Ask Kandomere Anything

ASKS ARE OPEN

[ask-kandomere]

So much has changed since we last spoke. I have no taken a position in child care licensing. It is challenging and rewarding work. I hope you’re well and will be able to have some time to decompress.

“Welcome back. It's good to see familiar faces.

Overcoming challenges you put in front of yourself is a healthy way of improving yourself. Such a responsible position must be stressful, but I'm certain you will be able to provide good care for those in need.

May you find your rewards after the challenges."

[ask-kandomere]

Oh gosh… You’re the agent from the Magic Task Force. It’s absolutely an honor, sir.

"Welcome.

I hope you enjoy your visit. I never intended to be so recognizable in my line of work, but I appreciate that my efforts are being noted. Please do not hesitate to come by and have a chat."

[ask-kandomere]

It’s been so long since we spoke. Life loves to get in the way, doesn’t it? I really hope you’re well. You’ve been on my mind.

"Welcome back.

We can never expect the turns our lives might take in the blink of an eye. As uplifting as some of these changes can be, the impact of others might prove crushing.

I hope whatever difficulties you have encountered will be overcome through the passion and perseverance you present to the world. The beauty of life lies in its unpredictability and the hope it allows us. I believe your life will find balance once more.

May the future be kind to you."

[ask-kandomere]

It has been a while since we last conversed. I hope you’re well. It’s been strange for me lately, I quit teaching. I am now helping a family as a whole. I enjoy the work and everyone I meet, most of them anyway. I do feel like I’m mourning the past and I hate the feeling. Any advice? Thank you in advance Agent Kandomere.

"The past is a wicked thing. Even when we acknowledge all the things gone, they still keep reappearing in our memories when we least expect them to.

Mourning is a natural, albeit painful process, regardless of the subject being mourned. For some, it can mean people no longer by our side. For others, it's opportunities never taken. Some mourn the events painted beautiful by the time that passed since they happened, changing their shape and form.

For each of these, the process of learning how to live anew will be different, however worth taking. However painful the path, it never truly ends, even when we lose sight of the next turn, next stretch. I hope you will have the strength to keep on walking, however tremendous effort might be needed. I believe in you.

Remember that every path offers stops and benches. Don't rush. You shall meet happiness again."

[silence-burns]

Hey all! I'm not dead, just have very little time for anything, especially writing, since I started work in one of those international corporations sucking the life out of people 😆

Learning Chinese is also going great, it's my favourite thing to do in whatever spare time I rip out of my days.

And also my father had a stroke recently so I have to use all the time I have outside of work to take care of him and make sure he's taking all the meds and exercises.

I'm not saying goodbye to this blog, life just forced me to take a break, hahaha

Take care of yourselves!

[ask-kandomere]

Hello Agent Kandomere. I hope all is well with the new year starting. Take care of yourself, I’m sure your line of work is very stressing. Please tell Agent Monahugh(?) I said Hello.

"Apologies for my late reply. Even though the year started on a good note, I'm afraid it rather quickly went sideways. Nonetheless, I'm glad to see familiar names persisting in this small corner of the internet.

I appreciate your concern, now more than ever. I enjoy my job even after all these years, but I can't pretend it isn't exhausting at times. Every time a new case falls into my hands, I have no way of predicting how much of my life will be occupied by it. It is rather obvious I cannot go into detail, but that's what happened in the last few months. A part of me cannot understand how fast the time had passed, because to me it feels as if the new year was just about to start.

That's partly what I meant when I said exhaustion is a constant in my life. On some days, if not weeks, important events happen one by one and it's absolutely necessary not to lose the lead or allow it to go cold. That preoccupies the mind to the point where nothing else matters. There's always more files to be read, more witnesses to interview, more magic traces to follow before the energy disappears.

As taxing as all of that is, very few things in life can compare to the feeling of finally being able to close the case and, even if only for a few moments, breathe out and relax.

May your days be peaceful and safe wherever life takes you."

[ask-kandomere]

Good morning, Kandomere

I would like to know if you were born with gorgeous ocean hair or u dyed it?

If u did dye it, what made u chose ocean blue?

(P.S. this might be one out of the many questions I’ll ask u and some might be crazy even for me to comprehend 😅, but I’m new to this talking to characters u being the first so I except the best answer u can give me) 😁

"Hello.

Unfortunately, as far as I'm concerned, there exists no mutation allowing for such a color to come naturally to a person. I have been born with one of the more common hair colors, and have been dying it for many years now.

As much as I appreciate natural beauty, in the strict and conservative environment of my upbringing, I was allowed very few ways of personal freedom and expression. I am not angry about it, and neither I was back then, but the simple need to own a part of myself despite giving all else to someone else's idea of me, was what had prevailed and resulted in my choice.

I have always been fond of that color in particular, so I had no issues deciding on the shade. It's fortunate that I have already been leaning towards a certain palette when it comes to clothing for years before making that decision, so I didn't have to worry about them clashing.

I wish you all the best."

[ask-kandomere]

Hi sir. I was wondering if magic can be used in dangerous situations like tornadoes and other weather. Thanks for your time sir.

"Hello.

I must admit I'm not sure how it could be leveraged in that kind of situations. Weather disasters are extremely powerful, and difficult to prepare for even under the best circumstances, meanwhile magic is reliant on so many factors that it's oftentimes dangerous to the user and everyone in the area.

To rely on magic against a natural disaster would require days, if not weeks of careful planning and preparations - but natural disasters rarely give us a warm heads-up in advance. Whatever time we have before it hits, in my opinion should be used on preparations already perfected and used with success many times in the past.

I'm certain you hear in the media about the cases of a rogue spell going wrong from time to time. Those incidents, even if they happen on a small, local scale, often result in death and destruction. A wrongly used spell can turn from igniting a bonfire during summer vacation by some low-grade magic enthusiasts, to acres of burned forest, thosands of dead fauna, destroyed villages and people turning to ashes in their own beds because of one misprounounced spell and a fire not extinguishable by water and regular means.

Now imagine what could happen on a larger scale. Imagine if a city's entire defence against a flood relied on a magic spell and it failed when the water came.

Just because something can be used, it doesn't mean it's the safest way."

[ask-kandomere]

Hello Kandomere,

This might sound a little....dark, but I am curious. How do you deal with the loss of family? You always look so collected, no matter what the situation. I must admit, I usually am aswell, however, as of late that's kind of hard since I've lost nearly all of my family (cancer) except for my mother. (I'm only 31) I am working on getting back on my feet, but it makes me.......cold. Numb. So I was wondering how you cope if you ever lose someone close.

"Hello.

Dealing with loss is something so incredibly personal that I'm not certain if the way I cope can bring you any real help, but I'll do my best to explain.

You must remember that most of the time when you might see me, I'm in a public eye, being scrutinized over every gesture and word I say. That's part of my job and I'm not there to complain, but I want you to understand that my circumstances make dealing with loss both easier and more difficult.

It's easier because the moment I leave my apartment, I have to switch to what I call my 'work mode'. It no longer matters what happened in my personal life, because to be efficient and avoid mistakes that could put someone else in danger, I have to completely focus on doing my job right. It's not an easy mindset to push myself into, but it's something I've worked very hard to establish. It helps me keep myself collected in the public eye. I am no konger the person who lost someone close. I am a person who has to deal with very specific tasks, one by one, and there's nothing beyond it. The darkness lurking within me has to wait to be confronted.

Dealing with loss like this is at the same time incredibly difficult. I can't always push myself into these boundaries I've created for myself. There are days when all I want to do is sit in an empty room and stare at nothing. It's not always possible. Lives depend on the decisions I have to make level-headed. On the bad days, when I can barely function, or have trouble doing so as efficiently as I'd prefer to, I try to remind myself that despite the loss that left such a painful hole in my soul, there are still people who depend on me. Who enjoy my presence. Whom I can help and spend time with and make their lives easier, even if just by a bit.

The most difficult part of dealing with loss for me is getting out of the extremely claustrophobic feeling of shock and numbness that prevents me from seeing the full picture once again. My life might feel like it ended along the other person's, but that's far from truth. I hope that one day that feeling will pass for you too. I wish I could make it easier for you."

[ask-kandomere]

You know Kandomere, there's no evil in magic only in the hearts of people who use it.

"That's why the unlawful and harmful use of magic is banned, and not the magic itself.

There are many races in whose veins magic runs alongside the blood. Take faeries as an example, or even the dragons, centaurs and unicorns. It is impossible for them to live in places with low magic levels. In some cases, medical supplements are needed to keep them healthy.

Magic on its own is neither good or bad. It's the usage for personal gains that has to be monitored and controlled."

[ask-kandomere]

Hello Agent Kandomere,

I've got a personal question so...

What is different about being with an elf intimately...is it very different to being with a human?

I'm assuming that you have experience *both ways* and, if so....do you prefer one over the other? My human brain says that those sharp teeth might get in the way of certain activities.

Have a nice weekend!

"Hello.

That's... an interesting question, I suppose.

As far as my experience goes, there isn't much difference to speak of. I know it might sound disappointing, but there isn't any drastic biological difference between our races.

Elven teeth don't usually 'get in the way' any more than the human ones do. It's all about the experience, I'm afraid. Sure, the shape of them is different, but neither is the length or the actual sharpness. The sharpness varies between each singular human tooth too (as far as I'm concerned).

I think my preference has little to do with the race of the person, and more with what they expect and what they have to offer when it comes to the intercourse."

[ask-kandomere]

Agent Kandomere, you’ve probably met a lot of different kinds of people and races in your line of work. I know elves are very into tracking family blood lines, and preserving traditional elven things. So I can imagine how hard a half blood would have it… Have you ever met a half elf/human? 😶 asking for a friend… stop pressuring me! (😂 *time out* sorry I got carried away with the character)

"Hello.

I've met quite a few halfbloods throughout my life, but I wouldn't say they are a common occurrence. As you've mentioned yourself, tracking the bloodline is important to a very large (and vocal) part of the elven society. For better or for worse, many families consider themselves clans when the main bloodline remains 'pure' enough for a couple generations. Ironically, it's a matter of pure semantics, but allows the high society one more reason to look down upon others.

I have no close relationship with any of the halfbloods, so I can't really talk about the hardships they might face. I think a lot may depend on how visible the traditional elven traits are in the person, and therefore how easily they can be mistaken or 'pass' for a pureblood. Off the top of my head, I can imagine the situation where a more human-looking halfblood would have a problem entering a district or a shopping center open only for the elves."

[ask-kandomere]

Hi Kandomere, do elves have an easier time seeing in the dark than humans?? And would better night vision mean greater sensitivity to sunlight?

"Hello.

The first part of your question is difficult for me to judge clearly. I can say with all the certainty that I usually bump less into the things left in the dark than my human partner, Montehugh, but that can also be the case of him being more rash than me, and always aiming to resolve issues as fast as possible, even when it means cutting (both literal and figurative) corners.

When it comes to the second part, I haven't noticed any particular sensitivity towards the sunlight on my part. I don't think I have ever been forced to avoid it, even in the middle of Los Angeles' summer. The temperature is a separate issue."

[ask-kandomere]

Hi Kandomere!

I've got a couple of questions about Elf teeth, hope that's OK!

Why did Elves evolve sharp teeth? Do they serve any purpose in modern times?

It must be awful when you accidentally bite your tongue!

Hope you can take a bite out of my curiosity 😁.

"Hello.

I'm afraid I won't be of much help when it comes to the evolutionary purpose of elvish teeth. It isn't something I paid any interest to throughout my studies. I suppose the origin must lay somewhere close to the origin of the famous orkish strength or similar characteristics of other races. I have never done proper research on that matter, but I remember reading an article suggesting that it might've actually been human teeth that evolved from ours.

Nowadays, I can't think of any purpose elvish teeth might serve. I certainly might also be blinded by my own experience, so forgive me if I overlook something.

You are correct. It is annoyingly easy to break skin with that kind of teeth, and biting the tongue is one of the least favorite accidents that have happened to me."

[ask-kandomere]

Hey Kandomere how do you feel about pets? Specifically a guinea pig and or dragon?

"It'd be difficult for me to differentiate between my actual, personal feelings about those pets and the years of work experience I've had. No matter how unbiased I'd like to be, I can't help but feel exhaustion just thinking about how many illegally smuggled and stored pet dragons I've seen in my life, packed tight in chicken cages, with their scales rotting away and wings clipped so they couldn't fly away easily even if they ever broke out.

And guinea pigs? Well, they make for a good food source for those 'farms'. Can be easily obtained, easily moved. No one usually bats an eye about guinea pigs or pet mice being bought in bulk in a certain area."

[ask-kandomere]

Hello Agent Kandomere,

Could you tell me about your best day at work and your worst? It must be a rollercoaster and I hope you're taking care of yourself!

Xox

"Hello.

I must admit that for some reason nothing really comes to my mind when I try to picture the best day I might've had at work. I suppose it must've been one of those slow, casual days spent in my office, filling the missing reports and formally closing cases. Every once in a while, the paperwork gathers and needs to be dealt with. It's a very satisfying moment to sit in the comfort of my office and not worry about anything that might go wrong any moment in the field.

When it comes to the worst day I had, it lasted for over 48 hours and there are parts of it that I don't remember clearly anymore. For legal purposes, I can't delve into the details, but it involved a very quick escalation during a case we've been working on. In the chaos and absolute lack of control over what was going on, a lot of bad decisions had been made. And as much as I'd like to pretend the fault was not mine alone just as the choices were, I feel guilt for some of them to this day."

[ask-kandomere]

Hello agent Kandomere, I was wondering are all kinds of magic illegal? What do you think about magic? What’s happens to someone who has the ability and uses it?

"Hello.

Magic is not a simple matter to explain. Centuries of experience and thousands of its users had only proven one thing - all uses of magic should be closely monitored.

My opinion on that matter is too strongly influenced by my line of work for me to see things from a civilian perspective. Years on the field and thousands of cases that passed through my hands made an impact on me, whether I like it or not. I'm not even sure if that impact is a positive one. Sometimes it's impossible to look at one violent case after another and not see a pattern.

But I wouldn't go as far as saying every single bit of magic is inherently a bad thing. Think of magic as a knife. Is a possession of a knife illegal? No. Is walking down the street and flinging the knife around you illegal? Well, that is a case best judged by the officers and the proper bureau. When it comes to magic rather than a knife, my bureau.

No two cases are alike. Not all of them are violent. But the statistics are quite clear about the urgency of a close monitoring of those in possession of an instrument that might be used against others."