What I thought was right

As I write this I'm unsure if I'll post it.


In my last blog post I spoke of my actions regarding Jessica Seneschal. Needless to say she is very annoyed at me for reporting her and increasingly more people are upset with me for being friendly with someone who worked on a mutant cure.


Maybe if I had been more flashy and open, maybe if I'd tackled the problem at hand rather than exposing its root I wouldn't feel as I do now.


I saw someone in pain trying to cure what they thought was the cause of their pain. Their mutation. I wanted to stop it, but surely just arresting her would stop it short term, but if she was determined she would keep thinking on it. I wanted to get her help, therapy, so she would stop it herself, maybe in time encourage other researchers of the error of their ways.


I did what I could.. What I thought was right at the time.


Being involved in such big things is new to me and I'm learning. I took a gamble to try to save and help someone in the hopes of a better long term outcome. Maybe I was wrong, I suppose only time will tell.

The Mutant 'Cure'

Today I found this on my twitter feed and I wanted to write an immediate reply, but 140 characters simply isn't enough to fully express my feelings on the situation.


I've often been criticised for who I talk to and who I choose to befriend. After I arrested Doc Shadow I kept in regular contact with him right up until his demise. Many asked why I was so involved in such a prolific villains life, why I was so cordial with him after all he had orchestrated? Even now I often have people ask me why I'm so close to people like Shady, and now this..


The answer is simple. I'm a hero to help people, all people. Our justice system exists not only to help the victims of crimes feel justice has been served but also to rehabilitate offenders. Some people steal out of desperation, or being misguided, some have roots that run deeper but when a criminal is arrested they don't just disappear, their problems don't just vanish, they (hopefully) begin a journey of healing and change.


Today I visited Jessica Seneschal, a bright woman with a lot to offer the world who has had her confidence in herself torn down by the world. Because of the persecution against mutants she feels as though she's an abomination and in her desperation sought to 'cure' herself of what she saw as an affliction that had darkened her life. It saddens me that when she looks in a mirror she sees that mark on her cheek and feels the need to cover it instead of appreciating all of her more positive attributes.


I first became aware of Jessica in Venezuela, I met her in the Coalition bar, she was scribbling feverishly at some notes and made mumbled comments on her 'affliction'. It pained me to see someone hate themselves so much, especially someone with so much talent that they'd been chosen to go on such a high profile international mission. I wanted to help.


I haven't admitted this publicly until today because I wanted to tell her first, to her face. I was one of the anonymous tips sent to the Mutant Rights Organisation. I am not a mutant myself, nor am I a therapist, I wanted Jessica to get the help of professionals who could understand her plight. I did not report her to drag her research into the light, I merely informed a reliable charitable organisation of an Omega mutant who needed help and support in the hopes they would extend a hand to her and help her see an alternative to her research.


Condemn me if you will for my part in her research becoming public knowledge, or for my visiting someone who would work on such subjects but I know in my heart that I did what I felt was right. I saw someone suffering and sought to get her help and support before things got worse.


Today I had coffee and biscuits with someone with a good sense of humour, a quick wit and a sensitive temperament. I met with Jessica the person, someone who should have more confidence in herself and will hopefully one day turn her brilliant mind to other worthwhile endeavours. I won't force her however, it's through healing, growth and the support of both professionals and friends that she'll find herself. And that is why I visited her.


And Jessica, I am sorry for commenting so publicly on something so personal to you, but I want you, and everyone to know exactly who I am and why I do what I do.

Why Shady?

Q: I have a question. Why Shady? You seem to be spending an awful lot of time with an outlaw.



A: I wasn't sure at first whether I would address this question. It's somewhat embarrassing to talk about a new friendship and defend it. But I have that 'ask me anything' box for a reason so I'll do my best to answer..


I consider myself blessed to have met a lot of interesting and wonderful people while in Venezuela, I count Shady among those people. I first interacted with him when I saw him sneaking a little rubber duck onto our mechanics' worktable. I admit I was suspicious at first, I picked it up, smiled at spotting the Alpha symbol on the ducky's chest and went to ask Shady about it.


The conversation was light, playful and warm. We addressed why he leaves ducks in his wake but also spoke as people and I started to get a measure of him. Most importantly he made me smile.


If you want to see light in the world then be that light. Bring it to others and they in turn will learn to light the darkness.


I try my best to be a beacon of light and hope to those that need it most. But those who gift light so freely sometimes feel themselves drained. If you're always cheering others up you sometimes find yourself taking away their sadness and onto yourself. Everyone needs to recharge sometimes and heroes are no exception.


When it comes to me I sometimes need silliness and fun, anything that help keep my smile in place so I can keep bringing it to those in need. Shady makes me smile, a lot. He's a friend I am glad I've made.


As for spending time with an outlaw - we all have friends who may have made poor decisions in the past. It's our role as good friends to help them, either by addressing those issues over time or if they are not severe setting them aside and looking forward to a better future.


I hope that's a good enough answer for you Nonny!

A New Dawn

A beautiful new dawn brings so much with it, a fresh start, a day filled with countless directions and opportunities. This morning I sat and watched the sun rise through a tori gate and felt abuzz with the excitement of what dawn is to me. It was then that my phone beeped, an email, another opportunity, the chance of something great.


I'm so excited and I'm sorry to keep you guys in the dark for now but hopefully you'll see a big announcement from me sometime in the near future!

(Picture by the awesome Shady)

Kami-sama

I've been asked often about my links to Japan and it's impact on my magic. A full explanation is likely a little complicated for a blog post, so maybe another day. But for today I'll talk about the effect Shinto has had on me. I visited Japan for the first time when I was in my teens and something just clicked. The magic I'd had all my life started to make a little more sense and it was at a Shinto shrine I met my first kitsune.

Prayers and rituals I have observed at shrines since then have played a large part in how I interact with magic and with astral rifts. I call to the astrals in the same way I would implore a powerful kami.

ひふみよ　いむなや　こともちろらね
しきる　ゆゐつわぬ　そをたはくめか
うおゑに　さりへて　のます　あせえほれけ

Prayers of purification are playing an increasing role in what I do. Above is a beginners norito that I hope to memorise over time for rituals that it works well for. You may think it strange or wrong for a westerner to adopt Shinto as a practice but the kami came to me before i even knew what they were. Spirits of that nature do not dwell solely in Japan so why should Shintoism?

Ask Kitsune #9

Q: If my peers find out about my past and who I truly am(was) I am likely to be rejected and cast out of the team that I have come to love. However keeping this information from them feels wrong.  However, I am also keeping my identity secret because if certain parties find out where to find me, I will be hunted down, as I believe will all who know who I am. What should I do?



A: First take a deep breath, center yourself and calm down, you are carrying a huge weight on your shoulders and that can't be easy. Make yourself a tea, or a hot chocolate, or whatever drink of choice helps calm you down (don't drink too much of it if it's alcoholic!), it's time for some introspection. Before you approach your peers you have some questions to ask yourself..

You are not a timelord, you cannot change the past nor can you accurately see the future. What you have is the here and now and that is what is important. You seem unsure over whether what you did in your past is who you were or who you are now. Are you simply hiding your past? Or are you hiding a part of who you are now? The former is hard but the latter - that could lead to a lot of heartbreak, you shouldn't be living a lie.

Look to your peers, your friends. You say you've come to love them, if they feel the same about you then they'll want to know more about you. maybe pick the one or two you are closest to to confide in, pick people you know to be trustworthy, who can share your secret. With each person told you'll lighten the load.

If that's too much to do right away then I'm here for you - send me an email, you can set up a burner account if you want, I don't mind. Tell me a little about your past so I can offer more personal advice away from the public eye. I want to help you. And if you have your reservations then remember that I am oathed to harm none and it sounds like sharing your secret would cause you harm, which is a sad thing to hear.

Take care of yourself Nonny, take some time to know you and to slowly reach out to others, you're not as alone as you may feel right now.

Box art!

I finally have permission from my agent to share this! In the coming weeks this is going to be distributed in Japan! How adorable is this art of me?! I am so excited!

The cereal is pretty good too, I've been drowning in free samples from the Japanese branch of Kellogg's for weeks and trying to decide which worked best to put my name to. These won out because they're not only tasty and sweet someone compared them to teeny versions of my mage light which was just too adorbs not to run with!

Ask Kitsune #8

Q: During a conversation in the bar back in Venezuela I think I may have put my foot in it somewhat, while talking about some of the risks of having powers I may have used the phrase 'normal people' intending to refer to non-costumed crime-fighting individuals, have only just now realised that one of the people at the table who seemed a bit put out by me saying this was of a mutant persuasion, while I never meant any ill-intention I realise I'm worrying my words could have caused offence, am I overthinking things or would it be safer to duct-tape my mouth shut next time?
 
A: That you're worried so much speaks well of your character, you're clearly a good person who doesn't want to cause harm with your words. I'm sure whoever you were sat with either realised this or could with time. have you spoken to them since? Did they seem to have issue with you? Maybe you are worrying a little too much, we all say things we regret sometimes but we all have the power within us to set those mistakes right.

In our society finding the correct phrasing can be hard. We don't want a division that feels like an 'us' and 'them' but sometimes powered individuals need to speak of the plight of the general populace they defend and finding the right words to ensure everyone that those with powers don't think of themselves as superior can be difficult. But we all try. And that's all a person can do try and keep trying, you won't always succeed but we all have each other for support, some may have powers, some may not, we may be of different factions or different planes/planets of birth but we're all people and for the most part we're doing our best to make this world a better place.

Ask Kitsune #7

Q: Did you run into the man claiming to be the Egyptian god Sett? Did he by change....touch you inappropriately? He kept stroking, licking and kissing my face....just want to be reassured that I wasn't the only one as nobody else in the camp got that attention from what I could see (Which wasn't much cos it was dark)
 
A: I did run into Seth/Sett/Aiden a few times during the evening but I wasn't physically touched by him. The only inappropriate touch I received was one to my mind. I was near him when confusion clouded my mind, I couldn't think straight and nothing made sense.

He did attack someone I think of as an older brother of sorts but this is the first I've heard of such.. intimate.. interactions.

I hope that by being honest in how you were treated others will come forward with their experiences to help you make more sense of what happened to you. 

I will also offer one other piece of advice to you and my readers as well should they see 'Sett' again - keep him away from Yllaneth if possible. I don't know what the situation with them is but having witnessed a standoff between them I'm sure I don't want to see them actively attacking one another!

Not feeling super..

Q: All I want is a cure for what I am. I don't want to be a mutant any more, I never did. But every time I tell someone this they look at me like I'm a monster. I just want to be normal, is that so wrong?
 
A: You are not alone. I have to start by saying that. Despite looks you may get sometimes there are others who feel just like you. it's not something that's wrong with you, it's something that's wrong with society. We should be able to accept every individual as they are but people in general aren't very good at that.

We all have our insecurities that are brought on for whatever reason but please, don't hate yourself because of your mutation. You are not your mutation. You are you. I wish i could tell you this in person and I wish I was better at explaining myself. 

You may think that I cannot fully understand, I'm not a mutant after all. But I can empathise more than you might think. I'm a mage and have always had an affinity for magic. I may not have developed veins on my face but I developed odd behaviours that ostracised me. I was different, I am different. It took me time to accept myself. I never wanted a 'cure' myself but knew others who'd rather I was 'normal'.

This may sound clichéd but maybe the cure you need is to feel 'normal' while still having your mutation. Have you considered seeking out others who may understand you? Both the Mutant Rights Organisation and Evolving Thoughts are out there and wanting to help. And, of course, if you want to chat to me more my email address is over on the left there, i can tell you more about my experiences.

Take care of yourself Nonny x

Back to school!

I love learning new things, from other people and from books. Today I shared that love with a group of primary school children. Illiteracy is a growing concern around the world, reading is thought of as 'uncool' and convincing kids otherwise is sometimes an uphill battle.

It's a battle I like to be a part of though. I told the kids about how reading not only helped me understand my powers more (they loved my dancing mage lights!) but kept me entertained on long journeys and informed me of what was going on in the world.

I even showed them the photo above, my 'homework' marked by Lumina (successful owl sticker and all). Learning is as fun as you make it and learning a rune to help heal alongside my mentor was great, life is too serious sometimes.

Kitsune, the agony aunt?

Q: I think I'm developing feelings for my faction's overseer! What should I do?
 
A: Yikes! This wasn't the sort of question I was expecting to receive but I'll do my best to help! 

Having a crush on a coworker is hard, doubly hard when it's your boss. Not only do you risk the possibility of rejection on a personal one but your professional life is on the line. I think the first thing you should do is take a look at your feelings - are they 'developing feelings' or just a bit of a crush? I know it's easy to get overexcited and giddy when you're near someone you like in that way but give it time to see if it maybe is something more.

On that note~ try to be their friend! Get to know them personally, work your way up to the idea of maybe grabbing a coffee to get to know each other. Build up enough trust that you could maybe meet up as your civilian selves one day. After all even if they liked the 'super' you back you have to take into account who both of you are in your day to day lives. Freezebolt and Mr. E may make a fabulous power couple, but what about Dave and Geoff, the guys behind the masks, are they compatible?

I suppose what I'm saying is don't give up hope entirely, but be careful in your approach. There are lots of factors to take into account. If you ever need any more advice Nonny then confide in your friends I'm sure they'll help. If you're not sure you can confide in anyone else then drop me another question or send me an email, I'll be your friend and won't give away the names involved! x

 

Harm None

"If you bring harm to anyone I will take away your gift"

Being a ritualist is understanding the bargains that can be made between Astrals and mages. It's about knowing what you want and what's an appropriate price to pay. I have received many blessings from the kami and tapped several ley lines but something that has always eluded me is the gift of healing.

My inability to cure ailments has disappointed me in the past but in Venezuela not being able to heal actively hurt my spirit. There were people injured in fighting and people staving off illness. People were dying and for all my power I couldn't do a single thing. Until Fen found a rift for me.

It is now within my power to heal but actions have consequences and all gifts have a price. I chose the price I was willing to pay to be able to help people. I will bring harm to none. Some may call this a foolish choice in a 'superhero' but it is fitting of my nature and that of the Astral I dealt with. I will support, bring hope, heal.. I'll try to talk people down. I will do all I can do to be a paragon of the ethos that fighting should be the last resort. This world has enough fighters.

Ask Kitsune #4

Q: Why did you join Alpha and not Omega?
 
A: The simple answer is just one word: Freedom.

My powers are pretty unique. While I hold similarities to other light attuned mages my methods are different. Only I know my abilities best and I will always use them to help as many people as I can. i don't feel I can do that successfully when I have someone who doesn't know my abilities as well as I do telling me the right and wrong time to use them. I could be told to do something but my powers simply wouldn't work if I felt it was wrong.

This last weekend gave me a tragic, but perfect example of why Alpha is for me. The ordered attempt on Lumina's life. I spoke with Brimstone, one of the agents involved in the hit over twitter yesterday~

"I fulfilled orders" a simple term that members of Omega have used in the past to try to alleviate their guilt at an act they didn't feel was right but they were told to do. I couldn't live my life like that. i need to know why I'm doing something, and that reason should be that it's the right thing to do.

Into the Darkness

It was the worst pain I'd ever felt. There are no words to describe it. The sky flashed brightly and there was a scream. And it wasn't just me. It was all the mages, and our familiars. I am glad I was the only one that could hear my familiar at that moment, I am sure they were all crying out in pain just like Fen was..

Through the pain he told me.. Lumina. Where was Lumina? We searched in the darkness and thankfully someone else had found her. I tried to heal her but nothing, no response. The surgeons tried to heal her but found only darkness instead of organs. I tried to use my light magic on her, to chase away some shadows, but I was thrown backwards.

Then between us.. we conjured a scream from Lumina. Heartwrenching in how much pain and suffering it held but holding a spark of hope. Maybe we could save her life.

It was then that Fen whispered to me, told me of a way we could help her. I looked ahead of me and saw Zolitaire's eyes widen at the same time, she too had heard the call. Finally Doktor Science tore off to where we needed to go. We had been fractured before but now we stood as one, we would find a rift and bargain in one voice.

It is not my place to detail bargains others enter into but our ritual ended in a possible solution. I could have cried in gratitude but we still had a lot to do. Lumina was caught in the darkness, trapped in her own mind and we had an item that would allow six people into her dreamscape. Our bodies would be vulnerable though, they would need protection, without our consciousness in them they could be killed easily.

But it was a price we were willing to pay, we would not lose one of our own.

I had my doubts about entering the dreamscape. I cannot harm anyone, what if protecting myself from Lumina's nightmares would damage her mind? Wouldn't I be useless compared to someone more willing to fight? But Doc shook me out of it, he implored me to come, he reasoned that my voice may reach her, I am one of her students and light aligned like she is. In the end we chose our six; the four mages Lumina watched over, Stalwart and Warden. I couldn't have asked for finer people beside me.

We were barred by darkness we had to convince her insecurity and her negativity born of the weapon that slew her to let us through, to trust us. I will not detail more of what happened to us as grand an experience it was. It isn't my story to tell, it was Lumina's mind and I won't divulge something more personal. What I will say is that we almost failed, I could feel it, my life draining away as we struggled to achieve our goal to free her..

We awoke by the rift we'd used to help enter her mind surrounded by utter chaos, but most of the fighting didn't register at all, the only thing I heard was that one deep breath. That inhalation that let us know she was alive. Tears stung the corner of my eyes from the nightmare, the relief and the exertion. All I wanted to do was check on my mentor but I still had work to do to make the area safe. Four had opened the rift so four had to close it.

As the light of the rift faded I reached out for Zolitaire's hand. I grasped it firmly and all the friction of our first ritual together was forgotten as we smiled weakly at each other.

"We did it"

Lumina

In the wake of the shocking loss of our last Head Mage it took a brave soul to step in and take on the job at such short notice. It was Lumina who came with us to Venezuela and while clearly a little unsure to begin with she managed to rally a small but disparate group of mages and get us working together in the space of hours. At first it seemed impossible that the four of us could perform a ritual together but under her guidance we learned a lot about ourselves, our magic and each other.

She quickly became not only a mentor, but a friend to us. We all felt worried when she fell, cut off from magic, on the Saturday afternoon, we all wanted to see her well and smiling again.

I write this post to give a feeling for what Lumina came to mean to us in such a small amount of time to give weight and understanding to my next post - what happened on the Saturday night in Venezuela. It will likely be a difficult thing to write about..

The More Familiar Familiar

"Is your familiar a fox?" Zolitaire asked curiously.

"Not exactly.." Came my confused reply

Given the nature of my abilities I never really thought of myself as having a single familiar. All of the kami speak to me and different ones aid at different times. There was always a strong presence around me though and a particular little fox that turned up more and more often. Last weekend I got to know a lot more about this little fox, my familiar.

He was far more than a strong spirit, he was definitely my familiar. Many mages only hear the voices of their familiars at times of importance, or in places of great magic. But I was given a gift..

I can now hear his voice more often and know he is different from other kami. Other spirits are formed of their place and purpose, but this fox, he was formed by me. He told me he was just an amorphous blob until I made him what he is. He is my spirit, my kami and he wanted me to name him.

It wasn't unusual before to see me 'talking to myself' as I communed with the kami, but it may become more frequent now. Don't worry if I'm having an amicable conversation with the air, it's likely Fen and I getting used to the strange situation we've found ourselves in.

Ask Kitsune #3

Q: Have you ever used your powers for evil or self serving reasons?

A: Evil, definitely not! Self-serving, not in recent years. When I was a teenager I would try to, I would ask the kami for frivolous things; clearer skin, help on exams, etc. But that was short lived, it felt wrong (and because of that ill at ease feeling those requests were generally never answered)

Ask Kitsune #2

Tell us about your first villain capture, don't spare us the gory details
It seems like someone out there really wants to hit into the heart of what makes me the hero I am today. This is a question many would shy away from, first attempts at most things tend to be awkward or confused in some way. I set up that little ask box for a reason though, I want to be honest with you guys. If you believe some rumours Alpha operatives are nothing but a bunch of terrorists and thugs, that's really not who I am. I hope that being open here, and anywhere I'm asked by myself I'll paint a more realistic view of myself and my allies with time.

My first capture wasn't of a 'villain' persay, it was of a criminal. I was thirteen and still not fully in control of my abilities. I was my civilian self and not Kitsune. I was walking through a park when I started to feel like something was wrong, the kami, the nature spirits of the area, seemed ill at ease. Following their guidance I ran along a path until I heard sounds of yelling.

A mugging. Three men surrounded a teenage boy a little older than me who was crumpled on the ground as they kicked him and stripped him of anything he held that looked at all valuable. There was nobody else around to call to help so instinct took over.

 I called upon the kami for aid and blinded one of the men who fell screaming to the ground, holding his face in utter confusion. it made me feel sick, I had no intention of causing pain but I needed to stop what was happening. "It's one of them mutants" one of the other men grunted as he lurched towards me, I guess he was one of those who didn't entirely understand the notion of a human with powers.

To this day I still exhale sharply at the memory of that punch to my abdomen. He didn't care that I was a girl, that I was young, he just saw my powers and my meddling. His friend followed to help 'deal with me'. it felt like I'd soon be on the floor too, but the boy I came to rescue launched himself at the back of one of the men as I threw a hand up again, a small astral bolt knocking the other mugger back and off his feet.

From there it's a bit of a blur of two teenagers flailing at three grown men. At least we were successful enough, and made enough noise, that soon we had the help of a dog walker who called the police. To save the boy's pride we told the police he did far more in that scuffle than he actually did. It's not officially my first capture, it's a tale of a teenage girl who threw herself into a fight, but to me personally that's the story of how I started my journey from a girl with powers to being a hero.  


Want to ask me an anonymous question? You can do so here! 

Concept Sketch!

You have no idea how excited I am about this concept sketch for an ad campaign I'm part of. Look how super kawaii it is! ^-^

I can't reveal what it's for yet but I've been given the go ahead for this little sneak peek! (I've also used it for my blog layout :3 )

Ascension Into The Light

Tell us about your ascension into the light and casting off of the darkness.

This was the first anonymous question I received and I'm glad for it, so thoughtful! Rather than putting up a quick answer this one deserved it's own post.

For many mages forming their attunement is the biggest decision they'll make. To choose the light or the darkness will flavour their development for the rest of their lives. But for me it wasn't a conscious choice, it was simply something I felt was right, perhaps it was my temperament or the nature of the spirits I interacted with in my early years. Either way having seen a lot of negativity towards magic I always wanted to use my abilities to help people, to support them and uplift them.

That said I wouldn't call my attunement an 'ascension', that would imply that affinity with the light is somehow above the use of dark magic. Light and dark are two sides of the same coin. I may not use dark magic but I haven't cast it off entirely, it is still a part of me, a part of us all. Dawn would not come without the night to herald it's arrival. The light speaks to me as the darkness speaks to others, but if a mage tries to cut themselves off entirely from their opposed element they cut themself off from an ability to learn and understand more.

 Take into account the concept of Yin and Yang, two opposites that may conflict at times but also perfectly compliment each other.

I chose my path early on and have no regrets but I'll always keep sight of the other path and do my best to understand it. perhaps one day I'll look into the notion of whether a mage with one attunement can learn a basic spell from the other side of the coin but right now I can say with all confidence that the light is who I am.

Want to ask me an anonymous question? You can do so here! 

Doot de do

A harlequin force of chaos (and at least sometimes light) Yllaneth was someone new I met in Venezuela. He had a hand in the ritual performed on the Friday night but it wasn't until the Saturday I truly started to get a feel for him. Many felt an exasperation at his riddles and clear amusement at our exploits. But to me he is potential, he is the flow of what may be, the future is chaotic, we have many paths until we pick one.

It's believed he's an Astral, at least that's what Lumina said he is but whatever he is he's unique, like we all are. I didn't pry into who or what he was too much, I certainly didn't use arcane sight to pry into his very being (surely you should at least take someone to dinner first before trying that!) I think he appreciated being treated at face value, for himself as a person. He clearly has his own feelings so they must be taken into account as best we can.

Many see Astrals as sources of power, or something so otherworldly that they are separate from us. But to me, it's all about respect, if something can communicate with us it is through mutual respect that we will learn and grow together and that neither party will grow bitter.

Or at least that's what I like to think.

Snow?!

I'd expected to be surprised by my first ever international mission but of all the things I'd psyched myself up for snow was not one of them. I am so glad the guidance of the kami lead to me packing warm things, just in case. I had thought packing those had been a sign that weather would be bad when I returned home, I guess not. I got a few envious glares when I turned up with my umbrella, if I'd known the weather would be so bad I'd have brought along spares! I was further caught offguard when Charles, a photographer for the World News, asked to take a photograph of me all bundled up in my hood and scarf. I suppose nothing says 'freak cold weather' more than a superhero bundled up in layers of clothing!

I felt like I had to hit the ground running, we had people to protect and an outbreak to help eradicate. I wasn't a healer so it was hard to find my place at first, especially when it became clear that the situation in Venezuela was far more complex than we had first thought!

We had spent some time settling in and investigating before we heard rumours of an astral rift, the present Alpha ritualists hurried to help the poor local farmer who was worried by the strange light on his lands. It was there and then that we discovered that while we were of shared outlook we didn't have a shared approach. Watcher of Storms, Zolitaire, Doktor Science and I had different tacts to approaching the astral realm and held different requests. Some strove for a cure, while other wanted personal power to be able to help not only the ongoing situation but others in the future.

I will not speak of personal bargains or who wanted what but I will say that it was a learning experience. We are all Alpha but you can't throw together a group of mages and expect a successful ritual without forethought. There was initial friction and flared emotions in the wake of the ritual that I am glad to say were resolved by the end of our mission. We learned, we learned together and we learned quickly.

That which was made by the hands of man could only be undone by the hands of man. My heart sunk when I realised there was little I could do to heal the sick beyond support our medics and chemists.

My first evening in Venezuela ended with me feeling a little lost amongst the cold, doing all I could to be supportive but also feeling unsure of my place in this new international force.

I Burn!

Before the big serious posts about my mission to Venezuela have a fun song. I listened to this before a very important ritual alongside some JPop in the hopes it'd psych me up. It did a little bit. I love RWBY and this track in particular makes me think of Alpha's amazing pyrokinetics <3

When the Shadow fades

I can't bring myself to talk about the events of Venezuela before first bringing up the subject of Dr. Shadow. As you likely know by now the infamous supervillain, mastermind behind many nefarious plots has passed away. My fate and his were intertwined so it is hard to write this post. From the second I started investigating crimes linked to him I felt drawn in and a responsibility forming. I saw things in him that others could not. Whether it was the blessings of the kami or his own doing I cannot be entirely sure. Maybe it was a little of both.

As I sat in my room, reviewing the clues I had and communing with the spirits to give me insight into the elusive man and I started to get more clarity. To say he was complicated would be an understatement. While I'm not going to absolve him of his crimes, he was a criminal and I kept my eyes on him until the end, he did believe himself to be doing things for the greater good. And for the most part if you looked hard enough you could see some good intentions. Many called him a 'reformed villain', or sometimes 'reforming', but I don't think he was. He held no remorse for his past, they were all steps to get him where he was.

When I 'captured' him I caught up with him on an express train, one that would travel for hours before reaching its next stop. He was waiting for me, he was civil, he came peacefully. While we waited for our stop we spoke frankly over tea. Our relationship wasn't one of friendship, nor were we enemies. In some ways he was my 'nemesis' but one I had respect for, who had respect for me. We both fought for our beliefs, I just never agreed with him taking extreme methods and a very long view.

Redemption Corps firmly believe he'll be back, that he just slipped into the shadows as he was want to do and perhaps that is true. Whether it was final death or just a temporary one a chapter has been closed and a person who had a profound effect on my career as a hero has gone and my path is no longer tied with his.

It is hard to describe how I feel.. but I've done my best to give insight into it all at least.

Duckie-kun

Meet the Alpha duckie. All thanks to Shady and his quackers trail so people could find him at the weekend. I should be writing up a 'sensible' run down of events in Venezuela but first I needed to assure Shady that his prodigal ducky son has found a good home with me.

He's spread his wings and has flown Shady, be proud of him!

What's a kitsune?

I get asked this a lot. What is a Kitsune? Why choose it as a code name? So I thought I'd share my story with you.

Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Kitsune are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. There are two common classifications of kitsune. The zenko (善狐 literally good foxes) are benevolent, celestial foxes and the yako (野狐 literally field foxes, also called nogitsune) tend to be mischievous or even malicious. Physically, kitsune are noted for having as many as nine tails.Generally, a greater number of tails indicates an older and more powerful fox; in fact, some folktales say that a fox will only grow additional tails after it has lived 100 years.

You may now be wondering why I associate myself with such a creature. My powers tie to kami, the spirits that dwell in many things. In my early training I met minor kami but it was in Japan I crossed paths with a major kami - a zenko who protected a Japanese shrine and granted insight to those who sought it out. It was hard not to be humbled and awed by such a creature and I found myself having a great deal of respect for it.

I want to be associated with the good traits associated with the kitsune. I want to do good deeds and grant knowledge, peace and protection to those I meet. Kitsune are not the only spirits I can see but they are the type that most profoundly shaped who I am as a person, it was through meeting that zenko and it's leading me to a certain bookstore next to a cat cafe that I started to truly understand my powers.

Who am I?

 

I should start this with a why and who I guess! My name is Kitsune and I am a hero working for Alpha. You may be wondering why I set up this blog now, I've been at this for a few years and not bothered but right now seems like a good time to do this.

I have always done my best to use my magic to help people and I've been involved in a fair few missions, both on my own and as part of Alpha teams. Most notably I was the hero responsible for the capture of the infamous Doctor Shadow (perhaps a story for another blog post). I've received occasional press interest here and there and I've really enjoyed some popularity in Japan but I never have and never will do what I do for fame, to be a 'celebrity'. But now I find myself skilled enough and confident enough to be on international missions, things of a scope that it's impossible to stay out of the public eye. So I wanted to set up this blog to give a better idea of who I really am. You may see photos or articles about me in the future but those will be from just one point of view, I want to have the opportunity to tell you about myself in my own words.

I've just gotten home from 'sunny' Venezuela and plan to talk about some of my experiences there when I'm over the jetlag!