Can I please get 6 for Saffron, 3 for Ethel, 4 for Kirsty (young, adult or both, you choose) and 9 for Steph? 💛
Ooh, Kirsty AND Steph? You’re spoiling me with the niche OCs!
6 - What clothing item could they not live without?
Saffron’s favourite item is jewellery rather than clothing, and it’s a crystal cage necklace. Why pick one favourite crystal to wear when you can interchange the crystals depending on your mood that day? Today, she’s got a light blue aquamarine to celebrate her birthday!
3 - Does this character wear jewellery?
Jewellery-wise, Ethel wears her engagement ring, wedding ring, and a friendship bracelet, and nothing else.
4 - How does this character wear their hair?
Kirsty has light honey-brown waves/curls. In her youth she tends to wear them loose with a centre parting (think young Donna in Mamma Mia 2, or any woman in any pre-Raphaelite painting ever). As a professional mother of two, she has a shorter, layered cut, which makes her hair look more curly! She tends to clip it back with a crocodile clip for practicality.
9 - What aesthetic do they fall into?
I went down such a rabbit hole looking at these! Steph would love to be dark academia, but she’s not committed enough to the *vibe* to really fit it…
Danielle Parkin, Saffron Summers, Nova Mae, Scarlett Tempest
It's Dana's birthday today, yay! Happy birthday to my little buttercup Gryffindor, who is sweet as a cupcake but with a little chilli inside. If any of my OCs could be real and my best friend, ngl, it would be you ❤️
Find all the stories of this challenge here.
The other members of the HPMA Breakfast Club belong to @the-al-chemist, @kc-and-co and @whatwouldvalerydo respectively. This challenge was created by the lovely @usernoneexistent.
Warning: mentions of underage drinking
The wind was rustling through the trees in the Parkins' garden on the border of Wigtown. Dana let her feet dangle in the cool water of the garden pond and lay back on the red-and-white chequered picnic blanket with a content sigh.
Next to her, Nova, Scarlett and Saffron - Dana's three best friends from school - had their own ways of appreciating the hot summer day. Scarlett was lounging in the sun in a black bikini and shades covering half of her face. Nova and Saffron were busy discussing the flawless handiwork of the macarons Nova's dad had made for Dana's birthday.
Dana turned onto her stomach, happy to have her friends with her. Scarlett and Nova would leave tomorrow, while Saffron would stay with Dana and her family. The Parkins would be taking a Portkey to the finals of the Quidditch World Cup in Argentina tomorrow night. Since Dana wasn't too fond of the family sport, she had been allowed to bring a friend.
The thought of the World Cup made Dana's smile falter. It wasn't so much that she had to go and watch a sport she didn't enjoy with the most fanatic family on the planet, but the prospect of who would be joining them. As always for big events like these, her parents would meet up with the family of Dana's godmother. Spending time with the Amaris had always been something to look forward to for Dana. This time, however, the thought of listening to her aunt Skye's lecture on why it was a scam that Scotland hadn't even qualified for the tournament - again - suddenly had a strange appeal.
Dana's mind was taken off her glum thoughts when the patio door opened and her mother stepped into the garden. Penny Parkin was wearing a white summer dress with yellow sunflowers, looking just like the pattern Nova had painted onto Dana's nails this morning. A tray with homemade lemonade and a plate of sliced watermelons was floating behind her as she made her way over to where the girls were sitting in the grass.
"I brought you some snacks," Penny beamed and sat the tray down on the picnic blanket. Dana thought she would be leaving again, but instead, her mother sat down on the blanket next to Nova.
"So, what's the news?" she said in a conversational tone and began filling the glasses with lemonade. "How has your year been?"
Scarlett, Nova and Saffron each told her politely about their previous year at Hogwarts, and Penny nodded knowingly. When they were done, Penny lowered her voice, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "And what about the interesting things?" She winked. "You know, the boys and all?"
Dana felt her cheeks go red. "Mum," she groaned, "please don't."
"What?" Penny asked, looking surprised. "You can tell me. We've all been there, haven't we? I won't judge, I promise. I'm not like other mums. I'm a cool mum."
"Mum!" Dana said vehemently. She pointedly looked at the house. "Don't you need to check on the food or something?"
Taking the hint, Penny rose to her feet, a slight dusting of pink on her cheeks. "Of course. Once Dad and Maisie are home from practice, we'll get the barbecue started, is that alright? Don't worry," she said, directed at Saffron and Nova, "I've got all the vegan options for the two of you."
"Thank you, Mrs Parkin," Saffron smiled broadly.
"You shouldn't have," Nova agreed. "The sides would have been fine."
"Don't mention it," Penny smiled back. Her eyes went back to her daughter, taking on an uncertain expression. "Are you sure you don't want me to send a Patronus to Lizzie and ask them to come? We've got enough food and drinks, and I bet they'll love to -"
"We've been over this, Mum," Dana said with a strained voice. "It's fine."
"But it will be the first time we'll celebrate your birthday without them."
"I have my friends here; that's really all I need. Dylan's probably busy showing his little girlfriend some stupid mountains anyway."
"Oh?" Penny said, a curious look forming on her face. "Dylan has a girlfriend? You never said a word."
Dana bit the insides of her cheeks, wishing she hadn't brought it up as her mother sat down again. Penny's voice grew soft. "Is there anything you want to talk about, sweetie?"
Dana glanced at her friends, who were suddenly very busy looking at their phones or - in Saffron's case - an ant making its way to the plate with watermelons.
"It's fine," she said curtly. "Forget I said anything."
"You know you can always talk to me."
"I said it's fine," Dana repeated, more harshly than she had meant.
Penny looked taken aback by the sudden sharpness in her daughter's voice. Dana thought she wanted to say something, but before she could, Saffron spoke up.
"Don't worry, Mrs Parkin," she said, her voice lowered conspiratorially. "I already gave Dana a rose quartz."
Penny frowned. "A rose quartz? Isn't that for love?"
"And heartache," Saffron sighed, not minding the dark look Dana was giving her.
"Did you hear that? Sounded like someone Apparating, must be Dad and Maisie. Better go check," Dana said, furiously hoping that her mother would just leave.
"Uh, yes, sure. Must be them," Penny mumbled and got up. With a last look at Dana, she turned and walked back to the house. When she was out of ear-shot, Dana exhaled audibly.
Next to her, Nova sniggered. "Gosh, I love your mum."
"Speak for yourself."
"She just wanted to be nice."
"I know," Dana sighed. "It's just that sometimes she's a little too nice. And nosy."
"Well," Nova said, more softly now, "do you want to talk about Dylan?"
Dana grimaced. "It's my birthday. Can we just not?"
"Sure," Scarlett said and reached for her bag. She pulled out a gleaming silver flask, unscrewed it and poured its content into each of the girls' glasses. Looking at Dana for a second, she added another swig. "Let's rather drink on your birthday. Who needs those bloody blokes when we have each other?"
"Cheers to that," Nova said flatly and raised her glass.
Their conversation soon drifted off to other topics. Nova, Dana and Scarlett were enjoying their watermelon, macarons and spiked lemonade, but Saffron had gone oddly quiet. When she looked over, Dana was astounded to see that Saffron had taken hold of the plate where they had discarded their watermelon seeds. She was holding it on her lap and busy digging little holes in the ground. Into each hole, Saffron popped a watermelon seed and lovingly spread the soil over it again.
"Saff," Dana said slowly, "what in Merlin's name are you doing there?"
"Giving the Earth Mother back what is hers," Saffron replied with a serene smile, never stopping her planting. "She gave us these watermelons to enjoy, and now we must give her something back. The cycle must always continue."
Saffron must have been at it longer than any of them had noticed because several small heaps of earth were already surrounding her. Dana counted them, and her eyebrows rose.
"At the rate you're going, there'll be a whole field of watermelons here next year."
"We can all go and harvest them then," Saffron smiled. "The cycle, you know?"
"If that means you'll come back for my birthday next year, I say that's a great idea," Dana smiled back, took a seed from the plate and put it into the ground next to the one Saffron had just planted. She handed Nova and Scarlett a handful of seeds as well and - after Dana had given a reluctant Scarlett a pointed look - both girls planted some watermelons of their own.
"The things I do for you," Scarlett sighed, looking disapprovingly at the earth on her fingernails. She shrugged and reached for her lemonade.
"Cheers," she said and raised her glass in the direction of her friends, who did the same. "To Dana's birthday, friends, and watermelons."
A/N: Apologise for scaring some people with my early accidental post yesterday 😅 but finally, we finish off with some of my favourite HPMA Hufflepuffs as a nice way to end the challenge with 'sunset'. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.
Characters featured: Patrick Hopper-Lee @thatravenpuffwitch, Dylan Amari @lifeofkaze And Saffron Summers @the-al-chemist in that order.
Warnings: Tarra and Pat being annoying first years XD
The soft indoor breeze brushed against their faces as the two first-year Hufflepuffs, Tarragon Weasley-Moss and Patrick Hopper-Lee, stared intensely at the glowing white egg in its handcrafted nest. While exploring the forbidden forest a week ago, Tarragon and Patrick found an egg abandoned and alone. Their immediate instinct was to keep it warm and find out what kind of egg is it. Hidden in the artefact room, they have built a nest for the egg to brood.
“Did you see that, Tarra! I swore it moved.”
“No, I didn’t see it, Pat.” Tarra pulled her wild curly blue hair up into a pile on her head.
“That's cause your hair was in the way.” Patrick rolled his eyes jokingly. “Besides, I can’t wait and see the baby dragon.”
Tarragon frowned, “I don’t think it’s a dragon egg, especially not an antipodean opaleye. The eggshell would be an opal colour then.”
“But it could be a defected egg,” Patrick argued. “Or even better, this could be a brand new dragon breed.”
This debate started as soon as they found the egg. Patrick was so determined that this would be a baby dragon even Tarragon remembered that her dad, who was equally dragon obsessed as Patrick, told her how he, with the help of her mother, bought what they thought was a dragon egg only for it to be an acromantula instead. Though Tarragon hasn’t mentioned that she has yet to see an antipodean opaleye in person, they’re rare to breed and even rarer to find in the wild, usually in New Zealand or Australia.
“No, this is clearly a hippogriff egg from the size and colour,” she pointed out the markings on the egg. “A hippogriff would be so cool to see especially a baby one.”
“Yeah, a hippogriff would be cool, but you know what would be cooler?”
“A dragon.”
“That’s right.”
“What are you two doing here?”
Patrick and Tarragon nearly jumped out of their own skin. Quickly using their bodies to hide the egg from the intruder behind them. It was Dylan Amari, a fellow Hufflepuff student in the year above them.
“Oh hey, Dylan. Didn’t see you there.”
“Hi Dylan,” Tarragon shyly waved before touching stray curls as her face blushed a bright pink. Patrick sighed inwardly for his friend's obvious crush and was even more impressed by Dylan’s obliviousness to it. Dylan raised an eyebrow at the two first years, obviously hiding something behind them.
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
Tarragon and Patrick glanced at each, knowing that they were caught red-handed. Though she seemed to trust Dylan more to help than Patrick did.
“Well…we found an egg a week ago…” She avoided his gaze. They moved out the way to show Dylan the nest they made for the egg. “And we’ve been looking after it.”
“Do you know what kind of creature egg is it?”
“It’s a dragon!”
“Hippogriff!” Patrick and Tarragon glared at each other as they said simultaneously.
The answers didn’t help Dylan at all. “Let’s go to Hagrid’s hut. I was helping him and Saffron out earlier, and they needed more food for the jackalopes, which was why I came here.”
Patrick and Tarragon agreed with Dylan’s reasoning. They carefully wrapped the egg to walk down to the grounds outside Hogwarts, where Hagrid’s hut stood. The familiar sight of the giant pumpkins, where a blonde girl in a flowy, brightly coloured strappy dress stood in the midst. Tarragon recognised her immediately; she had seen Saffron Summers around in their common room. The first year found the third year quite peculiar yet intriguing simultaneously.
“Oh hello Dylan. I see you brought more friends,” On closer inspection, Tarragon noticed the lack of shoes on Saffron while surrounded by jackalopes.
“Yeah, they need help,” Dylan looked around. “Where’s Hagrid?”
“Oh, he had to leave because someone wandered into the forbidden forest,” she stated. Saffron tilted her head towards the blanket covering the egg in Tarragon’s arms. “Does it have anything to do with the ostrich egg?”
“Ostrich egg?” Patrick asked, surprised.
“Yes, yes. It's aura is not of a magical creature."
"Then what is an egg, ostrich or not doing in the forbidden forest?" Dylan
The three of them shrug; Saffron’s attention has been diverted to holding a crystal up to the sun. Dylan sighed at their unhelpfulness. “Well, we better wait here until Hagrid gets back.”
They agreed with Dylan’s suggestion. Dylan loaded off the creatures' food while Tarragon and Patrick fixated on the egg. Saffron seemed occupied by the jackalopes and her bunny rabbit, though Tarra had to fight the urge to stroke the white rabbit. Though Dylan seemed keen to everyone busy looking after the jackalopes, taking turns to take on egg duty.
It was Saffron’s turn to look after the egg. Tarragon joined her, looking at the sun slowly setting down at the forbidden forest. A vision of bright light flashed in her mind. The kind of light she would see when she shut her eyes in front of the sunlight. She glanced over at the white casing for the unknown creature lying inside.
“It’s time,” Saffron said with a knowing smile.
Tarragon realised what she saw. “Pat! Dylan! The egg is going hatch!”
“Really?! Hell yeah!” Patrick rushed over by their sides.
The four of them crowded around the egg in a circle. Watching the gentle movements. Tarragon received more visions, letting her know it was waking up and ready to come out into the big world. The cream shell cracked.
“That’s not a dragon.” Slight disappointment coated Patrick’s tone.
“It’s not a hippogriff either,” Tarragon said, a little less disappointed. However, still, it was not a baby hippogriff as she had hoped for.
“It’s an ostrich,” Dylan said, amused by the result. The baby ostrich wiggled around but managed to fully break the outer shell. Saffron gently picked up the baby bird and cleaned it from the fluids of the yolk sac.
“What will do with the ostrich now?” Patrick asked, looking up at Dylan.
“I guess we’ll have to wait for Hagrid and get his help,” Dylan reckoned. “He’ll know what to do?”
“Do we just wait here then?” Tarragon said, worried, unsettled by the darkening sky. “The sun is setting, and we can’t wait here in the dark.”
“If we explain to Hagrid what happened, I’m sure he’ll make sure we won’t get into trouble,” Patrick confidently assured Tarragon.
“I think Sunset is a good name for the ostrich,” Saffron piped in. Patrick and Tarragon were taken a little off guard by her comment. “Afterall, she was born at sunset.”
“I don’t have any problems with it,” Dylan shrugged. He looked over at the first years, “what about you guys?”
Tarragon shook her head as she stroked the tiny head.
“I don’t mind,” Patrick accepted the name too. A prominent figure ahead came down the hill, led by a dark dog.
“There’s Hagrid.” Tarragon pointed. Dylan looked relieved at the sight of the gatekeeper.
“Sorry, fer takin’ so long. That poor student had teh be sent teh the hospital wing.” Hagrid boomed across the field. He squinted his eyes to look closer at the now doubled number of students. “Grippin’ gargoyles, what happened ‘ere?”
The four Hufflepuffs looked at each before Patrick started, “Well, it’s a bit of a long story….”
a short story about samuel murad finding his love for life for @lifeofkaze’s valentine’s day challenge!!!!!!!! Professor Willows belongs to the massively cool @that-scouse-wizard and saffron summers is from the brilliant mind of @the-al-chemist
Samuel Murad spaced out as he sat in his Charms class, unable to concentrate on the lesson going on. Samuel was never a straight o student who paid intense attention to his studies and took diligent notes, or any notes at all, but usually he was able to pass time by staring up at the board and learning a thing or two. Lately, however, Samuel found himself struggling to even raise his neck or open his ears. He spent entire class periods staring at the desk in front of him, not thinking of anything at all, and tuning out both the sound of his professors speaking and the sound of Aiden rambling in his own head, a skill he had mastered after years of sharing a body. What little motivation Samuel had had to work on his studies before was just gone completely.
When the bell rang, Samuel slowly packed up his things before trotting out of the classroom. He didn’t make it all the way before he heard his name.
“Mr. Murad,” the Charms professor, Professor Willows, called. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”
Ooh, Aiden echoed in Sam’s head. Sir Samuel, thou’st in trouble!
“Go take a hike,” Samuel muttered under his breath.
“What was that?” Professor Willows frowned.
“Nothing, sir,” Samuel said, turning around and nodding at his teacher.
“I’m sorry to keep you from your weekend,” the professor joked.
Samuel didn’t say anything, just nodded. He didn’t mind, he didn’t have any weekend plans anyway.
Professor Willows cleared his throat. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been falling behind recently. I talked to some of your other professors, and they’ve been saying the same things.”
Samuel’s mind started to drift a little. He couldn’t remember if he had ever talked to a teacher one-on-one before.
“I was thinking it might have to do with the approaching holidays, I know that while this can be a happy time for you teenagers, it can also be really hard for you. I want to remind you that I am always here should you wish to confide in me. I recognize that that can be awkward, however, so I also want to recommend that you confide in a friend, if you should want to.”
“Thanks professor,” Samuel said, with yet another nod. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Professor Willows gave a small, sad smile. “You’re free to go, Sam. Thanks for staying.”
As Samuel walked away, he looked around the well-decorated halls beside him. Professor Willows was right, the holiday where love in all kinds of forms was celebrated, Valentine’s Day, was right around the corner. However, Samuel wasn’t sure his professor was entirely right about all of his statements. After all, this was hardly Samuel’s first Valentine’s Day at Hogwarts, and he’d never fallen into a slump around the holiday before. Although, Sam did suppose that things were different this year. The kids in his grade had started to couple up this year, it was the first year that they were really old enough to start to appreciate the romance aspect of the special day.
Samuel didn’t have a partner himself, but that was fine, it didn’t bother him. He didn’t really have any friends to celebrate with and love, but that didn’t really bother him either. He also didn’t have a family to love and love him, and although that bothered him a little, it was an unchangeable fact, and not a new one either. Samuel didn’t have anyone, but he never did, so why was this holiday affecting him more than it usually did?
You have me, Aiden’s voice rang in Sam’s mind.
Samuel considered this. “You’re right. I do have you. Thank you,” he said gently.
Samuel felt his nose start to tingle as if he was going to sneeze, a sensation that he associated with switching control with Aiden. It didn’t last, though, and died away almost as soon as it came, leaving Samuel still himself. Sam hadn’t switched to Aiden in a while, he realized.
The Slytherin continued out of the castle and into the cool February air. He made his way down towards the Lake, taking his time as he went. There was no need to be in a rush if there was no particular place you were going to, after all. After walking along the shore for a bit he spotted a familiar figure along the horizon. It was Saffron Summers, a Hufflepuff girl in the same year as Sam, and she was doing some rather strange movements with her arms and legs as she faced the lake. If you hadn’t known Saffron, you might dismiss her actions as some kind of very unusual yoga routine, but every student at Hogwarts knew that Saffron was far too eccentric for it to be just that.
As Samuel observed the girl’s actions, the corners of his mouth curled up ever so slightly, and he began to make his way over to her. He did not, however, make it to her before his attention was caught by a Gryffindor couple, who were a few years older than Samuel himself. They hadn’t noticed Sam, but he could hear their conversation from where he stood.
“She’s just so weird,” the girl was stressing. “She’s a total freak of nature, it’s a wonder she has any friends.”
“I bet she’s trying to come up with some plot to turn the whole school into bunnies, and the ones that follow her around now are her brothers and sisters who she already got to,” the girl’s boyfriend teased. “She’s trying to summon the bunny god right now, that’s what all those freakish cult rituals she’s doing are for.”
“You joke, but she’s insane enough to actually do that, mark my words,” the girl replied darkly.
Samuel had heard enough. If Sammy did have a friend, well, then it was Aiden. But if he had a friend besides Aiden, then it was definitely Saffron Summers. His nose started to tingle again, but before Sam lost control, he drew his wand and whispered, “Wingardium Leviosa”. Lifting the two up by their shoelaces, he floated them out above the water, and promptly let them go. The lake wasn’t frozen anymore, but it was bound to be a cold swim back to shore. Sam noticed a picnic blanket and basket out where they had been sitting, and couldn’t help hoping that they’d get cramps while paddling back. His anger having been quickly satisfied, the tingling sensation in his nose died down again and Samuel once again remained as himself.
Serves those folk right, though I personally wouldst has't did hang those daws up on a tree f'r all to seeth their foolishness and hypocrisy, Aiden declared as Samuel continued his path towards Saffron.
If Saffron saw him, she didn’t say anything, so Samuel just sat a few feet away from her and looked out at the wind and the waves. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been there before Saffron had stopped her ritual and was saying, “Oh, hello there, Sam.”
Samuel stood up and turned around to face her. “Hello Saffron.”
Saffron looked at him, her signature wide smile and dreamy expression all across her face. “I heard the most peculiar shouts and splashes from down the shore a few minutes ago. Luckily I was able to complete the Dance of the Saber-Toothed Hippogriff without being disturbed by them.”
Saber-Toothed Hippogriff? Aiden asked, but Samuel just nodded and looked away for a second. He thought of Professor Willows’s advice before turning back to her again. “Saffron, do you have any remedies that will help me pay attention in class more?”
Sam knew he could count on Saffron to tell or give him something quirky and non-boring as an answer, but he hadn’t expected to be pulled along on a run towards the forest by her. As they dashed, Saffron looked over her shoulder and said without a hint of the exhaustion of running in her voice, “Your aura’s been off for a while, Sam, and I have just the thing to help!”
Samuel wished it could have been Aiden doing the running. Despite using the same body, Aiden had always been more physically fit when in control. Luckily, however, they made it to their destination in no time. And their destination was…
“A rose bush,” Samuel stated. Not just any rose bush, too, this one was white.
Saffron smiled up at Sam. “Paint the roses red!”
Samuel shrugged and pulled out his wand. “Colova-“
Saffron grabbed his wand and lowered it. “Paint the roses red.”
Samuel wondered if Saffron had read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland before, or if she was just mad enough to come up with the same riddle by herself. “I don’t feel like going back to the castle to find some paint and a paintbrush,” he said blankly.
“You don’t have to, silly,” Saffron giggled, tipping her head to the side. “Just paint the roses red!”
“I don’t understand,” Samuel said. “Could you say it another way?”
Saffron thought for a moment, before she lit up like a light bulb had gone on above her head. Grinning as wide as ever, she lowered herself into a headstand and repeated, “Paint the roses red!”
I wilt admiteth, I haven’t got the foggiest what the lady means, Aiden said. Samuel was just thankful that Saffron was wearing shorts under her school skirt.
Sam turned back to the bush. How do you paint the roses red without painting the roses red? He sat and thought and stared at the bush for a while. Finally, the sun began to set. Samuel continued to stare at the roses blankly, until something incredible happened. As the sky became oranger and then redder, the rays fell upon the rose bush, making each flower appear gorgeous red. When at last the sun fully dripped away and the illusion disappeared, Sammy turned and smiled up at Saffron, who was grinning back, of course. He couldn’t explain it, but something about knowing that he had been right here, right in time made him feel warm inside. There was something so mysterious, yet so comforting about the simple wonder of the world. The world was pretty wonderful, after all.
“Farid! I thought you didn’t celebrate Halloween.”
“I don’t! I just...well, Saffron was telling me that Hogwarts hosts a party every year, and I couldn’t help but wonder how you all celebrate Halloween when you already dress like witches and wizards all year ‘round -- I mean, Malik used to always go hardcore on helping his friends with their costumes every year...but I guess magic probably helps out a lot, huh? A-anyway, I heard you and Dylan and Saffron were going, and Dylan and Saffron helped put a costume together for me in case I wanted to come, so...”
“(laughs) I thought I recognized that shirt! Well, trust me, it looks a lot better on you than on my brother. Nice ears, by the way.”
“Th-thanks! I did my best...though I reckon Malik would’ve made them better, he’s great at this stuff. ...You...look really nice too.”
“Thanks -- but you don’t have to be polite. I’m sure it’s a bit more revealing than you’re used to.”
“W-well, yeah, it is revealing, but -- well, it’s still pretty. And you look pretty -- I mean...you look pretty great, in it. Pretty cool.”
“Nice save.”
x~x~x~x
Hey guys! Last Halloween season, I did a set of three art pieces for my kids at the time (Carewyn, Jackson, and Ana) with their love interests, all dressed up as characters from some of my favorite animated movies! So this year I decided to continue this tradition, with the first installment in this set being my newest MC, Farid Sikander, dressed as Ian Lightfoot from Pixar’s Onward, and his future wife, Reva Amari @lifeofkaze, dressed as Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin!
When brainstorming ideas of who to cast Farid as, I briefly considered Wart from The Sword in the Stone, so as to make a light reference to The Green Knight, which is a movie Dev Patel stars in...but honestly, not only did I find The Green Knight kind of underwhelming when I actually saw it, but when I remembered Ian, I realized it was a much better match for Farid’s character. My favorite aspect of Onward as a film is hands-down the brotherly relationship between Ian and Barley, and Farid is definitely the less self-confident, anxious Ian to his big brother Malik’s bold, passionate Barley. For someone who never really had a very good father figure in her life, it meant a lot to me, to see a film acknowledging that that absence doesn’t have to mean you miss out on the important things. Who helped me learn to drive? My mum. Who had heart-to-heart moments with me? My mum. Who laughed a lot and cried a lot with me, and supported me, and protected me? My mum. And like Ian, even though I’ve never had that father figure in my life, my life is far from incomplete. There were those who have loved me and helped fill in those gaps.
Reva I likewise fought with myself about. The two final choices were Merida from Pixar’s Brave and Jasmine, and although I originally liked the thought of contrasting Pixar characters...Jasmine, quite honestly, is one of my absolute favorite Disney female characters ever, and I just thought Reva would look so bad-ass dressed like her! When I was a kid, I adored watching the Aladdin TV series (which Disney+ has seen fit to NOT add to its roster yet 😒), and I absolutely loved watching all of the epic adventures Aladdin and Jasmine would get up to with their posse, exploring all sorts of cool places and facing off against all sorts of creative bad guys. And yeah, considering Reva's a rebellious sort with a passion for flying, I figured she’d suit a sassy, freedom-loving princess who regularly flies around on a Magic Carpet! (Plus admittedly, Jasmine’s got pants. Even if I’m not as athletic as Reva and thus wouldn’t be as confident showing off my midriff, I would 150% wear those pants, they look so friggin’ comfy.)
Happy Halloween, everybody! Hope your night is magical! 💛🎃💜
This month’s theme for @hp-12monthsofmagic is “Anything’s Possible”. This story features my next generation OC Saffron Summers, who is considering the all the possibilities that are open to her.
Warnings: None.
The morning sun had not long risen, and its beams were almost blinding as they reflected on the glass panes of the greenhouses. As Saffron stepped out of the doors of the castle, she lifted her face skywards and closed her eyes for a few moments, her lips curving into a small, blissful, smile.
“Saff, come on,” her friend Teddy called out from beside Greenhouse One. “We’re going to be late.”
Saffron opened her eyes and skipped towards him, pausing only to pick a daisy from the grass, which she tucked behind Teddy’s ear as she caught up with him.
“Here,” she said. “It’s yellow, like your aura.”
“Thanks.”
Teddy opened the door of the greenhouse and held it for Saffron to skip through and inside, where their Head of House was waiting for them. Professor Sprout was a stout, elderly witch with kind eyes, grey hair, and perpetually grubby fingernails. Her aura was always hued in calming shades of blue and green, and she never got angry, not even the time Saffron’s rabbit Gavin escaped from the dormitory and ate one of her Slug-Eating Lettuces.
Today, Professor Sprout had removed her plant pots from a table to make way for several leaflets and pamphlets, which several of Saffron’s classmates were in the process of reading. Their auras were all painted in anxious shades of red and orange, as they had been ever since the start of fifth year, and had been growing increasingly tense as the O.W.L.s approached.
As Teddy began to look through a leaflet about working at St Mungo’s Hospital, Saffron picked up another and read it with mild curiosity.
“Now, what are you looking at, Saffron?” Professor Sprout asked her. She peered at the leaflet in her hands. “I didn’t know you were interested in goblin liaisons.”
“Oh,” Saffron tilted her head to one side. “I suppose I didn’t, either. This is the first time I’ve read about it.”
“And now that you have read about it, do you think it might be something you’d be interested in pursuing as a career?”
Saffron thought about it for a moment. “Oh, no. Not necessarily.”
Professor Sprout inclined her head. “So, have you given any thought to what you would like to do?”
“Do when?”
“After you leave Hogwarts.” When Saffron frowned and said nothing, Professor Sprout continued, “Is there anything in particular you’d like to be when you’re older?”
Saffron considered the question for almost a minute, before she decided on an answer.
“Happy.”
“Happy?”
“Oh, yes. I’d definitely like to be happy,” Saffron nodded her head emphatically, and Professor Sprout let out a deep sigh.
“I was thinking more along the lines of a career plan,” she told her. “Do you have any idea of what job you might want to have?” Saffron shook her head in response, and Professor Sprout smiled kindly. “Well, that’s okay. You don’t have to decide right here and now. You can have a think in your own time about what things you enjoy and are good at, and then the two of us can have a chat and come up with a plan together. Does that sound good to you?”
Not wanting to hurt Professor Sprout’s feelings, Saffron nodded her head, but in truth, she was not certain that it did sound good to her at all. After she had left the greenhouse, she found herself growing increasingly doubtful.
It was always difficult, planning for the future. Saffron’s dad liked to do it, it made him feel safe and secure when he attempted to design his own fate. Saffron’s mother, on the other hand, took the view that making plans was useless, that the universe had its own plans for everyone, and so the future should always be left up to the fates.
Saffron wasn’t sure what she thought, nor what she should do.
For now, though, she didn’t have to do anything, because as the fates would have it, it was time for her Divination lesson. She made her way through the ground floor of the castle to the large classroom that inside appeared like a clearing in a forest, with the night sky and all its stars twinkling on the ceiling above.
Normally, Divination was Saffron’s favourite subject, but today she struggled to concentrate, her mind still unsettled by her conversation with Professor Sprout about her future. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice when the lesson had ended, nor that her classmates had left her lying face up on the classroom floor, until the face of Firenze, a centaur and her Divination teacher, appeared over her and blocked her view of the ceiling.
“Why are you still here?” he asked her. “The class is over.”
“Oh.” Saffron sat up. “I didn’t realise. My mind was… elsewhere, I suppose.”
“And where was this mind of yours?”
“In another now, maybe. I’m not sure. No,” Saffron decided. “It was not in any now at all. It was in the future.” Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at the centaur. “Firenze, sir, you know about the future, don’t you?”
“As much as anyone can know,” replied Firenze. “Why do you ask?”
“Oh, well, we have been asked to consider what jobs we want to have when we are older.”
“And this bothers you?”
“In a way, I suppose it does a little,” Saffron admitted. “Everyone keeps saying that we need to start making plans now, but I’m not sure why, because fate does not care for our plans, does it?”
“Perhaps not. But then, do our plans not affect our fate?”
“What do you mean?”
“Look up,” said Firenze, and Saffron did so. “Look at the sky, for it is a reflection of the earth. Now, look at the stars. If you look closely at their movements, you will see patterns. As you become accustomed to these patterns, you will be able to predict what their movements shall be next. The same can be said for those of us beneath the sky. We all move in patterns which we ourselves do not understand, and yet in those movements, we reveal what movements are to come later.”
“Oh,” Saffron said, not looking away from the stars. “But is our future not already decided? You know, the other day, when we were reading tea leaves-”
“Tea leaves are what is left behind after you have finished drinking your tea. As you drink, you move the cup in your hands. You may have a steady hand, you may swirl the liquid, you may drink faster or slower. You will do all of this without noticing, but as you do, you change the pattern of your leaves. So it is with fate. Destiny is not written in stone, it is written in stars and other changeable things, and so what has come before is what decides what has yet to come.”
Saffron lowered her gaze to meet Firenze’s own.
“So, what you mean is that I can make my plans, and even if they don’t work out, my making them will help the universe to decide its own plan for me?” she asked, and Firenze bowed his head slowly. “Oh. I suppose that does make sense. Yes.” Saffron climbed up onto her feet, took a smooth purple stone from her pocket, and handed it to Firenze.
“What is this?”
“Oh. It’s amethyst. For gratitude,” she told him. “Thank you, Firenze.”
“You are welcome, Saffron.”
Smiling, Saffron left the starlit classroom and stepped out into the corridor outside, where bright sunshine streamed through the arched castle windows onto the sandstone floor. Saffron twirled in the sunbeams, watching the way the little specks of dust floated in the light as she moved, each step she took bringing her closer to her own future.
We spend out whole lives wishing we weren't so freakin' strange
They make us feel the pain, but it's they who need to change…
The way they think, that is!
It's time to stop the hiding
It's time to stand up tall
Say hey world, I'm different, and here I am splinters and all.
- Freak Flag -
Back with more musical theatre edits (credit to @magicallymalted for the idea, and apologies to Jayne for the spam!) with Saffron as Shrek. Her favourite is The Wizard of Oz, but Shrek The Musical is the lesser known of the two, and this song is perfect for Saffron. Embrace your weirdness.
