#back when winx had soul... you can tell they had so much fun making this

[winxwiki]

main series: valtor is a genocidal wizard with blood on his hands winx on ice: he's an ice skater now he's glittery his tits are OUT and he's a little pouty

[valkyrieelysia18]

My Thoughts on Reboots, Remakes, Sequels, and Spinoffs

Hey there everybody! I know that everyone and their mother have an opinion on this topic, but I just wanted to added my two cents on to to something that wasn’t going to be that long.

Part of the reason I’m doing this post is because two series I loved dearly when I was younger, Winx Club and Inuyasha, have gotten a live action remake series and a sequel series. Now I’m not here to talk on the many MANY wrongs of Fate The Winx Saga or the issues of Yashahime because other people have already went into detail on that stuff. Instead I’m going to talk about what I feel like adapting old properties as whole.

As we fully know and acknowledge, nostalgia is a powerful force with an iron grip and Hollywood and other film/tv makers are doing their best to exploit our nostalgia for as much cash as they can get from us. It’s considered less work and less risky to adapt an older project with a ready fanbase than it is come up with an original property. Most of the time these things aren’t made because there is more to expand on in either the work’s world or characters or bring a new fresh take to it, but because it would make money. Manipulative as it is, its sound business logic.

That being said: remakes, reboots, spinoffs, and sequels aren’t inherently bad. When done well, they don’t just keep to the heart and soul of the original work, they SURPASS it. There’s nothing wrong with changing things from the source material, especially if it’s to add more diversity to the line up or correct a problematic element found in the original series. Even if an interpretation doesn’t hold a candle to the original, it’s still fun to see what creators can dream up for a franchise. For example, Batman the Animated Series will always be the definitive Batman experience for me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy Batman Beyond, Batman the Brave and the Bold, the Dark Knight, Arkham Asylum, or other adaptations of the character.

The problem is more often than not, these projects are not handled well. As I said before, it’s more to make money than to actually be a good and/or faithful adaptation. I think everyone remembers the fiasco that was the live action Jem and the Holograms film from a couple years ago. That movie did the worse thing an adaptation can do for fans: used the the name for brand recognition and threw just about everything out from the original series to appeal to the modern crowd (by the way the makers of this movie didn’t even seem to understand THAT demographic), spitting in the face of the original fans. It honestly wasn’t that surprising the film was pulled from theaters so quickly. As a Winx Club fan, I can relate to Jem fans now in a way that I wasn’t able to back then.

Now some would say fans can be extremely judgmental and toxic when it comes to any changes to their beloved franchises. To an extent, I do agree. For example, I was almost five years old when the Star Wars Prequels came out and thus didn’t really get the hate for it because I didn’t have the nostalgia the older fans did. Now that I am older and have watched both trilogies, I can acknowledge that the original trilogy was better in terms of story and characters, but those films are far from perfect. And you got to give the prequel trilogy credit in that had a distinct definite vision and that it was telling its own story, not just relying on what came before. 

But in my honest opinion, I think a lot of the hate from fans of these series comes from the fact that these adaptations more often than not seem to spite the fans and butcher the things they used to love. And considering this is where the original buzz and money come from for these projects, it feels like those behind these projects are going for short term cash rather than long term gain.

I think sequel series in particular can come as off very problematic if their continuation seems to retcon or destroy a very good and satisfying ending. Part of why I can’t really get behind Yashahime is because it feels like the series kind of invalidates the really good ending of the original series and how poorly it has treated the og characters. A series’ ending is arguably the hardest thing to pull off well, it’s one thing to start strong but its another thing to carry that quality to end of the story. And even if a finale isn’t bad, it can still be controversial or divisive among fans. Ducktales 2017 is a great series, but even it stumbled in its finale. Anyone who’s seen it can probably guess what I’m talking about. 

So, how should we approach these projects? I think the best mindset to going into these continuations is cautious optimism. That way you’ll be surprised if it turns out to be good, but not too disappointed if it turns out to be the opposite.

And if nothing else there is this comfort for us who live in this time: where canon fails, there is fan fiction. Seriously, I see more passion, creativity, and quality from things I read and view for free on the internet than things that have huge production teams and tons of money poured into them.

Sorry if this just seems like a ramble to you guys, but you know sometimes that there are things you just need to get out there. And hey it turns out this my 100th post on tumblr. So yay to me.

Don’t worry for those who are here for my Rewrite post. Next time we’re going to get to Cinder....AND I HAVE THOUGHTS.

See you soon!

[bellatrixobsessed1]

In Shades Of Orange

Prompt: Orange Fandom: Winx Club Pair: Icy/Bloom Summary: A spell transfers Icy's darkness to Bloom. After taking it back, Icy finds herself conflicted about being a witch again.

The switch had been more than jarring and even with it corrected, she still isn’t right. She reaches up and touches Bloom’s cheek. Rubs her thumb over it and tells herself that it is only residue. The feelings will fade in time.

It is hardly the first night she has spent with Bloom. She wonders if the fairy has residue of her own. Lingering inclinations to cast dark spells and taunt the other fairies on this campus. The fairy-turned-witch had been quite a force. A nearly unstoppable one. One that Icy hadn’t particularly wanted to stop at the time. She could do it rather easily, it was as easy as speaking a simple spell. A simple spell that would harness the evil and dark energy that had been laced into the former fairy’s soul. The very dark energy that had been torn from her in the first place. All she had to do was take it back.

At the time she hadn’t wanted it back. At the time she had acquired an insticutal aversion to an evil so potent and sinister.

At the time she had enough good in her soul to give in and let the evil back in. And in a flash of bright orange, so it was. She now longs for it to fester and grow, to reclaim her in full. To encompass her entirely as it had before it had been forced out of her. But it refuses her. For some reason, it refuses her. She thinks that her body has become incompatible with the darkness. And so she remains at Alfea and in the company of Bloom, confined to a hospital bed and condemned to magical therapy. Her powers aren’t right either, she hasn’t recovered them in full and the magic therapy makes for such a slow recovery. A slow, strange recovery.

.oOo.

Bloom stares down at Icy, for everything that she has gone through, she seems to sleepy rather easy. She isn’t quite the same as she was before it is both comforting and unsettling all at once. It is petrubing in that it confirms what she has been thinking--that there is still darkness in her soul and comforting in that she isn’t alone.

The both of them are oddities, anomalies. Both witches and fairies all at once. Tecna is almost certain that, that is why her magic has been so weak lately. Why she hasn’t been quite able to muster up the full power of the dragon flame.

The dark and the light are at odds in her soul and the sooner she lets herself fully embrace being a fairy again, the sooner she will get her strength back. And yet there is something so enthralling about the witch magic she harbors. Something deliciously alluring about tossing reservations and moral comasses aside. It is powerful. It raises adrenaline in the way her fire craves.

She can’t sleep. She tries to sleep but how can she when there is so much at work in her mind and soul?

The former witch could probably use some rest, but Bloom could use the company, so she shakes Icy awake.

.oOo.

She lets Bloom toy with her hair for hours. Occasionally running her own fingers though strands of orange hair. This is rather routine. It is almost a habit now. Every now and then she will let the fairy lay next to her and rub circles on her back. Every now and then she lets the fire fairy hold her.

She swears that it is just the residue. That the darkness will overtake it soon and she will break the fairy’s heart with a swiftness that even Darcy would envy.

It can only be the residue, she wouldn’t let the fairy take control otherwise. The fairy wouldn’t take control if she hadn’t any witch left in her. She knows it because as the darkness begins to leave Bloom, she grows far less domineering. But Icy herself grows no more so.

For a change, she does the holding. She wraps her arms around the fairy and rests her head upon the fairy’s.

“Ya know, I’m going to be really upset when you go full on witch again.” Bloom mutters.

She is torn between agreeing and vowing that she can’t wait for it to happen. She doesn’t think that it will. She thinks that she has exposed herself to too much light. Her surprise is almost laughable when the dark slams back into her with a vengeful force. And with it comes her confidence and her boldness. With it comes her wit and sarcasm. How she had missed those.

She leaves Alfea that night without a word to anyone. With luck Bloom will be as upset as she had promised.

.oOo.

There is a comfort in the normalcy. In fending off Icy in bursts of fire and showers of brilliant orange sparks. A comfort in seeing the witch grit her teeth and scowl at her. A comfort in listening to her vow payback as she always had.

There is a woefully depressing edge with all of it. A sense of yearning that comes with remembering how kindly cold her touches had been on those nights in the hospital. A longingness that accompanies those memories.

She misses the ice fairy the way she misses the calm of winter on a hectic summer day. She has only the ice witch now and the woman hurts like ice closing in around her as she sinks beneath the surface of a pond.

“You know, I’m glad that you defeated me, Bloom!” She calls. “Nothing rekindles hatred like a good defeat.”

She hadn’t exactly meant to say it out loud, but she does. “Then maybe I should let you win.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Icy asks.

Bloom shrugs. And she gives it her all. She fights to the best of her ability but today it just isn’t good enough. Or maybe it is that Icy is simply fighting with more hatred and force than before. The ice witch looms in front of her, just as she had the day that she had stolen her powers.

She crinkles her nose, “I told you not to hold back, Bloom.”

“I’m not.” Bloom scowls. And as the witch summons her crystal, Bloom grabs her collar and pulls her forward. She presses her lips against Icy’s. A shiver runs through her body at the frostiness. She gives a second shiver when the witch doesn’t pull back and a third when she returns the kiss.

.oOo.

She is panting slightly when she does pull back, first her lips and then her whole body. The fairy doesn’t make a move. She can’t seem to either. It comes back to her in a steady flow; how well those nights in the hospital had been.

She remembers them in shades of orange; the orange of Bloom’s hair. The orange of her warmth. And a vivid red-orange of passion. She hasn’t been able to shake these things since they happened. Not entirely.

She thinks that the harder she works to suppress the touch of light that remains in her soul, the brighter it shines. And perhaps it is time to give in. Perhaps she should just take the light and roll with it. With care and effort, she supposes that she can be a fairy and still be the biggest asshole in Magix at the same time.

She curls her fingers in Bloom’s hair. “I truly hate you.”

“That sure is a funny way of saying that you want to kiss me again.”

“Witches aren’t exactly poetic.” She grumbles before pressing her lips to the fairy’s once more.  She supposes that there’s no harm in keeping her enemy close. The return of her kiss is it’s own shade of orange. It is a hot breeze in mid-July. It is the merging of dark and light. It is a strange awakening of a magic somewhere between witch and fairy. It is a magic of her own. She lets the light back in.

[darkpoisonouslove]

“Revenge of the Trix” Thoughts

Diving into this second special and I have to say that I am actually quite excited to see how this will go. It was fun comparing the first special to season 1 even though I kinda expected to be angered. But good news! I wasn’t. Not so much at least and I really hope that pattern will continue.

- I am not quite sure but I think they changed the timeline a little bit. Though, if it means I get the festival of the rose or that battle with the witches in Magix, I am down! I doubt it but I will hold on to my hopes until they get dashed!

- I am still puzzled by Faragonda’s remark about the “powerful forces here at work”. What does that mean? Who is she talking about? She can’t be wary of Daphne so what the hell is happening? Was she concerned at the possibility of Bloom having Dragon Fire? I really hope they will explain some of this. But I like that they added the fact that Daphne was the princess of Domino. It wasn’t in the original of this scene and I am glad they changed that.

- Okay, without the bike rescue and the way the dialogue in that scene is reworked, the Riven and Darcy stuff is way more disturbing than it used to be! She straight up spelled him without any connection being made outside of that and it just looks way too creepy. Not to mention that it does a disservice to Riven’s character as well because if Darcy never rescued him, he has no other reason to be meeting her other than “I don’t care about my friends, just about being great”.

- Spring break? Wow! We really sped through that school year.

- Was that montage from Gardenia in the original? I don’t quite remember that but it is cute as hell! And to end it with Mike and Vanessa hugging while happily watching their daughter? I will go sob now if you’ll excuse me. Beautiful.

- Wait, she’s dreaming of the night Mike saved her from the fire (instead of, you know, the fire in the flower shop)? And by the looks of it, in this she doesn’t know that she’s adopted like she did in 4kids season 1... I am actually in trepidation over this next scene.

- Well, that scene went better than I thought it would. But she really didn’t know about being adopted. I am just glad that she didn’t get mad they hadn’t told her the truth. It would have broken my heart. And they are her parents anyway.

- Omg, Bloom is asking all the right questions! I cannot believe it! I am absolutely ecstatic that they changed that part because now it is really making sense (I had given up on ever saying that in regards to Winx Club again so I vote my decision to watch the specials “fucking spectacular”). She connected the dots about getting her powers from her birth parents! I have been so salty about her not asking that in season 1 but they fixed it! Imma go happy sob again.

- Faragonda is showing her stuff now? Of her own volition? Nice! I just don’t think the “Daphne lived in a lake” thing makes sense. Didn’t her soul go there after her body was destroyed by the curse of Sirenix? That is different! And considering Faragonda’s past with the Company of Light, that is not all that she knows about Daphne so she’s kinda lying.

- Now that she saw the crown, does that mean that they don’t get to waste time going to Domino even though her powers were inside her all along? I really, really hope so! And the way Daphne presented the crown to her could be taken as symbolism about Daphne passing it down to her now that Bloom is the only living heir to the throne of Domino. That was a cool detail and a great change imo (especially if they aren’t gonna go to Domino).

- Well, Lucy’s PoV was kinda made more... understandable, I guess? Like, the wording was better... right before the very end of that argument between her and Mirta. That was somehow meaner than what happened in s1. But I actually like the change to the scene with Mirta casting her spell to spy on the Trix. I think it makes more sense than the way it was done in s1.

- How does she know there is an archive in Cloud Tower when she has never been there? I think this scene suffers from the changes. And it is also really convenient that she decided to break into CT just in time for the Trix to trick her. I think those scenes were backwards in s1 and it was after the Trix saw her in CT that they came up with their plan which was better because it didn’t look so staged. Also, “What are friends for?” Yeah, right, Sky. Friends. Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure. And you weren’t totally on a date.

- That scene with the Specialists was pretty intense considering its length. Since when is Brandon being the cautious one? While Timmy is like “Sure I’ll help you commit major offense against school rules, no probs”? I could take Brandon’s behavior as a best friend’s worry and Timmy’s as a friend’s desire to help out but it still seems a bit out of place. I am just glad that Sky is taking care of the tactics instead of just throwing himself at it.

- And there is no defense system or anything here. I can’t tell if that’s good or bad. It was kinda random when it popped up in s1 (never to be seen again, mind you) but it seems a bit illogical for the school to not have some kind of protection (especially if it has powerful spells inside). Idk.

- I am stunned by Sky’s absolute dumbassery that is bordering on being an asshole (and even tipping right into it). What does it matter if she’s a witch? She is still the same Bloom she was before she learned it, wtf, dude? (Not to mention that this pisses me off greatly because it implies that all witches are pure evil.) I just can’t understand why Bloom didn’t wonder how she has a fairy form then. She can turn into a fairy and that is pretty solid proof that she isn’t a witch. Why didn’t she question it?

- Awww! I love how worried Winx are for Bloom! And I think they’re skipping classes (and risking to get in big trouble with Griselda) to go look for her. True friendship!

- What is she doing sleeping in the bushes? And why doesn’t she just try to fly there? You know, get some proof for herself that she’s a fairy since she has the wings and all?

- Why is Stormy just setting random patches of grass on fire? I agree with Darcy, it can be dangerous if she sets the whole forest on fire.

- “Why would we be so cruel? For giggles.” XDDD

- They changed Mirta’s powers to transforming emotions into energies? That is kinda cool but isn’t that what all magic does?

- The Dragon just swept the Trix away? Is that what happened? It looked like it just fucked off into the sky without doing shit but I digress. But aww at the way Tecna scooped up Bloom so carefully! It was adorable!

- If I were Bloom, I would leave Sky a very angry message and he’d have to give a real good apology for me to take him back. The moment she appeared to be something he didn’t expect, he pulled away from her. That is not someone you want to be in a relationship with. I just wish Bloom would figure out that she can do better. If he shallow like that, you don’t need him, hon. (But hey, don’t blame Kiko! And that wasn’t bad advice! If you want to talk to someone, you should fucking call them! That was good advice.)

- Oh, no! No, no, no, no! Please, not the Day of the Royals! I beg of you! Though, it will have to happen because that is what makes Bloom go back to Gardenia where the Trix corner her. But what will happen with the Diaspro story? Bloom knows that Sky is Sky. Though, he still didn’t tell her he was engaged so I guess there can be drama over that. Ugh, why?

- “That’s a relief”? Fuck you, Sky! So her not being a witch is what makes or breaks this relationship - actually, pardon me, THIS FRIENDSHIP according to his own definition - and not, you know? Her goddamn personality maybe? Damn, what a fucker. Seriously, he is so much worse than in s1. Bloom should really stop wasting time on his sorry ass and go snatch Diaspro for herself instead. Why does he have a picture of Diaspro btw? He does not really care for her... like, at all. Not that he cares for anyone, apparently.

- Oh, so now he loves Bloom? Also, great going, Timmy! Yeah, just suggest breaking off a royal engagement. Without even asking what the political situation is. That is not the best idea. I mean, there was the possibility that Eraklyon needed that marriage. Which, of course, they don’t but still. It ain’t that simple. (God, I hate giving Sky an excuse but this really is a complicated situation. Though, he could have just told Bloom about the arranged marriage instead of lying to her.)

- She could have just waited instead of going for the option of getting them all in trouble. It was only one day. But at least Winx tried to talk her out of it instead of being right there with her in the impulsiveness. And yet, they still decided to support her like friends do. That is cute!

- “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.” Ya think? And yes, being around Erendor and Samara is definitely not a great experience.

- Ooh, she saw Sky directly with Diaspro! Damn, that changes things. And I hate to admit it but it makes more sense because at least now she has a solid reason to jump to conclusions.

- Oh, no! She thinks it is the Trix again. Honestly, I just wish she would have seen Sky for the lying piece of shit that he is! It would have saved so much trouble. I feel bad for Diaspro, though. She just got attacked without having done anything to deserve it. Shocking, I know. But none of this was her fault.

- Sky really did that with Riven? I thought he would be more mature than Riven but nope. He is really campaigning for asshole of Red Fountain. I know Riven started this but Sky has previous offenses against both Bloom and Diaspro so he takes the cake.

- Codatorta was very quick into action. It was kinda impressive. I see that the conflict between Griffin and Faragonda is non-existent here. “I see it’s not just my students who can behave badly”? This coming from Griffin? That has the exact opposite tone of her line in the original. It’s kinda like “Well, we’re in this together because obviously neither my, nor your students know what the hell they are doing.” Though, it can still be taken as a subtle dig as in “You thought you had the high ground when you sent me back the Trix but look at what your fairy has done!”. That actually sounds more like it, though her tone of voice was still a bit too soft for a confrontation.

- Hey, no nightmare monster? But does that mean that the Trix don’t get expelled from CT?

- Aww, I wish she wouldn’t just leave her friends behind! And that montage of memories. (But what the heck is Tecna doing at that fountain? Get down from there, Tecna! I thought you were the reasonable one!)

- How do the Trix know Bloom is from Gardenia? It sounds like they are the bestest of friends with her instead of mortal enemies.

- Awwwwww! Mike and Vanessa keep being so supportive! I love it!

- I actually think I like how they reworked this scene! Icy dropped them in the portal thingy (whatever the hell it was) to force Bloom to transform and lower her guard at the same time and I think it made some more sense than the original did.

- “Our ancestral witches”? That sounded kinda weird. I was just about to say in my conclusion for this special that they dropped the Daphne storyline halfway through this but I see they haven’t. I am pleasantly surprised! And Bloom actually learns that she is her sister (which for some reason was missing from the 4kids dub) as well as all the stuff about Domino. Well, all in very vague terms but still.

- I actually prefer the original way they plucked the fire out of her. It was more jarring while here the animation was just a tad bit too smooth for what it needed to accomplish.

- Oh, and here her fairy form just vanished after they took the flame? I love that! It was the one thing that instantly told me that she still had her powers in s1 because she still had her winx for a while after they took it from her. But here it disappeared the moment the Trix took off with her power. I am curious to see if it is actually gone. Though, I can understand how believing she doesn’t have it anymore can get in the way of her transforming because magic comes from emotions.

This was actually better than I thought it would be and I went in with some expectations because of the first special! I am so pleasantly surprised! The plot carried well throughout this one as well and I supported about 95% of the changes they made from the original storyline which is a lot more than I expected! There was a thing or two that didn’t make much sense, but overall, this was pretty logical! My nitpick would be with the title of this special because the Trix weren’t all that central to it and there was no revenge whatsoever here. I would call it more of a hunt, really. So that would’ve been better if it had been something else having to do with Bloom since she remained at the front and center the whole time... And that didn’t annoy me at all. Wow! I kinda wish they will rework all the seasons into specials now if they can make me like Bloom (though, I admittedly had my moments of that in s1 as well. It is just that the later on we go, the more I can’t stand her). Now I am hyped about the next one and I really hope I won’t be disappointed because it will be such a shame after the good work in this one. (Oh, and the rest of Winx didn’t have much role in this one but I was actually so absorbed in the Bloom storyline that I didn’t notice until this very moment. Man, these specials are really working a miracle here!)

[livsoulsecrets]

Incantava AU - Chapter 3: My soul is in the sky

Masterpost

Previous Chapter

Summary: Eleonora is in London for some days for her brother’s photograph exposition. In her last night in the city, she is convinced by her friends to go out by herself and have some fun. Unexpectedly, she meets other Italian there, a charming boy named Edoardo. Not knowing much else about him, she takes her friends’ advice and has a one night stand with him, not expecting to see the boy after that. Little did she know they were bound to meet each other again.

August 22nd

21:58

For some crazy reason, it was ridiculously easy for Eleonora to talk to Edoardo. She usually took a lot of time being comfortable with people until getting to the point she was okay with making a fool of herself.

Weirdly enough, Edoardo could manage to make her do that easily.

During their walk until the said square, they had started talking about the city and how different it felt. Edoardo had told her about his work with his dad and how it drove him crazy sometimes, making it very clear his father was a difficult person to deal with. Ele told him about Filo, his chaos and swetness, how he made her pick up a damn plane to come to his exposition even if she was just one week away from starting college.

They never ran out of things to talk about and that itself was more than enough to make Eleonora feel a bit dizzy. The way he was looking at her wasn’t helping, though.

— Okay, so you are either leading me to the place where you will murder my defenseless self or this square is in Narnia. — Eleonora joked, trying to keep herself together.

— What makes you think I’m the serial killer here? Maybe you are the physco who is playing the defenseless part to murder me. — Edo barely hid his smile and Ele felt pleased with herself for that.

— It is so nice of you to know women can be serial killers too, we totally appreciate the inclusion. — Their shoulders bumped while Ele sarcastically answered him.

— You are very welcome. — He replied, stopping to walk and pointing at the square in front of them. — Anyway, let’s drop our paranoias! We arrived. This place’s sky is not so polluted for some miracle, so we can actually look at the stars.

— And at those heavy clouds, huh? Do you think it is going to rain? — Ele looked up to the cloud, a bit worried about the weather.

— Honestly… When is it not raining here?

— You do have a point.

Edo kept walking and they finally sat down at the bench, side by side.

Ele felt peaceful while looking at the intensity of the sky above them.

— Okay, so the whole our souls being at the sky thing is done. — Ele spoke up after the two of them spent a couple of moments admiring the sky.

— You’re away too impatient, you know? — Edo joked, sending an electric pulse through Ele’s body when he jokingly shoved her, making the sides of their bodies touch completely. — To actually see something, you need to pay attention.

— You sound like a poorly written self help book.

— And you’re away too good at insulting me. — Edoardo laughed at the way Ele rolled her eyes at him, not being able to see the grin that formed in her face shortly after.

— Thank you, it has been years of practice.

— Guess you’ve been preparing for me.

— Guess you think the world revolves around you.

— I do get this a lot. — If Edo realizes Ele’s eyes keep being attracted to his lips, he doesn’t show so. His arms are spread in the bench and his hand is softly touching Ele’s shoulder. — Anyway, if you want to do something, we can just do our thing again.

— Our thing, huh? — Ele makes fun of him, despite the way her heart is racing with the suggestion.

— Yeah, the book thing. — Her grin gets wider and Edo rolls his eyes. — Just do it.

Eleonora doesn’t say a thing, but she reachs into her bag and takes the book out.

— Okay, this time I will just open in a random page and see what it says. — Ele offers and Edo bows closer to spy at the book, almost breathing down her neck, only the fragile light of the street lamps illuminating them.

— As you please. — He complies.

— “We will meet; and there we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously.” — Ele carefully reads every word out loud, feeling herself blush when Edo lets out a hoarse laugh.

She doesn’t know what she is supposed to do after that, but, luckly, Edo comes to her rescue.

— Well… We should be courageous then.

— What do you mean with that? — Ele’s voice gets weirdly high and she curses herself for that.

— I mean: we should play a game! — Edo suggests and Ele crooks an eyebrow at him, surprised.

— Don’t you dare trying to push “20 questions” down my throat!

— Too late, that is what we are doing. If you don’t answer the questions I make… Then I can post something on your social media.

— Same thing for me? — Edo nods. — Okay, then, I’m in. But, can we please go to somewhere safer than an empty square at night? — Ele demand and Edo nods, agreeing to her.

They walk for a bit in silence until finding a restaurant to hang out at.

— Okay, I’ll take it easy on you. Worst pain you ever felt? — Edo asks once they find a good table, away from everyone else.

— When I was 12, I had appendicitis. I thought I was going to die, it was horrible! Nothing ever came close to it ever since. — Ele lets out the part where she had to take a taxi to get to the hospital because she had nobody to go with her, but the thought wanders in her mind for a bit longer.

— It’s your turn now. — Edo says, seeming to notice she became distant for a bit.

— Alright… If you had to be trapped on a desert island, who would you take there with you?

— That’s easy. My best friend, Fede. He’s annoying as fuck, but that is good to fill all the silence, right? Who would you take?

— My brother… Probably for the same reason. Favorite cartoon growing up?

It is weird to think of Edo as a kid, but there’s a certain light in his eyes and a levity in his features that make him seem so young at certain moments despite his facade. Eleonora wonders what made him put that facade on in the first place.

— Okay, don’t laugh at me! — He asks and Ele gets pulled out of her thoughts.

— I won’t, come on, say it!

— It was Winx. — Ele almost gasps because of how unlike him it sounds. — My dad didn’t want me to watch it, he said it was a “girls’ show”, but I would do it anyway. Every time he entered the living room, I would just change it to Mickey Mouse or some shit.

— Are you kidding me? — Ele wonders again.

— What? Are you saying you agree with him? — Edo dramatically puts a hand on his chest, pretending to be disappointed.

— Of course not, that’s bullshit. But… Winx was my favorite show growing up too. — Ele says back and they both laugh at another coincidence bonding them.

— Flora was my favorite.

— Oh, darling, I was Flora! I would fight anyone that tried to be her when I was a kid while we played together.

— Oh, someone was taking it too seriously! — He looks delighted with the story, though.

— Look, she is the best one, okay? The guardian of the nature!

— The Fairy of Flowers! All of that! — Edoardo completes her without hesitating.

At that moment, Ele feels young. Maybe it is being out in the middle of the night in a beautiful city. Or perhaps it is the memories of the times where she was a easy going and happy kid that do it to her.

It could as well be Edo’s company.

— Hum… First kiss? — Edoardo asks this time and Ele freezes on the spot.

The memories that come back to her this time are not very pleasant. Ele thinks back to Francesco and her heart aches a bit. Everytime she thinks she’s over him, over what he did to her, life finds a way to bring all the pain right back to her.

— Guess I’ll take the challenge. — Ele says, quickly reaching for her phone to open her Twitter app.

— Oh, that bad?

— Just do it. — Ele faked a smile and handled him the phone. Edo typed fast, a mischievous smile never leaving his lips.

— And it’s done! — He seemed too excited for it to be a good thing, but Ele took a look at it anyway.

— Oh my god, you just ruined my life. For the next weeks, that’s all my brother will be talking about! Filo will never let it go. — Ele grunts, but Edo keeps laughing at how red her face got. — Asshole! — She curses over her breath when their eyes cross again. — Okay… I’ll end you now: worst lie you ever told your mom?

Edoardo bites his lip when he hears the question and Ele is sure he’s about to burst out some dumb joke, but he stays silent.

She is confused by his reaction, until he pulls his phone out just like she did before and handles it to her.

— Well, if I didn’t tell my mom about it, I certainly can’t tell a stranger. — Edo says, the stupidly gorgeous smile returning to his face, as if his previous silence meant nothing.

— Ow, you hurt me like this. You know my name, what my favorite show is and who I would take to a desert island with me. I went to high school with people I knew less about, do you know that? — Ele teases him just because she doesn’t like the worried bow that was in his face before.

Her idea works, because he immediately laughs in return, his head being thrown back during it.

— Alright, I will post something in your Instagram, but you gotta take the picture. — Ele says, telling Edo what he should do next. He gets oddly quiet while she posts the pic he took. — What? Was the picture not good?

— No. It was awesome. You’re awesome, I mean. — Edo said, swallowing nervously.

— Oh… Thanks. — She answers, an unexpected shyness taking over her when she posts the picture with a ironic caption on his Instagram.

— Here it is. — Their hands brush when she handles Edo his phone. If he takes notice of that, he doesn’t show.

— Alright. Your turn. — Edo says, his chair somehow getting closer to hers in the process.

— Fine… Do you have a secret?

— Oh… That’s deep. — Edo says, surprised.

— You act so mysteriously sometimes. Guess the question fits you. — Ele shakes her shoulder, her whole body aware of Edo’s arm resting in her chair.

— Alright, I suppose you’re right. You know… I do have a couple of secrets, but I can only think of one right now. — She was nervously aware of how close he was right now.

Surprisingly enough, Eleonora wouldn’t mind if he somehow managed to get closer.

That was the moment the waitress decided to come close to them, letting them know the bar was closing off.

Edo almost jumped away from her, given how unexpected the interruption was, but he managed to keep his voice normal while talking to the waitress. They paid the bill in an awkward silence.

Her stomach was turning and her hands were sweating. Ele was so nervous she didn’t realize it had started raining outside.

— Shit. Can’t believe it started raining already. — Edo said.

— It’s not too strong, if we hurry, I think we won’t catch the worst part of it. — Ele suggests, trying to focus on something other than the fact Edo was about to kiss her.

Or better: that she was about to let him.

— Yes, it’s better if we leave before it gets heavier.

— My hotel is over there. — She pointed to the upper street.

— So is my apartment. — With that, they both took some courage and left the bar behind, doing their best to avoid getting soaked with the rain.

At certain point, Ele wasn’t able to see a thing and her body collapsed in Edo’s arms. He catches her out of reflex, they both almost falling down.

They were standing in the middle of the pouring rain that had no signal of stopping.

Ele’s dress was getting tighter and tighter as she stood there, Edo’s hands still on her lap, hers on his shoulders.

— We should go. — Edo whispered, but he didn’t make any move.

— Yes, we should.

— Will we? — He asked cautiously.

— What was it the book was saying again? — She gives him another question instead of an answer, but he seems satisfied with it by the smile on his face.

— “We will meet; and there we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously.” — Edo quoted, his eyes not leaving hers.

— We met. Maybe it’s time for the rehearse. — Ele whispers, barely registering the confusion on Edo’s eyes.

She reaches out and pulls him into her, her hands moving to his neck as their lips crash against each other.

Ele only has a second of lucid thoughts to consider the insanity of what she’s going, but that moment is quickly gone, forgotten by the overlying sensation of being held so fiercely. The feeling of being lost and found all at once.

Maybe it’s insane. Maybe it’s stupid.

But when Edo takes her off her feet, Eleonora couldn’t care less about logic.

Previous Chapter

[crue-sixx]

Title: The Witches

Author: tiddly-winx

Fandom: The Dirt (Motley Crue)/American Horror Story: Coven and Hotel

Note: This is a cross over with the seasons of AHS Coven and Hotel.  Apocalypse might get a mention, but not too deep.

Summary: It's 1981, you, your best friend Cordelia and your mentor Myrtle have been sent to Los Angeles to investigate strange happenings at the Hotel Cortez.  You get side tracked when some young rockers make a deal they can't pay.

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references, violence, gore

Fiona Goode was a scary lady, she was made Supreme at an early age and paid little to no attention to Delia.  You didn't know why she wanted to impress her mother so much, it seemed like anything Delia did wasn't good enough.  You learned early on that a person's goal in life wasn't to make other people happy, but to live for yourself.  You had the most unfortunate power of the Black Widow-you were cursed with the power to kill the men you had sex with.  You found that one out when you had sex with your first serious boyfriend, and right after his brain turned to mush.  You could do anything and everything any other witch could do, you just had to work harder at it than those with natural talent in that particular area.

Fiona had ordered you and Cordelia to go to Los Angeles and investigate the Hotel Cortez, under the tutelage of Myrtle Snow.  You had the feeling that your Supreme didn't take either of you seriously-you having average magical ability and Fiona less than that, but she was more than proficient in botany and magical plants.  She could whip up the best potions in record time, and they'd always be right.

Your chaperone adored the both of you, you not being one to show much affection found it endearing.  If you felt protective over anyone, it was these two ladies.  Myrtle's natural talent was her ability to accurately call bullshit on liars.  She had volunteered herself to accompany you, seeing that Fiona was about to throw you and her own child to the wolves.

When you got to L.A. on Myrtle's private jet, you had some time to yourselves before you had to head over to the Cortez so you decided to take Cordelia with you to the Whiskey A Go-Go to hear some music.  You were enjoying yourself, but you soon felt that she wasn't having a good time at all-it was too loud for her.  You took her hand and began leading her out when you felt someone pull her back.  "Hey baby you wanna dance with me?" he asked her, you being able to smell the rot of a bad soul in his bones.

"She's with me" you said, glaring at the man "Hands off."

The man looked at both of you, then nodded approvingly "Hey I'm down for a threesome!  When do we start ladies?"

You knew this was escalating quickly, and this manchild was used to getting what he wanted.  He was getting aggressive and you needed to get out of there.  You had no hesitation and you began to utter Latin, a soft pink mist filled the room and patrons in the club began dropping like flies, fast asleep.  Soon, it reached the stage where the band stopped playing to watch the spectacle. 

Your eyes widened as you saw your spell didn't effect them whatsoever.

Are these assholes warlocks?  Maybe they have some warlock blood in them, but they look like they haven't seen any real magic in their whole lifetimes!

Delia too sensed the danger and she took your hand and ran out with you.  The four males followed you to the alley, and you two ran faster.  Neither of you could transmutate yet, so you were trapped like rats when you hit the back of the wall.  You glanced over at Delia and nodded in silent agreement.  The both of you started chanting the spell of pyrokinesis-if you couldn't escape them, you would burn them.

Then, a familiar head of flaming orange hair cast the sleep spell.  She was more powerful and could cast spells easier than you novices.  The men flopped on the ground, snoring loudly.  Myrtle stepped on one of them, the person she walked on making a grunting noise of pain.  She was more than irate with you two "Miss Y/N and Miss Cordelia!  This is improper behavior of students of Miss Robichaux's Academy!"

You stared at the ground and kicked at the dirt with your shoes "We just wanted to have a bit of fun Mrs. Snow!  We may be witches, but we're still young!"

"We are on a mission" Myrtle reminded you "we must find out as much as we can about the Cortez without entering it's doors as possible, then get back to Louisiana!" she then noted the state of your clothes-dirty from running and began to furiously rub the stains out.

"I will keep this quiet from the Supreme this one time, but if you deviate from the plan I will send you back and you will have to explain to her why the mission was a complete failure!"  the first and last time you challenged Fiona Goode's authority, she had telekentically pinned you against the wall.  You could feel the weight of your bones increase, your body unable to support your new frame.  She only released you when both Myrtle and Cordelia pleaded for your life. 

"But if we don't interact with the normies, how will we accomplish this goal?" Cordelia asked.

Myrtle thought for a moment and said "I'll allow it, but only with these males" she motioned to the sleeping men, a look of disgust on her face "and only if YOU talk to them, Y/N.  I am NOT putting Miss Cordelia in danger..."

You always knew that Myrtle liked Delia better than you, but that was fine by your standards.  They had known each other all Cordelia's life, and you had only entered the Academy a few years ago.  You agreed to the terms, wanting to experience the night life L.A. had to offer.  You wanted to see what Fiona Goode loved about this place so much that made the Supreme neglect her own coven.

As Myrtle and Cordelia left, you stayed behind and cast an awakening spell.  When all the males got up, you said "What the Hell are you dipshits doing sleeping in an alley?  Don't you have a place to stay?"

The blonde rubbed his head and said "Yeah...how'd we end up here?  We were playing the Whiskey..."

You snapped your fingers and they all immediately stood up straight, one slightly bent over.  He was an older looking man, so you guessed that it was his age or a disease that caused his bones to stiffen.  They had blank, sober expressions on their faces and you said "Be my good little dogs and take me to your place..." the one spell you could cast without a word was Concilium- the ability to impose your own will on others.  It was able to be resisted, but that took too much brain power, causing the head to explode.

The two younger dark haired men took each of your arms and they led you to their place.  They sat in silent council around the dinner table until you asked "What do you know about the Hotel Cortez?"

"I'm Tommy" the tall dark haired man spoke "The Cortez is a place where some check in, but they don't check out..."

"I'm Nikki" the shorter dark haired man said "Some of our friends have stayed and they weren't the same after.  They said they seen some shit..."

"Like what?" you asked.

"Vince" the blonde one said "they told us that they saw a tall lady with platinum blonde hair drink blood, and a tranny receptionist serving cat food as tartar..."

"Mick Mars" the older man said "They wouldn't stop talking about demons and ghosts-saw little kids like in the Shining..."

After a few moments of silence, you knew that you'd gotten all you would be able to get from these mongrels so you snapped your fingers again, releasing them from the spell.

They all jumped, blinking "Where the fuck are we?" Nikki asked.

"Well, I certainly hope you know where we are!" you put your hands on your hips sarcastically "Y'all bought me back here, we had an amazing gangbang and now you're telling me this isn't even your apartment?!"

They looked around and realized they were home "Yeah this is our place..." Tommy said "How'd we get back here?"

"After you were done at the Whiskey, you began flirting with me and promised me a dicking to remember!" you laughed "We're all done now!"

They all blinked and Vince said "Hey, that coke earlier was weak as fuck!"  you rolled your eyes at them.

"Now if you'll excuse me gents" you got up to leave "I gotta get back to my chaperone before she notices I'm gone!"

Mick got up slowly and said "I'll go with you..." he looked at you like something was up, like he knew your secret.

"Fine by me" you said, letting him lead the way.  When you two were out of earshot you asked "What are you?"

"I'm a warlock" he answered "from the same stock as you.  I am a descendant of Giles Corey" you stopped and looked at him.  You hadn't expected to meet another descendant of a Salem coven member in this of all places.

"What are you doing hanging around with those losers?" you motioned to the apartment.

"They're like a fungus" he laughed "they grew on me" he looked back fondly.

"So since you're a descendant of a weaker warlock, then you don't have much magical ability?" you guessed.

"Yeah" he said bluntly.  There was no beating around the bush with him-a quality you liked.  "The only thing I can do is manipulate  sound" he mimed an air guitar, but he sound of a real one erupted from his hands.

"That's really cool!" you said, meaning it "Nobody in Robichaux can do that!"

"So why do you want to know about the Cortez so much?" he raised an eyebrow "I try to steer people away from that place as much as possible..."

"The Supreme ordered me and two other witches to investigate" you admitted "she wants to see what's going on"

Mick took a deep breath, contemplating on whether or not to tell you, then deciding it was for the best "That place is a Hell Mouth-where demons from Hell gather and plan evil deeds...people who die there, their souls are trapped there...The Countess, the vampire lives there runs the place with an iron fist..."

You looked at him in awe "How did you resist the Concilium spell?"

"I didn't" he said "it just wore off on me quicker and I played along at the apartment to protect the boys" you two went on talking, eventually leading to Myrtle's door.

The woman quickly opened the door and took a moment to study the unkempt man before her.  Her eyes widened in recognition, then utter contempt.  Mick smiled and waved "Hey Myrtle!"

"Go away, swine!" she spat and slammed the door in his face.  You could hear him laughing and the realization hit you.

"Oh my god!" you chortled "You and Mick Mars dated!"

"His name was Robert Deal back then..." Myrtle blushed and demanded what you'd learned.  You relayed what had been said to you and Myrtle made an executive decision-the mission was over and you were to go back to the Academy as soon as possible.

During this time, a voodoo priestess saw what was happening, and decided to prey on the weak minded young ones back at the apartment.  She'd promised them luck in their music careers, in return for something beyond value.  She began her summoning ritual and soon the whole apartment became dark and thick with smoke.  Papa Legba sat before them, offered them their deepest desires and they accepted his terms.

All you witches and the warlock felt Papa's presence, Mick running back and begging Myrtle to help him.  She flat out refused to help one who abandoned the coven.  He looked so dismayed that you offered your assistance, Cordelia right behind you.  Myrtle strictly forbid it, but neither of you stopped. 

When you three got back to the apartment, the deal was done and Papa was gone.  The Voodoo priestess smiled at you, saying that she had just done what any witch could not.  The three of you knew Papa's terms all too well, seeing the deal he'd made with Marie Laveau for her immortality.  Cordelia became so enraged that she'd reached down deep inside her and reduced the priestess to dust.

Both you and Mick looked at her in astonishment.  That was something that only the Supreme was capable of.  You knew the coming shit storm the Voodoos would raise, so you knew what you would do right then and there.  Myrtle was too late to stop it, and just stared in horror at the realization of what must happen.

You turned to the three younger men, nothing but contempt in your voice "Do you realize what you've done?!"

"We made it so we'll make it big!" Nikki protested, and was about to continue defending their decision when you let out a yell that shook the very street, setting off car alarms.

Nikki's hand flew to where his mouth used to be, only to feel smooth skin.  The other two young men had the same ailment and tried in vain to separate their lips to allow words to come out.

Myrtle looked over to Mick and said "They've condemned us all..."

When the Voodoos came for Cordelia, you took the fall and said it was you who turned the Voodoo's sister into dust.  Your laws states that you were to be executed by burning, but it was the ones who'd been wronged duty to do the burning.

Marie Laveau herself held the torch and with a soft voice she whispered in your ear "Tell the truth, child...do not die for another witch's doing..."

"I did it" you said "I turned your sister to dust" your gaze was unwavering and you were given the chance to say last words "Cordelia.  Come here" your friend stood before you and held her head to yours.

"Don't you dare waste the life I am about to give you..." you were both weeping now, and in the distance you saw Mick Mars watching from afar "You be the best fucking Supreme the coven's ever seen..." you kissed Cordelia softly and told her to step away.

Marie Laveau stepped forward and set you ablaze, you didn't scream or cry out.  It felt like a release of sorts-if your coven needed you, they'd bring you back from the dead.  A few witches had the power of resurgence. 

Your ghost wandered the halls of Miss Robichaux's Academy, watching your friends grow beautiful-inside and out.  You watched the new generation of witches come and thrive under Cordelia's wing.  In a few years time, you felt the greatest evil emerge and you were being called back to the realm of the living.  There, Cordelia was waiting for you with open arms and you said "So, where do we begin?"

[darkpoisonouslove]

For the send title Griffin Heat of the moment Long live the queen Three of my fav one shots! Took some thinking to narrow it down!

I am so sorry this took so long, but life got in the way. I had a terrible night on Saturday and really wasn’t in the state of mind to write this yesterday. Also, tumblr ate my response the other day and I’m still mad about it. So it’s been a fun couple of days. Here’s to hoping this answer will cheer us both up!

“Griffin”:

1. I wrote this when I was on vacation but it took me a while to edit it before I could post it. It was a spontaneous idea that I was so excited to start writing that I stayed up late for it (pretty sure I went to bed at, like, 3:30am because of this).

2. As I’ve mentioned before, it was inspired by “I Fell in Love with the Devil” by Avril Lavigne (damn, I love the song and the video) and my own thought process while I was listening to it. My brain just went “Hey, how cool do you think it will be if Griffin tried to summon the devil aka Valtor and then fell in love with him but it had a tragic ending bc it’s them obvs?” And I went “Yeah, I think that would be pretty cool.” So I just went with it but since I wanted it to keep the winx-verse feeling even despite it being an AU, I decided that Valtor would be known as the all-powerful Dark Dragon which is sort of an equivalent to the devil but not quite. He has all the knowledge on magic and is prone to wrecking havoc everywhere he goes, but minus the ruling hell thing. He’s not ruling anything, he was trapped. Because we needed a summoning ritual in this. Who doesn’t love summoning rituals?

3. Speaking of which, I don’t know how I made those up, but I’m really glad I did. The obsidian idea just came to me but when I did some research, what do you know? It was perfect. And I also managed to tie it in with the Obsidian dimension. I love doing AUs because it gives me so many opportunities to play around with canon details and put them in a new perspective and mold them until they fit this new universe I’ve come up with. It’s my favorite part of writing AUs. The hair thing I know from my mom, a book I read (”A Discovery of Witches”, I think) and internet confirmed. And the tears I just thought would add to the aesthetic and provide some insight into Griffin’s head.

4. I chose the title “Griffin” because this fic mainly deals with the essence of Griffin, with what makes her who she is. Also, I did some research on griffins and they are supposed to be protectors so that also fit in super nicely. I am very proud with the version of Griffin I’ve built in this fic. There is so much anger and desperation in her but that in no way changes the fact that she is actually a good person. Which is why this: “She was strong enough to be a protector. Even with her pain. Even with her rage. Even with her darkness.” is my favorite quote from the fic. I was in a dark place at the time I wrote this and it was important for me to remember that.

5. I also love how Valtor turned out in this fic. He’s mysterious and clearly dangerous but also alluring enough for Griffin to ignore the warning signs. And while it’s clear that he was using her, it isn’t clear what he feels about her. He does feel about her. Maybe not love but he certainly feels a lot about her. She was the only one who managed to summon him (aka rescue him) from Omega so he is intrigued by her powers as well as by the interaction of light and dark within her soul. That is the reason why I have considered writing a companion piece to this fic that is from Valtor’s point of view (there certainly is enough unexplored material on that timeline (I only gave the beginning and ending (is it?) of that relationship)), but I’ve discarded the idea as many times as I have entertained it (until now?). I really have other more pressing things that need taking care of rn but I might reconsider it again when I have more time (will a moment like that ever come?) since I had some new thoughts about it now.

“Heat of the Moment”:

1. This was actually the third Winx Club fanfic I wrote but I posted it as the second one since chapter one of “Warmth of Rage, Cold of Love” wasn’t edited yet at the time.

2. It was actually written at the same day as “Fire and Ice” but it took me a lot of time to get it up on FFN because I didn’t want to post it at first. It was veering on smut so I wasn’t sure how people would react to it. Which is why it makes me so happy to hear that you love that story so much, considering all the doubts I had around it (it was also the first time I was writing about them in the past and we didn’t see anything of their interactions back then on the show so it was pretty much a shot in the dark there).

3. Do you know that amazing moment when you want to write something steamy but you’re not comfortable with smut in this particular situation for whatever reason? This fic is the embodiment of that. Which is why it ended up as dry humping. That’s always my go-to thing in a situation like that. Not actual sex, but you get all the intimacy of sex in it. It’s a win-win (and also hot).

4. I probably would’ve gotten discouraged and would’ve quit writing for the Winx fandom after I posted that one because it didn’t get any attention in weeks. The thing that actually kept me going and not just motivated, but excited me to keep writing for Winx was @her-majesty-wears-jeans‘ review.

5. The whole fic is constructed the way it is because I’m convinced that Valtor loved messing with Griffin in every way possible and that it always set off a competition of wills between the two of them.

“Long Live the Queen”:

1. I was bursting with creative energy and just didn’t know what to work on (not for a lack of ideas but because none of those I already had sparked my interest (I think I had idea-fatigue for all of the wips I already had). So I just picked song lyrics and wrote a fic. How do I do this? It certainly is a mystery to me.

2. So it was all total chance there. I was listening to music on YouTube and when the song ended, the suggestions showed up. One of them was a lyric video for Halsey’s “Young God” (which is totally their story in the past, I mean, come on!) and the thumbnail had the lyric “I’m the king and you’re the queen”. So I just took that and rolled with it.

3. I didn’t think it a big deal because I honestly wasn’t planning on posting the thing. I was frustrated with myself that day and was pretty sure that it wouldn’t be good anyway. And then what do you know? It was good. It was better than good. I actually loved the result. So I decided to post it after all.

4. That last paragraph was on the line until the last moment I posted it. I only added it on the last round of edits and wasn’t really sure about it. I almost deleted it a few times, but, ultimately, I decided to leave it be.

5. I had some random thoughts about what happened after Griffin took the crown. Since it will get so out of control with the length if I try to write this (and I really don’t have the time for that), I’ll just write them out here. In short because I forgot some details that were kind of important. Also, angst alert.

Griffin and Valtor start ruling Domino and Griffin’s worries prove to be true. Valtor is… well, not that he’s not listening to her but in a situation that needs improvisation, he always makes the wrong move. He’s listening to her, he’s just not listening to common sense. He’s angry and powerful and it’s not a good combination.

On top of that, Faragonda shows up at the Domino palace to look for Griffin because she is convinced that Valtor is mind-controlling her. Griffin barely manages to convince Valtor not to hurt Faragonda. He’s suspicious of her because he thinks she’s come to gather intel, but Griffin tells him that Faragonda is there because she’s worried about her.

They form a sort of flimsy truce that allows Faragonda to come visit Griffin so that she won’t be so lonely. And if she spills anything about Valtor and Griffin (not just about their plans, but in general) to anyone at all, Valtor will make sure she regrets it. Griffin is still unhappy, though, and after overhearing (whether accidentally or not so much) one of her conversations with Faragonda, Valtor understands how much the whole thing is weighing down on her conscience.

So after one last very tender night with her, he lets her go. He can’t run away with her because that will put her in danger since the Council will want his head. So he’ll stay on Domino and limit the destruction as much as possible, but he wants her to go with Faragonda. They can tell the Council that she was under his spell and that was why she was acting the way she was. They’ve seen enough of what his mark on people can do so that won’t be hard to believe. And it was Faragonda who saved her from it with some fairy dust.

Griffin doesn’t want to leave him, but she does because she can’t take any more of what he’s doing. Faragonda hides her in Alfea where a few weeks later Griffin finds out she’s pregnant. It turns out Faragonda knew all along (Valtor told her when he called her to escort Griffin to Alfea and gave her a letter for Griffin because he knew that if Griffin knew she was pregnant with his daughter, she would never leave his side). The letter tells her under no circumstances to tell anyone that the baby is his daughter. She is supposed to pretend that that is the heiress of Domino who was born just before Valtor attacked and that he’d been keeping her hibernated (which is why she hasn’t aged and is still a newborn) until they found her. It took them months to get her out of that state which would give Griffin the time to give birth to the baby. And the real heiress of Domino is stuck on Earth with her way back to the magical dimension severed by Valtor’s spell. And it will remain so as long as the Dark Dragon Fire is burning.

So Darcy grows in Alfea, pretending that she is a fairy her whole life. And her power of illusions helps her keep up the charade with Griffin and Faragonda guiding her through the discovery of her magic and helping her understand both light and dark magic so that she can pretend to be a fairy and learn how to control her actual powers. And a little bit of glamor helps hide the family resemblance between her and Griffin. She knows the truth about herself and her father but she keeps all of that hidden like her mother insists.

When she turns sixteen, Valtor appears to tell her she is to take the throne of Domino, defeat him and “claim her birthright”. He gives them a part of the embers the Ancestral Witches used to make him and tells them that that is the evidence of his defeat they are to present to the Council. And he will disappear for he can’t stay with them, no matter how much he wants to. It will put them both at risk if anyone discovers the ruse.

Griffin sees how much of his body mass is missing and follows him to learn what he’s done and where he found the ember. Valtor tells her that he cut off his wings in demon form and made them return to their original form. However, that also had consequences for his human form and he’s dying. He’s pretty sure what he did messed with his internal organs and he doesn’t have much more to live. But he doesn’t regret anything if it means that Darcy will finally be safe and happy. And once she builds her reputation and convinces everyone she’s not a threat, she’ll be able to drop the disguise.

Griffin knows that will never be the case. She’s seen clearly all these years to differ from him. They can never drop the pretense for the Council will be after them immediately. And with Valtor dying in her arms, she’s not sure if Darcy can protect herself. She’s never used the full potential of her Dragon Fire and Griffin fears it is too late for her to do it. She fears that having to pretend to be someone else her whole life has destroyed who Darcy actually was. And she fears that it is all her fault. Because she took that crown when she shouldn’t have. When she knew it was the wrong choice.

So after Valtor is dead, Griffin sets out to find out how to bring the actual heiress of Domino back to the magical dimension in hopes that if the two kinds of fire mix and both girls learn to control them, the Council will not hunt down her daughter. A perfect mix of light and darkness is her only exit. But can she be sure that she can achieve it now when she couldn’t years ago and that was what set off the whole chain of events?

So this was longer than I expected but I like how it turned out. Except for the insane levels of angst which I’m pretty sure we’re all used to, but that still doesn’t make them any less painful. Anyway, hope this makes up for the delay!