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Someday I'll find a way to shine
Leave all these rainy days behind
I know there's got to be
Some place warm and bright for me
I'm running out of places I can run
Looking for a place in the sun
Tim McGraw, A Place in the Sun
Please press F11 if you cannot see all of the background.
(The adoptable under the welcome banner is clickable.)
I. A Cautious Entry
As you enter the small but comfortable home, you hear a mysterious crackling sound. You ask your host what it is, but she just chuckles and tells you that you'll find out soon enough. Whatever that means. You wave hi to Promise, who you've met a few times before and heard about countless more, but you're really here to learn about and meet the newer addition to the family. Who would've thought Jenn would get a companion for Promise? You rehash your arrival in your mind..
Welcome, guest! Thank you so much for coming. Please, have a seat...
Whoops. You realize Jenn is trying to get your attention. She starts over, not bothered except by Magicless's hat, which is draped over the arm of the chair. Before she can pick it up to move it, however, Magicless quickly grabs it, plops it on his head, and rushes away.
Jenn: As you enter, please watch yourself. Magicless, while certainly a wonderful fellow, is trying to perfect his control of fire for the umpteenth time. Be careful; fire may randomly shoot in all directions. But we'll get to that. Please come in. Would you like anything to eat or drink? Take your pick.
II. Have a Seat Away From the Fireplace
Before you meet Magus, it's best to be completely briefed on his tendencies and personality to avoid any... unpleasant accidents, shall we say?
In the ancient world, there were people called Magi (pronounced Ma-ji). The tradition of these people was started in the civilization of Media, whose people (called Medes, pronounced Mee-des) lived near the Black Sea. They had figures who tended to the sacred fires, which were a central focus of their traditions and culture. These people were the Magi (singular, Magus, pronounced Ma-jus).
However, this modern-day Magus is quite different than in the ancient world. Magus, while usually upbeat and very charming, is more than a little incompetent in his duties. Having received no formal training, as this tradition has died out, he tries to teach himself how to be a Magus. He tries to actually control the fire rather than tend to it like the ancient tradition, which can result in disaster. His control of fire is sporadic at best. Sometimes the fire complies and submits to his wishes, but most often it steamrolls out of control like..well, a great big ball of fire! When he hurts someone, he is truly sorry, but his determination and curiosity cause him not to learn from his mistakes. Magus is also somewhat afraid of the fire. He's seen the consequences of his actions, which scare him. Water, snow, and rain are all things he likes. They soothe him; it's like when you're trying to sleep and it's raining. Or when you jump into a swimming pool on the hottest day of summer. The water dissolves his troubles, but it also puffs out his singed fur, so he becomes a big, round puffball!
However, Magus's interest in such a dangerous element (fire) has inevitably caused some.. well, I suppose we can call them mishaps. His exposure to fire has loosened some of his joints from the heat, so the sockets where his body parts connect are rather elastic. This gives him the grotesque ability to dangle one of his limbs out of its socket without pain, and he looks slightly odd as he moves because his joints may roll a bit. From afar, one would not notice, but one can see this trait of his up close. His bones were also affected by the fire; they turned a dark greyish color instead of a pristine white. No credible science can explain these phenomena, but Magus is convinced these traits came via magic, and are signaling the growth of his control and power. Promise and I merely roll our eyes at that, but there is no denying of these traits, for sometimes one can faintly see his dark bone through his whtie fur. Thankfully, he hasn't been in for a trim in a while, so seeing his bones is pretty much impossible at the moment.
Magus is younger than Promise, about nine or ten in human years, but he acts about four because of his lack of guidance. He looks older, though, for he is fairly large, as Aishas go, and his features are slightly pointier than those of most Aishas, which some people equate with age. Promise gives him motherly love while I continue to try to lessen his fear of fire by using the fireplace in winter. Sometimes, however, Promise's actions backfire. Magus likes attention, but he doesn't like to be babied or pitied. When he's not trying to control fire, he and Promise both like to read, particularly ancient scrolls. If they are in foreign languages, they like to guess what they mean. Neither knows who's right, of course, but they love to do it anyway.
Magus's birthday is July 25, and he was created in 2005. That makes his astrological sign be Leo, which covers the birthdates of July 24 through August 23 on the most common chart. Coincidentally, his zodiac element (either air, fire, water, or earth fits with each sign) is Fire. The color associated with Leos is gold, which is a color that one can see in flames if they just look hard enough.
Typical Leos are not impulsive and are creative, honest, generous, and enthusiastic, but can also be a bit vain and intolerant. In Magus's case, he does not tolerate his own failure but maintains the willpower and enthusiasm to improve, trying all sorts of crazy ideas to see if any work. However, Magus, due to his age, is actually fairly impulsive. As he matures, though, Promise and I predict his impulsiveness will decrease.
Overall, Magus is determined, stubborn, and never gives up. The latter is what Promise mainly respects him for. They both share that trait and it bonds them together. Magus acts young but has a huge heart. He acts like it's made of steel, and sometimes he can trick you into believing that. He makes friends easily and is quite polite, but his ego is fragile underneath his charming smile and happy exterior.
Here is one picture of Magus. The picture in the background is taken from this one; I didn't want to inadvertently cut off his tail, so I drew it tucked between his legs and changed his -disallowed_word-Remember, be careful of flying fire. It's very hot, you know. He's still trying in his bedroom, so be prepared to duck if anything comes your way. He has singed about half the house; since the fire goes in a straight path, it can't touch the rest of the house. Or the garden.) Anyway. While Magus cannot control fire, he is too stubborn to give up. He is quite firmly convinced that fire is an inanimate object; thus, he should easily control it. His petpet is no help. She's just smart enough to stay out of it and try to remain unscathed.
III. The Silent Observer
Magus's petpet is an adorable White Baby Blu named Aramaic.
She was attached shortly after Magus's adoption on November 29, 2006. She has two soot spots, one on her nose and one on her tail, due to Magus's erratic magical talents. She does not possess any magical talents of her own but is still a trusted companion for Magus.
IV. Relax!
You look a little nervous there, guest! I assure you, Magus is harmless. But let's play a game, shall we? Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Let's see how many words we can make out of Magicless's name! The ones I came up with are below- do you have any more ideas?
V. Likes and Dislikes
Likes
Dislikes
Magus has grown out of his fear for failure, having experienced both bliss and utter disaster only to find that he can survive both. He still wishes to return to Terror Mountain, and the thought lingers in the back of his mind as he gets pampered at home with Promise and I. =) And snow still falls for three months here in Neopia Central, so it's not all bad!
VI. Magus For Real
guest: So when to I get to meet Magus? After all, you've told me quite a bit about him already.
Jenn: Alright, I suppose. Magus, come on over and tell our guest your story!
Magus: Oh boy! Here's my story!
Oh, and please note that the quotation marks were eaten. I can't seem to put them back in and have them stay, sorry!
I've always loved winter and spring in Neopia Central, ever since I was young. I loved to see rain and snow, and my fur coat shielded me from the cold, though it did get puffy when wet. I didn't look great when wet, but I always felt relaxed when it rained. The water nourished my body; it didn't simply roll off like it does for humans. The snow cleaned my coat. But I was still often dirty, or perhaps my whiteish coat just showed off dirt more prominently. I first heard about Terror Mountain in the Training School, where I went for a time after I first wanted to play with fire. Of course, they couldn't teach me anything valuable to my craft there; learning about Terror Mountain's magnificence was about the only important thing in months of attendance. No one on Mystery Island, at least anyone I talked to, could give me directions, but they all painted a similarly gloomy picture of a freezing, desolate mountain covered year-round in snow. I couldn't understand why everyone telling me about this magnificent place had stayed in Mystery Island; it sounded perfect.
Rushing home from my supposed training that day, Jenn couldn't believe how animated I was after months of despair from learning nothing. It took me a surprisingly long time to work up the nerve, but finally I asked her about Terror Mountain.
Terror Mountain? she asked, confused.
Yeah. What's it like?
Well, it's a lot different from Neopia Central. I don't like going up there much; it's so cold, plus the Snowager lives in the Ice Caves of Terror Mountain. He hurts Neopets who try to take his treasure.
What else is there, Jenn?
Oh, not much. The Advent Calendar in winter, Taelia lives there, and the Igloo. Overall, it's cold, and there aren't many people there.
My eyes lit up. You mean..it's cold? All the time? Really cold? Is there snow?
Yes, snow and cold inhabit the island year-round. Why do you ask, anyway?
Well, I overheard a conversation about it between two pets at the Training School. I didn't ask them about it; they're training to be on level 97! That's really high! I said, remembering how strong they looked. It was kind of scary. I continued pressing Jenn about it. I love winter, you know that! I'd like to live there, Jenn, or at least visit! Please?
Jenn thought for a minute, and abruptly she responded, almost like she'd been dreading the day I'd learn about Terror Mountain. Well, Magus, she said, I've taken Promise there before, so I think you should get to go. We'll visit and see how you like it and talk afterwards, okay?
I agreed instantly to her compromise and raced to my room. I grabbed a scarf from my closet and headed downstairs, ready to go. Jenn chuckled. I wasn't going to take you now, she muttered, but you look so funny in that scarf that we should go! I looked at my scarf. I'd been in such a hurry that it wasn't around my neck, but rather hanging off one of my longer ears and hanging down onto my tail. I scowled, but a smile started to cover my face and I laughed, then adjusted the scarf. It had been a present from Promise when I was first adopted; that was the only reason I wore it.
Arriving at Happy Valley, we quickly went through it and past the Ice Caves. I wasn't really interested in those areas; I really wanted to be on top of the mountain, where the best view was and the temperatures were coldest. As soon as my paws touched the snow at the top, I knew that I loved it here. Pure bliss. I sat down at the edge and looked down, taking in all of the sights until Jenn got too cold. We walked back home, but I knew that I was really leaving my homeland, not walking to it. I loved Jenn and Promise, but the atmosphere on Terror Mountain was made for me. When we got home, Jenn made some hot soup and said we'd discuss our visit tomorrow.
Waking up at three in the morning is not fun unless you have a very good reason. I sure did. I bounced out of bed, running to Jenn's room and pouncing on her bed. She didn't like that too much, but I woke her up like I wanted. I immediately asked her about Terror Mountain. She groaned, obviously wanting to go back to sleep, but I didn't care. She told me that if I let her sleep until nine, I'd get a present. Satisfied and very curious, I left her alone, but by quarter to nine I was alertly standing in the doorway, watching the minutes get closer and closer to nine o'clock. Finally, with three minutes left, I couldn't stand it. I ran up to the bed and jumped on it again at an angle where she couldn't read the clock. By the time she rubbed her eyes and made me move out of the way, it was nine o'clock.
She sighed and got up, pausing to comb her hair before following me into the kitchen. By the time she was ready, I had juice and pancakes laid out on the table, and I really do believe, looking back on that morning, that the breakfast made a world of difference. I grabbed a piece of leftover cheesecake for my own breakfast and looked expectantly at her. She sat down and smiled, taking a sip of juice and hungrily gobbling up the pancakes. Well? I asked her. Can I go live on Terror Mountain?
She asked me why I wanted to, with doubt written in big letters across her forehead. (Not literally, of course, but that's a good idea for a prank!) I explained how at home I'd felt as soon as I set foot on the mountain, and she understood. She was torn, I could tell. For some reason, she and Promise adored me and didn't want me to leave, but eventually I convinced her, using the argument that I'd spend the night with them at least once a week and visit twice. With tears in their eyes, they let me go, but they both knew that we were all still family.
The hardest part was seeing them so sad while I was so excited. When I turned away, I was almost in tears too. But as I started trekking to Terror Mountain, I was convinced that I'd have a wonderful time.
When I arrived, I immediately bought a Brucicle with the few Neopoints Jenn gave me. I had to go home twice a week to get enough Neopoints to live on! Then I marched determinedly into the forest behind the Toy Repair Shop, hoping for some peace and quiet. I pitched a tent and grabbed some logs to make a fire, determined to one day conquer fire.
Sure, I got lonely occasionally, but I did take Aramaic with me. I had to beg Jenn for some extra Neopoints to keep her warm, but it was well worth it; she looked so cute in a hat, gloves, and scarf! I threw myself into my self-training and went home often when I needed a support system by my side. Living alone is rough!
Mostly, though, I was happy. The weather was absolutely perfect and I loved having some independence. But one day, about a month after I'd started living up in Terror Mountain, my lessons went wrong. I remember it was especially cold that day; Aramaic refused to come out of the tent until it was absolutely necessary. It began as normal, me going to get a treat from the Super Happy Icy Fun Snow Shop and talking to the Lenny who runs it for a little while. I went back into the forest and made a fire, just as I did every day. I began to train, trying to get it to move where I wanted it to and the other basics that I, frustratingly enough, had yet to master. I guess the cold affected it- the fire zoomed away from me and into the trees. 
Alarmed, I backed away, as I always do when it misbehaves. Usually, the fire settles back into the logs because it likes to sit there and burn wood. But not today. After it went into the trees, I waited, and a few seconds later the trees erupted into flames. I looked for water, but the only thing I could do was make snowballs. I cried for help, but by the time help found me, the trees were black and charred. Help came in the form of three huge Boris, who I think were mutant but were covered in so much snow that I wasn't sure. Kicking aside burnt trees with ease, one grabbed my collar and gestured for me to follow, then let go. One cleared a path for us, while the largest one stood behind me, simply following. He seemed to understand, at least.
They took me to Taelia, the faerie whose power is mighty and reigns over Terror Mountain. Sniffling and scared, I clutched Aramaic so hard that at one point she bit me. My few possessions were in a backpack slung over my shoulder, and I approached Taelia covered in soot, grime, and tears. I'd burned part of Donny's shop and almost destroyed a nearby mountain, which would have caused an avalanche. I walked with my head down, barely noticing the sludge created by the Boris' massive footsteps. Aramaic fluttered between my antennae, trying not to get squished.
Come in, Magus," Taelia said softly, opening the door while we were still a good five feet away. I was too ashamed to make eye contact. Aramaic chirped hello for me, and I snuck a glance upward. Taelia's eyes twinkled. She turned around, then turned back with a cup of hot chocolate in her hand. She offered it to me, and I accepted, giving Aramaic a marshmallow. "Thank you," she said, acknowledging the Boris. "You can go now; I know it's busy, trying to get everyone safely through the Ice Caves up to here." She offered them hot chocolate, but they shook their heads and left, their footsteps resonating in the snow for several seconds.
After Taelia punished me, I resented her for months, but now I realize that that was the only thing she could have done - exile me from Terror Mountain. She tried to say it kindly, but there's no nice way to break that sort of news. As soon as she told me, something died inside of me. My face went blank and I left, tormented inside but calm on the outside. Once I reached Jenn's, though, I was a mess, and Jenn could tell something was wrong. Over the next week I managed to give her bits and pieces of my story until she was able to figure it out, and she simply pulled me onto the couch and held me as I watched the flames flicker in the fireplace. The next day, Jenn bought me a Snow Table to remind me of Terror Mountain. I appreciated the effort, but it wasn't the same.
It surprises me now that I didn't shun fire after the mess it had caused. I suppose I solely blamed myself. I've always tried to get back into my beloved home, but my unique design, the thing I loved most about myself at a young age, always gave me away, even in disguise. With Jenn I was first introduced to the magnificence of Terror Mountain, although I have always liked wintery, cold weather that makes everyone else freezing and irritable. I've always wanted to feel that cool winter breeze from the mountaintops again, only with my family with me. One of the worst things is that my cousins live in Terror Mountain, so they always have to come to Neopia Central to see all of us. Once I control fire, maybe I'll be able to get back in, but in the meantime, I won't give up trying to get in, and I won't give up hope.
Magus: Did you like my story? Didya? Didya?!
guest: -looks at Magus hesitantly- Um, yeah..but who's Promise? And who's Jenn?
Jenn: -angrily cuts in- That'd be me. -rolls eyes-
Magus: Duh. Anyway, Promise. She's my sister, a Faerie Cybunny. She makes jewelry. You wanna see her petpage?
guest: Sure!
Magus: Well, you can see it later. I'm not done. -drags guest away from Promise's petpage-
VII. More Art of Magus!
These are pictures of me, guest! Look!
Jenn: Yep, I was feeling random when I drew those. Hope you like them anyway..
Magus: Jenn, be quiet. You're hogging my petpage.
Jenn: Am not.
Magus: Are too.
Jenn: This is Promise and Magus drawn together in a scribble technique. Magus is on the left. Drag the image to your address bar or copy the url to see it full-size.
Magus: Finally a new picture!
Jenn: Stop it. Just because I'm lazy doesn't mean you should be mean.
Magus: -sticks tongue out-
Jenn: So yeah, I like using the scribble technique. Please ignore the yucky anatomy and focus on the head, 'cause that's the part I like the best. XD The grey stuff is his bones, which have turned a dark color and are sometimes able to be seen through his white coat.
---
Magus: Here's some better images from other people! Thank you all!
Jenn: -sobs- I heard that.
Promise: Magus, be polite! -pats Jenn-
Magus: It's my petpage. Go away. I want to get this done so I can work on having fire chase Aramaic around the room -smiles evilly-
Jenn: You better remind them not to touch the art. No sticky paws.
Magus: -licks jelly off of paws and smiles-
Thank you, Firefly!
Thank you, Hollie!
Thank you, Guinea!
Yay, custom adoptables! Click on them :3
VIII. Reading Time!
Magus: Wanna see my diary?
Jenn: He doesn't really understand the concept of a diary.
Magus: Just for that, I'll show our guest one of your entries too!
Jenn: Hey, wait! What? Gimme that! Meanie!
guest: I'd love to read them both. This oughta be good.
Magus's Entry
Dear Diary-That-Is-Not-Made-of-Snow,
One of the biggest lessons I've learned in this unforgiving world of Neopia is that some people are just weird. A prime example would be one of the applicants for me. (Helen explained the whole adoption process to me; I think I've memorized the TNO Pledge by now!) She seems absolutely head-over-heels at the prospect of adopting me, which is half scary and half endearing. Usually I lack patience with those types of people unless I want something from them, but this one's different. I don't really know much about her yet, but Helen knows her 'cause she's from TNO too. Her name is Jenn, and she's got a Faerie Cybunny named Promise. Promise's wings are so beautiful. I met them once, but we didn't talk much. I can tell Promise is a little wary of me, as I am of her. Jenn was the one who talked the most, by far. ;) She seems to like blabbering on about things; maybe that's why I hear her application is so long.
Jenn also tells me that I'll get some great friends. I have no reason to yet, but I think I trust her judgment. And supposedly my new room if I live with her will be both icy and firey. Don't know how that's supposed to work; good luck with that, Jenn. o.0
Anyway, today Helen took me to the chocolate factory to pick out a special treat, and naturally I chose a Milk Chocolate Aisha. So yummy, particularly the antennae. I gave half of it to a little Blumaroo, though, because he was crying. I don't think Helen saw, though, but I don't really care. I hope he liked it as much as I like icy-cold slushies, even if I always end up with it all over my face. It reminds me of the one home that never has and never will change.
I'm pretty sleepy, and I hear Helen putting Midnight and Kyu to bed, so I'm going to click this shut in a minute. I just hope I get a good home and that Kyu and Midnight do too. And I want to tell Promise that she doesn't have to be shy around me; I think she's pretty cool and really smart. I just want a permanent family where it feels natural to walk into the kitchen, grab some breakfast, and talk about absolutely nothing of value. And since Jenn already does that, maybe it'll be easier than I think!
I've got to stop worrying. I'll make myself sick.
Jenn's Entry
Dear Journal,
I was just thinking I should get a new journal since this one's so small. I lost it again today, and a foster almost ate it, thinking it was a cracker. I can't believe my application is almost done. It's an achievement, and I'm happy about that, but it's been so much fun I almost don't want it to end, except for the fact that it must end if I want Magus. Unless you're thinking philisophically, whereas an application continues throughout a pet's life as you expand on what you've started in the application, proving to the foster parent that he or she made the best choice.
Wow, that was deep. I have a headache now. Homework is brutal, but installing Magus's fireplace yesterday was even worse. Some of the fosters ran away in fear since there was soot all over my face. I probably looked like the Shadow Usul or something. But trust me, it's all been worth it. I can't believe how natural drawing Magus is. I've always had trouble drawing Promise because I'm such a perfectionist, but with Magus I just relaxed and drew some goofy pictures, most of which are not on this application because of how horrible they are. Maybe now I can draw Promise better.
When I took Promise to see Magus, she was pretty shy at first. She's never had a permanent sibling before, but she has a few cousins whom she adores. I'm sure that if Magus joins our family, however, she'll instantly become her old caring and slightly overprotective self. I have to say I'm a little shy towards gaining a new addition to our family, too. What a drastic change. I just hope Magus enjoys it here and Helen believes she made the right choice and that she didn't have to wait too incredibly long to read this. ;) I hope Magus likes Promise and I as well as Aramaic and his new cousins. I just don't want him to feel overwhelmed. I know I won't regret my decision; Magus is one of the most amazing pets I've found in terms of how easily and vividly his details came to me.
Enough with the sappy worrying. I'm tired. I'm going to bed. G'day mates (or g'night? What's the -disallowed_word-yes, that's icing on top)
No, they aren't transparent, sorry.
I am only doing requests or trades; I'm not going to create a basic set. If you wish to have a basic color, fine, just neomail me (click here- michellejkittie).
Form:
All obvious rules apply: don't remove credit/alter in any way other than making transparent, don't take link off, do not use in Neopets contests or for any other use than as an adoptable. All theft will be instantly reported.
Examples of completed adoptables:
My sister Promise and me. Please do not adopt.
Since my sister and I are both Aishas, we didn't know whose page to put the adoptables on. We finally reached a compromise. All male Aisha requests will be displayed here for pickup and will link back here, whereas all female Aisha requests will be on my sister's page and link to there.
Requests; Open
Trades; Open
Waiting List;
Pickups;
For Declan & Queesho
Males Who've Picked Up Customs;
Benniere
wolfgang567
__Kirby
Convinced
(4)
Heh, not many male Aishas seem to have found my adoptables.
X. Credits
Thanks so much.
XI. Wait..this is gonna be good.. Awards
Awards for my page! You can click on them if you like. Aren't they pretty?
XII. Link Back?
Would you like to link back to this page? Or perhaps you'd like to exchange links? Just neomail michellejkittie and let her know! :3
(86x15)
(80x80)
(50x50)
Look! Other petpages!
XIII. Outro
As you leave, ponder these lyrics a second. Jenn said this is what she felt like applying for me, but maybe, I think, they apply to her everyday life as well?
Are you hungry?
Are you thirsty?
Is it a fire that burns you up inside?
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you need it?
Are you eating, sleeping, dreaming
With that one thing on your mind?
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you need it?
Cause if you want it all
You've got to lay it all out on the line
--Tim McGraw, How Bad Do You Want It?
Thankya for coming to my petpage, guest. I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to take home a treat or two, go ahead.
Turning around, Magus begins to focus more intensely on the fireplace. He picks up a ball of fire and tries to command it, and when it doesn't work he glares at you for disturbing its spirit. You don't understand, but you hurry out as soon as it leaves his hand, shutting the door just in time to prevent your hair from being singed. Maybe you won't return, though there was something pretty interesting about that Aisha amongst his craziness.
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