DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
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Ability: Prodigal Charms Learner
Describe why this fits your character:
It is not our abilities that show what we truly are, it is our choices.
Ability: Prodigal Charms Learner
Describe why this fits your character:
Reducio
Julie was born in a magical family, with both her parents being former Gryffindor students. Therefore, from a very young age, her parents began to teach her everything there is to know about Hogwarts. The Hogwarts campus, the four different houses, the professors and successful students… and of course, all the subjects that she’ll learn in Hogwarts.
Due to the fact that Julie have always had a strong yearn for knowledge, she took in all the information her parents told her with an astounding speed and memory. However, her parents have already graduated for over 20 years, and can no longer recall the more advanced knowledge clearly.
One day, when Julie was searching for a book about History in the library besides her house, she accidentally mumbled: “How I wish I can just use Accio! It would be much faster.” She immediately regretted what she had just said, but it was already too late. “What did you just say, Miss?” Said a voice from behind her. She turned and saw that it was the owner of the library, Mr. Brown. Oh, no! What have I just done? She silently screamed on the inside.
Mr. Brown took her by the elbow and led her through a secret passageway, into a room she had never seen before. “You’re Julie Huang, right? I know that your parents are both wizards, but don’t worry, I am one too. I’m actually in the same year as your parents.” Mr. Brown said, trying to calm her down. “Really?” Julie couldn’t believe her ears, “But my parents never told me about you.” She can’t help but cringe at what she just said. Why was she always so thoughtless while talking to others?!
“Oh… of course they won’t. I’m in Slytherin and they’re Gryffindors, we used to argue all the time. But never mind, those were all in the past now. What I’m trying to tell you is that, I have a whole collection of books on Hogwarts’ subjects here in this secret room, and you can always come here to borrow some if you want.” Mr. Brown replied, with a complicated smile.
Julie looked around and saw all sorts of books on Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and so on. “Wow…that would be great!” She could barely hold her excitement in, and was instantly overwhelming herself with books, especially on Charms.
Although she showed great interest in all the subjects, she had always been most intrigued by Charms. It seems amazing to her that a person could complete outstanding feats just by waving her wand and pronouncing an incantation. Also, Mr. Brown was an expert in Charms, and once got an O for Charms in both his O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s test. So from then on, Julie began to take Charms lessons once a week with him, and despite not being able to practice it, she memorized all the incantations and wand movements.
After Julie entered Hogwarts, she always paid extra attention to her Charms lessons, and have became one of the best spell casters in her class. She also loves going to the school library, which stores thousands of books in advanced spell-casting. She never forgets to practice her spells whenever she has the chance, so you might even notice her mumbling spells to herself while she’s wandering around the school grounds.
Due to the fact that Julie have always had a strong yearn for knowledge, she took in all the information her parents told her with an astounding speed and memory. However, her parents have already graduated for over 20 years, and can no longer recall the more advanced knowledge clearly.
One day, when Julie was searching for a book about History in the library besides her house, she accidentally mumbled: “How I wish I can just use Accio! It would be much faster.” She immediately regretted what she had just said, but it was already too late. “What did you just say, Miss?” Said a voice from behind her. She turned and saw that it was the owner of the library, Mr. Brown. Oh, no! What have I just done? She silently screamed on the inside.
Mr. Brown took her by the elbow and led her through a secret passageway, into a room she had never seen before. “You’re Julie Huang, right? I know that your parents are both wizards, but don’t worry, I am one too. I’m actually in the same year as your parents.” Mr. Brown said, trying to calm her down. “Really?” Julie couldn’t believe her ears, “But my parents never told me about you.” She can’t help but cringe at what she just said. Why was she always so thoughtless while talking to others?!
“Oh… of course they won’t. I’m in Slytherin and they’re Gryffindors, we used to argue all the time. But never mind, those were all in the past now. What I’m trying to tell you is that, I have a whole collection of books on Hogwarts’ subjects here in this secret room, and you can always come here to borrow some if you want.” Mr. Brown replied, with a complicated smile.
Julie looked around and saw all sorts of books on Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and so on. “Wow…that would be great!” She could barely hold her excitement in, and was instantly overwhelming herself with books, especially on Charms.
Although she showed great interest in all the subjects, she had always been most intrigued by Charms. It seems amazing to her that a person could complete outstanding feats just by waving her wand and pronouncing an incantation. Also, Mr. Brown was an expert in Charms, and once got an O for Charms in both his O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s test. So from then on, Julie began to take Charms lessons once a week with him, and despite not being able to practice it, she memorized all the incantations and wand movements.
After Julie entered Hogwarts, she always paid extra attention to her Charms lessons, and have became one of the best spell casters in her class. She also loves going to the school library, which stores thousands of books in advanced spell-casting. She never forgets to practice her spells whenever she has the chance, so you might even notice her mumbling spells to herself while she’s wandering around the school grounds.
Stats:
Stamina: 5
Evasion: 7
Strength: 4
Wisdom: 8
ArcPower: 5
Accuracy: 6
LearApproved I have updated your trunk to save you a post in trunk update. I made no changes to your format but it can be found under the abilities. Just remember that casting spells outside of school in muggle environments would be easily identified due to the trace spell for children under 17. This all being generic and pre-emptive so you know the site's limitations.
Last edited by Julie Huang on 27 Feb 2023, 15:46, edited 4 times in total.
It is not our abilities that show what we truly are, it is our choices.
DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
Link to your encyclopedia thread: Accio Encyclopedia!
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Perfactionist
Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it):
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Perfactionist
Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it):
Reducio
Duvessa Nyx Ember was born on a freezing cold night, the day her parents gave birth to a witch. Soon, perhaps, to enter Hogwarts and no doubt be in Slytherin.....they didn't know just how special she was. Just how powerful the little baby was.
She grew up so normal, and like most children her age, she was very curious at excited about magic. She grew up with her mothers spells whizzing around the house and always marveled them, eager to do the same. At that age, she had never been clumsy, unlike other children and was only too enthusiastic to hold a wand for the first time. During her first Charm lesson, she eagerly took up her wand and muttered the spell. It was very fascinating that she managed it on first try - her first instance of magic, with a wand. She disregarded it as luck - it was probably that she knew so much about that spell that it came easy for her...and didn't think of it again.
But in a particulary difficult Transfiguration lesson, she had to finally conclude that something was different about her. The spell was utterly confusing, and required immense concentration and mind power that she was sure she would fail. Shame burned her before she tried, but being determined, she attempted it anyway. Murmering the spell quietly, she forced all her mind to think of something. And she was more than shocked when it worked. Students around her gaped, but Duvessa was fascinated. How was she doing it? How was everything seemingly...easy?
Duvessa began noticing that lesson after lesson she had rarely been failing a spell. Most worked like clockwork to her, and she finally concluded that her spells were mostly cast well, which made her sad when she failed to cast one. However, being quiet in front of adults and teachers in general, she prefered not to show off when she could do it - but use her peculiar way of doing magic wisely. Day after day, a dark haired girl would sit at the back of the class, attempting all sorts of magic, although there were many times were it failed. But it was still really magical to her.
She didn't understand how it happened. But it felt like a magical force propel it's way through her body, powered with her concentration - and it would work. However, it could have also been for the fact that she was not reckless with a wand. She would study her wand movements hard and cast it gently - not carelessly. Just like that, so simple. Her friends were always teasing her that at this rate she should join the top form, but Duvessa would shake her head. She liked herself just the way she was.
She grew up so normal, and like most children her age, she was very curious at excited about magic. She grew up with her mothers spells whizzing around the house and always marveled them, eager to do the same. At that age, she had never been clumsy, unlike other children and was only too enthusiastic to hold a wand for the first time. During her first Charm lesson, she eagerly took up her wand and muttered the spell. It was very fascinating that she managed it on first try - her first instance of magic, with a wand. She disregarded it as luck - it was probably that she knew so much about that spell that it came easy for her...and didn't think of it again.
But in a particulary difficult Transfiguration lesson, she had to finally conclude that something was different about her. The spell was utterly confusing, and required immense concentration and mind power that she was sure she would fail. Shame burned her before she tried, but being determined, she attempted it anyway. Murmering the spell quietly, she forced all her mind to think of something. And she was more than shocked when it worked. Students around her gaped, but Duvessa was fascinated. How was she doing it? How was everything seemingly...easy?
Duvessa began noticing that lesson after lesson she had rarely been failing a spell. Most worked like clockwork to her, and she finally concluded that her spells were mostly cast well, which made her sad when she failed to cast one. However, being quiet in front of adults and teachers in general, she prefered not to show off when she could do it - but use her peculiar way of doing magic wisely. Day after day, a dark haired girl would sit at the back of the class, attempting all sorts of magic, although there were many times were it failed. But it was still really magical to her.
She didn't understand how it happened. But it felt like a magical force propel it's way through her body, powered with her concentration - and it would work. However, it could have also been for the fact that she was not reckless with a wand. She would study her wand movements hard and cast it gently - not carelessly. Just like that, so simple. Her friends were always teasing her that at this rate she should join the top form, but Duvessa would shake her head. She liked herself just the way she was.
Pending Very minor misunderstanding of what this spell is. A perfectionist still has the chance to fail a spell, if their wisdom check is not high enough, there is no level of perfectionism that will fix this. However, those 'critical failures' where a spell blows up in your face. Those are what this ability prevents. So while being 'naturally good' at casting is great, it is just slightly off from what we are looking for. When you have made edits, please message myself as well as another member of Index (volunteering Jake) as I do not normally work here (Lear) so we can finalize your ability.
Edited - 04.03.23 By Duvessa Ember
Approved I have updated your trunk to save you a post in trunk update. I made no changes to your format. Lear.
Last edited by Duvessa Ember on 4 Mar 2023, 18:42, edited 2 times in total.
| Wis: 7 Acc: 8 Sta: 6 𝑫𝒖𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂 𝑬. 𝕊𝕠 𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕜 Eva: 9 Arc: 5 Str: 5 |
Wis: 10 Acc: 10 Sta: 6 𝕊𝕠 𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒆 𝑺. Eva: 9 Arc: 3 Str: 2 |
DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
-encyclopedia-
-seer-
-the knight family was one with many secrets. but the had one more on their hands when robert knight married alyssa de le curz. alyssa had a secret. it was a dangerous secret. alyssa was a seer. it was a secret that she had kept from her mother, her husband, her siblings, for she was the only one to have inherited her grandmother's arcane power. it had been passed down through the de le cruz generations, occasionally skipping some. she did not even tell her daughter. she did this because she felt being a seer was already too much of a burden for her. alyssa did not want her relatives to half the same burden on their shoulders. she felt that being a seer was scary, and she did not want for amaris to be afraid.
amaris knight have always had what seemed akin to a sixth sense. alyssa would later find herself foolish for not realising it was a form of manifestation for amaris' seer abilities. alyssa was unsure when amaris' sixth sense started to develop, but below is the first recorded time amaris performed a spark of intuition.
t'was amaris' last day in cuba. a sad day, with many hugs, tears, and farewells. yet beyond her sadness, was a new hope. a hope of a new life. yet, as fate would have it, if the knights were to lead this new life, their last would have to burn down -- not just figuratively, but in this case, also literally.
amaris and robert knight were the only two people in their seaside villa. alyssa was visiting her cuban friends for a last goodbye, while her daughter and husband packed their bags for departure. while packing her favourite stuffed bear, amaris felt a tingling sensation in her back. it was a chill down her neck, but at the same time, she felt hot, as if she was about to be engulfed by flames.
'dada,' amaris said, her voice shaky. she felt as if the fire had already caught up to her. there was no use running, and she was going to burn. 'dada,' she said once more, this time steadier. 'we have to go.'
as robert looked up, their eyes met, and he must have sensed her desperateness. he must have felt worry tingling through her nerves. he must have seen the cloud in her eyes. he did not know the cloud was a sign of prophecy. he did not ask why, just stood up and cradled amaris in his arms. amaris smelt smoke and perhaps robert did too. hugging amaris tightly to his chest, the wizard ran out of the burning building.
this was an incident the young witch would never forget. she did not know she was a seer, for how could alyssa tell her daughter such a terrible truth? how would the knights receive the news? and most importantly, how could amaris handle her power? however, on this matter, amaris would not remain in the dark for long.
her second spark was much later, when alyssa was kidnapped by harold knight, robert's older brother, and amaris' uncle. robert was a desperate man by then. desperate to search for his lost wife. robert had already been following strings, searching for clues, and eventually he had managed to know enough to understand that there was an extremely high possibility that his wife was in the knight manor. all he needed to do was find her. but robert was afraid, so he sat there and mumbled to himself, 'should i go? should i be more certain before doing so? should i seek help?' amaris gazed into robert's eyes. her own eyes were as cloudy as the sky above. perhaps she had taken her father's question seriously, and her prophetic instincts were kicking in. robert held amaris' head her his hands, and listened.
but he did not speak, for amaris had begun. 'dada,' she said, in a voice that was deeper and more serious than usual. 'you must go, if we were to see momma again.' as she finished, the young girl swooned into her father's arms, her head aching and her pulse quicker than usual. harold tucked her hair behind her ear and whispered into it, 'you, my dear, are no normal child.' robert laid his daughter on her bed, grabbed his coat, and headed towards the knight mansion.
amaris woke up that day with a terrible headache. she had felt too many feelings all at the same time. she did not even remember what her father had said that moment, only a tugging sensation in her heart, only the feeling that what her father said was right. it was strong, not at all uncertain. it was tempting, it told amaris that what she and her father wanted was just a short distance away, and all she had to do, was confirm that it was true. what she had said- she felt as if something was forcing her to say it, and she had complied.
she rolled over in her bed to find a piece of paper in her father's handwriting. it was not his normal delicate one, but rather quick and sloppy. it was a note.
dear amaris,
i'm sorry no one told you this earlier, but i suspect you are a seer. i had my suspicions that day with the fire, but with two visions, i am now sure. your mother might have known this, and tried to hide it from us for our safety. she might even be a seer herself. like you, she had often had these sparks of intuition, but i've always dismissed them as a magical sixth sense. again, of course, i cannot say for sure at the moment, but after i discuss with her i will bring more news back to you. thank you, my dear, your visions have told me wear to find her. i would converse more with her and with you on this matter. you deserve to know. i'm sorry i can't say more, i must go.
love,
dada
amaris stared at the note, before crumpling it up in her fist. her mother had taught her never to keep secrets, yet she was one herself. amaris did not care how dangerous it was. her father was right: she deserved to know.-
-1,036 words, including the note-
-stamina: 5| evasion: 7| strength: 3| wisdom: 7| arcpower: 6| accuracy: 7 (past stats)-
-stamina: 5| evasion: 5| strength: 3| wisdom: 7| arcpower: 5| accuracy: 5 (current stats)-
-if accepted could you change the ‘i’ under abilities to ‘seer’ and link it here? thank you!-
Pending Minor clarifications involving your parent (mother) who withheld her Seer ability from her family and her child. Why did she do that? Also, your father later recognizes your Seer abilities with a second prophecy (the second one beyond the scope of an untrained and undeveloped Seer and wizard) and theorizes your mother had this ability to (based on what). So basically how and why regarding your parents.
Regarding your parents, with your mother and father gone we will also need a caregiver for your character listed and explained since we cannot let you be without a guardian.
Finally, the scope of your prophecy. The fire and the urgent need to leave works well. However, your second one is sort of this vague prophetic riddle -- find her in the place you fear most. This is a bit beyond what a Seer can normally do so young, or there is a misunderstanding. Can you either modify this or explain it in a different way.
I do not normally do Index work but I am lending a hand. When you have made these edits, please reach out via owl to let us know that edits have been made. I suggest owling a member of the Index team (I am volunteering Jake), if you message me alone you risk having your app overlooked since I get a lot of messages each day and ony do Index work every so often. I do not want your approvls delayed or missed. -- Lear
Note- I am volunteering myself as a possible contact regarding this application as well. -Opeila 05/03
Pending: Thank you for addressing the comments. Things are looking better now, but there are still two remaining issues.
1. While it's been improved, the prophecy about her mother still seems too much like a prophecy rather than an intuition. Perhaps letting it be more vague ('you should go') without the swooning/headache would make it seem more like an intuition. At that young age, seers don't have actual prophecy yet.
2. I think there needs to be a bit more explanation on why her mother didn't tell her that she is a seer. Would being a seer and not knowing not be scarier? Perhaps some explanation on what her mother found scary about it that she would not want to tell her daughter, or perhaps further explanation on how it was a burden? (Did other people have certain expectations of her as a Seer? Was she under different pressure in how her words were treated?).
-Jake
STATUS: Withdrew, Jake April 16, Applicant withdrew application over owl to pursue development as a human.
Last edited by Amaris Knight on 18 Mar 2023, 08:55, edited 7 times in total.
with love
— amaris
— amaris
DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
Application: Parselmouth
Link to Encyclopedia: Caitlin O'Sullivan
Name of Ability: Parselmouth
Stats: Total:30 | Sta: 4 | Ev: 4 | Str: 2 | Wis: 10 | Arc: 4 | Acc: 6
Reason
I made the reason and part of the story, how she realised about being parselmouth to justify her ability.
As a pure-blood witch, Caitlin O'Sullivan has a strong magical heritage that could potentially give her the ability to speak Parseltongue. Additionally, being sorted into Slytherin House, which has a reputation for producing many Dark Wizards and witches, could indicate a natural inclination towards the Dark Arts and a potential link to the language of snakes.
In addition, Caitlin O'Sullivan's family has a long history of magical ability, with many of her ancestors being accomplished wizards and witches. Among them was her great-grandfather, who was a powerful parselmouth and was known for his ability to communicate with snakes.
Caitlin grew up hearing stories about her great-grandfather's gift and was fascinated by it. She spent hours practicing hissing sounds and trying to communicate with the snakes that she found in the woods near her family's home. Eventually, she discovered that she had a natural talent for speaking Parseltongue, just like her great-grandfather.
Over time, Caitlin became more skilled at using Parseltongue to communicate with snakes and other reptiles. She would often spend hours in the woods talking to the snakes, learning from them, and even helping them with their problems. Her parents were proud of her talent and encouraged her to develop her skills further.
As Caitlin got older and started attending Hogwarts, she kept her ability to speak Parseltongue a secret. She knew that many people viewed Parseltongue with suspicion and even fear, and she didn't want to be seen as different or dangerous. However, she continued to practice in secret, honing her skills and learning to use them to her advantage.
Pending Please write more to reach the word count minimum (500 words), you are about 200 short. Further, a parselmouth can speak to snakes, not other reptiles also. Please omit this part. When you make edits to your character, please contact a member of Index. I have volunteered Jake for this but any member is fine. I do not normally work here (Lear) and I am just helping out so I do not want yur edits to be missed or your registration for an abiity delayed.
Note- I am volunteering myself as a possible contact regarding this application as well. -Opeila 05/03
Pending Mar 15 (Lear) this is a follow-up regarding editing this so that we can approve your specialty race. We normally close apps after a month without an edit.
STATUS: Denied, Opeila 05/04
30 days passed without any edits. You may apply for a human ability.
DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
Link to your encyclopedia thread: Accio!
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Evasive Maneuvers
Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it): Hui-Ying didn't had a normal childhood until she went to Hogwarts. During that time she hadn't been enable to enjoy her life like she wanted too, her physical condition never allowed her to run, jump and play like a normal child at such a young age. But since she arrived Hogwarts and healed from her unhealthy state it was like if a wave of energy that had been contained for all that time, had finally been released and flooded her with a constant positive and enthusiastic vivacity.
Fang Hui-Ying always has a positive way of seeing life and enjoying every moment of it. Her previous medical condition associated with her strict education, always prevented her from venting her inner energy and always forced her to control herself and remain a calm and quiet child. But once she arrived Hogwarts she wouldn't lose the opportunity to finally feel free and be herself. Running was part of her daily routine along with other different kinds of exercises, like yoga, gymnastic and meditation...this helped her gain flexibility, inner peace and strengthening her body and mind. Her training and her slender stature made Ying became physically evasive and light feet. Adding to this, her trained mind made her be more aware of her surroundings what helps her sense and realise when something, wanted or unwanted is heading her way.
Since Hui-Ying learned about magic, she had always been fascinated by it. She couldn’t wait for the day to finally arrive when she would receive her own letter to enter the magical school. Ying was a muggleborn, but because she was the youngest child in the Fang’s family she already knew about the possibilities of studying to become a witch, her brother already went to Hogwarts and his letters always made her feel more and more curious about everything. Soon she had heard about the duelling club and that particularly caught her attention. What would be funnier then put her spells to practice in a competition? Ambitious and eager for knowledge, Ying always had made her studies her priority, and if learning new spells came with a perspective of having fun and a promise new adventures even better! She learned that for be a good duellist learning how to cast her spells wouldn’t be enough, she would also have to excel her skill of escaping the spells that would be throw at her. So she made sure that her daily routine would be optimised to help her gain the needed skills so she could practice her now favourite sport and to help her house proudly win.
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Evasive Maneuvers
Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it): Hui-Ying didn't had a normal childhood until she went to Hogwarts. During that time she hadn't been enable to enjoy her life like she wanted too, her physical condition never allowed her to run, jump and play like a normal child at such a young age. But since she arrived Hogwarts and healed from her unhealthy state it was like if a wave of energy that had been contained for all that time, had finally been released and flooded her with a constant positive and enthusiastic vivacity.
Fang Hui-Ying always has a positive way of seeing life and enjoying every moment of it. Her previous medical condition associated with her strict education, always prevented her from venting her inner energy and always forced her to control herself and remain a calm and quiet child. But once she arrived Hogwarts she wouldn't lose the opportunity to finally feel free and be herself. Running was part of her daily routine along with other different kinds of exercises, like yoga, gymnastic and meditation...this helped her gain flexibility, inner peace and strengthening her body and mind. Her training and her slender stature made Ying became physically evasive and light feet. Adding to this, her trained mind made her be more aware of her surroundings what helps her sense and realise when something, wanted or unwanted is heading her way.
Since Hui-Ying learned about magic, she had always been fascinated by it. She couldn’t wait for the day to finally arrive when she would receive her own letter to enter the magical school. Ying was a muggleborn, but because she was the youngest child in the Fang’s family she already knew about the possibilities of studying to become a witch, her brother already went to Hogwarts and his letters always made her feel more and more curious about everything. Soon she had heard about the duelling club and that particularly caught her attention. What would be funnier then put her spells to practice in a competition? Ambitious and eager for knowledge, Ying always had made her studies her priority, and if learning new spells came with a perspective of having fun and a promise new adventures even better! She learned that for be a good duellist learning how to cast her spells wouldn’t be enough, she would also have to excel her skill of escaping the spells that would be throw at her. So she made sure that her daily routine would be optimised to help her gain the needed skills so she could practice her now favourite sport and to help her house proudly win.
STATUS: Approved, Ashleigh/11.03.2023
DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
Name Of Ability/Race/Talent I'm Applying For: Metamorphmagus
Stats: STA 05 | EVA 05 | STR 05 | WIS 05 | ARC 05 | ACC 05
Link to your encyclopedia thread: Here!
Describe why this fits your character:
Stats: STA 05 | EVA 05 | STR 05 | WIS 05 | ARC 05 | ACC 05
Link to your encyclopedia thread: Here!
Describe why this fits your character:
REDONE
METAMORPHMAGUS: 782 WordsReducioNNiamh Willow, Hephaestus Ironwood and Daemon Beithir all loved each other very much, and whilst they couldn’t get married by law, they would not let that stop them from settling down together in the north-east countryside.
Years later, Qrow Beithir was born at exactly 3:42am, early February, and not long after, the adults decided to make their family official, with both Hephaestus and Niamh changing their surnames to ‘Beithir’ by deed poll.
Of course, most babies being born bald with pale eyes, the family couldn’t really tell which father was biologically related to the child (They later discovered it was Daemon due to them sharing the same blood type -AB Negative -, but nobody particularly cared.), and seeing as only one of the men's names could be written on the birth certificate, to save any arguments, it was decided that neither of them would, making it so that only Niamh's was on there, written in a neat cursive script.
Of course, none of that stopped Qrow from referring to all three adults as their parents. Niamh was their ‘Mother’, Hephaestus was lovingly referred to as either ‘Old Man’ or ‘Dad’ whilst Daemon was referred to as ‘Father’.
As their new bundle of joy grew, their appearance only caused more confusion, with the child seemingly taking aspects of their appearance from all three of the adults, something that should be seemingly impossible.
Their mother Niamh’s fiery red hair and freckles, a clear sign of her celtic descent, and apparently the child's too.
They had the same pale skin and curly untameable hair pattern that often sat in spirals, as their dad, Hephaestus. And finally their other father, Daemon Beithir’s acidic green eyes. However, genetics were odd and all three adults decided that their child's appearance was likely just a coincidence.
The reason behind the child’s seemingly impossible appearance only became clear somewhere around their 2nd birthday.
Daemon had to leave for a few days on an urgent matter for his mother - something he was certainly not pleased about - and as much as he promised Qrow that he’d be back in time for their birthday, the child remained silently upset at him as he left.
As the days grew closer and Daemon still hadn’t returned, the child broke, becoming utterly inconsolable, as much as their other parents tried. Only when the tears started, did things finally begin to make sense.
The child's appearance had completely changed, their hair now pin straight as well as an inky shade of black, their freckles gone, and their skin a much warmer shade in contrast to their usual paleness, and whilst their size and pudgy toddler body remained the same, Qrow’s resemblance to their father Daemon was clear.
Suddenly, it all made sense - Qrow Beithir was a metamorphmagus, a rare talent indeed.
Much research into each of their family trees later - as well as a very sincere apology from Daemon upon his return), and Niamh discovered that this talent had come from her own side of the family. It must have skipped over a dozen generations before it got to Qrow.
Appart from a few instances, they weren't a very fussy child, and as a result, they rarely lost control of their ability due to their emotions. In fact, it was mostly the child's love of animals, specifically reptiles, that fueled their transformations, albeit accidentally. Their eyes that so often remained an acidic green, gaining slit like pupils, making them look more snake-like than usual, and their ears a little more pointed after the child read a magical creatures book that contained information on basilisks.
On occasion, if Qrow thought one of their parents were looking a little gloomy, they’d change their nose to mimic the shape of a beak, or perhaps a pig's snout, in order to get the adult in question to crack a smile, a habit that, despite the man’s stony exterior, never failed to make Daemon snort in amusement.
Of course, they couldn’t completely control their ability. Whilst brilliant at making their appearance more animal-like, Qrow struggled at reverting their face back to a normal human type look, with some changes only reverting back to normal in their sleep.
As a result of this wonderful ability, Qrow found it rather difficult to make friends, the appearances that they enjoyed the most were unsettling most muggle children, as well as those that didn’t bother to really get to know them.
With support from their family, they never let this deter them though, following the ideology that if their body was supposedly a temple, then they were the god that it must worship, leading to the child being rather against attempting to use their talent in order to fulfil some standard or expectation of appearance. They were much happier just being themself.
STATUS: Pending, Opeila 28/03
1) UK law forbids more than two legal parents- Qrow does not have three. They can have three people caring for them but only two of them can be legal parents.
2) With a special talent, you only get 30 stat points, not 35.
3) This is more a reminder. Your character cannot actually grow a beak or other animalistic features like fur. They can change the shape of their nose to resemble a beak but that is it.
4) No physical change a metamorphmagus does to themself will ever be permanent. They will reverse at latest when they fall asleep.
Everything should be okay now? I hope...
STATUS: Pending, Opeila 04/04
1) Qrow did not inherit traits from three people that aren't blood related, this is literally biologically impossible. There can be some coincident resemblances, but not to an extent where they are taking them to medical professionals to find out if... what I'm not really sure of.
2) How was it determined that Daemon is Qrow's father? If I understood it correctly, there is no reason really except that they made themself look more like Daemon through Metamorphmagus powers. That is not proof for blood relation.
I'm very sorry for all the trouble. It should be more clear that it was never determined on which man is Qrow's biological father now, as well as that their appearance is just a coincidence that made the parents confused...
Once again, I'm so sorry for all the trouble
STATUS: Approved, Opeila 05/04
Last edited by Qrowley Beithir on 5 Apr 2023, 13:30, edited 8 times in total.
DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
Link to your encyclopedia thread: Loren Beck
Name of Ability that you Are Applying for: Impartial
Describe why this fits your character:
From the moment Loren was born, they were not quite the same as other children. Of course, being the oldest child of their parents, the Mr. and Mrs. Beck had no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary was going on. However, as the months and years went on their suspicions grew. Loren was a quiet baby, but quiet to the point of rarely initiating eye contact or responding in kind when someone would smile at them. They hardly ever interacted with other toddlers, nor were they interested in playing with caregivers or other adults. Rather, they preferred to play on their own. They would explore objects, toys, the world around them, anything they could get their hands on that wasn't another person. Their favorite ways to interact with people were by echoing what was said back to the person who had said it or by spinning and rocking with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Beck were confused, but their child was happy and so were they.
Once Loren became old enough to explore the world around them more independently, they realized for themself the ways in which they did not work the same as some people around them. They were more literal, more independent, and less tied to the social rules and fads that others their age clung to. They did not understand why other kids and adults were so concerned with the latest pop star and who said what to who and who was going where with who and who was no longer friends; and they did not much care to find out. As long as people were happy, kind, and let Loren do what they wanted to do, Loren was happy with them.
One of the most advantageous of their differences, though Loren did not realize this until later in life, was that they were not swayed by the extravagant words or looks of those around them. They were unimpressed by the minor social charlatans that used their wit, wiles, countenance, or presentation to get what they wanted. Rather, the subtle clues and cues that others might pick up on and run with went right past Loren's head.
Loren does not look any different from other kids, nor do they have some social deficit that others might notice and latch onto. But their brain is not like those of the people around them. They sometimes react differently, they enjoy differently, but most pertinent to the impartial ability- they connect with others fundamentally differently and are unaffected by the social allure of those around them.
[wc: 428]
We cannot learn without each other.
Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 2 | Wisdom: 8 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 7
Name of Ability that you Are Applying for: Impartial
Describe why this fits your character:
From the moment Loren was born, they were not quite the same as other children. Of course, being the oldest child of their parents, the Mr. and Mrs. Beck had no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary was going on. However, as the months and years went on their suspicions grew. Loren was a quiet baby, but quiet to the point of rarely initiating eye contact or responding in kind when someone would smile at them. They hardly ever interacted with other toddlers, nor were they interested in playing with caregivers or other adults. Rather, they preferred to play on their own. They would explore objects, toys, the world around them, anything they could get their hands on that wasn't another person. Their favorite ways to interact with people were by echoing what was said back to the person who had said it or by spinning and rocking with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Beck were confused, but their child was happy and so were they.
Once Loren became old enough to explore the world around them more independently, they realized for themself the ways in which they did not work the same as some people around them. They were more literal, more independent, and less tied to the social rules and fads that others their age clung to. They did not understand why other kids and adults were so concerned with the latest pop star and who said what to who and who was going where with who and who was no longer friends; and they did not much care to find out. As long as people were happy, kind, and let Loren do what they wanted to do, Loren was happy with them.
One of the most advantageous of their differences, though Loren did not realize this until later in life, was that they were not swayed by the extravagant words or looks of those around them. They were unimpressed by the minor social charlatans that used their wit, wiles, countenance, or presentation to get what they wanted. Rather, the subtle clues and cues that others might pick up on and run with went right past Loren's head.
Loren does not look any different from other kids, nor do they have some social deficit that others might notice and latch onto. But their brain is not like those of the people around them. They sometimes react differently, they enjoy differently, but most pertinent to the impartial ability- they connect with others fundamentally differently and are unaffected by the social allure of those around them.
[wc: 428]
Approved (Lear)
We cannot learn without each other.
Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 2 | Wisdom: 8 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 7
DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
Link to your encyclopedia thread: [viewtopic.php?t=26053]
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Wandless magic.
Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it): Koi like's to build stuff. This practice reaches other areas of life. In the far future, let's say his last year, he would have gathered enough knowledge and understandiing of magic to perform the skill.
He still has no background to support this, because I'm still waiting for index in order to start the adventure. However this is more like advertising in time as it says in rules for ability claims.
Potions enthusiast since 2010!
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Wandless magic.
Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it): Koi like's to build stuff. This practice reaches other areas of life. In the far future, let's say his last year, he would have gathered enough knowledge and understandiing of magic to perform the skill.
He still has no background to support this, because I'm still waiting for index in order to start the adventure. However this is more like advertising in time as it says in rules for ability claims.
STATUS: Denied, Opeila, 15/03
You don't have the requirements for the ability (Nonverbal Magic or Wisdom of 20), nor is your application 400 words long.
Potions enthusiast since 2010!
DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
Link to your encyclopedia thread: viewtopic.php?p=655100#p655100
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Half-Veela
Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it):
Avorra Vaylen | Stamina: 3 | Evasion: 8 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 10 | Arcane Power: 5 | Accuracy: 3 |
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Half-Veela
Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it):
Reducio
Avorra's father, Theron Vaylen (nee Helius), came from a long line of pureblooded wizards and witches. His father's father, Sol Helius, was a famous wizard known for his dueling feats. The family line was renowned, and prided its own pureblooded lineage. Theron was one of three siblings, yet he was the only one who chose not to marry when he came of age. He broke the family tradition of arranged marriages with other pureblooded families. He dedicated his life to his studies in higher education - that of discovering and caring for endangered magical creatures. Initially, he wasn't disowned for the fact that his parents believed he simply needed time to find the right person.
Instead, in the winter of 1999, he took a business trip to Bulgaria in search of a herd of Unicorns. By chance, he stumbled across a full-blooded Veela who'd been exploring the same forest he found himself in. Immediately, he was entranced by her beautiful figure. White-gold hair, skin that shined like the surface of the moon itself. He found himself yearning for her attention. He approached her, gently introducing himself to start a conversation. At first, she nearly fled, untrustworthy of strangers. Once she realized he was of no harm, she indulged him and introduced herself. Her name was Lucille Vaylen, and she was exploring the forest to get closer with nature.
The two got along very well, spending the next few hours just talking about their experiences and where they were from. By the time the sun had set, Theron had found himself to be in love. It took a week, but Lucille eventually reciprocated the feeling. Wanting to see the greater world for what it was, she took Theron's offer to return with him to rural London after his trip was finished. In fact, she helped him to track down the herd of Unicorns that he was initially after. With his task complete, he returned home with Lucille to report his findings to his job.
Theron's family did not take it well at all. He had soiled the pureblood of their family tree. Sol, Theron's grandfather, personally called him a black stain on the family name and promptly disowned him. Naturally, he found himself and Lucille a place to live that was away from his family. He moved into wizard London proper, away from the rural countryside. In a final act of defiance, he erased his family name and took that of Lucille's. They were now known as the Vaylens, and they would forge their own destiny, as well as their own family.
For ten years, Theron and Lucille attempted to have a child, but it was very difficult. Lucille's body was not receptive, despite practical and magical medical care. Eventually, their miracle birth happened. Lucille was conceived in the spring of 2010, later being born on December 31st, New Years Eve. She was born albino, with the emerald green eyes of her mother. Her skin glistened like the surface of the moon, pale as bone. Her hair would eventually grow to be an ivory mane of frost and snow, unlike the white-gold of her mother's ancestry.
One thing that would always stand out with Avorra: She was indescribably beautiful. She inherited every one of her mother's traits physically, whereas she inherited her father's magical side. Growing up, the attention she got soon turned into a need. She was greedy to be seen, heard, and noticed. As a result of her magic being unpredictable due to her own emotions, Theron frequently sent her to a neighboring wizard family that he was close friends with. They would teach her how to restrain her accidental outbursts of magic by controlling her emotions. Being that Lucille knew nothing of wizard magic, she encouraged her daughter to listen to her new mentors.
On her 11th birthday, December 31st, Avorra would receive her Hogwarts acceptance letter.
Word Count: 648 words.
Statistics:Avorra's father, Theron Vaylen (nee Helius), came from a long line of pureblooded wizards and witches. His father's father, Sol Helius, was a famous wizard known for his dueling feats. The family line was renowned, and prided its own pureblooded lineage. Theron was one of three siblings, yet he was the only one who chose not to marry when he came of age. He broke the family tradition of arranged marriages with other pureblooded families. He dedicated his life to his studies in higher education - that of discovering and caring for endangered magical creatures. Initially, he wasn't disowned for the fact that his parents believed he simply needed time to find the right person.
Instead, in the winter of 1999, he took a business trip to Bulgaria in search of a herd of Unicorns. By chance, he stumbled across a full-blooded Veela who'd been exploring the same forest he found himself in. Immediately, he was entranced by her beautiful figure. White-gold hair, skin that shined like the surface of the moon itself. He found himself yearning for her attention. He approached her, gently introducing himself to start a conversation. At first, she nearly fled, untrustworthy of strangers. Once she realized he was of no harm, she indulged him and introduced herself. Her name was Lucille Vaylen, and she was exploring the forest to get closer with nature.
The two got along very well, spending the next few hours just talking about their experiences and where they were from. By the time the sun had set, Theron had found himself to be in love. It took a week, but Lucille eventually reciprocated the feeling. Wanting to see the greater world for what it was, she took Theron's offer to return with him to rural London after his trip was finished. In fact, she helped him to track down the herd of Unicorns that he was initially after. With his task complete, he returned home with Lucille to report his findings to his job.
Theron's family did not take it well at all. He had soiled the pureblood of their family tree. Sol, Theron's grandfather, personally called him a black stain on the family name and promptly disowned him. Naturally, he found himself and Lucille a place to live that was away from his family. He moved into wizard London proper, away from the rural countryside. In a final act of defiance, he erased his family name and took that of Lucille's. They were now known as the Vaylens, and they would forge their own destiny, as well as their own family.
For ten years, Theron and Lucille attempted to have a child, but it was very difficult. Lucille's body was not receptive, despite practical and magical medical care. Eventually, their miracle birth happened. Lucille was conceived in the spring of 2010, later being born on December 31st, New Years Eve. She was born albino, with the emerald green eyes of her mother. Her skin glistened like the surface of the moon, pale as bone. Her hair would eventually grow to be an ivory mane of frost and snow, unlike the white-gold of her mother's ancestry.
One thing that would always stand out with Avorra: She was indescribably beautiful. She inherited every one of her mother's traits physically, whereas she inherited her father's magical side. Growing up, the attention she got soon turned into a need. She was greedy to be seen, heard, and noticed. As a result of her magic being unpredictable due to her own emotions, Theron frequently sent her to a neighboring wizard family that he was close friends with. They would teach her how to restrain her accidental outbursts of magic by controlling her emotions. Being that Lucille knew nothing of wizard magic, she encouraged her daughter to listen to her new mentors.
On her 11th birthday, December 31st, Avorra would receive her Hogwarts acceptance letter.
Word Count: 648 words.
Reducio
| Stamina: 3 | Evasion: 8 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 10 | Arcane Power: 5 | Accuracy: 3 |
Approved (Lear)
I have also edited your trunk.
Last edited by Avorra Vaylen on 18 Mar 2023, 17:48, edited 2 times in total.
Avorra Vaylen | Stamina: 3 | Evasion: 8 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 10 | Arcane Power: 5 | Accuracy: 3 |
DO NOT POST HERE: Application for Magical Races/Talents and Special Abilities
Link to encyclopedia: Here it is!
Obnoxiously Strong (402 words)Reducio
Some kids enjoy playing with cars, action figures or dolls. They find joy in imagine the highs and lows of whatever characters they've found themselves attached to, unfurling their own little world of imagination. And some kids eat dirt.
Finley Greer was the latter sort of child.
Finley had always been an active child. She loved nothing more than exploring the great outdoors, climbing trees, and playing in the dirt. She was small for her age, but what she lacked in size, she made up for in strength and determination. Come rain or snow or shine, Finley would spend every possible moment she was allowed to (and quite a few more that she wasn't allowed to) outside. The great outdoors were her playground, the feeling of the wind on her skin her favorite sensation. Partnered with a child's natural tendency to explore, this meant a lot of climbing. A lot. Despite being told by her parents that climbing trees could be dangerous, Finley was determined to explore her environment as much as possible. She loved nothing more than discovering new parts of her neighborhood or venturing further to explore the countryside. For her, the world was a giant playground waiting to be explored.
Trees, rocks, more trees, stone fences, any obstacle in Finley's way was nothing more than a new climbing wall for her to overcome. Her small frame quickly grew, her seemingly boundless energy fueling her adventures. Soon, climbing was not the only way Finley found herself overcoming obstacles. She quickly found that she was able to move quite large branches and stones out of her path (Were they as big as a house as she claimed them to be to her parents? Absolutely not, in fact, most adults would have been able to move them without strain. But to a the young Fin, she was moving mountains).
Climbing and carrying became her new game. How far could she throw this rock into the lake? There were plenty of fallen branches over there, could she move them and build a fort? Surely a fort needed furniture, perhaps she could roll this large rock into it to create a table.
Once Finley began primary school and physical education courses, she discovered that she was much, much stronger than her peers. Which opened a door to a new way to enjoy both the outdoors and her advantage in strength over others; team sports.
Blindvision (571 words)Reducio
Finley was only able to play sports for a handful of years at primary school, and didn't quite anticipate how Hogwarts would put a screeching halt to that passion. Quidditch was fine to watch, but what was the fun of a sport that you don't run in? And dueling? Absolutely not. Fin had the idea to organize a few pickup games of her favorite muggle sports; football, lacrosse, kickball and the likes. But she certainly did not get the reaction she expected. Instead of excited students and afternoons of activity, Finley found herself on the receiving end of a good bit of teasing from several pure-blooded and wizard-born students. How dare she try and bring those things here? What, are we not good enough for her? Small comments from a select few turned into more intense teasing from a particular group of nasty friends, most of them Fin's housemates.
Thankfully, Finley found her moments of respite quite easily. She was absolutely enchanted by the school's sprawling grounds. Everywhere she looked, there was something new and fascinating to discover - from the gnarled old trees to the shimmering lake that stretched out before her.
Fin would escape to the school grounds at every opportunity she found, often staying until the sun had set. One particular night, when the moon was full and bright, casting a soft glow over everything around her, Finley felt a rush of inspiration as she took in the beauty of her surroundings. She just had to capture it somehow.
Digging through her bag, she found some parchment and paper, and settled down on the grass near the edge of the lake. For hours she sat, sketching the trees, the stars, and the soft ripples of the water. She was so focused on her work that she didn't even notice the time passing.
It wasn't until she heard a rustling in the bushes nearby that she realized how late it had gotten. Finley glanced at her watch and gasped - it was well past curfew. She quickly gathered her things and began to make her way back to the castle, hoping to avoid any trouble. And avoid any trouble she did, she slipped back into her dorm room before anyone even realized she was missing. In the soft glow of the Gryffindor common room, Finley was able to get a good look at her sketch. It was not good. Which wasn't entirely surprising, Fin wasn't exactly an artist and it was incredibly hard to see by only the dim light of the moon. "I'll try again tomorrow," she resolved.
And so she did. And the next day. And the day after that. The day after that one she was caught by a professor and landed herself in detention, but the next night she went right out again. In fact, almost every night for the rest of the year, Finley stayed out well past curfew to try and perfect her sketch of the landscape. She spent a good amount of time in detention because of it, but she was determined.
After so many nights in the dark, focusing on the small details of the trees, the way the shadows fell on the grass, and the small lines of her sketches, Finley found her eyes adjusting quite well to the dark. No longer was she needing to squint or cast Lumos every so often to see well in the shadowy environment.
Sixth Sense (424 words)Reducio
Surely the next year would be the end of Finley's teasing, yes? The mouthy students from last year would have forgotten all about Finley and had moved on to bigger and better things, yes?
No.
And to make things worse, Finley was struggling in her classes. A lot. No matter what she did, she couldn't seem to wrap her head around many of the magical concepts, which only made the teasing worse. Finley felt isolated and alone. She would often sneak away from gatherings of students to avoid her classmates, wandering the halls of Hogwarts alone. But as she wandered and observed from a distance, she started to pick up on their subtle cues, their movements, and their whispers.
She became more aware of her surroundings and used them to her advantage to avoid her classmates. She would slip down unlit passages and near-forgotten corridors, making her way through the castle without being seen. It became a game of sorts for her, a way to distract herself.
The once outgoing and cheerful Finley had become nothing more than a fly on the wall, a silent observer doing her best to be unseen. But there were advantages to this, she found.
One of the upperclassmen who often teased her was looking at her at the dining hall, she could just feel his eyes on her. She looked straight ahead, trying to ignore him. He rapped his knuckles against the table once, twice, three times. He was thinking, he always did that when he was thinking. If he had come up with something, he'd tap the table twice before clearing his throat and shouting to her from across the table. If he hadn't, he'd take a sip of water. It was small observations like this that Finley had found helpful in gauging the right moment to leave, to turn the corner, to cover her face.
Over time, Finley became more and more adept at picking up on the subtle cues of her classmates. She could tell when they were thinking of an insult, when they were planning something mischievous, or when they were simply in a bad mood. And she used this knowledge to her advantage, slipping away before they had a chance to catch her or say anything hurtful.
Finley learned to trust her intuition and to rely on her own instincts, honing them, trusting them more and more. These observations and became subconscious, a sixth sense of sorts, allowing her to take in, break down, and respond to her surroundings in mere moments.
Fearless (405 words)Reducio
Teasing turned into "practical jokes". Finley never found them particularly funny. She'd been hit with her fair share of singing-jinx and dancing feet charm combos (and considering Fin was in no regards a songstress, it made things all the more embarrassing). The Gryffindor had had enough of being picked on by her bullies. She had tried to ignore them and avoid them, but they seemed to find new ways to single her out even when they weren't even in the same room. One particular weekend, as Finley found herself sketching in the busy courtyard, the group of students approached her again.
"Look who it is, the dirty-blooded witch who can't even brew an herbicide potion," one of them snickered. Alexander Weissman, the worst of the bunch, a fourth-year Hufflepuff.
Finley clenched her fists, feeling a surge of anger rise within her. She had had enough of their taunts and insults. Something inside of Fin snapped in that moment. No, not snapped... Something clicked into place.
"You know what?" she said, her voice shaking with anger. "I'm sick of you guys. You have no right to treat me this way."
The group just laughed at her, but Finley was not deterred, no longer afraid. She took out her wand and pointed it at them.
"I may not be the best at magic, but I know a few spells," she said, her voice steady.
They sneered at her, but before they could say anything, Finley aimed her wand at the fourth-year's pants. "Descendio!" The spell caused his pants to fall straight to the floor, well and truly pantsing him in front of the whole courtyard.
The fourth year was embarrassed and caught off guard. He quickly tried to pull their pants back up, but it was too late. The students around them were laughing and pointing, all attention taken off of Fin.
Finley walked away from the group and the courtyard, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She felt as if the fear had been banished from her mind, and it felt good. They would probably try to get back at her, but she didn't care. For the first time in a long time, she felt empowered and in control.
From that moment on, the brash and outgoing Finley of her childhood had returned. Unafraid of spiders, the dark, and people. Fearless, and ready to take on whatever was thrown at her next.
Martial Artist (423 words)Reducio
Finley had found herself liberated from fear of bullies, and after some time most of them had laid off of her. There was stil the occasional snicker when Finley answered a question incorrectly in class (as she often did), but she wasn't afraid. She was, however, stressed. Very stressed. The OWL exams drew nearer, and Fin found herself feeling more and more stressed with each passing day. She was barely pulling "A"s in most of her classes, and was trying to ignore the "P"s she currently had in charms and transfiguration. How on earth was she meant to pass these tests?
One day, as she wandered the corridors in search of a quiet place to study, a room opened up in front of the Gryffindor common room. The Room of Requirement. She had heard of the mysterious room before, but had never actually seen it. In fact, she wasn't so sure it existed until that very moment. As she stepped inside, she was surprised to find the room filled with workout equipment - weights, mats, punching bags, and even a boxing ring. It seemed Finley required a distraction.
Intrigued, Finley decided to try out the punching bag. She had never done any sort of boxing before, but the physical exertion felt good. She felt her muscles tensing and relaxing as she punched, releasing the tension that had been building up inside her for weeks.
Fin found herself retuning to the room after each study session she had, using the punching bags and practice dummies that began appearing in the room. At first, it felt strange - she felt like she was just flailing around with no sense of purpose. But as she continued to practice, she began to feel more confident. She focused on her breathing, her movements becoming more precise and deliberate. It became a way for her to escape the stress of her studies, to focus on something physical instead of just mental. She found that the more she practiced, the more she enjoyed it. The sound of her fists hitting the bag became a comforting rhythm, a way to shut out the noise of the world around her.
As the day of her OWL exams approached, Finley began to feel more prepared than she ever had before. She had found a way to channel her stress and anxiety into something productive, something that made her feel strong and capable. She felt comfortable working out and practicing outside of the Room of Requirement, running shadowboxing drills on the grounds on particularly sunny days.
Evasive Maneuvers (498 words)Reducio
Finley stepped into the ring, feeling her heart race with anticipation. After passing her OWLs (just barely), she found that she quite enjoyed boxing and sparring, even without the need to work off exam stress. And she'd finally found a sparring partner in Michael Sui, a fellow Gryffindor. It was routine now, on the first Saturday of the month they would spar, loser had to bring the winner breakfast in bed every day. Finley had been serving Michael breakfast in bed for four months now.
She was too slow, too clunky in her movements, she knew this. And so evasiveness became the name of the game. Finley had been working hard on her agility training for weeks in the lead-up to this sparring match with Michael. Countless hours were spent in the Room of Requirement, working on her footwork, practicing her dodges, and perfecting her punches. She had studied every technique and tactic she could find in books, and had even sought out advice from some of the duelists on her house team as to how they best evaded spells.
And all of that training had led up to this moment - the moment when she would put her skills to the test against Michael, the boy she had secretly been crushing on since the first month they met. Which probably didn't help Finley fight at all. As Michael entered the ring, Finley tried to calm her racing heart. She had to focus on the fight, on using all the skills she had been working so hard to develop.
As they circled each other, Finley tried to focus on her technique. She kept her feet light and her movements quick, ready to evade Michael's attacks. As Michael threw a punch, Finley dodged to the side, feeling a thrill of satisfaction as his fist whistled past her ear. She countered with a quick jab, and Michael grunted as the glove connected with his chest.
"You're faster than you have been," he said, a grin spreading across his face.
Finley smiled back at him, feeling a rush of adrenaline. "I've been practicing." Her work was paying off.
Michael threw another punch, and Finley ducked under it, weaving to the side. She darted forward and landed a solid hit on his shoulder, then danced backwards out of his reach.
He came at her again, but this time she was ready. She sidestepped his punch and landed a quick combination, her fists a blur. Michael staggered backwards, looking dazed.
Michael put his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright, you got me." Finley broke out into a grin, she'd done it! Michael laughed, shaking his head. "You're something else, Fin."
Finley felt a surge of pride. She had worked hard for this victory, and it felt good. But she knew that there was always more she could do to improve. She would keep training, keep working on her agility, her evasiveness. Evasion became the name of the game in her fighting from then on.
Calming Presence (494 words)Reducio
As Finley entered her seventh year at Hogwarts, she found herself feeling strangely at peace. She'd expected to feel a weight on her shoulders about NEWTs as she had for her OWL exams, and yet... She wasn't. Her classmates noticed a difference in her, too. She seemed more relaxed, more calm. They even felt calmer themselves when they were around her.
At first, Finley was confused by this change in her demeanor. She had always been the one to stress over her marks in class, or, when she was younger, obsessing over the schedules of students who teased her so that she could avoid them. But as she reflected on her years at Hogwarts, she realized that she had been placing too much importance on the wrong things.
As she let go of her need to control every situation and stopped worrying so much about her image, she found that life became easier. Things like sketching and boxing still mattered to her, but she no longer obsessed over every little detail. She started taking breaks to enjoy the beauty of the Hogwarts castle and grounds (without feeling the need to capture it), spending more time with her friends and enjoying the present moment.
Her newfound peace seemed to radiate from her, making those around her feel more comfortable and at ease. People sought her out for advice and comfort, and she found that she enjoyed being able to help others in this way, people Finley didn't even know very well.
One day, as she was lounging in the common room, a fifth-year came up to Finley, one of the duelists she had asked for advice last year. The girl was visibly distressed, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Can I ask you something?"
Finley readjusted in her seat, "Sure, go for it."
The girl took a deep breath. "I've got a massive exam in History of Magic tomorrow and I am freaking out. I just can't seem to calm down and I haven't been able to sleep for the last few days because of it... What do I do?"
Finley listened patiently as the girl spoke, thinking for a brief moment before speaking herself. "Right, first, take a deep breath," she paused, taking a deep breath herself for the girl to mimic. "And remember that this exam is just one moment in time. It doesn't define you, and it won't change who you are. Just do your best, and know that no matter what happens, you'll be okay."
The girl wiped her tears and smiled at Finley. "Thank you," she said. "You always seem so calm and in control, I don't know how you do it."
Finley shrugged. "It's taken me a while to get to this point," she said. "But I've learned that stressing out about everything doesn't help anyone, least of all me. Sometimes you just have to let go and trust that everything will work out in the end."
The Muggle Condition (519 words)Reducio
Finley had known that her career lay somewhere in the arts. Although she was quite athletic, she knew she wasn't dedicated enough to any one sport to make a living off of it. During her time at Hogwarts, she had grown accustomed to the unique ways of life in the wizarding world. But there was something about the first 11 years of her life, minimally impacted by magic as she lived in the muggle world, that seemed to be truly home for the Gryffindor alumni. It was her muggle father who encouraged her to consider non-magical education after Hogwarts, and since Fin didn't know exactly what she wanted to do in life, it seemed like the best choice.
When she arrived at her college in London, Finley made a conscious decision to lock her wand in a box and keep it hidden under her bed. It was there only as back-up, not even plan "b" but plan "g".
After some time, Fin decided on a photography major, and quickly became immersed in the world of muggle art and technology. She marveled at the intricate workings of cameras and the endless possibilities of post-production editing software. As she delved deeper into the world of photography, she discovered that the limitations she had once felt as a witch were no longer a barrier to her creativity, barriers she wasn't even aware she had faced.
Over time, Finley became more and more comfortable living as a muggle. She learned to navigate the complex social structures of muggle society, made friends with people who had never heard of Hogwarts, and discovered a whole new world of entertainment and culture. A world that she had only seem glimpses of during holiday and summer breaks, a world she only half-experienced for the last seven years. Fitting, as she was half-blooded.
As she became more engrossed in her photography studies, she also began to appreciate the beauty of the muggle world. She would spend hours wandering the streets of London, marveling at the completely non-magical architecture, soaking up the atmosphere of bustling markets, and taking in the cultural diversity around her.
But it was her love of travel photography that truly cemented her decision to leave behind her life as a witch for what she thought would be for good. She discovered that the world of muggles had so much to offer in terms of cultural experiences, vibrant landscapes, and diverse people. She traveled everywhere she was able, capturing stunning images of natural wonders and urban landscapes alike for her brand with her new business partner, Adrian.
As she looked back on her journey, Finley realized that leaving the wizarding world behind had allowed her to find a sense of freedom and fulfillment that she could never have experienced if she had stayed in the magical world. She had embraced the power of technology, the beauty of human connection, and the wonders of the natural world. She was perfectly content to stay like this forever. That is, until Adrian ran off with their business's money and Finley got a phone call telling her to come home...
Approved (Lear)