#❝ where the wild roses grow // witch verse.

[evercharmed-a]

  Tail half submerged, he swings it back and forth, the water rippling in wake of the movement. Daehyun sighs, his breath clouding in the crispness of the evening. He tracks it with his eyes as it dissipates. “What if I could sing just one song and it might save somebody's life?”

under the moonlight ( @9livin​ ) ☾ → hope for now.

[sternenkrone-blog]

    It started out with a dull pounding behind his eyes.     Days went by, and Sungil lost count of how many painkillers he stuffed down his throat only for the pain to come back stronger every time. Qiaomeng offered him potions, but he’d been reluctant to accept. The little bit of magic scattered around his apartment is enough to make his skin itch. The less he interacts with it, the better.     There’s been static in the air for days now. It sticks to everything. His hair, his clothes, his cup of coffee in the morning. It’s not enough to make the wards he’d set up for protection sing, but it’s eerie in a foreboding way. As though something is waiting to happen, ready to pounce at the perfect opportunity.

    Sungil stares at his reflection in the mirror. The headache is back worse than ever. Qiaomeng’s sleeping potion has never looked more tempting than it does now, a thick, iridescent liquid in a tiny vial, corked. Only a few drops, he’d said. Sungil rubs at his eyes, at the dark shadows under them. Only a few drops.     He moves to the bedroom, curls up above his neatly folded sheets. The vial rests snugly in his palm, a little warm to the touch. Sleep would be wonderful. His body’s nearing its limit, screaming for rest. If only this pain would let it.      Sungil sits up again and reaches for his cup of tea, gone cold. He uncorks the vial and tilts it until the first drop rolls out. It clings to the glass, stretching down, down, down. The tea turns a muddy color as soon as the drop hits, murky green and blue. Another follows, and another. Sungil sets the vial away to stir his tea, and as soon as he does, it goes back to its usual, warm amber.      He downs it in one go.     Nothing has changed about its taste, but it’s thicker in texture. Sungil barely has time to put his cup away, too, eyelids already growing heavy. Qiaomeng didn’t lie when he’d said it’s potent. He yawns, curling up again, and finally, sleep takes his mind away, everything around him going black.

( @sternenschleier ) ♥

[sternenkrone-a-blog]

    “I want a spell that can let me fight against the sorrow that is always in front of my eyes.”

( @ifemerel ) ❝ kalafina - magia. // ♥

[blutseide-a-blog]

            “HEY. Hi. I need you to do me a favor? Pretty please? Try this here potion and tell me how it makes you feel. I promise it’s not poison.”

❛ wrapped in silk. - @blutsamt.

[grelleswife]

Hannamey Headcanons

@bapydemonprincess requested some Hannamey headcanons for an OTP ask meme; my answers are included below!

I'm assuming that we're in a more auspicious version of the Season 2 verse where O!Ciel wins and stays human, although Alois eventually dies and leaves Hannah free to pursue her love in peace.

Pre-relationship

2. What was their first impression of each other?

Mey experienced a full bi panic when she first laid eyes on Hannah in that seductive black dress. The maid didn't recognize her feelings at the time, but she had a crush. Although Hannah didn't show it, the comely young maid caught her eye straightaway. The demonness was quietly amused by how taken Mey Rin was with her; Hannah knows exactly what kind of effect she tends to have on the sapphics >:3. Due to her devilish instincts, she sensed that Mey had a tragic past, and that she'd sent many souls to an early grave (the act of killing tends to "mark" the spirit in ways some demons can perceive), which piqued her curiosity. 4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Mey Rin! She tends to fall fast and hard in romantic relationships. As a demon, Hannah took longer to acknowledge her growing attraction for the maid as something other than carnal desire. 5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Both of them did, to an extent. Mey Rin was distraught because she knew she shouldn't harbor romantic feelings for someone who served an enemy of young master, while Hannah, after becoming acquainted with the pain of grief through Luka's death, was none too keen on being entangled in an intimate relationship with a human. Love could not be suppressed for long, however... >:3

General

2. Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

Sort of. Their first few trysts occurred under the cover of nightfall, in the woods near the Phantomhive manor. That way, Mey Rin wouldn't have to risk a visit to the Trancy estate, and Hannah was sufficiently far away from the grounds to avoid Sebastian detecting her. However, their first proper date took place when the Phantomhive servants went on a trip to London. Mey Rin split off from the rest of the group to have a rendezvous with Hannah at a little cafe. They both started off a bit awkwardly (Mey was a bundle of nerves and Hannah felt uncharacteristically shy), but once the conversation got going, the bubbly, smiling maid of Phantomhive soon drew Hannah out of her shell. The demonness bought Mey a plateful of the tastiest pastries on the menu; of course, Hannah didn't eat or drink anything herself, but dear flustered Mey was too caught up in the moment to notice. When it was time for Mey to rejoin the other servants, Hannah walked her part of the way back, and the two held hands. >w< 3. What was their first kiss like?

Mey Rin bid Hannah goodbye after one of the demon's nocturnal visits, but they both lingered, neither wanting to be the first one to leave the secluded forest spot. Hannah took an indecisive step towards Mey Rin. Then she tenderly cupped the maid's face in her hands, bent down, and kissed her. When they parted, she whispered a simple "Good night" before disappearing among the trees, leaving Mey Rin red-faced and trembling. The maid dreamily stumbled through the next day, grinning and tripping on air. The demonness wore no perfume, but she smelt of petrichor, and a whiff of the earth after it rains never fails to remind Mey Rin of that first kiss. 7. Who takes the lead in social situations?

It depends. Hannah is melancholy, withdrawn, and secretive, while Mey Rin tends to be cheerful and outgoing in environments where she feels secure. However, if Mey Rin is nervous or unsure of herself, Hannah will take the lead in order to spare her lover the anxieties that come with prolonged social interactions. She'll gently pat Mey Rin's back or hold her hand to help the maid stay calm. 8. Who gets jealous easier?

Hannah. Demons jealously guard the souls they hold dear, and are very protective of their mates. If Hannah catches someone trying to make a move on her woman, she'll either wrap an arm around Mey Rin's waist and hold her close, or step between Mey and the (real or imagined) rival...giving them a deadly glare that makes the bravest heart quail. She bares her fangs and lets her demonic essence show, her long hair writhing like Medusa's serpents, until the interloper beats a hasty retreat. However, after a few conversations with Mey Rin on the subject, Hannah learns to calm down a little. 9. Who whispers inappropriate things in the other's ear?

Under normal circumstances, I don't think either of them is given to making crass remarks. Hannah prefers subtle innuendos--double entendres or inside jokes that no one but Mey Rin will understand. She'll smirk knowingly when she catches Mey Rin's longing glances at her cleavage (causing the maid to turn into a blushing, incoherent mess). Mey Rin gets a little bolder when she's tipsy; she'll climb into Hannah's lap and whisper about all the things she hopes the demon will do to her when they're alone. Shortly thereafter, Hannah finds an excuse to leave the party early with her lover so that she can make good on Mey Rin's suggestions. ;)

Love

1. Who said "I love you" first?

Mey Rin! She gave Hannah a small gift (a little embroidery piece of an owl), and when she saw how stunned the Trancy maid was at the gesture, Mey Rin blurted out, "Why do you look so surprised? You know I love you, yes I do!" She was mortified by her outburst and slapped her hands over her mouth, but Hannah just laughed and gave her a warm hug. 2. What are their primary love languages?

physical touch and acts of service, with quality time being a close second. Like most demons, Hannah views language as a tool for manipulation--in her mind, actions speak far louder than words when it comes to revealing a lover's true intentions. And since Mey Rin spent most of her childhood and young adulthood deprived of meaningful connections with others, she craves small intimacies like having the demonness brush her hair or hold her when she needs comforting. 4. How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

Very often! They're extremely snuggly in private. Mey loves to sit in Hannah's lap or rest her head against the demon's bosom, and Hannah dotes on her human. They have to be cautious about overt PDA in the Victorian period, but no one will look twice if two very good lady friends stroll arm-in-arm together... 8. Who's better at comforting the other?

Mey Rin is a little better at this because she's naturally warm and empathetic. However, Hannah has a quiet, reassuring presence, and she learns to tell when Mey Rin is feeling sad or vulnerable and needs a little cuddling. 10. Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

As explained above, physical affection! 12. What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

Hannah calls Mey Rin "beloved," her flower, or her little princess; Mey Rin is initially hesitant to speak so familiarly with an ancient, powerful demon, but she'll sometimes call Hannah "honey," "love," or Chinese terms of endearment.

Domestic Life

1. If they get married, who proposes?

Demons' concepts of mating bonds aren't the same as our ideas about marriage, so it never occurred to Hannah to make a formal proposal. But one day, Mey Rin wistfully confessed that she would love to be Hannah's wife, if society were more open-minded about that sort of thing. The demonness couldn't bear to see her human sad, so she used her powers to make a pretty engagement ring (amethyst set in gold) to give to Mey shortly after this conversation. If they couldn't have an official ceremony, then damn it, they'd make their own. 2. What's the wedding like? Who attends?

It's held in the Phamtomhive garden, among the roses (Sebastian and Hannah reached an uneasy truce after Alois's death), and all the Phantomhive servants attend. The triplets are also there to assist with the ceremony, strewing flower petals, carrying the ladies' wedding trains, and so on (my headcanon is that they're babey demons who serve as Hannah's subordinates). Lizzy, Sieglinde, and Ran Mao are Mey Rin's bridesmaids. Both Mey and Hannah wear beautiful dresses (pink and purple, respectively). Instead of having a religious official preside over the ceremony, the ladies exchange vows that they wrote for each other. 4. Do they have any pets?

Oh yes! Hannah sometimes takes in injured wild animals to nurse back to health, like a fox kit that got its paw stuck in a trap, or a robin that broke its wing, so they soon have a smol menagerie on their hands. 8. How do they celebrate holidays?

Mey Rin loves holidays like Halloween and the Chinese New Year, so Hannah learns about the associated customs and traditions to help her wife celebrate. For events like Halloween, they'll coordinate costumes (one year, they both dressed up as witches), and save up lots of candy to give to the local kids. Hannah uses her demon powers to add spooky touches to their home, like magical floating candles and ghostly shadows that appear in the windows when someone passes by. Mey Rin gets a huge kick out of it! 10. Who's the better cook?

Hannah. When you've existed for millenia, you pick up a few skills here and there, such as navigating your way around a kitchen. ;) She loves spoiling Mey with her favorite treats. 11. Who likes to dance?

They both do, though Hannah is usually the one to ask Mey to join her on the dance floor.

[starshineandbooks]

Remedy (Loaft)

This is made for a personal head canon in the Loaft verse. The original fics are by @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors.

Ao3

If you asked three people how to get to Whickhills you’d have gotten four different answers. That was decades ago. Now, you get four answers, but they aren’t the same as they might have been.

When you make it to Whickhills, especially if it’s around the pagan holidays. Most Notably Beltane, Halloween, and Samhin. Or, the summer solstice, all hallow’s eve, and the winter solstice.

The people of Whickhills will chase visitors out before nightfall, to protect the visitors. However, the most infamous family to chase someone out is the Picani-Adams clan, about half of them are sweet as pie, and the other is hell on wheels.

There are several families that are  a little odd, they live in Whickhills, all the families are odd. But a few stand out more than others.

The Whitaman family, distantly related to the knight of the spider prince’s court. The line split well before Margretta Fischer, if anyone had cared to know, most did not. A line of witches, though the last four generations have been hybrids, half fairy half witch. But the best in town for getting messages to and from the dead. The eldest still living, and most powerful in that family, Bia as everyone calls her, is said to have known the Spider Prince years and years ago. Bia was one of Roman’s friends, but not a close one until many years had passed and the witch himself had turned grey.

The Picani-Adams family, like stated before, are either the sweetest people in the world, or the most chaotic. Though they tend to like coffee, and know how to brew. With a definite sass streak, even in the sweet members of the clan, they can and will retaliate if pushed. The family has a nose for trouble, and a taste for adventure. But even stronger, they have a deep bond that few understand. The Picani-Adams also have a penchant for pranks, and the weird ability to stay out of trouble.

The Waller family is known for big blue eyes and even more so for strawberry blonde curls. They all have a pretty voice, though not the magic kind that the most famous Waller, Patton, had in his life. The Wallers are very loyal, and still run a farm. They still have the old barn door, where there are initials and messages carved into the old decaying wood.

The Sanders family, the most noticeably magic family. They all have some gift or other, the gift or storytelling, the gift or persuasion, the gift or wisdom. Many different gifts. Many different names and faces. Occasionally you’ll find a Sanders with slightly suspicious eyes, not often, but maybe the eyes are just slightly too much one color. 

The Pennybackers. They have a penchant for befriending spiders. They’re typically kind, though the stray jerk is known to happen. With an affinity for stripes and oddly enough German, this family is loyal to the end.

There are also places that stand out, even to those that have lived there their entire life.

The old Gage house. It’s orchards are still tended to, but no one is quite sure who does it. The garden is still maintained and pumpkins grow very well in the soil, though no one knows why. Some times, especially around Beltane, Sahmin, and Halloween, the chimney has smoke coming from it and steps can be seen in the dirt path. Chickens are still kept in the coop.

A clearing in the woods, violets grow around it’s borders. Thornless blackberry bushes, and thornless red roses grow to the east. To the west in the clearing, marigolds and little blue flowers grow. Belladonna in the center, around an apple tree. Some people say the plants represent the Spider prince and his consorts. Some say the Lynx Queen uses it as her personal garden. Some say it’s the summer who looks half rotten, using his powers for good.

The graveyard. That often stands out to people, but this one isn’t the normal reason. It has flowers that grow across it and moss across every inch. The flowers that enter the place never die. The headstones stay clear and unweathered. Wind chimes hang around the place, but they never seem creepy.

Linda leans against the old Gauge house, it’s about two fifty  in the morning on what is now Halloween. Everyone is asleep. Except apparently Linda, her wife Percy, their daughter Penny, and Linda’s pseudo uncle Remus.

A figure approaches the quartet, long air moving in the soft autumn breeze.

“You’re earlier than I expected.” The woman, Bia, smiles.

“I’m anxious is what I am.” Linda snorts.

Bia smiles softly, “I wouldn’t be. The things that went after your grandmother are gone.”

“So is she though.”

Bia just shakes her head, “I’m just here to help you reach out to them you know.”

“I know. Thank you Bia.”

“Bianca. My name, it’s Bianca.”

“What?”

“A gift kitty.” She smiles warmly, “Long overdue. Unasked for and freely given. Linda, your birthday was a few days ago, I’m sorry I was gone.”

“It’s just my Eight hundreth ninety second birthday.” Linda frowns, “It’s not important.”

Bia pulls something from her coat pocket, “Yeah it is kitty girl.”

Linda snorts, shaking her head, “If you say so.”

“It’s important Linny.” Percy says sharply, “I said so”

“Mom’s right mama.” Penny grins, her slightly too sharp teeth glinting.

Bia hands Linda an object, “I found it the other night, cleaning out some old boxes.”

Linda looks down, opening the small box she was handed. Several pieces of jewelry sit in it, all with her father’s guild and magic in them.

“How?”

“The town decided I should have all of them. And when they were all given to me it was so fresh I thought it would hurt you. I shouldn’t have kept them so long, they aren’t mine.”

“No, no, it’s not okay. Thank you.” Linda looks up, forcing a smile.

Bia smiles softly, “You don’t have to fake it Linda. I’m sure Remus, Percy, and Penny can take you not smiling.”

“We can Linny.” Percy says.

“C’mon Bobby.” Remus grins, “Let it go.”

Linda blinks, still straining her smile, “Why would you say I am faking a smile?”

Bia just hums, “you’re about as good at it right now as your papa was at lying.”

Linda rolls her eyes, “Whatever. Just tell them I love them, and miss them, and uh- thanks for everything.”

“I will. Anyone else want to add?”

“They raised a good girl.” Percy hums, “And I’m glad they had her”

“It’s boring here without them, no one to bother really.” Remus adds.

“I wish I had met them. They seem nice?” Penny adds.

Bia nods. She sits down in the grass, legs crossed and eyes closed. She hums softly, a hint of magic to her voice.

Her thoughts echo across the yard, the words each person asked to have relayed playing in the person’s voice. At the very end of the list it goes silent.

Bia stays still and quiet, breathing deeply.

A minute passes before she stands turning to Linda and smiling softly

“They say happy late birthday kitty girl. And that they’re proud of you.”

Bia turns to Percy, “They’re glad Linda has you.”

Penny looks up when Bit turns to her, “And that they will be glad to meet you one day in the far, far future.”

“And me?” Remus asks.

Bia laughs softly, “That you haven’t changed a bit.”

Bia pushes to her feet, stopping when she catches sight of twelve crows, who caw.

“Well that’s not great.” She sighs, shaking her head. 

“What’s not great?”

“Twelve crows.”

“What?”

Bia laughs softly, “Surely May taught you the old crow rhyme. Twelve as I head it means a journey that’s soon at it’s end if I remember right.”

“Oh.” Linda sighs, “But that doesn’t make sense.”

“It never does.”

Bia sighs, “I should go. Deliliah will be worried if I’m late. Good night, I’ll see you later.”

“Good night Bianca.” Linda calls.

    -__+__-

A month passes and no one seems to remember the crow warning. Because, it isn’t often that twelve crows group on the roof of an old house. 

Linda finds herself faced with a hunter, unfortunately she wasn’t fast enough and she gets shot. It was an accident, the hunter mistook her for a cat.

But the bullet is iron.

The pain she feels while she slowly burns and dies while her body tries and fails to heal is excruciating. She screams, and screams. Her voice distorting and multiplying, making even her own brain buzz.

Remus finds her first, dropping to his knees, “Bobby, kid?”

She screams louder.

“Linda.” He says, and he never calls her that, “Linda listen to me, you’ll be okay.”

Linda thrashes as he tries to soothe her. She was shot right below the heart. It has already started to burn from the iron. She won’t live, she knows it.

Remus shakes his head, he can’t let her suffer. 

Percy rushes and drops to her own knees, Percy in tow.

“You have to send her.” Remus says slowly.

“I don’t- I do don’t I?”

“You have to.”

“Linda, daughter of Spider prince changeling siren and witch, Lynx Princess, autumn, Tochter Spinne, wife of lake, mother of summer, go home.” Percy says thickly, “And don’t wait for me.”

Linda loses life quickly, but her horrible agonized screaming does quiet.

Remus looks to Percy, “It’s good that you’re already in charge, and even better we’ve sworn to you. But-” He chokes, “There’ll be trouble without Linda.”

Percy nods, looking rather numb.

“You’ll die too now won’t you mom?” Penny speaks up, “Like mama?”

Percy turns, shaking her head, “No. Not while you still need me.”

“Thank you.” Percy whispers.

Percy smiles softly, mechanically, “We had better go tell everyone then.”

  -__+__-

Linda looks up from where she lays, big puffy white clouds sit in the blue sky with the sun bright behind her. She registers that she lays in shallow water, and smells the ocean. She turns to realize that she’s on a beach, and wonders idly why the salt in the water doesn’t sting.

She slowly pushes to sit up, glancing around. There’s a forest to her right, and she tilts her head, wondering where she is to begin with.

The afterlife. 

She sighs, supposing she would be. She can’t hear Percy, or feel her loved ones’ magic. 

Linda pushes to her feet, shoving her wild curls behind her ears. She starts off towards the forest, walking slowly and keeping her senses alert.

She recognizes the trees to be apple trees. Odd.

Linda walks through the forest, catching sigh of a ladder against a tree further ahead. She shrugs, wandering over. Maybe it’s one of her parents, likely her pop, Roman Gauge.

She makes it to the ladder and finds a woman with a mane of fiery hair at the top.

“You’re not my pop.” She says, her voice scratchy and petulant. “If this is the afterlife, why isn’t he here?”

The woman turns and her face twists weird before recognition crosses it. She looks excited and upset at once, as though someone just showed her the lobe of her life, but she realized she couldn’t have them.

“Linda?”

Linda squints up at her, “Who’s askin’?”

“I’m Abbey. Abbey Gauge.”

“Pop’s ma?” She asks, a little confused.

Abbey nods, “They’ll be surprised. What happened sweetheart?”

Abbey blinks up at Abbey, “you look like pop.”

“Thank you.”

“I was shot under my heart by an iron bullet. It was an accident though.” Linda sighs, “But- they’re all here? Right? My dads, and Brian, my uncles, everyone?”

Abbey nods, “But mom’s gonna kill you. It’s so early for you Linda.”

“Well, I didn’t plan to die.” She scoffs, a teasing tone.

“Good. They’re straight ahead.” She points to the left.

Linda grins, “Really?”

“Really Linda.”

“Thank you!” Linda calls, dashing to the direction she was pointed to.

Linda runs as fast as she can, Dizzy and Jax ending up joining her in her run. Well, Jax is flying, but, same thing.

Linda runs smack into Brian, flinging her arms around him. Brian falls flat on his back, stunned.

Jem blinks down at them, he had been talking to Brian, “L-Linda?”

“Jem.” Linda says firmly, burrowing her face into Brian’s chest, “Brian. Oh my god.”

Brian hugs Linda tightly, “Linny? What-”

“Iron is a really horrid way to die B. Zero ten, do not recommend.”

Brian lets out a startled chuckle, “God Linny, you’re early.”

“I already told Abbey, I didn’t plan to die!”

“I should hope not. Virgil’d skin you before anyone else had a chance.”

“I’m glad to see you though.”

“I’m glad to see you too Linda. I just wish you, y’know.”

“I know.”

Brian lays on the ground, hugging Linda, with the biggest smile on his face.  Linda has buried her face into her slightly older cousin, smiling brightly. Not that anyone could tell.

“B?” Thomas asks, “Who’s that?”

Brian and Linda stand up, dusting themselves off. Brian grins at his dad.

Linda turns, smiling, “Thomas!”

Thomas barley braces himself before Linda hugs him tightly, throwing herself at him full force. Linda is purring and realizes she has been since she first tore off towards where Abbey pointed her.

“Linny.” Thomas laughs softly, “What happened?”

Linda shakes her head, “Tell you all at once?”

Thomas nods, “You’re so strong. We’re so proud of you.”

“Why, I’m dead.”

“So are we.”

Linda snorts, “But y’all are s’possed to be. Everyone acts like I’m not s’possed to be.”

“Oh Linda, we’re just sad that you’re not with your family anymore.”

“You’re my family.”

“So is Percy.”

“Percy!” Linda tenses, “Oh god, I left her with Penny.”

“Penny?”

“My daughter.”

Brian smiles, “Who’d you think said they wished they’d met us?”

“Would you please move?!” A voice demands.

Linda turns slowly in her uncles arms to see her four men who look mostly like her parents, but very young.

“Are those?”

“Yeah.” 

Linda breaks free of Thomas’ arms and sprints towards her parents. Roman, used to this, even now, especially now, picks her up and spins her in a happy circle.

“Kitty girl!” Roman beams, “Oh god, look at you. Look at how pretty my baby is!”

Linda laughs gently, “Po-op.” She whines, “Lemme down, I wanna hug you proper!”

Roman shakes his head, “Nope, my little princess is here, and I’m going to spin her forever!’ He continues to spin her, making her laugh.

“Roman, set her down. I should like to meet my granddaughter properly now.” A woman says.

Linda looks to the woman as Roman sets her down, hugging her from behind.

The woman is clearly a faerie, and almost certainly unseelie. Her hair is long, inky black tendrils that seem to ripple and move. She has glowing purple eyes, much like Virgil’s own. She has skin even paler than Virgil’s, pure white like the snow. Blood red lips. She almost looks like snowhite, if snowwhite made everything feel cold, and dimmed the light just around her.

The woman’s shadow seems sentient, like peter pan’s.

But the voice, she’s heard that voice once in her life, years and years, and years ago.

“Grandmother?” Linda asks, “Is that you?”

The woman nods, smiling softly, “Yes, dear, it is. You can call me as you like, some call me Cara.”

Linda smiles gently, “Grandmother, thank you.”

“What for?”

“Everything.” Linda says softly, “But especially for Penelope.”

“It’s nothing dear. How is she?”

“She was fine when I saw her this morning.”

“She would be taking her mother’s death hard.” Cara says softly, fondly even.

“You-” PAtton chokes.

Linda nods, “I do”

Virgil looks to Linda and surges forward to hug her. “I’m sorry, leaving your child is not easy.”

Linda hugs Virgil back tightly, “No, vati, it isn’t.”

The group hugs and switches places repeatedly. They end up clutching at each other for four hours. Until May shows up.

“Ms. Kitty.”

“Mrs. Kitty actually mamaw.” Linda chirps, sitting up, “Heya!”

May does lecture her, much like everyone predicted. For all of about a minute before she’s crying and Linda is hugging her, having moved quickly again.

  -__+__-

That night, at dinner, Linda tells her family what she can.

“My daughter, Penelope, Penny for short, she’s a summer. She’s part wolf, she can speak to canines. The sweetest kid I’ve ever met. She’s got Percy’s green hair, but my skin. And she’s got quicksilver eyes with green in them. She loves art, she often makes us buy her more magenta ink despite the fact she’s using b;lack at the moment.”

“She sounds wild.” Brian grins, “But she’s yours.”

“She won’t hold still long enough to get a braid in her hair, always trying to chase a squirrel.” Linda huffs, “I’m so sorry daddy.”

Patton laughs softly, “It’s okay Linny.”

-__+__-

Not many people can say they even remember what saved the town from the fabled snake king, or that they remember the first Sander family member getting blessed. A few can. 

In the town library there’s a series, called love and other fairy tales. The series captures the stories of the Spider Prince and his consorts. There’s a second series, labeled extended tales of fairies and love. A continuation of the first if you will. It still isn’t over, and it fills shelves that keep multiplying. 

No one is sure who is writing them. Except, two people.

Bia Whitaman, and the lake Princess, Percy. The two women combined their magic to cast the spell that will write the books for them, under the pen name, Vi.

In the second series, lies every story Brian Sanders ever told, every love felt by not only Logan and his husbands, but their friends. In that series lies Linda’s first love, and her wedding. In that series lies Penny’s first heartbreak that will inevitably happen. And in that series, lies a little of the magic the characters had.

Children still whisper about the snake king in ghost stories. The romantics at heart still fawn over the love that was shared between four powerful men. And mothers still marvel at Dorthoy Sanders’ defending of her children, blood and not.

If anyone cares to know about the characters from the series, because the books can’t capture everything just the most important bits of course, it’s rumored that if you go to the odd clearing with the apple tree at night, that one of four figures will wait for you, ready to answer your questions.

One of them is the Lake princess herself, her green hair ever flowing and blue tinted skin. Another is the summer who is known for looking horribly rotten and smelling rancid, but he’s rumored to have a big heart. A third is Bia Whitaman, her ever black hair inky and wild, her green eyes piercing and kind. The last, is the Wolf Princess, her green hair and silver eyes vigilant and wild.

They’ll tell you many stories. 

Maybe you’ll hear about a set of brothers loyal to each other more than to any one else, one of them is a changeling with silver eyes and a big heart, and the other is a human with the kindest soul they’ve ever met. Or they might tell you about a self sacrificing witch who needed to get out of his own head and realize how loved he really was. Or maybe they’ll tell you about the farm boy with an enchanting voice?

Perhaps they’ll tell you about The therapist and the brewer. Or maybe the wild Lynx Princess. Maybe the spiteful but loving old woman. Or the eternally strong Dot and her loving husband Larry. Maybe she’ll tell you about Kai, or Sloane, or Corbin. Maybe the man who took the changeling’s brother’s heart. Maybe the child who tld the best stories.

They will tell you about a storyteller and the lynx princess. They will tell you about the Spider Prince braiding his child’s hair.

But their favorite story to tell, even if it is in writing in the library, will always start with how to get to Whickhills. 

Everyone says differently, but the best answer is that you have to listen to your instincts.

[antigoneawake]

a n t i g o n e   k e n n e d y   g r a v e s

basics:

name: antigone kennedy graves. pronunciation: an·ti·guh·nee keh·nuh·dee grahvs. meaning: antigone- in place of a mother, unbending, against, compared to, like. kennedy- misshapen head or fierce headed. birthday: september 13th. age: nineteen. pronouns: they, she & her. sexuality: pansexual. siblings: archibald graves (triplet), ajax graves (triplet). parents: john graves & elaine graves nee kennedy. other family: darcy kennedy (grandmother). languages: english. current residence: the graves triplet’s london flat. hometown: boston, massachusetts; new york city, new york.

wizard fun:

hogwarts house: ravenclaw. year of graduation: 1979. occupation: intern at the department of mysteries. pet: none. tig does bring home many strays to care for, though. blood status: pureblood. species: witch. patronus: goldfish. it symbolizes prosperity. it brings good luck and good fortune. with its golden scales and colorful patterns, they are associated with much wealth which it will share to those it guides. the gold fish is naturally strong. a big fish for its kind, it swims powerfully to get to where it wants. it also symbolizes a dragon in ancient eastern and oriental traditions, with legend holding that it can transform into a water dragon. its transformative powers make it a sign of power and virility. they exist in naturally serene environments. to view the goldfish and koi is to be reverted into a meditative state. this brings about a feeling of calmness and peace to those that see this animal as a guide. it causes those that see it to be still as well, easing their worries and letting their minds work more freely.  boggart: the memory of her parents bodies in their caskets. the idea of her brothers there with them. amortentia:   candy apple.  one of tig’s favorite treats that reminds her of the best memories of carnivals and festivals with her brothers back at home.  lavender.  lavender has always been tig’s favorite scent. her mother wore it in her perfume and tig also wears it. they used to grow small planters of lavender in their back yard too.  sea salt.  antigone loves the ocean. she always has. it is a life long dream of hers to live her life on the beach next to the ever present waves.  wand type: 9″ willow wood, thunderbird tail feather, springy.  willow is an uncommon wand wood with healing power, and I have noted that the ideal owner for a willow wand often has some (usually unwarranted) insecurity, however well they may try and hide it. while many confident customers insist on trying a willow wand (attracted by their handsome appearance and well-founded reputation for enabling advanced, non-verbal magic) my willow wands have consistently selected those of greatest potential, rather than those who feel they have little to learn. It has always been a proverb in my family that he who has furthest to travel will go fastest with willow.  thunderbird wands were powerful but difficult to master, and were good for transfiguration work. wands with thunderbird tail feather cores, like the birds the feathers are taken from, are able to sense danger and can cast curses on their own. wands with thunderbird tail feather cores have been known to fire curses pre-emptively when supernatural dangers are present. affiliation: neutral.

appearance:

height: 5′4″. hair color: strawberry blonde. eye color: teal. typical hair style: antigone wears her hair long. it has soft curls that almost look beach like in their waves. she often wears her hair up in a simple ponytail with a big bow.  fashion style: tig wears sneakers, straight lined skirts or dresses, peter pan collars, and sweaters. she likes a soft palette of pastel colors. she occasionally wears overalls and high waisted shorts. her skates are always on her person. she loves floral patterns, simple colors, and plaids. [ fashion ] distinguishing features: tig has a look of otherness about her. her eyes are never quite focused on what is in front of her. she has a sprinkling of freckles on her face and a few scars on her arms from being caught in a rose bush as a kid.

personality:

positive traits: contemplative. amiable. open-minded. negative traits: unreliable. naive. nervous. theme song: something wild by lindsey stirling ft andrew mcmahon

headcanons:

tig doesn’t usually have pockets, actually. if she does, it’s because she’s wearing her overalls and if that’s the case, she has rocks and sticks in her pockets. she usually wears a dress or skirts that lack pockets, but she makes up for it by almost always having a pink knapsack with her. it was a gift from her brothers on one of their birthdays. in her bag, she almost always has a deck of tarot cards, a tiger’s eye and turquoise, bandages, dice, mints, bubblegum, an ink pen, a quill and ink pot, colored pencils, ribbons, sheet music, and there is always an assortment of sticks, leaves, and flower petals.

antigone has always been partial to the spring. she likes to watch the world bloom. tig has always had a special and loving connection with nature and it certainly feels the most powerful during the spring. the air is refreshing and breezing, and she will spend hours just laying in the grass on those days. 

she’s a rainy day kind of girl. is there anything better in this life than being caught in a spring shower? antigone graves thinks not. rain is even more beautiful to her because it can make her divinations decidedly more clear. she will stand letting the raindrops in her face for hours and has been caught doing it before. as a younger girl, her grandmother would chide her for coming home soaking wet and catching colds from it.

biography:

TW: death, parental death

The Graves family is one of the most well-known and revered pureblooded families in America and has been so for generations. John and Elaine met through an arranged engagement. However, unlike many who found themselves in a similar position, the couple fell deeply in love. They took up residence in a large colonial house right outside Boston. John focused on climbing the political ladder at MACUSA while Elaine delved into a promising fashion career.

Their pregnancy came as a bit of a shock several years into their marriage. That is, to everyone but John’s mother, a well-known seer who had long said they would have a rare miracle arriving. While they hadn’t planned it, they were both very pleased to begin a family. The surprises continued when they were told that they would be having triplets. Elaine opted to take a step away from the world of fashion so that John might continue his work in Congress. His career was at a crossroads that could not be put on hold. In fact, the choices he made during this time would change the course of his entire family.

The triplets were born just as the Massachusetts leaves had begun to change color and fall. Autumn welcomed them to the world. Antigone was born the middle of the three. A brother on either side and all born just before midnight.

Their childhood was one filled with incredible privilege and opportunities. The triplets were very well educated. Even before they started school at the Salem Institute for Witches, they were well versed in both general education and magical theories. From the beginning, Antigone showed a particular proclivity towards divinations, herbology, and care of magical creatures. Her grandmother was happy to groom her seeing abilities. She always had an innate curiosity. Her wonder for the world often drove her to study anything that she could care for, whether it be flora or fauna. No one could deny that she had a desire to care for things. A trait that was always praised and encouraged by her family.

It was in the triplet’s third year that rumors began to swirl about her father’s political dealings. He had obviously been angling to become President for some time. However, his staunch belief in pureblood supremacy and ties to controversial movements left the public torn in opinion of him. Antigone struggled to believe that her father, one of the most loving and kind men she knew, could ever be how these people described him. They even portrayed her mother as some sort of icy woman. That’s how she knew it all to be untrue. Her father even publicly stepped back from his more controversial views, appeasing most.

What she thought of the rumors would cease to matter as they ended their fourth year of school. An owl came to their headmistress in the dead of night. John and Elaine Graves had both been found dead in their Boston home. An angry citizen who disagreed with his views was the final word, but Antigone certainly didn’t believe it. It didn’t feel right, and all seers knew to trust their instincts above everything. There were too many signs that indicated it was not any wizard. It had to have been a hitwizard, although there was no telling which side ended up hiring them.

While their mother had no siblings or much family to speak of, John had a previously estranged sister in Europe who agreed to take in the now orphaned triplets. It was a large paradigm shift for Antigone and her brothers, who had always been taught that halfbloods and purebloods who did not remain so were dangerous to their way of life. Their father had not said more than a few sentences on his sister for the entirety of their lives. Frankly, Antigone forgot that she had an aunt more often than not. For the woman to show such open kindness and hospitality has her questioning everything that she’d ever been taught growing up.

Moving to a new country and beginning school in an entirely new place still feels like the carpet was pulled out from under her. However, Antigone realized her potential for change here. The last thing she wanted was to end up like her father and mother. Perhaps there was more she could learn from being more open-minded. That being said, she is realizing that there is more to learn and unlearn than she ever realized before and at times, it was all impossible to keep up with.

Hogwarts held its own set of challenges. The curriculum was different, there were people who had known each other for a lifetime that she’d barely remember, Antigone never knew who she could trust and who she couldn’t. What’s more, the world outside was storming. There was a brewing war that they had all been thrust into, and she had no idea where to stand. What she did know was that the images in the leaves told her horrible stories of the future. Stories that terrified her.

Graduation came before she knew it. With her father’s name in politics and her grandmother’s reputation as a seer, Antigone was offered several jobs off the bat. Finally, she decided to take on an internship in the Department of Mysteries as it felt like where she was most needed and useful. Working inside a government that she barely understands in a job that is nearly impossible to explain is a trial in and of itself. Luckily, it does the job to distract her from everything which wants to pull her towards either side of the conflict surrounding her.

[libidomechanica]

Untitled (“And gentle verse”)

And gentle verse. Dye  would like to a stately kissed them  up, gotte. And shakes: her 

little on my small dead words  you witches may avow; and like  to be loved face, and 

more we must bring good. Shee,  light that is so gaily, content,  I seem alive has seized 

my number. Whence immortal  looks like feelings mortal love, and sweet up- locked her in the 

real green bed, with charm  of earliest birds: pleasure? A witchcraft  is crooked, Bay is 

this woman he wild birds sang,  the mornefull verse, als Colin my  mothers soul. And are you 

as Ra knew the  field and low! A few old and will  eventually 

marry  the prove! So we  all the fair. Yon wander 

fair, though they poison to  myself more conscious thrill and leaps like balme  of her mind, and if 

thousands, distracted  with what it  vs bring had, to 

trample mayst thou dost most  opprest, reclined his steedes must descend,  towards they never proof, to 

trample on. And  hang over her was the  Cupid girl who keep that 

nedeth feyned love, and these  ladies, we must be told, and laws unto  the gold; the 

proofe of Beauties could the  rose, thou art to say that I  can say; mend yet though not reason 

fresh, as if Gods future  thundered ever the sonne and  thy deeds a Tyran, you, you 

rebell runaway, didst depart;  alas, I found, you grow white crickets and  the green, gilding crone 

at me doth dwells, she saynt of  shepheard, one universe this new- appeare; I think, yea evn of 

wretches fly, the while  Damon, behold yon bread; now this house said  the wight, a lifetime. 

Farewell! No marvel then stain her?  The chance through am I that  Colin my deare, where yours 

bleed a tear, sae  let they never cheer, that brutal place I  freeze, and rain, there thy Oaten 

pypes, that they lay in  fooles mouth when all fair beseechers  kill; Lusty leaves and nothing 

askd him from gods she  is Simplicity a  grave, her eye. think all best 

bed, so well denote The  queen, had no pere: a chambers of thee.  loves figure to Papa.

[shepofships]

I was tagged in so many things! Thank you, @mactirian and @elvhenyoung! ♥ Answers under the cut. Not tagging anyone myself, but if you see this and want to do it — go ahead!

Five facts about a character Tagged by: @elvhenyoung. Rules: Pick one character and give us five facts about them! The facts can be anything really - from trivial to super duper important. Then tag others for them to play too!

I already answered this for my sweet autumn child Farele Lavellan, so now it's gonna be my canon Shepard, Marian!

Marian isn't that awfully bad dancer the game wants her to be. She doesn't know how to dance ~~properly~~, but she moves pretty much okay — or, at least, no worse than others.

Despite being natural brunette, Marian has light, but prominent freckles on her face, hips and shoulders. Small back, too.

Marian doesn't drink alcohol. There are exceptions, but most of the time she avoids it. Two reasons: 1) she gets drunk quickly; 2) she doesn't like both the smell and the taste.

She never dated aliens until Garrus. To be honest, her love and sex lives weren't exactly colorful.

Her dad's name is John and he looks just like default Sheploo (minus the doe-eyed look lol). The game never mentions him, but I always headcanoned he's alive during ME1 and ME2 events.

Character info Tagged by: @mactirian.

FARELE LAVELLAN

• Eyes: blue | green | brown | hazel | gray | gray-blue | other | *I’m picking both because the color of her eyes is something between these two; sort of yellowish green.

• Hair: blonde | sandy | brown | black | auburn | ginger | grey / white | multi-color | other | *with red undertones

• Body type: skinny | slender | slim | built | curvy | fit | athletic | muscular | chubby | overweight

• Skin: pale | light | fair | freckled | tan | olive | medium | dark | discolored

• Gender: male | female | trans | cis | agender | demigender | genderfluid | other | doesn’t like labels

• Sexuality: heterosexual | homosexual | bisexual | pansexual | asexual | demisexual | other | doesn’t like labels

• Species: human | undead | shapeshifter | demon | angel | witch | ghost | incubus / succubus | werewolf | alien | mutant | vampire | *She's an elf!

• Education: high school | college | university | master’s degree | Ph.D. | other

• I’ve been: in love | hurt | ill | mentally abused | bullied | physically abused | tortured | brainwashed | shot

• Positive traits: affectionate | adventurous | athletic | brave | careful | charming | confident | creative | clever | cunning | determined | forgiving | generous | honest | humorous | intelligent | loyal | modest | patient | selfless | polite | down-to-earth | diligent | romantic | moral | fun-loving | attractive | charismatic | calm

• Negative traits: aggressive | bossy | cynical | envious | shy | fearful | greedy | gullible | jealous | impatient | impulsive | cocky | reckless | insecure | irresponsible | mistrustful | paranoid | possessive | sarcastic | self conscious | selfish | swears | unstable | clumsy | rebellious | emotional | vengeful | anxious | self-sabotaging | moody | peevish | angry | pessimistic | slacker | thin skinned | overly dramatic | argumentative

• Living situation: lives alone | lives with parent(s) / guardian | lives with significant other | lives with friends | drifter | homeless | lives with children | depends on verse

• Parents/Guardian: mom | dad | adoptive | foster | grandmother | grandfather | *all of them are dead

• Sibling(s): sister | brother | only child | uncle | aunt

• Relationship: single | crushing | dating | engaged | married | separated | it’s complicated | depends on verse

• I have a(n): learning disorder | personality disorder | mental disorder | anxiety disorder | sleep disorder (RLS) | eating disorder | behavioural disorder | substance-related disorder | PTSD | mental disability | physical disability (if we’re talking about Inquisitor!Farele)

• Things I’ve done before: had alcohol | smoked | stolen (does looting counts?) | done drugs (elfroot yay!) | self-harmed (kind of, but not in the usual way) | had sex | had a threesome | had a one-night stand | gotten into a fist fight | gone to hospital | gone to jail | used a fake ID | played hooky | gone to a rave | killed someone | had someone try to kill them

10 songs shuffle Tagged by: @mactirian. Rule: We’re snooping on your playlist. Set your entire music library on shuffle and report the first 10 songs that come up. Then, tag 10 victims.

Inon Zur — Rogue Heart (Extended)

Amy Winehouse — Back to Black

The Cab — Angel With a Shotgun

Thomas Bergersen — Illusions

Placebo — Where Is My Mind?

Poets of the Fall — Carnival of Rust

Miracle of Sound — When the Wolves Cry Out

Coldplay — Cemeteries of London

The Neighbourhood — Female Robbery

Mylène Farmer — Derrière Les Fenêtres

10 songs I'm currently obsessed with Tagged by: @mactirian.

Archive — Bullets

DJ Hyper — Spoiler

Quiet Hollers — The Path

Of Monsters and Men — Dirty Paws

Of Monsters and Men — Slow Life

Florence + The Machine — Landscape

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds/Kylie Minogue — Where the Wild Roses Grow

Miracle of Sound — Upside Down

The Guild — Game On

Moby — Extreme Ways

[hivebreed]

tak’s favorite color, obviously, is purple. as a result, her home in my post-show verses is painted purple. her appliances are purple. her walls are purple. the carpet and tile is purple. and, because she’s into the goth aesthetic, there are also plenty of spider webs, horror posters, and dark humor gags like a sugar shaker being labeled “arsenic.” 

she’s known as the town witch, but such a phrase is almost always lovingly spoken. all her neighbors know that she’s a bit of a shut-in, but she also hands out the most candy and has the best decorated house on the block during halloween. kids and teens also found out pretty quickly that she’s sympathetic towards younger individuals. one time, a small group were out skate-boarding in the middle of the night, and a member broke their leg. tak stayed with them and distracted them with wry jokes until the ambulance arrived. she and the kid are surprisingly close now. they like to stop by for tea and biscuits and a safe space away from their step-mom. 

tak loves candles! there’s almost always three or four lit at any given time. her favorite scents are vanilla, lavender, and wild berries. 

she has a small garden in the back of her house where she grows watermelon, berries, and roses. as seen by her sir unit and ship, she loves to create things, and seeing something grow because she helped it is strangely satisfying. garden-fresh organic fruits also prevent her from getting food poisoning from pesticides and preservatives.

her basement has been repurposed so that it is soundproof and can accommodate irken weaponry. she spars against her ship’s ai every other day. just in case. 

irken’s don’t really have an entertainment industry of their own. most music and dance are imported in from other planets, and the performers are almost always other species themselves. but now that she’s exiled, it’s given her time to broaden her horizons, so to speak. her favorite bands are the cure, apocalyptica, and lacuna coil. after some practice, she’s also found that she’s particularly adept at dancing. it’s like sparring, but without the bodily harm? catch her humming a tune and waltzing by herself as she cleans her house. 

as far as movies go, japanese horror is her favorite genre. she’s watched the audition twenty times already and it still hasn’t gotten old. 

her favorite video games are rock band and guitar hero. 

while outside her base, she wears 2-to-5 inch long heels in order to reach and surpass that five foot mark. 

[sternenkrone-blog]

  “I can’t believe I’m being bullied by people I don’t even know.”

[sternenkrone-a-blog]

    “Lilac’s been acting... strange lately,” Rei says over the rim of his delicate tea cup. He’s unglamoured like he always is in front of Daesan these days, but instead of the vibrant, full blossoms usually perking up from underneath his hair and around his neck, he dons wilted leaves and meager flowers whose heads are downturned. His right legs bounces rapidly up and down, no matter how many times he tries to will it to stop. 

    “He keeps... rushing off. Unless I tell him to stick around, he leaves as soon as he can. He even makes sure to be so far away from me that I can’t sense him anymore, and when I ask the trees, they tell me they don’t know where he is. I don’t understand.”

( @sternenschleier ) ♥

[blutseide-a-blog]

Maybe he's feeling a little sick that day. Maybe he's not in his right state of mind, but Soowon walks over lays himself down across Dae's lap and covers his eyes with a drape of his arm across. "..Do you think I can do that too? Find someone I mean?"

            THAT, more than anything else Soowon has probably ever asked him, stuns him into silence. He doesn’t register how odd it is for him to drape himself across like this, either, too busy trying to process that question. But it does make sense, how he wonders. After being exposed to Daehyun and Yamato on an almost daily basis, it might just be natural to develop these thoughts, to ask, “When will I experience the same?” Daehyun’s heart sinks with the realization that he has no answer. On reflex, he buries his fingers in Soowon’s hair, as though it’ll help weaken the blow, that uncertainty.

            “I can’t say,” he responds in earnest, the lightest of frowns tugging at the corners of his lips. “Everyone can, if you look at it in theory, but it’s a lot harder than it actually sounds. Yamato and I, we haven’t... done anything for it. We weren’t searching. I don't think either of us was expecting something, or wanting something. This kind of thing is out of everyone’s control.” He halts his fingers’ movement to study Soowon’s face, even though he can’t see his eyes. Nothing he’s said so far answered the question directly, for the sole reason of him not wanting to get Soowon’s hopes up. He knows firsthand how much it crushes you once those hopes shatter and pierce you head to toe.            Daehyun sighs, still searching for the right words to say. Maybe they simply don’t exist. “I don’t know what to tell you aside from that. If it happens, it happens. There’s... no guarantee. But... “ He tries for a small smile, reassuring and warm. “Do you remember me telling you how much you remind me of myself? If we’re anything alike in that respect, you’ve got the potential in you, at least.”

[cyberneticlagomorph]

Oh shit, world building time

This ran long so to spare your dashes its going under a readmore. Feel free to send any questions if you have them, they help me smooth all this out in the long run

Jack's timeline is home to all manner of creatures, such as the Folk and human magic users like witches and wizards. But that much is common knowledge by now, the fae have been around since time immemorial and are just biding their time until the human race finally forces itself into extinction and the folk can swoop in last second and properly repair the damage to the earth.

More or less, they just want us as a species to fuck right off, because we obviously have no idea how to handle having a planet without fucking it up for every other species. Tbh its hard to be a faerie in the future, everything is metallic, cold and confusing, especially if you're old as dirt. There are fae who've grown up in this setting and around humans, so they're a lot more comfortable and therefore dangerous. Older fae stick to the abandoned or flooded cities, where nature and magic are starting to reclaim everything. The magic and pollution in the environment has led to startling mutations among the wildlife, causing them to grow in size or acquire some Fallout worthy extra appendages, and that's not including what's going on in the acidic and polluted oceans.

Over population and stress on the environment has taken its toll on the planet as well as its inhabitants. A trio of Mega corporations known as the Conglomerate rose from the ashes and chaos to bring order before humanity could tear itself apart with war and hatred. Lazarus Manufacturing leads the group, a powerful cybernetics and robotics company that is the world leader in Bio technology. LM is a cruel and unforgiving company that is quick to buy out or destroy anyone that seems to threaten them financially, anything or anyone that might hinder the march of progress is snuffed out as soon as possible.

Mendel Genetics is a Bio engineering company, they specialize in deextinction, whimsical or exotic pets and creating gmo plants that will survive earths rapidly changing conditions. MG is also responsible for creating the FERA initiative, an army of human-animal hybrid soldiers that can be quickly and efficiently trained, the vampire disease to control over population, and the Sentries, a breed of massive dogs, cybernetically augmented and remotely controlled. By far the least cruel of the three companies, but by no means are they innocent of anything.

Cardboard Fish is an entertainment company that specializes in keeping the populace complacent and ignorant of the horrors the conglomerate is guilty of. They drug prepackaged food and beverages to make them addictive, so people will want to buy them, they put subliminal messages in news and movies so people will forget what they're so upset about. CF hides behind a happy go lucky facade that somehow makes them all the more chilling. Unlike its two partners, CF's corporate offices are blended into the five amusement parks that the company owns, their CEO has a warped sense of whimsy and humor. He's fond of using live people as animatronics in his parks, childish and brutal.

All three companies use humans in their testing, orphans, homeless, criminals and enemies of the conglomerate are all fair game. They're subjected to inhumane and illegal treatment, but no one can really do anything because the conglomerate owns most of the government. That's why the resistance exists. The resistance is a collection of escaped test subjects, former conglomerate employees, and concerned citizens. They fight back with nature and self sustainable practices, just as much as bullets and jail breaks. They're a bunch of asshats that manipulate people they rescue into unwilling soldiers and pawns. They host midnight markets and daytime farmers markets, because many of the resistance's members have taken up growing their own food or raising livestock in secrecy. Some of the resistance members have legitimate farms and businesses, they hire newly rescued test subjects and help them get back on their feet, in addition to providing safe environments for members to shop or converse without fear of conglomerate spies.

I mentioned that magic is a thing earlier in this post, as are vampires, I'll get to vamps in a second. Magic in this verse is treated as a fairytale by those who don't practice or don't know how. Magic is an art and a science as varied and wonderful as the people who practice it, any "special materials" needed for a spell can be purchased at a midnight market, because they tend to draw fae and other magic users out from hiding. There's wild magic and city magic, city magic is tame and linear, so long as you know what you're doing and you do it right, you'll be fine. Wild magic is capricious, wiggly and wild, you cannot "master" wild magic, you can only learn how to work with it how to be flexible and respectful of it. Because it's always going to do its own thing. Wild magic ebbs and flows, city magic is rigid and dependable. Its easy to tell when a magic user has grown up using one or the other.

OK! Now vampires! Vampirism is a disease created by Mendel Genetics in order to control the rapidly growing population. It was released into low income distracts and slums, with "wonderful" results. Its transmitted via fluid transfer, like blood or semen, in a bite or by sexual contact. Once infected the victim experiences flu-like symptoms and migraines, within a few days comes lethargy, sensativity to bright lights and extreme thirst or hunger. Most infected will experience a change in saliva viscosity and flavor, most often salty or metallic, during this time a row of new teeth will start to grow in behind the originals and gums start to ache and bleed. The full transformation takes almost two weeks, but the hunger for blood and flesh takes much less time to developed. The entire point of the disease is for the infected to become violent and vicious, a bloodthirsty monster that mauls and kills and can be shot point blank without much guilt afterwards. Of course something like that is hard to control, that's where the bloodhounds come in.

The bloodhounds are a squad of wolf - human hybrids trained to track and kill vampires when their numbers grow to large. Unlike the FERA hybrids, the bloodhounds aren't "acceptable" looking. They're some of the oldest hybrids, made back when the technology was primitive (or primitive by today's standard) they look more bestial, they're cruel and effective, but loyal and trustworthy. Unlike newer hybrids they can breed, newer hybrids are born sterile or forcibly neutered at a young age as a precaution.

This post was longer than I meant it to be! If you actually read all of this, thank you?? I'll try to make more posts like this in the future, shorter posts probably...

[luslogh-blog]

MEMORIAL FOR THE CITY

By W.H. Auden (In Memoriam Charles Williams, d. April 1945) ~In the self-same point that our soul is made sensual, in the self-same point is the City of God ordained to him from without beginning.~ Juliana of Norwhich

I The eyes of the crow and the eye of the camera open Onto Homers world, not ours. First and last They magnify earth, the abiding Mother of gods and men; if they notice either It is only in passing: gods behave, men die, Both feel in their own small way, but She Does nothing and does not care. She alone is seriously there.

The crow on the crematorium chimney And the camera roving the battle Record a space where time has no place. On the right a village is burning, in a marker-town to the left The soldiers fire, the mayor bursts into tears, The captives are led away, while far in the distance A tanker sinks into a dedolent sea. That is the way things happen; for ever and ever Plum-blossom falls on the dead, the roar of the waterfall covers The cries of the whipped and the sighs of the lovers And the hard bright light composes A meaningless moment into an eternal fact Which a whistling messenger disappears with into a defile: One enjoys glory, one endures shame; He may, she must. There is no one to blame.

The steady eyes of the crow and the camera's candid eye See as honestly as they know how, but they lie. The crime of life is not time. Even now, in this night Among the ruins of the Post-Vergilian City Where our past is a chaos of graves and the barbed-wire stretches ahead Into our future till it is lost to sight, Our grief if not Greek: As we bury our dead We know without knowing there is reason for what we bear, That our hurt is not a desertion, that we are to pity Neither ourselves nor our city; Whoever the searchlights catch, whatever the loudspeakers blare, We are not to despair.

II Alone in a room Pope Gregory whispered his name    While the Emperor shone on a centreless world From wherever he happened to be; the New City rose     Upon their opposition, the yes and no Of a rival allegiance; the sword, the local lord     Were not all; there was home and Rome; Fear of the stranger was lost on the way to the shrine.

The facts, the acts of the City bore a double meaning:     Limbs became hymns; embraces expressed in just A more permanent tie; infidel faces replaced     The family foe in the choleric's nightmare; The children of water parodied in their postures     The infinite patience of heaven; Those born under Saturn felt the gloom of the day of doom.

Scribes and innkeepers prospered; suspicious tribes combined      To rescue Jerusalem from a dull god, And disciplined logicians fought to recover thought      From the eccentricities of the private brain For the Sane City; farmed in her windows, orchards, ports,      Wild beasts, deep rivers and dry rocks Lay nursed on the smile of a merciful Madonna.

In a sandy province Luther denounced as obscene      The machine that so smoothly forgave and saved If paid; he announced to the Sinful City a grinning gap      No rite could cross; he abased her before the Grace: Henceforth division was also to be her condition;      Her conclusions were to include doubt, Her loves were to bear with her fear; insecure, she endured.

Saints tamed, poets acclaimed the raging herod of the will;      The groundlings wept as on a secular stage The grand and the bad went to ruin in thundering verse;      Sundered by reason and treason the City Found invisible ground for concord in measured sound,      While wood and stone learned the shameless Games of man, to flatter, to show off, be pompous, to romp.

Nature was put to the Question in the Prince's name;      She confessed, what he wished to hear, that she had no soul; Between his scaffold and her coldness the restrained style,      The ironic smile became the worldly and devout, Civility a city grown rich: in his own snob way      The unarmed gentleman did his job As a judge to her children, as a father to her forests.

In a national capital Mirabeau and his set      Attacked mystery; the packed galleries roared And history marched to the drums of a clear idea,      The aim of the Rational City, quick to admire, Quick to tire: she used up Napoleon and threw him away;      Her pallid affected heroes Began their hectic quest for the prelapsarian man.

The deserts were dangerous, the waters rough, their clothes      Absurd but, changing their Beatrices often, Sleeping little, they pushed on, raised the flag of the Word      Upon lawless spots denied or forgotten By the fear or the pride of the Glittering City;      Guided by hated parental shades, They invaded and harrowed the hell of her natural self.

Chimeras mauled them, they wasted away with the spleen,      Suicide picked them off; sunk off Cape Consumption, Lost on the Tosspot Seas, wrecked on the Gibbering Isles      Or trapped in the ice of despair at the Soul's Pole, They died, unfinished, alone; but now the forbidden,      The hidden, the wild outside were known: Faithful without faith, they died for the Conscious City.

III

Across the square, Between the burnt-out Law Courts and Police Headquarters, Past the Cathedral far too damanged to repair, Around the Grand Hotel patched up to hold reporters, Near huts of some Emergency Committee, The barded wire runs through the abolished City.

Across the plains, Between two hills, two villages, two trees, two friends, The barbed wire runs which neither argues nor explains But, where it likes, a place, a path, a railroad ends, The humor, the cuisine, the rites, the taste, The patterns of the City, are erased.

Across our sleep The barbed wire also runs: It trips us so we fall And white ships sail without us though the others weep, It makes our sorry fig-leaf as the Sneerers' Ball, It ties the smiler to the double bed, It keeps on growing from the witch's head.

Behind the wire Which is behind the mirror, our Image is the same Awake or dreaming: It has no image to admire, No age, no sex, no memory, no creed, no name, It can be counted, multiplied, employed In any place, at any time destroyed.

Is it our friend? No; that is our hope; that we weep and It does not grieve, That for It the wire and the ruins are not the end: This is the flesh we are but never would believe, The flesh we die but it is death to pity; This is Adam waiting for His City.

Let Our Weakness speak

IV

Without me Adam would have fallen irrevocably with Lucifer; he           would never have been able to cry ~O Felix culpa~ It was I who suggested his theft to Prometheus; my frailty cost                Adonis his life. I heard Orpheus sing; I was not quite as moved as they say. I was not taken in by the sheep's-eyes of Narcissus; I was angry with         Psyche when she struck a light. I was in Hector's confidence; so far as it went. Had he listened to me Oedipus would never have left Corinth; I cast          no vote at the trial of Orestes. I fell asleep when Diotima spoke of love; I was not responsible for      the monsters which tempted St Anthony. To me the Savior permitted His Fifth Word from the cross; to be a                           stumbling-block to the stoics. I was the unwelcome third at the meetings of Tristan with Isolda; they tried to poison me. I rose with Galahad on his Quest for the San Graal; without      understanding I kept his vow. I was the just impediment to the marriage of Faustus with Helen; I           know a ghost when I see one. With Hamlet I had no patience; but I forgave Don Quixote all for his admission in the cart. I was the missing entry in Don Giovanni's list; for which he could never account. I assisted Figaro the Barber in all his intrigues; when Prince Tamino   arrived at wisdom I too obtained my reward. I was innocent of the sin of the Ancient Mariner; time after time I        warned Captain Ahab to accept happiness. As for Metropolis, that too-great city; her delusions are not mine. Her speeches impress me little, her statistics less; to all who dwell on  the public side of her mirrors, resentments and no peace. At the place of my passion her photographers are gathered together;             but I shall rise again to hear her judged.

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: A Compendium of Shakespeare’s Plants, from Juliet’s Rose to Ophelia’s Bouquet

Flags from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

From Ophelia’s bouquet in Hamlet, brimming with rosemary “for remembrance” and pansies “for thoughts,” to the “root of hemlock digged i’th’ dark” that boils in the witches’ cauldron in Macbeth, William Shakespeare’s plays are lush with botanical references. Out this month from Harper Design, Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins, compiles all of Shakespeare’s floral quotations alongside images of the plants he cites.

Cover of Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of all the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

In the introduction to Botanical Shakespeare, whose full, sprawling title is worthy of the Elizabethan era, historian Quealy writes: “Our aim was to put a ‘face’ with the plant name, paired with all the attendant quotes, so you could better see the Bard’s interior landscape, if you will.” Hasegawa-Collins’s illustrations turn the compact hardback into a modern version of the herbals that likely informed Shakespeare’s plant expertise. Quealy notes that, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, “publishing went into overdrive, first with translations of popular material from Europe, which included botany books, then with homegrown versions in just about every genre.”

Home remedies were also common knowledge in an era of informal medicine, and vegetable gardens were grown at most English homes. Quealy states that there are “roughly 175 specific mentions” of plants in Shakespeare’s plays, “with even more general references and commentary on planting, pruning, growing, grafting, weeding, seeding, folklore galore, and tributes.” Botanical Shakespeare arranges them alphabetically, so that familiar references like Juliet’s “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by another other name would smell as sweet” mingle with more obscure name-checks like Menenius’s warning “We have some old crab-trees here at home that will not be grafted to your relish,” from Coriolanus. An index of “syllabic sketches” adds context to the verses. For instance, the rhubarb of Macbeth (“What rhubarb, cyme, or what purgative drug would scour these English hence?”) was from a time when it was used medicinally rather than as food, and the aloe of A Lover’s Complaint (“And sweetens, in the suffering pangs it bears, the aloes of all forces, shocks, and fears”) referenced a more bitter plant that served as an evacuant treatment rather than a balm. (Purging was unfortunately the goal of many Elizabethan cures.)

Pages from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

Give that plants appear in the Bard’s writing so frequently, Botanical Shakespeare is far from the first study of them. A 2016 exhibition at the Currier Museum of Art called Shakespeare’s Potions paired his writing with historical herbals, and Margaret Willes’s 2015 book A Shakespearean Botanical combined passages with illustrations by herbalist John Gerard, a contemporary of Shakespeare. Even back in the 19th century, Henry Nicholson Ellacombe created an extensive text called The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare. There are also the physical Shakespeare gardens with cultivated specimens mentioned in the plays, such as one at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which has over 80 cited plants, and the four-acre landscape in Central Park that dates to 1913 (the Manhattan park was also the site of an infamous release of European starlings in 1890, part of a scheme to introduce all the birds of Shakespeare into North America).

Like Oberon spying Titania asleep on a “bank where the wild thyme blows, / Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), there’s something entrancing about the Bard’s floral imagery. The actress Helen Mirren references this attraction in her foreword to Botanical Shakespeare. She writes that her “penchant for gardening came during my time with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford,” where the “physicality of the material and the material world of plants sort of converged.”

Fumiter and furze from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

Hemlock and hemp from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

Hyssop and insane root from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

Mandrake and mandragora from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

Moss from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

Poppy and potato from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

Rosemary from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

Saffron from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

Violet from Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright, by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins (courtesy Harper Design)

Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of all the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright by Gerit Quealy with illustrations by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins is published by Harper Design.

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