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The Daily Diviner - Issue 54

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS

Feature

Editorial


Student Spotlight

Lifestyle


Original Works









Love is in the Air
Feature
Written by joyellen
Edited by Calliequeen

Greetings magical readers, and welcome back to Issue 54 of the Daily Diviner! As January comes to an end, and with it the Winter Waltz Event, we turn our gaze to the next upcoming event on the horizon- the Valentine’s Day Event. Valentine’s Day is a holiday where we spread our love and affection for the special people in our lives- whether that be your significant other, family, or friends! In this article, we will be discussing what expectations we have for the event, then interviewing Lead Magiventologist, Lauren, about all-things Valentine’s Day Event! So, let’s get right into it!

What is the Valentine’s Day Event? And what can we expect?

The annual Valentine’s Day Event has been hosted on Potterworld for many years now, with each event being different from one another. This year will be no different, and we can expect a whole lot of new and exciting features to explore. Looking back at previous Valentine’s Day events, we can expect a theme for this event. For instance, last year’s event was fairy-tale-themed and featured popular fairy-tale characters that we all know and love.

Additionally, we can expect to see the reappearance of old but well-loved minigames! Some examples of past minigames that could reappear in this event include the ‘Queen’s Garden’ maze and the ‘Up the Beanstalk’ parkour! To learn more about what we can expect to see from the event, I had the great pleasure to interview the Lead Magiventologist, Lauren!

What is the theme of this Valentine’s Day Event? Did you gain inspiration from any specific places or events in the past?
The theme of this year's Valentine’s Event is love stories from Greek mythology. In each of the past Valentine’s events, we've retold love stories stemming mostly from European fairytales. This year, we are broadening our scope from these very traditional stories to develop a more unique and inspiring event theme. Our theme of Greek mythology also ties very much into Harry Potter lore itself with many of the magical creatures being inspired by it. For example, Fluffy the three-headed dog resembles Cerberus, the guard dog of the Underworld in Greek mythology.

What were the easiest and most challenging aspects of working on this event? And why?
The easiest part of working on this event was coming up with stories and lore ideas. Greek mythology is a very fun concept to work with and there were a lot of different directions that we wanted to go in. However, the hardest part was the timeline that we needed to adhere to. There is a very small turn-around between working on events and everyone was a bit tired from the amount that went into this year's Winter Waltz. This event has a decently large scale with a LOT of new builds, so we all had to push pretty hard to get it out on time.

Events are highly anticipated on the server by the player base! What do you think players will most enjoy most about this event, and why is this?
I think that players will enjoy the main questline the most. I'm super excited about a brand new gameplay element that we're trying out in the finale quest and think the quest writers have each done a fantastic job! The event tells a cohesive story with a grand conclusion that will reward a new model.

Will we see well-loved elements from previous events? For instance, old mini games and players needing to unlock quests in order to progress?
We will see some minigames from years past in addition to several new ones. We also will be using a progression system in our main questline again. However, we were receptive to feedback that the Winter Waltz progression was too difficult and made some improvements. There will be a decreased amount of time spent grinding minigames etc as well as the inclusion of some non-grind aspects that I'm excited for players to see! Another thing we're bringing back is side quests that give you a new task every day instead of having players redo the same thing.

How will this event differ from previous Valentine’s Day events in the past?
The main difference between this Valentine’s Event and previous ones is that we will be finally breaking the box of having a specific "fairytale event" and trying something new. Our quests are also getting stronger at storytelling and introducing new gameplay ideas when compared to our past work. In addition, I believe that our mechanism of progression is better themed and more fun than the one I designed for last year's event.

Do you have any additional comments or anything else players should know about this event?
I truly hope that everyone enjoys the 2022 Valentine’s Event! Our goal on the events team is always to release the best content that we possibly can. If there's ever anything that you wish to see more (or less) of, please fill out the event feedback forms or reach out to me at strudel#0018 on discord.

I would love to thank Lauren for the interview! Unfortunately, this draws this article to a close. The upcoming Valentine’s event looks like it will be something completely different from what we have seen from events in the past, and we are so excited for it! Make sure to keep an eye out for any other news regarding the release of this event. This has been Joy, reporting for the Daily Diviner. Happy Valentine’s Day!
DD - Event Teaser Screenshots.png
 

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The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#2

The Recent Potterwatch
Editorial
Written by Silquer
Edited by kvmw

Hello readers and welcome to the fifty-fourth Editorial column of the Daily Diviner! Today, we will be exploring a long-running division of the Media department: Potterwatch! The Potterwatch team is one of the oldest sub-departments on the server which debuted all the way back in 2015. The team has a long past and plenty of content too, but today we will be discussing Potterwatch’s more recent history from trailers and playthroughs.

As mentioned above, Potterwatch has been around for nearly seven years now. That is quite the feat! Recently, the Potterwatch team’ group of Performers and Directors have been working with the Builders to produce videos and variety content for the PotterworldMC YouTube channel. The channel covers newly-released events, produces and releases the trailers for upcoming events, and even dips its mechanical toes into roleplay scenes with cinematics and voice acting.

Many of Potterwatch’s videos cover recent events. In the past month, they have released a trailer, walkthrough, and short roleplay video for the Winter Waltz at Castelomagia, a new trailer for the newly released gauntlet, and a 2021 recap video. Each of these clearly had plenty of effort put into them on an inter-departmental level and is worth the watch.

To begin with, trailers are a great way to tease upcoming events and introduce new roleplays. One of the most recent of these trailers was the Winter Waltz at Castelomagia video. The trailer gave viewers a tantalizing taste of what was to come, displaying the build, potential activities, and overall atmosphere of the event.

Another recently-released trailer used an impressive quality of editing, voice acting, and music to create an ominous (but thrilling!) atmosphere for the Revenant Gauntlet, all while inspiring a healthy dose of excitement into us players. After watching the trailer, I am excited for both the gauntlet and new Potterwatch videos!

They also film playthroughs, which are livestreams on YouTube that guide players through the event and explore the first hour or so of content. Not only is this a great resource for lost or confused players, but it also offers a fun place to hang out with fellow students and connect to the Potterwatch team. Whenever a Performer goes live, be sure to tune in!

As a player, I would love to see shorter playthroughs of some of the more difficult quests! The decreased length would make them easier to digest and covering difficult quests would help out any struggling students. The potential for the Potterwatch sub-department is immense!

Overall, the Potterwatch team has been releasing some high effort and high quality videos over the past month or so, and I expect that these will only continue to grow in quality and frequency. What will they release this month? What new events will be revealed? Only time will tell! If any of this interests you, or if you are perhaps interested in learning the filming process yourself, the Potterwatch applications are open now! Apply through the Potterworld website applications section. Also make sure to check out the official PotterworldMC YouTube, subscribe and leave a like on your favorite videos there! With that, I wish you all a magical month.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#3

We are the Champions
Editorial
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by snotflower

Hello, lovely readers! This past December and January, the Arena team released new maps for its seasonal Sledding Challenges and Tournaments. It also concluded its 4th Season and announced its champions. This article will discuss the new maps, season highlights, and the season winners!

Towards the end of December, the seasonal Sledding Challenge was released alongside some new maps. While the seasonal challenges might have been released a little later than expected, students were thrilled to set new personal records and take advantage of the new maps. There were a total of five new map releases: Cave Sledding, Avalanche Sledding, Forest Sledding, Candyland Sledding, and Wigtown Sledding.

The Cave Sledding Map is a long map filled with ice boulders and trees to hinder your progress. Many recognized this map from the Sledding game! The Avalanche Sledding Map takes place on a very steep mountain. The tricky part is navigating the mechanics of not crashing your sled from the steep slope while also steering around obstacles. The Forest Sledding Map is a short map filled with tight turns. Some people took this map slowly so they could crash less, while others challenged their reaction time by taking the turns as fast as they could!

The Candyland Sledding Map, on the other hand, is unique in its own way. It features delicious desserts and candy. One of the hardest parts of this map is when students reach the gingerbread village. The path splits in several different directions, so it can be difficult to tell which way is the shortest. Some students even get lost and turned around in the village, so be careful! The last map that was released was the Wigtown Sledding Map. It features the village of Wigtown from our live world! It is always fun to travel through the middle of town on a sled.

Overall, the hardest map that was released was probably the Forest Map. It can be hard to balance speed with navigating the tight turns. I cannot wait to see these maps come back next year!

On January 4th, the Season 4 Arena Champions were announced. Tillyrawr came in first place as the Dueling Champion with 41 points. Invisibilia came in first place as the Flying Champion with 25 points. Lastly, jennrawr came in first place as the Overall Champion with a combined flying and dueling score of 86 points! These champions frequently competed with and against each other in various tournaments and challenges. They challenged each other in technique and skill across dueling and flying styles. In the end, they all equally deserved their positions as champions of Season 4. I cannot wait to see who will be our next champions as we move into Season 5. In the meantime, some of our champions have some knowledge to share of their own:

Do you have a favourite map? What is it and why?

tillyrawr: I really like the lion king map! I feel like the terrain and water make it really interesting to duel since you don't wanna get caught in the water, and also you can use the terrain around you to take cover and attack your opponents!!!

jennrawr: My favorite flying map would be the Dragon Enclosure Course! I find it one of the most enjoyable ones to fly through since it's not super difficult, but not annoyingly easy either. The build is stunning and I think that it was really well-made. I still can't wait to see any new maps that the Arena team has planned for upcoming season releases! In regards to dueling maps, I don't have a particular favorite; However, I do enjoy Unmagical London as I have a few good memories with my friends on that map!

Do you have any tips for those wanting to improve their dueling/flying skills?

tillyrawr: The best way to improve is to practice! Whether it's attending challenges and tournaments, or just dueling others in the dueling halls, both are great ways to get better!

jennrawr: I'm definitely still improving in both my Dueling and Flying skills. All I can really say is that it takes practice to learn the flying maps and to find a specific set/loadout that works for you in dueling! Another good tip is to find friends to attend challenges with to make the experience more fun and less about winning. <3

A huge thank you to our winners and another congratulations! For those of you looking to find teammates or to gain more tips and tricks on how to improve, join the Arena discord! In the meantime, have a wonderful day! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#4

Poppydette's Endless Shop
Student Spotlight
Written by ohKeira
Edited by kvmw

Hello, readers, and welcome to this Student Spotlight column! Today, I had the pleasure of interviewing Honeybadger graduate Poppydette about her amazing shop, which has all your basic needs, from gear to quest items to broom recipes. So, let’s get right into it!

How long have you been playing on Potterworld?
I have been playing since around January of 2021.

Despite being somewhat new, Poppydette’s business, which she started shortly before graduating, quickly blew up.

What is your shop? How did you formulate the idea of starting a shop on Potterworld?
I cannot exactly recall when I started the shop but I remember it being around the time of the anniversary event when I actually started taking interest in it. I saw that the prices for temporal sand were ~400g per sand and I was a bit shocked. I was still a relatively newer player and did not have gold like that to spend on one piece of sand because I was new. I also didn't have a huge motivation to participate in the anniversary event so I decided to get the sand and sell it for much cheaper. I started selling it for 10g per and for obvious reasons it would sell out super quick. I realized looking further into the store that prices for items like broom parts and gear were grossly expensive. I started selling them for much cheaper. Eventually when I reached graduate level I decided to add gear to my shop.

What items are in your shop? Is there anything in particular you focus on?
I mostly focus on gear and broom parts/recipes. I refuse to see any broom parts or recipes for over 100g. Because of this players have to PM me for items. If I were to leave them in my shop, players like ColaCinema would buy them all and resell them for higher prices in their shop. So the purpose of my shop is to be affordable to the newest players as well as those on a budget.

Do you have a favorite part of your shop? What is it and why?
I love it all because it keeps me busy. I am constantly out of items which is a blessing and curse. It gives me something to work towards every time I log on.

How did you continue this project? Do you plan on ever expanding the shop out more?
As of right now I do not plan on expanding my shop. I have considered it in the past but I have my hands full already trying to stay in stock with broom parts.

Are there any other plans you have right now for the future that you are willing to talk about?
I am currently not working on any future projects and want to focus on my shop!

Are there any final comments you would like to make?
Don't go in debt, Shop Poppydette!

With that, this concludes our interview with Poppydette! I would like to thank her for her time and the incredible amount of work she puts into this shop. If you want to check it out for yourself, you can visit it at /housing Poppydette. This is Keira, signing off!

Do you know anyone on the server that stands out (cool housing, a museum, active in RP, do something cool outside of PW, etc.)? Nominate them here for a chance to be our next Student Spotlight!
DD - Poppydette Shop.png
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#5

A Date with Head Staff
Lifestyle
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by bluecherub

Hello lovely readers! Valentine’s Day is coming up, and the wizarding world has been busy preparing for it. The markets are filled with flower stalls, love potions, and much more! In preparation for Valentine’s Day, I have come up with a quiz for you! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go out on a date with one of Potterworld’s Head Staff members? Take this quiz and let us know who you got!

What is your favorite color?
A. I don’t have one​
B. All of them​
C. Yellow​
D. Blue​
E. Red​
F. Green​
What do you like to do in your free time?
A. Gaming​
B. Watching Anime​
C. Play Sports​
D. Reading​
E. Play an instrument​
F. Making Art!​
What is your personal favorite department?
A. Game Design​
B. Media​
C. Academics​
D. Tech and Dev​
E. Community Management​
F. Build​
What is your boggart?
A. Death of my loved ones​
B. Ghosts and bugs​
C. Losing the people closest to me​
D. Being unable to play games​
E. Fire​
F. Loneliness​
What is your ideal magical career?
A. Wand Maker​
B. Wizencouncil Member​
C. Professor​
D. Healer​
E. Magizoologist​
F. Mediwizard​
What is your favorite magical subject?
A. DADA and dueling​
B. Arithmancy & Divination​
C. History of Magic​
D. Transfiguration​
E. Magical Creature Studies​
F. Potions​
What would you want your wand to be made of?
A. Lignum Vitae & Phoenix Feather​
B. Willow and Veela Hair​
C. Mahogany and Unicorn Tail Hair​
D. Vine wood and Unicorn Hair​
E. Dogwood and Veela Hair​
F. Rowan wood and Unicorn Hair​

Once you have your answers, look at their associated letters. The letter that you answered with the most corresponds to the person you should go on a date with!

If you answered with mostly A’s, you got our very own Droobledore. Droobledore loves to perform magic that he would show off some magic tricks for you. Be prepared to be wowed! He has all kinds of tricks up his sleeve.

If you answered with mostly B’s, you got Sunnya! I hope you like pizza, for Sunnya would love to take you on a pizza date. After all, food is the quickest way to a person’s heart.

If you answered with mostly C’s, you got zachmath15! zachmath15 would love to take you to a hockey game. Be sure to wear your jersey and cheer on your favorite team!

If you answered with mostly D’s, you got Alexstrasza14! You must like getting to know someone pretty well first. Luckily, Alexstrasza14 is the kind of person that would take you on a study date where you would have deep conversations. Be prepared to talk about philosophy, games, and your lives.

If you answered with mostly E’s, you got EricaEH! EricaEH loves to ice skate. She would definitely take you to the ice skating rink to show off some moves and even teach you how to skate. Make sure to wear something warm and grab a cup of hot cocoa afterwards!

If you answered with mostly F’s, you got Oceqn! Oceqn would love to take you on a movie date. Don’t forget to bring along your favorite movie snack! You’ll be sure to have an amazing time.

I hope you had fun taking our quiz! I wish you all a very happy Valentine’s Day! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner.
DD - HS Renders.png
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#6

The Pros and Cons of Potterworld Date Locations
Lifestyle
Written by bea_5OOOO
Edited by bluecherub

Hello lovely readers and welcome back to the Daily Diviner! February has officially begun, which means Valentine's Day is just around the corner. So, in the spirit of the season of love, I will be taking you through the pros and cons of some of the best date locations in the wizarding world.

The Broomsticks Inn
The first location I have for you all is the Broomsticks Inn, located in Hogsend. The Inn sports a large and usually quite crowded restaurant on its main floor. If you are looking for a date location that is near Hogsworth, and overall relatively easy to access, this is the place for you. The Broomsticks Inn is one of the most common couples’ stops in Hogsend, with a ton of customers constantly flowing in and out. While the Broomsticks Inn may not offer anything more than an exciting place to sit and eat scrumptious food, you can use the lack of distractions as an opportunity to enjoy a long, conversation-filled evening with your valentine.

Boundless Books
Another possible location for your Valentine’s Day date that I would suggest is Boundless Books, a bookstore located in Diagonal Lane. Boundless Books is a much better location for a bookish valentine. Instead of the hustle and bustle of the Broomsticks Inn, Boundless Books offers a quiet and romantic atmosphere (especially if you ask the owner, Leighton Reed, for the keys to the private reading room!). It also makes for a versatile date location since you can visit other interesting shops nearby when you are finished reading. Still, not everyone is as easily excited by books, and that is perfectly okay! That just means that this location may be less fun for certain people based on their personal preferences. Boundless Books is also on the smaller side, so there would not be as much room to move around or explore as other locations might offer.

Squalus Cove
Squalus Cove is a seaside town located on the west side of the island. It provides the perfect backdrop for those of you looking to explore a town with your valentine or to spend some time by the sea at their side. Squalus Cove also offers an extensive 24-hour market, so you and your valentine can spend the day catching rays on the beach and then browse the stalls in the evening. If that is not quite up your alley, there are several docks and sandy areas along the seaside where you can spend your time together. Although, since the town is much further from Hogsworth than some of the other date locations, it may be difficult for you to get there, especially if it is your first time. If you are searching for a more private destination date, you should look elsewhere. Squalus Cove is often overflowing with wizards searching for work or excitement by the docks.

Hogsworth Greenhouses
The Greenhouses, a collection of eight marble buildings located on the east side of Hogsworth’s grounds, hold the school’s extensive and charming horticulture collection. They offer a truly romantic and private setting for you and your valentine to enjoy as you stroll through some of the best kept gardens in the wizarding world. Although few spend their time in the Greenhouses, there are a handful of fun activities to do with your date while you walk through the gardens if you look hard enough. The largest drawback of the Greenhouses is that they house a fair amount of Mandrakes, which can be a bit of a hassle when you are trying to have a pleasant night out.

In the end, The Broomsticks Inn, Boundless Books, Squalus Cove, and the Hogsworth Greenhouses are just some of the many fantastic potential date spots around the wizarding world! I hope that you give at least one of them a try, or if not, I hope that you find a truly special place of your own to spend Valentine’s Day! What do you think? Which wizarding world locations would make for the best (or the worst) date spots? Like always, thank you for stopping by the Daily Diviner Lifestyle column, and have a wonderful week!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#7

The Golden Valentine
Original Works
Written by Silquer
Edited by Calliequeen

Valentine’s Day dawned the same for the three Beauxbois students every year; they would wake in their respective houses, dress, and enter the Dining Chamber for breakfast to find their usual seats adorned in countless cards, boxes of chocolate, and the rare love letter.

Matilda was the first to come down from the common rooms, and as she stared down at her seat at the table, she found the tradition had held up. Cards of every color, shape, and size lay scattered on the table she and her friends sat at.

“Another year as usual, huh, Nick?” Matilda asked, sitting in her seat.

A response came from behind the hill of chocolates. “Mhm.” A head of long black curls peeked out from in-between the three piles, briefly drawn from the book in his hands. “These have been here for a good hour.”

Tess was the next to come down to the Dining Chamber, bouncy and ready for the day. “Morning, Nick,” they said, taking their place at the table and the mountain of candies. “Get any cards this year?”

“Hah,” he said, without looking up, “You always tell the funniest jokes.”

Tess cringed. “Ah, sorry. Here, take some of mine,” they said, taking a handful of cards from their pile, reaching over, and dumping them onto Nick’s empty plate. He finally looked up from his book, pushing curls away from his face as he looked on in touched confusion.

“Thanks?”

“No problem!” Tess beamed.

Last was Lia, who was a recent transfer from the year before, so she gasped at seeing all of her cards. “This is so sweet,” she sighed happily as she sank onto the bench.

That was when something strangely shiny caught all of their eyes. Among the reds and pinks, there was a golden card hidden in each of their piles.

“What’s this?” Matilda asked aloud. They each opened their card, and Tess read out, “To the most beautiful witch in Beauxbois, of which there is surely only one.”

“What a silly notion,” Nick scoffed. “Surely-”

“Which one of us was it addressed to?” Lia interrupted.

“It must have been me,” Matilda said with a teasing flip of her hair.

“No, it’s referring to me, guys,” Tess interjected. “Nick! Decide which one of us this was addressed to.”

“No way.”

The three frowned, a little dismayed. Nick’s word was final in the morning; they would have to ask him later. Unknowingly, they each began to scheme something similar separately…

—​

Matilda shared a Potions class with Nick; now was the time to begin her plan. She walked over to his workstation, leaning on the table.

Nick sighed, hardly looking her way even as he stirred something into the pot. “No, Matty. Not happening.”

Matilda frowned. “I haven’t even asked.”

“You want me to say you’re the prettiest out of you three?”

“...Yeah. I’ll give you all of my Valentine’s chocolate if you agree.”

“No.”

Matilda pouted and went back to her own station. Maybe at dinner…

—​

Lia found Nick at lunch, while the other two were busy with their clubs, and faced him down. Nick looked up at her in exasperation.

“If you tell the others the card was for me, I can pull strings to get you an entire day alone in the courtyard. Nothing but you and a good book.”

Nick hesitated; for him, that meant he was seriously considering it. Still, he shook his head. “Nope.”

Lia groaned and slumped her shoulders, going back to her food with a foul mood.

—​

Tess’s method was far more direct; they found him sitting by the fire in the common room after classes had finished. They marched over and stood in front of Nick with a confident smile.

“Nick! As my best bud, please tell the others that card was mine; I’ll sneak food from the kitchens for you. You can’t pass that up.”

“No.”

“Come on, from one curl-buddy to another. Please?”

“Curl-buddy?”

“Yeah, we both have brown, curly hair. Henceforth, curl-buddies.”

“My hair is longer than yours.”

“Not the point. Anyway, please…?”

“Still no.”

Tess stuck their tongue out and slinked back to the edge of the common room in defeat.

—​

At dinner, the four were oddly quiet. After some time in silence, Nick sighed and put his book away. The three looked up immediately; Nick never put his book down unless it was important. He was serious.

He laced his fingers together and looked them each in the eye. “You guys can’t be serious. All of you asked me to announce yourself as the prettiest.” They looked at each other in shame. Nick continued, “It’s absurd to me because you’re all beautiful in your own way, and a little card doesn’t change any of that. No card does. Okay?”

“Sorry, Nick. Girls,” Tess said first, sheepishly. “Guess I got kinda competitive, huh?”

Matilda laughed a little, and Lia chuckled alongside her. “Yeah. Sorry.”

Nick nodded, satisfied, then gave them a little smirk. “Besides, we all know that I’m the prettiest one in the school.”

The three of them shrugged. They couldn’t argue with that. For all Valentine’s after that, they remembered that lesson; their self-worth wasn’t measured by a measly card.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#8

Uh, Hey There Aphrodite
Original Works
Written by Ivy_Bell
Edited by snotflower

It was a summer day in Greece, and the students of Hogsworth were exploring and sightseeing on the mainland. One group of students came across the signs of local landmarks nearby. They listed places such as ‘Zeus’ Temple,’ ‘Aphrodite’s Temple,’ ‘Mt. Olympus and Dion,’ and ‘Athens.’ The group quickly decided to pay a visit to Aphrodite’s Temple, hoping they might garner her favor.

After taking the walk to Aphrodite’s Temple, they entered and looked at the goddess of love’s beautiful marble statue. It was tall and smooth and offered an undeniably bewitching view of Aphrodite in full-length. One of the girls in the group removed a flower from her hair and placed it at the bottom of the statue in offering. Once the majority of the students had finished wondering at the statue and paying their respects, they left the temple, but one stayed behind.

“Uh, hey there, Aphrodite,” Derrick said as he wiped his sweaty hands along his trousers, taking a seat at the base of the statue. “My name is D-Derrick, and I sorta have a problem. You see, Valentine’s Day is next week, and I don’t really have a valentine to share the day with. So, I was hoping you could help.”

“The problem is, Aphrodite, two Valentine’s Days ago, I went to ask out a girl I liked. But, as I walked over to her, I tripped over my feet. I was so embarrassed that I ended up running away. And then last Valentine’s Day, the guy I tried to ask just laughed in my face. I don’t know what to do.” He said, looking up at the statue, hoping his prayer might have earned a response from it, but it remained unmoved.

Instead, from behind one of the pillars, a beautiful blonde woman walked out and approached Derrick, saying, “It’s okay to be embarrassed; it happens to the best of people. I heard your problems, and I’m here to help. Hi Derrick, I’m Aphrodite.”

Looking up at her, Derrick stared in awe of Aphrodite’s ethereal beauty. He stood up from where he was and wiped his hands on his jeans once more. “S-s-so y-y-you heard me say all of that, then?” He asked her nervously.

Aphrodite smiled at Derrick and nodded her head. “I did hear it, but that’s okay. I can help you find the confidence within you. I am the Goddess of Love, after all. It’s sort of what I do.” She walked over to Derrick and motioned for him to beside a nearby marble bench that matched their surroundings. As he sat down, Derrick looked at Aphrodite. “How do you suppose you could help me? Every time I try to ask a girl or guy out on Valentine's Day, or any day for that matter, it just ends badly or with me embarrassing myself. I don’t know if you could help me.”

Aphrodite laughed kindly and smiled at Derrick. “Well, I can give you some guidance on the situation at hand. The first piece of advice I have for you is not to try to be their everything. You must be whole on your own. Secondly, try to look for someone who has similar values to you. It will save you much heartache down the road. And lastly, Derrick, this is important: try to approach them nicely, not coolly. Start with a compliment! For example, you could say, ‘you look really nice today.’ That’s all it takes.”

Sitting there in silence, Derrick thought about everything Aphrodite had said to him. After a moment, he spoke again: “Well, there is this one girl in my group. Her name is Maredith, and we both value trust and honesty. She’s really smart and even more beautiful. We've only spoken a few times, but I think we have a lot in common.”

Aphrodite nodded. “Well, this is your chance to go talk to her. Use the guidance I have given you. And, if you embarrass yourself, that's okay. You were being yourself, and that's all that matters.”

Derrick embraced Aphrodite. “Thank you, Aphrodite. You have been an amazing help. I’ll always remember this.” Derrick then turned to walk away from the temple, catching up with the group and pulling Maredith to the side.

“Hey Mare, I just wanted to say that you look really pretty today, and I was wondering if you were busy on Valentine's Day ‘cause I wanted to know if you would like to have a picnic with me?” Derrick asked her.

Maredith smiled, nodding and saying, “I would love to have a picnic with you!” She held her hand out, and Derrick took it, interlocking their fingers together. As the group made their way from Aphrodite’s Temple, the goddess watched Derrick and smiled, knowing she had helped yet another lost soul to find their way to love.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#9

Bloom & Halls
Original Works
Written by bluecherub
Edited by LittleI

“So, what do you say, Bloom? Meet me at the Broomsticks Inn?”

Paisley Bloom stood still, mouth agape, staring at Gene Halls.

They reached forward and lifted her chin with the crook of their finger.

“Well? I’m gonna need a response.”

She could only nod, watching the smirk grow on their face as they walked away, leaving her to melt into a flustered puddle.

✧༺♥༻∞∞༺♥༻✧​

Paisley’s head leapt off her pillow the day of their date. She scrambled out of bed, apologizing to her cat, Leo, for disturbing him, but he only rolled over and watched her with bemused eyes.

Tripping into her best ‘not-trying-to-be-but-still-totally-cute-and-kissable’ dress, she kissed him before racing out the door to get to their rendezvous.

To her surprise, Gene was already there. She couldn’t help but stare- they looked shockingly attractive out of uniform.

“Are you going to come over, or will you be staring from a few yards away the whole time?”

She blushed and hurried over, drawing a laugh from Gene.

✧༺♥༻∞∞༺♥༻✧​

After the two of them arrived in Hogsend, Gene began to drag her forward. At first, she followed along pliantly, but as they passed the Inn, she stopped.

“Surely you didn’t think I would only treat you to dinner, Bloom?”

She hadn’t prepared for anything but dinner, and the panic immediately began to set in. Her dress wasn’t suited for a snowball fight, and she had no mittens for building a snowman-

Gene snapped their fingers in front of her eyes.

“Hey, relax. I promise it’ll be fun! I mean, duh, you’ll be with me.”

With another wink and an annoyingly attractive smirk, she was once again stumbling after them.

✧༺♥༻∞∞༺♥༻✧​

Soon, they were walking into the enchanted outdoor ice-rink. She waited patiently while Gene paid for the skates, and to her pleasant surprise, they handed her a pair of enchanted mittens and leg warmers.

Gene took her by the hand right as they finished getting dressed and strutted out onto the ice- only to fall directly on their bum.

They looked up at her, mortified. Paisley broke into a fit of laughter, and finally, her tension released, and she realized a moment later she ought to help them to their feet.

“I don’t know how everyone makes it look so easy,” Gene mumbled, a little flustered.

Paisley just smiled, this time taking their hand and leading them around the rink.

When they asked how she was staying upright, she simply replied, “I didn’t spend every winter at my grandparents’ skating around their pond for nothing. Want to see a few tricks?”

They nodded, and Paisley moved to the center of the rink, performing turn after turn, gliding across the ice. When she finally returned to Gene, the look in their eyes was enough to make the enchanted outerwear unnecessary- she was melting from their stare.

✧༺♥༻∞∞༺♥༻✧​

After returning their rentals, Paisley and Gene made their way to the Broomsticks Inn. As it turned out, Gene had a table reserved for them beside the fire.

Paisley’s nervousness returned instantly. She picked at her hands, clothes, and hair while Gene chatted up the waiter. Awkwardly, Paisley waited for Gene to finish eating. Instead of breaking the silence, Gene looked carefully into her eyes and took her hand in theirs.

“Paisley… I’ve been meaning to say this for some time now, and I’m not sure how you’ll react.”

Her stress ratcheted up a notch. Now’s the part where the daydream ends, she thought. “Y-yes?”

“Ever since we first sat next to each other in Charms, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. You’re so confident in the classroom- you always have the right response, you’re always well put-together, and you just… you command the room. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it. It’s so insanely attractive, and I want to be around you and your amazing energy all the time. That being said... would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend, Paisley?”

All she could do was squeal as she practically jumped across the table and into their arms.

“I’ll take that as a yes?” They said, grinning down at her.

“Yes, yes, one thousand times yes!” She returned their smile with equal fervor and hugged them tightly.

The waiter returned, taking their bill, and Paisley smiled when she saw the subtle nod of approval he offered Gene before turning away.

✧༺♥༻∞∞༺♥༻✧​

As they made their way up the stairwell to the dorms, they walked hand in hand until they came to the place where they would have to separate.

Paisley stood one step above Gene so that they could be eye-to-eye.

“Do you trust me, Paisley?”

She nodded. They leaned forward and wrapped their arms around her waist, gazing longingly into her eyes.

For once, Paisley worked up the courage to make a move- she closed the distance between them, planting a brief but fervent kiss onto their lips.

“I’ll see you in Charms, then, yes?”

Gene could only nod, staring at her with the same moon-eyed expression she had given them when they had asked her out.

Flopping back onto her pillow, Paisley let out a peal of laughter as Leo crawled under the blanket to hide from the assault of squealing that ensued.
 
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