point.

For the DC fans in the FNDM community, y’know how in the MCU, Thanos ‘experimented’ on Nebula every time she failed. Let’s say Mercury tried to run away from home once in his youth in the hopes of finding a better life somewhere but his ambitions were thwarted when his experienced assassin of a father tracked him down. 

And when he found him, Marcus Black basically broke both of Mercury’s legs so the poor kid couldn’t use them to escape a second time. I used to think that the prosthetic legs were a gift from Cinder or Salem to Merc as part of their alliance. Perhaps they still are in the case that they’re a better, more upgraded version of the legs (probably crafted by Watts). 

Now I’m thinking that Papa Black probably ‘operated’ on Mercury---taking away his real legs and replacing them with shitty prosthetics that he couldn’t use properly in the beginning as a clear sign of what he was willing to do to him if he dared defy him again.  

According to RWBY Wiki, it was mentioned by CRWBY Writer: Kerry Shawcross that Mercury has one of the darkest backstories in the series that has yet to be explored. So who knows, maybe I am right on the whole Papa Black hacking off his own child’s legs so he can’t escape his abuse. But…I’m probably getting ahead of myself I think right now Mercury is probably attracted to Emerald. 

Maybe…at some point previously she too showed him a kinder side to herself that made him actually like her a little bit more.  I think the reason why Mercury sticks close to Emerald other than the fact that they were assigned to be each other’s partners is because, in his own weird way, he likes her. 

Though Mercury’s presence has been show to annoy Emerald, I like the idea of Mercury preferring Emerald’s company over anyone else’s (including Cinder’s) because she made him feel, I dunno, like he wasn’t a heartless killing machine (literally). With Emerald in his life, I think she showed him that he was capable of caring for someone besides himself. 

Green Fall

I’m hoping that V6 will touch a bit on the aftermath of what happened to Emerald, Mercury and Hazel following the Triumph of Haven Academy. I still stand by my theory where I don’t think the three will return to Salem after their colossal failure. I think a reason why Mercury and Hazel might be unwilling to report back to Salem is due to Emerald. There is no way in shit Emerald is going to want to go back to Salem.

That hallucination from the V5 finale was Emerald’s perception of Salem. Emerald is frightened by Salem but what has kept her fears at bay and has prevented her from hightailing it out of there is her loyalty to Cinder and her cause. But with Cinder gone, I don’t believe Emerald will want to go back.

Even if Hazel were to sling her over his shoulder and try to force her to go back, kicking and screaming, I think Mercury would intervene on behalf of his partner. Though I don’t think Hazel is the type to force anyone to do anything they’re not comfortable with. Hazel’s wrath is solely directed at Ozpin and no one else.

Hazel has not dared to kill anyone else besides Ozpin and anyone associated with him who dared to get in his way. Take that away and what you have is a man with only one main motive driving him---Revenge against one man.

I think if Emerald told Hazel she didn’t want to go back, he’d willingly comply. He’d gruffly roll his eyes but he’d comply. Hazel is an odd character to me but at least I can fully understand his motives and hatred towards Ozpin as opposed to another character like…let’s say, Raven Branwen.

I hope we get episodes where we get to see Emerald, Mercury travelling together with Hazel or at least keeping a low profile to avoid being detected by the authorities because I’m sure following what happened in Haven, the police will be out looking for them.

A part of me thinks that there could even be a potential revenge plot to come with Emerald where she may desire to kill Yang. After all, Yang was the only one to return from the vault with the Relic in hand. As far as Emerald is concerned, Yang might’ve been the one who struck Cinder down.

Mercury might want to support Emerald in this just to be helpful while Hazel wouldn’t mind it either because it’d provide another opportunity for him to enact his vengeance on Ozpin and acquire the Relic of Knowledge.

So we could see Emerald, Mercury and Hazel laying low (for Emerald’s sake) until they get the bright idea to go after the travelling heroes by Emerald who is out for blood. It’s a side of Emerald we, as the audience, have never seen before so it’d be interesting to see done in the canon.

That being said, I’d also find it cool if Emerald was revealed as the new Fall Maiden. I want Emerald to become a Maiden, especially Fall because I think it could be an excellent learning experience for her to fully realize Cinder’s intentions.

It’d be seen almost as a rite of passage between our three main female villains. Salem was Cinder’s mentor as Cinder was Emerald’s.

“…I wish to take on an apprentice. Follow me and you’ll never be hungry again…” Cinder Fall to Emerald (RWBY Volume 3, Chapter 7)

I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the same line Salem used on Cinder to influence her into becoming her apprentice only appealing to her desires to become powerful.

“…I want to be strong. I want to be feared. I want to be powerful…”  Cinder Fall (RWBY Volume 3, Chapter 7)

It’d be interesting if in V6, Cinder returns as a Grimmoire---a half Grimm, half human hybrid resembling Salem. Apprentices eventually become masters themselves, correct? So if Cinder becomes more like her master, shouldn’t it be the same for Emerald if she inadvertently inherited the Fall Maiden power after Cinder technically died in the Vault of the Spring Maiden.

Despite taking her under her wing in the past, at the end of the day, Cinder is just a power-hungry woman who is willing to hurt anything and anyone to gain more power. Even when she already possessed the powers of a Maiden, her taste of the Maiden powers was so insatiable that she even went after the Spring Maiden’s power. This in hindsight seems like a rather nonsensical move on Cinder’s part since it has been indicated that there is no distinct differentiation in the Maiden abilities.

However this move does make sense given the kind of person Cinder is. She’s a  megalomaniac. Her lust for power is what drives her. It’s what drove her to become Salem’s apprentice. It’s what drove her to kill the previous Fall Maiden and confront Raven for her power.

I’m probably going out on a limb here but it seems to me that it doesn’t matter how powerful Cinder becomes, she will always want more. I’m just waiting for the moment when Cinder becomes so obsessed by her power that she even dares to think she can dethrone Salem.

Y’know live the part of the fairy-tale princess long enough til you rise to become the evil Queen. In the fairy tale of Cinderella, our main girl was formerly a peasant, treated poorly like a slave by her own family, until she eventually became a princess when she married the prince of the kingdom. Wouldn’t be surprised if Cinder came from a peasantry upbringing too, treated like dirt and told she was nothing and would probably never amount to anything.

In an odd way, Salem is almost like the Fairy Godmother in Cinder’s story. Just like in Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother gave Cinderella the means to attend the ball where she eventually met the man of her dreams. In Cinder’s case, Salem provided her with the means so that she could pursue what she desired most---power to become someone to not be underestimated.

In an odd way, Salem even sort of resembles the Fairy God Mother in her design but that’s mostly due them sharing similarities in the shape of their attire as well as their relationship to their respective Cinderella characters. But that’s just me.

Where’s that Cinder Fall backstory that’s going to humanize her as a person and make me feel totally conflicted about  disliking her as a villain based on her past actions?

Returning to Emerald, if Cinder becomes like Salem then it would make sense for Emerald to become the next Fall Maiden. When Cinder returns, I doubt she’ll be human anymore. As a matter of fact, I think a part of Cinder did die in the Vault---the part of her that was human and connected to the Fall Maiden powers.

Here me out again on this one. So…let’s say, technically Cinder did die but what returned is a being consisting of the Geist Grimm that took full control of Cinder’s original body. This is where Salem’s training sessions with Cinder back in V4 come into play. Throughout V4, Salem groomed Cinder to seize control of the Grimm attached to her body.

You can almost say that Cinder was almost fully fused with the Geist Grimm arm by the time she fought Raven in V5. But when Raven defeated her and sent her plummeting to her doom, I think what little bit of humanity she had left in her perished and what returned was Grimm. So basically, Cinder died a human but was reborn a Grimm possessing her human form yet still retaining Cinder’s old consciousness…like Salem?

Makes sense that the Geist would fully take over Cinder’s body in the end since its power is possession. Just as much as it makes sense that Cinder would ultimately fuse completely with the Geist Grimm since that was part of her training since V4. Learning to dominate this creature and become one with it.

So I’m banking on Cinder being another Grimm-hybrid or Grimmoire or whatever they’re canonically called exactly like her mentor before her---exactly like Salem.

After all, if you eyeball the V6 official volume poster and squint at the silhouette of Cinder, you can almost see an inkling of a white hand---not as veiny as Salem’s but close enough.

What I’ve also just noticed that’s interesting is that Cinder’s silhouette is opposite from Yang on the poster. This detail intrigues me since Raven Branwen, Yang’s mother was the one who technically killed Cinder. Not to mention that Ruby Rose, Yang’s sister, is the one whose power took Cinder’s eye and was the primary cause of her turmoil following V3.

Another coincidence is that Yang and Cinder were the two characters with amputated arms that had to learn to adapt to their new limbs during the course of V4. Hmmm…I’m starting to see a parallel here.

I guess the point I’m trying to imply here is that Raven and Ruby are two characters responsible for Cinder’s downfall so for all we know, this might inspire the Fallen Maiden to suddenly change tactics and possibly target someone close to both Ruby and Raven.

And who do we is someone clearly connected to both Ruby and Raven? From watching this poster alone, my first choice would obviously be Yang. She is the closest martyr with Ruby at the moment. However, I have a second choice that could make a more impactful victim. What if… Cinder targets Tai Yang. I know this may seem impossible now since Cinder has never met Tai and is unaware of his existence as well as his ties to Ruby and Raven. But while it may seem like a long reach right now, something about the V5 Finale After Credit teaser featuring Tai just gave me a strong vibe that he could show up in V6. My hunch was that Raven teleported him to rendezvous with the heroes using her connection to Yang (or Qrow).

Not sure if he’ll just be in one scene unrelated to the overarching plot for the next season or…perhaps Tai Yang might actually show up to help the heroes towards Argus and Atlas.

Who knows? While it’d be pretty great to finally see Papa Dragon join the long journey, reuniting with both his girls and fighting alongside Qrow again just like the old days of Team STRQ. However, at the same time, putting Tai in the mix also puts him on the radar for villains like Cinder to take advantage of his association to her main adversaries as part of her revenge scheme 101.

Speaking of Cinder scoping out Tai Yang, I just remembered another coincidence. Last season, RWBY Chibi hinted at Tai and Cinder meeting each other. Yes; I know it was part of a silly skit about online dating. Yet still; as I’m making my theory, I’m starting to wonder if this was another subtle sign of things to come in the main RWBY series as told by Chibi that you wouldn’t really consider important unless you really overthink it like…well, yours truly.

…Anyways, despite this being mostly just speculation, either way…I guess what I’m mostly trying to say is that both Xiao Long Dragons better watch their backs for Cinder Fall next volume.

As for what I was saying earlier about Emerald---I actually once made a theory way back in V3 about Emerald becoming the next Fall Maiden.

Ever since the time she first fought Amber, I felt like Emerald was destined to become a Fall Maiden. Plus, it would fit into the Aladdin character that I heard Emerald is influenced by. In Aladdin, he was a street rat who survived on petty thievery until one day; he was tricked into an opportunity that allowed him to acquire a magic lamp with a genie that granted him three wishes of anything he desired.

Emerald being a nobody coming from nothing to rise to become a Maiden---with power and a purpose sounds like something I can see the CRWBY Writers doing for her. Besides, like I said. I think Emerald unintentionally becoming a Maiden would be what makes her realize that Cinder is not the woman she thought she was.

Picture this…Cinder losing hold of her Maiden powers after being defeated by Raven. Those powers then go to Emerald. Despite being overwhelmed by her newfound powers, Emerald sees this as a sign of her being important to Cinder since Maiden powers only get passed on to the next female who was in the previous Maiden’s thoughts last. Emerald will foolishly see this as a testament that Cinder loved her; like a lonely child yearning for compassion and approval from a wayward parent.

However, the crushing reality is that Cinder, obviously, did not want to give away her Maiden powers. On the contrary, the only reason she thought of Emerald in her final thoughts was because she was screaming on the inside of how much she didn’t want to lose her Maiden power, especially not to a weakling, incompetent street rat like Emerald.

To Emerald’s horror, Grimmoire Cinder will then attempt to kill her so that the Fall Maiden powers may return to her. Mercury will intervene to stop Cinder from killing Emerald only to be struck down (not killed) in the process. It is in this moment where Cinder reveals her true colours---literally taking on the same, pale, red-eyed monstrous appearance that caused Emerald to fear Salem.

Now Cinder and Salem were one and the same with all semblance of the once human Cinder Fall gone.

Witnessing the sight of the woman she once saw as family turned monster as she harmed the one other person who cared about her enough to protect her from said woman is enough to finally snap Emerald to her senses.

Emerald will realize the truth and then turn on Cinder using the very powers she stole from the former Maiden against her.

Emerald becoming a Maiden would be a fine shift in her story arc because it gives her her own purpose outside being Cinder’s pawn. Emerald was never meant to be Cinder’s disciple. But perhaps a Maiden she can be.

It makes me wonder how much different the story would’ve been if Emerald was actually discovered and made an apprentice of Amber instead of Cinder. I mean, Amber was such a kind-hearted soul that she was willing to tend to a crying child on an empty path, providing her with food as a form of comfort through her pain.

I think with a little more development and some soul searching, Emerald could become a great Fall Maiden. May even be redeemed a little. But that’s only if that’s in the cards for her side of the story.

A Friend In Me

If there is one thing I want for V6 is for Emerald and Mercury to realize that their lives can go beyond Cinder and Salem. It doesn’t matter what horrid backgrounds they came from, they can write their own future and they can do it together if they wished it.

Do you know what would be really cute? If as a parallel to Aladdin, Mercury offers Emerald three favours that he would grant her without question. So she can bug him for three things and he’ll willingly do it with zero complaints. It’s a ploy mostly done as Mercury’s way to cheer Emerald up and for the most part it works.

I like the idea of Emerald coming down to her final favour and she asks Mercury to stay by her side and never betray her and it’s a promise he’s more than willing to oblige.

I like the idea of Emerald going at Yang for revenge for Cinder but when Cinder returns and betrays her, it becomes the final straw that finally causes her to seek her own redemption.

If I’m being completely honest, I don’t see Emerald and Mercury going forward for the Atlas Arc. Since RWBY V6 will be 14 episodes long with the primary focus on our heroes reaching Argus before Atlas, I’m not sure how much we’ll see of Emerald and Mercury. I wouldn’t be surprised if these two along with Hazel are missing in action for most of V6.

My stronger hunch is that Emerald and Mercury will disappear with Hazel for V6 and that the three will be missing until a later volume or arc where their roles as villains and stories can be properly dealt with. I’d rather Mercury and Emerald fall into obscurity until the Writers are ready to give them the spotlight for development rather than rush to tell their stories for V6.

With the fact that Adam Taurus has been set up as a returning big bad with a vendetta against the Faunus who betrayed him, including Blake, I don’t expect to see much of our Jaded Duo. V6 already feels like it has its plate full with a lot of other important plot points to cover that I’m not sure how our Jaded duo will fit.

Nevertheless, the return of Cinder does have me pondering if this spells Mercury and Emerald reuniting with her or…perhaps Cinder might just pair up with someone else. Someone who shares her lust for power and revenge. Y’know…someone who had his own character short recently.

For the sake of this musing, let’s toy with the idea that Mercury and Emerald do have a set story for next season. Personally I think the Mistral Arc would’ve been a perfect place to conclude Emerald and Mercury’s stories respectively since the two were originally discovered in that particular part of Remnant, right? Correct me if I’m wrong. The same could be said for Hazel unless he’s actually from Sanus near Vale since Gretchen went to Beacon; tying into my previously mentioned theory on him.

Though I love the idea of Papa Bear Hazel becoming Emerald and Mercury’s parental guardian and he and Mercury tag teaming to protect Emerald; truth is this squiggle meister is not quite sure about Hazel’s fate. I do, however, think that his problems can be easily resolved in like one season if given proper focus.

I don’t expect three more seasons of Hazel returning…at least, not as a villain under Salem anyways. I feel as if one rematch with Oscar where the truth is realized is enough to show Hazel the error of his ways.

And even if he does still harbour some resentment towards Ozpin, by that time he would’ve gained a newer purpose which would be to aid and protect the adolescent Emerald and Mercury in the next chapter of their dual development.

If the Jaded Duo are to appear for V6, then I think this season could spell the last time we see of Mercury and Emerald (and Hazel) for a while. If there is a story for them in V6 then I hope it’s one where the two make a decision to reassess their paths and change--- something that was actually hinted at during the start of V4 when we were introduced to the volume by their shared horrified expressions at the sight of the Grimm pools in Salem’s Domain.

I don’t think Emerald and Mercury will join the good guys either. At least; not yet.

Again, if they do have a story for V6 then my theory is that once it’s wrapped up, Emerald and Mercury might drop out of the story for a while and the next time we’ll learn of their return is probably when the gang head off for Vacuo or Vale.

After all, if Emerald does become the new Fall Maiden, the group will need her on their side to open the Vault, right? So once the Atlas and Vacuo Arcs are completed, the heroes will need to find Emerald since, as the new the Fall Maiden, they will need her help.

Oh! Do you know what would be a neat idea? What if…Emerald and Mercury drop out of the main series yet, their story gets continued in book format. Y’know how we’re getting that young adult novel RWBY series featuring Team CVFY following the Fall of Beacon, right?

Picture this. What if…we got another RWBY YA that deals with the adventures of Emerald and Mercury with Hazel following the aftermath of the Triumph of Haven and their story ultimately leads them to Vacuo where they cross paths with Team CFVY.

I love this idea since the last time CFVY saw Emerald and Mercury was when their leader Cinder implemented the attack during the Vytal Festival. 

Not to mention that Yatsuhashi and Coco may share some bad blood between Emerald and Mercury from their fight during the Vytal Festival. So it’d be awesome to have CFVY reunite with Emerald, Mercury and Hazel in Vacuo in the YA novel series. Wouldn’t that be cool?

I really dig the concept of Emerald and Mercury along with Hazel spending some time away from everything---starting life anew. Out in the deserts of Vacuo, I bet finding people won’t be easy, right? So I think at the end of V6 (or whenever the CRWBY Writers decide to tackle their stories), Mercury and Emerald may chose to venture towards the desert sands of Vacuo with Hazel accompanying them.

After all, according to World of Remnant, the law of Vacuo is that if you’re able to survive the harsh conditions of the kingdom then you’re more than welcome to live amongst its people regardless of your background.

So basically, Vacuo sounds like the perfect place for a fresh start, especially for a former street rat and thief turned Maiden, the son of an ex-assassin and an ex-avenger freed from his rage. Am I right? I want this because it’s a compelling way to redeem all three of these characters while giving them a bigger purpose that will make even greater sense in the long run when the heroes head off to Vacuo. But then again, this is only my hunch.

Jaded Thoughts

I’ll be real. This squiggle meister definitely ships Mercury and Emerald or Jaded as you guys call them. I’ve shipped them ever since their debut back in V2. But between Emerald’s devotion to Cinder and her moments of annoyance at Mercury’s childishness, I was never quite certain if making them a couple would be a direction the writers saw them going in, y’know?

I wouldn’t mind a romance forming between them though. But I’d imagine that Jaded is something that’ll move like a slow building fire. I think at the moment a little romance is the last thing on either teenager’s minds. But take away the tension and push these two in a scenario where they’re able to learn more about one another and understand the other, I think something beyond just their usual partnership due to circumstance can form.

I can see Emerald learning to trust in Mercury as someone she can rely on besides Cinder and Mercury can have someone to care about besides himself and show that he’s capable of something his father wasn’t---basic human compassion. I really hope they touch base on Mercury’s backstory for the next part of his growth. Now would be the right moment for the show to do it as the story is still in Mistral and Emerald and Mercury seem to be residents of the area.

Perhaps they’ll even revisit Mercury’s old home in the mountains. Perhaps we’ll get to hear more about Emerald’s background before she met Cinder. Same with Hazel. I wanna know more about his ties to Ozpin and their whole history involving Gretchen.

Anima is a big place. It’s a chance to learn more about each of these three villains. Giving us a nice little villain’s journey if they will. So I sincerely hope the writers did take a chance with this for Emerald and Mercury’s stories. If not for V6 then perchance later when the timing is right.  

Emerald and Mercury already work seamlessly together in combat. Now what needs to be taken care of is all the mushy stuff like sharing feelings and whatnot. Similar to my other RWOTP RoseGarden, I think Jaded could work if left to properly build up and grow into something meaningful to both partners in the pairing.

Fortunately Jaded already had a head start from V2 and as V3 implied, Emerald and Mercury have been together for some good time. So I’m hoping V6 or another volume will eventually bring it all home with both teens realizing that the one person they have left in the world now is each other (with Papa Bear Hazel to protect them too of course).

If a deep romance forged from a comforting and reliant relationship between two former villains is destined for the long haul of RWBY then that’s a love story that this squiggle meister is more than game for that. Bring it.

 So to conclude…

And…that’s all folks!

Nothing much left to be said beyond that. I believe I’ve more or less covered every theory I had on the Jaded Duo. Even tossed in a few bonus hunches on Cinder Fall and Hazel Rainart for you too.

Overall, I hope this helps answer your questions Mojo and anon-chan. Again, apologies that this took so long. But for the most part, I hope you both enjoyed the theories and points I shared in this musing. Let me know what you guys think.

That being said, this is the last of my backlog of musings from months ago. Thank you guys so much for your patience. Next up is my 50th musing post. Jeez, can you believe I made fifty of these already? Well…technically fifty; not counting the ones I made on Chibi, my remarks and quotes XD

Anywhozzits, @parrot-with-a-mohawk, the musing post with my response to your musing post is up next. So stay tune for that fam! See you guys in the next post.

More Squiggles’ RWBY Content

~LittleMissSquiggles (2018)

[kdinthecity]

Zutara Week 2017: Confessions of a Teenage Sugar Queen

The title is a throwback to a movie I liked when I was in high school, so that is the voice I’ve chosen for this AU. (Not Lindsay Lohan’s from the movie, just me trying to channel my inner teenage Katara...)

All of my @zutaraweek submissions will be part of one continuous story. Get ready for some slow-burn Zutara angst starting with Day One: Fire Lady.

“I can’t wait until summer!” A blur of orange brushes past me in the school hallway. “I’m gonna go hang gliding and kite surfing and eat ice cream for breakfast and donuts for lunch!”

That would be Aang. He lives with his head in the clouds on most days.

“Let me guess. Cream puffs for dinner, Twinkletoes?”

Toph is pretty solid for a freshman. She keeps Aang grounded when he starts to get too flighty. I like hanging out with them, but sometimes their immaturity annoys me. I can tell this is one of those moments. No one can eat dessert all day. Talk about a serious sugar crash.

“What about you, Sugar Queen?” Toph asks.

I don’t know why she calls me that. OK, maybe I suggested once that I could survive solely on fudgsicles and moon pies, but that was only after that bad breakup with Jet. Toph elbows me hard in the ribs, her usual gesture for getting my attention.

“Oww! I have plans this summer, alright? I can’t just goof off. I’m going to get a job and do something that matters for my future!” I hate how haughty that sounds, but I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately. I hurry past them before I say anything I might regret.

“Geez, what’s with her?” Toph mutters. Aang sighs airily in response.

They just don’t get it.

I’m the only sophomore to participate in the school’s summer internship fair this year. My brother calls me crazy. Well, I think he’s crazy because as a junior, it’s his last opportunity to gain this experience for college applications. Yet, he’s blowing it off to go fishing in Alaska with Dad. Maybe Sokka will end up taking over the family business, but I know he’d rather pursue engineering than commercial fishing.

The truth is, Dad cannot provide for our college tuition with his income. Sokka doesn’t think about these things, but I do. I’m getting an internship this summer so I can help pay for stuff like clothes and school lunches. And then hopefully I’ll get a scholarship for a top tier school like Atlas University. I will not be a burden to anyone.

“But what do you mean I can’t get any of the paid internships?” I am nearly in tears as I approach Principal Pakku.

“I’m sorry, Katara, but you’re under the legal working age. You can apply for one of the volunteer positions.”

“I’m a hard worker! And a straight A student!” I want to add that I’d do a better job than half the junior class.

He folds his arms across his chest. “Rules are rules.”

The pale blue of his suit starts to blur in my vision, and my bottom lip trembles, but I refuse to cry in front of this man. “But I'm turning 16 this summer!” My birthday is actually at the end of August. Had I not gone to Montessori kindergarten, I would be an entire grade younger according to the age cutoff for public school.

Ms. Yugoda, the school nurse, senses my distress. “Katara, sweetheart, it will still look good on your college applications, and it will help you land a top notch internship for next year. You still have time.”

“But, I need… the experience.” I will not beg for money.

“There’s nothing I can do.” Principal Pakku claps his hands and rubs them together as if that settles the matter. “I’ll put in a good word for you. How about… the zoo?”

I brush the back of my sleeve across dampened cheeks and stomp my foot. “I do not want to be scooping up ostrich-horse shit all summer!”

The principal’s expression is scolding, but I can’t stand the look of pity Ms. Yugoda is giving me right now. Before I have a chance to apologize for my outburst, Ty Lee sweeps in from the adjoining door that leads to the nurse’s office.

She hooks a bandaged arm through my elbow and escorts me out into the hallway. “What’s an ostrich horse? Sounds… magical!”

Her high-pitched giggle grates on my last nerve. An ostrich horse happens to be an imaginary animal from this fictional world I created. Sometimes I write about characters with amazing abilities to bend the elements. For me, I've always wanted to control water—like command the waves, summon the tides. My earliest memories are of Mom at the beach, so…

“Katara?” The knitted brow and slight frown look out of place on Ty Lee.

“Sorry.”

“You can always join the circus with me!”

“Right.”

I should have asked her what happened to her arm, but apparently I am too self-absorbed today to care about my friends.

“The Marine Science Center has a few openings. Here, take a brochure and see if anything interests you. We are a non-profit organization, so we can’t pay our interns unfortunately, but sometimes our students come back to work for us after they graduate.” The woman has an almost ethereal look about her.

“So… I wouldn’t be cleaning up seal sh—poop? I mean, it’s OK. I just don’t want to do that the whole time.” I cringe, but she smiles.

“No, no. That’s not really a valuable learning experience, is it? I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Yue.”

“Katara. Nice to meet you.”

“So, we have a position that works with the medical staff. Most of the marine animals we treat are sick or injured, so we nurse them back to health, tag them, and set them free. Another position studies the water, looking for contaminants and identifying potential threats, like factory pollution, for example. Then, you can work on a government petition to shut those facilities down or enforce environmental safety regulations. And lastly, we have a group that goes to schools, summer camps, and museums to talk about all these things.”

I skim my fingers across the panels of the tri-fold brochure as she speaks. Rehabilitate. Advocate. Educate. I always swore I would never go into fishing, but this is different. I care about the environment. I even organized a beach cleanup day as a community service event for the honor society. (This is how I know the juniors are lazy dipshits.) And I want to be either a professor or a doctor when I grow up, so the experience would be relevant. I take an application, give her my best smile, and express my sincere interest in the positions.

I sign up for a few other things before deciding I’m done. There isn’t much interest in the unpaid internships, and my eyes are drawn to the crowd on the other side of the gym. The largest group gathers at the table for Future Fire Technology. I've heard quite a bit about the company because the CEO’s daughter is in the honor’s track with me. Azula talks nonstop about how the former weapons company has rebranded and now manufactures cutting edge robotics. I couldn’t care less.

Azula will undoubtedly secure a position at her father’s company for the summer. She’s ambitious like that. Her brother, Zuko, will likely work there, too. He strikes me as different somehow—not really the corporate type. He’s not one of the half-assed juniors, though. He’s still pretty intense. I’m a little intrigued by him, but Sokka warns me to leave him be. Well, Sokka can’t tell me who I can and cannot talk to… I just wish I could get up the nerve to… oh monkeyfeathers!

“There aren’t many sophomores here, y’know,” a voice rasps. Zuko is standing right here. Talking to me. Sokka says he never talks to anyone.

“I, uhhh…” I want to slap my forehead for being such a blubbering idiot.

“I saw you at the Marine Science Center table. Sounds cool, huh?”

He was… watching me? The pink that rises to his cheeks would indicate that yes... yes, he was. I'm dying to ask about that mysterious scar across his left eye, but I guess that won’t make the best first impression.

“Katara,” I say.

“What?” he asks, his single brow raised in confusion.

“I’m Katara.” I hold out my hand like a dork.

“Oh, right. Sorry. Zuko.”

We are now shaking hands. Like dorks.

“And yes.” I clear my throat. “The Marine Science Center looks cool. I hope I get it.”

The results are posted the following week. With everyone crowded around the bulletin board outside the gym, it feels like we’re clamoring to see who’s made the basketball team or the cheerleading squad. I’m the only sophomore and of average height, so it takes me a while to wiggle my way to the front so I can see.

There are three names listed for the Marine Science Center.

Me! I got the position I wanted!

Then, Hahn. I don’t really know him, only that Sokka hates him, which should be interesting.

And… Zuko?

I scan the crowd for his unmistakable face, but he’s nowhere to be found. I can’t help but notice the red-clad crew off to the right, however. Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai are all on our school’s beach volleyball team. Either they just came from practice, are headed to a game, or just want an excuse to wear their uniform. Two seniors, Ruon Jion and Chan, hover nearby, enjoying the view. Ty Lee offers a shy wave when she catches my eye.

“Congrats to the newest Future Fire Lady!” Azula salutes Mai.

The dark-haired girl simply huffs. “But Zuko won’t be there. He got some stupid job at a water park.”

I fight the urge to march right up to her and emphasize how respectable and meaningful the Marine Science Center internship is, but the look on Ty Lee’s face stops me. Her bottom lip protrudes in a full-on pout, and I remember that she told me about Mai’s childhood crush. Apparently it is one-sided, and everyone wishes she would just get over it. Mai's scowl confirms that I should let it go.

“Of course Father wouldn’t give him a job after the equipment malfunction last year.” Everything Azula says comes out like a sneer. “He’s such a disgrace to the family. We need someone who is competent and level-headed in the company, Mai. Not lovesick and forlorn. Should I retract my recommendation I made to Father?”

Even though she’s shaking her head, I swear I hear Mai mumble bitch under her breath. For some reason, I am mesmerized by the exchange. The crowd finally thins out as everyone heads to class. With only two weeks left of school, the summer will be here before we know it. And I will be nursing injured seals back to health with Zuko?

Toph nudges me with her elbow. “Hey Sugar Queen. Watch your back, will ya?”

“What? Why?”

She’s gone before I can ask what the hell she’s talking about.

Chapter Two: Underwater  |  Chapter Three: Steamy

Chapter Four: The Fall

[spinneryesteryear]

The KH people are now in naruto. Who does what?

I couldn’t decide whether to treat this as ‘crossover where the KH people end up in the Naruto-verse’ or as an AU along the lines of ‘where the KH people were born in the Naruto-verse’, so I’m gonna go with the second in order to make things simpler. Haha. ‘Simpler’. I must also remind myself not to drag my world-building headcanons into this...

Kairi - Easiest of all. She’s an Uzumaki! The red hair totally fits. Since she’s a Princess of Heart in KH, I’d translate her as an Uzumaki princess, as Mito and Kushina are commonly assumed to have been. She’d have Adamantine Sealing Chains made out of pure light/chakra. Plus, my understanding of the Uzumaki is that they have a great deal of Yang chakra, which is associated with light. *imagines Kairi with chakra chains and seals* Good stuff. Plus, maybe she could be a chakra sensor, like Karin? Chains, seals, sensing - those are some good abilities there. 

Riku - Lol, my first thought is that he would be a successful Uchiha, despite the totally wrong coloring. Bear out with me on this. In KH, he’s goaded into opening the door to darkness and destroying his world, and then into capturing the Princesses of Heart in a deluded quest to save Kairi - does this sound like an Uchiha tantrum or what? You could even argue that Kairi’s ‘loss of her heart’ could have qualified him for a Mangekyou if he had blamed himself. However, Riku actually takes responsibility for his actions and does his best to fix things; he at least never became an international terrorist, and his life change is sincere. In the end, he’d be more like... what the Uchiha should be, if they didn’t all go power-crazy. (*waits for an Uchiha stan to jump on me for saying this*) Anyway. I’d definitely associate Riku with some kind of Yin Release (because darkness!) - genjutsu/illusions? Combined with kenjutsu, it reminds me a little of Shisui’s skillset - another point in the ‘Uchiha Riku’ column. Then again, he doesn’t have to be an Uchiha to be great at genjutsu. Hmm... what if he is, like, actually Xehanort’s grandson in this AU? Depending on the timeline, he might be expected by his family to carry on Xehanort’s master plan. Or, if Xehanort’s shenanigans have become common knowledge and he has fled the village like Orochimaru, Riku might be suspected as a flight risk. Like Sasuke running away to Sound, Riku might initially run away to Xehanort/Akatsuki. Unlike Sasuke, Riku comes back. 

Sora - A kenjutsu user, like Riku, with ninjutsu of various elements under his belt and no real talent at genjutsu. Perhaps he also works hard on taijutsu for when he doesn’t have his sword? He’s not from any big ninja clan and doesn’t have a fancy bloodline; he’s dragged himself to where he is now by following the Rock Lee school of hard work. I’m imagining Sora, Riku, and Kairi on a genin team together; they’ve been friends since they met in the Academy and showed an aptitude for teamwork that practically guaranteed they’d be placed on the same team. If we want to follow the Team 7 format, Riku would be the Rookie of the Year, Kairi would be the Top Kunoichi, and Sora would be the Dead Last (I’m sorry, Sora). However, they’d work together and actually pull that team formation off. Sora would also have issues, much like Naruto, with the school of thought that ninja need to be emotionless dehumanized tools for their village’s purpose. Would he also have epic powers of converting his enemies to his side? Possibly. 

Donald Duck - Okay, if we’re leaving him as a duck, then presumably he’s a summons animal of some sort. A duck summons. With ninjutsu. Water Release, Ice Release? IDK, in KH he has a lot more different types of magic than are common for ninja and animals in the Naruto-verse. As a summons animal, he could be anywhere from the size of a normal duck to person-sized to larger than person-sized. He wouldn’t be a boss summon, though. He’d still get to wear his blue jacket and hat, though, and talk in his squeaky voice. With his aquatic nature and Water Release, it makes me think of Kiri or Uzushio. Perhaps the duck summoning contract was salvaged from Uzushio? Does that mean Kairi is a duck summoner? 

Goofy - Okay, he could be a nin-dog - like, an actual dog, and not the anthropomorphized dog he is in KH. Perhaps he could be Sora’s dog partner, like Kiba and Akamaru? We could have ninja!Sora riding a dog into battle! Inuzuka Sora is... actually a pretty cool idea? If we don’t go that route, Goofy could be some sort of dog summons (was it ever explained whether Kakashi’s dogs were normal dogs he just summoned or summons animals???) and could then have an excuse for being anthropomorphized, walking on two field, and wielding shields or other weapons. I like the idea of Inuzuka Sora and his faithful battle dog more, though.

Mickey - Do I want to keep him as an anthropomorphized mouse or do I make a human AU out of this? If I do a human AU, he could be the jounin sensei of Sora, Kairi, and Riku - an elite jounin, a kenjutsu and ninjutsu expert, an S-rank shinobi who’s considered a viable kage candidate if they could keep him in his office long enough to actually do his paperwork. He probably doesn’t even do his paperwork as it is, always running off on missions. He doesn’t really strike me as former ANBU material, although it remains a possibility. Maybe he could have mouse summons for communication (or giant mouse summons for combat?) if we want to keep the rodent theme going on here. Perhaps his wife, Minnie, is high up in their village’s government, actually running things. She could be the head of T&I or something. 

Yen Sid - Old ninja. Highly respected in his day, and still commands a reputation throughout the Elemental Nations. Possibly known as ‘the Professor’. Mickey’s jounin sensei. Genin teammate of Eraqus and Xehanort. He could be the kage of his village and complete the parallels with Sarutobi Hiruzen/Sandaime Hokage (Yen Sid may not have done much of anything so far and may have hidden information from the main characters, but his only pupil turned out successfully so he’s still ahead of Hiruzen). He strikes me as a sealing master and very knowledgeable about chakra and jutsu theory in general.

Eraqus - Old ninja, kenjutsu master, possibly with a side of ninjutsu. Genin teammate of Yen Side and Xehanort. Had a bit of a falling out with his genin teammates years ago, Yen Sid for his inaction and Xehanort for his creepiness, but they’ve mended some bridges by now. Aqua and Terra are a little too old to still be genin; possibly they are his chuunin apprentices in kenjutsu or something? Huge angst potential here with the idea that Eraqus was their jounin sensei and their third genin teammate died in a mission gone wrong or something. Aqua and Terra made genin and then chuunin nevertheless, but all three of them were affected by the loss and Eraqus became doubly determined not to lose any of his kids by ensuring as well as he can that they’re prepared for the shinobi lifestyle and that they won’t go down a similar path as Xehanort. Extra heartwrenchingly, Ventus comes along as a boy so similar to the genin student he lost and Xehanort possibly gives him to Eraqus to train/raise knowing that. Guilt trip, any one?

Terra - Okay, so I started off this laughing to myself at the thought of Terra in the Tsuchikage hat, but then I had a better idea. Terra’s darkness/evil power inside him that he struggles to keep at bay - this translates really well to him being a jinchuuriki. Terra being the container for an ‘evil’ tailed beast and shunned by society for it would explain some of his self-esteem issues and his desperate need for validation/approval from his teacher. It might also explain his need to get stronger; he has to, in order to control the tailed beast within him for the sake of his entire village, and so he won’t lose anyone else like his dead genin teammate. Eraqus’s light-is-good/darkness-is-evil mentality would play into things here with him preaching to Terra that he has to keep the tailed beast in check, suppress his emotions, and become a good dehumanized tool for the village. Xehanort, on the other hand, would tell Terra that it’s okay to be human, that the tailed beast’s power can be channeled, that the villagers should view him as a hero for his difficult duty - emotionally manipulating him by giving him the validation he craves in order to gain a jinchuuriki and the awesome power of a tailed beast under his control.

...Yikes. That is genuinely frightening. 

No, I do NOT need another fic on my plate no matter how much Xehanort gathering the neglected jinchuuriki and manipulating them into causing the apocalypse so he can revive the Juubi for his own agenda would make an interesting and horrifying fic...

Aqua - The only one out of the ‘kids’ to have it together. She’s probably already made jounin; she holds her own with kenjutsu and ninjutsu. She’s been tasked with watching Terra by Eraqus/the village leaders because they’re afraid that his tailed beast’s seal is weakening/he’s giving into the tailed beast/he’s going to go rogue and leave his village, etc. (When all he actually needs here is some support, dang it.) She’ll have to confront the ‘ninja are tools of their village’ mentality. I’d like to see her on a retrieval mission alongside Sora/Riku/Kairi to bring back Sasuke defecting to Sound Riku leaving for Maleficent/Xehanort or having to deal with a tailed beast rampage and tearfully having to decide whether to try to talk down a possessed Terra or to kill her best friend in order to save the village. Because I enjoy pain.

Ventus - OH MY GOSH Ventus is Tenzou/Yamato. Possibly stolen from his family at a young age? Check. Experimented on by a crazy madman in hopes of reviving a legendary power? Check. Experiment apparently fails and he’s abandoned/the only survivor of said experiments? Check. He ultimately proves able to use/create said legendary power? Check. Ventus, however, lucks out in that he’s taken in by Eraqus and doesn’t fall into the clutches of Danzou and become even more messed up. So, in this Naruto AU, Ventus has the mokuton (magical tree-growing ability). Thus, it would make incredible sense for him to be put with Terra, as the wood-controlling powers of the mokuton suppress tailed beast chakra. Ventus has thus been (unknowingly) trained to be the one to fight and possibly put down his big brother figure if he ever succumbs to the tailed beast within him. Or - what if Ventus knows this might one day be his duty and desperately hopes to avoid it? That might lend an extra flavor of panic to his insistence that Terra isn’t losing himself to the darkness/tailed beast - it can’t be true, because if it’s true Ventus has to fight him and possibly kill him. And Ventus can’t do that, not to one of the few people who’s treated him as a person, as something more than a (failed) science experiment or a fairy tale figure. Thus, in this AU, it wouldn’t be Eraqus threatening to kill Terra. It’d be Eraqus threatening Ventus in order to get Ventus to kill Terra and/or trying to kill Terra himself. D: 

Namine - Possibly another one of Orochimaru’s Xehanort’s science experiments who survived? She has the same cartoons-come-to-life jutsu as Sai. Xehanort and his crew may have used her for villainous purposes (to capture the tailed beasts/their containers?) but Sora acknowledged her as a person and she’s decided to join his fight in the ‘ninja are people not emotionless tools to be used to whatever horrible end by their village’ struggle. Possibly, she and Kairi team up (sealing via drawings + magical chains) to put an end to the tailed beast rampage and save Terra from Xehanort and his minions?

Vanitas - IDK can anyone think of any reason why he would NOT be an Uchiha whom Xehanort is manipulating for his own ends in this AU? If his association with Sora is kept, perhaps he was Sora’s adopted older brother whom Danzou Xehanort stole to become his minion like poor Aburame Torune.

Xehanort - Is basically Orochimaru. Without the snakes. He was the genin teammate of Yen Side and Eraqus and got away with a lot of stuff while they weren’t looking/were unwilling to look. He experimented on Ventus in order to revive the legendary mokuton ability. He may have exploited Namine for her unique drawings-come-to-life ability. He would totally have stolen Vanitas for his abilities and/or experimented on him to give him said abilities. He’s been creeping on Terra and emotionally manipulating or just capturing the other jinchuuriki for their tailed beasts. Unlike most Naruto villains, he has no motivations of wanting to change the world for peace, blah, blah, blah. He just wants to combine the tailed beast into the Juubi monstrosity and potentially cause the apocalypse just to see what will happen. Due to Yen Sid’s passivity and his guilt-tripping of Eraqus, he gets away with a lot of it. By the time Terra goes berserk and the village is at risk of destruction by the tailed beast he carries, Xehanort can sit back and watch Eraqus do his work for him in delivering said tailed beast right to him. 

Organization XIII - Are the Akatsuki, I guess? Xehanort has assembled a team of S-rank shinobi, either missing nin or ones he just stole (*cough Ienzo, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion cough*) and raised to work for him without questioning his goals. They even have a uniform! His goal of Norting them all can be carried over by Xehanort killing them and using their corpses in his version of the Six Paths of Pain - the Thirteen Paths of Xehanort, or something like that. Yikes. That is also terrifying. Eventually, all the ninja nations unite against him and he starts the zombie apocalypse to keep them busy while he grabs the last few jinchuuriki and begins the real apocalypse. 

IDK where I’m going with this anymore. The Sora = Inuzuka, Terra = jinchuuriki, and Ventus = mokuton bits are the real genius elements here. 

[ixvyupdates]

16 Amazing Black Men and Their Advice for Young Students

Father’s Day is a day to celebrate all the wonderful fathers in the world. However, for Black people, Father’s Day has too often turned into a day to discuss all the dysfunction with Black men—especially a lack of Black fathers.

President Obama, Bill Cosby and other Black leaders often preach and lecture about the “brokenness” of Black male fathers and role models. (The irony of Bill Cosby morally shaming people is not lost on me.)

This Father’s Day, I want to send a message of encouragement to Black students, especially our Black boys in schools. I want to show them—and all of us—the people we might not see every day—the many successful Black men who aren’t only athletes, actors or rappers.

These 16 brothers—some fathers, husbands, community leaders and all amazing Black men that I love and respect—shared inspiring advice they would give to young Black students.

Brian Dawson, Sales Associate

Brian Dawson is my husband and the father of our two daughters. He’s a great salesperson and a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s in journalism.

Advice: “Try and look for mentors. When you have an idea, see if it’s been done before and replicate it. Don’t waste valuable time reinventing the wheel.”

Courtney Jarvis, Ph.D. in Immunology

Courtney Jarvis is my brother, and he grew up in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. He received his bachelor’s, master’s and—as of this year—his doctorate in immunology and infectious disease from Texas Tech University.

Advice: “This may sound cliche, but make sure that you practice delayed gratification. When making decisions, think about your future self, and do the thing that is most beneficial to you in the future—not just what feels good right now.”

Anthony Clark, Special Education Teacher and Community Activist

Raised in a working-class family in Oak Park, Illinois, Anthony Clark is a military veteran, high school special education teacher and active community organizer. In the summer of 2016, Anthony founded the Suburban Unity Alliance, an organization dedicated to combating discrimination by raising awareness and bringing communities together based on common interests and community goals. He believes it’s time this country lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.

Advice: “In the words of the great Muhammad Ali, ‘service to others is the rent you pay on this Earth.’ What good is it if you have the nicest car imaginable, if all the roads are broken and no one can travel? Live your life uplifting those around you.”

Aquil Charlton, DJ and Lead Vocalist for Animate Objects

A skilled DJ and electronic musician, Aquil “AyQue” Charlton uses his creative agility to reach a wide range of audiences. He raps over his own live production, and has backed Open Mike Eagle on synthesizers. As a vocalist and songwriter with hip-hop/soul band Animate Objects he has also opened for Lauryn Hill, Dilated Peoples, The Wailers, Mint Condition, Chingy, Kardinal Offishall and others.

Offstage, Aquil is all about the social good. He has toured and taught internationally with the U.S. Department of State Cultural Affairs Division and OneBeat Program. In Chicago, he has taught music through After School Matters, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education and Urban Gateways. Aquil is currently Program Director at Notes for Notes, a free music studio for youth, and directs the New Music Ensemble with Chicago Public Schools All City Arts program. He also leads pop-up events such as the “Mobile Music Box,” in which he rides his bicycle throughout Chicago, hosting public music studio and instrument-making activities. Currently, he is preparing to release new hip-hop projects while raising a 3-year-old genius.

Advice: “Trust your instincts and embrace your culture. Resist the urge to abandon your integrity for the sake of temporary gain. The long game is worth so much more to you and the resilience necessary to achieve it will be your new superpower.”

Carnell Griffin, Entrepreneur and Principal Interior Designer

Carnell Griffin is an interior designer and entrepreneur.

Advice: “As a Black person seeking more knowledge in the world, knowing how much external wisdom and advice to apply and digest into your personal narrative will be the biggest test. Here are three tips to remember: 1) Shut up: You’re not as smart as you will be. 2) Put your money to work: You will and can live a debt-free life, with a multitude of financial streams depositing to you. 3) Get you some Jesus: All of the supernatural portions of life that non-believers speak of—‘have faith it will work,’ ‘just believe in yourself,’ ‘good things come to those who [blank]’—will never unlock their full weight until you get Jesus in your soul.”

Christian Harris, Entrepreneur and Civic Leader

Christian Harris is a lifelong Oak Park resident and a graduate of Bradley University. For the last five years he has been co-owner of MaidPro, a cleaning service with over 150 clients and 13 employees. Christian has a strong dedication to his community and is on the executive board of the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He was elected to the Oak Park Library Board in 2017 and serves as its finance officer, overseeing a budget of $8 million. He also sits on the Young Professionals Board of H.O.M.E. (Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly) in Chicago, which works towards affordable housing for low-income seniors. In his free time, he tutors children in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, helps future entrepreneurs develop their business plans, and watches Chicago sports with his high school buddies.

Advice: “Find time to do something you like every day. Even if it’s only for five minutes or less. In your life you will have to do many things that you are not passionate about or don’t like—such as school, taking out the trash or eventually a job. However, the things you are passionate about will keep you going and remind you that life is about happiness.”

Credell Walls, Civic, Nonprofit and Environmental Leader

Credell Walls spent more than 15 years of his career implementing nature-based youth development programs with the Jane Goodall Institute-USA and the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance. Currently, he continues connecting people to the environment with the Forest Preserves of Cook County as the community engagement specialist. He holds a bachelor’s from DePaul University in nonprofit management and will finish his master’s in biology from Miami University of Ohio in December 2018. He has presented on radio and on stage with the world-renowned primatologist and United Nations Ambassador, Dr. Jane Goodall. In his spare time, he enjoys performing sketch comedy, going to the movies and being with his wife and their adorable 14-month-old.

Advice: “Never give in to peer pressure, even if you’re afraid. Being different is a gift, so embrace it. That’s what makes you special. Although you might go through some bad days, wait it out for the good days and then be prepared to do it again and again. Take this moment in your life to watch people and choose the parts of them you like to add to what you know. Learn from everyone so there is no need to feel jealous. Pick your battles. It’s great to stand up for yourself, just know when and how to do it.”

Eugene Bush, Filmmaker

Eugene Bush is a producer and director and the owner of E-Tre Productions. He has over 10 years of project planning and implementation experience in a variety of areas including finance, accounting, database and web development, programming, networking, automation and customer support. He runs a video production business full-time but still finds time to manage IT-related projects.

Advice: “Do your best to create with what you have around you. Don’t wait for the better actor, for the better equipment, for the better money, for the better location. Progression beats perfection every time. You will find once you begin completing projects even with the limited resources you have the universe begins to line up to send you the resources that you need. Furthermore, experience is the best teacher. So once you begin completing projects, you’ll learn exactly what you need to do to make the next project better. Don’t fall into the trap of, ‘Once I know everything then I’ll move on.’ You’ll never know everything. Lastly, don’t worry about the critics and haters. They are going to hate because that’s their job. Your job is to produce and prosper. Be blessed.”

Henry Thomas III, Career Military

Henry Thomas grew up on the South Side of Chicago and had two wonderful and resourceful parents, Judy Dotson and Henry Thomas. Because of his life changing childhood experiences at Fred A. Grow Memorial Camp in Wisconsin, he realized the world was much more than his South Side community. He graduated from Hyde Park Career Academy and has spent over 20 years in the United States Air Force. Today he lives in southern Illinois with his wife and two college-age young adults.

Advice: “In order to get to where you want to be in life, you will need to step out of your comfort zone and work hard. Your future is out there; go and put your name on it. This is especially paramount for children of color. Never judge a book by its cover. That dirty mechanic, that dirty garbage man, may have a lot on the ball. I am one of those dirty guys.”

Dr. Fred Bonner, Expert in Black Male Achievement

Dr. Fred Bonner is a professor and endowed chair in educational leadership and consulting at Prairie View A & M University, where he directs the MACH-III Center for the advancement of minority populations in education, from preschool through college. He is a leading expert on educating African-American males. Previously he held the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education at Rutgers Graduate School of Education, where he spearheaded creation of the Black Male Summit and the HBCU Deans Think Tank.

Advice: “For all students, the first step is to believe that you can be a ‘scholar’—to develop what a professor by the name of Gilman Whiting calls a ‘scholar identity.’ When you are in school, start all of your words, believing, knowing and saying, ‘I am a scholar!’”

John Norman: Oilman, Athlete and Coach

A native of Midland, Texas, John had a stellar football career through college and the NFL. He now owns two businesses. By day, he works as a contract lease operator in the oilfields of Midland and by night, he serves as an athletic trainer for kids of all ages. He is husband to Denise and a father of three.

Advice: “This is what my father, the greatest role model of my life, Jerry L. Norman, taught me: ‘There’s not wrong in right, and there’s no right in wrong.’”

Karl Nero, Pilot and Pastor

Karl Nero grew up in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood. He graduated as salutatorian from St. Francis De Sales High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s in aviation human factors from the University of Illinois. He’s an airline pilot, flight instructor and an associate pastor in Chicago. He recently graduated from Moody Theological Seminary with a master’s in Biblical Studies. He and his wife of 15 years, Melanie, live with their three children in Chicago’s southwest suburbs.

Advice: “Do the right thing; don’t do the wrong thing. Don’t think White folks are smarter because they have a different skin tone. God created me and you with the same ability to learn and excel, so strive for excellence.”

Keith Lewis, Nonprofit and Community Leader

Keith Lewis is a firm believer that you have to be an active part of the change that you want to see happen and has followed this mantra throughout his professional career.  A native of Muskegon, Michigan, Keith has 20 years of experience with community-based organizations, educational and government institutions. He currently serves as director of programs for Heartland Alliance READI Chicago, an initiative geared toward individuals most at risk for gun violence. Formerly, as director of community engagement for the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, Lewis led an initiative to improve education, financial stability and health in 10 communities, involving over 300 partner agencies.

In 2014, the Obama White House selected Keith to provide recommendations and insights to the “My Brother’s Keepers” initiative aimed to augment the Black and Latino male achievement gap. Coupled with this, he is an advocate for fathers’ rights and served as an advisor and facilitator for Fathers, Families and Health Communities, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that serves low-income, non-custodial fathers. Keith earned a master’s in public administration from Governors State University and a bachelor’s in materials and logistics management from Michigan State University. In his spare time, he loves listening to music, playing fantasy football, reading, watching indie films and spending time with his wife and three children.

Advice: “My words of advice to students of color are to openly pursue inserting themselves into places and spaces where they may feel like an outsider or an ‘other.’ However, continue to be their authentic selves; express and speak truth to power and do not compromise their values and integrity. Be intentional and intentful on learning from all, recognizing there is wisdom and lessons to be learned from those with Ph.D.s and those with no degrees.”

Larry Dawson Jr., Public Servant

Larry earned both bachelor’s and a master’s degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Most of his career has been spent in government helping people in need, from the elderly, to the unemployed, to families needing their homes to be healthier and more energy efficient. Larry lives in Chicago with his wife and son. When he’s not working, he’s learning new things and pushing himself beyond his comfort zone.

Advice: “Put maximum effort into STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects because that’s what the good-paying jobs of the future will require. Surround yourself with friends who want just as much from life as you. Set goals that seem a little beyond your reach and make a plan. Hold your friends accountable for working toward their goals and ask that they do the same for you. Keep your word. Be honest. Act confident even when you’re terrified. Always try to learn something new. Talk to people who are different than you. Be persistent. Be prepared. Be on time. Don’t let previous failures or mistakes stop you. Learn from them and move on. Failing is the way we learn how to succeed.”

Randall Johnson, Flight Attendant, Worship Leader and Vocal Coach

Randall Johnson was born in Detroit and raised in Las Vegas by his loving grandparents, who stepped in when his mother died and his father was struggling with addiction. As a performer, Randall travels the country.

Randall is the father of one. As an artist, Randall has a fan base of over 10,000 via his Instagram handle, @r_davon. He travels the country singing at major venues and theaters. Randall was a featured vocalist on the Las Vegas Strip’s House of Blues and was featured on the Impact Network’s “Dr. Bobby Jones Presents” show.

Randall is also a worship leader, vocal coach and flight attendant for Spirit Airlines.

Advice: “You have the strength and power to achieve greatness. Don’t allow fear and doubt to deter you away from your goals. Keep trying no matter how many times you hear no. All you need is one yes. Keep working until you find your yes. Once you make it to the position you want to be in, then reach back and be that yes to someone else.”

MacArthur Antigua, Civic Engagement Director

MacArthur was born in Shorewood, Wisconsin, and raised in Palos Hills, Illinois. He earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in communications from Northwestern University. His personal mission is to cultivate his artistry and share his genius to build a joyful, just and enlightened society. He is the father of two daughters, Meera (age 10) and Leela (age 12).

Advice: “If you really want something, then give yourself permission to go for it. There are hundreds of reasons why you may not get that thing, but don’t let your lack of effort be on that list. This is especially hard when you haven’t seen people in your family, or people who look like you hold that role, but you’re worth trying. You’re more than worth the attempt. And there will be others like you who see you try, and they may not show it, but you’ve inspired them.”

Photo courtesy of author.

16 Amazing Black Men and Their Advice for Young Students syndicated from https://sapsnkraguide.wordpress.com

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Tuesday 8th August 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. Glorious morning, the moon has just dropped below the horizon and left the planetary bodies to fight it out among themselves… and Fellow Scot.. it looks amazing! Venus, Jupiter and Saturn dominate the sky clearly visible with the naked eye.. Ah! The joys of living under a cloud free sky.. but no matter the stars, Bella has needs and off we go, Coffee turned on before we left.. must get things in order.. Up the hill again this morning.. silence as we walk, only the sound of our feet disturb the silence of the night, and the occasional sniff from Bella as a scent catches her attention…climb completed, I stand and look over the town, the spire of the church dominating this catholic region,.. I turn and look towards Gibraltar, named after a Moorish General Umayyad general Tariq ibn-Ziyad who led the initial incursion into Iberia in advance of the main Umayyad force in 711 under the command of Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I… All the things we associate with southern Spain actually have their heritage in Arabic design, quite noticeable when one travels to Morocco only 20 Kilometers across the Straights of Gibraltar… Bella pulls, it’s time to go home…  

SCOTLAND IS A ‘SPACE HUB’ FOR EUROPE…. Scotland’s growing reputation as a hub for micro-satellite manufacturing has been boosted as a Glasgow firm prepares to launch what it claims is the “world’s cheapest, lightest and smallest satellite”. Tom Walkinshaw, founder of Alba Orbital, has created Unicorn-1 - a PocketCube class gadget which weighs just half a kilo and is around the size of a can of Cola. The Gorbals-based firm said the device is capable of sending signals across 360,000km of space and will be commercially launched next year. “If you can send it up and monitor it for a year, you have a very convincing pitch that your technology can work in space,” he told The National. “There are no direct competitors for what we are doing. We want to build more satellites than any other company because ours are very small and prime for mass production.” Alba Orbital was founded in 2013 and employs 11 people, initially relying on crowdfunding for investment. It has since won awards from Scottish Enterprise and the European Space Agency. Unicorn-1 will launch from a US spaceport but Wilkinson believes its “feasible” a Scottish launch pad could be built in the future. Alba Orbital is just one of several space firms based in Glasgow.

HIGHLAND HOSPICE CHARITY SCAMMED BY AROUND £500,000…. ONE of the biggest charities in the Highlands has fallen victim to a high-value ‘vishing and spoofing’ fraud in the north of Scotland. A mid-six figure sum of money was fraudulently removed from the charity. In total the thieves defrauded a number of businesses of almost £2.5million between 19-30 July. Some of the money has since been recovered and work is ongoing to try and recover as much of the funds as possible. The total number of Highland cases currently reported is in single figures. Police Scotland is aware of other attempts against hospices of this nature recently but it has not been established if these are linked to the Highland Hospice case. Highland Hospice chairman Forbes Duthie said: “Staff at the Hospice have been shocked and devastated by this despicable and sophisticated cyber crime.

ROGER FENTON'S CRIMEA IMAGES TO GO ON SHOW IN EDINBURGH…. Images which brought the reality of war into public view for the first time are to go on display in Edinburgh. Roger Fenton set sail for the Crimea in 1855 with 36 chests full of cameras, glass plates and a darkroom converted from a wine merchant's van. He was the first to document conflict in such a substantial way. Shadows Of War: Roger Fenton's Photographs Of The Crimea, 1855, will open at the Queen's Gallery in the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Friday. It also includes contributions to the guide by Prince Harry, photojournalist Sir Don McCullin and curator Sophie Gordon. Prince Harry says in the guide: "There has always been a fascination about people returning from war, what they've been through and what they've seen. "The psychological impact of being on the battlefield is something that servicemen and women have had to deal with, but have often found it hard to talk about. "As a result of photographers like Roger Fenton and those who have followed him, the public have gained a better appreciation of these experiences and, consequently, over the years, this fascination has turned to appreciation and respect." One of the leading photographers of the 19th Century, Fenton was commissioned by art dealer and publisher Thomas Agnew & Sons to photograph the officers and other people of interest during the Crimean conflict. Research for the exhibition has revealed that Fenton's mission was mainly intended as source material for artist Thomas J Barker, who had been commissioned to produce an oil painting of senior officers. Read More: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LandCalledScotland/

'EXCITING DISCOVERY' IN COMMON COLD CURE SEARCH…. Scientists believe they may have made a breakthrough in the search for a cure for the common cold. Researchers say treatments could be developed based on antimicrobial peptides that occur naturally in the immune systems of humans and animals. The Edinburgh Napier University team observed how they increase the body's natural response to rhinovirus infection. Rhinovirus is the main virus responsible for the common cold. The team synthesised antimicrobial peptides found in pigs and sheep, and assessed their impact on lung cells infected with rhinovirus. The peptides successfully attacked the virus, and could provide clues for developing novel treatments based on peptides found in nature. Dr Peter Barlow, associate professor of immunology and infection at the university, said: "This is an exciting discovery and our next steps will be to modify the peptide to make it even better at killing this virus. "This research is still in the early stages, but we will ultimately be looking to develop drug treatments that have the potential to cure the common cold." An effective treatment for the cold could help sufferers of more serious lung conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for whom viral infections can pose a serious health risk. Dr Barlow added: "There is no cure and no vaccine so the development of effective therapies for human rhinovirus, the main causal agent of the common cold and one of the most common causes of viral respiratory tract infections, is an urgent requirement. "This study represents a major step towards finding a treatment." Earlier research by Dr Barlow had underlined the potential of antimicrobial peptides in tackling the influenza A virus. The latest study, was funded by the Chief Scientist Office and medical research charity Tenovus Scotland.

LANGHOLM COMMON RIDING…. Langholm was the latest south of Scotland town to stage its annual summer celebrations on Friday. Horses and riders took part in the common riding around the boundaries of the Dumfries and Galloway town. Cornet Stuart Murray was assisted by his right and left-hand men Simon Tweddle and Jamie Fletcher throughout proceedings.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of Cornet Stuart Murray leading the proceedings in the town known as the Muckle Toon…

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Tuesday 8th August 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

[jasonmkemp4]

15 Uncomfortable Things That Will Make You More Successful

In atrulybeautiful letterto his daughter Yolande,SociologistW.E.B. Du Bois extolledthe virtues of being uncomfortable.

Yolandewasheaded to a new school halfway around the world from the neighborhood and people she knew. It was years before women had the right to vote, and decades before the Civil Rights Movement.

Du Bois knew she would have more than a few fish-out-of-water moments. Instead of trying to shield her from them, he asked her to revel in them:

Don't shrink from new experiences and custom. Take the cold bath bravely. Enter into the spirit of your big bed-room. Enjoy what is and not pine for what is not. Read some good, heavy, serious books just for discipline: Take yourself in hand and master yourself. Make yourself do unpleasant things, so as to gain the upper hand of your soul. Above all remember: your father loves you and believes in you and expects you to be a wonderful woman."

I am no W.E.B. Du Bois. I have neither his fortitudenor his stunningway with words. What I do have, however, is a small history of uncomfortable experiencesthat have made me stronger, and anendless sea of animated GIFs through which to illustrate those experiences.

Here are a handful of uncomfortablesituations in which you should take De Bois' advice and "Take the cold bath bravely." You'll be better off as a result.

(And remember: Investing in your career and developing new skills can often feel daunting -- especially when you have a day job.If you're looking for something you can work towards at your own pace, check out thison-demand marketing course.)

15 Uncomfortable Things That Will Make You More Successful

Brace yourself. It's about to get awkward.

1) Learning to Take a Compliment

Source: Reaction GIFs

Tell me if this sounds familiar: You work exceedingly hard. You've honed your skills.You know when you've done great work and take a quiet pride in it. And yet, the momentsomeone verbalizes it in the form of acompliment you can't seem to string two words together. Instead, you revert into one ofthe following:

The babbling-response.

The self-deprecatingresponse.

The total and complete blackout.

That nonsense has to stop. Here's how to take a compliment:

Realize that someone is paying you a compliment.

Let them finish.

Seriously, let them finish.

Take a breath.

Smile and say "Thank you. That's really goodto hear."

Move on in the conversation. Don't over-explain. Don't undercut yourself. Just thank them sincerely and move on with a question about how their work is going.

Why is this so hard? According toa study by AcknowledgmentWorks,nearly 70% of people associate embarrassment or discomfort with the process of being recognized.Sometimes, this response iscaused by thedissonance we feel when someone contradicts our own self-doubt.

But that doesn't explain why people who are genuinely proud of themselves still balk athearing that same praise from others. For those people, it often comes down to a learned-response. In other words,youare awkward when you receive compliments becauseI am awkward when I receive compliments -- or, if not me, then your mom; your co-workers; your icons. We're all making each other squirm.

One way to turn that discomfort on its head is to realize that the compliment has more to do with the person giving it than with you. "When someone is complimenting you, they are sharing how your actions or behaviors impacted them," explains Business Psychologist Mark Goulston."They are not asking if you agree." So don't rob them of that moment.

2)Public Speaking

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You knew this one was coming, right? Fear of public speaking is so common it has its own phobia name:Glossophobia.

Now, I don't think I need to go into the reasons behind this particular juggernaut of discomfort. We've all been there. Having that many eyes and ears on you is stressful. It makes you feel as though any mistake or imperfection will be amplified a thousand times. I'm also certain you realize how compelling a good public speaker can be, and how much it can advance your ability to lead and inspire.

So all that leaves is the classic glossophobia question: How do you get over it? The answer is a mix ofsubstantialand superficial changes.

Know the essential points.

Do not attempt to memorize your speeches. Instead, memorize your key points and your pivot lines. Pivot lines are the sentences that will move you from one key point to another. They act as navigational guides for your audience and a momentary comfort zone for you. Use these pivot lines to reset, take a breath, and move to your next key point.

Understand that everyone wants you to succeed.

You are not going into battle. You are not facing a firing squad. These people you are talking to are all decent, interested folks. Many of whom also suffer from glossophobia. So know they are friendly, and talk to them like it.

Fake it.

For this last point, I turn to Harvard Associate Professor Amy Cuddy. She is a brilliant researcher and a self-proclaimed introvert who noticed something fascinatingly simple about skilled public speakers: They all looked comfortable, and they all appeared to be in command -- even if that appearance was all a big ruse.

So she studied what happens to people's mindset when they stood up straight, casually used the space around them, and otherwise "power-posed."Turns out the physical act of power-posing can send biological triggers to your brain to reduce cortisol levels and increase testosterone, calming you down and empowering you simultaneously.

(Here's a blog post on science-backed tips for better public speaking if you want to learn more.)

3) Working WithData

Source: Reddit

If you don't take to math easily, then delving into data can be intimidating. But learning to use data to find opportunities and underscore your points is a game-changer in your career.

The trick to mastering data is to learn it in context. Start by getting to know the core metrics that reflect your work. Play with spreadsheets at the close of a month. Learn to recognize trends.Alter the data to see how moving one metric would influence the others. The more time you spend with the data the morenatural interpreting it will become. Once you've done that, you can dig into the tougher stuff. Here are a couple of resources to get you started:

How to Use Excel: Essential Training for Data-Driven Marketing: A downloadable resource that includes videos, instructions for how to do specific things in Excel, and advice forusing Excel to build reports.

14 Simple Excel Shortcuts, Tip & Tricks:A blog post with step-by-step instructions for creating pivot tables, filters, conditional formatting, VLOOKUPs, and more. Harry Potter references and GIFs included.

10 Excel Tips and Tricks Every Marketer Should Know:A blog post teachingyou how to create a histogram and what exactlyregression analysis entails. It's a good time for all.

Data Smart:A book by Data Scientist John Foreman, who is a wizard at taking the complex and putting into approachable and even entertaining terms. While this book isn't exactly an easy read, I can assure you it's worth every minute invested.

4) Waking Up Early

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It's exhausting, this modern life. While it may seem like you shouldsqueeze as many extra minutes of sleep out of the morningas possible, the opposite isusually true. Your energy, focus and mental capacity are at their highestduring the morninghours and proceed to wane throughout the rest of the day.

Take advantage of that time before breakfast when the chaos of the day has yet to set in. For most people, waking up earlyis a learned practice.

First, make sure you're cognizant enough to make the decision. Putting your alarm clock right next to your pillow is bound to result in you hitting snooze from a dazedstate. You can't be expected to make smart choices while you're stilldreaming. In addition,waking up early needs to become a pleasant experience. So if the thought of going straight from your warm bed to a shower or treadmill seems abrupt, then don't do it. Instead, move from your bed to the cozy corner chair in your living room and read for a bit with a mug of coffee. What you do early on doesn't matter, what matters is that you use the time in productive ways. (Read this blog post for more tips on becoming a morning person.)

5) Taking Critical Feedback

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This one stings sometimes, but it's important. Learning to hear criticism without turning your back to it can be one of the most fortifying achievements of your career.

Think of critical feedbackas a cheat sheet. In giving you direct feedback, your manager or colleague is giving you a shortcut -- your own personal konami code-- to becoming better at your job.

Sometimes, even with the best intentions, taking feedback well can bea struggle. Your impulse will be to protect yourself; to get defensive, or stop listening. So, be conscious of it. Much like accepting a compliment, take a breath when you realize critical feedback is coming your way. Listen to it all without interruption. Write down what you can. Then, ask questions to make sure you're interpreting it right.

6) GivingCritical Feedback

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The only thing worse than taking critical feedback is giving it. I've written about this before:Whether you're a manager or a friend, feedback is an opportunity to help someone get better.Don't waste it. Good coaches give feedback directly and with respect. Don't try to soften the blow or talk around the feedback. Doing somay make you feel better but itwill only serve to confuse them.

If you're struggling to be direct, try one clear line followed by detail. For example, "John, what you're doing isn't working. Let's talk through why..."

In addition, feedback is always most constructive if accompanied by recent concrete examples. Telling someone they have a bad attitude isn't helpful --it's far better to point to a precise moment in which that bad attitude showed up, and then explain how moments like thatcan become detrimental in aggregate.Ultimately, knowing how to improve is as important as knowing what to improve. The person receiving the feedback should leave the conversation feelingempowered to change, not broken down. (Here are some more tips on how to give negative feedback without sounding like a jerk.)

7) Fighting through Conflict

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You know what's more uncomfortable than fighting through a conflict with someone? Settling for an uninspired compromise, and then gossiping about thatperson over drinks with your coworkers. That's WAY more comfortable than conflict. (Not to mention, way less productive.)

There are two ways conflict negotiations get botched: Either one side gives in too easily, or both sides are too inflexible to make resolution possible.The cleanest way through conflict is to try to discover what's motivating the other person. Comment trolls aside, it's pretty rare for someone to be argumentative for no good reason. Discovering the reason will help you finda better route to solving the conflict. That's why your best assetin settlingconflict is a collection ofgenuine questions and a patient ear to hear the answers.

8) Exercising

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I keep waiting for the study that says that exercise isn't all its cracked up to be. It's fair to say that study isn't coming. Not only is exercise good for your physical health, the ties between exercise and mental capacityare becoming undeniable. (Thanks, science.)

If you like working out, skip right ahead. If you don't, here are the only things I've found to work.

Find your reason.

Maybe you want to lose weight. Maybe it helps you think more clearly. Maybe you have three kids, a constantly buzzingphone, and a dog all demanding your attention and exerciseis your only chanceto be alone. The reasons don't matter. Just find the one that feels authentic for you and use it.

Makethe time.

Treat exercise likeyou treat showering. It's just something you do; a non-negotiable daily ritual. (Psst ...here are 10 little ways to sneak in exercise at work.)

Get over it.

I used to hear about "runners' highs," a sort of delusion that sets in after you've done it enough that actually makes you believe jogging is fun. That may be the case for some people. It never happened for me, and wantingto like running made it easy to give up when I ultimately didn't. Du Bois' advice is worth hearing again here: "Make yourself do unpleasant things, so as to gain the upper hand of your soul."

Find your genre.

The softer alternative to the above point is to find the exercise format that you hate least. If a crowded gym makes you want to run for the hills, then work out at home or outside on your own. If you find jogging boring, join a class or sports league. Work at it -- it's worth it.

9) Unplugging

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I love the internet. And smartphones? They're like personalescape hatches that you carry with you all the time. But maybe "all the time" is not such a good idea.

According to a TIME pollof more than 5,000 people,84% of respondents said that they could not go a single day without their cell phones, and 20% said they check them once or more every 20 minutes.

It's not the frequency of usage that's the problem; it'swhat that level of usage does to our focus. Using our smartphones at nightcan make it a lot harder to sleep. When we use our smartphonesnonstop it can be harder to think clearly.

So, here's an experiment. For two weeks, set aside some screen free time blocks in your day. During that time fight the urge to open your laptop, watch TV, or glance at your phone. Sustain it for 60minutes or more and see if you've gained better focus at the conclusion of the experiment. Then, go find some cat videos on YouTubeto celebrate.

10) Networking and Making Small Talk

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Everyone has a small-talk formula. Some people start with the weather (nice, mild winter we're having, eh?), while others ask how things are going with you at work. But here's the trick to mastering small talk: Get fascinated by it and the person wielding it. It's a little like being dealt a hand of cards, you can use what you have to get to bigger and more interesting plays.

If someone asks you how work is, don't say "fine" -- or worse, "busy." Tell them it's good and follow up with, "You know, there's one project in particular that you may find interesting."If you're doing the asking, take any opportunity to dive deeper. Use each question as a spring board to the next one. Eventually, you'll hit on something substantial.

11) Admitting a Mistake

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You know that moment right after you realize you've accidentally made a mistake? You know, that momentwhen the dread plummetsinto your stomach in one sweeping motion? Uncomfortable doesn't even begin to describe it.

However, even that can be turned around. Themost effective way toreplace that sinking feeling in your gut isto assess the situation and take action. Ask yourself:

Is it immediately reversible?

On my last blog post, I had a glaring typo. This was not some extra spacing after a period, this was a blatantblemish smack in the middleof my post. And I missed it. Thankfully Claire Autruong caught it and let me know via Twitter so I could edit the post before it was too late. Claire is my favorite person of the week. (Incidentally, she is also a full-stack freelance marketer -- inbound certified and nice as can be --if you're looking.)

Who should know?

Whom doesyour mistake affect? Who is in the position who canhelp you solve it? Quickly scan the list of people that need to know about your mistake and contact them explainingwhat happened and what you're doing about it.

What's your plan?

If the mistake isn't immediately reversible, you'll need a plan of action.A good plan is the best antidoteto mistake-induced discomfort.Shift from panic to determination as soon as possible, and that discomfort will subside.

12) Getting in Over Your Head

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Of all the uncomfortable moments, getting in over your head is probably the one most worth pursuing.Sure, it's a little scary , and there's always the chance of failure, but nothing stretches you more or makes you more creative thanhaving no idea what you're doing.

So how do you put yourself in an over-your-head style situation? Raise your hand. When there's a project no one wants, step up. When there's a problem that has existed for years, have at it. Then break it down. Take big challenges and tackle them piece by piece. It may not always be fun, but you will almost always be better for the effort.

13) Disagreeing With Your Boss

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There's a reason my boss is my boss. He's really freaking smart. He's exceptionally good at what he does. So in the times I find myself disagreeing with him there are usually a few moments of internal back and forth before I'm ready to say so aloud. But I do so because I've learned that staying quiet is more damaging than polite.

It took me becoming a manager myself to realize how constructive disagreement can be.A perspective that is never tested grows shallow.Sometimes a dissenting opinion will make you reconsider. Sometimes it will make your stance stronger. Either way, the exercise of hearing different angles advances your thinking and improves your outcomes.

So spit it out. "I disagree on that point." If that feels too direct consider framing it as a question. "What about a different approach?"Most importantly, don't save up for a major disagreement.Practice coming at issues from different angles now. The more you present constructive counterpoints the easier it will become, and you'll be more likely to speak up when it matters most.

14) Promoting Yourself

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Periodically we survey our team to get a sense for how each employee is feeling about the company and their own career development. One theme that sometimes comes back is how to get ahead without being self-promotional. Usually the comment goes something like this: "It seems like the company always recognizes the same people. I do good work, but it seems like no one notices."

The honest response to these comments is: You're right.

Growing companies are chaotic. They churn with activity: breakthroughs and setbacks, new projects and discoveries. Keeping up with it all isn't practical, so managers rely on signals, and tasteful self-promotion is a valuable signal.

Self-promotion is sometimes misused to serve the ego, but there's a way to pull it off that also also serves thecompany.

We are taught not to be overly self-promotional. We are encouraged to value the achievement rather than the accolades. That message isalmostright. It focuses on what matters most but fails to recognize that talking about an achievement can fuel its fire.Promoting an achievement can galvanize others to bring their ideas to it and ensure future efforts learn from it.And yes, it can get you noticed.

The trick here is being judicial.Not everything you do deserves broader attention. But some things do. In those cases, talking about them doesn't make you an attention junkie it makes you a good communicator. If the personal attention makes you uncomfortable, focus your advocacy on the work itself. Draw attention to the discovery, milestone or lessons uncovered by your effort. The company will be better for it and you will too.

15) Admitting You Don't Understand Something

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I was a good six months into my job as a product marketer for a software company before I finally owned up to not knowing what an API was. I mean Iknewwhat an API was. I'd Googled it, obviously. API stands "application programming interface" and constitutes a set of "subroutine definitions, protocols, and tools for building application software." ThanksWikipedia. (I'll hit you up on that next fundraising round), but for all my internet research, I didn't really understand what an API did.

Then it came time for me to explain that my company, HubSpot, was opening up more of the helpful little buggers to the public and I did not know where to begin. So, I went to my product manager and did what any ego-protecting protagonist would do, I tried to fake it.

"How would you describe this -- in layman's terms-to the average reader?" I asked.

Smooth. Always blame the reader.

"Well, developers are pretty accustomed to APIs so don't worry about needing to educate them on it."

Not smooth.

I folded.

"Ok, then, how would you explain it to me? I mean, will you explain it to me? I don't get it. "

And thus began my relationship with APIs. I still don't understand all the details of how they work, but I'm much smarter for having gotten over myself and asked the question.

Don't fake it until you make it. Get over yourself and ask the question.

I'll stop there ...

... but this is really just the beginning.Who knew there were so many uncomfortable things in the world? (Michael Cera. Michael Cera probably knew.)

From negotiating salary to reading "some good, heavy, serious books" as Du Bois suggests, thislist could go on and on. Hopefully it will, in the comments below.

What uncomfortable moment have you conqueredas a professional? Which are you still working on that you'd add to this list? Share with us in the comments.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in March 2016 and has been updated for freshness and comprehensiveness.

[benfchristie2]

15 Uncomfortable Things That Will Make You More Successful

In atrulybeautiful letterto his daughter Yolande,SociologistW.E.B. Du Bois extolledthe virtues of being uncomfortable.

Yolandewasheaded to a new school halfway around the world from the neighborhood and people she knew. It was years before women had the right to vote, and decades before the Civil Rights Movement.

Du Bois knew she would have more than a few fish-out-of-water moments. Instead of trying to shield her from them, he asked her to revel in them:

Don't shrink from new experiences and custom. Take the cold bath bravely. Enter into the spirit of your big bed-room. Enjoy what is and not pine for what is not. Read some good, heavy, serious books just for discipline: Take yourself in hand and master yourself. Make yourself do unpleasant things, so as to gain the upper hand of your soul. Above all remember: your father loves you and believes in you and expects you to be a wonderful woman."

I am no W.E.B. Du Bois. I have neither his fortitudenor his stunningway with words. What I do have, however, is a small history of uncomfortable experiencesthat have made me stronger, and anendless sea of animated GIFs through which to illustrate those experiences.

Here are a handful of uncomfortablesituations in which you should take De Bois' advice and "Take the cold bath bravely." You'll be better off as a result.

(And remember: Investing in your career and developing new skills can often feel daunting -- especially when you have a day job.If you're looking for something you can work towards at your own pace, check out thison-demand marketing course.)

15 Uncomfortable Things That Will Make You More Successful

Brace yourself. It's about to get awkward.

1) Learning to Take a Compliment

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Tell me if this sounds familiar: You work exceedingly hard. You've honed your skills.You know when you've done great work and take a quiet pride in it. And yet, the momentsomeone verbalizes it in the form of acompliment you can't seem to string two words together. Instead, you revert into one ofthe following:

The babbling-response.

The self-deprecatingresponse.

The total and complete blackout.

That nonsense has to stop. Here's how to take a compliment:

Realize that someone is paying you a compliment.

Let them finish.

Seriously, let them finish.

Take a breath.

Smile and say "Thank you. That's really goodto hear."

Move on in the conversation. Don't over-explain. Don't undercut yourself. Just thank them sincerely and move on with a question about how their work is going.

Why is this so hard? According toa study by AcknowledgmentWorks,nearly 70% of people associate embarrassment or discomfort with the process of being recognized.Sometimes, this response iscaused by thedissonance we feel when someone contradicts our own self-doubt.

But that doesn't explain why people who are genuinely proud of themselves still balk athearing that same praise from others. For those people, it often comes down to a learned-response. In other words,youare awkward when you receive compliments becauseI am awkward when I receive compliments -- or, if not me, then your mom; your co-workers; your icons. We're all making each other squirm.

One way to turn that discomfort on its head is to realize that the compliment has more to do with the person giving it than with you. "When someone is complimenting you, they are sharing how your actions or behaviors impacted them," explains Business Psychologist Mark Goulston."They are not asking if you agree." So don't rob them of that moment.

2)Public Speaking

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You knew this one was coming, right? Fear of public speaking is so common it has its own phobia name:Glossophobia.

Now, I don't think I need to go into the reasons behind this particular juggernaut of discomfort. We've all been there. Having that many eyes and ears on you is stressful. It makes you feel as though any mistake or imperfection will be amplified a thousand times. I'm also certain you realize how compelling a good public speaker can be, and how much it can advance your ability to lead and inspire.

So all that leaves is the classic glossophobia question: How do you get over it? The answer is a mix ofsubstantialand superficial changes.

Know the essential points.

Do not attempt to memorize your speeches. Instead, memorize your key points and your pivot lines. Pivot lines are the sentences that will move you from one key point to another. They act as navigational guides for your audience and a momentary comfort zone for you. Use these pivot lines to reset, take a breath, and move to your next key point.

Understand that everyone wants you to succeed.

You are not going into battle. You are not facing a firing squad. These people you are talking to are all decent, interested folks. Many of whom also suffer from glossophobia. So know they are friendly, and talk to them like it.

Fake it.

For this last point, I turn to Harvard Associate Professor Amy Cuddy. She is a brilliant researcher and a self-proclaimed introvert who noticed something fascinatingly simple about skilled public speakers: They all looked comfortable, and they all appeared to be in command -- even if that appearance was all a big ruse.

So she studied what happens to people's mindset when they stood up straight, casually used the space around them, and otherwise "power-posed."Turns out the physical act of power-posing can send biological triggers to your brain to reduce cortisol levels and increase testosterone, calming you down and empowering you simultaneously.

(Here's a blog post on science-backed tips for better public speaking if you want to learn more.)

3) Working WithData

Source: Reddit

If you don't take to math easily, then delving into data can be intimidating. But learning to use data to find opportunities and underscore your points is a game-changer in your career.

The trick to mastering data is to learn it in context. Start by getting to know the core metrics that reflect your work. Play with spreadsheets at the close of a month. Learn to recognize trends.Alter the data to see how moving one metric would influence the others. The more time you spend with the data the morenatural interpreting it will become. Once you've done that, you can dig into the tougher stuff. Here are a couple of resources to get you started:

How to Use Excel: Essential Training for Data-Driven Marketing: A downloadable resource that includes videos, instructions for how to do specific things in Excel, and advice forusing Excel to build reports.

14 Simple Excel Shortcuts, Tip & Tricks:A blog post with step-by-step instructions for creating pivot tables, filters, conditional formatting, VLOOKUPs, and more. Harry Potter references and GIFs included.

10 Excel Tips and Tricks Every Marketer Should Know:A blog post teachingyou how to create a histogram and what exactlyregression analysis entails. It's a good time for all.

Data Smart:A book by Data Scientist John Foreman, who is a wizard at taking the complex and putting into approachable and even entertaining terms. While this book isn't exactly an easy read, I can assure you it's worth every minute invested.

4) Waking Up Early

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It's exhausting, this modern life. While it may seem like you shouldsqueeze as many extra minutes of sleep out of the morningas possible, the opposite isusually true. Your energy, focus and mental capacity are at their highestduring the morninghours and proceed to wane throughout the rest of the day.

Take advantage of that time before breakfast when the chaos of the day has yet to set in. For most people, waking up earlyis a learned practice.

First, make sure you're cognizant enough to make the decision. Putting your alarm clock right next to your pillow is bound to result in you hitting snooze from a dazedstate. You can't be expected to make smart choices while you're stilldreaming. In addition,waking up early needs to become a pleasant experience. So if the thought of going straight from your warm bed to a shower or treadmill seems abrupt, then don't do it. Instead, move from your bed to the cozy corner chair in your living room and read for a bit with a mug of coffee. What you do early on doesn't matter, what matters is that you use the time in productive ways. (Read this blog post for more tips on becoming a morning person.)

5) Taking Critical Feedback

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This one stings sometimes, but it's important. Learning to hear criticism without turning your back to it can be one of the most fortifying achievements of your career.

Think of critical feedbackas a cheat sheet. In giving you direct feedback, your manager or colleague is giving you a shortcut -- your own personal konami code-- to becoming better at your job.

Sometimes, even with the best intentions, taking feedback well can bea struggle. Your impulse will be to protect yourself; to get defensive, or stop listening. So, be conscious of it. Much like accepting a compliment, take a breath when you realize critical feedback is coming your way. Listen to it all without interruption. Write down what you can. Then, ask questions to make sure you're interpreting it right.

6) GivingCritical Feedback

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The only thing worse than taking critical feedback is giving it. I've written about this before:Whether you're a manager or a friend, feedback is an opportunity to help someone get better.Don't waste it. Good coaches give feedback directly and with respect. Don't try to soften the blow or talk around the feedback. Doing somay make you feel better but itwill only serve to confuse them.

If you're struggling to be direct, try one clear line followed by detail. For example, "John, what you're doing isn't working. Let's talk through why..."

In addition, feedback is always most constructive if accompanied by recent concrete examples. Telling someone they have a bad attitude isn't helpful --it's far better to point to a precise moment in which that bad attitude showed up, and then explain how moments like thatcan become detrimental in aggregate.Ultimately, knowing how to improve is as important as knowing what to improve. The person receiving the feedback should leave the conversation feelingempowered to change, not broken down. (Here are some more tips on how to give negative feedback without sounding like a jerk.)

7) Fighting through Conflict

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You know what's more uncomfortable than fighting through a conflict with someone? Settling for an uninspired compromise, and then gossiping about thatperson over drinks with your coworkers. That's WAY more comfortable than conflict. (Not to mention, way less productive.)

There are two ways conflict negotiations get botched: Either one side gives in too easily, or both sides are too inflexible to make resolution possible.The cleanest way through conflict is to try to discover what's motivating the other person. Comment trolls aside, it's pretty rare for someone to be argumentative for no good reason. Discovering the reason will help you finda better route to solving the conflict. That's why your best assetin settlingconflict is a collection ofgenuine questions and a patient ear to hear the answers.

8) Exercising

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I keep waiting for the study that says that exercise isn't all its cracked up to be. It's fair to say that study isn't coming. Not only is exercise good for your physical health, the ties between exercise and mental capacityare becoming undeniable. (Thanks, science.)

If you like working out, skip right ahead. If you don't, here are the only things I've found to work.

Find your reason.

Maybe you want to lose weight. Maybe it helps you think more clearly. Maybe you have three kids, a constantly buzzingphone, and a dog all demanding your attention and exerciseis your only chanceto be alone. The reasons don't matter. Just find the one that feels authentic for you and use it.

Makethe time.

Treat exercise likeyou treat showering. It's just something you do; a non-negotiable daily ritual. (Psst ...here are 10 little ways to sneak in exercise at work.)

Get over it.

I used to hear about "runners' highs," a sort of delusion that sets in after you've done it enough that actually makes you believe jogging is fun. That may be the case for some people. It never happened for me, and wantingto like running made it easy to give up when I ultimately didn't. Du Bois' advice is worth hearing again here: "Make yourself do unpleasant things, so as to gain the upper hand of your soul."

Find your genre.

The softer alternative to the above point is to find the exercise format that you hate least. If a crowded gym makes you want to run for the hills, then work out at home or outside on your own. If you find jogging boring, join a class or sports league. Work at it -- it's worth it.

9) Unplugging

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I love the internet. And smartphones? They're like personalescape hatches that you carry with you all the time. But maybe "all the time" is not such a good idea.

According to a TIME pollof more than 5,000 people,84% of respondents said that they could not go a single day without their cell phones, and 20% said they check them once or more every 20 minutes.

It's not the frequency of usage that's the problem; it'swhat that level of usage does to our focus. Using our smartphones at nightcan make it a lot harder to sleep. When we use our smartphonesnonstop it can be harder to think clearly.

So, here's an experiment. For two weeks, set aside some screen free time blocks in your day. During that time fight the urge to open your laptop, watch TV, or glance at your phone. Sustain it for 60minutes or more and see if you've gained better focus at the conclusion of the experiment. Then, go find some cat videos on YouTubeto celebrate.

10) Networking and Making Small Talk

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Everyone has a small-talk formula. Some people start with the weather (nice, mild winter we're having, eh?), while others ask how things are going with you at work. But here's the trick to mastering small talk: Get fascinated by it and the person wielding it. It's a little like being dealt a hand of cards, you can use what you have to get to bigger and more interesting plays.

If someone asks you how work is, don't say "fine" -- or worse, "busy." Tell them it's good and follow up with, "You know, there's one project in particular that you may find interesting."If you're doing the asking, take any opportunity to dive deeper. Use each question as a spring board to the next one. Eventually, you'll hit on something substantial.

11) Admitting a Mistake

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You know that moment right after you realize you've accidentally made a mistake? You know, that momentwhen the dread plummetsinto your stomach in one sweeping motion? Uncomfortable doesn't even begin to describe it.

However, even that can be turned around. Themost effective way toreplace that sinking feeling in your gut isto assess the situation and take action. Ask yourself:

Is it immediately reversible?

On my last blog post, I had a glaring typo. This was not some extra spacing after a period, this was a blatantblemish smack in the middleof my post. And I missed it. Thankfully Claire Autruong caught it and let me know via Twitter so I could edit the post before it was too late. Claire is my favorite person of the week. (Incidentally, she is also a full-stack freelance marketer -- inbound certified and nice as can be --if you're looking.)

Who should know?

Whom doesyour mistake affect? Who is in the position who canhelp you solve it? Quickly scan the list of people that need to know about your mistake and contact them explainingwhat happened and what you're doing about it.

What's your plan?

If the mistake isn't immediately reversible, you'll need a plan of action.A good plan is the best antidoteto mistake-induced discomfort.Shift from panic to determination as soon as possible, and that discomfort will subside.

12) Getting in Over Your Head

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Of all the uncomfortable moments, getting in over your head is probably the one most worth pursuing.Sure, it's a little scary , and there's always the chance of failure, but nothing stretches you more or makes you more creative thanhaving no idea what you're doing.

So how do you put yourself in an over-your-head style situation? Raise your hand. When there's a project no one wants, step up. When there's a problem that has existed for years, have at it. Then break it down. Take big challenges and tackle them piece by piece. It may not always be fun, but you will almost always be better for the effort.

13) Disagreeing With Your Boss

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There's a reason my boss is my boss. He's really freaking smart. He's exceptionally good at what he does. So in the times I find myself disagreeing with him there are usually a few moments of internal back and forth before I'm ready to say so aloud. But I do so because I've learned that staying quiet is more damaging than polite.

It took me becoming a manager myself to realize how constructive disagreement can be.A perspective that is never tested grows shallow.Sometimes a dissenting opinion will make you reconsider. Sometimes it will make your stance stronger. Either way, the exercise of hearing different angles advances your thinking and improves your outcomes.

So spit it out. "I disagree on that point." If that feels too direct consider framing it as a question. "What about a different approach?"Most importantly, don't save up for a major disagreement.Practice coming at issues from different angles now. The more you present constructive counterpoints the easier it will become, and you'll be more likely to speak up when it matters most.

14) Promoting Yourself

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Periodically we survey our team to get a sense for how each employee is feeling about the company and their own career development. One theme that sometimes comes back is how to get ahead without being self-promotional. Usually the comment goes something like this: "It seems like the company always recognizes the same people. I do good work, but it seems like no one notices."

The honest response to these comments is: You're right.

Growing companies are chaotic. They churn with activity: breakthroughs and setbacks, new projects and discoveries. Keeping up with it all isn't practical, so managers rely on signals, and tasteful self-promotion is a valuable signal.

Self-promotion is sometimes misused to serve the ego, but there's a way to pull it off that also also serves thecompany.

We are taught not to be overly self-promotional. We are encouraged to value the achievement rather than the accolades. That message isalmostright. It focuses on what matters most but fails to recognize that talking about an achievement can fuel its fire.Promoting an achievement can galvanize others to bring their ideas to it and ensure future efforts learn from it.And yes, it can get you noticed.

The trick here is being judicial.Not everything you do deserves broader attention. But some things do. In those cases, talking about them doesn't make you an attention junkie it makes you a good communicator. If the personal attention makes you uncomfortable, focus your advocacy on the work itself. Draw attention to the discovery, milestone or lessons uncovered by your effort. The company will be better for it and you will too.

15) Admitting You Don't Understand Something

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I was a good six months into my job as a product marketer for a software company before I finally owned up to not knowing what an API was. I mean Iknewwhat an API was. I'd Googled it, obviously. API stands "application programming interface" and constitutes a set of "subroutine definitions, protocols, and tools for building application software." ThanksWikipedia. (I'll hit you up on that next fundraising round), but for all my internet research, I didn't really understand what an API did.

Then it came time for me to explain that my company, HubSpot, was opening up more of the helpful little buggers to the public and I did not know where to begin. So, I went to my product manager and did what any ego-protecting protagonist would do, I tried to fake it.

"How would you describe this -- in layman's terms-to the average reader?" I asked.

Smooth. Always blame the reader.

"Well, developers are pretty accustomed to APIs so don't worry about needing to educate them on it."

Not smooth.

I folded.

"Ok, then, how would you explain it to me? I mean, will you explain it to me? I don't get it. "

And thus began my relationship with APIs. I still don't understand all the details of how they work, but I'm much smarter for having gotten over myself and asked the question.

Don't fake it until you make it. Get over yourself and ask the question.

I'll stop there ...

... but this is really just the beginning.Who knew there were so many uncomfortable things in the world? (Michael Cera. Michael Cera probably knew.)

From negotiating salary to reading "some good, heavy, serious books" as Du Bois suggests, thislist could go on and on. Hopefully it will, in the comments below.

What uncomfortable moment have you conqueredas a professional? Which are you still working on that you'd add to this list? Share with us in the comments.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in March 2016 and has been updated for freshness and comprehensiveness.