#wx:accepted

Some of her earliest memories had been simply, wondering about what it would be like to lead life without her family.

She was never going to shine brighter than her older sister. That would never happen, Soyi was a fire fairy. One that came from a long line of water fairy's, on her father's side at least. After the relationship with his first wife ended, he fell in love with her mom, a fire fairy, someone his family didn't completely approve of. A woman Soyi could barely remember now but she was fire, she proud, she was amazing (that was what her father would tell her after the woman passed). And it wasn't long until after she passed that her father's family nudged him back in the direction of his first wife. It was easy when it the man was lonely, when he already had an elder daughter and woman who claimed that she still loved him. It always played in the back of Soyi's mind, if her mother had lived...would life be any different now? Would she be happy?

She wasn't sure, honestly, Soyi never felt like she mattered to her family, not until they realized that her older sister wasn't fit enough. She had become too spoiled, to lazy, too proud of herself to excel at SMA. In fact, on those merits alone, her family didn't think her older sister would even made it pass the enrollment process. And her family, one that that put image above everything, would never take their chance. So, they set their sights on Soyi, finally, she was worthy of something. It wasn't their ideal choice but with questions coming in from other families who were sending their own to SMA, the Gun family felt the need to make a move.

There was a fight at first. A long battle of refusal, even if they cut her off. ( But they wouldn't, they were to proud to allow family fights to become that public.) In the end, it was her father that finally convinced her to give the school a chance. If only for the fact that her mother worked as a guardian fairy, trained firecly, she would've been proud to see Soyi study at SMA. Maybe to follow in her footsteps. As long as she said yes, her family was happy, as long as it was Gun Soyi, willing to carry the family name into this new era.

No pressure, she just had to be perfect where her older sister wasn't.

If anything, it gave her the chance to be away from them. A taste of freedom that she never had before. A chance to plan to cut ties all together, it'd hurt in the end, to leave her father behind but he'd have to understand. It wasn't something she wanted to do but going to school wasn't something she wanted either.

Living in a family that hails the elements of Air and Nature, the lads temperamental being was labelled as uncontrollable and too much for his adoptive parents and siblings as the lad gets in trouble for blatantly saying his opinions out loud, almost classifying him as one who has anger issues. Might be elemental generalization. Ha Joon wanted to tear himself away from the shadow of his older sisters, the thirst of always proving himself was always there. Every achievement he received was always topped by something his sisters did. “Fire descendants are great’ this ‘Fire elements are respected’ that. Where was that for the past 17 years of his life.

As soon as Ha Joon turned 18, he went to Maruhan University, permanently moving from to East of Maruhan’s wall as he lived his life living up in the North. Ha Joon aka Slade took up Speech and Language Pathology as his college degree, a relatively unknown course as it was overshadowed by its OT’s and PT’s, being in the same field of Rehabilitation Sciences. There, he was able to aid fairies with troubled speech from their battles or accidents from training. In his four years in Maruhan University, the lad seemingly bulked up for having to workout in order to keep up with the stressful environment of being in a Medical related field. In his part time, he short learned how to use a Martin Jaguar, a kind of bow that fits the lad perfectly; allowing him to aim with accuracy.

 While in M.U., Slade was able to adjust his personality, adapting from the pleasant attributes of his friends. He is someone you can quite label as a people pleaser as he can tweak his personality to the person he’s talking to. You can frequently hear them say to him “Oh wow, you really get me!” but it just might be his people pleasing personality and ability to mirror them as well, probably also because he’s a sweet talker ( self proclaimed ).

gaslighting tw , internalized sexism tw

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚. aged sixteen.

the element of fire has always been known to be an intense power; therefore people either stay away from it in fear, or worship it as they were blessed with such grace by the great fairy of living flame. there is a saying in the kwon family that kwon heeyoung, his mother, always tells him, “don’t deny your fire, my dear, just be who you are and burn.” these words have been drilled into yohan’s head ever since his childhood, and he will always be reminded whenever his mother drag him along to the maruhan’s shrine. kwon yohan is not a pious worshiper like his mother – especially when she becomes someone he does not recognize, as if possessed whenever they receive their ‘blessings’. if anything, yohan would prefer to not have maruhan being associated to his name, or vice versa. kwon yohan is a nobody unlike maruhan, yet his mother insists that he could be somebody.

“if you ever start having fear for fire, you will never be able to attain blessing and power from maruhan.” his mother’s words would play in the back of his head like a broken record. it gets louder when he was presented as a specialist; not being able to wield his mother’s, no- maruhan’s fire – because she believed if she prayed hard enough, even if her son is not born as a winx; was not born a female, she prayed hard enough to think yohan would be able to manifest wielding flames as she did. the disappointed look that his mother gave him after seeing the oracle’s vision, has scarred him because this is something that he cannot control.

“mother, just because I was born from hearth does not mean i could ignite flames as you do. please do not hold high hopes that the greatest fairy of living flames could blessed any man’s livelihood. I do not fear, mother. is that not enough? do you truly wish for me to burn in the flames and rise only as ashes?” was what yohan could only say aloud in his head and not in words to his mother. and somehow he is thankful that fairies like his mother would never in a lifetime read minds, or yohan may think that he would disappoint his mother for the second time.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚. aged eighteen.

his mother look really happy on the day of his eighteen birthday; the party is luxurious since his mother was also elected to being a head of a political party, it seem fair for her to celebrate it with yohan’s birthday.

“may i get everyone’s attention?” his mother calls out the audience in their penthouse with little clinking of a fruit fork to the wine glass she holds. what announcement would his mother make. “i would like to share the happiness of not only my son’s birthday, kwon yohan, and of course, not forgetting my gratitude in being elected, but I would like to announce that my son will be betrothed to a lovely fire winx!”his mother announces in glee. other guests starts crowding around yohan and offer their congratulatory. this was not discussed between him and his mother, tough it is not like yohan had any way to convince the head of the family’s decision otherwise. kwon yohan could only fake his smiles in gratitude when his mother shoots him a facial queue.

“mother, shouldn’t you have at least ask of my opinion on whom I wanted to marry, or even get married at all?” yohan ask desperately. “it would not matter, we have set this arrangement and i will see to it that you get marry to the fire winx for the better of both ours and the bride’s family.” yohan looks bewilderedly at his mother – no, at the head of the family. “I am only eighteen!” he exclaims, his tone in rage. “manners, kwon yohan.” his mother snaps at him. “i was sixteen when I married your father. and what did that benefit me?” his mother replies equal anger. yohan takes a deep breath, to hold onto whatever conscious he has left. “if you knew what benefited you from marrying young, and what not, you would not do this to the lady who is engaged to me. what about my benefit? none!” he tries to reason with his mother.

“yohan.” his mother calls out, sounding very calm. “you will marry her. If you cannot wield fire, then she will”. Both mother and child falls silent, replacing whatever heated remarks that were exchanged earlier.

❝ I COULD PROTECT EVERYONE SOMEDAY !  ❞

Born to a water fairy and a fire fairy, it was no surprise Jaein was often ostracized growing up. He was more away from others for the beginning of his life, though neighbors would often tsk loudly in his direction whenever he would pass by. As a child he would often watch his father practice for combat, pretending to wield his own weapon and help protect his own home. He told his mother proudly at the pure age of five that he would help keep their land safe and be a guardian some day that she could be proud of. She only smiled and told him that he would be great, all while narrowing her eyes at his father from across the room.

While Jaein was enthusiastic and boisterous at home, he shrunk into himself outside the protective place of shelter. Jaein was quiet, always, barely speaking a word and when he did, it was softly. He always garnered mixed responses from peers on his quietness, though most came in the form of teasing and bullying. For years he was nicknamed 'mute' because he rarely spoke up, which started to wear on him as time went on. His mother tried to reason that he should branch out while his father scoffed and said he should stop being weak.

Jaein wanted to be anything but weak. If he was weak, then who could he protect?

❝ YOU’LL REGRET EVER UNDERESTIMATING ME.  ❞

So that same anger festered and grew until he finally lashed out—with fingers from one hand twisting in a peers shirt and the other curled into a fist, cocked back, ready to strike. Soon he was known as 'hot-headed' and 'aggressive' which he greatly preferred. Anything other then being weak. Anything other then being lesser than. His aggressive behavior only worsened over time, which also caused him to behave the same at home. Often his mother was mediator between him and his father, with Jaein screaming at the top his lungs and breaking things in fits of rage. It brought forth tension in their household, so much so that is seeped into his parent's relationship.

It was no surprise his father eventually chose to leave them, Jaein glaring back in disapproval at the other half of his family the day he threw a fit upon the news, but it didn't make the hurt lessen. He could see how it impacted his mother but deep down he knew he was a crystal clear reflection of the same man who left his family behind. While he wasn't physically weak he was still so deep down. Presenting this lesser than mentality that he would often sit in his room and silently cry over, knowing it needed to be rectified. His enrollment into SMA was more sparked by impulse, a fire that couldn't be extinguished in his veins, determined to become better then his father. Better than what his peers thought of him. He had to—for himself and his mother.

While he is still heavily reckless and exceedingly temperamental, he is gradually working to improve and be the guardian he knew could be. Whether this reformation works or not, only time will tell.

Light. The source of life for plants, earth, people. Without light scientifically there wouldn't be life like there is if at all.

This is what Eunmi was taught growing up. Science was something that came naturally to all of her family. It just made sense didn't it? Why not look at things logically? Using your emotions just made things harder on you so Eunmi shut out her emotions at a young age opting for the logic side of her brain as she would sit and do math for fun a choice that would cause issues as she grew with dealing with her emotions on a healthy level. Getting perfect grades and GPA growing up was all that Eunmi wanted. Being the top of the class had been easy and something she wasn't giving up to anyone, studying to make sure that she was always 100% on everything. Some would think her parents pushed her to be this way, a stereotype of the light winx and the science world that her parents thrived, wanting her to be the best, however they would be guessing wrong. they never pushed or cared if Eunmi was the best at everything, they just saw a pattern and accepted that was how she was. Eunmi wanted things perfect not for her parents or anyone else but for her self, her own sanity. If things weren't perfect then what was the point? If she wasn't the best what was the point? Even if it was a false sense of perfection to others that she had manipulated them all see in her, it was a perfect image that she had always wanted. Who else would be better at smoke and mirrors than someone that could control the light you saw, the way the mirror could reflect, using it to project an image of who she wanted to be. What she felt she deserved to be seen as for all her hard work.

This was also the cause of her most visible flaw. once connected to the emotions she had spent years keeping down. An eye twitch. A small flaw she tried to rid of but would flare up when things didn't play out like she had planned in her mind, when she wasn't seen as the best which Eunmi would ignore in return. the anger and anxiety that would flow through her small body as she feared the act would falter, people would see her for who she was behind the mirror image of perfection that she had worked so hard tokeep up. Nothing mattered if she wasn't seen as perfect.

What may have placated to this perfectionist behavior was the tactics her mother taught her from a young age. That with the right logic and using others emotions against them, she could always get what she wanted. She just had to keep her own emotions in check. Stay logical and seem like you have emotions so no one questions you. Simple, manipulation at its finest, seeming pure while you're behind the scenes with psychopathic behavior. As long you got what you wanted it was fine, and what would be a finer use of that then to be the one everyone saw as the best? Smart, pure, logical, and just... perfect. Nothing wrong with pulling strings if it made you the top right? A lesson that Eunmi saw in play almost daily growing up. her mother was the prefect scientist, mother, wife, her father not being of light linage but fire was tricked by her perfection. As someone of fire he deserved a perfect woman to carry on children even if she wasn't fire linage like him so their child would be light, he still had the perfect wife. Or so he thought. Wrapped around her mothers finger her father was a stay at home father and Eunmi saw a toxic relationship that her mother made her strive for. He treated her like a goddess, like someone who could do no wrong and Eunmi knew that was what she wanted as well and to be able to do so, she became like her mother, made of smoke and mirrors, full of manipulation and and an air of entitlement.

jeongmin’s mother has always been a stickler for perfection. for years and years she was finely crafting her place in fairy society with her charming conversations, her tremendous skill, and her wonderful gatherings. her husband was a heavily decorated member of the military, with lineage that helped to defend the barrier during the great betrayal. it is said that word in high fairy circles basically expected a powerful winx to be born to the couple. after all, who better to carry on the prized lineage?

and yet, when son hayoung finally gives birth to a child: it’s a boy.

“he’ll go to the military!” his father boasted. “just like his old man.” but that was not what hayoung wanted to hear. no, she craved something bigger than military prestige.. she craved titles, success, victories that would barely surpass her own.. and yet, while staring down at the little creature in her hands, she couldn’t help but feel tremendously sorry and tremendously unsatisfied.

and so began jeongmin’s childhood. one in which he was halfheartedly greeted to a life that shouldn’t have been his.

his younger years are filled with lessons from his mother after he comes home from school, thorough logistics and physical training with his father on the days his mother is too fed up to attempt. the devil works hard, but jeongmin works harder and while he’s fully aware that he’s someone who should just be forgotten and replaced, he finds that he can’t allow himself to just sit back and watch everything fade away. he matches his mother’s demands, meets her expectations, comes home with glowing grades and even grander reviews from his teachers. his father is pleased, but his mother can never quite allow herself to feel pure satisfaction.

and jeongmin is aware of this. he knows what it is his mother Truly wants, but he also knows that he is completely incapable of giving it to her. his father wonders how he’s able to stay so blank-faced when he’s being berated by his mother.. and jeongmin can never quite give him a complete answer. part of jeongmin feels sorry that he isn’t what his mother wanted, but jeongmin is also aware that he’s not going to be able to fix any of the issues, and that his mother does not expect him to right the wrongs. everything’s out of his hands except for his own performance.

he’s embarrassed his mother enough by simply being born, and he refuses to allow any further embarrassments to arrive.

jeongmin is a quiet child, a silent teenager, a stoic young man. his peers build up walls to defend against him, and he never really tries to tear them down. he’s known as someone who isn’t interested in friends because he’s too good for anyone. in reality, it’s simply because he believes he’s too busy to maintain friendships.

his mother still insists that he should be sent to sma to carry on her bloodline despite his father insisting he pick up a trade. well, jeongmin has always been more apt to pick up a book than a trade. so he dutifully applies and tests into the specialist track at sma, and much to the surprise of everyone:

jeongmin becomes a combat specialist.

 tw: small mention of death

 Fire can bring many things. It can bring warmth on a cold day or bring comfort to those who gather around it with loved ones. It can also bring danger and destruction when it falls into the wrong hands.

To many fairies, such as the Choi family, fire is a sign of prestige and honor. The winx that belong to this family have all been gifted with the element of fire for as long as they have existed. Not only is this family gifted with fire, but they are also known for their ambition, intellect, and leadership. The Chois mainly consists of politicians and military members (with only a handful of members having frowned upon occupations unbefitting to the Choi name)

 • *₊°。❀ Sooyun: a perfect lotus flower. ❀。• *₊°

 Choi Sooyun, the youngest of three and the only daughter, was brought up to be the perfect fire winx. There was absolutely no room for mistakes.

While fire was the Chois’ element, Sooyun has only ever felt cold. The coldness of the silent dinner table, lack of smiles and laughter. The coldness that can only come from a lack of parental love and familial closeness. There was no room for mistakes, which meant no room for emotions. The witches and the beasts could attack again, is what Sooyun was always told. She had lost her father and other family members to the war, which caused her mother to close herself off and leave no room for anything else but perfection for her children. Sooyun was definitely the favorite of her siblings, but rather than being doted on, her days were full of hardships. The only time Sooyun felt a spark of love was when her mother would brag about her at important functions and events.

 Indeed, Sooyun was the perfect daughter. She always did what she was told without a complaint,  and she would do it perfectly. However, there was one thing she was missing. One flaw that resulted from her mother’s actions to make her perfect. Sooyun lacked the key element of passion. Knowing that her life and her future was predetermined, Sooyun did not have an ounce of fiery ambition and passion that other fire winx seem to possess. She feels empty, just going through the motions like a robot.

 ❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

born out of an impulsive marriage between a water fairy (her mom) and an air fairy (her dad) and an even more impulsive pregnancy, but considering how her mom comes from a successful architecture firm and her parents love each other (and their daughter) very much, everything worked out in the end.

was raised very lovingly way and she clearly inherited the follow your emotions from her mom’s side and you only live once from her dad’s side so that resulted in her not always making the best of the decisions, but hey at least she did what she wanted and got some experience from it.

was mesmerized by her powers when they manifested during middle school, though she wasn’t always responsible about using them. got into some trouble all the way to high school because of them especially when she decided to use them to beat up bullies because they were bothering her friends.

she also skipped a couple of classes, napped in others, argued with teachers, stood up to some people she shouldn’t have. she really lived her high school years to the fullest, but still kept her grades so the teachers couldn’t really scold her that much — but they did anyway. her parents were called a couple of times to school, but they mostly talked things out with haeun instead of lecturing/scolding her unless they deemed it was something indeed serious.

she goes to maruhan university to major in architecture so she can work in the family business because that just seems like an easy job and she doesn’t mind it.

and in university, haeun did rest her old troublemaker habits. she didn’t soak or aim water blasts at bullies’ faces anymore and was diligent with her classes — and even with classes that weren’t her own because their name was just so interesting! and it wouldn’t hurt to attend one lecture as long as she has the time, right! and that seemed like a much easier and less troublesome option than having her changing her major every couple of weeks, or even after a semester or two.

she graduates and lasts exactly one month in her mom’s firm. it isn’t like she hates the job and it isn’t like she’s bad at it even when she got her spot through sheer nepotism. but after a while, it gets a little boring? and then she conventionally remembers that seohae magic academy is a thing and it’s like huh.