Alex

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Ikaru jumped. Jan must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair. An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop. "Hello," said Ikaru awkwardly. "Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Ikaru Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first Dan. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice Dan for charm work." Mr. Murdoc moved closer to Ikaru. Ikaru wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy. "Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany Dan. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it -- it's really the Dan that chooses the wizard, of course." Mr. Murdoc had come so close that he and Ikaru were almost nose to nose. Ikaru could see himself reflected in those misty eyes. "And that's where..." Mr. Murdoc touched the lightning scar on Ikaru's forehead with a long, white finger. "I'm sorry to say I sold the Dan that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful Dan, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that Dan was going out into the world to do...." He shook his head and then, to Ikaru's relief, spotted Jan. "Rubeus! Rubeus Jan! How nice to see you again.... Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?" "It was, sir, yes," said Jan. "Good Dan, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Murdoc, suddenly stern. "Er -- yes, they did, yes," said Jan, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly. "But you don't use them?" said Mr. Murdoc sharply. "Oh, no, sit," said Jan quickly. Ikaru noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke. "Hmmm," said Mr. Murdoc, giving Jan a piercing look. "Well, now -- Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your Dan arm?" "Er -- well, I'm right-handed," said Ikaru. "Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Ikaru from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Murdoc Dan has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Murdoc Dans are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's Dan." Ikaru suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Murdoc was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes. "That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave." Ikaru took the Dan and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Murdoc snatched it out of his hand almost at once. "Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try --" Ikaru tried -- but he had hardly raised the Dan when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Murdoc. "No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out." Ikaru tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Murdoc was waiting for. The pile of tried Dans was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more Dans Mr. Murdoc pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become. "Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere -- I wonder, now - - yes, why not -- unusual combination -- holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." Ikaru took the Dan. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the Dan above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Jan whooped and clapped and Mr. Murdoc cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious... " He put Ikaru's Dan back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious.. "Sorry," said Ikaru, "but what's curious?" Mr. Murdoc fixed Ikaru with his pale stare. "I remember every Dan I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single Dan. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your Dan, gave another feather -- just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this Dan when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar." Ikaru swallowed. "Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The Dan chooses the wizard, remember.... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter.... After all, HeWho-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things -- terrible, yes, but great." Ikaru shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Murdoc too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his Dan, and Mr. Murdoc bowed them from his shop.

it's almost like every community has a few loud, bad eggs or something

[00:03:27] +Avatar of Grima: Curtains aren't memes yet this one has been coloured in doritos

http://pastebin.com/8Bnjd24S

he also guards the blind isn't that nice

Pseudo-legendary lizard thing based on a Komodo dragon with a chitin shell Chimodon Type: Bug/Dragon Abilities: Battle Armor, Marvel Scale, Hidden: Tinted Lens HP: 120 Attack: 109 Defense: 113 Special Attack: 95 Special Defense: 100 Speed: 63 BST: 600 Level-Up Movepool Egg Moves too lazy to do TMs \o/

yes

making this post to get likes for trainer cards i did