#contemporary fantasy

[radiantcircle-if]

The Radiant Circle

The Radiant Circle is a work-in-progress contemporary fantasy interactive novel with elemental magic, a heavy hand of romance, and a salt-sprinkle of mystery. The story is rated 18+ and may contain triggering content for some.

↪ introduction (updated 7/22/24) ⟢ demo (upcoming fall/winter)

You were born without any magic into a long lineage of sorcerers who serve the Night Circle—a division of the Radiant Circle, the central governing body that maintains order among sorcerers. Even now when you live outside of the magical community, you’re still required to report to the local leadership about the magic you still don’t have.

Of course, only after having accepted a life without magic, you awaken a latent magical power too great to be yours. Myths speak of such a sorcerer, a Resonant Soul capable of mastering all four elements, reincarnated throughout history to bring balance to the magic community. So little is truly known, but that can’t be you.

But what if it is?

Thankfully, as an investigative journalist, what you do best is hunt for the truth. To unravel the secrets of your soul, you’re forced back into the world of sorcery to navigate ancient rivalries and contend with those who may fear your newfound power and seek to bury it for good. 

Because while most didn't believe the myths to be true, others have been preparing for your return. Most of all? You four souls bonded to yours for eternity.

Play as the main character ⟢

Choose your name, appearance, gender, and sexuality.

Develop your personality as a harmonizer or disruptor—will you bring unity or will you bring destruction?

Gain mastery over elemental magic as the Resonant Soul—how much mastery in each element is up to you.

Travel the world while earning or losing influence through your decisions—will your reputation precede you or will you remain unknown?

Five romance options ⟢

Two pansexual men, one lesbian, and two gender-selectable romance options... and a hidden sixth romance option... with the potential for more to unlock later.

Four soulmates who will be revealed over the course of the story—your bonds, whether platonic or romantic, are yours to develop.

And if you don’t like romance, you can improve your friendships instead.

Or if you’re a misanthrope, deteriorate all your relationships to your liking.

Good endings? Check. Bad endings? Also check.

You ✦ 26-year-old journalist from Seattle, USA (ℹ) Rejected by the magical community because your magic never awakened, you once sought to understand why before later turning to a career of journalism to attempt to uncover truths that don’t have to do with magic. Your dissertation was titled “Unveiling the Hidden: A Comparative Study of Secret Societies and Their Influence on Modern Media." After landing your dream job as an investigative journalist, you're returning home to Seattle for your assignment.

⟡ tropes include main character (surprise! you're the main character), insider/outsider, the most wanted (because you are a…), person of mass destruction, (possible) living legend, (possible) lust object, (seemingly) cosmic plaything…

Arseau Nassiet ⟡ High Justicar 31-year-old water sorcerer (he/him) from Seattle, USA (ℹ) A talented water sorcerer, your older brother Arseau is well loved within the Night Circle's upper echelons, but he'd never brag about it. He has been away from home for over a decade, raising ranks within the circle alongside his best friend. He coordinates his visit home with yours during the holidays so he can see his favorite younger sibling (never mind that he has only one sibling—you).

⟡ tropes include protective older brother, brainless beauty (yeah, he's a himbo), the caregiver/caretaker, the confidant (if you want), the informant, nice guy (someone has to keep the peace between the Pico brothers), the reliable one...

César Pico (RO) ⟡ Archumbricar 31-year-old earth sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ) One of the highest ranking earth sorcerers in the world, César is seen as the unofficial heir of the current Night Luminary—and he takes the role seriously. As your brother's best friend, he has been a permanent fixture in your life as far as you remember—another persistent reminder of the magic that has remained inaccessible to you and the community that left you behind. He's at least an attractive reminder, even if it's unfortunate that his rare smirk proves that he knows it.

⟡ tropes include the hero, the cold & brooding heir, older brother's best friend/forbidden love, age gap, opposites attract, danger deadpan, glory hound, tall dark & handsome (obviously) ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), borderline enemies to lovers, (possible first love), forced proximity, maybe the slowest burn

Rafa Pico (RO) ⟡ High Justicar 27-year-old fire sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ) The younger brother of César....and also his left hand man even though he doesn't take his position within the Night Circle very seriously. He doesn't take anything very seriously except his freedom. Especially his freedom to flirt his way into anyone's good graces.

⟡ tropes include the explorer, the charming playboy, childhood/long time friend, (his) unrequited crush (on you), the (horny) bard, speed demon, hell seeker, elegant classical musician... ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), friends to lovers but he never really saw you as a friend, forced proximity, slow burn

Gazi Gharib (RO) ⟡ Photojournalist 28-year-old (she/her or he/him) from New York City, USA (ℹ) Your roommate and best friend ever since you moved to NYC, they're always ready to help you investigate something new and dangerous.

⟡ tropes include the innocent, the best friend, the encouraging charmer, the serial romeo, the casanova, agent mulder (the believer), empathetic communicator, spirited competitor, the klutz ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Deniz, besties to lovers (and you can start at the lover bit if you'd like cause this one is a...), faaaaaast burn

Deniz Yılmaz (RO) ⟡ Private Investigator 26-year-old (he/him or she/her) from Istanbul, TR (ℹ) Your next-door-neighbor and childhood best friend. You haven't kept in close contact, but they're the first person you think of seeing when you visit home.

⟡ tropes include the jester, agent scully (the skeptic), street-smart investigator, hardboiled detective, erudite stoner, literal-minded/snark knight combo, childhood friends, loyal supporter, gadgeteer genius ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Gazi, childhood friends (or was it more?) to lovers, (possible second chance romance...), somewhere between slow and fast burn

Dr. Noel Sung (RO) ⟡ Journalist 41-year-old (she/her) from London, UK (ℹ) Your graduate school mentor who you credit for preparing you to land a job at The New York Times as prestigious as it is. She's now your direct supervisor, and she has quite the assignment for you.

⟡ tropes include the magician, high-powered career woman, absent-minded professor(/former forbidden love?), age gap, charismatic intellectual, intuitive leader, pragmatic idealist, deadpan snarker, determinator, shrinking violet, (your possible unrequited crush on her goes here)… ⟡ solo-route, workplace romance (technically; she's your boss now), slow burn

An ancient, hidden society of sorcerers ⟢

The Radiant Circle is the central governing body that maintains harmony and order among sorcerers, as well as keep their community secret. It was originally formed and led by the Resonant Soul (called the High Guardian—this is you) and the most powerful elemental sorcerers of the time (called the Founding Guardians—these are the four souls bonded to you) as an alliance of sorcerers from across the New Kingdom of Egypt.

After its formation, the magical community grew, and eventually, the Radiant Circle was divided into four smaller regional circles called the Ephemeral Circles: the Night Circle (you know the most about this one), the Dawn Circle, the Day Circle, and the Dusk Circle. These four circles, also called luminariates, are the main governing bodies of the current world of sorcery. Every known family of sorcerers lives under the eye of the Radiant Circle and one of the four Ephemeral Circles.

Only the Resonant Soul can be the High Guardian of the Radiant Circle. Only the four souls bonded with Resonant Soul can be the Founding Guardians. During periods where the Resonant Soul or the Guardians aren’t alive, these positions are left vacant and the Ephemeral Circles meet as the Radiant Council annually instead. Unfortunately, it's been so long since there has been a Resonant Soul that there aren't many people left who remember who sits at the top of the hierarchy.

You live as a Threshold—an uninitiated sorcerer, typically a child who can't use magic yet—within the luminariate called the Night Circle. You sit at the bottom of the hierarchy, but every other sorcerer you know? César is an Archumbricar, the right hand of the Night Luminary and leader of the Night Circle. Arseau and Rafa are César's High Justicars, his right and left hands. Your dads even play a role, advising the Luminary from their position in the Night Weave.

A single soul that can control all four elements, reincarnated once again—you ⟢

Before you became the Resonant Soul, you were a child born without magic to two prominent sorcerers sometime before recorded human history begins. Back then, it was common to put the child of every sorcerer through a resonance ritual, even children of sorcerers born without magic who always died in the process. But where there's a will, there's a way, and someone really wanted you to live and created circumstances that bound your souls together—one into endless reincarnation and the other into endless immortality.

You meet the four original Guardians over the course of hundreds of years. Your bonds are unique and have chained the fate of their souls with yours so that they are reincarnated in an endless cycle by your side. Even so, you've lived more lives without them than with them, lived more lives without magic than with it. Almost as if you're fighting a losing battle against knowing your true soul.

Only the Resonant Soul can resonate with all four types of elemental magic, but your magic remains locked away until you regain your memories (how're you supposed to regain memories you don't remember you need to regain? then again, how safe would it be to give you all that power and no recollection of all the mistakes you've made?). The Guardians are known for their extraordinary abilities in one element; their magic isn't sealed away, only their memories (which still isn't convenient—how are you supposed to know who they are if they don't know who they are?).

⟢ retweets & asks are welcome! there is no better writing motivation ♡

〉 Sections: Profiles, Editorials, Articles, Ask Me, Answers, Quotes

[traegorn]

Want some fun, queer, contemporary fantasy books to read (with a good dose of humor and a pinch of spice)? Try my books -- the Mia Graves series! The first two books are out right now, with the third coming in December (and several more volumes on the way).

Start with The Witch and the Rose, which has Witchcraft and Ghosts, while Mia deals with trauma and Riley makes bad life decisions!

Then read the sequel, Bloody Damn Rite, which has Witchcraft and Vampires, while Mia deals with trauma and Riley makes worse life decisions!

Then, in the upcoming Shadowcasting, there's Witchcraft and more Witchcraft, while Mia still deals with Trauma but Riley only just gets kind of judgy... because Bobbi is the one making bad life decisions.

Do all of these people need therapy? Probably.

Order the books today!

The Witch and the Rose ISBN: 9798869132666 eBook: Kindle / Kobo / ePub Paperback: Amazon / Direct Order

Bloody Damn Rite ISBN: 9798330220373 eBook: Kindle / Kobo / ePub Paperback: Amazon / Direct Order

Shadowcasting (Available 12/15/2024) ISBN: 9781088207031 Pre-Order Via: Kindle / Paperback

[torpublishinggroup]

This advertisement is for The Atlas Complex—the heart-shattering finale to the dark academia series that began with Olivie Blake’s NYT bestselling The Atlas Six. 

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

An explosive return to the library leaves the six Alexandrians vulnerable to the lethal terms of their recruitment.

Knowledge Is Carnage

Old alliances fracture as those who remain within the archives wrestle with the ethics of their astronomical abilities. Elsewhere, an unlikely pair from the Society partner up to influence politics on a global stage while the outside world mobilizes to destroy them all. And as for the Society’s Caretaker, Atlas Blakely… He may yet succeed in his world-breaking plan. 

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It all comes down to this: The Society recruits must decide what and who they're willing to betray and destroy for limitless power. 

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[scifrey]

NINE-TENTHS

Oh my gosh, the book is now officially out! This is the first original novel I've published since 2018 and I am very excited and very nervous to share it.

☕♥️🐉

➡️ You can read it here. ⬅️

Chapters drop Wednesdays and Saturdays, and if you're worried, the story is already finished and fully uploaded. This is not a WIP that I will abandon later--it's totally complete.

About the book:

Twenty-four is one year too young for a quarter-life crisis, but hey, Colin's always been an overachiever. He's got a degree in Sustainable Tourism, which his family says he's wasting as a barista, an annoying anxiety disorder, and no freaking idea what to do with his life. The only thing going his way is the cute coffee shop regular, a homo draconis named Dav (who, in his humanshape, is a total hottie.) Still, it'd be easier if Dav didn't have a habit of accidentally setting things on fire when he's startled. Like the café kitchen.

When Dav breaks draconic taboo and volunteers as a replacement bean-roaster to apologize for the inferno meet-ugly, sparks really fly. Everything's finally happening for Colin, until he learns that hooking up with Dav means that under dragon law, Colin is absorbed into Dav's hoard.

Possession may be nine-tenths of the law, but becoming his boyfriend's property does not make this whole identity crisis thing easier. Especially now that Colin must navigate politics, paparazzi, and legal questions about his personhood. Colin's still angling for his Happily Ever After, but the growing scrutiny on his relationship with Dav threatens their budding romance. And if he's not careful, Colin's fight for agency may just destroy symbiotic human/dragon relationships worldwide.

Beautiful cover art by @seancefemme

[wanderrealms]

I've seen two Finnish witches in a contemporary fantasy tv show/movie. First one was Serafina Pekkala in His Dark Materials and now Satu in A Discovery of Witches.

I can't remember seeing others Finnish characters. Kind of curious why are both witches

[transcendragon]

Airplane View - wouldn’t this be such a cool view to see out an airplane window?

My original art made in Procreate, image description in alt.

[monathenightowl]

finally finished a proper piece for them, and learned a frew tricks to streamline the process 😗 GAAAH my autistic heart is so happy, like I wanna know what lady is screaming in that song because I want to! 🤩🤩💜💜

[yourheartonfire]

"Everyone says I shouldn't join the pack," the protagonist said. "They say you're..."

Well. They said a lot of things, eyeing the trio with great suspicion. Co-dependent, they whispered. Intense. A bit odd. They didn't fit in with the rest of the town. They were wilder, more wolf-like, than any of the other packs that the protagonist had ever come across.

"And what do you think?" the other werewolf asked, amused. "What do you want?"

You. Them. The pack.

The answer was achingly obvious; an inescapable tug.

It just wasn't sensible, and the protagonist had always been that.

Prompt courtesy of @the-modern-typewriter 's Patreon!

TW: reference to a past traumatic attack.

The pack came for the protagonist on the night of the new moon. It was barely 5pm but in the winter Northwest woods it might as well have been midnight. A crunch of truck tires on gravel, a sharp rap at the door, and three shaggy haired outlines on the cabin porch silhouetted against the starry sky and the deep, delicious darkness of the pine forest.

"Hey lone wolf," caroled the call from outside. "Don't you think it's time we all hashed this out?"

The protagonist gritted their teeth behind the door.

"Consider it an informative, mutual interview," the extrovert werewolf said. Purred, the protagonist would have said, if it weren't the wrong animal family. "After all, whether you join or not, you're still a wolf in our territory."

That... was true. It was deal with them now or deal with them when the moon changed. The protagonist steeled themselves, put on the kettle, and opened the door.

A few minutes later a pack of wolves were sprawled out on the protagonist's living room furniture, cups of Lemon Zinger in hand.

"I don't mean to offend, I'm just not..." The protagonist took a breath. "I didn't move out here to find a pack."

"And you're not required to join," the first one said smoothly. Clearly the speaker of the group. "There's enough woods for us all if you want to stay independent. The question is, ah..."

"The question is, is that what the wolf wants?" cut in the second one with a toothy smile over the edge of her teacup. The fighter, who walked with her shoulders up and her gaze constantly flicking back and forth.

"I control the wolf," the protagonist said automatically, then flinched.

There was a wave of reaction. The fighter dropped her eyes, the speaker immediately raised his hands to calm, to surrender. "You were part of a W.A. pack? That's fine, we're not judging. Obviously we don't subscribe to the creed," he added with a grin, "but it's no skin off our noses."

"Not much choice for a wolf in the city," the fighter added gruffly, her gaze fixed in intense scrutiny of the protagonist's footstool.

The protagonist forced a smile by habit even as they knew it would do no good. If the flinch hadn't been obvious enough the air practically stank with fear, anxiety.

That was the problem, dealing with wolves. There was just no hiding the truth.

"Yes," the protagonist said, giving their footstool the same scrutiny as they paused. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. The pack had probably puzzled it out anyway. "Victim Services recommended Wolves Anonymous to help me find my footing after..." They shrugged

Immediately all three werewolves bared their teeth. The protagonist was used enough to recognize this was not a threat but an expression of sympathy.

"Unacceptable," the speaker hissed, the most wolflike the protagonist had ever seen him.

"The Change is a gift but also a Change," the fighter snarled. "How dare anyone force it another? I trust the miscreant is a pelt?"

The protagonist shrugged and put down their tea cup with unsteady hands. "Drago Asylum. He was in lunar frenzy, it wasn't intentional."

Around them, the protagonist felt the wolves exchange glances as the pieces slotted together. No surprise though.

"Thank you," said the third wolf and their pack mates jumped, "for sharing."

The third wolf spoke in a voice barely louder than the crickets outside, yet the dry rattle of their whisper cut through the room like a knife. The one who positioned themselves by the door, who hung back and kept a watchful eye. The leader.

"We appreciate your forthrightness," they went on, their eyes cool and intense and locked on the protagonist. "You have free parole in our territory as a lone and a standing invitation to our pack, if and when you decide that's what you want. You also," they added with a dry glance to the others, "have free reign to court, be courted, or to have none of it. Whatever you choose won't in any way be impacting your standing."

"Um," the protagonist stammered, heat rising in their cheeks. The fighter grinned. The speaker winked. "That's, uh, that's it? You just met me and I get to join the club?"

The leader cocked their head. "Yes," they said. "We see. We understand. You have good reason to take slow decision. We will wait for you to decide. You are worth waiting for."

The protagonist bit down on their lip. The air in their little cabin had turned thick and hot with this many bodies in their space. But bodies that smelled like pine sap and rich dirt and just a hint of sharp desire, bodies that were carefully angled close enough to support and defend, but not too close to be a threat or to corner. For the first time in months, the presence of others was a comfort. "Thank you," they said.

The leader nodded brusquely, glanced to the speaker. "Right!" the speaker said cheerfully, putting down his cookie. "We've asked you enough questions. Your turn to interrogate us. Fire away."

It was almost dawn before the wolves left. It was two months before the protagonist joined the pack.

[raethye]

Into the Fire With You by raethye

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Yunho x San

Length: 46.2K, complete

Tags: Choi San/Jeong Yunho, Jeong Yunho (ATEEZ), Choi San (ATEEZ), Park Seonghwa, Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ), Kim Hongjoong, Kang Yeosang, Song Mingi (ATEEZ), Choi Jongho (ATEEZ), Alternate Universe - Magic, Elemental Magic, Witches, Familiars, Soulmates, Rare Pairings, Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, monster fucking, But it's sweet, Fuck or Die?, Fuck Or Die, Blood and Injury, yunsan being noble idiots, Mentioned polyamory, Switching, Top/Bottom Versatile, Past Lives, Smut, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

October is the traditional time of renewal for witches. Most enjoy the strengthening of bonds and the rejuvenation of magical energy. For solo witches like Yunho, the pilgrimage ends with his magic renewed, though as he ages, it’s somewhat weaker than the year before. He thinks it won’t be long before his magic fades altogether.

prompt fills: @sweetspicybingo / human shield, cuddling/snuggling and seasons of bingo 7 / fantasy, perfect team

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57456409

[eruden-writes]

Strictly Pleasure - Part 10 (Jek x Heidi)

Summary: An awkward fresh-out-of-a-relationship woman and an orc that owns a sex store enter an adult theater together. She, intent on pushing her own boundaries. He, just looking to give her some sense of safety. Well, that and he wouldn't complain about having a bit of fun himself.

After they inevitably get interrupted, Jek deals with the problem while Heidi flees. Resigned, he believes he'll never see her again.

Thus begins Jek and Heidi's sporadic interactions until, eventually, they find themselves fumbling around each other daily at the very place it started: Strictly Pleasure.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

💋 Part 1 💋Part 2 💋Part 3💋Part 4 💋Part 5 💋 Part 6💋Part 7💋Part 8 💋 Part 9 💋 Part 10 💋 Part 11 (coming soon) 💋

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Patreon or  Ko-Fi !

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

By the time they arrived at Strictly Pleasure, Heidi became increasingly aware of the situation. She wasn't just going to spend time alone with Jek. There were going to be others present. And his bandmates. They all would have seen what happened with Travis or would be up-to-date on it by the time they arrived at the sex shop. The thought made her stomach lurch.

Just an old biddy with bad taste in men - and alleged gold-digging tendencies - hanging out with rock stars who were once mega famous. Right. Totally didn't make Heidi look bad at all. 

She gnawed on her nerves once they entered the store, finding Jek talking to Gnadi while the rest of their rather large party milled about.

After confirming the theater was empty - thankfully, a slow night at the store according to Gnadi - Jek adjusted the theater settings for streaming capabilities. Since the rest of the band already had streaming capabilities, all that was left was to wait for the stragglers to come in. Which included Heidi. 

“Alright, the theater has been ‘reserved’ for the rest of the wee hours. We can stream some of our old shit or watch whatever vids you sweet fun things want.” Dorzi grinned and winked at his particular contingent of guests.

As the others filed into the theater, chattering amongst themselves, Heidi lingered in the shop with Jek. When most of the others were gone, she turned to Jek as she smiled through a wince. “Actually, is there somewhere I can lay down? I feel a little lightheaded.”

She couldn’t possibly mean to get them alone, Jek thought wildly. But he couldn’t stop the thought from latching to his brain, rousing his hope and eagerness. “Oh, sure. I got a futon in the breakroom. I'll come with you.”

“You don't have to.” Heidi’s eyes widened, raising her hands as if to stop him herself.

“It’s fine, c’mon.” Motioning for her to follow him, Jek led Heidi behind the front counter, passed a grinning Gnadi, and through a door into the back. Along the way, they passed boxes of additional lewd merchandise, posters, a shelf of DVDs, and racks of clothes before passing through another doorway. As she tagged after Jek, her heart skittered in her chest. All of the reminders of carnal pleasure, of risque fun, of sex tainted her thoughts.

Heidi wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't quite what she found. It was a small breakroom, similar to what one would find at any other business, smelling of lavender thanks to an outlet air freshener. A kitchenette area provided a counter with a microwave and a sink. A fridge took position by the sink, reminders and other memorabilia tacked onto the front with magnets. Opposite the kitchenette was a sitting area, the area denoted with a rug. The infamous futon sat in the middle of the room, clearly part of the sitting area and facing the television that hung on the wall. Other chairs and a coffee table took up the remaining empty space on the rug.

There were no scintillating posters, no pin-up calendars tacked to the wall, no sexual toys, no bowls of condoms and assorted lubes. Just a breakroom, removed from anything sexual. It was a bit of a relief to know an area not dedicated to sex existed in Strictly Pleasure.

Jek watched as Heidi looked around, not sure how she was gauging the area. He half-wondered if she was unimpressed. They had talked about the futon and made illicit little jokes, but - overall - it was just a breakroom. A breakroom where sex might have happened in the past, but one could say that about just about any breakroom. At least from Jek's perspective.

“Thanks, you really don't have to stick around with me. After everything with Travis, I just…” Under Jek’s quiet look, Heidi trailed off, struggling to find the right words. When the silence dragged on a little too long, she sighed and dropped herself onto the futon. In an effort to not meet his attention, she leaned over to slide her purse behind her foot and under the futon. “He said some things that made me self-conscious and I just didn’t want to be around a lot of people.”

As Heidi spoke, Jek shrugged off his pin-covered jacket and folded it, placing it on one of the kitchenette chairs before edging closer to the futon. Easing himself down beside her, Jek waited until Heidi sat up straight again before replying, “I don't take what fuckfaces say seriously, y’know.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re a rich and famous former rockstar and now you own your own business.” She frowned, waving her hands to indicate the store as she choked down bitter feelings and a faint burn at her eyes. While with Travis, she had relied on him. Not out of malice, but because she thought that was what lovers did. They supported each other.

She was a mom and for much of their relationship, she was trying to give Malachai the emotional support and presence he needed. Not wanting to dwell on those past tribulations, Heidi redirected the conversation toward something joking as she leaned back. “Although by owning a sex shop, you’re not exactly burdened by typical professionalism.” 

Jek snorted and turned to her, his left arm lying along the back of the futon and, consequently, her shoulders. His thumb unintentionally skirted against her, a sensation burning along his arm, through his body. Leaning a little closer to Heidi, he peered over his glasses at her. “Big words for someone sitting on my Fuck Futon.”

It was only then that Heidi realized the two of them hadn’t chosen far ends of the futon to sit on. They both sat, more or less, in the middle. His heat bled into her side, coaxing goosebumps to her skin. There was a heat between them that wasn’t simply ambient. It made each breath burn down her throat and filled her lungs with anticipation.

“As I was saying. Not burdened by typical professionalism.” Hiding the effect he had on her, Heidi smiled and shook her head, almost laughing. But her expression flickered, her eyes averting from Jek for a beat. Once again, she realized he was stuck here with her while his friends were enjoying further adult entertainment and other companions. Brief flashes of the first night in the theater antagonized her thoughts. How she had stopped before it got to anything too good. Heidi wasn’t sure the same wouldn’t happen again, given how hard her heart was already beating. She might disappoint him, if he was hoping to have a long-awaited finish.

Jek noticed how her expression changed and waited for her to say what was on her mind. As he waited, his eyes drank in Heidi’s form once again. Once more, he silently thanked whatever force convinced her to leave the hoodie at home. The swell of her breasts, her stomach, her hips all sang a siren song of temptation to him. It made his fingertips itch to touch her, to sink into her. How warm and soft she’d feel under his hand, under him. 

Clamping down on that thought, Jek tore his gaze from Heidi. Fuck, he had to pump the breaks and get himself under control. 

Misreading the tense aura cloaking him, Heidi picked at her fishnets and muttered, “If you want to go and have fun in your theater, don’t let me stop you. I’m sure I’m not more fun than whatever is happening in there.”

Heidi silenced herself as Jek waved his hand to brush off her concerns. When their eyes met again, she wanted to melt into the futon as a soft smile played across his lips. “It’s alright. I’d rather be here.” 

Relief fluttered through her, easing an unacknowledged strain from her own muscles. She couldn't exactly believe Jek was entirely alright with babysitting her, so she prodded a little further. “Most people would be eager to relive their glory days and get lucky, in the process.”

“If I went in there, my bandmates would kill me.” Jek laughed as he leaned against the back cushions, hands behind his head and his ankle crossed at his knee. He shot her a roguish grin, smile lines wrinkling at the corners of his eyes. “I’m a fan favorite.” 

As it struck her earlier in the night, Heidi got the impression he made the same pose a million times over. There was a calculated sort of carelessness around him, trying to be the unflappable cool guy. It was weirdly adorable in a way. She still couldn’t relent to the carefully crafted image. “Ah, well, pity for you, I’m not a fan.” 

Jek raised his eyebrows as he lowered his arms, his lips parting with a devilish smile as he leaned closer to her. “Wanna go into the theater and change that?” 

“Hah, nice try, but I’m still buzzed. Can’t really consent.” Without thinking, she pushed against his chest. The brief contact shot through her arm, making tingles coast down her back.

“Same, but my theater has multiple enchantments on it, including a sobering charm.” Jek let her push him back, her touch making his own heart stutter and his breath catch. Like most humans, she was small compared to him and clashing thoughts - of testing how much she could take, of coddling her - weaseled through his thoughts. 

Despite the tilt of his thoughts, his smile shifted from sharp and sexy to something more serious. “Can’t have people doing things while under the influence of anything. Goes hand in hand with the ‘no recording’ rule.”

Her eyebrows arched high, a quiet challenge glittering in her eyes. Okay, so he covered recording and inebriation, but did he take care of the most obvious and potentially long-lasting issue. “Got an active contraceptive spell too?” 

Tilting his head toward her, Jek only flashed a rakish grin in an affirmative response. Who did she think he was?

Unable to stifle her seemingly constantly delighted smile, Heidi snorted and rolled her eyes. “You really thought of everything.”

"My gram did, I just refined it and kept it up-to-date.” His shoulder lifted in a half-shrug, giving credit where credit was due. Granted, there were always new spells and enchantments or better magic users to pick from every year. He made sure to read reviews, do his homework, and keep the protocols as up-to-date as possible, though.

For a second, Heidi thought he was joking again, but the easy way he said it made her second guess herself. "Your grandmother?" 

“Yeah, she owned this store before me.” Giving another shrug, vague amusement tilted the corners of his lips upward. There was that curious gleam in Heidi’s eyes that made his stomach turn to butterflies. “I took it over when she retired, since I was looking for something out of the limelight.” 

“Why’d you even step down?” After seeing the way Jek acted that night, Heidi realized she was surprised he hadn’t continued performing well past his prime. Little hints of his capability had always slunk into view.

“Eh, well, you know the rockstar lifestyle, right?” Rubbing at the back of his neck, Jek turned his gaze away from her, looking off into a far middle distance. It had felt so long ago. Hell, it had been so long ago. Crazy nights, trashing hotel rooms and partying well into the next day. Showing up drunk to rehearsals and shows. Getting fucked up on whatever party pills or recreational drugs someone brought. It was a wonder he hadn’t died. Not to mention the people he got involved with, the scars they left.

His eyes slid back to Heidi, gauging her reaction as she thought as he wondered how much he should really tell her.

Feeling his eyes on her, Heidi could only imagine what he’d been through. No privacy, the paparazzi everywhere, and the tribulations of fame in the music industry. A lot of celebrities struggled with addictions, stalking, assault, and more. With her voice dipping with care, Heidi said, “Drugs, booze, and sex?”

“Yeah, that and more. Party hard.” The words were said with a heavy dose of dryness as he raised his fist, index and pinkie fingers extended. After shaking his hand a little bit, he dropped the gesture, his arm once more extending along the back of the futon and against the back of Heidi’s shoulders. “I cleaned up my act, kinda, when my kid was born. When our music careers were winding down, I needed something stable and something to do. Nothing too wild, but nothing too straitlaced.” 

“What about your kid’s mom?” As soon as the words were out, Heidi wanted to bite her own tongue off. Gods, that had to make her look too eager. 

Amusement glowed a little brighter in Jek’s eyes as he cocked an eyebrow. “Ah, interested in that, are you?” 

“Well, I am sitting on a Fuck Futon with you.” Shooting him a wry look, Heidi patted the futon’s cushion.

“Fair enough.” Nodding, Jek took a breath to consider how to word himself. Over the years, he had reiterated similar retellings during interviews, it shouldn’t have made his heart beat as hard as it did now. 

“Me and Ruby - Ruby Red, the singer - were on and off for years. Never really good for each other.” Jek shifted under Heidi’s attention, his lower stomach clenching. None of this was a lie. As much as he tried to make things work with Ruby, she was never committed. Lying, cheating, trying to coax him back into the party scene of drugs and alcohol. Over the years, he’d learned how to talk about it without sounding angry, without the ache of those years sinking too deep. “She didn’t want to quit touring and doing her thing, but Jade needed one of us around and Theoretical Menace was winding down.”

Vague memories bubbled up in Heidi’s mind. Ruby Red and Theoretical Menace. Her friends must have gossiped about the two musical sensations. Or maybe Heidi had just heard about them through the cultural zeitgeist over the years. Something tickled at the back of her thoughts, but her attention was more focused on Jek.

At that moment, he seemed a little less robust than previously. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked about his kid or the mother. She could have just researched it later. Still, Heidi was glad she asked. He cared about his kid, put his career aside to make sure she had what she needed. It only made Jek seem all the better. “So you quit the music life, made time for your kid, and took over your grandmother’s sex store?” 

“Well, Theoretical Menace did a few more tours when Jade got older and was fine with me being gone for stretches of time, but yeah.” Another easygoing shrug before he motioned to the room, the store, at large. “Most of my retirement has been here.”

Casting a look around at the breakroom, Heidi nodded and gave an acknowledging hum. 

“One more question,” Heidi said as she turned to Jek, smiling as he seemed to perk up beneath her gaze. Picking at the back cushion, her lips tilted into a slight teasing smile. “Is this your grandma’s Fuck Futon or…?” 

“All my idea, baby,” Jek chuckled as he shifted himself toward Heidi. He vaguely realized one of her legs curled onto the futon when she turned toward him. She was closer than he thought she was, almost tucked against his side. Almost, but not quite.

“Hate to say it,” Heidi mock frowned, pursing her lips in a way that Jek found too distracting, “but I get why you’re a fan favorite.” 

“Hate to say it? Ouch,” he gasped, holding a hand over his heart as a comically over-the-top pained look crossed his face. 

Realizing she was feeling too warm, a small voice in Heidi’s head chided her. There was no way Jek was flirting from genuine interest, just amusement. It was already clear he and his friends invited people back to Strictly Pleasure whenever they were out, wasn’t it? “I doubt you actually care that much.” 

“You’d be surprised. I am a very sensitive softie,” he laughed, waggling his eyebrows to mask how true he found the statement to be himself.

Heidi snorted, her eyes trailing conspicuously to his groin. “Yeah, you look real soft right now.”

Unable to stop himself as the path her eyes took made his insides burn, Jek leaned closer. His voice dropped low, a playful growl to his words. “Keeping looking and I won’t be.”

The gravel in his tone razed along Heidi’s back, bringing a flush to her cheeks. She couldn’t help laughing, averting her gaze to avoid seeing the smugness in his eyes. “You always have something to say, don’t you?” 

“Well, if you want to shut me up, then you should kiss me.” Immediately, Heidi’s attention snapped back to him, her eyes wide. Jek felt like the wind was knocked out of him. Shit, that was too much. And it was immature. What sort of grown man says such a thing? Pushing himself into a straighter position, giving Heidi some space, he apologetically winced. “Shit. Sorry, forget I said that.“

The blush burned too hot on her cheeks for Heidi to feel the cold disappointment ooze through her, though her stomach somersaulted. “You don’t want me to?”

Swallowing while feeling like he was on the edge of something dangerous, Jek’s gaze flickered away from Heidi before quickly returning. “I thought you were too buzzed.”

“I'm not going to regret just kissing you,” Heidi spoke before she really thought about the answer. Something about Jek’s expression, like he too was navigating waters that could buoy him or drown him, echoed in her chest. Covering her own surprise at herself, Heidi fell back to teasing and wrinkled her nose while still smiling. “Well unless you’re really bad at it. I might regret it then.”

As she unintentionally poked at his pride, Jek’s eyes narrowed. Oh, if that’s how she was going to be, he could play. Shifting until his back met the futon’s arm, Jek brought one foot up onto the cushions and braced his left elbow on his knee. His other foot remained on the floor, legs spread enough for someone - namely Heidi - to crawl between them. 

“Well, come on and find out. If you dare.” With his right hand, he motioned for her to come closer. Despite the ease Jek radiated with his eyes half-lidded and his smirk twisted behind his tusks, his heart thundered in his chest as he waited for Heidi’s reaction.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Next part is already available on my Patreon!

[thecoolerlucky]

Summary

“What I’d Do For A Livable Income” is a Soap Opera-esque fantasy fiction about where magic and monsters disguised as humans exist in a modern setting—all hidden in plain sight.

The story focuses on the human Lynette’s struggle to understand her new “friends” at the Happy Pizzeria, all while doing her best to avoid becoming their lunch. What kind of hijinks will they get up to as she learns more and more about the world of monsters and magic that exists alongside her own?

Content Warning! - This story will contain strong language, and serious themes including but not limited to death, emotional and physical harm, suicide, and more, though some themes do not appear until much later in the story. Read at your own discretion!

Links

*Crickets for now*

Table of Contents

Arc One: Falsehood

Chapter 1 - The Happy Pizzeria Lynette meets an average employee from the Happy Pizzeria!

Chapter 2 - Too Good to be True Lynette's first day on the job, and her last?

Chapter 3 - Resignation? Lynette's offered a resignation

Chapter 4 - Clever Lynette's tries to beat Alexander

Chapter 5 - Him Or Me? Lynette meets Lev

Chapter 6 - Need Some Help? Lynette gets help with her Alexander problem. (Release Date - 12/23/24)

Chapter 7 - Let's Bet! Exhausting all her options, Lynette proposes a bet. (Release Date - 12/27/24)

...

Thank you for anyone who pops by to read! YOU better have a bomb-tastic rest of your day! Nonnegotiable.~

All rights reserved. Copyright © 2024 TheCoolerLucky

[lizard-reads-the-world]

Fantasy Series by European Authors

The Mirror Visitor Series by Christelle Dabos

Magical floating arks, court politics and arranged marriages

The Reckless Series by Cornelia Funke

Mirror portals, curses, and shape-shifting foxes

The Engelsfors Trilogy by Sara B. Elfgren & Mats Strandberg

Teen witches, ancient demons, and the end of the world

The Raven Rings Trilogy by Siri Pettersen

Norse myths, an outcast heroine, and... tails?

The Arcadia Trilogy by Kai Meyer

Mafia romance, shapeshifters, and Greek mythology

The Watch Series by Sergei Lukyanenko

Paranormal people, magic organizations, and Dark vs Light

The Gifts Series by Caroline O'Donoghue

Tarot cards, psychic cults, and queer rights

Lockwood & Co. Series by Jonathan Stroud

Ghosts, paranormal detectives, and British humour

-------------

(*some series are longer but I limited the images to 3 books)

(*All YA except the Watch series but I wanted diversity in location)

[traegorn]

So this is me, yet again, plugging my novels. Because if I don't, who will?

Want to read some fun, queer contemporary fantasy books? Try the Mia Graves books! There are currently two books out in the series, The Witch and the Rose and Bloody Damn Rite.

Start with The Witch and the Rose, which has Witchcraft and Ghosts while Mia deals with trauma and Riley makes bad life decisions!

Then read the sequel, Bloody Damn Rite, which has Witchcraft and Vampires while Mia deals with trauma and Riley makes bad life decisions!

And yes, they both probably need a lot of therapy.

Start your adventure now!

The Witch and the Rose ISBN: 9798869132666 Available Via: Amazon / Kindle / Direct Order

Bloody Damn Rite ISBN: 9798330220373 Available Via: Amazon / Kindle / Direct Order

The Witch and the Rose:

Bloody Damn Rite:

[torpublishinggroup]

This advertisement is for The Atlas Complex—the heart-shattering finale to the dark academia series that began with Olivie Blake’s NYT bestselling The Atlas Six. 

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

An explosive return to the library leaves the six Alexandrians vulnerable to the lethal terms of their recruitment.

Knowledge Is Carnage

Old alliances fracture as those who remain within the archives wrestle with the ethics of their astronomical abilities. Elsewhere, an unlikely pair from the Society partner up to influence politics on a global stage while the outside world mobilizes to destroy them all. And as for the Society’s Caretaker, Atlas Blakely… He may yet succeed in his world-breaking plan. 

Destiny Is a Choice

It all comes down to this: The Society recruits must decide what and who they're willing to betray and destroy for limitless power. 

Power Is Taken

[scifrey]

ART THREAD

I have had the very great pleasure of commissioning some beautiful art to celebrate the release of my new novel Nine-Tenths. I'm going to share them all in this thread (and hopefully add to it if I'm lucky enough to be graced with more) so you can appreciate the talent of these incredible artists.

by Christopher Winkelaar

Nine-Tenths is set in a world where all the nobility in Europe are homo draconis - shape-shifting dragons who have the ability to take human form. Every culture in the world have dragons living among the humans, but the European and Asian nations are the only ones where dragons were historically elevated to the roles of monarchs, nobles, and emperors.

In a world where the American Colonies rejected British rule, this meant they were also rejecting draconic protection--and so while they won their Independence in 1793, they were soundly trounced in the War of 1812, losing all of New England, including New York State, to the British. They were absorbed into the Canadas, except for New York City, which was reclaimed by the Dutch and re-renamed New Amsterdam.

The Canadian colonies expanded west, as they historically did in our world, through a series of broken treaties with the Indigenous peoples of the continent, and the reprehensible colonialist practices which put the settlers in power today. It also means they were able to expand further south, without the Americans to bump up against.

This also meant that the Americans were unable to expand as far south and west as in our world, coming up against Indigenous dragon-protected lands, such as the Oniagara, or Aztec and Incan empires, which grew further north after Spanish contact, and flourished.

Unlike in the current version of Canada, the land was legislatively divided into much smaller provinces than currently exist, each overseen by a hereditary draconic Lieutenant Governor, who report to the draconic Governor of the Canadas, who in turn reports to the House of Lords in England (also dragons). Each province is divided into Duchies, Earldoms, and Marquessates, presided over by a noble dragon family.

As dragons are long-lived, the current Queen of England is Elizabeth (the first one). As she has not yet passed, the Kingdom of Scotland as yet remains separate from England. Ireland too is independent, the Irish dragons having beaten back the English ones. However, Wales remains a satellite colony of England, as the betrayal which brought about it's subjugation and the trickery around the hereditary title "Prince of Wales" still occurred. (This an important plot point).

by @seancefemme

This is the first piece of art I commissioned for the novel, and you'll note it's now become the cover art!

Meet the heroes of our tale: barista and disaster bi Colin Levesque, stuck in the middle of his quarter-life crisis and crushing on his cafe regular, Welsh dragon Dav, the Marquis of Niagara (though of course, Colin doesn't know he's the Marquis, and thinks Dav is just some minor noble with nothing better to do all day than hang out and read).

by @ibrithir-was-here

Colin works at Beanevolence, an indie cafe in downtown St. Catharine's, in the province of Upper Canada (Southern Ontario in our world). It's owned by his bestie Hadi, and he was only supposed to be a barista until he'd graduated. But now he has his Sustainable Tourism degree, and no clue what to do next. He feels completely stuck. Luckily he has Dav to distract him.

Except that one day Dav distracts him too well, which results in a kitchen fire. As an apology for the inferno, and to help the cafe get back on it's feet while the repairs are under way, Dav volunteers as the new bean roaster, creating incredible and (and ultimately social-media viral) coffee roasts with his fire-breath.

by @ibrithir-was-here

Colin and Dav start a flirtation at work.

Which leads to...

by @teejaystumbles

Luxurious dates and late-night smoochies.

by @pinkpiggy93

Which also goes a little bit viral. See, it turns out that the Marquis of Niagara usually keeps a low profile, and his sudden romance with a human has the gossip rags and tabloids all in a tizzy.

But more than that, it puts Dav under the scrutiny of Francis Simcoe. He's the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, a dragon with a hate-on for Dav, and the perfect ammunition to ruin his happiness.

Because, you see, it's against dragonic rules for dragons to be seen to be laboring in service of humans... and Dav's new gig at Beanevolence is about to--forgive the pun--land him in hot water.

➡️ Read Nine-Tenths Here ⬅️

[blackwood4stucky]

A Discovery of Witches is TOO good. Really gonna have to finish the fic series now. I might even make a sideblog for it since I have no self-control 😅