As you may have noticed, depending on what you’ve read, Cleo is a half veela. As she didn’t know her mother, this was something she was unaware of until now. As there’s quite a lot of gaps in the canon about veela, and Fleur was only a quarter, I thought I’d give a quick run down of how I see things to help people in knowing how their interactions with Cleo are affected. Currently, the other students are not aware that she’s half veela, although prairie elves have started showing up and sitting in on all intermediate classes, and there’s a ghost that seems to haunt the Crotalus Common Room a lot more than before, and no one has explained why to any of you.
You may see things in Cleo’s posts that contradict the following. That’s cos she’s still getting to grips with it, doesn’t fully understand it all, and is upset. It tends to make things mixed up.
The main thing to note, is that people are only affected by her when she is actively using her powers. Sure, she is above average attractive, and it’s possible your character has noticed her and fancies her but it would not affect their behaviour or make them act differently to how they would over a normal girl or guy that they found attractive. Behaviour towards her would only change when she uses her powers. I tend to view this as working a bit like accidental magic at first - not necessarily something she knows how to control, so it may be that she causes incidents without meaning to. I will try to mention in posts if that’s likely, or we can discuss it if you’d particularly like to do a thread of this kind. When veela use their powers people feel ‘an uncontrollable desire to get close to them’ - in the books this includes Ron accidentally asking Fleur to the ball, and Harry and Ron nearly climbing out of their spectators’ boxs to get close to the veela on the pitch. So, blurting, self-destructive or obsessive behaviour, and unsolicited touching are all quite likely reactions *in that moment*. When the blast of veela charm ends, so do the effects. And then you’re back to just being a lusty teenage boy or girl and it being your responsibility that you have dirty thoughts. Just sayin’
\r\n\r\nI have always assumed veela powers work in line with people's sexuality. E.g. if you're attracted to women, you are attracted to veela. If you are not attracted to women, then you're not.\r\n
If you have any questions, please post them here or catch me in chatzy (usually signed in as Dorian Montoir)
13Cleo JamesNotes about Cleo's powers389Cleo James05
So since my only character currently considers Cleo one of his best friends at school (if not his best friend period). I've also been looking up some stuff, and I saw that people who have repeated exposure to it tend to become immune. As someone who might want to be around Cleo for reasons not veela associated, would this be something Parker might find out if he went a scouting and a searching?
Hmm, yes, just looked that up and found the wiki article. It's frustratingly lacking in sources. However, all forms of mental magic do seem to be things that are based on how susceptible a person is to them, and to be things one can learn to overcome (see imperius, legilimency/occlumency) so it does seem plausible.
It could potentially be something that we work into the storyline. However, as her powers hadn't kicked in until this point, Parker wouldn't have been able to build up an immunity yet (I know you didn't suggest this, but just thinking out loud) - as far as I'm concerned, the only people with natural, non-resistance based immunity are people who are related to her (purely headcanon because otherwise just ew) and people who aren't sexually attracted to women (purely headcanon because... just logic).
But yes, if he gets to the point where he knows what she is and he starts hitting the books, I'm totally fine with him finding information to that effect.
It says in the D and D post that Gary met up with everyone to tell them when and where to meet. Would Connor have been able to take this opportunity to ask about elves as he clearly is thinking of house elves?
11Connor PrioryQuestion for Gary395Connor Priory05
Absolutely. Gary is not shy in talking about his hobby. He would have happily answered any and all questions that Connor, or anyone else would have had during that meet-up.
He definitely would have made sure everyone had at least a basic idea of what they were getting themselves into.
As some of you no doubt remember, Sonora used to have writing challenges every April, July, and November to correspond to NaNoWriMo (National Novel-Writing Month) and Camp NaNoWriMo. Over the past while, authors have mentioned “oh, I have an idea for if we do such-and-such challenge again” and such, so I entertained thoughts about resurrecting the tradition...
...And then (as I’d forget my head if it wasn’t attached) kept forgetting to do things to set it up until after bedtime, which is why I’m posting this most of four days into the month, and two before midterm. Therefore, the first challenge shall be a highly flexible one:
Write a flashback, flash-forward, or both for one or any of your characters
For those who haven’t played before, this really is, within the parameters of site rules, pretty wide-open. Past entries have included embedded flashbacks in site posts, single WtS posts, and anthology posts with all of or a selection of an author’s characters and/or alumni, and I’m sure more variations could be constructed. WtS flash-forwards (glimpses of events that you think might happen in future) have been kept to 400 words maximum in the past to maintain some mystery/also help you keep things vague in case they change direction before you get to the future (as they very well may - these are not at all binding for obvious reasons)). Go crazy with it, during term if you’re ambitious or any point during April, in whatever combinations you like - just post a link below so we can all enjoy!
16Tatiana Vorontsova April Writing Challenges!1396Tatiana Vorontsova 05
Challenge Two: Have yourself a merry little Christmas
by Tatiana
As the title of this post suggests, this is a midterm-themed Challenge. If you get to it after midterm formally ends, just reply to the ‘Midterm over’ lines. If you’ve already written a post which would meet this standard, go ahead and link to it and time-travel in a different direction!
Now that we’re all on lockdown, many characters will miss their families. Your challenge is post one or any of your characters trying to replicate a family tradition while at school for midterm.
16Tatiana Challenge Two: Have yourself a merry little Christmas 1396Tatiana 05
I will try to get some in character posts up about Midterm stuff over the weekend (although in the meantime, there is Isaac's excellent party in MARS). In case I am hampered by work/ills/breaking myself at a roller disco (all legitimate possibilities right now) here is some general info:
- There is snow! Sonora has a magically altered climate which is seasonal and it always snows over midterm. There would be sledges available
- Decorations. There are lots of them everywhere
- Christmas Day will include a big meal, with one super long table rather than house tables, and all students will have a time they can use a staff office to Floo call home (transportation is restricted but calls and owls are not)