#as for ACTUALLY talking about that witch universe:

[vshiftsss]

ROSEMARY ‘ROMY’ ZABINI. - (HOGWARTS DR INTRO)

being the youngest of three siblings, rosemary gillian zabini had a lot to prove.

she had to be the best of the best — had to turn heads, command rooms, and rule hogwarts, all while making it look effortless. everyone was depending on her to uphold the zabini name in all its glory (or rather, infamy. romy’s mother wasn’t the friendliest person. quite the opposite, actually). rosemary was supposed to follow in her mother’s footsteps, becoming a powerful witch that would inevitably be a woman with enough money to last her three lifetimes. even her twin brother, blaise zabini, held her up to the same unrealistic standard everyone seemed to possess when acknowledging her.

“be the best of the best. you can’t be anything less.”

but what if she didn’t want to be the best?

all she really wanted was a breath a fresh air. a brief reprieve from the suffocating clutches of everyone’s expectations, a glimpse of solace amidst the overwhelming shitshow she had as a life. was she going to find it at hogwarts? hell no. but rosemary could at least find some semblance of individuality there, without her mother breathing down her neck.

little did she know, a certain someone named mattheo riddle would take her precious breath of fresh air away as soon as she stepped onto school grounds. both figuratively and literally. rosie was in for a rude awakening; she wasn’t getting a break until the sky turned upside down and her mother finally got a husband.

she was going to need all the luck, all the help, and all the alcohol she could get to survive.

overview… so i’m trying something new! as you can see by the layout switch up…i was so inspired by like everyone on here having the prettiest posts ever and i changed everything. i also wanted to match the house i’m in, cause i’m gonna be a ravenclaw, so yeah! we’re not gonna talk about how i was completely wrong about everything i thought the marauders era was! it happens to the best of us. also, just wanted to mention that this dr is set in university (because i’m in college currently) and also set in modern times.

sidenote… i really tried getting into my creative writing bag and making this intro a bit cooler than what it was gonna be, but then i realized halfway through that i am incredibly rusty. give me the benefit of the doubt, y’all, writer’s block is real…

sidenote pt. 2… if this is formatted weird shhhh no it’s not, also feel free to ask any questions about any dr because i’m happy to answer! i finally figured out how to open the asks thingy lols just be respectful please!

anywho, i’ll go more into depth about what this dr is all about in due time. i just wanted to post a lil something because i love it here and i want to stay active. love you guys bye bye <3

[lavendermoonlove]

What is Hellenic witchcraft?

If you're a witch, you've probably come across the term Hellenism or Hellenic Polytheism. This is the polytheist pagan religion where there is a belief that the Greek gods actually exist and govern aspects of the world, universe and life (The Pagan Federation, n.d). Central are the ways where the gods were worshipped in the Hellenic period (the time period where ancient Greece was at its height). Culture and values of the Hellenistic period also make their way into Hellenic Polytheism (Wingington, 2018). It is however different from organized religion like the Abrahamic faiths. Whereas in Abrahamic faiths, worshippers feel like they will get punished for not praying to God, worshipping him or committing “sins”, in Hellenism this is not the case. This post isn’t here to be an overview of Hellenism and I highly recommend doing your own research on what the religion exactly entails. A nice start for this is: Kharis Hellenic Polytheism Explored by Sara Kate Istra Winter or Fel the Blithe on YouTube as a free but amazing resource!

In my opinion, Hellenism surpasses deity work or worship. For example, worshipping or working with Hekate or her archetype doesn't immediately make you a Hellenist. It’s following the Hellenic values like Kharis, Miasma, Arete, Eusebia and Xenia (there are more but these are central to my practice). It’s good to note that different scholars and followers of the religion will have different ideas of what these values/concepts mean. Therefore I won’t go into too much detail of what each of these values and concepts mean but here is a quick overview for how I interpret them. Again, I highly recommend doing your own research on these as I should not be the end all, be all of your research and it’s about your practice/relationship with the gods.  

Kharis: The relationship between you and the gods. This is out of the goodwill of your heart and not necessarily because you expect something in return, which would be the case if you were to work with the gods for spell work. Kharis can be done by regular offerings and talking/meditating to the gods.

Miasma: Mundane pollution that we pick up on in our day-to-day lives. It is important to note that this is not sin! By purifying ourselves to various method we spiritually cleanse ourselves so we may draw closer to the gods. In my practice, this is as simple as washing myself.

Arete: Doing your best.

Eusebia: Piety or humility, this is were you are reverent to the gods. This again goes beyond working with a deity as we know in modern witchcraft and is part of the worship in Hellenism.

Xenia: Sacred hospitality. Meaning to be kind and generous to those we do not know.

So far I have mentioned multiple times that Hellenism goes beyond working with the gods, like in modern witchcraft. Now that we have covered Hellenism, let’s get into Hellenic witchcraft. There are two main “camps” within Hellenism. There is a group of revivalist, who see the Hellenic tradition as a living one, where practitioners decide what feels right for them and adapt the ancient practices to modern life (Johnston, 2011). Then you have the group of reconstructionist. They seek to follow the Hellenic tradition as it was practiced historically and try to stay as close as possible in modern times to the historic practice. From here it gets a bit tricky. As there is an existing debate between revivalists and reconstructionists as to whether witchcraft is against the religion or not. The main argument here is that you are quick to perceive yourself as equal to the gods or use powers similar to the gods. I honestly am in the camp of Hellenism and witchcraft can coexist as Hellenic witchcraft. However, just like any traditional witch path there are some limitations as you try to uphold the above mentioned concepts. Therefore, we often do not see ourselves as equals to the gods. Moreover many Hellenic witches stray away from baneful magic (though you can absolutely do it and nobody should ever look down upon you for it!). There are also multiple sources stating that historically, witches were among Hellenic practitioners. Hekate being a goddess of witchcraft as well as Medea and Circe are a popular example of this. Furthermore, a book compromised of ancient Greek-Egyptian spells, rituals and texts known as the Greek Magical Papyri is an excellent example of this.

Hellenic witches also choose to follow the Hellenic calendar and often celebrate festivities for the gods they follow or adapt the wheel of the year to suit their practice and gods. Hellenic witches furthermore do not divert to other pantheons, that would make them an eclectic pagan. Many Hellenic witches also do work with the gods, but not as an equal nor a pool of energy. Often instead of calling upon or requesting help during spell work, a god is prayed to within a spell or ritual. Then depending on the god, an exchange might or might not be needed, depending on the Kharis between the you and the god. Devotional acts (devoting an act/jewellery to a god) are also a thing within the practice and it is usual for Hellenic witches to have a matron or patron god (the main/central god to your practice).

Okay that’s a lot of information and if you made it this far thank you so much! There is so much more to touch on, but honestly then this post would be way too long. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or in my pms! I’d be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sources cited: The Pagan Federation. (n.d). Hellenism. Retrieved on 30th of January from https://www.paganfed.org/hellenism/

Johnston, S. (2011). Whose gods are these? A classicist looks at Neopaganism. Genève, Canada: Labor et Fides. Wigington, P. (2018, march 12). Greek Paganism: Hellenic Polytheism. Learn religions. Retrieved on 30th of January from https://www.learnreligions.com/about-hellenic-polytheism-2562548

[love-death-and-desert]

Hiiii. Can we hear more about your wizard universe redscape please?

Your art of them is so beautiful and it perfectly depicts the casual but very deepfelt way Mumbo and Scar show each other affection <3

well you see. it's been stuck on "vague thoughts and disconnected concepts" stage for a few years now i have an overall idea for it's aesthetics but not so much for sustenance

and thank you! i try my best

[featherymainffins]

I don't.

[supatroopa]

I need to like get into actually watching TV shows this is brutal

[waffowo]

The 12th Doctor’s greatest power is that he does some of the weirdest shit and no one bats an eye in-universe and in the general audience. Like no one ever acknowledges how absurd he actually is.

Like is no one addressing how in the Zygon Invasion, he tried calling Clara a 127 times. A 127 TIMES. And keep in mind, Clara not once picked up her phone so she must have notifications off. So this leads to the next question, does this mean that he does this shit so often THAT THEY JUST ROLL WITH IT? She doesn’t even question why he’s been calling so many times no, she’s asking why he’s calling himself “Doctor Disco” like ok?

In both The Robots Of Sherwood and The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar, he just has…random shit in his pockets. Like why does this man just have a spoon ready to go? Even more concerning is how casually he pulls out a teacup, makes himself tea, and just tells the Daleks not to question him. Like NO I CANT JUST UNSEE IT?

In the EU there’s a fucking comic where he just materialises in Clara’s bathroom while SHES IN THE BATH DRESSED WITH AN EYEPATCH. Barely bats an eye that shes naked and he’s intruding, and fucking starts talking about the success of his mission. And then when she asks him to wait, he fucking pulls out a plastic fish, tells her it saved his life and when she’s like “ITS A PLASTIC FISH…?” He actually goes, “Well nobody’s perfect.”

[to-be-a-dreamer]

Okay but real talk the black heart being about Billy actually makes Agathario even more compelling sorry y'all don't have an imagination.

I mean, the implications of Rio not technically being in the coven??? From what I understand, a coven is supposed to be a sisterhood, a group of witches dedicated to each other above all else. Rio is not dedicated to these people. She is not here for them. Rio is death and death has no coven but she still came. She came because Agatha summoned her, not because the coven needed a new green witch. (This also means the coven never actually needed a green witch since I'm presuming Billy isn't one. They didn't need Rio but Agatha called her anyway)

Rio has no loyalty to the other witches, she is there for Agatha and Agatha alone and I am SO hoping they get to show that on screen in some way.

Also the black heart itself isn't a huge plot point or a character moment, but Agatha's reaction to it certainly is. She sees a black heart on a list of names that are supposed to be her coven and she immediately thinks of Rio. Billy presses her about the fourth name and she would rather eat paper than do literally anything normal. Like, we know Agatha is an incredible liar, she should have been able to easily come up with something to tell him but she was so thrown off by the idea that the name might be Rio that the only thing she could think to do was to eat the list. That is insane behavior who cares if it wasn't actually about Rio because Agatha's actions were about her. That tells you infinitely more about them than a list of names.

Also just. Logistically. It makes way more sense like why wouldn't Lilia just write Rio Vidal? I know it works for the drama of it all but I was wondering if they were going to give an in-universe reason or just leave it as a weird plot hole. But who's the one person a witch can't name? Also, Billy told Eddie nothing in his life felt normal until they met, so it makes sense that the symbol she would use to represent him, the most accurate way to refer to Billy, is the affectionate inside joke between him and the only person who makes him feel normal (I could ramble for just as long about how Billy being the black heart makes his character and his relationship with Agatha so much more compelling as well but this is for the Agathario stans and I know y'all are a little traumatized so I'll hold off for now. Also also it makes Mrs. Davis's death even more tragic because there was actually no reason for her to be there, they already had their complete coven)

[the-daydreaming-show]

❝never a tear, baby of mine❞ — Jason Todd

dick's version

Jason was a quiet kid. So quiet and calm that he didn't was totally a child, more was like a mini adult.

NOTE:

This is like REALLY late, because I had problems with my internet and the power on me going out, so I apologize for that.

As always, thanks to our beta reader: @igotmessymind.

And wiht no further ado, I hope you find wait worth it, I apologize again and that you for reading!!

XOXO ELLA.

This story is part or the BATMOM SCARLET WITCH UNIVERSE that I have create. I hope you enjoy!!!

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓.

WARNINGS: Mentions of child neglect; Jason (not his actual) mom death.

Contrary to popular belief, Dick was always the son who kept you and Bruce on the edge of your seats. 

People were always surprised when you told them this. Probably, because with those blue eyes and adorable dimples, your eldest son knew how to fool people so easily. But the boy had grown up in the circus and had more energy than a thunderbolt. You couldn't count the times you found him hanging from the ceiling lamps, practicing his pirouettes. He was the reason there was a strict rule at Wayne Manor about not taking your feet off the ground without adult supervision.

Jason, your baby, he was easy. People were shocked at this statement as well.

People expected him to be a little savage whenever you guys made a public appearance, whether it was at a gala or going to the market.

Yes. You had to keep him from talking to the press, because he had a habit of being verbally deadly, but other than that he was always the calmest of kids in public and in private as well. 

This unfounded popular belief probably had something to do with the boy being taken off the streets by you and your husband. Literally.

Your husband kidnapped a child from an alley in Gotham on a given winter night.

You weren't in the batcave that night, so Alfred was the one supervising the computer. But when it got particularly late, just before the sun began to rise, you woke up to find that your husband still wasn't sleeping clinging to your waist like he usually did. So you decided to go downstairs to see what was going on.

Mmmh, maybe Bruce was your most chaotic boy and not Dick like you thought.

You meet Alfred, waiting with a tray with three cups of freshly brewed tea.

“Are we expecting someone, Alfred?”  you asked as you approached the man preparing everything with elegance.

“That's right, Miss” the man said, looking up with amused eyes “Master Bruce has found company on tonight's patrol” he gave you the look of a father disappointed but not surprised by his son's actions. But before you could say more or ask questions, the sound of the Batmobile in the distance made you approach the platform where the car typically parked.

Bruce jumped out of the car, in his Batman suit, without any injuries that you could see, then leaned over to help a small body out of the vehicle. He was a boy, skinny to the bone, in your eyes, dressed inappropriately for the weather, and looking around with startled eyes. You looked at your husband in confusion, Bruce could practically see the question mark on your forehead. So he walked over to you, while the boy was too gawking at the cave to notice that you guys were talking to the side.

“¿Did you kidnap a child again?” you asked in a worried whisper.

“No” Bruce defended himself, pulling off the hood of his suit so that you could see all of his beautiful face in front of you. “His name is Jason” he explained to you while you both looked at the boy for a moment. Jason had stepped away from the Batmobile to look down at the edge of the platform at the void below you, his cheeks against the metal of the railings. (You were mentally grateful to have convinced Bruce to put those railings all over the cave, after that Dick started spending more time there years ago). “And I found him trying to steal the tires from the Batmobile. He was alone, and he told me that he intended to sell it to buy food” he told you, and you instinctively looked at said car.

That beastly car had almost been desecrated by the little hands of a hungry child, who didn't seem at all affected by the idea of almost robbing THE Batman. You found the situation amusing.

“Really?”, you asked your husband, smiling amused. 

All while Jason was looking fascinated at the ceiling of the cave and wondering: ¿Where did the lights hang from?. He couldn't see the roof of the place.

“Yeah. And he almost got away with it.” Bruce seemed almost as proud of the boy's actions, and you feel the same way. Press your lips together in an attempt not to laugh out loud. 

“¿And how does all that explain your kidnapping him?” you asked teasingly, to which Bruce rolled his eyes in exoneration and giggled impishly at it.

“You are Bruce Wayne's wife” the boy's voice made them both look at him, but the boy was not intimidated and kept talking. “Which makes sense, because if Bruce Wayne is Batman, obviously his wife will know.” He said, more like a thought out loud than a conversation with you. “My mom used to say that she would die from one of the shoes you put up and that they showed on TV, but in the end she died from the drugs, not your shoes. ” He explained naturally. To which you threw your head back a bit in surprise at such a natural statement about something that must have been very sad. Looking at your husband and his eyes told you it was the first time he heard about this. “I hope you don't mind, Mrs. Wayne.” the boy apologized quickly, suddenly very aware that he was talking to two of the richest people in Gotham (and the world as well) “B told me I could spend the night here. But don't worry tomorrow, in the morning I'll leave without causing any problems, ” he quickly explained to you.

You looked at your husband again, and he left a memory in his mind for you to see as an explanation. He showed you how he had found the boy, how Bruce had talked him into agreeing to let him buy something to eat and then offered him a place to sleep, because the boy admitted that he was all alone. With a dead mother and a father who was in prison, the boy lived on the streets of Gotham, surviving as best he could. Jason hadn't trusted him at first, which was understandable. Who knew what he had seen living on the streets of a city like Gotham. So Bruce did the only thing he could think of to gain the boy's trust, so he could get him to safety, as he took off his mask. And Jason, faced with such a show of honesty, agreed to get on the Batmobile to return with Bruce to the cave. (Or, Bruce put the boy in the car before he could get over the shock of the news. It depends on how you look at it.)

“Oh honey. Don't worry, it doesn't bother me at all, we have plenty of space available” you assured him with a sweet smile to which the boy smiled back. It was true, since Dick had moved in with the Titans, there was too much empty space for your liking. “Come, sit down and have some tea, it will help with the cold” you said, pointing up the stairs to the main platform of the cave.

“Cool!” the boy exclaimed as they started walking. Bruce instinctively reached for your hand, not wanting you to stray too far from him, just because.

Then Jason ate a dozen of Alfred's cookies, drank all his tea, and at the end, Bruce let him touch the batcomputer, watching the boy's fascination with all the buttons. (Of course, the latter was under your and Bruce's watch. You didn't want the boy to activate some self-destruct protocol or something). He played with the satellite map for a while, showing you the places he had been and the school he used to go to before his mother died. Then he started to yawn, and you were sure the sun should have risen outside by that point.

“Well, it's time to go up” you said when you saw him yawn widely for the third time. “Come on” you stood up from your seat next to him to offer him your hand. The boy frowned at you, severely confused.

“¿Up where?” he asked, looking at your hand suspiciously, but rising to take it and follow you nonetheless. You had that effect on him. You were so pretty, and warm, and kind that he thought to himself, there was no way you were real, surely all of this must be a cruel hallucination of some kind.

“Up home, Jay” you told her as you turned to be greeted by a Bruce who had already come out of his suit and was waiting for them both on the stairs to the elevator. “We're below Wayne Manor” you explained, thinking that he was confused as to what was above your heads and why they would go there.

“Will you let me sleep in your mansion?!” the surprised boy asked. There was definitely something wrong there, there was no way two of the richest people in the city would let him sleep in his house, in one of his beds, with expensive mattresses and even more expensive sheets. Impossible.

“Of course” you said with a sweet smile, “We have many empty rooms and now one of them is yours”

“Your room is ready, young Jason.” Alfred told him, joining the walk to the elevator. “Though maybe an extra cookie or two was left in the room by accident. I hope that's not a problem for you” he said, smiling complacently, at which the boy laughed mischievously. You gave him a look that Alfred pretended not to catch, and they all went on their way while.

“I didn't think you would let me sleep at your house.” the boy admitted shyly, looking at his shoes, once again thinking aloud.

It took you a second to realize that Jason had thought she'd leave him sleeping in the cave, like a stray dog, and it broke your heart. You promised yourself to do everything you could to make that little boy feel like he deserved nothing less than the best in the world.

Jason didn't leave the mansion after that day. 

Social Services didn't put up much resistance to the adoption, for two reasons. Firstly, you and Bruce already had a pretty good record of adopting and raising Dick. And second, stirring up the issue too much would show how they hadn't looked for Jason after he had run away from his last home. From what you've seen, his file only contains basic information leading up to the fact that he was supposed to be in foster care with 10-15 other kids, but clearly they've been on the streets for quite some time. And Jason seemed to have adjusted quickly when the caseworker came to visit for the first few weeks, at least to her standards. But in your eyes, the child was far from having adapted to the idea of being part of the family.

Jason gets up early, before everyone else in the house.

You had learned from the experience with Dick that establishing a strict bedtime schedule was important in the long run. So you knew he was sleeping because you watched him before you went to sleep yourself. So the boy sleeps well and you could confirm it. He had admitted to you that it had been difficult in the early days to sleep at night because he could never really be asleep while living on the streets. Something about the heavy blankets over him made him fall asleep peacefully. His lights went out before he could even finish laying his head on the pillow. Of course, this one you had invested a lot of money in more blankets for the child, which was the only thing that Jason had allowed to be bought for his room.

He assured you that the room was fine as is, and it did not need to be changed. What you'd called bullshit all along, because there was no way a kid would like a room that was the closest thing to a blank page. But you hadn't pushed him, waited until he was more comfortable in the new  environment. 

So the boy was sleeping in a guest room he didn't want to make entirely his own. He was up before anyone else in the house, even Alfred. He would get ready and go down to breakfast alone. He got what he needed by scaling the counter and cabinets if necessary, leaving Alfred to clean up the marks on his slippers. This until Jason overheard him, after which he started taking off his sneakers before climbing up to find the cereal. He ate breakfast in silence, looking out the kitchen window at the patio, then washed everything he had used by hand, even though there is a state-of-the-art dishwasher in the kitchen. He then left the kitchen and got lost in the mansion. 

Bruce found him in the mansion's library a couple of times. Jason said that he was trying to practice his reading, since he hadn't been to school since before her mom died because he had to take care of her when her dad was arrested. Your husband offered his help, but the boy refused. And since Jay realized that his hideout had been discovered, he began to roam the mansion, picking random rooms to hide in during the day when you and Bruce began to keep him company in the library. 

The child hides and avoids both of you. You at first thought that was a repeat of Dick's first few months, that Jason was mad at the world. Consequently, you would expect anger and yelling anytime you ran into Jason around the mansion. You mentally braced yourself for the thought of all that chaos again, how he would sneak out of school when he started once the holidays were over and the whole package was over. 

This time, you were ready and prepared to help him with that rage. You won't let it consume you like Dick did for a long time because you didn't know how to handle it. This time you will do well.

But Jason's eyes would light up when you or your husband greeted him in the mornings after meeting him at the house. He clung to the hands of one or both of you every time you went out into the street. He would hug your waist when you hid him from the paparazzi in the park. (You had a no-photos rule for your kids, only official photos approved by you and your husband, so you and the paparazzi didn't have the best relationship in the world.) He let you guys hug him and look at him without problem. He never initiates affection, but he clung to it when it was given to him, both from you and from Bruce, or Alfred even.

So you were confused, to say the least.

However, you had learned your lesson with Dick. There were situations in which you had to be active and aggressive to help your children. So you talked to Bruce and you both decided it was time to talk to Jason about this peculiar pattern.

Then Alfred told you that if they both faced him at the same time, it would be too intimidating for the boy, causing him to shut down more than help.

Blessings be Alfred. He has always been the smartest in the house (don't tell that to Bruce).

Like every night, Jason had already gotten ready and tucked themselves into bed. Also, he had offered to help Alfred with the cleaning like every day, but the butler had refused as he did a lot lately. So he decided to do the whole night routine without bothering you: he brushed his teeth, put on his pajamas, got into bed and read a book, like you usually offer to do. It cost him less than before, but still some words were complicated. 

You arrived shortly after he had finished reading his fourth story of the night and had accidentally gotten hooked on reading another one. You knocked on the door softly as you opened it.

“Oh, you're already in bed,” you commented, surprised that the boy had done everything himself. Usually, he lets you help with all of this without a problem, so you're disappointed that he won't let you help him.

“Yes, and I just read one story,” he said, quickly trying to hide that he had disobeyed the one-story rule. Jason didn't want you to be angry. He knew you wouldn't hurt him, but he feared your disappointment more than your fury.

“Really?”, you asked excitedly. You knew how hard he had worked to improve his reading these past few weeks to prepare for school. “That's amazing, honey,” you told him as you closed the door softly and walked to sit next to him. Jason smiled happily at your tone of pure joy and pride in his accomplishment.

“Yes,” Jason said as he closed the book and left it on the nightstand, excited to tell you about his progress, “I still have a hard time with some words. But I will fix it before school starts.” He made it clear to you right away, so don't worry.

The truth is that Jason didn't want to bother. Not you, not Alfred, not Bruce. In his mind, that was the way to be a good son. That was what his parents had taught him.

Willis Todd hated it when Jason was in the way. He always ran into him around the house (although that was probably beer-related), and that ended badly for Jason. So Jason learned quickly to stay out of the way so as not to be in the way, not in the sight of his parents, because that was good. His mother never said anything against that arrangement, so he always assumed she agreed.

When his dad left, disappearing without any notice (Jason eventually found out on the streets that he had been arrested and sent to prison), it became difficult for his mom not to see him since she had to do everything. But she was too high to notice half the time. And the other half, when she was aware of him, she wasn't aggressive towards him, she went from hugging him lovingly to crying on her shoulder. As if Catherine were the child and Jason was the father, she was comforting. Then she didn't get up after one dose, and the police came after he called an elderly woman who lived next door to her to ask her to call an ambulance. Then they put him in a couple of foster homes. But no one paid much attention to him, and it wasn't worth putting up with the other children, especially the older ones, who enjoyed tormenting him for being smaller. So he ended up on the street, taking care of himself. It was more natural for him to depend on himself alone than to let them take care of him.

“Well,” you said, settling next to him against the headboard, “but there's no need for that. That's why you're going to school — to learn,” you explained as you ran your hand through his curls. “It's okay if you don't know everything before that.”

“But I don't want to be behind the rest of my classmates, they surely already know how to read very well,” he explained regretfully, somewhat embarrassed.

Only once had his parents been called to the school he had gone to in Park Row. The teacher meant well, for sure. But telling her father that Jason seemed to need a little more help than usual with his reading and that it would be a good idea to move him to a school with a special program for kids like him only made her father see it. And that was never something good. He didn't want you to feel upset with him for that, either. 

“It doesn't matter what other children know or don't know, Jason,” you assured him lovingly. “It matters that you learn without fear of not knowing. It's not a bad thing to not know how to do something that's hard for you to do, sometimes,” you tried to explain, and the boy nodded slowly, processing the information you had given him.

Jason thought for a moment, absorbing what you said, but he was not sure how to respond in a way that would make you happy but not be a nuisance to your daily life. But you didn't let him get to a question because you asked him one in return.

“Jason, my dear,” you called, breaking the boy from his thoughts, who looked at you with big, blue eyes. So precious your baby was. “I have a very important question for you, and I need you to answer me honestly,” you asked him seriously, to which the boy adjusted himself with a worried frown to face you more.

It reminded you of Bruce, who made the same gestures when you talked to him seriously.

Your heart tightened with pride at how your two boys, Dick and Jason, were beginning to imitate Bruce so soon after meeting him. Despite all of his doubts, he was someone the kids immediately looked to as an example. You reminded him repeatedly, despite his complaints, because he needed to be reminded that being Batman wasn't the only way he could make a difference to people. He did it every day in his home, with your children, and with you.

“Yes, Mrs. Wayne - Sorry, y/n,” he corrected himself quickly, but you thought nothing of it despite the way he cringed in place at his own mistake.

“Jay, do you like being here with me, with Bruce, and with Alfred? Are you happy being part of this family?” you asked a little fearfully, sounding as soft as possible so that it didn't feel like an interrogation.

Jason was stunned. His blue eyes looked at you in confusion: Why would you ask such a question? Of course, he was happy, Jason had everything he could need to survive and the company of you and Bruce. Why would you think he wasn't happy with you?

You saw the confusion painted on his face the moment you asked, so you decided to elaborate a little more on the situation.

“You see, Bruce and I have noticed that you don't seem to be around the house much even though you're here. You even get up to have breakfast alone. It seems like you are hiding from us, Jay. Which is why Bruce and I are worried” you began to explain in a soft tone, “Did something happen? Is there something bothering you?

“No, there's nothing that bothers me,” Jason assured quickly, so worried about the situation. “I just don't want to be in the middle,” the boy explained, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Which made your heart break, and you wondered why he would believe that.

Would there have been any comments from you or Bruce?

Or something you guys did that gave Jason that impression?

Whatever it was, it needed a solution because it couldn't be further from the truth. Personally, you had missed having a child in the house, and so had Bruce, despite his attempt to pretend that Dick's departure hadn't bothered him.

Your husband and eldest son had a very ugly fight before he went to live in the Teen Titans Tower. He had arranged for you and Alfred to serve as intermediates. But that didn't change your oldest son's decision to move out of the house. A lot of his stuff was still at Wayne Manor, but he wasn't, which made it a little depressing for you.

“Why do you think you're in the middle?” you asked sadly.

“Well, I know it bothers adults when kids are all over them needing things and asking questions. So I try not to be too intense with you because I am very grateful because now I am part of the family.” Jason shrugged as he looked at his hands, trying to remove his cuticles. A nervous habit that you had noticed.

Unsure of what to do, you played it safe and hugged Jason over the shoulder with one arm, holding him close to you, while with your other free hand, you stopped the suggestion of pinching your cuticles by taking his hand and caressing his plasma instead.

You thought for a moment about how you could handle the whole situation without the need to abruptly destroy the belief system and give it a crisis. You also didn't want all of this to sound like a reprimand for believing something that couldn't be further from the truth, because it wasn't his fault. But you weren't going to leave things like that.

“You know, Jay. Bruce and I are not like other adults," you started feeling a little like Mean Girls' mom and her 'I'm not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom', which made you want to roll your eyes, but you kept going. “We love having you around. Dick got us used to that, you know, so we’d love for you to get in the middle as much as you like Jay,” you explained, and the boy looked at you with wide eyes, a gleam of hope in them.

“Really?” he asked doubtfully.

“Really serious,” you assured him with a smile, which Jason couldn’t help but quickly spread. “Besides, you can always know without a doubt that as long as you are in the middle of your father and mine, you will never have to worry about anything. Because you will be safe and sound,” you assured him gently, moving a hair from his forehead and then kissing the area lovingly.

“I like that,” Jason whispered, as if the thought had escaped him, looking at you with stars in his eyes. He really liked that idea.

Jason ran down the stairs while you calmly entered the house with bags of clothes in hand. Alfred was behind you with more bags and resigned to the fact that you had once again bought extra clothes for the whole family. Yes, you also bought him a couple of new sweaters, the kind he liked, but he insisted they were too expensive.

You didn't finish passing through the living room towards the stairs when Jason ran up and hugged your waist without thinking twice. Now, at thirteen years old, it would probably be time for you to start asking him to take care of the force with which he threw himself into his arms whenever he saw you. But the truth is that you didn't want him to. If you two fell, so be it, but you would never ask Jason to walk away. Not after what it was like the first time your son was in the house.

“Hello, sweet boy,” you said to Jason while hugging as best you could with the bags in your arms. “I got you another one of those hoodies that you said you liked. I got it in red, I thought that color would look good on you”.

Jason didn't stop hugging your waist as the three of you went upstairs to leave the bags so he could try on what you had bought him. Nor when, after trying everything on and being satisfied with his new clothes, you went back downstairs to have tea and eat cookies in the library. Not even when the two of them left there to greet Bruce when he arrived late from the Wayne Enterprise, and he received the same hug, but with more balance than you. Dick arrived, and Jason was still clinging to your waist until all sat down to eat dinner.

“Was I like that?” Dick asked in a mocking whisper to Alfred.

“Was?” mocked back the butler “Master Dick, you are still exactly like that”

𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭: @some-lovely-day @simonsbluee @yuki-chan23 @miyakana @myst3batz @otchae @d3m0n8ch1ld @marsenbie @mynameisnotlaura @andieperrie18 @igotmessymind @amarawayne @kodzukenmaaa @mellowdiy @noah-uhhh-what @blarba-girl @dead-sane-stuff @huhuhhuhh @kimmis-stuff @undecided-shipper @poppyalice2001 @lafrone @voodoo-writer @lilvampirina @astrial @maliagurl @kazhaelfuhghi @poppyalice2001 @totallynotme420 @calsjack @igotmessymind @pato-spoiler-27 @urminebutidontwantyou @cluelessteam

[windvexer]

I actually do think that doing magic takes a lot of work and is kinda hard and there aren't very many good shortcuts, and many modern shortcuts actually just amount to leaving out steps, which means you either have to be powerful enough to brute-force it or it fizzles.

Look, I know some people are just much better at magic and witchcraft; anything they do works with little effort, and the lengths some of us have to go to accomplish magic seems bizarre to them. Those people are cool and I wish I was like them but I'm not.

But I also think some of the truth of how to work effective sorcery gets paved over by these "witchcraft has no rules, do anything you want" support posts.

Because A) that is not true, I believe that witchcraft has lots and lots of rules (it's just that nobody else can tell you what they are), and B) I think do anything you want is taken to mean anything you do should work, which is also not true.

I feel like I always see advice given that you don't need to do things (like use physical tools, or cast circles, or whatever). But I never see anyone explaining the techniques and paths of power that are supposed to replace them.

Let's just imagine for a moment that clear quartz really is a universal substitute. Discordians would say that it totally is. So does that mean all you have to do to sub out clear quartz is to just put it on the altar and do the ritual as if it's something else?

Or do you have to do something more?

Do you have to consecrate the stone as being something other than what it is? Do you have to ritually birth it into a new life and baptize it like a baby? Do you have to spend weeks or months honing your technique of focus and beliefs so that you can mentally shift from consensus reality to a personal reality where there is literally no difference between clear quartz and sodalite?

Do you have to raise energies of sodalite and imprint them into the quartz crystal, perhaps working over it for an extended period of time? Do you have to use energy work to tie the clear quartz into Ideal Sodalite so that it becomes like an avatar?

No, you don't have to use physical tools if you don't want to. But that shouldn't be taken to imply that tools are useless or can be replaced in a way that matters by just visualizing that you have them.

A witch spends six months propitiating a tree, ingratiating themselves with the land, offerings and acts of fealty to the tree, a week-long branch harvesting ritual, blood offerings at midnight on a holy day, then another year curing the wood and crafting a wand. Big effort, right?

And you don't need to do that. But if you want that power, what are you going to do instead?

Same with circle-casting. Same with magic on the full moon. No, you don't have to wait until the full moon. You don't have to wait until the moon is in Libra. But there's a really good reason people do those things. So if you want those effects, what actions can replace those effects?

You literally could not do the spell while the full moon is in Libra. That's fine. But then what will bridge the gap? Will you have to raise more energy somewhere else? Include a new aspect? Modify the spell for the moon you can work with?

"You don't have to follow the moon phase for magic" doesn't mean the moon phase is irrelevant and some witches just like to inconvenience themselves for no reason. But it does mean that you can probably adapt your working to overcome the moon being in the inopportune phase.

Every time I talk about how much time, energy, and effort magic can be I feel like someone always replies, "well, it's just not that hard for me! I do what I want with what I have when I need it and it always just works, with very little effort."

Which I think is very great for them, but I also don't think that most people can get results with such low effort.

So anyway my entire point is that I think sometimes the reason people struggle with getting witchcraft to work is because they are operating off of out-of-context soundbites that make it sound like you can just completely cut out some of these foundational concepts of witchcraft.

Maybe you don't have to accomplish those steps in traditional ways. Maybe you don't need all of those steps for every spell you're doing.

But if you've just cut out swaths of steps only because you heard someone say you don't need them (not because of your own experiments working with magic and determining what works best for you), then is there enough left to constitute a functional system of magic?

[thewertsearch]

New Denizen, eh?

According to Wikipedia, Hemera is the personification of daytime. Now, that would imply that Jane's a Light Player - but if that was how it worked, then she'd have been Rose's Denizen, too.

Rose and Vriska both got Cetus, which implies that Denizens are based on your Aspect - but Cetus is a sea monster, and has no connection to Light herself. Your assigned Denizen might depend on your Aspect, but they don't seem to evoke it directly.

...what exactly am I looking at here?

OBEY CONSUME STAY ASLEEP

And an Alternian warship on Mars.

The trolls are already here, and I don't think they're the funny ones who made our universe. If I'm not very much mistaken, that's the Condesce's personal flagship...

...and, now that it's sharing screenspace with Crockercorp's branding, I'm starting to doubt that their shared color palette is a coincidence. In fact, I think I'm starting to understand what's happening, here on this rebooted Earth.

When English recruited the Empress, I speculated that he might send her into the kids' universe, to get up to mischief in places he can't reach directly.

The old Handmaid spent most of her time corrupting a planet, and Crockercorp's 'multiglobal empire' sounds suspiciously like the new Handmaid's attempt to do just that. We've talked a lot about a hypothetical Second Alternian Empire, and an English-empowered Condesce is the kind of person who could actually start one, right here on Earth.

...fuck, and we already know that Betty Crocker isn't human! The more I think about it, the more perfectly it fits!

She's not just her master's witch!

She's her master's batterwitch!

[theshiftingwitch]

Self concept for the new year

This time of year is always exciting! It feels like a new beginning, a fresh start where you get to leave everything that didn't work behind and look ahead for better days to come.

You're most likely done with your vision boards, your lists, your goals and wishes and dreams, and you're excited for that clock to strike midnight.

Whether you're celebrating alone in your room or surrounded by friends and family, you could probably feel the tension in the air, the arrival of new opportunities, new hope, and new beginnings. It's almost electrifying! And while the sensation is definitely not new, it is fleeting.

By January 5th we go back to the mundane cycle of life. Our new years resolutions become a crumpled list collecting dust on some shelf somewhere while we drown in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.

But not you.

No.

You know better.

You have more tools in your disposal than most people do.

You know about the law of assumption!

Ah, I can hear it already.

"But, my dear witch, I have spent most of 2024 trying to manifest my dreams and I left the year the way I started it: Disappointed and deflated. Why would 2025 be any different?"

It is different, my little firecrackers! Because this year, you're actually going to get everything you have ever wanted and more.

How? Simple! You already have it.

I can see you looking around. The 3D is not conforming, you're noticing all of the lack and the negativity and you're wondering how do you have it if you can't see it?

That's where self concept comes to play.

Look, whether you want to admit it or not, self concept is THAT girl ✨

is it necessary to manifest? No, but my god does it help!

If you believe that you are the creator of your reality, that you are the most powerful being, that you are worthy and deserving of your desires and that you're the universe in ecstatic motion, why wouldn't you get everything you could possibly want?

You have to hold yourself in high regard. You have to believe in your own power. You have to love yourself madly, deeply, unconditionally, that you refuse to settle for anything less.

You have to be defiant.

You desire. You decide. You deliver. You receive.

How to work on your self concept:

•Mirror work: stand in front of your mirror and look into your eyes. Choose one or two affirmations and say them out loud while you keep eye contact with yourself. Do that for at least 5 minutes every day.

•Robotic affirmations: Again, pick one or two affirmations and repeat them for as long as you can as often as you can. Dedicate some free time during the weekend (or whenever you have a couple of hours) and do a saturation session in which you repeat your chosen affirmations nonstop (in your head) for hours on end. You'll love the results.

•Subliminals: pick one you like and loop it as you're falling asleep. Let it play all night. Your conscious mind might be asleep but your subconscious is awake and listening, and subliminals are a great tool to impress your new state onto your subconscious mind.

•Live in the end: picture the person you want to be. Who would you be if you were the person who had all of their desired now? Think like them, talk like them, walk, eat, drink, breathe, dress like them. They are you. You are them. Act like it.

Whether you're manifesting an SP, money, success, fame, desired appearance or a different life altogether, self concept is one of the most powerful tools to aid in your manifesting journey. Think in your favor, decide you're worthy of everything good and beautiful, and remember who you are. Take people off the pedestal you belong on and reclaim your power.

Make 2025 different. You deserve to be happy!

Happy manifesting ❤️

[nadiajustbe]

Underrated HMC moments I've never seen anyone talking about part 2

Howl choosing "H. Jenkins" for the shop's sign wich is the one and only moment in the series he actually uses his legal initials, as "H" can stand for "Howl" and "Howell" in the same time

Lettie being so angry about Prince Justin calling her "a sweet lady" that she said that she would prefer ever Howl over him. Wich is. Telling.

The King assuring that he never pushed Justin off and that everyone who knows them both wouldn't assume that.

Sophie being so RAGED with the whole weedkiller and daffodils situation she wasn't saying A SINGLE FULL WORD for about a page in the least. All of the sounds were like "argh!" and "Sophie gave the wordless glump of range"

The seven-league boots having the funniest description of use ever, as every time someone used it then the effects were simply narrated as "Zip!"

Howl raises the skull and quotes Hamlet directly to it, wich becomes a hundred times funnier when you remember that this Skull is canonically and ironically the only "person" in the room who can understand the reference.

Howl saying "Denmark" in the same sentence. And, again, they're in a fairly tale fantasy word. Sophie has absolutely no clue what to hell is Denmark. For Howl this is the basic knowledge of elementary school level.

Poor Percival being almost KILLED for transforming in the middle of a valley because people thought he's a WEREWOLF.

Poor Percival being STROKED with information of him being made of part of two other people right after experiencing heavy trauma, beheading, physical damages, not really well-planed adopting and moving a house.

Percival describing laying on the shelf and looking at the other parts of himself. What a lovely kids book.

Sophie accidentally making cayenne pepper magical. She would make a great seller-witch career because she doesn't need to know the spell in order to make. She takes random powder. She says it will do the duel fair. It makes the duel fare by making an opponent sneezing uncontrollable (wich is also just a way cayenne pepper affects people lmao)

Sophie's first thoughts after she heard that Howl is leaving the black door knob where it is being "Of course! There's miss. Angorian!'. Sophie, dear, he has a family out there.

Michael, apparently, hiding the money under the same brick Sophie will soon describe in CITA as "the brick where we're hiding money from Howl"

Miss Angorian and Howl acting like the spell in a modern Wales is the most normal thing ever. "That's a spell!!" "Oh yeah of course I suspected that"

“Didn’t know I used to fly up the wing for my university, did you, Mrs. Nose?” “If you were trying to fly, you must have forgotten how,” aka Sophie absolutely not understanding modern world sport terminology

Drunk Howell trying to get through the door MULTIPLE times, bumping on it before "discovering" the door

Calcifer "taking" that huge mention they lived (and almost never visited) in without buying it. It was literally said the owner is just Not Here.

Sophie loosing an acces to her own room. Wich must be really sad.

Witch of the Waste leaning on a swing when literally capturing Howl's family

Additionaly: Howl canonically NOT altering his clothes while rushing to save his family. He was running around in a long-sleeved medieval closes on a welsh playground

Sophie and miss Angorian having a whole fight over the guitar pulling it back and forward while it was making horrible sounds

Sophie literally pushing miss. Angorian off the house using the said guitar

Howl immediatly reacting when someone mentioned that the star Michael tried to catch looks sad.

Scarecrow literally running around with parts of Justin's body on its sticky shoulders for eighty percent of the book's finale

Howl saying he could be "the evil fairy at his own christening" which is probably a reference to the "Sleeping Beaty". Also. rises a question: did Howl HAD a christening. There's a huge chance he actually did.

Ben and Justin just. smiling at each other for enough amount of time for Sophie's narrative to say "If she had paid any attention she would see them". Am I interuppting something???

Lettie hating Howl's courting SO MUCH she asked Percival to bite him several times.

Additionally: Ben apologising to Howl for trying to bite him. That's also probably first time they're interacting

Howl ignoring all of it because sOPHIE HATTER

[burnorgetburned]

EVEN MORE CLARA DOLL DETAILS:

So you know how the Dolls have their own distinctive clothes?

Guess who else has their own distinctive clothes!

That’s right. The multiple Homuras are actually Clara Dolls.

And that’s why ‘Homura’ is smiling.

Here they are! The one with the striped hat is Nekura (Gloominess or Pessimism) and the one with the flower is Mie (Vanity).

Here’s their descriptions from the art book.

[The second one to come was Gloominess. Walking out with a tapping sound, she sneered at Good-for-Nothing. “This is Good-for-Nothing! How very unbecoming.” These dolls are only disciples of Freedom, and are devoted to their lust for it.]

[The tenth to come running is Vanity. She exaggeratedly avoids Good-for-Nothing's head and says a few words. “I wouldn't be able to bear dirtying my cape with that sticky blood!” These dolls make fun of the witch's self-mutilation.]

Good-for-Nothing is Homura, by the way, but the Clara Dolls seem to consider Good-for-Nothing to be good for something after all after she splits Madoka. She turns into the Devil, and the Clara Dolls are stated to be “okay” with the Devil. If the young voices in the trailer belong to the Clara Dolls, then they also call her “Akuma-sama” now. Something like Mistress Devil, implying a sense of respect.

[… if they are not summoned, they will simmer. There are orders they will comply with, and also orders they will disobey. What they are and the witch herself's own magic are not well understood.]

At the end of Rebellion, Homura gave Madoka her ribbon back. She declared that they might become enemies in the end. Honestly, I thought that Homura would try her best to avoid Madoka entirely. The trailer suggested that Homura was meeting Madoka, though. Here’s the answer: it wasn’t Homura herself, but Gloominess, who wants freedom.

Now, I’m not sure how this situation works out. Do Clara Dolls have free will? Are they obeying Homura’s orders? Acting out Homura’s true emotions? Is Homura perhaps directly puppeteering them in order to fulfill her goals, or do they act on their own?

I find it likely that it’s a mix of both: some of them obey her, and some of them will try and fulfill her (probably very conflicting) desires, as familiars usually do. Gloominess is likely part of Homura who wants the freedom to talk to Madoka, for example, but Vanity seems to me like a Clara Doll who is obeying Homura. After all, she still needs magical girls to fight wraiths, at least until she finds a way to wipe them out.

[I'm Vanity (Mie). I'm pushing myself to the limit for someone.] And she is, of course. All of the theatrics, the calls, the organization of magical girls. These are things that Vanity is shown to engage in. All of this is for Madoka.

We see with Gloominess, at least, that she seems to be fulfilling a specific desire: in the background are white spider lilies. Instead of the red spider lilies that mean death, final goodbyes, and lost love, white spider lilies mean a hope for the future and a fresh start. Maybe this really is the first meeting for these two in a while, and she wants to be friends again?

Or maybe, being Gloominess, she wants to warn her about something.

[I'm Gloominess (Nekura). Forcing smiles tires me out.]

Then there’s this Homura.

Nothing about her clothes is very different. She is wearing ribbons as Homura in the wraith universe does, but look closely: the ribbons are different. They have some wavy stripes on them, while Madoka’s ribbons are plain. She does not correspond to any known Clara Doll.

However, there’s mentioned to be a fifteenth Clara Doll that is not yet born: Ai, representing love. This could be her. Is it love for others? Or love for herself? I’m hoping it’s the latter, but very likely it’s love for Madoka and her friends. This would explain why she’s trying to fight Homucifer in the poster, as Homura believes that she’s a danger to everyone else.

How can this be? Well, here’s a few options:

- The Clara Dolls are grown-up familiars. They ate souls, and they became a copy of their witch. This is a process that was explained to us in the original series, where some magical girls are stated to farm familiars by letting them eat people so that they would grow souls/grief seeds.

- The Clara Dolls are not familiars, or wraiths, but instead a secret third thing. “What they are and the witch’s own magic are not well understood”, as said in the Rebellion art book. They could be magical constructs of a different kind, but I do think that this would get into overcomplicated explanations quickly, so I favor the familiar explanation.

- The Clara Dolls could be familiars, but instead of eating souls they’re simply powerful enough to change their shape. Their strength is equal to the strength of a magical girl…. when Homura was a witch, before Homura became something more. It could also be energy from the contracts making them stronger. Maybe it’s me being sentimental, but I don’t like the idea of Homura letting anyone’s soul be nommed on.

Now, before there’s a panic about how they’ll juggle fifteen extra characters, here’s a few thoughts:

- Just because they seem different doesn’t mean they’re actually different. It might be that the Clara Dolls are a way for Homura to present herself. As Vanity, she might show off more, or have dramatic flourishes like her throne and her dress. As Gloominess, it might be that she doesn’t believe that her plans will work, so she tries to do what makes her happy. It’s likely that the Clara Dolls are just extra ways to explore Homura’s character. They’re parts of her soul, after all, and right now she is extremely powerful. She might simply want to keep her true self away from humans.

- They could work like projections. Homura wants more bodies to work with, but she has to filter herself through the Dolls’ personalities. This could result in a lot of juicy character interactions, as the things she tries to keep hidden are closer to the surface.

- Will ‘Ai/Mystery Homura’ fight against Devil Homura? Very likely! How can this be when they’re the same person? Well, who hates Homura more than Homura? That’s right. Nobody. Anyone can fight and argue with their self, it’s just usually not on the level that a reality-warper like Homura can manage.

If this is true, there’s plenty of interesting directions they can take it.

- Because the Clara Dolls have a degree of separation from Homura, they can show other characters things that Homura herself has ignored or locked away. Bad memories, affection for her friends, the resentment she must feel - everything from concern to a cry for help can be plausibly shown through them as the actors.

- Manuke (Stupidity) is specifically more naive/sincere than the others. Maybe interacting with this Doll would show the Quintet that there’s something more going on than a Devil who wants to hurt other people.

- If Ai represents a love for other people, Ai can have a strange character arc where she learns to value Homura/herself, and become self-love.

- On the other hand, Ai can represent self-love from the start, and because Homura looks very fucking unhealthy in the trailer, she only wants to stop her because she’s hurting herself. This option plays into the themes of self-sacrifice and happiness, which I believe to be some of the major themes that they’re going for.

- The poster could be misleading and Ai ends up fighting everyone but Homura. I find this the funniest option.

- Homura can hug herself. It’s possible. In fact, every character can hug Homura 15 different times.

Smiles are a Clara Doll’s default expression. We have yet to see Homura smile for real.

Is this going to get very ambiguous and confusing? Probably. But rewatching for details was the fun part in Rebellion, so I’m looking forward to it!

[jaehunnyy]

trust you with my heart | smg

Pairing: vampire!Mingi x witch!reader

Genre: enemies-to-lovers!au, fantasy!au, fluff, a bit of angst if you squint?

Wordcount: 4.1k

Rating: pg-13

Warnings: kissing, few swear words, both of them have a sucky past, grammar mistakes

a/n: this is my work for @cromernet's secret santa event, and it's forrrrr drumrolls @bvidzsoo!! my dear Ariadne, this was something new to me and i tried my best so i hope you won't be too disappointed of it, happy holidays! 💕

Networks: @cromernet, @illusionnet, @blankjournal

“Soon, there won’t be any Aurora University to celebrate or any students to attend if we don’t do this! We have to take the risk and send them there.” 

You gasped at your professor’s words, not even minding that you could be expelled if anyone caught you eavesdropping—even when you felt a cold hand around your neck and another pressed on your lips, preventing you from screaming in fear. 

“When did Y/N become that bold? Eavesdropping—at the dean’s office? This better be good!” 

You closed your eyes in frustration as you realized who caught you there—Song Mingi. You have fought for the student of the year title every year since you entered Aurora University. You wanted to say something in return, but you heard your professors talk again, suddenly feeling the weight of the situation as you thought about the place that was your home for the last few years—not only did it provide a safe space for your supernatural powers, but you couldn’t imagine what it would’ve become of you if it wasn’t for their support and understanding throughout learning how to control them.

“Let me go,” you said, words muffled by his hand still on your mouth: “Mingi!” you said one last time, stepping with your heel right on his foot and freeing yourself from his grip as he let out a painful sound. “Don’t you dare say a single word!” you threatened, looking at him through sharp eyes. 

He clenched his fists so hard, that you were sure the half-moons his nails dug into his skin would be visible a few minutes after. Mingi opened his mouth to give you a remark before a strong voice interrupted your antics: “I have to go search for them—or maybe not. Mingi, Y/N, we were just looking for you!” your elf professor exclaimed, pushing the two of you into the dean’s office. You were doomed. 

“We hope this nice time of the day finds you well, our dear students—actually, what were the two of you doing here?“ the elf raised his eyebrow, looking at you. 

“We don’t have time to lose! Tell them, or I will!” the dean, a fairly volcanic werewolf exclaimed. 

The elf scrunched his nose at the noise, giving Y/N and Mingi a smile before starting: 

“As you might already know, our University is in danger due to The Nameless Protector’s wishes to withhold some funds from our university. You two are our best shot at convincing them this university is worth saving and investing in, so we want to talk to you about scheduling a meeting with them and trying to change their mind. We will provide everything you need, just—please, try your best and be safe.” 

You looked at Mingi, just to be met with a dumbfounded look, despite your shocked one. "I don’t think he’s capable of understanding this", you mentally giggled, before becoming serious and weighing the gravity of the situation. Your lips trembled with the ache of your words, this was too big of a responsibility, you couldn’t, you won’t— 

“We’re delighted to take part in this adventure together, Mister Elfy. Thank you for choosing us.” Mingi smirked, throwing an arm around your shoulders and bringing you closer to him. 

You forced a lopsided smile, putting your arm around Mingi’s waist and pinching his skin with your nails, making him hiss, your poor professors smiling awkwardly in your direction, not quite sure whether the two of you would survive each other before facing other adventures.  

You were convinced this could only happen to you.

As time passed and the needed preparations were done, you found yourself sitting on the train, facing the cocky vampire that didn’t even bother to check on you. Book in his hands, his eyes were following the letters scattered on the pages, lips slowly moving as his reading came out in a whisper. You wished you could distract yourself like he did, but the thought of facing them terrified you to the core. The Nameless Protector was known to be a ruthless person. There weren’t a lot of people who met them, other than their Right Hand, and you weren’t even sure if it was more than a tale your grandma used to tell you as a good night story; what if they ate witches or something? 

“Are you okay? Not that I care, but you look paler than me, and this is quite concerning considering that last time I checked, I was the only vampire on this train.” Mingi’s raspy voice came to your ears, making you scoff. 

“I’m going to the restroom.” 

Or so you wished because as soon as you stood up, a sudden brake made you lose your balance, landing right into Mingi’s lap. You were again convinced that this could only happen to you. 

Still dazed by the sudden encounter, you slowly raised your face to meet the vampire’s, his sharp eyes piercing through your soul.  You were so close that you were sure if vampires needed to breathe, you would have felt his warm breath on your lips. You were convinced he could also feel the tension building between the two of you, and his lips suddenly looked so good that—

“Uhm, tickets, please.” The train conductor faked a cough and you realized the position you were in, sighing for the nth time that day. 

The trip took around two days, and you couldn't wait to finally bask in some fluffy blankets, in a comfortable bed—only for your dreams to be crushed, once again. You entered the spacious room, only to be met with a king-sized bed. And you would normally be so happy about it, if only Mingi didn’t follow right behind, having to share the room with you. A room with one bed. 

“I don't think vampires need sleep, so I will take the bed, thank you,” you said, hurrying to the bed, only to feel his ice touch on your wrist. 

“Not so fast, Broomie,” he said, trying a bit too hard not to laugh at his own nickname, “I don't know what expects us out there, so I need my rest too.”

“You can rest as well on the floor; oh, and it's all thanks to that nickname, by the way.” You said in an annoyed tone, escaping from his hold and getting into the bed.  

You swore you saw him pouting, and you couldn't help the little flutter of your heart. You felt bad for him, but he deserved it; in the end, you were just two academic rivals doomed to convince some sort of ruler no one ever saw to keep on funding your university—quite easy, right? 

The next morning, you started to stir awake, feeling quite cold, yet engulfed by an unfamiliar warmth. You slowly opened your eyes, only to be met with Mingi's sleeping figure next to you, one arm lazily thrown around your waist. You tried your best not to shriek, wondering how the hell did he even think of getting into the bed while you were asleep. Moving your hand towards him, you were ready to shake him until he woke up—only to realize you couldn't. He looked so peaceful, his long lashes resting gracefully on his cheeks and his hair was scattered all over his face. You have always wondered if the unspoken tension between you two had a deeper meaning, but, you pushed it aside with all the teasing and pressure between the two of you.

He opened his eyes soon after, the spark of a crimson shadow present in them. His mouth was itching to say something, but for some reason, he felt like it would ruin the moment. It was the first time you two co-existed in other proximities, with no one to judge and compare the two of you. You looked so vulnerable, with your messy hair all over the pillow, and he was sure he didn't look any better—yet, for once, he didn't care. 

“Why did you think it would be a good idea to sleep here? I thought we had a deal.” You broke the silence, recomposing yourself. 

“You seemed scared to sleep alone.” He simply smiled, getting up and ruffling his hair in an attempt to make it look better. You rolled your eyes at his joke, but apparently everything had a new beginning, so you let it slide.

After the two of you prepared for the day, you realized you should probably eat something before exploring the surroundings. 

"Are you coming for breakfast?” 

Mingi looked at you, a drink in his hand—one you didn't want to know details about; it kinda confirmed that he wasn't coming, though. 

“I could keep you company if you want.” 

You were surprised he was willing to come with you, maybe he had a fever? You just shrugged and prevented yourself from saying anything. The two of you got downstairs, admiring the beautiful scenery the hotel provided. The windows were big and clear, making it possible for the whole city to be seen out of them. You watched in awe, not noticing when the vampire disappeared. 

“Yunho!” you heard Mingi's voice and looked in the direction of the sound, seeing him hug an unknown guy. His blonde locks stood out next to the blue-haired man he was talking to, and once again—you found yourself starstruck by his beauty. His plump lips were moving with every word he said, stretching into soft smiles whenever the other guy was saying something, and you were sure that there was a side of him you didn't know. He seemed so soft and gentle—something you didn’t see before.

“Y/N, come meet Yunho!” he shouted, calling you over. “This is my old friend, we lived together for a while.” 

“Nice to meet you, Y/N! I'm working here so don't hesitate to call if you ever need something! You may sit at that table, I'll bring you your food immediately.” 

You nodded softly, giving him a small smile. 

“Oh, and I suggest you two take a walk after sunset, you won't regret it.” 

“Do you wanna take a walk?” you asked, hoping he would hear your voice, too concentrated on the words he was currently reading. 

He raised his head softly, adjusting the glasses that hung lazily on his nose. 

“Oh, isn't it The Wicked Witch of the West? Asking me for a walk?” he smirked, satisfied with your annoyed reaction. 

“You know what, you can keep on reading, I don't want you to come anymore.” 

He smiled, grabbing your hand softly. "You can't take it back now; let's go.” 

Mingi could say he was intrigued. Your presence, the way you talked—he wanted to see behind your straight A's, leaving all the pressure on your shoulders aside. Truth is—he didn't know how to get close to you, he never did. Initially, his remarks were supposed to be a way for you to let loose around each other; but it turned out to be the opposite, creating a wall of uncomfortable tension between you—and he thought that maybe, it was for the best. But you were alone now, and he hoped he could change that. 

“Do you eat kids?” 

You almost choked, stopping in your tracks and giving him a disgusted look. 

“I—what?” 

“My grandma used to read me a story about a witch living in a house made of candy and—” 

“You're delusional. No, I don't eat kids.” 

He sighed dramatically, as if he just freed himself from a horrible danger. He was sure he messed up again, but he also hoped you already got used to his antics by now and you found his question funny.

“What made you say yes to this adventure?” he asked again, your hands brushing at how close the two of you were. 

“For your information, it was never me who agreed to this, it was you, and—” 

He giggled. For the first time, you saw him giggle with all his heart, and it made you smile too. You needed to get things off your chest, so you decided opening up a bit wouldn’t hurt. 

“I wanted validation from my family. I wanted to prove myself to them, show them that I won't disappoint our coven, that I can be independent—but they weren't satisfied, I was never enough.” 

You saw a familiar glint in his eyes, a silent way to tell that he understands you, that he knows the struggle. Instinctively, his hand slowly found yours, your fingers interlocking almost as if they were made for each other. 

“My family never supported me. They never wanted me to study at Aurora, they never acknowledged me—I was always the weak one until I dared to run away. That’s how I met Yunho. I don't really have anything to prove,” he chuckled dryly, “But I still hope I will get closure from that.” 

“Damn, look at us trauma bonding, who knew?” you asked in hope to light the mood up for a bit, wrapping your hands around his waist slowly. 

You had no idea who needed this hug more, but when he wrapped his hands around you as well, you decided to enjoy the comfort, with no overthinking to be done. This was the only way you two could see the real you, stripped from all the negativity and expectations, surrounded by the desire to be validated and loved. 

The rest of the walk went smoothly, with you two finally starting to enjoy each other’s company. 

A few more days passed, with you two opening up more, realizing just how similar you were. Now, you were walking around a big castle—the castle where the ruler could change your destiny for good or bad. You and Mingi thought it would be a good idea to see it beforehand, so you wouldn't be too intimidated by the thought of being here for the first time. While you were taking in the new scenery, a soft voice called you: “Mingi, Y/N! You are early.” 

You turned your heads in unison, looking at the quite short man in front of you. His black wolf cut suited his well-sculpted jaw perfectly, and his clothes screamed such luxury that you couldn't help but think you were standing in front of The Nameless Protector, ready to faint right there (hopefully in Mingi's arms). 

“Follow me.”

You looked at Mingi, who had a look as confused as yours. Shrugging, you composed yourselves and followed the man into a room, earning a playful smirk from him. 

“I heard you needed to talk to me. Go on,” he said, though he looked like he was restraining himself from laughing. 

Something was off. 

“Excuse us for a bit,” Mingi said while dragging you aside. “Don’t you think he looks… quite unserious for such a mysterious person?” Mingi asked, looking firstly at you, then at the grand (supposedly) Nameless Protector, his look skeptical. “Like, do you think it was that easy? It seems a bit suspicious to me.”

“You’re right, he looks kinda silly. Let me do the talking,” you said in a determinate tone. 

Your steps led you in the direction of the guy, whose name was apparently Wooyoung, and all Mingi could think of was a massive "This cannot be good.” He gripped his hair, massaging his temples softly—regretting right after, and he swore he would never look away from you again—cause you were holding the poor man by his collar, slamming him on the closest wall. 

“You are not The Nameless Protector, are you? Tell us the truth!” You shouted.

“Y/N, what are you doing? You are ruining everything, stop!” 

“I won’t stop until I find the truth,” you ripped your attention from the shorter guy, turning to face Mingi: “Do you trust me with this?” 

“Yes, I trust you. With everything.” 

“You little gremlin, tell me the tru—what?” 

Pause. Mingi trusts you. The words kept replaying in your mind, surrounded by the butterflies you tried to avoid for so long. The shock you felt made you loosen your grip on Wooyoung’s collar, making him run away from you, fury spread all over his face. 

“How dare you act like that when I wanted to give you a chance and change my mind? You are ungrateful.”

Mingi looked at you, lips parted and face even paler, if that was even possible. Wooyoung kept a serious face for a while,  before bursting into laughter.

“Y’all thought it was me? Hah, you know, you are quite dumb for straight-A students.”  

The vampire clenched his fists and approached the guy, who was now trapped between you and him. 

“I knew you were too easy to find! You liar!” you shouted again, terrifying the guy who raised his hands in defeat. 

“I was paid to do this, please, don’t beat me!” 

Mingi’s eyes grew bigger and he wasn’t sure he heard that right. 

“You are so close to succeeding at this task, guys. Good luck!” Wooyoung said, then snapped his fingers and disappeared. 

What the fuck? Who was this person and how did he even know all of this? Little did you know, though, that somewhere in that castle, The Nameless Protector was watching you proudly.

You and Mingi were on a late-night walk, again. Tomorrow was finally the big day, and you were quite scared, so he wanted to ease your mind a bit. You weren't scared by the ruler per se, you were actually more scared about what would happen after, will you and Mingi go back to normal, or will something more bloom between the two of you? 

“Let's sit there!” he exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a wooden bench. 

He signaled for you to sit first, only for him to lay his head in your lap, inhaling deeply. The cold air hit your face slowly, and he swore you looked even more ethereal, with your hair moving around with the wind. 

“I never thanked you for that night; it was the first time I felt like someone understood me,” he began, playing with your fingers to keep himself occupied.

“You don't have to—” 

"Shhh, let me do the talking,” he smiled: “This little journey of ours made me realize that I never hated you, God, it's actually the other way round.” 

You could feel your heart beating louder, eyes glowing in anticipation. 

“I was so blinded by—by all these labels and all these false expectations everyone had on us, that I never really thought about what I feel,” he paused, standing up from your lap to face you properly: “But now I do. I know that for everything I want to achieve, I want to do it with you by my side. I am in love with you.” 

A familiar sting in your eyes made you notice that you were on the verge of crying because of the words of the man in front of you. If only he knew how much you regretted every bad word you said to him, every name you called him, only to realize that you would find solace in his arms; his cold touch that you grew to adore, his pale skin that you couldn’t stare enough at, his crimson eyes whenever he woke up. 

You grabbed his face softly, and you swore you could see a bit of a blush in his cheeks. Mingi felt proud; he felt like this was now his biggest achievement. He was blinded by the need to prove something—so much that he didn't pay attention to your dedication, the beautiful smile you always wore as an accessory when you were being praised, the tears and sulking whenever your spells didn't work. But he was ready to do so now. He was ready to be the one who made you smile, ready to support you with everything, without having to demonstrate anything to anyone. Just the two of you against the world. 

“I've been wanting to do this since we were on that train.” 

You both giggled, your noses touching and rubbing together, making the giggles turn into louder chuckles—a pure sound of the joy you both felt. You closed your eyes and pressed your lips on his, sealing your unspoken love with a sweet, longing kiss. He tilted your head and deepened the kiss, the hand on your back pulling you closer, and you thought you could melt right there, not getting enough of his rose petals-like lips. The two of you could feel the bond between you growing even stronger, crafted with the feelings and trust you built for each other. 

The last day of your journey finally came, and there you were again, hand in hand in front of the now familiar castle, hoping this time, your meeting would have a better outcome. 

“Together?” you asked, pressing a soft peck on his pale cheek. 

“Together,” he said, kissing your forehead. 

His lips remained on your skin for a while, before he shot you a confident smile and you two started walking towards the big door—though you felt like nothing could have prepared you for what was behind it. There they stood, on a big, black chair. The Nameless Protector and his Right Hand. Though you couldn't imagine it, it was so easy to tell them apart. The more imposing one was quite short and rather innocent-looking, yet he exuded a noble confidence—one that you were sure only a leader could bear. His silky half-black, half-white hair adorned his well-sculpted face, and you took your time to take in his soft features. His sharp nose stood out, making him look like some kind of a model, and you were sure the industry was happy he didn't choose that path. His rosy lips complimented his face beautifully, like the cherry on top, and his aura was something so unique you couldn't find words to describe it. He screamed gentleness, yet also authority—a true ruler who only looked forward, head held high, demanding respect and attention (and you were sure that, with that intimidating aura, he had it all). You saw him scrutinizing the two of you, his eyes landing on your interlocked hands. By this, you could say this was nothing but a Fae's demeanor. The other man, his Right Hand, on the other side, gave off more royal vibes. Despite being a bit taller, it was clear who really held the power. His round face made him look like a prince who was ready to rule the empire once the right time came, black boba eyes on full display. His white hair was falling gracefully on his face, fitting right in with his plump lips and soft nose. He also exuded a strong, powerful aura, but it was clear that the line between sweet and ruthless wasn’t blurry for him. He was definitely a fairy.

“You finally made it, congratulations, Mingi and Y/N!” 

The Nameless Protector exclaimed softly, giving the two of you a round of applause, accompanied by his reliable man. 

“I see the two of you have passed the test,” the fairy pointed out the way you were still holding each other's hands, his pearly white teeth showing through a sincere smile. 

You looked at Mingi, wondering if he had the same idea as you did. Was this all a test? 

“Yes, my dear. It was a test.”

Damn, you didn't voice your thoughts out loud, did you? 

“It is no lie that I wanted to stop investing so much in your university, so I asked your professors to send their most trusted students to me. I've heard about the constant rivalry between the two of you, so it intrigued me. I wanted to see how far you would go to protect your safe place, how much of each other you could stand to prove your points, how long until you notice you two are made to fight next to each other.” The Fae said softly. 

“Oh, and you also dealt with Wooyoung, so that was kind of a bonus.” The fairy giggled, making you and Mingi more relaxed as your laughter filled the room. 

“So… it was all a plan? Will you keep investing in our university?” you asked, hope audible in your voice. 

“Yes, it was a plan that succeeded, like always,” he flexed, chuckling at his own joke: “And yes. You have convinced me that your university is worth investing in. Furthermore, where would be the fun in ruling, if you two were the last students I could mess with?” 

You and Mingi completely let loose and started laughing, being interrupted by a fake cough. Oh, you ruined it all, didn't you? 

“Excuse me, sweeties, but wouldn’t you like to be part of my council?” 

[moonlightcycle571]

Absolute Captain Marvel

I was thinking about the Absolute universe that’s coming, an au where heroes are still heroes despite not having one of their core aspects. Where Batman isn’t rich and Martha is alive, Superman was raised on Krypton so was an adult when landing on Earth, and Diana wasn’t raised by Amazons, but by Circe in Hell.

So I’m here thinking what would be the twist on Captain Marvel. And I got suggestions.

1) Instead of being a child in an adults body, he doesn’t get an adult form. He also doesn’t get to age. So it’s eternally being underestimated because of his small form despite being much older than most heroes (having started in the 80s). It would bring a nice contrast to child being told to grow up and adult being told to stand down.

2) Billy and Mary die, so Captain Marvel and Lieutenant or Mary it Miss Marvel is actually C.C and Marilyn Batson grieving their children. Motivation: making sure no goes through the pain of loosing children like they did.

3) Billy gets no family. A lot of Billy’s character is that he finds and makes his own family (Mary, Freddy, the Vasquez’s, the Bromfields … Ect). What if he just, decided to skip all of that. He’ll still be the same, but instead of having the power of friendship, he’ll just have the power of litteral divin wrath. Maybe he got trauma from relying on adults that should have cared for him (I’m looking at you Ebenezer). Maybe he’ll have a “learn to rely on adults” arc with the Absolute Justice League.

4) I know I’ve talked about this before, but what about a Marvel that cares more about Magic than Humans. Instead of being more aligned to “Earths Mightiest Mortal” title, he’s close to “The Champion of Magic”. It would be such a cool concept to have a more magically inclined Cap. Especially when we are getting a Wonder Woman who will be raised by the OG witch herself (Circe). Let them throw magic spell combos.

5) More side effects of the Time Bubble au. War veteran Billy. A city that’s extremely displaced. Norms being now illegal, a whole city of people who need to deal with the fact that any friend, relative or even life outside of Fawcette is just out of time. Have a Cap who struggles with heroics and, well, people outside of Fawcette and the overwhelming guilt. Also, give me a Fawcette city that evolved differently from the rest of the world. They maybe be lacking in technology in some departments, they are extremely advanced in other departments. And maybe sprinkle in some Magic City Fawcette. Or maybe some time shenanigans Fawcette. You get the gist.

Anyways, a lot of these are just some thoughts and durables I’ve taken inspiration from. Let me know if you have any Absolute Marvel Ideas that don’t take away from him being a hero.

[c0sm1c-c01nc1dence]

Red

✧ Pairing: Hunter x human!reader ✧

✧ Content/warnings: Soulmate AU, takes place during season 3, use of the word ‘damn’ once, the title is bland and I’m sorry, Hunter and the reader are both dorks, first post on here!! ✧

The “rules” for soulmates, as it were, were pretty straightforward. You see everything in the color of your soulmates eyes. Once you make eye contact with them you can see in full, proper colors. Seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Well, not for you, it wasn’t.

You, for the past sixteen or so years of your life, had been seeing nothing but red. Different shades, thank god, but red nonetheless. And to be frank, you were getting pretty damn fed up with it. The thing is that no one naturally has red eyes. And you would know; you’ve googled it maybe a thousand times already.

So you were fairly certain you didn’t have a soulmate, and this was all some cruel joke from the universe. But life marches on, so there’s no time to dwell on that, is there?

───── ───── ───── ─────

Another day at Gravesfield’s high school, bland as ever. At least until you caught a glance at your friend Luz. Rather, former friend. She’d been acting weird ever since she came back from that ‘reality check’ camp. And not standard Luz weird, no— she’d been avoiding you since then. Acting like she didn’t know you at all whenever you approached her, not to mention her sudden lack of interest in anything she used to like. The Good Witch Azura books, most notably.

So, needless to say, you were a bit surprised at her new look. Curly hair, a new scar over her eyebrow, and a general air of seasonal depression about her. Even though your recent interactions hadn’t gone so smoothly, you couldn’t help but ask. You were still allowed to care about her.

“Luz?” You called out from down the school hallway. She turned her head in your direction, and you could practically see the stars in her eyes when she saw you. She ran towards you, almost tackling you in a hug. Stumbling backwards, you hesitantly returned the gesture. “Good to see you too?” You awkwardly pat her back, unsure of what to do at the moment.

“Y/N, I am so glad to see you! Oh, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” She backed away and wiped a small tear from her eye.

“We saw each other yesterday, though?” You chuckled, still perplexed by this whole situation. “Seriously, what’s going on? You’re kinda acting like you just came back from war right now.” Her face fell slightly, but her smile quickly returned.

“Meet me at my house once school’s done, ok? I have… a lot to tell you.” You nodded, and watched her just walk away casually after that interaction.

“Cool. Good talk, I guess?”

───── ───── ───── ─────

“So, if I’m following,” You began, now in the Noceda family’s living room. “You didn’t go to summer camp, but instead spent several months in a fantasy world, and the Luz I’ve been interacting with is actually a shape-shifting basilisk.” You pointed to Vee, who nodded shyly. “And in this fantasy world you became a witch, made a bunch of new friends, and got a girlfriend.” You left out the details involving Belos and the Collector, deciding that you didn’t need to recap whatever nonsense was going on there.

“Yeah, actually. You’re handling this surprisingly well.” Luz noted.

“I think I’m still in shock, to be honest.” You laugh a bit in disbelief. You couldn’t begin to comprehend what she’d been through during those months, and you kind of didn’t want to. “So, more importantly, do I get to meet these new people?” You questioned, and her face brightened.

“Of course! They’re upstairs, so let me go get them and I’ll be right back.” You waited downstairs with Vee, exchanging basic small talk. She apologized for the whole ‘impersonating one of your few friends’ thing, which was nice of her. Eventually Luz came back, new friends and girlfriend following behind her.

“Alright! Everyone this is Y/N.” You gave a polite wave, quickly scanning over the group. “Y/N, this is Willow, Gus, Amity, and Hunter.” You got a proper look at all of them as she said their names, your eyes landing on the blond last. Wait a minute, blond?!

As it would turn out, when you made eye contact with Hunter you could suddenly see a lot more colors. He clearly noticed this as well, as a light blush was present on his cheeks and ears. You could feel some heat rise to your own face as well.

“Y/N, is everything okay?” Luz asked, noticing your stunned silence.

“I, uh…” you stumbled over your words like an idiot, still staring at him. Saving what little dignity you had left, your phone dinged from your pocket. Checking the notification, you gave an awkward smile and held it up to the group. “Oh! You know what, that’s my dad. He probably wants me home for dinner!” You put your phone back in your pocket, and began approaching the door. “I’ll see you guys later, okay, bye!”

You got the words out as quickly as you could, and bolted as soon as the door was open. You ran back to your house, face still flushed from embarrassment and being generally flustered, leaving a room full of witches (and one human) awfully confused.

“Hunter, what was that about?” Willow asked, as he still stared at the spot where you once were.

“Um- good question.”

───── ───── ───── ─────

Later that day, Hunter knocked on the door to Luz’s bedroom.

“Come in.” She said idly, distracted by whatever she had been playing on her Switch. He entered her room, hands anxiously fidgeting at his sides. There wasn’t a particularly easy way to say this, so he just bit the bullet.

“So, you know the whole thing with your soulmate, and how you’ll only see in their eye color until you make eye contact?”

“Yeah?” She encouraged, curiosity evident in her tone.

“Well, it’s possible that maybe, perhaps, Y/Nismysoulmate.”

“What?!” She immediately paused her game, and whipped around to face him. “Really?! Tell me everything!” She sat on the ground and patted the spot next to her, encouraging him to sit down. He did so, face red from having to explain the whole ordeal.

“There’s nothing to tell! I used to only see e/c, I looked at them, now I can see every color, and they— I always thought your hair was black, by the way— and they just ran away!” As Luz sat and processed this information, Hunter continued thinking out loud. “Did they not like me or something? Is it because I’m from the Boiling Isles?” He questioned, grabbing the pointed tips of his ears. Cutting his rambling short, Luz spoke up.

“No, I don’t think so. They were always interested in fantasy like I was. Maybe they were just a bit overwhelmed?” She suggested. He sighed.

“I guess that could have been it.” He said, though the anxiety was still clear on his face.

“Hey, how about I try to get them to come over this weekend? You guys can talk about it then.” He nodded, and watched her grab her phone to message you. Titan, he hoped she was right about this.

───── ───── ───── ─────

A few days had gone by since the whole incident with Hunter. You had been avoiding him since then, though you honestly weren’t sure why. If you had to, though, you’d say it was probably out of shock. I mean, you were convinced you didn’t have a soulmate for years. And now this incredibly good-looking boy comes in from another realm, and he’s supposedly perfect for you? It’s absurd!

Though it was also worry. How would a relationship between the two of you even work out? He’d have to go home eventually, and you probably couldn’t come with him. Maybe he wouldn’t even like you after the way you left the other day, and he’d reject you before you even had a chance. That’d put a quick and easy end to all this.

You’d been really sick of the color red these past couple days. You usually were, but now it was for an entirely different reason.

Though you couldn’t avoid your problems forever, despite your best efforts. Luz had invited you over for a board game night to celebrate the two of you reuniting. And, well… who were you to say no?

───── ───── ───── ─��───

The day finally came, and it had been going relatively well so far. No one else seemed to know what had happened or why you left that first time you came over. Though you and Hunter had been carefully dancing around each other the whole time. It seemed neither of you were equipped to talk about your feelings at the moment. But were you really ever?

Eventually you saw him slip out the front door. With a sigh, you decided to finally face the problem. No use in stalling any more than you already have. After telling Luz that you were going outside for a moment, you stepped out and saw Hunter sitting on the steps leading to the front door. He turned around at the noise, and immediately turned back the other way when he saw it was you. Wordlessly, you sat down next to him. After a moment, he finally broke the silence.

“You look really nice.” You glanced at him, and saw the pink dusting his face. You smiled at the way his blush would spill out onto his ears.

“Thanks, but I’m not really wearing anything special.”

“I know,” He continued, finally meeting your eyes. “I just mean, like- you look nice. You’re really cute.”

“Oh.” You said, quite simply, now blushing a bit as well. You looked at the ground beneath you, pondering how exactly to go about this. “So, this whole ‘soulmate’ thing, huh?”

“Yeah.” Was all he managed. His hands toyed with his pants, still a bit nervous about this whole ordeal. Unable to find the words he wanted, Hunter just looked out at the surrounding neighborhood for a bit. Eventually, though, he said the one thing that was on his mind at the moment. “So… what do we do now?”

“Well, if I may suggest something scandalous?” His blush deepened at your words, but quickly faded as he watched you intertwine your hand with his own.

“Wow, and we’re not even married yet.” He joked. You put your free hand up defensively.

“I know, I know! What can I say, I like to live on the edge.” He laughed, and you silently basked in the sound. You set your eyes on the sky above you, a handful of stars already visible in the late evening’s light. Maybe red isn’t half bad after all.