#Cuban Witch

[thetarotman]

Moon Serpent and Bone 10/25/2024

The Moon Serpent and Bone 6th Annual Samhain Night Market and Hekate, Queen of the Witches, await you.

This is the official WordPress Blog post about the upcoming Moon Serpent and Bone 6th Annual Samhain Night Market, also known as the Moon Serpent and Bone 6th Annual Samhain Oddities and Curiosities Night Market. Also, it honors me greatly that, of the more than 250 applications Moon Serpent and Bone received for this Night Market, mine was one of only 60 which were accepted. This Night Market…

[magicaguajiro]

Caribbean Folk Saints and Mighty Dead: A Precursor

We all have family members who take on an almost Mythic quality after they pass on. They may have been a character in life, or a perhaps a spiritual practitioner. Maybe they were known for their generosity, or lack of it, or their strength or brilliance. Nonetheless, it is someone who, even in death, still makes an impact. In personal practices, we may work with these ancestors for guidance and healing, but what happens when their influence spreads past your family, into the local community or even entire country? This and many other strange circumstances often explain the origin and powers of Folk Saints and Elevated Dead. I will be going into the various Folk Saints and Deified Ancestors of the Caribbean, (including Florida), but before I can do that I need to explain where these spirits come from, and why they are so potent in our everyday lives.

What are Folk Saints and Mighty Dead?

Folk Saints and Mighty Dead are spirits of dead people who were either elevated in life, or became elevated after death. Their elevation often is then connected to their ability to grant various petitions made to them. Some of the Folk Saints I will be talking about were used to disguise other figures who were outlawed by the Colonial government at the time, while others are various figures of marginalized communities who gained sorcerous or otherworldly reputations after death.

Cuba and Florida are Lands of diaspora and syncretism. Many different traditions abound and each tradition has multiple lineages, so the classification of spirits differs depending on the worldview of the person explaining. Some practitioners work within a framework of Catholicism, some use elements and some flat-out reject Catholicism completely for decolonization purposes. For this reason, I have differentiated Folk Saints from the Mighty Dead.

Folk Saints will include those spirits who are worked with in a Catholic context, but are usually not canonized or not at first. On the other hand, the Mighty Dead will include spirits who are venerated amongst Indigenous and African traditions in Cuba as well as the surrounding areas, as to not group them under a title created by Colonizers. If you are Cuban or Caribbean, these Folk Saints and Mighty Dead offer power at a closer degree because they are more proximal to your Spirit Court, and may even already have bonds with them.

It is important to note, spirits like Orisha and Cemí have very specific protocols, manners and taboos when approaching them, so this is best done with the help of a priest, such as Oloricha or Babalawo, or a Taíno Behike. These are not energies you simply feel drawn to and work with. Orisha and Cemi are in some cases Deified Ancestors and others Personified Forces of Nature, among other things. This varies from the Ancestors and Spirits I will be discussing in this series.

Benefits of Working with The Mighty Dead

Folk Saints and Ancestors give us a closer connection to the divine through their proximity to the Divine and their individual virtues and personalities. As with all spirit relationships, you will get out what you put in.

Folk Saints who are related to the Land you live on, such as Uncle Monday or Bessie Graham for us Floridians, can help to deepen your connection with the local community. They can help you to further your relationship with the Earth and introduce you to other Land spirits.

Spirits related to your Ancestry can help to work through generational issues. Some ancestral spirits, like José Martí or Guamá for us Cubans, are related to ideas of War, Rebellion, and overcoming oppression. These spirits can be worked with for the same pursuits of defeating oppressors in the modern day. Each spirit has a story and is multi-faceted, so it really depends on what your connection is to the Spirit and what you are capable of offering them.

How to Work with Deified Dead

Working with these spirits is individual to each spirit, based on what their heritage is, as well as their personal tastes. When starting out, it’s best to keep things simple. Instead of going and creating an entire altar dedicated to a spirit, begin by praying about it at your Bóveda or ancestral altar. Here, you may find that a spirit is not compatible with your current situation, or doesn’t want to work with you ever! Should the omens be good, however, and you may begin establishing a connection to that spirit Research and talking to other devotees can give you great insight into what a relationship with that Spirit can look like.

My formula for reaching out to these spirits is always different, but I follow basic principles. I always begin with a representation of the spirit, a small offering and a candle. The representation can be anything, from a statue to a printed picture or even just their name on some paper. The offering is in most cases water until the spirit makes other wants known to me, but when a spirit doesn’t take water I offer food or tobacco instead. The candle is something I was taught helps to enhance spirit communication, carrying messages between the worlds. It is helpful to research about whoever you are attempting to communicate with, and if possible you should speak to other practitioners who work with the same Spirit. Often times, this is someone-you-know’s father or grandmother. From here, you should sit with whatever entity you are contacting, allowing yourself to experience a personal relationship with them. I will share individual experiences of what each spirit has been like in practice for me, or people I know, but for beginning this is a good basic way to start out.

I look forward to sharing more about these incredible figures who influence my favorite corner of the world to this day.

Paz y Progreso 🕯️

[inkskinned]

i love finding out how big this world is. my girlfriend has only visited boston a handful of times, but i grew up here. i told her we'd be going to do the tourist traps in salem, and she said - which salem?

to be fair to her, there are a lot of other states that have a town named "salem." and i think there's some evidence that the witch trials actually happened in what is now called Danvers. but the thing is - she thought "salem" was like, a made-up thing. there wasn't actually a salem, massachusetts - like there isn't a gotham city.

they don't talk about it that much where she grew up, is the thing! and this made me laugh. a week ago she was talking about her hometown and said something akin to "well the museum's kinda like the one in richmond," and i had to explain i still had no frame of reference for what the hell this museum was like.

i love finding out what knowledge i take for granted. i used to live with 5 other women. 3 of them were from south korea. they had to take, like, a solid fifteen minutes to explain their birthday system to my gay math-blind ass, laughing as they did.

that same month, our roommate from denmark taught me the danish word for wreath by accident - she'd been talking about decorations, used krans, and i'd been able to figure it out through context. i just picked it up and kept talking. our entire house used krans as the word. she came home and slammed the door one evening, mock-angry, shouting: you motherfuckers! it's a - a wreath!

and how often do you use certain words, anyway! i am cuban, so i was raised with certain spanish words sort of sprinkled in there; but never how you'd think. in middle school i asked someone to pass me the recogedor - in a completely american accent, like i was speaking english. i hadn't registered it as a spanish word. i mean, how often in school do you actually use the word "dustpan" - i'd only ever heard it in the context of cleaning my house.

there are places that you grew up that you, just, like, know. that you assume everyone knows. there are things and people and "common knowledge" that you have that, just, like. doesn't exist for me. i don't know what you call your public transportation system, but in boston we call it "the T". our train cards are called charlie cards because of a song where a father accidentally abandons his family, which was written because our system of transportation. in boston, most people would snort and say everyone knows that, kid.

i think you and i should go on a long walk - it's getting dark early these days and we need any sun we can manage. tell me about the first time you saw snow. tell me about the stuff everyone knows about your home. tell me about the cities "everyone's been to," about the food "everyone's already tried." who knows. maybe it will feel nice to you - watching someone learn about it for the very first time.

[bigbootyjudy963]

Being a witch

From a witch family...

Is never easy.

Abuelita and Mom,

Fighting over the path...

Celia Cruz,

Singing Carnival...

As garlic and bleach,

Waft in and out,

Of my little room.

In the back of the house.

I miss when...

Those boomers were alive,

At least they had morals.

Cada uno con los suyo,

Please eat this herb...

I'm sorry abuelita,

I ate it till infertility...

Because I don't want children,

An entitled groinspawn

Masquerading as a perfect cherub...

Decided to make light of

Luisito el peluquero...

Because obviously

She new better than you

My afrocubana abuelita.

-I should have left her at the first lie

Sorrynotsorry

[zepskies]

How do you think a romance between soldier boy and a woc would pan out?

Hey there! By "WOC" I'm thinking you mean "woman of color?"

Fun fact: I actually imagine most of my reader insert characters as women of color, since I'm a woman of color myself. 💁🏽‍♀️

I love this question, but I think the nitty gritty specifics would depend on her race/ethnicity. A “person of color” incorporates a broad swath of races and cultures, so it’s hard to generalize while being accurate and authentic to a POC’s experience. For example, I could write a headcanon fic like:

Headcanon: A romance between Soldier Boy (Ben) and a Hispanic/Latina woman of color would include...

Because that^ is my frame of reference, being that I'm Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican. 🇨🇺🇵🇷🇩🇴 (Hence the Midnight Espresso-verse. And speaking of, Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!)

**Even “Hispanic/Latina” is generalizing, because there are many Hispanic/Latino ethnicities with unique aspects to their cultures that can make them very different from one another other, even if you keep the setting as America/New York within The Boys.

In general though, here are my thoughts:

Headcanon: Soldier Boy (Ben) romancing a woman of color:

She could be a good foil for him, not just helping him adapt to modern society, but broadening his horizons to her culture and her world, especially if she's a normal person (non-supe).

She would most certainly challenge him. If she's black or Latina, for example, I couldn't see either one putting up with Ben's misogynist bullshit. She doesn't have the time or the patience, no matter how damn attractive or charming he is.

If he's tenacious enough to pursue her (likely seeing her as a "challenge"), she would help open his eyes to what "a real man" actually is -- reliable, responsible, and a good man.

(Not just that BDE. 🙄)

She could help him see past his white privilege. Especially by showing him her culture, and how she navigates the world is much different to how he navigates the world, not just as a famous superhero, but as a white man who's gotten to be where he is because his daddy came from old money.

If she cooks (or if her mother, aunt, grandmother cooks, as in many black, Hispanic/Latino, Italian, Asian families), she could open up his horizons that way too with different kinds of cuisines that he probably hasn't encountered before. 👏🏽

This would also appeal to that more traditional aspect he'd probably enjoy, of having a woman cook for him lol. Though she would remind him that having someone cook for him is a privilege and a kindness and a way to show someone you love them, not a right that should be expected.

She could also help him see how food and family is pretty entwined in a lot of cultures for ethnic/racial minorities. It could give him a new outlook on what "family" actually means.

Gah! Now you're making me want to write an actual Soldier Boy story with a woman of color. 💕

(Disclaimer though: I'm very careful of not writing for voices that aren't "mine" when it comes to race/ethnicity/cultural minorities, unless I know enough about it through either personal experience or research.)

Soldier Boy Tag List

Because this actually became a genuine headcanon that I'm going to add to my SB masterlist.

@spnwoman @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @adoringanakin @rizlowwritessortof @chernayawidow

@midnightmadwoman @deans-spinster-witch @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @ladysparkles78

@deansbbyx @sarahgracej @this-is-me19 @kazsrm67 @jacklesbrainworms

@foxyjwls007 @iamsapphine @roseblue373 @lacilou @fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like

@waynes-multiverse @my-stories-vault @syrma-sensei @alwaystiredandconfused @globetrotter28

@mrsjenniferwinchester @charmed-asylum @waywardxwords @k-slla @deanbrainrotwritings

@jackles010378 @deans-daydream @deanwinchestersgirl87 @rachiem4-blog @just-levyy

@leigh70 @kmc1989 @ghostslillady @siampie @jessjad

@beautyvaliant @mimaria420 @kaleldobrev @pieandmonsters @twinkleinadiamondsky

@stoneyggirl2 @sl33pylilbunny @spnfamily-j2 @mostlymarvelgirl @artemys-ackles

Join Patreon 🌟

Soldier Boy Masterlist || Main Masterlist

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Chelo Alonso (Sign of Rome Morgan the Pirate La ragazza sotto il lenzuolo)— She was an international star, and she was so hot she had to turn down marrying a prince, and became so famous for being hot that Fidel Castro sent Che Guevara to beg her to go back to Cuba. She was also called the Cuban H-Bomb. She makes me light-headed.

Agnes Moorehead (Dark Passage, Mrs. Parkington)—i'm just submitting all the milfs at this point

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Chelo Alonso:

"forgive me sending in more pictures of her but i CANNOT be normal about here asdhgkljhahgjkhgkajshgajghshgjl"

Agnes Moorehead:

“Daughter of a minister, she’s incredibly religious. Would arrive on the bewitched set with “the bible in one hand and the script in the other.” And once during an earthquake, she refused to run to safety and said, “God will protect me.” - Her father prohibited her from attending an acting school until she had a formal education so she got a degree in biology. She taught at english, speech and history a high school while also getting degrees in English and Public Speaking. Entered AADA at 25. - Her film debut was in Citizen Kane when she was about 40 - She had a lovely singing voice. - Despite her religiosity, her privateness and close relationships with female friends fueled rumors even during her lifetime that she liked women. In her rather emotional interview with Boze Hadleigh, she expressed her desire to not have her private life be reduced to a few paragraphs of sensationalism. It is not really possible to know with certainty. - She had a farm with cows and donkeys. Lastly, I am aware that Agnes was not considered a leading lady and I’d like to campaign for her inclusion as we have reason to believe that this might have been due to the prejudices of ageism, her unusual (but stunning) features and a number of other factors: 'To classify her roles so as to discover her closeted lesbianism, although productive in the exploratory sense, runs the risk of imposing another set of stereotypes upon Moorehead. Linking character actresses and lesbians confirms marginalization, and while Moorehead played marginal characters in most of her plays and films, she could have played the leads had she so been cast, and she did play supporting roles brilliantly. That New York and Hollywood directors cast her as the outsider may be as much a statement about ageism and sexism as about sexual identity. It is probable, however, that her sexual identity figured and figured prominently, and if as an overlay to the other issues, we are left to interrogate the entertainment industry that forced her into exaggeration because she could not express whom she really was. Endora and Moorehead, one and the same, finally achieved supporting star status, with all the ambiguous meanings implied by the ''Bewitched'' narrative; however, Moorehead might have achieved diva status within legitimate classical theatre had she sought unambiguous sexual leads. Because she did not, or could not, we can conclude, using the soft evidence of innuendo and intuition, that her sexual identity clearly affected the direction of her career.' From a paper called ‘The Witching of Agnes Moorehead’ by Lynne Greeley”

[margaretoakgrove]

Gift for birthday

Walking the thorny road of your uneasy life, you managed to comprehend one simple yet great mystery of that the appearance of a person frequently can be deceiving and far from always reflect their authentic essence.

You came to this conclusion after on your path you had met many people who were flawlessly beautiful outside but disgustingly ugly on the inside, and also those few ones who behind their brutal exterior, in fact, hid an incredibly gentle soul.

And to your grand happiness your beloved Karl Heisenberg proved to be exactly that same kind of man.

But, unfortunetaly, here in this located in a mountainous region of Eastern Europe remote little village because of his rather formidable looks, rank of being one of the Four Lords of the village lands and unnatural for human beings powers of controlling different metal objects only with his mind Karl was perceived by the local residents as an arrogant and incapable of love or compassion extremely dangerous individual, but only to you Heisenberg opened up his genuinely caring, fun-loving and sensetive nature and all the truth about that cruel and egoistic Mother Miranda forced him to become her obedient servant against his own will, and that already quite for a long time he had been dreaming to be free of the oppression of her barbarous tyranny.

Actually, one needs to say that it was not only one dream which the Lord was seriously intended to turn into reality one day.

Yesterday early in the morning when both of you were sitting at the kitchen table and nicely chatting over a cup of freshly brewed fragnant coffee he honestly confessed to you that at least for once in his entire life he would really like to properly celebrate his own birthday with real presents and a real big birthday cake.

To hear this amazing news from the Lord you were indescribably glad as before in your conversations he had never told you even when his birthday was, and what joy that was for you to find out that it was supposed to be already on the next day!

Determined to make your beloved feel a little bit more happier, you conceived to secretly organize a small pleasant surprise for him by preparing a homemade festive cake and a lovely useful gift, despite the fact that Karl was not going to celebrate his birthday so soon for the simple reason that, as he himself said, he didn't have absolutely any time for entertainments as at the current moment the total elimination of Miranda was the number one goal for him, that is why his tomorrow's birthday Heisenberg planned to spend just like one of his most regular days, hoping at least not to cross paths anywhere with his adopted family, the members of which he had always sincerely dispised.

But all these plans and hopes of the Lord crumbled into dust when at the crack of dawn he was unceremoniously awakened by the unexpected telephone call of Mother Miranda herself. As it turned out, "her highness crazy witch" for some unknown reason decided to arrange an unscheduled family gathering and demanded for her "son" to partake in it along with his siblings and arrive for this to the cave church asap, thereby not leaving him even the slightest chance to normally wash his face, let alone have some breakfast.

Hastily dressed, our birthday man, fiercely cursing Miranda for so brazenly spoiling all his day today, went outside where nature unfriendly greeted him with a massive snowfall accompanied by the powerful gusts of a freezing wind.

"Fucking matches..." He grumbled under his breath, trying to light a cuban cigar with no success. "Always extinguish even from the slightest breeze..."

You volunteered to walk the Lord right to the main factory gates, paying zero attention to all of his insistent protests not to do that in such a cold stormy weather. On his covered with deep scars stubbled cheek you placed a light goodbye kiss, and once the burly figure of your beloved disappeared on the opposite side of the stone bridge you immediately hurried back to the factory in order to get everything what was needed ready for his return...

As Heisenberg suspected this family meeting promised to be unbelievably prolonged, and it seemed to him that it lasted for a whole eternity. For many long hours straight Karl, chewing an unlit cigar, had been sitting on a wide wooden bench inside the cave church and, from time to time heavily sighing and rolling his eyes in irritated manner, listening to the insane dictatorial nonsense of the family head, the poisonous insults of Lady Dimitrescu that she was spitting right in his face, the nasty high-pitched squeal of Donna's creepy porcelain doll and the constant childish whining of Moreau. Not having a single crumb of bread within his stomach since early morning and chilled to the bone, Heisenberg eagerly awaited this freak show to end as soon as possible so that he could come back to the saving walls of his old factory and just forget about this frankly lousy day within your warm comforting embrace.

But to reach his safe refuge the Lord, unfortunately, managed only very late in the evening after he had accomplished to do everything he was strictly ordered to, namely, calmed down the went crazy Lycans in the Stronghold and got rid of the mess in the village workshop. Barely dragging his feet from extreme tiredness, the man, upon entering the bedroom and throwing off his outerwear, with noise flopped down on the shabby leather couch and, closing his eyes, let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he was home.

"Karl? You back?" Your quiet voice delicately interrupted your beloved's welcome respite, making him to open his eyes again, and having noticed your presence in the doorway of the bedroom, he couldn't help but slightly smile.

"Yes, princess. I'm back."

"It's pretty late. You must be very tired and hungry. Let's go to the kitchen! I've made a dinner for us."

"Sounds perfect." And with these words Heisenberg slowly stood up and trudged after you in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hey, what's this?" Karl whistled in surprise, motioning his head towards the kitchen table in the center of which adorned a deliciously smelling fresh apple cake surrounded by many plates with his especially favorite dishes.

"Um, Karl..." From overwhelming excitement all that tremendous speech which you had been composing since the previous day specially for this occasion in a blink evaporated from your memory. "I just...I just wanted to say...um... Here! Happy birthday, darling! Please accept this humble gift from me to you!"

The gaze of the Lord fell on a laying within your palms silver lighter with the engraved on it image of a beautiful steed, which you had bought from the Duke for a rather hefty sum.

"I noticed that you always light cigars with matches, but it seemed to me that for you they are not very comfortable in using. And then i thought maybe a lighter would be more helpful in this case, so..."

From your trembling hands the man took the lighter extremely carefully as if it was made not of metal but of fragile glass.

"All right, sweetheart...You...huh...You cooked all this food, baked this cake, spent your money on this obviously damn expensive thing, and what do you want to tell me? Do you want to tell me that you did all of this...for me?"

"Well...Well yes! Yes, that's right!"

Judjing by his puzzled facial expression, it was safe to say your beloved was truly shocked by everything what's happening right now, and it was no wonder because absolutely nobody in his entire life had ever done even something similar for him.

"So...Why are we still standing? The food is getting cold! Come on! Let's take a sit at the table!"

The blizzard, which had been furiously raging outside throughout the day, little by little, had begun to abate, and out of the snow gloomy clouds appeared the large silvery moon whose tranquil light unobtrusively penetrated through a small window into the kitchen where Heisenberg and you were enjoying the festive meal in each other's company. At your request, Karl told you how the family gathering went, but instead of narrating you about this extremely unpleasant event in a negative way, he started cracking shameless yet hilarious jokes about his hateful siblings, and your contagious laughter, caused by these jokes, after all those disgusting nasties that he had to hear today out acted like a healing balm to his soul.

Suddenly, Gymnopedie No.1 by Erik Satie smoothly played on the radio, and to your mind came a wonderful idea.

"May i have this dance, my Lord?" Playfully smiling, you politely held out the man your hand.

"Sure!" Not even thinking, Heisenberg immediately accepted your invitation to dance. "But i consider it my duty to warn you that i can't dance at all."

"Me too! So i am deeply apologizing in advance for accidentally stepping on your feet a huge number of times!"

In the dimly illuminated by a couple of oil lanterns kitchen both of you were slightly swaying in a slow dance to the soothing sounds of the marvelous melody in each other's arms. Placing his rough hand on your waist, Karl was gradually pulling you closer and closer to his wide sturdy chest, and when you rested your head on his strong shoulder he a bit nuzzled your soft silky hair, inhaling with pleasure its subtle delightful scent.

Fully immersed in the relaxing atmosphere of calmness, at least for tonight the Lord entirely forgot about all of his pressing daily problems the thoughts of which permanently created disorderly chaos in his head, and at this divine moment of complete peacefulness it seemed to him as if in the whole entire world existed only you and only him, silently dancing in this cozy semi-darkness.

After a few short minutes, silence that followed the melted in the air music softly stopped the slow romantic dance of yours, and then you looked up at your beloved just in order to catch him looking back at you with a gaze filled with nothing other than tenderness and adoration.

"I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me tonight." Carefully Heisenberg tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"Thank me? But...But you shouldn't thank me. I...I haven't really done anything special..." This affectionate gesture in combination with the low tone of his raspy voice made you unavoidably redden like a ripe juicy strawberry. "You deserve this, Karl. You do truly deserve this. You deserve all of this and even more. And if i only could give you this more, believe me, i would gladly do that for you, not awaiting from you anything in exchange because... because i love you too much...that's all..."

"My Buttercup...My kind little Buttercup..." And Karl, upon cupping your face with his hands as gently as he could, placed a kiss on your lips, in sweetness to which, in your opinion, even candied honey could not be compared. You didn't break this adorable kiss to ask the Lord what happened when you noticed a crystal-clear tear rolling down his cheek because for you everything was understandable enough without any words: probably for the first time in his entire life your beloved now was quietly crying with genuine happiness, and from the realization that you managed to fulfill one of the cherished dreams of his you yourself became even more happier than you had already been...

This peaceful night before going to bed Heisenberg decided to go outside in order to have a smoke. With the help of his new lighter Karl easily lighten up a cuban cigar on the very first attempt and contentedly took several deep puffs.

Leisurely savoring the bitter taste of the tobacco smoke, simultaneously the Lord was gazing at the dark nocturnal sky strewn with millions of bright sparkling stars just when one of them at lightning speed was leaving its abode once and for all, and, without hesitation, he quickly made a birthday wish.

It is not difficult to guess what kind of wish your beloved made because more than anything else he truly wished to be with you forever no matter what as for him you doubtelessly were the most priceless gift which he was so lucky to receive from the Universe herself, and to her for such a boundless generousity the man was infinitely grateful.

[thenightling]

Unexpected Goth music

In the 90s you had the curious dilemma of both trying to avoid the title of Goth and also being accepted in the perceived Goth community. And there was an unfortunately high number of gatekeepers. You'd get asked what your favorite Goth artist or song was and for whatever reason "That doesn't count." or "That's actually Punk." or 'That's Death Rock, not Goth." or "That's too mainstream, that's not REAL Goth." And it got very irritating. So I'm going to list some of the things I think fit under the Goth genre that many would either not consider at all or would think "don't count." Disclaimer: This list does not contain obvious bands like The Cure, Siouxsie and the banshees, or Bauhaus. Once you remove those you'd be surprised how limited the selection of "real" Goth starts to feel. ______________________ And now here are the things that have (in my own experience) been classified as not Goth despite really fitting the criteria. Aurelio Voltaire - Sometimes considered Goth folk or "Dark Cabaret" or even "Death Rock" (1988 version of The Night) Aurelio Voltaire pretty much personifies Goth music. From his Gothic Neo Victorian / pirate look to such songs as Raised by Bats, Land of the Dead, Vampire Club, and the Neil Gaiman's The Sandman inspired "Come Sweet Death." Aurelio Voltaire is so Goth that I can't help but think there are other reasons people may not want to count him such as unconscious racism. (He's Cuban and has released Spanish language tracks.) Danny Elfman - Perhaps today most well known for his movie scores, particularly the iconically Gothic Nightmare before Christmas (where he was multiple voices including Jack's singing voice), Danny Elfman used to be the front man for the band Oingo Boingo where he had such songs as Dead Man's Party, Flesh 'n blood, Weird Science, No one lives forever, and No Spill Blood. These are arguably Gothic themed but not Gothic "style." However I do feel there is some Goth leanings in his 2020 album Big Mess which was officially released as the genre Industrial Goth. The Hex Girls - This band was invented for the 1999 Scooby Doo animated movie, Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost. Representing Gothic fashion, Wiccan spiritual beliefs, and environmentalism the band was meant to be a Gothic inversion on The Spice Girls. Defined as "Eco Goth" though arguably pop their songs actually were really good including "Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air" (though admittedy it should be Earth, Water, Fire, and Air), The Witch's Ghost, and Hex Girl. Inkubus Sukkubus - Considered Pagan Rock, they are definitely Goth, including the songs Sweet Morpheus and Vampire Queen (and several other vampire themed songs!) Blackmore's night - Neo Medieval folk rock band. You know... I think once you get called "Neo Medieval" you get a free pass to call yourself Goth. That's just my opinion. Including the songs Locked Within the Crystal Ball, The Darkness, and Shadow of the Moon.

Within Temptation - Symphonic Metal / Gothic Metal. One question... have you listened to them? Just listen to Angel, Stand my Ground, The Fear, or A Demon's Fate. Eden's Bridge - Progressive Celtic Folk Rock. They have two songs dedicated to Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost. I know one song isn't enough but still... Sonata Arctica - Metal but some of their biggest hits are about magic and more commonly werewolves. Cain's offering - Again, Metal, but the subject matter is decidedly Gothic. Kamelot - Power metal but they have two albums that retell Goethe's Faust parts 1 and 2 (Epica and The black Halo). In fact pretty much everything they do is of Gothic inclination. Richard Campbell - Metal but he did an entire metal opera retelling the novel Frankenstein. I think that's pretty Goth if you ask me.

Smashing Pumpkins - Considered Alternative rock. There was time where just about anything vampire related was advertised with Bullet with Butterfly Wings. And the band is named after a popular Halloween prank. The lead singer is also a professional poet.

Alice Cooper - Welcome to my Nightmare, Keepin' Halloween Alive, The Ballad of Dwight Frye (actor from classic universal monster movies), Gimme, Black Widow (With Vincent Price). He also performed in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows.

Marilyn Manson - Once Classified as industrial Goth, he was denounced by many Goths as "too mainstream" or "Not Goth enough." The man did covers of Danny Elfman's This is Halloween, David Bowie's Golden Years, Annie Lennox's Sweet Dreams, and Lost Boys' Cry Little Sister. That's pretty Goth if you ask me. My Chemical Romance (MCR) - Do I really need to elaborate wit this one? David Bowie - Mostly considered Glam Rock, Bowie has dabbled in all genres and Heart's Filthy Lesson was definitely industrial. Aurelio Voltaire did a Goth sequel to the songs Bowie wrote for Labyrinth. And Bowie's Scary Monsters and Super Creeps inspired Danny Elfman. You can't get more Goth than that (In my opinion). Even Bowie's album Hours drifts into Emo territory. Prince - At the very least he had a Goth aesthetic. I think if he wasn't black people would be quicker to realize he could fit as Goth. There's a lot of unconscious racism among some (not all) Goths. Michael Jackson - One word. Thriller. He also had The Boogeyman's Gonna Get ya with The Jackson Five, and later Ghost. But once you get Vincent Price to rap you should automatically count. The Rasmus - Rock but most of their songs are decidedly Goth and probably should count such as In the Shadows, Ghost of love, and Lucifer's Angel. Sarah McLachlan - Though considered pop let's be honest. Every Goth and person in the 90s "vampire Scene" had her Surfacing album or at least heard Building a Mystery. Before her music started playing in ASPCA commercials you heard songs like Adia on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Savage Garden - Though definitely pop they get an honorary mention for having songs inspired by Anne Rice and for naming themselves after a phrase invented by The vampire Lestat to describe the nature of the world in The Vampire Lestat novel by Anne Rice. Sting - Though not always Goth, Sting was in the Gothic horror movie The Bride and wrote a song from the perspective of Louis in Interview with the vampire called Moon over Bourbon Street. Stevie Nicks - She got an American Horror story: Coven tie-in music video and practices witchcraft. That's like hitting a Goth bullseye. Johnny Cash - Wore all black all the time and did a cover of a NIN song that is considered better than the original version, Hurt. Sir Elton John - Glam / Pop rock but he gets an honorary mention for composing the Lestat Broadway musical and having a full demo album that was never officially released and can only be found through dubious / underground sources. (Or Ebay if you were lucky in 2006...) Honorable mention to Bobby "Boris" Pickett for having the first Gothic themed song to get banned in the UK (Monster Mash) for being "Too morbid." You can't get much more Goth than that.

[itscalledsawpollscuzyousawpolls]

[thetarotman]

Moon Serpent and Bone 10-18-2024

There may be some ghosties at this Night Market? Shall you meet them, or run screaming in the night?

It is my pleasure to announce that I shall be a part of the Moon Serpent and Bone 1st Annual Haunting, at the Sing Sing Kill Greenway, in collaboration with the Ossining Community Center in Ossining, New York. In addition, it honors me greatly that, of the more than 100 applications Moon Serpent and Bone received for this special Night Market Event, mine was one of 24 accepted. The Moon Serpent…

[thatstheproblemwithnapkinman]

random shit i've learned researching gotham city and the wayne family

bruce is a descendant of a native american tribe called the miagani that lived on the land that would become gotham

the city is literally cursed, an evil warlock was buried alive and his evilness seeped into the surrounding land, corrupting it

the miagani sealed a shaman in a cave (probably the bat cave) but when colonists arrived they freed him and he killed them all

there's an old family called the orghams...

1st january 1800 two guys fought over a piece of magic amber in the batcave

the classic architecture of gotham was designed by one guy and was then copied all over the city

bruce wayne is related to morgana le fae: his ancestor is a guy called sir geVain who is king arthurs nephew and morgana is arthurs half-sister

a witch cursed the waynes just before she was hung by nathaniel wayne, which is so fucking funny bc she'd just been in love with a time-travelling bruce

people keep dying on the land that is the wayne estate

thomas wayne (bruces dad) escaped the caribbean when cuban forces tried to unite the region under communism

so many waynes grew up without both parents (either 1 or 0)

[magicaguajiro]

Resources for Cuban and Caribbean Folk Magic 🇨🇺

Disclaimer: Cubans are not a monolith so when we say ‘Cuban Folk Magic’ its like saying ‘American Folk Magic’ in the sense that it is a BROAD term that includes multiple different cultural threads and traditions. Start by researching your ancestors and where they were from as a jumping off point.

Also, many of these resources are not Cuban themselves, but they either share the same practices or are academic or general sources. I have made it clear when a source isn’t Cuban. For this reason, I have expanded it to be the Cuban AND Caribbean Folk Magic List.

The List

Creators:

Irka Mateo - Taino - Insta 🇩🇴

Religion.Ancestral.Taino - Insta 🇵🇷

Sancista Brujo Luis - Espiritismo/Taino-Youtube | Blog 🇵🇷

OkaniLuna - Brujería/Taino - Youtube🇩🇴

Juliet Diaz - Brujería/Taino/Author - Instagram 🇨🇺

Sancista 7 Espadas - Espiritismo - Insta 🇵🇷

Odofemi - Regla de Ocha - Tumblr 🇺🇸

Eve the Medium - ATR/Espiritismo - Youtube 🇩🇴

Yeyeo Botanica - ATR/Espiritismo- youtube 🇺🇸

Botanica Candles & More - Great Podcast!! - youtube 🇨🇺 🇺🇸

Connecting w/ Guides and Goals by Adunola - youtube 🇺🇸

Hatuey Museum of Archaeology, Baracoa, Cuba - Taíno archaeologists photos and blog - Link

Florida Memory - Photos and Articles on Folk History of Florida and surrounding areas - Link

Articles

San Lazaro - Wikipedia - Novena - Yeyeo Botanica

Caridad del Cobre - Wikipedia

Orisha and Palo Herbs Directory- Website

Ewe (Herbs) Photo Guide - Website

Pueblo Originario Taino Section - Website

Taino and Agua Dulce essay by Jorge Estevez - Link

Memoir of Florida’s Indigenous People by Hernando Escalante de Fontaneda - Link

Tacachale: Essays on Indigenous Floridians by Milanich and Proctor - Link

Huellas Indigenas en Cuba - Taino Spirituality in Cuban Folk Magic Article - Link

Books:

Taino Library* - Amazing resource for books of all kinds, many books about Taino and Caribbean Spiritualities, Folklores and Songs! Multiple books on Cuban Myths and Folktales! Highly recommend - Website 🇵🇷

Espiritismo by Hector Silva🇩🇴

A Year in White by C Lynn Carr

The Modern Art of Brujería by Lou Florez(VERY BASIC just as a general introduction to what alot of modern Folk Practices look like)

American Brujeria by J. Allen Cross 🇲🇽🇺🇸

El Monte by Lydia Carbera 🇨🇺

Palmetto Country by Stetson Kennedy - Link

Movies and Videos:

Cecilia (1982) - Youtube

Las Profecias de Amanda - Youtube

Susie Jim Billie, Medicine Woman Interview - Link

Proyecto Cuba Indigena - Link

Miguel Sague, Taíno Spirituality - Link

**This list will grow as I find more resources that are reliable enough to share. If you have recommendations or would like to be added, please reach out.

Luz y Progreso 🕯️

(I also have included a Research Guide below the Cut!)

Guide to researching based on your ancestry:

If your family has African roots, you can seek Ocha/Lukumi, Palo, Arara, Cuban Vodou and other African Traditional Religions and Practices. Please approach elders within these respective practices to further your connection to them, rather than using books to create a practice for yourself. These are ancient, community based and are lifelong commitments, not just trendy powerful spells for you to get what you want.

If your family has indigenous roots, research Taino spirituality and modern practices , but also know that there were other tribes in the western and centeral parts of Cuba, with their own languages and traditions you can still learn about like the Guanahatabey. You may also consider joining a Yukayeke, but this isn’t required. Reconnecting and decolonizing is a separate and important topic that is not inherently witchcraft or folk magick-y… HOWEVER, researching and informing yourself with these practices can help you to see their influence within modern folk practices.

If your family has Asian roots, research the buddhist cults and folk practices throughout Cuba! Believe it or not, we also have people of Middle Eastern descent in Cuba who brought with them their own Hindu and Arabic Folk Traditions, which can be found throughout Cuba and the Caribbean as a whole.

If your family has Spanish roots, research some open practices like Espiritismo and Folk Catholicism! Look into the Patron Saints of Cuba, La Virgen de La Caridad del Cobre and San Lazaro. These also tie in to many of the other cultures who were forced to adopt certain elements to ensure survival of their traditions! You can also look into Brujería. Much like modern witchcraft, modern brujería has been commodified to hell and back, but there is still some great knowledge and power to be found there.

The fact of the matter is, that most of us can fit ourselves into two or more of these categories, and this crossover is where Folk Magic is often born. Its also important to note, in alot of these traditions you shouldn’t learn or share certain things at certain times, so some sources who share too much about Ocha and other ATRs should be avoided. Also, I can’t stress how important it is to talk to your family! Ask them about folklore or legends and stories! Also research history and folkore of the specific areas in Cuba your family is from. A-lot of folk magic is incorporated into stories.

Bendiciones, good luck on your Journey!🦎🐊

[dykeulous]

about me.

hello! i am apollo and i am aspiring to be an author and an activist someday. i come from a small, underdeveloped “post-socialist” country. i hope my blog will be helpful to everyone, and i try to be as open-minded on most topics as i can be. this is how i would describe myself:

i am a butch lesbian with heavy sex (& social) dysphoria. i would refer to myself as transmasc, and i am still very much trans-identified, as dysphoria has caused me much trouble over my formative years, and it has been making my life a true agonizing hell :)). i approach trans issues with sensitivity and criticism. i try my best not to be black-and-white about things; and i always try to be well-informed before speaking on anything. i love gender acceleration, and i would describe my views as gender critical. i am explicitly anti-racist, anti-capitalist & anti-imperialist. my views align with marxist feminism/proletarian feminism & radical feminism– which is why i would describe myself as a dual system feminist. my analysis & beliefs come from dialectical materialism, rather than idealism, which is why i’ve found myself in opposition with most trans rights activists. i am for abolishing the prison system, and i believe rehabilitation should be the goal, rather than punishment. drug addicts & recovering addicts have a special place in my heart ❤️‍🩹. i’m not vegan, but i appreciate & love all my ecofeminist sisters: i try my best to be vocal about animal liberation & climate activism. i believe the bpd diagnosis is being hyper-sold to female people, and this is because of medical misogyny & institutional sexism– it is being used as new age female hysteria. oh, and i’m also autistic. i love autistic women, and i wholeheartedly want to smash medical misogyny whenever i see how my neurodivergent sisters are being treated. 🇵🇸 FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA PALESTINE WILL BE FREE!!!

my special interest is gender abolition (i’m very very passionate about this!!!) and marxist politics. my current hyperfixations are harry potter (i’m a slytherin 🐍), greek mythology & mbti. i unironically use the word kinnie; my highest kins are severus snape, twilight sparkle and diane nguyen. i love punk rock music, and i love riot grrrl. ask me about ww2, i used to be very hyperfixated on it last year– i reviewed a lot of ww2-themed movies critically & pointed their historical revisionism out. i am a slavic patriot by heart, and will punch a westerner who chooses to ignore our beautiful history. tito, lenin, che guevara, rosa luxemburg apologist. also i’m very interested in soviet history (the night witches are so fascinating!!), north korean culture & cuban cuisine.

if you wish to block me, go ahead. if you don’t, cool. i don’t block people, i allow a wide range of people to interact, and quite frankly, i think dni lists are useless. won’t hold back if you’re going to attack me. will engage in respectful arguments, and also will engage in disrespectful arguments, with the same energy you give me.

links to some of the posts of mine i find quite useful for people who are going to hate-scroll through my blog, and also for people who are interested in radical feminism, but scared we’re a hate group.

1. My Thoughts on Intersex People, Transitioned Trans Women & Transitioned Trans Men, My Addition to a Trans-Positive Feminist’s Post, Are Trans Women Privileged?

2. Feminist Praxis & Tactics: Separatism VS Proletarian Feminism, My Personal Critique of Radical Feminism

3. Transmedicalists VS Queer Theorists

4. Listen to Dysphoric Voices

5. What is Gender?

6. The Word “Cis”

[bullet-prooflove]

Hallmark!Series Part Seven: Baby Talk - Joe Velasco x Reader

Tagging: @plaidbooks @misscharlielulu @witches-unruly-heart @storiesofsvu @magic-multicolored-miracle @rosaliedepp @cycat4077 @deekaag @cixrosie @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @legit9thlunaticwarrior @thatesqcrush @mydarkestsecretlol @upsteadlogic @wooshwastaken @imaginecrushes @thiashazzy @kiwiithecrazybird @justreblogginfics @anime-weeb-4-life @hey-dw @alwaysachorusgirl @telepathay @weiwei0210 @spaghettificationandpretzels @nu1freakshow @resonmalvo @littleone65 @thesandbeneathmytoes @evee87 @hearthockey @whateversomethingbruh @burningpeachpuppy @legit9thlunaticwarrior @spooky-pomegranate

Hallmark!Series:

Hallmark (feat: Mike Duarte) - Joe watches you fall in love with another man.

Be With Me (feat: Mike Duarte) - Joe tells you how he feels.

Placeholder (feat: Mike Duarte)  - Mike fears he’s a placeholder.

Think About It (feat: Mike Duarte) - Joe recalls what happened the night of Fin's engagement party.

Positive - Mike finds out about what happened between you and Joe.

Five Months - You and Mike catch up.

Joe finds out you’re back with Duarte when a friend from another precinct sends a picture of the two of you in a Cuban restaurant in the Bronx. It’s an intimate setting. The two of you are sitting across from each other, there’s a candle in the middle of the table. Duarte’s hand rests on yours, that amused smile on his features as you laugh at something he says. Your free hand rests on the place where his baby resides.

Joe doesn’t know why it hurts so much. You’ve made it clear you don’t want to be with him, he accepts that, respects it, but seeing you play happy families with Duarte, it stings. He can already see his future stretching out in front of him, him left out in the cold, seeing his kid on weekends while you and Duarte raise his daughter. Christ it feels like someone’s ripped his heart right out of his chest every time he thinks about it.

“I hear you and Duarte are back together.” He says when the two of you meet up before the sonogram appointment. He’s both excited and a little nervous because today he gets to hear his baby’s heartbeat for the first time. He tears the edges off the paper sugar packet, piling the strips up in a small heap. It’s gesture you recognise from your time together as partners.

“We’re taking it slow.” You tell him as you sip from a cup of decaf tea. “We’ve had a few dates; he seems to be adapting to the situation.”

“You mean the fact you’re having my baby?” Joe asserts, his elbows coming to rest upon the surface of the table.

“And the fact we’re going to co-parent her.” You input before leaning back in your seat, palm smoothing over your stomach. “It’s a complicated situation for all of us. He’s dating the girl that got knocked up by her partner. It’s an adjustment.”

“You been catching flack for that?” Joe asks you, his eyes flickering up to meet yours.

“Not in the unit.” You tell him and he knows that while he’s getting a clap on the back for knocking you up, you’re being branded a slut, especially now your back with Duarte. “Before the baby, I probably would have given a shit about it but now…”

You smile as you cradle the bump between your hands.

“The things I used to worry about don’t really matter as much.”

Joe knows what you’re talking about. There’s so much stupid, petty shit he used to think about before the baby but now it all seems irrelevant because all he cares about is his kid and making sure she’s happy and healthy.

“I want to be a part of this.” He tells you, clasping his hands together on the surface of the table. “I want to be as involved as I can. I want time to bond with my daughter, to feed her, to sooth her. If Duarte has to be a part of that, I’ll find a way to get cool with it, but I don’t want to be shut out if the two of you decide you want to play happy families.”

“Joe…” You say reaching across the table and clasping his hand. “I’m not going to cut you out of our daughter’s life just because Mike’s back on the scene. We made this baby together and I promise we’re going to raise her together.”

You reach into your handbag and pull out an A5 notepad before flicking to the page you want and turning it around to face him.

“I tried to put a schedule together for after the baby is born, you can change whatever you want but I was thinking, you can do the afternoons or evenings. Feed her, bath her, put her down for bed, I read that’s the best way for you to bond with her. We stick to a routine, keep it consistent.”

Joe holds it between his hands, studying it intently. On paper it holds up, he thinks he should be able to stick to it when he takes paternity leave. He’s willing to pitch in at other times if you need it, he knows it’s important to be both flexible and consistent.

“We can work on it as things change.” He tells you, handing the notepad back. “But I’m happy with what you’ve got down here, it’s a lot more than I expected.”

“If you want more or less or if we need to switch something up, just tell me and we can figure it out.” You tell him. “This only works if we communicate openly with each other and that means on everything, not just scheduling. If there’s something that makes you uncomfortable, I want you to be able to discuss it with me.”

There’s a silence between the two of you before Joe gaze lowers to coffee cup.

“I don’t want Duarte to replace me.” He says quietly as his thumb chases over the porcelain.  “I’m happy for him to be in her life but I don’t want him to become her dad, I just…”

He trails off, trying to swallow hard against the ache in his chest because this baby hasn’t even been born yet and already, he has so much love for her it hurts.

“Nobody wants that.” You reassure him, dipping your head so that you can meet his gaze. “There’s going to be stuff that me and you go through that Mike won’t be able to understand, he’ll try to but…”

You shake your head.

“At the end of the day I’m her mom, you’re her dad. There is no one in this world who could love this baby more than the two of us.”

Joe looks up at you, his eyes meeting yours and you see the man that you’ve spent the past two years partnered with, the one you’ve trusted with your life, and you know that like you he will do everything in his power to make this arrangement work. Your daughter is the most important thing in the world to the two of you.

You feel a flutter in your belly, and you reach out, taking Joe’s hand in yours before pressing it to your stomach.

“She’s kicking again.” You say and Joe smiles as he feels the baby’s foot nudging against his palm. “She must recognise your voice.”

“You think?” He asks you, his entire face lighting up as he follows the baby’s movements.

“Yea Joe.” You tell him. “I think she knows her daddy.”

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[epphfervescent]

can we see Selma! my girl deserves more attention (and one belly too full of food)

kskdjdks missed the parenthetical of this ask oops! Anyway.

Selma is Kalila’s mom/Idrees’ first wife (peep that 90s maternity wear lol). I don’t talk too much abt her bc I used to think she died tho now I think she might just be in like. Miami. Doing her thing.

I think this universe has witches, which I think I’m basing in homeopathy/phytotherapy with some fantasy sauce on it. Historically they would have occupied the same niche as midwives in the western world. Selma is a witch, however she’s Afro-Cuban so I think her work is influenced by Santeria in a holistic kinda way & she’s an Obá/high priestess also.

to be clear I’m not fictionalizing Santeria, which I think would be rude. I’m saying that Selma is a witch (fictional) and also practices Santería (very real) bc of her ethnicity:)

[foolinafable]

iii. reflections

SYNOPSIS: He doesn’t know how to love. You know this and yet you would still give everything just to be with him- even for just a moment. Or the story of how you and Keith finally get together. PAIRING: Keith Kogane x Altean reader WORD COUNT: 2.7k TAGS: Slowburn, Angst, extreme cannon compliance SERIES LINK: a love as cold as ours

← PREVIOUS | NEXT →

── ✧

Working with Lotor is strange, but working with Lotor and Allura is taxing, to say the least, you are unsure how much of this romantic tension you could possibly endure and with your mind still reeling from your argument with Keith you worry about lashing out again.

But your work with Lotor towards infinite quintessence is very important if not one of the most important projects you have been a part of. The group of you quickly discovered that your ability to control quintessence was much stronger than Alluras- similar to that of his mother he had said in a moment of careful clarity, another surprising discovery. It was comforting to know that galra-altean romance was possible and the fact that Lotor was altean only made you and Allura feel closer to him as you are the last of a dying species. As to Lotors request you had been trying to increase your connection with your powers, hoping that it would allow them to become stronger. You had already found that you could use quintessence you had stored within yourself to heal and found that you could naturally recharge your own source a lot faster than in the past. Lotor and Allura had found a script over the tale of Oriande and hoped it was true that you could reach a place that you teach you more about altean alchemy- however, it also made you sad to think that this is what the elders would have taught you but instead, they are dead leaving you the last true “Altean witch” as Lotor has dubbed you. After the revelation it really began to make sense why Alfor sent for you that day, to put you into the sleep chamber he knew you had the abilities that he had. It was almost as if he could see it coming, all the other witches, even Honerva (as Lotor still claimed) being wiped from the planet. It also made Haggar's wariness of you make sense- she saw you as an equal, it's a rather daunting idea that you could ever be like her. You and Allura couldn’t believe all of your untapped potential, being able to open the stone that would lead to Oriande a feat which the princess was sure only her father could accomplish really sealed the truth into the pair of you, you weren't just put into the pod to be a companion for Allura you were put there to find what Honerva couldn’t infinite quintessence to allow for peace throughout the universe.  You suppose it only made sense that you like Allura and Lotor would have the mark of the chosen and therefore be able to get to Oriande, to the temple of alchemists, to be able to learn from the white lion and allow you to become an altean alchemist like Alfor. 

Most of your focus as of late had been on creating Lotor a ship to allow him and therefore you access to the quintessence field, you were happy for the distraction as all your thoughts would otherwise be on Keith and your last words to one another, you regretted your temper getting the better of you but also felt so disheartened by him and his words that he thought you needed constant protection and that you spoke too much layering your head with insecurities no comforting words from Lance could even sway. You could feel yourself relying on the Cuban boy much more than you did before, and he you. You suppose it’s because you relate to the idea of unrequited feelings for another paladin and often find the other to be a solace. Watching Lotor and Allura get closer made your heart ache for the boy but at the same time, Lotor was also now your friend as you had said to Lance may a time when he didn't want to express his feelings towards Lotor afraid you would get upset that he is your family, so he will always come first to you. It wasn't surprising to find him alone on the sofa after Allura turned him and the other paladins away from building the ship, clearly feeling upset. You sat next to him in silence, waiting until he was ready to speak. 

“I mean i don't really have much to offer, i’m just a boy from Cuba and he's a space prince” you simply smiled at him 

“That doesn't make you any less worthy and if she can't see that, then she's clearly not the one for you” The boy knew you spoke from experience as he liked to put it Keith was a fool to not notice your feelings towards him and while you once thought of Keith with a warmth in your cheeks all you could feel now was dread about when you next need to see him, what more he could possibly say to you or what new way he could find you break your heart like he does so easily. You comm buzzed before you could get another word in, Allura calling you back to work. Lance smiled in understanding as you got up to leave praying that for once he believed you when you told him he was worth everything and more just as he does to you.   

── ✧

This was the moment the three of you had been waiting for. You stood in between Allura and Lotor looking up at the ship “We have done everything we can to prepare. We are more than ready.” she was right, it was time to get into the quintessence field, prove it could be done and then a future of peace for the galran empire would await you as you come back. The three of you boarded the ship and took your seats, after a quick check that everything was working, the ship was ready to go, the castle-ship opened the doors and off you went towards the middle of the destroyed planet. Lance called out to you and Allura through the comms

 “Come back safe” to which Allura replied 

“we will” Then it was time Coran was counting down the ticks until gate entry and you tried to stay calm, knowing deep down that this would work 

“Are you ready?” Lotor asked the both of you 

“it’s too late to turn back now” is all you said as Allura spoke 

“Here we go” then nothing but light surrounded you

 “Extraordinary” Allura declared as the quintessence particles swirled around you 

“These readings are beyond anything I could have imagined, what we do here today will change the course of the universe forever”  Lotor spoke amazed to which Allura responded staring at her hands as well as your own swirling with quintessence 

“In the hands of the wrong person, this power could easily corrupt” you agreed “It's no wonder Zarkon went mad, there's so much of it everywhere, it's overwhelming” The two looked at you with concern clearly the power was weighing heavier on you but you simply shook your head it was nothing you couldn't handle. 

“We will see that this power never does, and will continue the work of Allura's father, now let's see if we can collect some samples.” 

You felt on cloud nine returning from the quintessence field, the power coursing through you was electrifying so much that you shocked Lotor when he grabbed you to help you down from the ship “Sorry” you squeaked when he jolted in surprise but simply laughed as he moved to help Allura down. The three of you walked towards the main control room when the doors opened you noticed them all looking your way menacingly. Lance quickly walked towards you you raised an eyebrow as you grabbed onto his arm walking towards the rest of the paladins “What's wrong” you simply asked eyebrows furrowed deep with concern as you looked at the Cuban boy he simply met your gaze before whispering

 “I'm so sorry” Before drawing his weapon it was then that you noticed Keith and a Galran who were at the back of Allura and Lotor, weapons also drawn

 “Allura step away from Lotor” Lance demanded to which Allura replied

 “I will do no such thing, tell me what is happening here” you followed the paladin's looks of hatred and ire at Lotor before making eye contact with him 

“what have you done?” is all you asked but he simply looked at you confused before murmuring

 “I- what do you mean?” his hand reached forwards in an attempt to touch you but Coran quickly moved you out of the way looking disgusted that he would even try to touch you. Then a new voice spoke out 

“Lotor is a monster, and has been harvesting altean quintessence for generations” You watched the alarm creep onto his face as you turned to see the owner of the voice Allura exclaiming out before you even had a chance to process who that was 

“An altean?” Allura turned to Lotor looking at him as the altean continued

 “you killed my brother and thousands of others.” a look of absolute hatred on her face.

 “Lotor has been lying to us the whole time, he's a murder just like his father” Pidge announced and you simply stared at her shock evident on your face. 

“You know nothing about what you speak” Lotor tried to defend 

“What are they talking about?” Allura questioned 

“Allura listen to me” He tried “I've dedicated my life to preserving altean culture. Now that we have unlocked the quintessence field, all of your people who would have been hunted down long ago had it not been for my interference, can live in peace” to which you replied 

“I can understand safeguarding them, but you were saluting them, that is not keeping them safe, Allura please step away from him, he is not what he said he was” he simply dismissed you looking to Allura

 “were some lives lost, yes but they were martyrs to a noble cause, I sacrificed a few to maintain the thousands. Do not let this ruin everything we have worked for.” he grabbed her hand but she quickly sent him flying over her onto the ground. Then Alarms started blaring, Lotor ships were being taken

 “the hangars were breached!” Coran shouted running towards the console 

“It’s Lotors troops, they are stealing the ships!” Hunk exclaimed when Shiro suddenly fell to the ground in pain, hands clutching at his head

"Shiro'' Keith spoke his name in confusion but the man was groaning in pain still 

“What’s happening to him?” Coran questioned as you ran towards him, hands touching his head.

 “Allura and I will secure the Lotor, You and Hunk try to help Shiro, everyone else to the hangar '' Lance ordered and they left. 

“Shiro” Hunk asked as he turned to him but Shiro quickly shoved him into Coran sending them flying before turning to you and Lance 

“Shiro what are you-” he started but the man sent a punch knocking him out of the way, Allura jumped out of the way as Shiro activated his bayard sending it flying towards the doors but you weren't so lucky, the world quickly fading into darkness. 

You were promptly shaken awake by a dazed Lance groaning your head was throbbing, touching your forehead met you with blood from the impact of Shiro's bayard on your hands 

“Is everyone okay to fly their lions” you heard Keith ask over the comms 

“I think I can handle it” Hunk replied while Lance spoke 

“we’ve got this” while getting you off the ground with Alluras help

 “then let's go, if we want to fight Lotors ships we are going to need Voltron” Keith declared while Pidge spoke worriedly in reaction to his words “

Shiros gone, whos going to pilot the black lion?” and Keith simply said

 “I will.” 

You quickly got inside your lion, head pulsing and bleeding as you followed the rest of the lions into space, tailing the ships, you all quickly started fighting them as Keith went towards the altean pod that had Shiro inside trying to figure out what was wrong. You were barely able to escape the lasers of the ships you helped make, you would be proud of your work if it wasn't directed at you. Lasers flashed at each other, purple and white, you cursed as you got hit again simply breathing before trying again, the lions could barely get their lasers to charge up before they were hit by Lotors minions 

“Guys we are no match for them in our lions, form Voltron” Keith announced and for the first time in a long time, you agreed with him. 

Forming Voltron however, also seemed to not help, if anything it made it worse giving the three ships just one body to focus on. The constant swerving was making you feel sick barely able to see what was ahead of you, the voices of Coran and Keith could be heard offhandedly but you couldn't register the words coming out of their mouths as the three ships joined their lasers together to make one larger one sending voltron into a nearby asteroid. You worked in complete autopilot, the words coming out of your teammates' mouths sounding muffled as if underwater to you only snapping out of your daze when the ship, once again, is sent crashing into a rock causing you to gasp in surprise while everyone else groans in pain. Before Voltron could continue the fight a large purple wormhole appeared in front of the old altean ship that Shiro was piloting. 

“Is that?” Pidge questioned looking up at the purple entity now in the sky

 “A wormhole?” Lance questioned but before he could continue Keith exclaimed

 “They are trying to escape!” as Lotors' ships travelled towards it. 

“Haggar” Allura announced 

“She must of gained the ability somehow” to which you quipped

 “Maybe Lotor showed her the way to Oridane allowing her to unlock the secrets Honerva left behind” Allura took a sharp intake of air but before she could spiral Keith spoke 

“We can’t worry about this now, we need to make sure we get Shiro back. 

“But Shiros is not Shiro anymore,” Hunk replied. You nodded in agreement, 

“There's something dark within him, it’s intoxicating.” Keith looked down to lap trying to register your words

 “I know, something is wrong with him. The galra or Lotor have to be behind it.” he paused for a moment to collect himself “You all know he would never give up on us. We can't give up on him.”

 As a team, you used all your power to make Voltron move away from the rock and fly towards the wormhole but the robot was clearly worse for wear as Keith called out “Guys, one of my thrusters are down, can you compensate?” 

“Those beams torched our power core I've never seen anything like it” Pidge replied while hunk looked at the vitals 

“We have maybe 30 seconds of overclocked burn time” Clearly we weren't going to make it to the wormhole together but Keith still wanted to try 

“Hit it!” he exclaimed as the robot went even faster but even at half way through the burn you still went close enough 

“We aren't going to make it!” Lance cried out while 

Pidge exclaimed “We're too heavy!” 

“We need to disband” you murmured to yourself not thinking anyone could hear you but Keith quickly echoed your thoughts 

“disband” to which the other paladins shouted in confusion 

“the energy from us disconnecting might create enough thrust just be enough to get the black lion through the wormhole, and if not I can give them a boost. Haggars is not the only one with a few new tricks.” you reasoned 

“But Keith will be the only one on the other side” Allura called out but as the wormhole was closing it was clear, that this was the only option 

“Do it!” Keith called out making you use your controls to disband your lion while also focusing your energy on the black lion, its glow going from purple to white as it speeded up making it into the wormhole by the hair of its tail. You slouched into the chair of a lion breathing heavily as the area went quiet- all you could do now was wait.