#A Circle of Uncommon Witches

[sorchiadubois]

S.K. Reviews A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher

I was probably in a snarky mood because the setup did not captivate me at first—A witch generationally cursed never to find true love sets out to break the spell cast on her family and must team up with the last person who wants to help her – the witch who set the curse in the first place. But, snarkiness aside, I am always in the mood for witches and curses, plus we are going to Scotland in this…

[jolieeason]

July 2024 Wrap-Up

Here is what I read, posted, won, received, and bought in July. Let me know if you have read any of these books and what you thought of them. Books I Read: Books Reviewed: Ladykiller by Katherine Wood—review here Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn—review coming October 15th, 2024 Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore—review coming October 29th, 2024 Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller—review coming…

[creature-wizard]

Hello, your special interest in conspiracy theories might prove insightful for my predicament.

i've been having very strange things happening to me from a young age, and only in the past few years have i begun to accept them and embrace them. however, whenever i try to search for any information about them, i find these new age conspiracy rabbit-holes that as you've made clear are just thinly veiled white supremacist nonsense.

I wonder if transcendent experiences (in my case having direct, regular and positive interaction with a caring nonhuman entity as well as accurate premonitions for largely mundane future events) are not that uncommon but we either push them to the back of our mind and make them out to be wishful thinking or odd quirks of the brain.

That therein I think may be one of the reasons why the new age cult is the monster it is today: a vacuum of explanation and community for the very real and unexplainable experiences people leads them to new age sooner or later. In these rabbit-holes I often found people speaking of very similar experiences to mine but immediately attributing it to explanations provided by this cult, ones that i felt very deep in my gut to be bullshit.

Do you think the apprehension to discuss & believe genuine spiritual experiences for fear of a loss of acceptance by your peers is detrimental to non-new age spiritual communities? I observe that online pagan, witch, etc circles are rife with this apprehension, of either accepting their or others experiences, either actively or passively by adjusting language used to appeal to the assumed skepticism of the audience. New age, on the other hand, appeared to be far more accepting of the reality of these experiences.

A general unwillingness to consider strange and seemingly inexplicable events (spiritual experiences, UFO encounters, etc) without trying to apply a "rational" yet wholly inadequate explanation is absolutely a problem. The people who do this aren't even necessarily trying to be dismissive, but it can still often feel that way.

Meanwhile, New Age and the conspiracysphere in general will usually provide some sort of explanation that at least feels adequate, especially to those who aren't particularly scientifically or historically literate. (Although some people are so desperate that they'll set aside their scientific and historical knowledge.) New Age alien mythology, for example is of course chock full of nonsense, but it's still more validating than "you hallucinated it" or "you just saw a normal aircraft."

That said, I also don't think this is the only problem. People in general are just uncomfortable with not having answers, and don't really understand how having no answer is better than having a bad answer. Furthermore, people often perceive scientists as waffly and ignorant because scientists have a much better understanding of how much they don't know than the average person, and are therefore more hesitant to give firm answers; whereas conspiracy theorists, who are often incredibly ignorant as to how much they just don't understand, will just trumpet their beliefs with absolute certainty, and thus feel more likely to be right.

Overall I'd say there's a big cloth mother/wire mother problem going on, where New Age conspirituality often provides comfort and validation where more critical viewpoints typically do not.

Sometimes, people's egos just get in the way, like the person who has an incredibly vivid experience where they perceive a divine being telling them they're the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, and doesn't want to hear that maybe their experience shouldn't be taken at face value, and maybe they shouldn't go and start a cult over it.

So yeah, I'd say it's a combination of factors, and I think overall it could be helped by everyone coming to terms with not needing to have an answer or a solution to things like this all the time. We don't need to always assume that we already have enough information to adequately explain things like this, and that it's better to not have an answer than to come up with a bad one. And I think it could also be helped by understanding that just because the current "rational" answer is wholly inadequate, doesn't mean that the conspiratorial or spiritual one is any better. And I think we all need to be more aware of people's need for validation and comfort, and do our best to be more compassionate and understanding in general.

[freyofthewoods]

Freja Hallows

Meet Freja Hallows!

Druid of the Circle of Dreams~

Info about my AU beneath the cut:

In my AU, the Soul Riders are missing, and the Druids are separated into Circles. Specifically three sets of three Circles. They're separated into three subsets. Common, uncommon and rare. A Druid is gifted their horse, their Soulsteed, when they join the Druids. On their 16th Birthday they go through a ritual to manifest their Familiar, which grants them their Circle. If a Druid joins later, the sooner they are given this Ritual the better. But, they have to have bonded to their Soulsteed before they can gain their Familiar! A Druid of the Circles can Soul Bond to multiple horses! But never to a Magical Horse. (A Druid of the Circles is also called a Witch~)

The Familiar determines what Circle they belong to, as the Familiar comes with it's Name. It's Name is what determines what Circle the Druid is a part of. The Circles are as follow:

Common:

Elemental

Storm

Song

Uncommon:

Ritual

Guardian

Divination

Rare:

Creation

Celestial

Dreams

With each one more rare than the last, culminating in Dreams being the rarest of them all.

An example of a Ritual Circle Familiar's name is "Sage" as Sage is often used to cleanse a ritual space. An example of a Guardian Circle Familiar's name is "Obsidian" as Obsidian is a protective stone.

Freja's Familiar's name is an example of a Dream Circles Familiar's name: Valerian. Valerian is an herb that is commonly used to help with sleep and dreams.

This leads me to Freja~

She is a Circle of Dreams Witch at the age of 21. She moved to Jorvik from Colorado at the age of 13, moving in with her 'Uncle' Martin, who later she would find out is actually her dad! Her mother is a wealthy CEO, and her "dad" wasn't really present in her life. Her mother came from Jorvik, and moved to Colorado to get away from the Magic that she had been a part of, but with the news that the Soul Riders hadn't been chosen, she knew that her bloodline would be needed as darkness would begin rising on Jorvik. And so she sent her only daughter to be trained in the family magic. Frey originally thought her last name was Halloway, but would find out was Hallows, as she uncovered that Martin was her true father and the letter jacket that her mom gifted her before sending her to Jorvik was his.

She bonded with Darkdancer, Dancer for short, on a ride through a blizzard when he finally spoke to her. This was near her 16th birthday, and the Druids thought that she would never bond with him, and would never be able to officially become a Druid.

At the age of 16 she summoned Valerian, Val or short, her Raven Familiar. He is a persnickety fellow, and very vocal. He bonded her to the Circle of Dreams. She is one of only two other Circle of Dreams Druids currently on Jorvik. She spends half her time in a sleepy state, daydreaming as she weaves her magic and sees into the dreamlands to see visions and the dreamworlds. The dreamlands are in parallel to Pandoria, and almost add a structure to the chaos that is Pandoria. But only minorly. She can influence the dreamlands, but only when she's sleeping. The Circle of Dreams is a dangerous Circle, but also a tough Circle to be a part of.

I have a lot more thoughts on this AU, but it's late and I like. Don't have them organized. If y'all have any questions please feel free to ask me!! I'd love to answer them!

[guardianspirits13]

A discussion of nonbinary representation in media, as characterized by Raine Whispers

(+accompanying doodles of Raine living the trans experience, wether amab, afab, or neither :)

So here's the thing: we don't know if Raine is trans. It's not really mentioned or discusssd beyond using they/them pronouns and it makes sense to us based on the rules of our world that they are trans, but they exist in a very different place with very different rules. Since they are the only nonbinary character in the series (edit: other than Masha but they’re human so that’s a bit more black and white) and we have no context otherwise, it is equally possible that they transitioned at a young age or that it is possible for witches to be born as physically 'genderless', while uncommon.

I find this dilemma falls under the broader scope of the discussion of nonbinary representation in media. There are two main ways to portray nonbinary (particularly androgynous) characters: either playing it straight as it is with Raine, no questions asked, or by encorporating elements of the trans experience into their story or character.

The catch with nonbinary characters is that, opposed to binary trans characters, is that you don't know what gender they were assigned at birth (while this is generally rather obvious with binary trans characters). If written badly, it may feel disingenuous to have a nonbinary character whose birth gender is alluded to or "revealed". On the other hand, magically sexless nonbinary characters aren't always the best representation either, as a) there is no real way to 'pass' as nonbinary in the real world and b) even for androgynous identifying nonbinary people, complete androgyny is often an unattainable feat in the first place.

It is important to have characters who are realistically trans, including the less "pretty" parts of the transition process. It is an important lesson to have in media that you don't have to be flat-chested or clean-shaven or whatever to deserve respect for your identity.

And again, both types of nonbinary representation are good in their own ways, but it is important to be cognizant of this as I became when I began developing a nonbinary character of my own.

This has been circling in my mind for quite a bit and has just come back to me now with my mini-fixation on Raine. If you are nonbinary yourself and/or have any other (respectful) thoughts on this, I would love to hear them!

Thanks for reading!

[eddysocs]

Magic Misfires — Hilda Spellman x OC

Summary: Desdemona goes and gets herself into trouble when practicing her magic, but Hilda is there to help dispel the magic and make her feel better.

Word Count: 891

Warnings: None

The morning sun filtered through the windows of the Spellman house, casting a warm glow over the kitchen. Hilda Spellman hummed to herself, content with the quiet of the morning. The peace didn’t last long, however. A loud crash echoed from the hallway, followed by a groan. Hilda’s startled expression softened as she recognized the source. Desdemona Scott, the young witch still grappling with the chaos that often accompanied beginner spellcasting.

Hilda found Desdemona sprawled out on the floor, tangled in what looked like a dozen floating silk scarves, all glowing faintly and twisting around her. The poor girl looked dazed, blinking up at Hilda with wide eyes.

"Goodness, Des," Hilda exclaimed, rushing over and gently untangling the magical ribbons of energy. "What have you gotten yourself into now?"

Desdemona grimaced as she managed to sit up. "I was trying a simple levitation spell. Just...you know...for practice. But it got out of hand. Literally." For emphasis, she wiggled her fingers, which were still glowing faintly with an odd shimmer. "Now, everything feels...off. Like there’s static in the air, and it’s stuck inside me."

Hilda’s usual warm smile dimmed with concern. “Oh dear, that doesn’t sound good at all. Let’s get you to the kitchen, and I’ll take a closer look.”

As they settled at the table, Hilda could see that Desdemona was more than just rattled. Her skin had taken on a strange hue —pale with a faint tinge of green— and her eyes were tinged with an unnatural glow. Hilda suspected that Desdemona had unwittingly crossed the streams of two spells, causing a magical backlash.

“Well, you’ve definitely got yourself in a bit of a pickle,” Hilda said kindly. “Looks like the magic’s gone haywire in you. It’s not uncommon for beginners, so don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Desdemona groaned, resting her head on her arms. “It’s like I’ve got the worst case of the flu, but with a side of magical static. Everything feels heavy and weird, and I can barely think straight.”

Hilda patted her back sympathetically. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll get this sorted out. I’ve seen all sorts of magical mishaps in my time. Now, let me brew up something to ease those symptoms while I figure out what’s gone wrong.”

As Hilda set to work gathering ingredients, she spoke gently, hoping to soothe the restless novice witch in her care. “You know, Des, it’s all part of learning. Magic’s tricky business. It has a way of turning on you if you’re not careful, but it also teaches you to respect its power. You’re learning and growing. This is just a bump in the road.”

Desdemona smiled weakly. “You make it sound like I’m just having a bad day.”

“Well, in a way you are. A magic induced bad day, but a bad day all the same.” Hilda winked as she stirred a concoction of herbs and powders into a bubbling pot. The scent of rosemary, lavender, and something earthy filled the air.

After a few moments, Hilda handed Desdemona a steaming cup. “Drink this. It should stabilize the magic in you long enough for me to do some proper diagnostics.”

Desdemona sipped carefully, wrinkling her nose at the taste, but after a few moments, the buzzing sensation began to lessen. She relaxed a bit, grateful for the brief reprieve.

Hilda took her hand, closing her eyes as she muttered a quick spell under her breath. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she felt the tangled threads of magic inside Desdemona. “Ah, there it is. You’ve accidentally created a loop in your spell. Magic’s circling back on itself inside you. No wonder you’re feeling all out of sorts.”

“So...how do we fix it?” Desdemona asked nervously.

“It’s just going to take a bit of untangling. I’ll need to create a counter spell to unwind the loop and redirect the excess energy safely. You’ll be fine, but it might be a little uncomfortable. Are you ready?”

Desdemona nodded, bracing herself. Hilda’s voice took on a melodic cadence as she chanted softly. The room shimmered with the backed up magical energy that coursed inside her as it made its way out, and Desdemona felt a tugging sensation deep within her, letting her know that whatever Hilda was doing, it was working. She gripped the edge of the table, holding on as Hilda worked her magic.

With a final flick of her wrist, Hilda finished the spell, and the tension inside Desdemona snapped free. She slumped back in her chair, feeling suddenly light and clear headed. The odd shimmer faded from her skin, and the strange greenish hue vanished as well.

Hilda smiled warmly, patting Desdemona’s hand. “There we are! Right as rain. You’ll need to take it easy for a day or two. No spellcasting while your magic rebalances itself. And remember, practice makes perfect, but don’t rush yourself. You’re doing just fine.”

Desdemona exhaled in relief, smiling gratefully. “Thank you, Hilda. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Oh, nonsense, love. You’re doing splendidly. Just keep at it. And if you ever get into a bit of magical trouble again, you know where to find me.” Hilda winked, and with that, she bustled back to her brewing, leaving Desdemona with a newfound sense of confidence and a comforting warmth in her chest.

For @sicktember

Forever Tag: @baubeautyandthegeek, @kmc1989, @curious-kittens-ocs, @fanficanatic-tw, @gcthvile, @kenjioharashotspot, @immyowndefender

Desdemona Scott: @gay-and-sad-tm, @freshmoneyalmondathlete

[snootlestheangel]

A Guide to All Things Snootles

Primarily a COD blog but it's just straight brain rot. Lotta reblogs but also some very nifty homemade stuff. I am super friendly, I promise! Feel free to send any kind of ask/dm, I'd love the interaction :D

Here's my side blog dedicated to my OG work: @snootlessimperfectworld

Snootles-made ask game

Shadow Company OCs found under "Snootles's Shadow OCs" Initial Post and Ask Reblog; Ness Dump; Flash Dump; Truck Dump; Woody Dump: Here is Art of Ness and Here is a Comic ft. Ness I FUCKING LOVE THESE ARTISTS

The SoapGaz Bromance Series: 1st Post, 2nd, 3rd

Girl!Dad Price: OG Post; Incorrect Quotes (based on a work, see WIPs further down); Random Thing; Another Girl!Dad thing

Things for To Love, To Let Go: Post One, Some Things, Worldbuilding

Sleeptalking!Soap: The Reblog; The Ask

Gaz Has A Twin SIster: Proof, Further Evidence

Soap is Lightning, change my mind

Random YouTuber AU ft. GazAlex: AO3 Link, OG Post, Next Post, First Drabble;

My Posted WIPs:

Silence is Golden But Consequences are Red ;a SoapGhost fic; alternate universe; angst; slow-burn; features the SoapGaz bromance

Of Earthly Things ; SoapGhost fic, Cryptid!Ghost, Cryptid Hunters 141 AU; Cryptids, monsters, witches, demons: anything you heard fairytales of or anything warned about by the elders are very much real. Very real and very much a part of everyday life.The 141 is a small, private group composed of researchers and other cryptid enthusiasts that specialize in monitoring the inhuman populations around the UK. They offer their knowledge and resources to assist those dealing with issues regarding those that aren’t human. It isn’t uncommon for the 141 to help get rid of a goblin infestation, or relocate a fae circle to one of the designated areas. And life is pretty normal for the small team. At least, it is that way before the new hire. Something about him just doesn’t seem to be quite human…

Guardian of Mercy and Men : A Price x f!OC; Price encounters an old friend of his that he had fallen in love with all those years ago; some angst and fluff as they navigate their feelings for each other when she is assigned to the 141 as a combat medic.

To Love, To Let Go : Self-indulgent fic where, after an apocalyptic event in the US, Price meets a kid named Bailey Gray who has lost everything since The Incident. Together, with the help of Nik and the 141, they learn how to love new and let go of others.

Unending Devotion ; Dad!Price fic; he's a girl dad; NikPrice; Gaz is best big brother; daughter is animal hybrid; some angst, some fluff, and everything in between; about to feature a Graves hero arc

His Wounded Cry ; Wolfshifter!Ghost fic; SoapGhost; technically slow-burn?; Ghost gets a family again; just Ghost being loved like he deserves, okay? Here's the worldbuilding post

Dead City ; Left4Dead AU with Task Force 141 trying to survive the apocalypse. Has SoapGhost, some angst, some fluff, lots of cheesy jokes/references to Left4Dead, and Gaz being the unluckiest mf-er to ever exist

Break For Your Heart ; a GhostSoap Prison Break AU ft. Unhinged!Soap and Is Weird to Cope!Ghost; found under the tag "break for your heart" or "prison break au" or "it's unhinged!soap time"; ao3 link

Cheers to the Unknown ; Monster AU featuring Just A Dude!Ghost; random posts made here; most likely won't be full, coherent story, just ramblings all tagged under "cheers to the unknown" Here is the initial post that started this and here is the follow-up worldbuilding post

Random Short Works

It Means I Love You SoapGhost short; catshifter!Ghost

Artemis to His Apollo Gaz has a twin sister short fic

What Am I? SoapGhost angst short; comfort?

COD Boys Play A Board Game: exactly what it sounds like

Thistle A very painful short fic I did that has MCD but I used it as coping for losing a loved one

Screaming Into The Void A short SoapGhost angst fic set in an apocalyptic world

[charmixpower]

Here's some magic terms for my thingy!

Fairy:

Circle - Group of Faries that work together

• This is named after the fact that Fairy magic works best in even numbers

(cuz Fairy magic is based on emotions working with people you like makes convergence easier, convergence will fail if you dislike the people your working with, circles are EXTREMELY common. They used to be a big deal but now it's more of a way to denote a fairy friend group that does magic together)

Invocix - Fairy first form

• Named after how this form usually just happens after a fairy feels a strong emotion

Charmix - Fairy second form

• This is named after the fact that a recurring motif or symbol for a fairy usually appears in this form

Enchantix - Final natural Fairy form

• Fairy dust appears in this form and is a collection of pure magic, the easiest way to enchant something

Major Fairy - Connection to magi made core

• A Fairy can create an open magical source that all the local magical creatures to add into and feed off of, with the creator at the top

(The Fairy creates a large ball of magic and let's other magical creatures take from it and feed into it until it's stable. It's basically a weaker guardian Fairy but the core and everyone who feeds into it are more personal, reactive, and connected)

Guardian Fairy - Connection to all of one type of magic

• A fairy can draw extra magical power from the core but the relationship is cyclical, as if the core is harmed it will drain the fairies power

Harmonix - Connection to all of magic

• Musa named this form after how it allows the user to interact with any form of magic despite what kind it is

Nymphix - Control of all of magic

• Magi who got the elemental forms where called Nymph's once upon a time, when this form was discovered it was named after this

Witch:

Coven - Group of Witches that work together

• Word comes from how Witches often treat their groups more business-y than fairy circles

(cuz Witch magic isn't based on emotions they are less likely to form groups that they work permanently with like Faries do, so covens are pretty uncommon. Tho some witches like the Trix like to stick to the old ways of picking like 2 other people you trust and only working with them. That or some people just like working with their friend group)

Glamourix - Witch first form

• From the word Grammar, based on how Witches study to reach their forms (that's actually where the word comes from isn't that neat?)

Emblemix - Witch second form

• This is when Witches have enough control over their forms to create a magical emblem that their magic relateds to themselves

Conjorix - Final natural Witch Form

• This is also named after how witches intentionally make their magic form

Major Witch - Connection to magi made core

• A Witch can create an open magical source that all the local magical creatures to add into and feed off of, with the creator at the top

(The Witch pulls a small bit of magic from all magical creatures, creating a magic hub for them to pull from when they need more magic. It's basically a weaker guardian Witch but the core and everyone who feeds into it are more personal, reactive, and connected)

Guardian Witch - Connection to all of one type of magic

• A witch can connect more deeply with magical power from the core but the relationship is cyclical, as if the core is harmed it will drain the Witches power

Concordix - Connection to all of magic

• Musa named this form after how it allows the user to interact with any form of magic despite what kind it is (Tecna helped)

Nymphix - Control of all of magic

• Magi who got the elemental forms where called Nymph's once upon a time, when this combined form was discovered it was named after this

Wizard:

• There is no name for like a group of Wizards that work together because thankfully such a thing has never happened! *Chough Chough* I wonder why the planet Earth has basically no magic on the surface and has never made intergalactic contact with us? It's probably nothing

If there WAS a name it would be very dramatic

• Wizard magic is inherently unnatural (being made from a fairy and a witch core being smashed together, and getting your magic core removed kills you. To make a wizard at least one person gonna die) and follows its own steps of power, leading to the naming system being completely different

Magus - Wizard first form

Mage - Wizards second form

Archimage - Wizard final "natural" form

• All are named after Magi, the broadest term for magic user

Warlock - Connection to all of one type of magic

• Breaker of Oaths, not trusted to protect anything

Devil - Control of all magic

• Wizards due to their nature of being formed form a Fairy or Witch that stole a core of the other type cannot have a balanced form, their magic naturally takes (This has never happened before but people are, rightfully, terrified of it)

Elemental forms -

Dryadix - The elemental form of Earth. Named after the witch Dryad. A boon of the Earth Dragon, gifted to magi by the Rustics

Naiadix - The elemental form of Water. Named after the Witch Naiad. A boon of the Water Dragon, gifted to magi by the Selkies

Auraix - The elemental form of Air. Named after the witch Aura. A boon of the Air Dragon, gifted to the magi by the Sylphs

Avernaix - The elemental form of Fire. Named after the Fairy Averna. A boon of the Fire Dragon, gifted to the magi by the Loji

Hesperix - The elemental form of Aether. Named after the Fairy Hesper. A boon of the Aether Dragon, gifted to the magi by Pixies

(the stupid little bonding creatures have a purpose now! Yaya!)

[kintsug1kitsune]

battle in the low market

The lower-city market was dark even given the world's eternal night.

Concrete pavement meshed with cobblestone and brick, messy walkways twisting through the depths of the city, which towered all overhead, bridges and highways and towers and skyscrapers, all netted together in a neon-lit, hologram-strewn tangle.

Down here, only simple streetlights lit-up the darkness, but still many crowded about, all walks of life come to this gray place to find uncommon and illicit wares. Neverborn beside dolls beside hollows, reapers and Daughters and wildborn, those with wolf heads and animal parts.

I came to this bazaar for a particular type of ether, distilled shatter, a liquid emanation useful in my Mistress's more destructive spells. I hardly dressed-up, a lacy combat thread crop-top and shorts, dangling with knives and sewn with intricate lunar designs. My six arms were free to fiddle with each other as I perused various stalls, searching for my quarry--

And finding a different objective altogether.

My tail whipped the air twice, long and porcelain-plated and sharp-edged, and my five eyes locked with another combat doll's set of two. My rubies to its sapphires. But that was negligible--what actually stood-out was the musical notes printed across its cheek, the symbol of the Witch of Winds. The two of us recognized each other, me from its mark and it from the etchings and paint of cherry blossoms and flowers across my right side and arm.

We chattered in combat-dollspeak, a sharp and cutting dialect that nonetheless rhymed and twisted and chittered beautifully in our language.

"Target found," I said, stalking towards the other.

"Received. Target found," it said, lumbering towards me. It was taller than me, 215 centimeters to my 190, and built thick, strong, tree-like arms and legs made of fine ceramith, ablative porcelain like me. Mine alabaster-white, its own a bluish color, covered by a long white combat dress.

I looked up to it, about a half-meter away, and we eyed each other, taking one another's measure. "Identify," I asked.

"This one is the Wallbreaker," it responded; a title, something storied combat dolls kept among themselves, earned from high deeds. "Identify."

"This one is the Ashveil," I answered. "Confirm threat."

"Confirmed."

We began circling one another, my tail caressing the air, its built-in organ pipes whistling as it flexed its heavy fingers. The market crowd began clearing out a circle for us, everyone looking in on the combat dolls squaring-up, muttering amongst each other, taking bets; it was a gritty enough part of town that no shops closed-up, but instead their keepers watched on.

"That one's Witch is enemy to this one's," I hissed to my opponent, raising my hands into a lax combat stance, top two arms on defense, lower sets open with their voidkrystal claws extended, glowing magenta softly. "This one will prove Her superiority."

"Received," Wallbreaker answered, and smirked, jaw splitting along its cheeks to show a gaping maw of ritesteel fangs. "That one will fail."

In a split second it dashed at me, throwing its arm at my face, a column of battle-ready ceramith--I batted it aside and followed-up, punching at its chest with all three of my right-side hands.

In a core-tick it rose its leg and clenched its other arm down, forming a wall that my fists bounced off of, porcelain clattering against porcelain--then Wallbreaker swung around its ramming arm to try to catch me from behind, reaching around my back.

My eyes caught it, and I felt all my gears click perfectly into place, pistons sliding within me as I ducked the blow--then my enemy's knee came to strike my face; I crossed all of my arms and blocked the hit, sliding back across the pavement but keeping firm.

But Wallbreaker pressed, charging at me again to ram me with its whole body--I leaped to the side, dancing around it, and we ended up a few meters apart, staring each other down again.

"Form 01," I commented, "Classic style." And without warning, I jumped--my legs hissed through the air and battered Wallbreaker with a flurry of flying kicks, all blocked; I fell to the ground, pivoted, and jumped straight up with my leg extended, slipping under its guard and smashing it in the chin, sending the other combat doll reeling back.

In the same motion, I spread my wings and took to the sky, sharp and silvery feathers around spell circles--without stopping, I drove an assault into the enemy with my legs, whirling through the air and kicking, slashing at it with my sharp high-heels.

As I rebounded off it, Wallbreaker stared up at me and hissed. "Killing Rapture? That one has trained with angels."

"Received. False," I hissed back, "It has killed enough angels to learn the style."

No more talk--the other doll crouched and flung itself up, boosters in its feet propelling it into the air to try and piledrive me out of it; I easily flitted back and dodged, but as Wallbreaker fell, it wheeled around and out of its wrist shot a bundle of taut metal cables--they wrapped my legs and yanked, hard.

The wind whistled in my horns as I crashed to the ground, leaving a web of cracks in the pavement and none in me. Across, Wallbreaker landed, hitting the stone with a thud--I was still tangled. Thinking fast, I channeled witchfire from my core and melted out of the cables, instantly springing to my feet.

Just in time--my opponent was howling, jaw split and gaping wide to devour me as it charged; it tried to hammer down on my head, I weaved aside, and it grabbed my top-right arm.

I grabbed its own right arm with my top-left and let loose the claws on my two lower-right sets--and drove them into Wallbreaker's side, tearing apart blued ceramith with voidkrystal sharper than diamond.

It shrieked briefly and rose its leg--stomped it down, trying to break my foot. I slid out of the way, still holding its right wrist, and went to dig my lower-left sets of claws into its other side.

But Wallbreaker had none of it and suddenly slammed its head into mine, getting a wild scream from the crowd watching--I was undeterred. My jaw split, three-way, and I bit at my enemy--it bit back, a gnashing of metal fangs as our heads wove around each other, bodies tangled together, grappling close.

Abruptly, I whipped my head and slammed my horns into Wallbreaker's head, sending it reeling--this was my chance! I threw myself forwards, gears shrieking, and shoved all six of my fists into its frame--chained the move into a roundhouse-kick, and spun, slashing across it with my tail, throwing it to the ground and leaving a massive gash across its porcelain.

I looked down at my defeated foe. "Breaking Demon Hand," I explained. "This one learned it from neverborn pirates."

Wallbreaker lay on stony ground, organ pipes hissing weakly. "…This one learned it from its siblings. This one yields to retreat. Disengaging."

"Disengaging," I answered, giving a chitter. "Good fight."

The crowd rattled amongst itself, bets cashed-in, as I walked off into it, folding my wings back into my body. Now, where could I find some shatter…?

[anxiuscoffin]

Frolicking and Fornication

This is a fanfic for my friend, it’s with his oc and a fem y/n

Klams x fem!witch!y/n (smut)

WARNINGS: 18 + MDNI! PnV sex, cream pie, hair pulling, biting, claws, against a tree, kissing/makeout, fingering, a bit of praise and degradation, dirty talk. Demon x mortal

Not proofread!

(Very badly written because I wrote it but hey, it’s something. )

Y/n was a witch that lived in the depts of the woods. She had a small cozy little cottage with a garden to grow her herbs, spending the days making potions, brews and spells for the folk in the near buy village.

One day she had to venture in to the forest to grab some more uncommon ingredients for a spell she was making for the blacksmith. She had been searching for hours at this point and was ready to go home and give up for the day, but as she was ready to leave she heard the snap of a twig and saw something in the corner of her eye.

“I already heard you there is no use hiding. Show yourself” she says, her voice firm and eyes scanning the area. She got her wand ready in case of danger and that’s when he stepped in to the light of the setting sun from behind the trees

He was tall, long dark ruffled hair with large protruding horns from his head, amber coloured shining eyes and a lean strong physique. She had never seen a creature like him before. Her curiosity peaked as she studied him from head to toe

”See something you like little mortal?” He said, his voice deep and rumbling. She huffed at his comment as she crossed her arms over your chest. “What are you and why are you here?” She asked, and he laughed at her fearlessness. “I am demon and my name is Klamstrakur, i visit this mortal realm once in a blue moon to get some delight from the souls that reside here” He says amused as he stares at the girl in front of him with curiosity.

She walks closer to him circling him as she studies him clearly fascinated. She had never seen a demon in the flesh before, she only ever read about them in the scrolls of dark magic. “I’ve never met a demon before, my name is Y/N I’m a witch, I live here in the forest” she looked up in to his emerald coloured eyes as she studied his face “Ah, a witch, how fascinating. Well, it’s quite the pleasure to meet you, Y/N. Tell me, how does a captivating witch such as yourself end up residing in a forest?” He asks seeming to be as curious of her as she is of him “I like the forest it feels like home, I’ve always felt connected to nature so it’s only natural that I would want to be within it” she says in a matter of fact as she gently touches one of his horns curiously “Well, your affinity for nature is something to be admired, Y/N. The forest is indeed a beautiful place, one full of life and mystery. But I must ask, does it not get lonely living out here all by yourself?” He says, a small smirk in his lips as he steps closer to her, twirling a lock of her hair.

She blushed, not expecting him to be so bold, but he wasn’t wrong. It could be rather lonely at times. She nods slowly, holding eye contact. He chuckles, his voice smooth like velvet, “ I thought as much. Poor thing how long has it been since you felt the touch of another?” He says as he gently pulls her closer to him by the waist, and the other stroking her hair. She had no idea why she would let this strange creature near her let alone touch her but for some reason it just felt..right.

Klàms smirk grew wider as he leaned in, their lips almost touching as she felt his breath on her, she made the final move as she leaned forward and captured his lips in a gentle kiss. He let out a deep hum of approval as he deepened the kiss, pinning her against the tree he was hiding behind before.

She hadn’t felt this in so long she had almost forgotten how good it could be, she couldn’t care less that he was a hellish creature she wanted him and she wanted him now. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer as he lifted one of her legs, wrapping it around his waist.

They pulled away for air and then he attacked her neck, sharp teeth gracing her skin as a shiver ran down her spine. She whined softly as she clung to him, needy and wanting as she tangled her fingers in his long black curls. Her breath coming out in short pants “please..” she whined, a deep chuckle rumbling from his chest as he pulled back to look at her “Use your words little one, I might be a demon but I don’t read minds” she huffs in annoyance as she gives him a slight glare “please just touch me..I need it..” her voice trembles with desperation, her eyes filled with need as she clung to him.

He kissed her again, this time with more passion as he hiked up her dress around her waist, gently rubbing two of his callused fingers along her panties. “My…already so wet and I have barely touched you. Such a needy little witch I’ve found myself” he said as he trailed his lip down her neck, she was moving her hips against his fingers, trying to get some sort of friction as her blown out pupils met his. A deep growl came from within his chest as he slid her panties to the side and slid one of his fingers in to her.

A soft moan left her lips as she held on to his shoulders for support. “More..” she whispers in to his ear and he chuckled, sliding in another finger as he curled them up in to her spot. Her eyes practically rolled back in to her skull at the pressure as she moaned louder, grinding down on to his fingers “such a pretty girl..and to think you would be this desperate. It must have been ages since you felt something quite this good hasn’t it?”

She whines as she kisses down his collar bone, her soft lips tickling his skin and he hums in amusement as he speaks “Greedy little thing, hm? Still not satisfied even as I’m knuckles deep in to your dripping cunt?” He tangles his fingers in her hair and pulls her head back gently to meet his gaze, his other hand unbuckling his belt and freeing his hard cock, long and girthy with a prominent vein along it, pre-cum already dripping.

He lined up his tip with her wet entrance as she squirmed slightly. He moved his hips forward sinking in to her warmth as his clawed hand dug in to her thigh, her body still pressed up against the tree as she threw her head back, a loud moan ripping it way out her throat.

He was so big, stretching her out and filling her to the brim. “F-fuck, Klams..!” She exclaimed in a breathy moan as he began to thrust in to her, her leg pulling him closer in my the waist as she wraps her arms around his shoulder. He gently bit down on her shoulder, his sharp teeth threatening to puncture her delicate skin

He growled as he pulled out and flipped her around, pressing her front to the tree as he spread her legs, plunging back in to her, he tangled his claws in to her hair as he pulled it, ravaging her as he leaned down to whisper in to her ear ”Y/N..fuck you are taking me so well..filthy whore, practically creaming all over my cock already” he moans as he keeps thrusting in to her, a hand on her waist as the other keeps pulling her hair.

She was a mess, her face contorting in pleasure as she moans and whimper his name out like a prayer, she was getting closer to her climax as she started moving her hips back against him. He smirked as he felt her grind in to him in time with his thrusts as he started pounding in to her harder. The hand on her waist reaching down to rub at her clit while the other moved to play with her sensitive nipples.

She clenched around him at the sudden change of pace, a yelp followed by a loud moan made its way from her lips as she dug her nails in to the bark of the tree. “Cum for me slut..cum on my cock like the filthy harlot you are” he growled in her ear and that was her undoing

She came harshly, squirting as her juices dripped down his balls and covered his lower abdomen, her slick running down her thighs as he kept thrusting in to her, his pace quickening as he was also at his limit. Tears of pleasure rand down her face as she moans, the overstimulation was getting to her. It was to much and she could feel the coil inside of her starting to unwind again

With a final thrust he pulled her back up against his chest by the hair, pressing her close to him as he plunged in to her as deep as he could. He came deep inside of her right as she reached her second peak and came with him.

She was flushed, breathing heavily as she leaned back against him. He was also panting, holding her steady. After a while he pulled out of her with a grunt, a small whimper leaving her lips at the feeling as she leaned forward to hold on to the tree again. Klams stepped back and admired their mixed cum running down her leg, her tired eyes looking back at him over her shoulder.

They both got dressed again as she looked at him with a satisfied smile, he felt non the different from before if not just a little less pent up

“Will I ever see you again?” She finally says after a long silence. She wanted to know more about demons and definitely wanted to experience him more after the way he handled her

He smirked down at Y/N, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Only time can tell, but something tells me we will meet again very soon, little witch” he said as he slowly started making his way in to the shadows of the trees again

She stood there a bit stunned after the whole ordeal but she was exited at the possibility of seeing him again…

To be continued ..?

(Idk what tags to use man)

[oddinarinote]

exposing my irresponsible spending by sharing a template to my manga collection notion page !!

i haven’t logged in here for a while so i just saw that  @finalgirlkobeni asked for this template days ago, my apologies lmao.

you can find the template here: https://arimoma.notion.site/Manga-Collection-Template-f8e9ceb9859d4930a2934bdd595abe2e 

simply click ‘duplicate’ to add to your notion workspace. the layout goes as follows:

one page per series / standalone volume, inside the page a checklist with the released volumes, check the ones you own to keep track of which you need to buy next !

tag property, including: “finished/publishing” aka if the series is done being published and all volumes are available to purchase or not / “completed/ongoing” for if you own all the volumes or not / “high prio/paused” i use this for the ones i want to buy as soon as i can versus the ones i have no hurry to get / “standalone” self explanatory / “special ed” for series i’m buying in uncommon formats (ex. kanzenbans) or that include stuff with new releases making them more expensive (ex. witch hat atelier always includes some merch in my country)

‘owned’ property, to display the cool circle thingy of the percentage u own

‘price’ property, i use this to sort by how much each series’ volumes cost and manage my budget better

the thumbnail of each page is the image on said page’s cover, helps find the series quickly

everyone feel free to duplicate, edit and share the template !! no need to link back to me so don’t stress if u delete my credits at the bottom lol. (however if u try to profit off this i will hunt u down xoxo) also if u improve the format and add cool equations and stuff tell me i’d love to see !! yipeee

[mermaidsirennikita]

The State of the ARCs: What I Gotta Read

And what I'm so excited to read, of course, but you know. Sometimes you have to keep yourself honest, even when you're excited!

Pub Date: 1/21/25

The Legend of Menaka by Kritika H. Rhao. Fantasy romance. Harper Voyager (Avon Harper Voyager). Currently reading, and it's quite good so far!

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti. Historical romance. St. Martin's Griffin (St. Martin's Press).

Boudicca by P.C. Cast. Fantasy (romance?). William Morrow.

Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives. Historical fantasy romance. Dell (Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine).

Pub Date: 2/4/25.

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera. Historical romance. Canary Street Press (Harlequin Trade Publishing).

Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters. Fantasy romance. Delacorte Press (Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine).

Pub Date: 2/18/25.

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis. Fantasy romance. Bramble (Tor Publishing Group).

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn. Historical paranormal romance. Zando.

A Cure for the Homesick by Laura Brooke Robson. Historical fantasy romance? MIRA (Harlequin Trade Publishing).

Pub Date: 2/25/25.

The Prince's Heart by Ben Chalfin. Fantasy romance. Rising Action (Rising Action Publishing).

A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher. Paranormal romance. St. Martin's Griffin (St. Martin's Press).

Pub Date: 3/4/2025.

A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames. Fantasy romance. Erewhon Books (Kensington Publishing).

Pub Date: 3/11/25.

A Gentleman's Gentleman by TJ Alexander. Historical romance. Vintage (Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor).

Pub Date: 3/25/25.

Exquisite Ruin by AdriAnne May. Fantasy romance. Gallery Books.

Pub Date: 4/1/25.

Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid. Contemporary romance. Avon (Avon and Harper Voyager).

Pub Date: 4/8/25.

The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez. Fantasy romance. Alcove Press.

Pub Date: 4/29/25.

My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner. Contemporary romance. St. Martin's Griffin (St. Martin's Press).

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley. Historical fantasy romance. Erewhon Books (Kensington Publishing).

Pub Date: 5/6/25.

Silver Elite by Dani Francis. Dystopian romance. Del Rey (Random House Worlds).

Pub Date: 5/27/25.

A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride. Fantasy romance. Delacorte Press (Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine).

Pub Date: 6/10/25.

If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You by Mae Marvel. Contemporary romance. St. Martin's Griffin (St. Martin's Press).

Pub Date: 6/24/25.

Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates. Contemporary romance(?). Canary Street Press (Harlequin Trade Publishing).

Pub Date: 7/1/25.

This Much is True by Vivienne Lorret. Historical romance. Avon (Avon Harper Voyager).

Of these, as far as I'm AWARE, 7 are queer romances, whereas the rest are m/f.

[adndmonsteraday]

Gemstone golems, also called gem golems, were beautiful but deadly automatons created from various precious gems. The three most common forms of gemstone golem included those made from rubies, emeralds, and diamonds.

“We have discovered that Zulkir Thrul's gemstone golems do indeed exist, and they are highly resistant to the magic of Rashemen. Even if we manage to defeat the Thayans, it may be at such a terrible cost that we will be helpless against their next attack.” — Nythra of the Seven Rivers, a witch of Rashemen

Owing to having the appearance of being carved from glittering precious stone, the average gemstone golem had a decidedly more delicate and agile look than the average golem. This was deceiving, however, as a gemstone golem could easily weight up to 3,000 pounds (1,400 kilograms).

Each type of gemstone golem was said to embody the power of that specific stone's gem magic, a lost and imprecise form of the Art:

Ruby golems were said to embody healing and the powers of earth

Emerald golems were said to embody teleportation magic and were able to open gates

Diamond golems were said to embody perfection

However, just as gemstones may be flawed, so too were gemstone golems, and these flaws led them to diverge from the intentions of their creators and the powers which they were intended to embody.

By the 14th century DR, gemstone golems were controlled almost exclusively by the Red Wizards of Thay, although many had since gone somewhat rogue, wandering the lands to fulfill partial or garbled versions of ancient commands. And it was not uncommon to find them in Mulhorand's Land of the Dead, acting as guardians of the various pharaohs' tombs.

Creation of a gemstone golem did not require that the entire body be carved out of a certain precious stone, as was a widely believed myth. Instead, the golem could be cobbled together from many semi-precious stones, however the golem's "heart" did need to be a large and valuable specimen of ruby, emerald, or diamond. This heart became the magical locus of the golem's construction, and could cause the other component materials to meld into a facsimile of the same gemstone. If the creation process failed, the heart would be lost but other materials could be reclaimed to try again.

A gemstone golem would collapse into a pile of rough cut precious gems and powder when slain. The gems were quite valuable and the powder could be used by wizards for spell components.

The first recorded creation of a gemstone golem was by the god-kings of Mulhorand. The secrets to their construction was lost for centuries, until in the Year of the Banner, 1368 DR, when the Red Wizard Zulkir Aznar Thrul discovered the ancient Mulhorand manuals that detailed the process of their creation. He went about unleashing them upon the Rashemaar, against whom they proved highly effective as they were largely resistant to the Wychlaran's spells as well as Rashemen's natural magics.

Thrul also experimented with creating golems from gemstones other than diamonds, emeralds, or rubies but the results were always mixed. The original means of crafting gemstone golems was only half-remembered, and there was reason to believe that Thruls modern methods were based on a misunderstanding of the original Mulhorandi texts. A number of Thrul's notes and texts were kept in the library of the Chambers of Twin Burnings.

After a few successful raids which left no survivors among the Rashemaar, Thrul prepared for a major assault. He prepared to amass a force of 100 gemstone golems by Nightal 15 for use by his allies, the Zulkirs Lauzoril and Nevron, to lead against them, with the ultimate goal being to win prestige in their ongoing efforts to undermine Szass Tam. However, the Simbul intercepted a document which detailed both the plan as well as the gemstone golems' weakness, namely that they required a circle of a dozen wizards to maintain control over them. She entrusted this information to a group of adventurers, who rushed to aid the Rashemaar The gemstone golems clashed with the Rashemaar in the Battle of the Gorge at the Gorge of Gauros. As the golems crashed through enemy lines, their command circle, led by Zulkir Nevron himself, was broken (although it was unclear whether this was because of efforts by the adventurers or thanks to Tam loyalists within the circle), and the entire gemstone golem army was freed of their control.

Soon after, Thrul found that we was not able to control his remaining army of gemstone golems either, and they too broke away, scattering across Faerûn via the gating abilities of the emerald golems. By the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, they wandered the land as semi-independent constructs, many still following faint echoes of their last commands.

Source: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Gemstone_golem

[hiraeth-witch-11]

Bond to Happen Part 1

Part 1: Meeting the Devil

Warnings: canon typical violence, near death experiences

Word Count: 1700ish

You're not entirely sure how you became friends with Billy Russo. You both had very different friend circles and completely opposite lifestyles, but somehow, you had ended up together. Platonically, of course. Looking back, you think it all started about two years ago, when you became acquaintances with Karen Page. She had come into your shop and asked for a protection spell, which wasn’t uncommon. You ran a cute little broom closet of a witch store in the space under your apartment. Luck and magic was the only way you could afford it and even then, it was paycheck to paycheck, so to speak. It was worth it to be able to practice your craft safely and help people. Practicing witchcraft wasn’t illegal in the US, but it was better to keep your head down and live in places where no one cared about the strange people they passed on their way to work. New York gave you anonymity, and you appreciated that.

In the handful of months since moving to the city, you had done your best to ‘mind your business’ as the locals did. Only give people what they pay for. Never try to see them, and if you saw anything, you ignored it. Karen Page was your first exception to that rule. She walked into your shack of a store and the face of death was around her in the form of a skull. She was bound to a bloody and violent future. You told yourself to stick to your rule, but you knew you couldn't. Her protection spell had as much oomf as you could muster on your limited energy. You could tell she was here as a last ditch effort and didn’t have all that much face in your work. Neither did you, to be honest. A protection spell couldn’t stop a carefully aimed weapon. It worked best on shots in the dark and playing the odds. If someone actively tried to hurt her and was any good at violence, the spell would disintegrate quickly. For that reason, you decided to allow a loose, thin tendril of your magic to follow her out of the shop and wherever she went. If she needed your help, you would give it. Hopefully, you would be fast enough to get to her in time. Long distance and object magic was hard to do on your half starved energy.

You had almost forgotten about her until you woke with a start 3 weeks later; your magic tugging at you with a streak of red through it. You tugged on the pants closest to you and grabbed a hoodie before running down the stairs and pulling your bike out of your shop and onto the street. You followed the strand as quickly as you could, using just a touch of magic to strengthen your muscles. Karen was just outside of hell’s kitchen and you didn’t know how long it took you to get to her. Gods, this was what you had moved to avoid. Being a hero was always a bad idea. But you couldn’t pretend nothing happened. You approached the warehouse where the end of the strand was and gently set your bike against the wall. Pulling the hoodie over your head and as far down your face as possible, you made sure your hair was all tucked back and out of sight. You stuck to the shadows, using yet another touch of icy blue energy to do a simple, yet useful spell. It was a spell that made it difficult for others to look at you and truly see you. Their eyes would pass over you in a crowd or in the dark and if they stared, they would find it difficult to remember your features. 

Creeping in through the half open door closest to you, you noticed Karen sitting- no tied- to a chair in the middle of the room. A handful of men surrounded her. Well armed and dressed in black. One was speaking on the phone. Something about the devil. You weren’t sure, you’d only caught the end of it. 5 men would be difficult for you to handle, especially if they were professionals. 

You released a few bits of your magic, visible only to you, and allowed them to see the situation. You needed to know how to approach to avoid you and Karen dying. You sensed death, but not your’s or Karen’s. 

This is going to work. You thought to yourself. 

You slammed the loose tendrils of magic against the far side of the building, causing a ruckus loud enough to draw the attention of the men. 2 went outside to investigate. Two chose to move towards the edges of the room and position themselves strategically, and the remaining one stood near Karen. 

Close your eyes, you ordered Karen through the piece of magic still connecting you. You hoped she would listen as you formed three magical equivalents of a flash bang grenade. You focused the light directly in front of the assailant’s eyes. Doing such a small and concentrated piece of magic was difficult, but it was more efficient than lighting the whole room. As soon as the spells went off, you sprinted for Karen, conjuring your dagger and slashing at the duck tape around her wrists and ankles before sending the dagger back to its place in your home. She ripped the remaining piece off her mouth as you dragged her towards the exit. 

“Who are you?!” She hissed at you.

“Later,” you insisted. “When we’re safe.”

You had spoken too soon and your magic was too weak to warn you sooner of the men that opened fire on the two of you. Had you been stronger, you would've seen it coming before the men even made the decision, but with your current state, you only had enough time to yank Karen behind you and form the thinnest of shields… after several bullets had begun sailing through the air. The sides of your ribs stung from the bullets grazing you as your longstanding deflective spell pushed them away from hitting your internal organs.

You dug your feet into the gravel and pushed into the shield you created, praying that it would hold.

“Run!” You yelled at Karen. You would distract the men long enough for her to get away. Thankfully, she did as she was told and dashed off into the sparse trees that lined the road. You pushed harder now that she was out of the way; narrowing your shield to protect on the most important parts of your body and charged the two men in front of you. You could take them. Maybe. What you definitely couldn’t handle were the remaining three exiting the building, the effects of your flashbang having faded. 

You didn’t have to worry about your impending doom for long because a figure clothed in red leather dropped from the roof of the building and onto the men closest to him. 

The devil of hell’s kitchen? Why would he show up here?

Instead of dwelling on it, you shattered your shield and threw the tangible shards towards the hands and faces of the men who had shot you. They hit home, blinding and maiming, but not killing. If they died of blood loss later, that wasn’t your fault. The shards disintegrated as they found their marks and the little bits of magic leftover returned to your hands. You moved to help the man in red, who was currently in a fist fight with the last man standing. Both men were bleeding, not quite as much as you though and you wanted this night to be over with. You encased your fist in what was almost the last of your power, you had to recall the strand connecting you to Karen, and smacked the man in black on the back of the head, knocking him out and probably giving him a nasty concussion. 

The devil of hell’s kitchen looked at you as he lowered his fists. Or, not quite at you, kind of off to the side with his ear cocked towards you. You knew why. You had been through hell’s kitchen enough times to have seen the energy of the man so set on protecting it. His aura hung around it like a fog and on days where you were too tired to keep your mind closed, you could see it in detail. The devil of hell’s kitchen daylights as Matt Murdock, blind attorney at law. Of course you would never tell. People deserved to keep their secrets.

“You’re a long way from Hell’s kitchen, dude. Thanks for stepping in,” you said, trying to put him at ease. You didn’t know why he was there or how he was connected to Karen, but you didn’t want him to get the wrong impression of you. Not when a strong breeze could knock you over. How you were going to bike the few miles home with your magic tank running on fumes was beyond you.

“You’re bleeding. A lot,” he said dryly.

“Oh yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ll patch myself up in a minute.” Lies. You were about to pass out. Gods, how pathetic you were. You couldn’t even handle a couple of kidnappers without a near death experience.

“I can help you. My stitches are shit but they’ll hold.” The devil was being kind, but you really didn’t want to be touched by a stranger with no ability to wall up your mind. Most of your abilities require energy, whether a constant drain or a set one time payment. Your sight, however, only required that energy when you chose to expand its reach, or prevent its use. When people touched you and you were on empty, you saw way too fucking much and couldn’t process any of it. It was just a tsunami hitting you and it felt like you were being covered with fire ants.

“You are about 2 minutes from passing out. Is there anyone I can call for you?”

“No, thanks. It’s just me.” That was the truth. You had no one left for you in this world. If you died, you doubt anyone would notice.

Matt- the devil- pulled a flip phone out of some hidden pocket in his suit. 

You slipped down into a crouch and then sat down fully. Black spots danced in the edges of your vision and you pressed your hands onto the leaking wounds. 

“Karen, are you….” his words cut in and out as your ears began to ring. “Bring… and… no….”

Your head hit the ground with a painful thud as you lost the strength to sit up. 

“Ouch, fuck. It’s okay Matt. Was bound to happen at some point,” you muttered as you lost consciousness.

Series List

[eldridgecandell]

😈 Summon a demon

Stone should never reflect light, but in the dank basement of Juniper Brant the candles did just trick in the damp room. The dirt floor mixed with the odd mildew scent from the walls to give an earthy aroma which could be enough unpleasant to cause one to know there was a leak somewhere. Of course the burning incense and myrrh splattered about did everything it could to aid in the smell.

The wax trickled slow and low among their wicks as the yellow flames danced only from the breath of the occupants within the cellar. A circle of chalk and animal fat had been draw in the center of the room, the occupants resting calmly within it as they did their best to hold still in the dark. Two figures sat naked and shivering in the homemade circle, bodies painted with lines to match the circle they had created earlier. The white lines of thick chalk paint traced shapes over their skin in odd patterns of proud, if not crude, symmetry. Each set of hands resting gently upon the other's knees as with heads bowed to sit in awkward silence with the odd box between them.

It didn't bear the same patterns as the drawings of their flesh or carry the glint of gold. It was just a small wooden box, perfectly square and made of the deepest red wood.

The box sat still.

"Tides this stuff stinks," Juniper muttered softly, her body shaking slightly from the cold.

"Shh," Robert, her companion, whispered back harshly though his eyes never left the box.

The woman wanted to apologize, but she bit her lip instead in fear of upsetting their fifth attempt any more. For the three months, Juniper Brant and her childhood beau Robert Salmin had been gathering in the basement of her family home in hopes of fixing the foul luck that had befallen their former fertile farmland. The summer's drought had come swift and terrible upon the weary pilgrims after a summer of unending sun with little to no rain to help what should be a thriving crop. Curses were not uncommon in this part of the world, but this was nothing of any witch's touch or warlock scorned. This was just simply nature punishing them.

And that had to change.

Robert had been the one to find the old book in the peddler's cart, a normal tome of sorts had only cost the young farmer a few silver pieces. The peddler none the wiser or caring for what was within it's pages. Salvation is what Robert called it upon combing through it's yellowed pages with hope and hunger in his heart as he read of the powers within. This could save them. Save the farms. Their families. Make him a hero. He just needed a partner.

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug and the old flames we hold in our hearts for first loves may dim but never fade. So when Juniper buried her husband among those dry fields, Robert had been at her side immediately. What likely should have been a coy and long courtship ended up with the pair finding sync in the dark not hours after the passing of the man Juniper thought would be her only one. She found herself to be quite lucky Robert felt the same.

A few weeks later and the book was revealed to Juniper who though skeptical felt entitled to help her new lover in his quest to save the farm. She listened to his teachings, read what passages he offered, and praised his process. He in turn gave her what her former husband could hardly ever give her when he was alive. It was a mutual and vibrant partnership.

But now was the time to act.

The first attempt had been a mess all around. The wrong chalk, too much blood, and far to much talking.

The second attempt had been nearly the same amount of mess, but they figured blood wasn't needed anymore after the last calf had stunk so bad.

The third attempt was half heart-ed for success and more about getting at each other, the book having been right about warning of 'carnal overload'.

Time had been the only thing that mixed up the fourth time as the window had closed with the dawning of the accursed sun.

Here was now the fifth. They had followed it to the letter. Beginning in earnest, keeping in rhythm, and reaching the point of no return as they sat among themselves painted the most base of mortal needs.

Now the box needed to merely open.

A soft sigh broke the silence.

"Robert?" Juni asked quietly as she brought her fingers to gently scratch at the skin upon his knees.

The man shook his head softly. "This isn't going to work."

"But we did everything right."

"I know, but I," Robert sighed again feeling the weight of his attempts drag down at his shoulders. "I don't think I'm strong enough to do this."

Juni's hand would lift gently from his knee now to touch his face, her touch warm to his cold skin as the cheek was stroked.

"You are so strong, my love," she spoke soothingly to him as she felt his skin beneath hers still as she smiled. "And brave. You have done so much for me and this community, no one can fault you."

"Or know to be honest," Juniper laughed as she continued to stroke his face, but he would not raise his eyes to hers. The laugh died as quickly as it came before she leaned forward from her spot, her face coming to nestle among his dark sweat damp hair. She breathed him and sighed, drought be damned she was in love with him. It was all she really needed.

He was all she wanted.

"Come on, Rob," Juni pressed her lips to his head again as she began to rise, her heart fluttering a bit as she did her best to coax him to his feet with the contours of her body. "We'll wash up and have a bit of fun before tomorrow. You'll feel better."

Rob's hand gently came to grab her hand, squeezing gently as he kept his face hidden.

Juni tilted her head softly as he grabbed her, his grip tight though not unnerving as she spoke again. "Rob?"

The grip grew tighter, as it moved up from her hand to her wrist. His thumb coming to press at the soft center space.

"Rob," Juni asked again, worry now growing her voice as she spoke quickly. "Rob you're hurting me."

The thumb pressed harder, his nail sharp and poking into the skin as he pressed harder. "Robert stop. Robert!"

Pain flashed through Juniper's arm as she reeled back from him, soft flecks of crimson floating through the air as she backed away from him. Her other hand flying to her wrist as she felt the warmth of her own blood coat the palm of her hand. "What the hell, Robert?!"

Robert's hand sat shaking in the air between them, his thumb dripping with the few droplets of Juni's blood as he slowly brought it down to the box.

The wooden box drank greedily.

"Robert?"

"I'm sorry," Robert whispered. "I love thee."

"Thee?" Juni asked softly as she held her wrist tight still. "What do you mean?"

It was then she found her feet past the circle and alone beyond him. Her skin growing colder. Her heart beating faster. "Robert?"

"I love thee," Robert repeated again. There was sorrow in the three words, but the power of them wasn't meant for her. His eyes were only for the box.

Again he said the three magic words. "I love thee."

The box began to twist, it's red wood glistening and writhing as it's shape expanded and stretched.

"I love thee," the words still filled with sorrow but triumph and pride hidden in plain sight. The crimson wood stretching more as protruding digits beckoned from the quickly thinning panels of the box, coaxing to him. Begging to him. Taunting to him. Applauding him.

Where once fingers had been now with the growing box, a jaw pushed forward among the creaking red. There was no sound yet, but the lips of stretched lumber could clearly be read.

Feed me.

Juniper never got to see what horrors her lover had planned, her body having already since slumped in the cold dark of her cellar. Mouth agape and drawn to match the empty sockets of her once soft brown eyes in frozen terror. The last words of Robert though would haunt the corpse of Juniper Brant for all eternity.

I love thee.

@nixalegos

[lovelyloveday]

A story of adventure, romance, and destiny, that asks: is true love worth the cost? 

A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher   https://bit.ly/4fMKHpG