so-excited-to-be-blog

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

SOON™

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

merlinsmushrooms

Of course he remembered. But before he had the chance to interject and explain that proudly, she would continue — into a prospect of a thousand. With an eye twitch, he would continue to listen to her plans and inspect the paper without a word until she was finished. Once again, it seemed she was very eager and a bit over her head, but at least she had heart.

“I’m not sure what the people of this kingdom want, Princess, but I suppose that’s a rather kind gesture.”

Sighing deeply, he’d place the paper upon his desk and put aside the books he had taken out for his own personal fun studies. Reaching for one of the larger tomes just in arm’s reach, he’d begin to flip through it as he glanced back and forth between the pages and the child. This seemed so direct; was there an ulterior motive? There usually was when she came to him for assistance, but as of late… that wasn’t the case. She genuinely just wanted some help with magics beyond her capabilities. But Valentines day. Everybody was up to no good this year if they were in his presence.

“…you did ask your father for permission for this little shin-dig, hm?”

A sinking feeling descended upon Sofia as she found herself unable to answer Mister Cedric’s question as rapidly as she would have hoped.  Her hesitance left the truth hanging in the silence between them as Sofia’s lips pulled to a thin line along the side of her face. No, she hadn’t asked the king about her plan, in fact, the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.  Naturally, Sofia had just assumed her father would recognize her good intentions and allow her to proceed with her generous act of service to Enchancia... but that wasn’t exactly considerate of the rest of the royal family, nor even totally safe. Even worse, Sofia realized why she hadn’t asked her father about sending the valentines, and the reason wasn’t a very royal one.  She simply hadn’t seen the need to ask him.  For the last several years Sofia had fostered a habit of doing things behind her parents’ backs, increasing the level of threat and responsibility each time.  It had started off small, just doing the things the amulet had needed her to do; because it had always sent an adult, another princess, to help her, she had never thought to consult her parents (save a few times, like when the wee sprites had tricked her.)  But once Sofia had  become a Story Keeper, and gone on to defeat Princess Ivy, and save the mermaid kingdom, and overthrow a tyrant like Shuriki, the idea of running to her parents for things just seemed so... juvenile.  Especially now that she was an official Protector and had saved the entire Mystic Isles, did she really need to ask her father for permission to send some valentines? Of course she did, Sofia realized, feeling sorry she had developed such an arrogant attitude.  But still, even thought she knew it was wrong, there was a part of her that didn’t want to be subject to the discretion of her father’s opinion.  After all, he wasn’t always right!  From the time back when he was prejudiced against the trolls, to even recently when she’d had to remind him not to turn his back on the people of Enchancia just to protect his own family, her father had shown himself to have lapses in judgement.  Not the least of which was the belittling way he had talked down to Mister Cedric for so long! Still... he was the king.  It wasn’t like Amber had been crowned yet.  Not only that, but he was her dad.  She loved him with all of her heart!  So why didn’t she want to ask him?

“I thought I could do this one on my own,” Sofia finally answered quietly.  “Or at least, just you and me,” she corrected herself.  If she were truly able to perform the spell on her own, she wouldn’t have bothered him.

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

merlinsmushrooms‌

“Sea voyage? Child.”

“I’m offended your first thoughts go to mediocrity. Do you think me so lame?”

“I don’t think you’re lame at all!  But neither is the sea, and I haven’t seen Oona since I graduated,” Sofia explained, dropping a hint that she’d hoped they’d be able to see her mermaid friend on their way to... wherever it was that they were going.  “But I’d hate to diminish a grandiose plan by Cedric the Great,” she said with a wink, encouraging him to elaborate.  “Tell me what’s coming next!“

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

merlinsmushrooms‌

You can have the next few days off. Whatever brought Roland to give such a blessing was of no matter to him; it had happened.  There was not a chance in the seven hells that he’d be lifting a finger during this miniature vacation. He earned it. Over 30 years of toil and trouble for this stupid holiday, and he finally could ignore it in it’s entirety.   And by ignore, he would bask in his loneliness with a most grand celebration. Sweets had already been consumed, but the wine cork was just about to be popped. Picking exactly what he’d start this extended weekend off with was quite the daunting decision, but frankly, did it matter? It was likely he wouldn’t even remember by the end of the evening, let alone by Tuesday. … Champagne it was.

As luck would have it, however, the moment that cork made it’s pop, there’d be a rapping upon his door. An all too familiar one. As the drink began to fizz over and the cork strike the wall, he would turn and stare blankly at the child who had intruded in his moment of glory. Shaking the bit that had spilled onto his shoe off gently, he’d refuse to set his treat aside as his head cocked in it’s usual manner, a brow arched as he tried his absolute hardest to mask his disappointment,

“Brainstorming? Whatever for, child?”

…at least this wasn’t like last year’s interruption.

The bottle in Cedric’s hand didn’t escape Sofia’s notice, and no longer the little girl she used to be, the princess wondered if perhaps she ought to leave him alone.  Formerly, Sofia had tried to persuade the sorcerer to drink less, but now she knew it was a choice he made for himself, one that she could not decide for him no matter how much she disliked it.  Before he got started, however, she could at least ask his advice.

“Remember your duplication spell?  I was wondering if we could cast it again, only this time make hundreds, maybe even a thousand duplicates!”  She presented the valentine she had made, which was a cross between an ornate love note and a royal proclamation.  It boasted ink made of real gold and great swirling letters, but the words were simple and sincere, and at the bottom of the paper was a voucher for a dinner at the royal palace for each household. Sofia remembered the time she and her mother had been allowed to visit the castle and meet the king when she was a simple village girl, and the thought that she could extend the same invitation to others, and get to better know her subjects, was heartwarming.  She was sure Amber would approve too-- it was just the kind of thing a future queen should do. “I’d like to send one of these to each family in Enchancia, but I didn’t leave myself enough time to make them all by hand,” she explained.  “Unless you think there’s something people would like more for Valentine’s Day...” the princess cocked her head, trying to imagine if there were other men who lived alone at Mister Cedric’s age in Enchancia.  They might not be as excited to receive a paper heart as the children of the village would.  It was more difficult that she had realized to send a message of love to such a large group of people!

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

@merlinsmushrooms

“What if I told you there wasn’t even a road where we’re going?”

“Oh!  I didn’t know this was a sea voyage!  I’m impressed, Mister Cedric, I had no idea you have sea legs!”

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

Why am I getting graduation photo vibes? More shots of my adult Calista cosplay from months back. 

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

I just love this take on Calista. If only she had a Looking Forward mirror to know she'd turn out this elegant!

{{I have full intentions of re-shooting this costume later, but thanks to the power of too much photoshop I salvaged a shoot that I thought was ruined. Here’s that Calista I promised months ago.}}

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

@merlinsmushrooms

A cheerful smile graced Sofia’s face as she finished securing the lace around the Valentine she was making, while the other girls from EverRealm Academy chatted about who they most hoped would leave a token of affection for them the next day.  Like most of the young ladies, Sofia had a few friends she hoped would notice her in particular on Valentine’s Day, just as she had made something extra special to give to them, but more importantly the princess felt that this year ought to include a completely differently kind of celebration.

Maybe it was because she was a Protector now, and was constantly on alert in case danger should threaten helpless magical creatures, or possibly it was the attack on Enchancia that she and her family had overcome on the day of her graduation from Royal Prep, but whatever the case, Sofia felt a surge of appreciation and devotion towards the people who made her Kingdom feel like home and she wanted to do something about it. The path from Dunwiddle village to the castle at the center of Enchancia spanned a range of homes, shops, forests and farms, all of which contributed to the beauty and congeniality of the kingdom.  How could Sofia create something meaningful and personal for such a large group of people, especially in such a short period of time?  Regretting she hadn’t started planning sooner, Sofia quickly excused herself from the circle of crimson paper and ivory lace around which her classmates sat in search of an answer.

Whenever the princess decided to attempt the impossible, she headed for the one person who had shown her that with patience and persistence even true magic was doable.  Rapping her knuckles against the door to Cedric’s workshop, Sofia called out,

“Mister Cedric, it’s me, your one and only apprentice!” Her grin widened as she declared her title, refusing to forsake her place at his side despite her many other duties. “Do you have time to help me brainstorm?” she asked, giving him a moment to prepare an answer before he had to face her.  As close as the two of them had grown over the years, she knew he still startled easily and sometimes fell back into the habit of loathing interruptions.

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

Hello! I love your art! Your line work is sublime 😍

Hello, Friend! Thank you very much! As you can see, I'm lacking in anything regarding color or shading hahaha, but I appreciate your enthusiasm for my lines!

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

Get hype, guys!

When the Protectors call for Sofia’s hand during a most pressing time, the young Princess learns a most important lesson; not every villain is truly defeated so easily. The news of Grimtrix’s escape rattles the castle quickly, and blame is instantly placed upon one of the dark sorcerer’s former students— Cedric. — @so-excited-to-be and I are still brewing up some trouble from the shadows~ For the past few months, we’ve been plotting over some concepts for a what if towards a fanservicey season 5, and I’m glad to share the first result of our combined efforts!  What would happen if Grimtrix had a more prominent villain role? What do you guys think he’d be up to if he escaped? We’ll let you know our thoughts and full story in due time, but for now, we can only hope he’s actually up to some good… for once.  {{note: art is by @so-excited-to-be. She just told me to upload it.}}

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

Snow is pretty magical, isn’t it?

Cosplayer: shirt Photographer: Gossen Photography Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo 2018

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

merlinsmushrooms‌

Of course; and there she went. All she needed was a breath of fresh air. Luckily, they’d be there to give that to her whenever needed. Or a threatening wand for Hugo. Whatever was needed.

What was needed for him, however, was some more quiet. These parties were draining - somehow, more so than usual as of late - and despite all the hustle and bustle, Cedric would opt to remain in the back. Very little was spoken to or by him, and even as the formal dancing began, he would linger in the back of the crowd as Grey came and went from his side (usually for snacks, but sometimes to mingle). To say he enjoyed watching all this was only a partial truth; he was happy to see that Sofia was finally embracing adulthood, but that was about it. The rest of it was just not for him. There was barely a reason; it just simply was.

He was content in his corner until Amber approached, as demanding as ever, and revealed a little detail that caused him to visibly grimace. It was the end of the day, did she honestly want this? Alas, he couldn’t protest, nor decline - it was her day - and with a shaking hand upon his cane, he would simply sigh and stand, following the future Queen (luckily, not his employer) as he forced his expression to be utterly neutral. He would get this over with quickly… whatever it was she wanted him to do. The least he could have gotten was a warning. He couldn’t dance. At all.

One of the most wonderful things about having Amber for a sister was that she never let Sofia get away with saying she don’t need anything else. “There’s always SOMETHING else,” she would say, and then start filling in the blanks for her until she told her what she really wanted.  Sofia had learned long ago in childhood that if she didn’t speak up, Amber would simply give her whatever was at the top of her personal list of wants, that way the two of them could share it, so when Amber had asked if there was anything else Sofia needed before she and Hugo were ushered to their carriage, the bride had confessed to one more thing. She knew he would hate it.  She also knew she’d always regret it if she didn’t ask.  Sofia’s marriage to Hugo would change the way she and Cedric spent time together, and there ought to be a way to encapsulate the mentor and friend he had been to her for the last several years as they both moved on. Moving back to the center of the crowd one final time, Sofia beamed as he slowly made his way towards her.  She fought the urge to wince with each step he took, feeling the weariness in his posture.  Swallowing down a sigh she almost told him to never mind it, to just go sit down, but the music began to swell through the hall once more and she let her hands rest ever so gently on his shoulders as they waltzed.  They were both a little clumsy, both a little tired, and Sofia felt it was only right that they were left to their own selves with no magic to aide them this time. After a few moments, however, Sofia lifted her fingers from his shoulders and caught his eye. “We put everyone to sleep at a ball right in this very room once,” she grinned.  “There’s no need to make them doze off again.”  Curtsying, she released him from his arduous task, but she whispered just for him to hear, “Thank you, Mister Cedric-- for everything.”  She kissed his shaking hand.  “You made today perfect.” Hugo stepped into action at a nudge from Amber, who saw Sofia ending the dance, and he appeared at Cedric’s elbow to lead him back to his seat.  Sofia let out a happy sigh, wishing with all her might that somehow the moment had been as special to her beloved teacher as it had for her-- and that he wouldn’t be in too much pain the next day for it!

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

merlinsmushrooms‌

“Who do you think I am, Princess? Your father? I am - well, would have been - fully aware of the severity of your cause. I would have probably tried to help.”

“Probably.”

Shrugging just once to shuffle the lie off, he would pat the child on the shoulder in attempt to cheer her up. It was likely he would have stopped her and tried to get something where children weren’t risking themselves sorted out, but the protectors were a stubborn lot, and they usually didn’t appreciate sorcerers meddling in their affairs. Old habits died hard with them, it seemed.  Alas, it was likely they’d listen to Merlin at the least.

“Chin up. It’s all over now. You have good things to look forwards to, don’t you, Princess?”

“I guess you’re right!” she smiled, shrugging as she decided to put aside the past.  The future certainly held many exciting things for her!  Just not too exciting, she hoped.  They could all use a few more plain, ordinary, normal days as far as she was concerned. “Going to Royal Prep felt like a huge adventure to me at the time, but now it seems so small compared to attending Ever Realm Academy.  It must have been nice going to the same school all those years at Hexley Hall,” she wondered aloud. 

“Did you ever get First Day jitters?”  Despite all her many escapades, Sofia was still fighting the urge to feel nervous as the start of school was approaching.

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

merlinsmushrooms

Something was wrong. The child looked absolutely enraged by Greylock’s presence, yet the jolly wizard seemed more confused than anything. Greylock spent quite a bit of time tending to the children in his free time - something about atoning for past deeds - but he was beloved by all. What could he have done to spur such a cold reaction? Confused, Cedric would try to snap the boy out of it, giving his snowy hair a quick ruffle to distract him. It didn’t work, however, and he would glance up questioningly, cold and distant — still not speaking a word even when questioned by Sofia.

Even the fiery haired freckled child that followed behind Greylock seemed rather kerfuffled by the situation; Augustine, if he remembered correctly. A troublesome lad who had a tendency to take things out in a rather violent way in the past. Luckily, after a few positive interactions, that child in particular had calmed, but there was still a concern. It was likely he was the one that he’d be having to attend to in the future. Greylock was particularly fond of his progress, and he was starting to get too old for anybody to want to take under their wing. The children seemed off-put by one another, and exchanged rather unsettling glances. 

“Whose this?” Greylock would inquire, seemingly trying to break the absurdity of the moment.

But nobody had the chance to answer before Ruby would interrupt with a rather important question,

“Wait, didn’t you say you were upstairs? Not again.”

A mutual questioning of the caretaker’s statement would escape both wizards as they glanced downwards, expecting an explanation that did indeed come quickly.

“Every time somebody comes here to see the children, strange things have been happening.”

“Strange, how so?” Cedric would press, cocking a brow towards Sofia.

“…people walking into rooms and walking right out the front door, folks not being in the right place even though they were supposed to be there, voices being heard in parts of the house they’re not supposed to be. Strange things.”

It was obvious who it was coming from; Emile seemed far too entertained by Ruby’s sheepish explanation for it to not be related.

It was obvious to him that magic was at play, and that this boy was the child of a witch. And a lot of trouble. Things were about to get very complicated, indeed. 

Sofia was determined to keep a smile on her face for the sake of the children in front of them, but inwardly she grimaced.  THIS was why she wished Cedric and Greylock would communicate more openly and thoroughly with each other; there was too great a risk at leaving things to assumption and now surely one of the two boys in front of her was about to be completely crushed.  Each of them had hoped to leave with a family that day-- but it was very clear the two men had not discussed the specifics. As much as she adored him, Sofia was certain this was primarily Cedric’s fault.  Despite the fact she had even had a rather lengthy conversation with him on this specific topic, it seemed as though he hadn’t changed his attitude in the least, and had continued to remain aloof to the plan of impeding fatherhood.  Of course the easy solution would be to simply adopt both children, but that too had been something about which the sorcerer had refused to reconsider.  “Just one,” he had stated firmly, even though Sofia had tried to persuade him otherwise.  Sofia began to think it would be best if she tried to occupy the children while the two wizards sorted things out between themselves, but she strongly doubted her ability to pry Emile from Cedric’s side, and so she actually found herself glad for a turn in the conversation when Ruby began to explain the problems the orphanage had been having. “Ruby must not have noticed, but I’m sure Emile has something to do with those incidents,” the princess concluded, privately trying to study the child.  “But why?  Why would he interfere with the children being adopted?  Hasn’t he hoped to be adopted himself some day?  He has to know that by playing those tricks it might put someone off adopting anyone all together!” “Magic things, you mean,” Sofia offered, following up Ruby’s concern.  “Maybe you’ve all been cursed!”  Turning to Augustine and then Emile, she asked “You boys wouldn’t know anything about hexes, would you?”

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

{{I wore Sofia to a con again over the weekend. Photoshoot stuff will come eventually.}}

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

♡♡♡♡♡!!!

“𝘞𝘩𝘰'𝘴 𝘔𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘺'𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯-𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦! 𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦!”

Inspired by the gorgeous cosplay of an adult Calista by @merlinsmushrooms

[so-excited-to-be-blog]

“I will continue your work and make you proud, uncle.”