Janina Kirsten Wiwi

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 4

Basics

Full name: Janina Kirsten Wiwi
Age: 21
Date of birth: 29 December 1996
Birthplace: Baguio City, Philippines
Current location: Merlin's Academy
Blood status: Half-siren (mermaid), half-witch
Occupation: Student
Major: Potioneering & Healing
Year in University: 3rd

Looks

Hair style and colour: Dark, long and wavy. She usually wears her hair down, wearing them up in a ponytail only when she is swimming or going hiking. She has often been told that her hair is one of her best features, along with her eyes and tall, slender build.
Eye colour: Dark Brown
Height: 5'7"
Body type: Tall and toned due to being a swimmer.
Dress sense: A lover of the ocean and all things natural and bohemian, Janina mostly wears either maxi sundresses or loose bohemian blouses with shorts and hiking boots. When it comes to jewellery, Janina doesn't like anything too fancy and usually wears a shell and pearl necklace given to her by her mother and a shell and beads anklet. She also likes to wear a waterproof watch to remind her of the time.

Personality

Likes:
- The ocean, swimming, and snorkeling; even as a child, Janina had always felt a strong affinity towards the ocean.
- Potions; as it is rather slow and methodical, Janina finds the process of creation utterly relaxing.
- Nature, especially beaches and highlands areas; whenever she's not working on potions, Janina can be found either hiking in mountainous areas or walking along the beach. She especially enjoys taking long walks when it's either sunrise or sunset.
- Gabriel; he's her boyfriend and best friend, after all.
- Stargazing; though she wasn't the best Astronomy student during her time, she did enjoy learning more about the stars and the mythology behind their names.
- Seafood; quite ironic considering how she's a half-mermaid, but she has always loved to eat fish, shrimp, crab, lobster and squid. Especially squid. She will eat them as long as they were raised well and/or fished legally.
- Markets; Janina finds the crowd quite pleasant to interact with. She especially loves (and misses) the night markets of Baguio.
- Travelling; Janina wants to see the world and learn about different cultures through food and potions. She also wishes to bring Gabriel to the Philippines someday.
- Anything that's considered happy and feel-good; Janina likes to be positive and tries as much as possible to stay away from anything that causes stress or drama.

Dislikes:
- Anger, violence and wars; Janina can't stand fights and would prefer if people sorted out their conflicts in a more diplomatic manner.
- Materialism; despite her father's lucrative and steady source of income, Janina was never spoiled. She was raised to value people over material things, and was highly respectful of her yaya (chambermaid) and friendly towards classmates who were shunned for their lack of wealth (or the 'pureblood' status).
- People who deny global warming and do not care about the environment
- Exploitation and abuse, whether it's towards animals or people; she will fight anyone who she catches doing these things
- Racism, sexism, classism and anything that treats people unfairly; Janina values fairness above all and cannot stand people who mistreat other people.
- Disturbingly large houses; she does not understand why people want to take up so much space on land only to keep such spaces empty.
- Seeing Gabriel upset; it makes her feel sad too.
- Big cities (like Manila, London, New York); they are too fast-paced and full of rude people.
- Relying on her phone; she sometimes wishes humanity wouldn't be so reliant on technology, and does not understand why Gabriel needs his phone all the time.

Quirks:
- Spontaneous and impulsive; her adventurous spirit often makes her get up and try out new things. Due to this, she is quite prone to changing plans, and this is a trait that often frustrated Gabriel back in Hogwarts. Since the death of Gabriel's younger brother, though, Janina has been more considerate of Gabriel's dislike of spontaneity.
- Musical; around people she's comfortable with, Janina randomly bursts into songs whilst playing the ukulele.
- Collecting; whenever Janina has an obsession, she makes sure to collect them—whether it's books, seashells, fossil coral, and the albums of her current favourite band.

Flaws:
- Too spontaneous for her own good; it is difficult for Janina to resist her impulses and this makes Gabriel worry about her sometimes. Since Janina dislikes thinking too much about her decisions, she is prone to making bad ones.
- Shy and defensive; years of bullying and humiliation even from teachers have made Janina a bit wary of people. The fact that she is a part-mermaid makes her even more distrusting and paranoid about what people think of her.
- Cannot handle confrontations; she bursts into tears when angry and ends up walking away instead of staying to talk.
- Insecure; she sometimes wonders whether she's worthy of dating someone like Gabriel. She also hates introducing herself due to her surname, and often just mentions 'Janina' instead of saying 'Janina Wiwi'.

Strengths:
- Determination; when Janina wants to learn something (or even overcome a fear), she will not stop until she succeeds. This is why she was a Hufflepuff-Slytherin Hatstall. The Hat ultimately decided on placing her in Hufflepuff.
- Empathy; this is what made the Hat sort her into Hufflepuff (aside from the fact that she has an equal amount of Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor traits). Janina is very perceptive and can even sense how someone feels, especially when it's about her. She even sensed that Gabriel liked her way before they started dating, but she ignored and denied it since she thought it was just her wishful thinking.
- Swimming, surfing, and other athletic activities involving water; water strengthens her and makes her feel at home.
- Patience; she is not easily angered and is also willing to forgive small insults that slip sometimes in conversations. She is, however, incredibly unforgiving when the insult is towards Gabriel or any of her other friends.
- Potions, Herbology, Biology and Chemistry; Janina is able to combine her knowledge of those things to improve her potions and come up with new ones.
- Being diplomatic and a bonhomie attitude; she shares this with Gabriel and is one of the reasons they became best friends.
- Loyal; though it is not so easy to win Janina's affections completely, she can be a loyal and caring friend.

Weaknesses:
- Wandwork and flying; she hates relying on wands and brooms and prefers to work magic by either creating potions. She also prefers portkeys and using Floo powder over flying and apparating.
- Oppressed people, especially minorities; she identifies with them and would do anything to help them. Sometimes even at the cost of her own health or safety.
- Gabriel; because she loves him.
- Her surname, she is sensitive and defensive about it.
- Areas far away from nature (especially beaches); she feels upset and homesick whenever she is stuck in urbanised areas.
- Music, food and cultural festivals; though she feels too self-conscious to be friendly towards people, festivals give her a reason to lighten up and have fun with a crowd whilst listening to music/trying out new food/learning about different cultures.
- Shyness; it is especially taxing to be shy when she's so fascinated by people.
- Insecure; she has a bad habit of thinking that everyone actually dislikes her.

More Information

The current Philippine tourism slogan, 'It's more fun in the Philippines,' was a complete lie for a child who grew up with the surname 'Wiwi'. Teachers took her bathroom breaks as an opportunity to make fun of her, and her classmates avoided her as they theorised whether her parents peed a lot. Janina never let them see her cry—instead, when they laughed at her, she smiled and pretended to laugh along, all the while repeating her mother's words in her head: 'You are a beautiful person, you are a beautiful person.'

Such a mantra, of course, was no replacement for friends, but it would be Janina's shield for years to come, even after her mother left them.

Growing up, Janina wasn't aware of who she truly was, and what she was even capable of. Witches, fairies and mermaids only existed in her imagination, and her belief in them made her quite the outcast in school (aside from the fact that they could never stop making fun of her surname). It was a rather lonely childhood, but even if they were never one of the wealthiest families in Baguio, they were comfortable, and Morten and Christina did their best to shower her and Abigael with love and affection whenever they could.

Shortly after Abigael's fourth birthday, however, Christina started acting even more affectionate. She closed down her small jewellery shop and started taking Janina and Abigael on trips to La Union beaches, telling them of stories about 'Namnama the exiled mermaid' and how she had to come back someday to save her clan. Quite a few times Janina even caught her parents in a tight embrace, crying and murmuring things she couldn't understand. Though this scared Janina, she couldn't bring herself to ask her father what exactly was happening—knowing was even scarier, especially since what her mother was doing seemed like a goodbye.

But Christina never did say goodbye. She merely vanished, never to be heard from again. Morten's only explanation was that the young girls would understand someday.

Janina, who was only eight years old then, drowned her sorrows through swimming. She eventually earned the nickname 'The Little Mermaid' amongst her swimming friends, as form and grace came naturally to her. Life in school was still hell, but swimming became her personal paradise. At ten years old, when more 'strange, almost paranormal incidents' happened whenever she was around, Morten decided to tell her the truth. About who she truly was, about what he actually did for a living (he was a naturalist, not a researcher at the university) and why Christina had to leave.

Waves of anguish rushed over Janina before she was able to calm down and piece everything together. Though she felt as if her life had been a lie all this time, she also understood how the secrets were all for their safety. Since it was too risky to study in the Philippine Wizarding School and have her true identity be discovered (just in case Christina was still fighting a war), Janina was given the option to study abroad. Hogwarts seemed to be the best option—it was far from the Philippines, the tuition was free, and it was near both Scottish highlands and islands to make Janina feel at home.

Though originally excited at the idea of studying far away from home, upon beginning her life as a student in Hogwarts, Janina was overcome with anxiety and defensiveness again. She kept waiting to see if there was anyone who would make fun of her name (as their names were embarrassingly called out during Sorting Ceremony), and she was also afraid of being the worst student in her classes. Flying was the worst—it required not just skill with the wand but also with the broom—but it was also through that class that she met Gabriel Long, a Gryffindor who eventually became her best friend.

She had not expected to fall in love with her best friend. The early years of their friendship consisted of constant bickering, with Gabriel being frustrated by Janina's spontaneity and Janina rarely understanding Gabriel's sense of humour. And yet, whenever something excited Janina, it was Gabriel who she immediately thought of running to. Whenever she was hurt and/or lonely, it was Gabriel's comforting words she wanted to hear. And when she got asked out for the first time, it was Gabriel's reaction she worried about.

There were times when it seemed as if he felt the same way too, but then there was always someone else he was dating or at least seemed interested in. Janina, who figured that such feelings were pointless, ignored them and decided to put her passion into swimming and potioneering instead. Though she was average at most in her other classes, she began to excel at Potions and Astronomy. Sometimes she secretly swam in the Great Lake and got to know the selkie clan living there, where Cheiftainess Murcus accepted her as an honorary member of the colony. And yet, just when she thought she had managed to push her feelings away, his calm acceptance of her being a half-siren made her fall even harder.

It was the Christmas Ball on their sixth year when things changed for Janina and Gabriel. Gabriel had a date, the girl he had been seeing on and off, and Janina herself was with a guy she occasionally hung out with. She was determined to forget about Gabriel even for just a night, but as she danced with her date, she noticed Gabriel drunkenly walking towards the boys' bathroom. His date was out of sight, and Gabriel's guy friends seemed to be busy with their dates. Knowing she was the only one who would be able to take care of him, Janina stormed into the bathroom and was ready to give her best friend a lecture when he cut her off with a confession of his feelings about her.

They got together the next day, though their friends claimed they had seen it coming awhile back.

The earlier years of their relationship were stormy at best. Janina's spontaneity was still a problem for Gabriel, and there were days when Janina's need for space clashed with Gabriel's need for attention. After Brenton's murder, Gabriel was especially in a vulnerable condition, and Janina had to stay patient and caring in order to help her boyfriend. It was difficult, but she managed. She knew how it felt like to lose someone, and she didn't want to lose Gabriel as well. His grieving state made her do an intensive study on neurology, chemistry and potioneering theories, hoping that she could eventually come up with a potion to help people who were grieving, depressed and traumatised.

Eventually, by the end of the term, she decided to surprise Gabriel with her acceptance letter from Merlin's. They would be in university together, with Gabriel training as an Auror and Janina as a Potioneer. In university, she began to immerse herself in Potions work while working part-time as a lifeguard at Laguna Beach. She believes the 'Draught of Hope' will be her magnum opus, and that someday, she will be able to find her mother and help Gabriel avenge Brenton. For she knew that, back in the Philippines, her father needed her potion as well, especially since he still has not heard from Christina.

Janina, however, had faith that they would meet again someday. She felt it whenever she held on to the shell and pearl necklace her mother left her. And sometimes, when she takes lonely walks around Laguna Beach, she feels as if her mother is there comforting her, holding her hand and whispering to her, 'You are a beautiful person, you are a beautiful person.'

Family

Mother:
Name: born Namnama of the Palpal-latok siren clan, known by humans as Christina Basi
Age: 53
Living or Deceased: Living
Blood type/Species: Mermaid

Father:
Name: Morten Ji-hun Wiwi
Age: 55
Living or Deceased: Living
Blood type/Species: Halfblood

Siblings:
Name: Abigael Lovise Wiwi
Age: 17
Living or Deceased: Living
Blood type/Species: Half-mermaid & witch

Boyfriend:
Name: Gabriel Amos Long
Age: 21
Living or Deceased: Living
Blood type/Species: Halfblood

Family History

Namnama was a mermaid princess, the daughter of the Palpal-latok clan chieftainess. Seventeen years old and almost at a marrying age, she was being prepared for betrothal to a prince from another clan in the South China Sea. Though Filipino sirens were less inclined to force their children into arranged marriages, an oracle-advisor to the Chieftainess prophesied future political conflicts between China and the Philippines, and those conflicts can be avoided by creating an alliance between the two clans.

Being the firstborn daughter, it was Namnama's duty to seal the alliance by saying yes to the marriage. But while Dong Hai seemed like he would have made a great husband, Namnama was not impressed. In fact, the prophecy sounded suspicious to her, especially since having her out of the way would mean that her younger sister would eventually become the Chieftainess. And while she wasn't exactly a terrible person, Namnama believed her to be rather gullible, and thus considered herself to be the best person to succeed her mother.

The Chieftainess, in turn, wasn't too pleased with her daughter's refusal. Desperate to keep the prophecy from happening, she bribed Namnama with gifts, but Namnama wasn't hearing any of it. The Chieftainess eventually relented, valuing her daughter's happiness over the words of the oracle. But when attempts were made to end Namnama's life by various assassins, the Chieftainess realised that her clan was in much more trouble than she thought.

A decoy was trained to take Namnama's place as the real princess was exiled to the land. Though she stayed away from the ocean despite remaining in La Union, she kept in touch with her mother through seashell communication. One day, however, the seashell stopped working. In an attempt to hear news about her clan, she sought naturalists in the Ilocos area, hoping they would be able to bring her tidings and a peace of mind.

❃❃❃

It was only supposed to be a short holiday for Morten Ji-hun Wiwi, an American halfblood wizard of Korean and Norwegian descent. As a naturalist, he had always been fascinated with exploring both mountains and oceans, and it was this fascination that led him to go on a one-month trip to the Philippines. The sight of Namnama walking towards him, however, made him want to stay in the Philippines forever.

She was wearing a long white dress, the skirt billowing in the sea breeze. Her hair was a silky black flag in the wind, her olive skin smooth and glowing. She had two human legs. And yet, even before she could speak to him, he could tell that she was really from the sea.

They walked along the beach that night, alternating between long, peaceful moments of silence and exchanging stories about themselves. In a way, they were both exiles. Namnama had to leave the ocean; Morten grew up never really knowing what it was like to be Korean or Norwegian. In the morning, Morten tried to seek the answers she was looking for, and it was with a great heaviness in his heart when he brought her the news that night. He let her lean on his shoulder as he looked up at the stars, holding her hand as he felt her tears soak his sleeves.

Namnama eventually moved to Baguio, and Morten with her. In Baguio, they stayed on the down low, with Namnama taking on the identity of 'Christina Basi', a muggle Ilocana shell jewellery-maker. Morten continued to work as a naturalist, though secretly he was watching out for the opportunity for Namnama to come back and reclaim her clan.

Even if it meant that, someday, she might have to leave him for good.

Other (Optional)

Wand: Apple, mermaid hair (Namnama's), 12 1/2 inches - This wand was created especially for Janina by a family friend right before Namnama left to go back to the ocean. Another wand, also with a strand of Namnama's hair, was made for Abigael.
Broomstick: Prefers not to fly
School that they went to: Hogwarts
House they were in: Hufflepuff
Why you chose your major: I wish to heal people with my potions. Someday, I wish to come up with a Draught of Hope, a potion that can bring light and warmth to those who are lost in the dark. And I believe I can do it, which is why I choose to train as a Potioneer in Merlin's.

OOC

OOC Alias: Lor
Best Way To Contact: PM and Skype. If you want to add me on Skype, please PM me.

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» Lifeguards' Quarters - Janina's Room

Janina Kirsten Wiwi

Janina Kirsten Wiwi

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