#Mystical Magician

[firendgold]

The third fanfic in this review/rec series is Mystical Magician’s Ephemeral Time, and it’s in my top five favorite Harry Potter/Albus Dumbledore fanfics of all time, so buckle up, kids.

First published in 2009 and updated for about 4 years afterward, this fic has the honor of being among what I consider the “golden age” time travel harrydore fics of the 2010s. This is because it is wonderfully written, and has everything that I feel defines the ship: secret-keeping, mysteries, conflict, intrigue and inevitable attraction woven through all that. 

The basic premise: in a bad end timeline, Harry uses a ritual to go back in time and stop Voldemort before he really gets started. And although that part of the plan doesn’t give him too much trouble, once he runs into Albus Dumbledore he quickly finds he’s got much more to deal with than one budding Dark Lord.

Ephemeral Time really does have a little of everything. For fans who want a Harry that’s skilled and powerful and shows it, they get it. For fans who want a Harry who’s not a complete automaton and who has to deal with nightmares and PTSD and healing from everything that’s happened to him so far, they get that too. For fans who want to see a realistic slow-burn of Harry and Albus’ developing relationship, they get that in spades. And for fans who want to see Harry clash with the likes of Grindelwald and his minions... well, they don’t quite get that, but it’s clear that’s where the fic was going, and the agents of Grindelwald’s that Harry does fight get to see why you shouldn’t mess with the Boy-Who-Lived.

The slow-burn romance aspect has been mentioned before but deserves another highlight. Fanfics can vacillate between developing their relationships way too fast or so slowly that the readers lose interest or patience, but the year’s time the fic takes place over makes Harry and Albus’ compassion and care for each other stand out and feel very authentic.

Although the fic is currently unfinished, it still stands the test of time fourteen years later as one of the best Albus/Harry stories ever told. I highly, highly recommend every fan of this ship read it.

[b-evie]

it's very hard for me to draw him🥹

[helshollowhalls]

The Arcana text posts pt.3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

[yoosung-ah]

Mystic Messenger - a perfectly sensical, grounded, and normal romance game - out of context

[turtleblogatlast]

I think a lot about Leo’s tendency to push his way into the spotlight despite clearly being a natural in the shadows. Hell, you could argue that his worst moments are when he’s forcing himself onstage, and his best are when he does things no one notices until it’s already been done.

[magicians-abode]

Saw this post on my page as I was scrolling and immediately got inspired, so I opened my notes and started writing. This is fresh out of my brain, so enjoy! ♡~

Characters Included: Laios Touden; Kabru of Utaya; Asra Alnazar; Yaad Melini; Thistle

Warnings: none - fluff

If you ever were to approach him and decided to ask him "what exactly is so great about me?" Oh he'd start slowly pointing out "obvious" things. They're obvious to him, maybe not to you if you're insecure about yourself, but hell they are one of the first things that stand out to him. He'd look at you with a gentle smile as he points out how your hands fit so nicely in his. How he loves the feeling on your skin against his when he's holding you, caressing you ever so softly.

He loves the way the sun hits your hair, whether it be short, long, tied up or not, the sunrays always manage to tangle in your locks and create a soft angelical halo around your pretty head. He adores the way your chest subtly rises and falls when you breathe in and out, and how if he were to rest his pretty head over the place where your heart is, it'd lull him to sleep, creating a soft rhythm for his ears.

And then he would start going more into depth about things. Don't expect him to just answer with a: "you're pretty/beautiful, smart, funny" because that just simply won't do. It's not enough to describe how it makes his heart feel whole and full of light.

Speaking of full of light; "have you got any idea of how beautifully your eyes shine whenever you smile?"

He says your voice feels like it's carried by the wind itself whenever you speak. It's beautiful. Never too loud, never too soft, just perfect for him to listen to you all day long without getting tired.

"It's as easy as breathing to love you, and more necessary than air itself" he'd declare, placing a hand over his heart, swearing it on his life.

He likes your curves: your stomach, your shoulders, your hips, your legs, and not sexually, no he'd never just mean it that way. He loves the way you carry yourself, the way you walk and how your hips shift with every step, how your arms swing softly by your sides and how your hair seems to softly bounce.

In your face lay the most gorgeous features any painter would've loved to portray in a portrait, that years later, would end up in a museum for everyone to admire and gush about how breathtaking the model was.

Lips as soft as a summer breeze, refreshing and always leaving you wanting for more. Eyes as bright as the sun, eyelashes as its rays of light. Cheeks sometimes the canvas of a gentle blush whenever you're too cold, or feel too shy.

He loves you from the inside out and from head to toe, and that is something that will never change. It didn't happen yesterday, it won't happen today, and it won't happen tomorrow either. You are a beautiful child of nature, made of beauty and love, meant to be happy and even more.

In his eyes, perfection has a definition, and it's you.

A/N: I've been racking my brain all day trying to get inspo to write what has been in my ask box for days now, but instead wrote this. I'm happy but also disappointed in myself ;-; please tell me this happens to someone else too (this is me:)

[thekitchenywitch]

Little things about dating Asra

• NEEDS to be able to hear your heart beat when you’re sleeping or when cuddling. Literally has no preference on positions as long as her can have his ear against your chest

• going along with that you’ve found him napping in the absolute WILDEST places, one time you found him asleep in the spices/herbs pantry… he smelled so good but so unidentifiable for about 2 days

• Faust is always updating Asra on you if you can’t be together all the time (as we saw in canon) but also Vice versa. She’ll never admit it to you but sometimes she thinks that you two could have actually gotten together pre-route and your both just idiots (affectionately)

• anytime he has to leave you behind for a mission he’ll leave you little trinkets from the last one to soften the blow of not waking up next to him

(I’ve risen from the dead, hopefully (but not likely) will be able to post more often)

[imaginal-ai]

"The Oracle of Madinat al-Asrar" (0002)

(More of The Lost City of Secrets Series)

0001

[amongthefallingstar]

While yet so interconnected within life itself while also beyond just mere "randomness" or even a surface level to conceptualize a true understanding. The same theory as the butterfly flapping it's wings in Brazil causes the tornado in Texas due to initial sensitivity to conditions to happen is also the same of the many varieties of chaos. I promised myself I wouldn't go off talking about how chaos is the true primal source of creation & I won't. I definitely had to share this though 🖤

(X) the research paper I ripped the image from 🖤

[junhuifurby]

Would you be willing to doodle Asra and Julian? Up to you how ^.^ anything would be so cute

I haven’t draw Julian before, hope I did him justice 🤞

[oceans-beloved]

[firendgold]

The fourth fanfic review/recommendation goes to Mystical Magician’s Last Words! This one is short and sweet, so I’ll do my best to talk it up without spoiling the whole thing for those curious. 

Like the other fics in this rec series, time travel is the primary method to bring Harry and Albus together—but unlike a lot of the others (minus Planning Behind), the time travel is less of a single event and more of a repeating cycle that ebbs and flows like the tide. This means that Harry gets to “drop in” on pivotal moments in Albus’ life, and we the reader get to see how they do (or don’t) change.

Saying any more would spoil, but I highly highly recommend you give it a read. All of Mystical Magician’s stuff is fabulous and this one is a part of that ‘all’.

[b-evie]

i love when i can do fanarts for inktober

[helshollowhalls]

The Arcana text posts pt.1

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

[iridescent-solstice]

Pst @graciebasie . . . remember Rockstar!Asra? Cause he def remembers you.

❝ Locked in the hotel There's some things that never change ❞

Sighing you lean forward on your elbows, watching intently as he sings. Standing behind the studio's glass window, you were tasked with adjusting and tweaking the audio ever so slightly when needed. That was your job. To make sure everything ran smoothly behind the scenes. So, Asra was absolutely perfect for his fans. Not like he wasn't that all on his own. You could see why the viewers kept requesting for this cover. The song Senorita in his normally soft and airy voice was already enough serotonin to provoke a heartattack . . . but when he adds an air of intimacy into the mix? Instant kill. No chance for recovery left . . .

The relationship between you two was strictly professional but even you couldn't deny the thousands of compliments his fans would spew in the comment section. And with the studio completely empty today as per his request. You could freely admire him without the fear of getting caught. Something something about feeling more at ease with just you by his side. Normally you'd be against it, but he was far too insistent this time, so you gave in. Just this once though. Usually, you’d be his side to give feedback and not behind the glass fiddling around with buttons, but today the camera was turned on. Unfortunately, it was only a few feet away from you. Turned towards Asra so there'd be no chance of any eye contact. Not even accidental. He wasn't a fan of staring directly into the camera or even in its general direction.

❝ You say we're just friends But friends don't know the way you taste, la-la-la ❞

Stunning. Is the only adjective that would do justice when Asra’s like this. Always in a world of his own when he’s singing. He really is passionate about his craft, and it definitely shows.

An angel. That’s what he looked like, well he always did, but especially under the ambient lighting you choose today. His golden-brown skin glitters as the light bounces off his thick golden choker. His fluffy white hair messy yet stylish in a way only he can manage to pull off. Not to mention the way he grips his guitar while rocking his hips every now and then. He must be aware of what he's doing. There's no other reason he'd be grinning to himself as he sang if he wasn't. In a good mood, you note. Whatever he's thinking about must be exciting because he can't stop smiling to himself. His dimples even more prominent due to the halo effect behind him. His signature baggy white shirt is rolled up at the sleeves leaving his arms exposed for everyone's viewing pleasure. Biceps flexing every now and then, while one slender hand grips the base of the guitar as the other skilfully toys with the strings.

You flinch when he suddenly turns towards you. Scrambling, you look down at the soundboard. Did you miss a lighting cue? Highly unlikely, but then again . . . You have been extremely distracted today. However, that didn’t seem to be the case at all. So confused you glance back only to be hit with a sight for sore eyes. His paralysing hypnotic eyes locked onto you make you freeze like a deer caught in headlights. Furrowing your brows you make a questioning expression as if to ask what's wrong. Confusion only growing when he continues to sing as if he's not acting extremely out of character. It's only when his eyelashes flutter sinfully, a grin twitching at his lips while he tilts his head back with a low lidded stare that you realise what's going on . . . He's singing to you.

❝ Ooh, I should be runnin' but Ooh, you keep me coming to ya ❞

[ ᴅɪᴠɪᴅᴇʀꜱ ʙʏ: @kodaswrld ]

This drabble had me in a chokehold. I hope I did the concept justice!

[purplepossum3]

Asra's Gladiator CG in my style !! <3