#consulting magic

[amysnotdeadyet]

Consulting Magic

This series got so long! There's four novels, and four short-to-novella-length interludes now, how did that happen. Horace gets to be on two covers, what a good bird.

In Untrue Love, we meet our first protagonist, Alex, who is still in university and kinda steps in it. Then in the first novel, The Courtship of Julian St. Albans, Julian shows up with a murdered fiancé and a high-class conundrum. Alex ends up participating in his formal Courtship as a way to solve the murder, which quickly becomes murders, plural.

Finer Points is a short little monster story, while Apprenticeship goes to Julian's pov for another murder mystery, and also some lovely personal growth. Rosemary for the Holidays shows their first Winter Solstice together, and then Guardianship brings yet another series of murders (look they're mysteries okay) and a big spoilery change in our boys' lives.

Gifts of the Fairy Queen is a whole novella of domestic settling-in and life changes, which prepares us for the brand-new A Flutter of Fae and Alex somehow getting drawn into yet another murder investigation!

These books feature my signature amounts of food, tea, and cosiness, as well as an enduring relationship between men who grow and change together. They're low-angst murder mysteries with a cast of human and magical characters, set in a modern fantasy world full of yet more magic, modest amounts of intrigue, and oh god so much tea.

Consider giving my books a shot! I'm just one person putting all of this out, so every little sale directly helps me out.

[amysnotdeadyet]

DO I HAVE A BOOK SERIES FOR YOU ahem. There is a lot of both MCs exhausting themselves to medically inadvisable levels, in all 3 of the main books. (Half of the short stories are largely fluff, lol, the other half are monster/murder stories).

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07F7T7TM7?binding=kindle_edition

YES I WROTE IT and no, I do NOT have any shame if it gives OP joy.

*Kicks down the door* YOU KNOW WHUMPY TROPES I LOVE SO MUCH BUT BARELY EVER SEE?

MAGIC FATIGUE/EXHAUSTION/OVERUSE.

Give me those sweet side effects of overusing magic:

Getting lightheaded and weak, struggling to stand let alone keep fighting

"Are you ok?" "Yeah I'm fine. *immediately faceplants because their legs can't support their weight anymore*"

F a i n t i n g

Physical injuries like burns, broken bones, etc

The risk of permanent damage either physically or mentally

Can I get uuuuhhhhh "loses a sense either temporarily or permanently depending on the severity of the overuse"?

Stopping their heart (cue the team scrambling to drag their dumbass friend back from death)

THERE'S SO MUCH YOU CAN DO AND I SO RARELY SEE IT.

[turtleblogatlast]

One of the earliest examples of Leo’s “I’ll do my own thing to accomplish our goal without discussing it with my team first” is in episode one. It’s super, super quick, and ultimately inconsequential, but it subtly sets up a great precedent that I think is very interesting.

When the boys need to grab the medallion from Splinter without Splinter noticing, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie huddle together with Raph taking the lead in trying to devise a plan to get the mystic device. Meanwhile, Leo slinks away and grabs the device by clocking the situation (by knowing his father well enough to predict his actions - something he does with each family member multiple times in the series) and making a move on his own.

It works out perfectly fine, and is ultimately the best move, and it’s honestly okay that he didn’t consult everyone for something so small when it’s such a non issue to get it, but it nicely sets up how this tends to go in the series, including how it goes in the movie.

To be honest episode one is actually really good at setting up a lot of things for each character in the long run, this is just one example that caught my attention, as small and unassuming as it is.

[mollysunder]

Before the first season of Arcane premiered Riot released this interactive visual novel for the Riot x Arcane event. The setting was a hybrid of LoL and Arcane's universe, Piltover literally on top of Zaun, Cait is the Sheriff, but characters like Silco exist. The whole premise for the story is that Jinx stole some hextech and tapped into the Arcane oand opened a rift between worlds.

That's a lot. Personally I enjoyed this more to just see some characters out in the wild. Silco gets to be his charming self to you, the self-insert reader that's trying to find the culprit of the heist, which he knows was his kid.

Here's Jayce hating on Silco for something Jinx did.

This came out before the show did, so it's interesting to see how the game wants us perceive the characters' dynamics before we get further depth from the show. Most of it's related to Jinx because she makes herself the center of controversy.

For characters like Vi, who's already an enforcer that works directly under Sheriff Caitlyn in this world, she's clearly over Jinx's actions and wants to squash any further escalations.

Sevika is just as harsh and plainly sick of Jinx. I do find it interesting that the novel makes it clear tha Sevika believes that Jinx deserves some kind of punishment, though Jinx did endanger them all by ripping realities into eachother.

The only sympathetic voice outside of Silco in this story comes from Viktor, who after finding out Jinx was responsible for the Rift between realities asks you to remember that she's a real person that lived a life just like him. He goes so far as to contemplate another way to solve the situation and avoid a confrontation that may end with terrible consequences. (It's wild because the show then dedicates a whole scene to him defusing one of her bombs).

My favorite part is near the end where Silco tries to stop Jinx from harnessing anymore Arcane energy because it threatens to upend their reality.

I WISH they got to talk like this to eachother in the show, but so much was happening already. Even better Jinx gets the last words in and it justlays out what's ALWAYS been there.

This scene helped me understand that Jinx was always going to fire her rocket at the council, because she and Silco have both always been motivated to by power. They both know what it's like to be perceived as "weak" and they way it destroyed their lives respectively. It's kind of the reverse of what Mel and Ambessa have going on, you've got the diplomatic intrigue parent and the militarily minded daughter who wants to go further and absolutely will when you're not looking. And that's always been the thing with Jinx, if you give her any form of power, either a gun, a grenade, a rocket, or even magic she will take it and she will use it.

Right after this confrontation you have to defeat Jinx with the Power of Friednship or something (it's been a while). But even as put an end to the near calamity Jinx created there's at least one voice before it ends affirming Jinx's personhood.

It's weird honestly, Jinx didn't turn into vapor or anything, the story's pretty vague about what happens as you try to defeat her.

Well the novel's good when it's good anyway.

[amysnotdeadyet]

Horace!!!

I had a dream a storm was coming. A clockwork thrasher with wire wings flew down and tried to whisper secrets to me.

[javelinbk]

John Lennon (and George Harrison) with Nicola Hale, Magical Mystery Tour (1967) - part one (part two)

[magicartthings]

drew some weird cog guys

[cherryblossomsatsea]

Can’t stop thinking about modern!Rilla who starts a skincare brand with Una Meredith and they 100% make it to the top.

(Bonus points for Persis Ford marketing them all the way to the moon!)

[voluptuarian]

I love trying to do historical research, you want an answer to a simple question like "could Jews serve in the British army in the 1880s" and you get back

Jews in the American Revolution

Jews in the American Civil War

Jews in World War I

Jews who fought for Nazi Germany

Thanks, that absolutely covers the time period and country I specifically asked for, couldn't have done it without you

[y-rhywbeth2]

You know, even ignoring the whole "vampirism can be cured" thing, if we want a spell or enchanted item that lets vampires walk in the sun and dodge other weaknesses and drawbacks I'm pretty sure Gale - prodigy who caught the eye of the Mother of Magic as a child, had to be told he can't teach every specialisation, archwizard - can just... make one? Even if he's not recovered enough from having his magic stripped to cast a spell himself, he knows the theory well enough to lay the foundations for somebody else to cast.

Like, magic is basically a science, all spells were researched and created by a wizard at some point. Magic that protects vampires from the sun already exists in BG canon. This is perfectly achievable.

I think Gale would have a great time puzzling it over and infodumping about it.

The price is that Astarion has to get a migraine forcing his dead braincells to pay attention.

[amysnotdeadyet]

It's out! It's done! It's published!

Alexander Benedict-St. Albans and Julian St. Albans-Benedict are back for another book! Fourth in the Consulting Magic series, A Flutter of Fae starts the next phase in Alex and Julian's lives. As Guardians of the Charmer's Way and newlywed husbands, they're learning to function together as a household and a part of society. Alex has taken the role of Charmer while Julian is becoming a sought-after Grower, but their busy new life hasn't gotten them out of Alex's previous job -- solving murders. When a high elf turns up dead right in front of the Queen's Way, Her Majesty herself requests Alex and Julian's input on the problem. The problem is, their victim doesn't seem to have any enemies, or even serious business interests on the human side of the way. With no clear motive and time ticking away, Alex and Julian have to live their new, complicated lives while still making time for old friends, new acquaintances, and, of course, solving the murder. Tags: m/m Romance, Established Relationship, Modern Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Adult Communication, Found Family, Food, Magic as Science, Science as Magic

NOTE: This is very much not a standalone book, so go read Untrue Love for 99c if you're curious about the series, lol.

[mtgatherercomments]

[vamprisms]

i couldn't finish the rings of power season one and haven't seen season 2 so i have decided to interpret from the gifsets that sauron went to see his plastic surgeon in mordor for an ear lift and got himself a full head of foils + cut & blow dry. ok. self care king

[cupidford]

I've not done a big rec list in months and have so many stories to share with you! Here are some...I went with a mix of 20, with more to come! Also I've got love letters for these queued for the next few months, so look out for 'em! xx

❤️‍🔥TOP FIC - One of the best fics I've read in a few years!❤️‍🔥

Indefinite Lines by ArwaMachine

Sherlock and John find themselves faced with a series of seemingly disparate cases, one involving murdered children and one involving ghosties that little Rosie tries to help solve. Except the cases are growing increasingly connected, increasingly personal. ~298.5k

🔥TOP HOT FIC🔥

Vicarious by CouldBeDangerous (VestedVestra)

John starts smoking with a woman at work. Sherlock couldn't be happier. The smoking kink spirals... ~44k

💗💗💗💗💗💗

The Man With the Cartier Frames by JRow

Sherlock's case will surely be solved quickly...in between trips to Putney to help with Rosie, collecting her from school, and preparing for her sleepover at 221B. ~32.5k

The Long and the Short of It by Accident, Hobbitsfeet

What if John and Rosie move back into Baker Street, and Rosie decides she is going to parent-trap them? Or so she thinks... ~44.5k

❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

Spare Parts by Raina_at

Futuristic sci-fi au, 24th century. On the Planet Titan, Sherlock comes back from the dead after two years. While figuring out why the biggest manufacturer or synthetic limbs in the System is going after veterans, Sherlock and John also need to find out whether there's a way to fix what's broken between them. ~63.5k

A Doctor in the House by KittenKin

S3 fix it. Sherlock returns, with John immediately taking care of him as his doctor. John uses index cards as a guide to speaking with him, and Sherlock in turn has questions. ~32.5k

Again by DiscordantWords

Christmas. It never seemed like the right time. And then time ran out. Until John makes a wish and gets a second chance. ~10k

💘💘💘💘💘💘

Cupid's Venom by SilentAuror

Stamford tells Sherlock that he wished he could have taken credit for being Cupid. Unfamiliar with the reference, Sherlock plunges into studies of toxins and Greek mythology... ~29.5k

Live from the Morgue by disfictional

Post trf. Molly interviews Sherlock on her podcast, Live from the Morgue. John listens. ~10k

A Rock, An Island by stopthat

TRF fix it/redo. John is not so blind. He sees a lot more than he’s given credit for. ~5k

💝💝💝💝💝💝

A not-so-meticulously prepared art by aquileaofthelonelymountain

Greg agrees to pick up Sherlock from a pub, and he's going to regret it soon - for Sherlock is drunk, talkative, and desperately in love with his flatmate. ~6k

Waiting in the Wings by standbygo

John finally gets the courage to ask Sherlock for a romantic relationship. But when they run into an old friend of Sherlock's, John wonders if it would be best to step aside. ~7k

All I Want for Christmas (is Proof) by Raina_at

Sherlock and John go undercover at a Christmas party in a gay club. In costume. Things... escalate. ~6.5k

💕💕💕💕💕💕

Hypotheticals by ArwaMachine

John finally manages to confess his love to Sherlock. Sherlock, of course, has questions. Lots of questions. Switchlock, Established Relationship. ~7k

A Second to Midnight by AlgySwinburne

John invites Sherlock out on January 29. It is, at face value, a date. If Sherlock weren’t a part of the equation, it would most certainly be a date. But because he is, it must be something else entirely. ~4.5k

January 6 by Gxlyleo

John keeps reliving the same day and has no clue why. He makes a list. ~14k

❤️ HONORABLE MENTIONS ❤️

Rhinestone Cowboy by consult_this_prick

After the death of his father, John drops out of college and returns home to take care of the family farm. He still hasn't processed the death of his father and new problems arise when his ex-best friend, Sherlock, comes home for the summer to work on his research. ~37k

Come Back to Me by BenAddictViolaBatch

A fusion of Sherlock and the classic 1980 film, "Somewhere in Time." In 1945, John receives a brief and mysterious visit from an elderly scientist, Sherlock. John researches Holmes and learns that he died on the same night of the visit. He realises that they are destined for each other. ~21.5k

A Strange Encounter by holmesian_love

John heads to the bank to speak his mind and instead finds himself distracted by a stranger who turns his plans around. ~7.5k

Accidental Magic by Calais_Reno

After his return Sherlock takes the case of a woman seeking stolen books hidden in her late husband’s library.Working together after so much time apart, John and Sherlock begin to discover more than stolen books. ~40k

[crimeronan]

Imagine just how insanely MORE worrying Luz’s separation anxiety would be if Hunter is alive and comes back. I wonder, would he try to go back to the BI with her? Run away with her so they can just be alone and never be *hurt* again? Would he just be okay with being where Luz is in an insane guard dog mode where NO ONE can approach her?

god. i feel like hunter's first and only priority, at least for A While, would be making sure luz is physically safe and secure. the human world is loud and jarring and dangerous but camila's house is quiet and well-protected against intruders, so it's a good sanctuary. hunter Might worry about the possibility of vee plotting against him, but also he's just survived what was no doubt a gruesome and painful attempted murder, so i also think he...... wouldn't really care that much. he's like yeah if you gotta come at me then come at me. whatever. i am Tired.

he'd Definitely be in hyper-protective guard dog mode, though. and luz would be just as hyper-protective of him.

Extra Special Bonus Points if hunter is sporting unhealed injuries or fresh physical disabilities as a side effect of, you know, the attempted murder. you know i love a character who can get by on adrenaline for sleepless days on end until he finally gets back to his family & immediately collapses.

[gandalfsbignaturals]

sometimes i rly do feel like an oracle. few practical skills or remarkable physical capabilities, but im great at advising people on their problems