#i mean Fairies are cool; but if it's not actual pixies or the fae (where did my son go...) it's just like ponies.

[tired-and-unjellied]

yes, tumblr, thank you for showing me a blazed post about OCs of a fandom I have never heard of, of a person I have never heard of, and of designs that are obviously not something I would check out

[lyinginbedmon]

Fey and Archfey Familia

With two adorable little nephews running around, I've been on the search for something they can call me that isn't aunt, uncle, or kinnie (which I swear to god is legitimately the Best option I've found so far, yes they are actually that bad). I've sort of slipped into the role (partially by accident, partially very on purpose) of being construed as a changeling fey creature amongst the branches of the family tree.

Well, I've fleshed that idea out a little more and I'm giving it freely to any nonbeenies with little relatives to use.

Why?

Nonbinary people aren't a new thing by any means but cultural acceptance of us is still quite unsteady, and one of the most common questions (and thinly-veiled accusations) is "what are we going to tell our children?"

In answer to that, this approach uses a sense of whimsy and fantasy to help children understand that people who are different are perfectly fine and welcome and even healthy to have around in their family gatherings. In a nutshell, we're the weird ones in the family, and that's not only okay it can be really hecking cool.

It's not inspired by any one tale of fairies or pixies or whatnot from any one culture, and in places intentionally borrows from several to further the theme of friendly cooperative integration where appropriate.

What?

Fey and Archfey Familia (and other spellings & capitalisations of the same, I personally enjoy "fae" but use "fey" here for ease of child reading comprehension) are the visible emergence of ancient supernatural phenomena in a human bloodline. For some of them it's the result of long-forgotten pacts and contracts, for others its the result of distant intermingling, for others its just a spontaneous jerk reaction of nature re-asserting itself against the overwhelming human presence (a signal perhaps to say "don't forget, we're not leaving").

This phenomena manifests with individuals who, though seemingly human at first blanche, go against the grain of conventional human society in odd ways. Sometimes these are small clues you could blink and overlook for years at a time, and sometimes they're more overt, like a blatant eschewing or uncommon mixture of physical characteristics.

Most are joyful, even revelling in this differences that mark them out from the rest of their erstwhile family, though many similarly face difficulties with mental health and medical support. Cultures rarely thrive amidst colonists, and fey-kind likewise struggle to exist living amongst the civilisation of poor neighbours.

Importantly, though different, these fey are relatives within the bloodline. They are no less related to their kin than a relative who skipped the big ears gene or who goes to a different church. Some may describe themselves as changelings, implying they aren't truly related, but the actual practise of replacing children with fairies is a relic of myth.

Fey vs Archfey

Individuals are distinguished as either Fey Familia or Archfey Familia. There's not any concrete rulings on who gets to be what, but the Archfey Familia are usually the "elder" fey in one way or another, often those whose nature became more apparent further back than their peers.

It's important to note that whilst "archfey" has traditionally referred to an individual atop the court hierarchy, Archfey Familia are only such within their own clan (that is, every family may have one but they're not lord above all amongst their kind globally, which is reserved for the rarely-seen Archfey in Ordinary).

Every family can have multiple fey and archfey across multiple domains, without restriction. It can however be said that families more welcoming to good neighbour relatives tend to host more good neighbours amongst their ranks.

Domains and courts

Family fey are usually (though not always, more Fey Familia in particular tend to be non-court than Archfey Familia) attached to a particular domain or court of wisdom. This may be stories, or space, or the animal kingdom, etc. Different individuals in the same family are under no obligation to spring from the same source, nor adhere to the same presentations or courts.

This typically confers a degree of responsibility on the fey to educate and encourage curiosity in a given subject of study, but some are occasionally a little too caught up in their fixations to actually spend time teaching them. Though historical prejudice has cast the fey as trickster and even malevolent spirits, they were usually educators and helpers, though occasional misunderstandings did happen.

Essentially it's a signal to tell younger relatives "hey, here's someone you can talk to about X", providing a clear social function with which children can engage. Functionally, it serves to cite the relative as demonstration that it's okay to celebrate and enjoy things, and to show and exalt that enjoyment even into adulthood. It can also imply a sense of unity, by identifying a common pursuit amongst a group of relatives.

[artificialgrinder]

THE DARK SEEPING IN (BRATZ FASHION PIXIEZ REIMAGINING) CH. 9

Dylan receives the strangest, yet darkest phone call of his life.

AN:

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while. I actually started a new job but I have to admit, I've also found It extremely difficult to find motivation as of late. But I'm trying to force myself to continue on. So I hope this wee update is enough to keep you all going until I next update.

TW's for this chapter: underage drinking // violence mentions // drugging mentions

“What…the fuck?”

Breeana just…stood stunned. Fuck, she knew shit was bad when she caught the now-winged Cymbeline the first time. 

But now, it was even worse.

“I-I can explain,” Breeana stammered.

Yasmin still stared at the sky, watching the glowing dot that was Cymbeline become less and less visible. Cloe on the other hand, rubbed her elbows and edged towards the forest.

“So - So, like, she’s a pixie.” Yasmin stated, despite it sounding more like a question. Her eyes were wide and her skin pale, unable to determine if this was some weird fever dream.

Breeana shook her head feverishly. “We don’t say pixie. But that’s - -” 

“Oh, sorry. I meant ‘fairy’,” Yasmin continued sarcastically.

“Well…fairy is also a term we don’t use.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“We say fae or…”

“Breeana! It doesn’t fucking matter! Cymbeline literally just flew off right in front of our fucking eyes! I mean…what…? How…?”

Again, the youngest Devlin struggled to find the right response. But what could she possibly say to make all this go away.

“We gotta go!” Cloe shook her head, her anxiety just as high in the sky as Cymbeline. “W-We gotta get back to Sasha and Jade and - -”

“You can’t tell them!” Breeana blurted.

“Breeana! How?! How can we not?!” Yasmin held her arms out by her side. “Cymbeline is our friend! She - -”

“Then, if that’s true, and you really care about her, then you won’t tell anyone! I’m serious, Yasmin. This is…This is more complicated than it looks.” Breeana’s voice cracked, already shivering from the growing panic and the breeze from the cliff top.

“More complicated than it looks?! Bitch, are you kidding?!” Cloe yelled.

“God, now I wish she was just acting too cool for us!” Yasmin added.

Stuttering and fighting to find her words, Breeana slowly realised not a damn thing would keep these girls from staying silent. And the only thing she could bring herself to do…

Well she’d have to have a long and heated talk with her Dad.

She raised both hands, pointed at both Yasmin and Cloe. “‘So will those mere mortals be silenced, and unable to speak…’” She spoke quietly, reciting the spell she had learned so young. Outside of practising under her father’s gaze, things never came down to this. She was breaking his trust, but for his own good. And it hurt. 

Despite the few drinks both teens had before coming to the Devlin’s home, Yasmin and Cloe were too quick for Breeana.

“Oh, shit, let’s go!” Cloe snatched Yasmin’s hand, and both teens dashed into the sea of trees.

So many voices in Breeana’s mind told her to run…Take off after the frightened girls. 

But her feet remained planted. There was no hope in stopping them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Her knees gave in, bringing Breena down to the ground, her head empty of ways to fix this shit.

For what felt like the tenth time, Dylan messaged Sasha.

‘Yo where you at girl?’

Standing off to the sidelines of the club whilst everyone else lost their shit to the music, Dylan stared at his phone screen, begging whoever was listening to his inner thoughts to allow him a response. Yes, it seemed obsessive and extremely annoying, but with Cymbeline not here either, it was possible shit went down.

As concerned as he was, he was a drama thirst. He needed to know the T'.

Forty-five minutes had passed since Sasha let him know they were swinging around the Devlin’s house first, nothing out of the ordinary considering the two sisters were a bit out of town. But with no response, something had to have happened.

Sighing, Dylan looked away from the screen, impatience getting the better of him. And along came Cameron, and he was very very trashed.

“Yo, so I’ve been thinking, Dyl’.” Cameron slung an arm around his friend’s shoulder, the drink in his hand sloshing over the side of the cup and onto Dylan’s shoes. “About what you said.”

“What I said?” Dylan mourned the white colour of his shoes.

“Yeah. About Cloe.”

“Uh huh?”

“I just…you know…I gotta just - -” Cameron hiccuped, “be myself, you know? I mean, we made out at Nevra’s party that one time. I’m already a foot in. You feel, homey?”

“I feel, homey.”

Before Cameron could continue his ramblings, the music came to an end, only the sound of the crowd remaining. Koby was at the front of the stage, sweating dripping from his beaded forehead. He panted, peeling the black t-shirt from his form and tossing it into the screaming crowd of fans.

“Gross.” Cameron commented.

“You guys are awesome,” Koby said into the mic before pointing at Cade, the boy knocking back shots at the bar. “Cade? Happy Birthday, my dude. My brother from another mother for life.”

Not wanting to break his streak, Cade took another shot and raised a thumbs up, signalling his approval.

“Love you, dude.” Koby breathed into the mic before addressing the audience again. “Alright, so…I need a break. I need some water for real, guys. But this ain’t the end of the music.”

The crowd went wild again, as if they knew what was about to happen.

“So I’m gonna have a friend of mine take over for a bit.” And Koby looked over his shoulder, already seeing said friend make her way on stage. “Dudes…Dudettes…All you peeps in between…here's Roxxi Sin.”

Both Dylan and Cameron joined in on the cheering as Roxxi stepped up to the mic, adjusting her guitar. The girl let her eyes trail the audience, just for a moment, before they landed on one girl in particular – her girlfriend.

“Hi, Nevra,” Roxxi smiled into the mic.

“Hi, baby!” Nevra waved her hand around, excitement coursing through her. She looked at those around her. “That’s my girlfriend! She’s my fucking girlfriend, and I love her!”

“You’ll love this one, babe.” And Roxxi strummed her guitar, bringing the rest of Koby’s band to join in.

“Man,” Cameron started, “Love is like…love is the tits. You know?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” Dylan laughed now.

“But what would you know, my guy?” Cameron continued, taking a large swig of his drink. “You used to be, like, in every girl’s DM’s. Nowadays I never see you with any.”

“Cam’, my entire friend group consists of girls,” Dylan squinted his eyes.

“Yeah, but you ain’t dating any of them.”

“Well, maybe I don’t wanna date them.” Dylan went back to watching Roxxi serenade her girlfriend, telling Cameron the conversation was over. But now lost in thought, he knew his friend was right. Once upon a time, Dylan was the biggest player in school. But times had changed. His friendship with the five girls enlightened and educated his juvenile mind, and even though he still had a long way to go, he rarely ever felt the need to comment on the appearance of attractive girls. 

Of course, there was that time Lina was introduced in chemistry class, but that soon fizzled – just a quick fascination that passed.

As for now, there was one girl on his mind. And yet, he wasn’t so sure if it was even possible.

Pulling his phone out again, he hoped for a message from her only for those hopes to diminish. Sasha had yet to reply as well. Crazy.

But there was one message – an unknown number.

‘We need to talk, big boy. Call or she’ll be hurt.’

Immediately, his heart was struck by a sting. Staring at his phone screen, his stomach as seconds passed. Who the fuck was this? Who would be hurt? To call the police or just call the person right then and there?

“Hang on, Cameron,” Dylan quickly pat his drunk friend on the shoulder as he rushed towards the exit.

The music became quieter and quieter the closer he got to the door. And once outside, it was just a thumping beat. 

Dylan’s hands shook as he called the number, wishing so much that it would just keep ringing. He was a nervous wreck, but the thought of something happening to someone because of his carelessness...

The ringing ended, and yet, nothing was heard on the other end.

“Hello?” Dylan said quietly.

Another moment of silence ensued before, finally, someone spoke in a low and dangerous tone. “What’s up, Dylan?”

Just like that, his nerves diminished. “Zach. What the fuck do you want?”

“Straight to the point, my guy. Nice,” Zach continued, chuckling to himself like he was getting off. “Now look, you and me are due a fight.”

“Since when?”

“Depends how you look at it. Maybe it was the recent spat we had in the hall. Or maybe the long years of competition.”

“Competi - - Man, what the hell are you talking about? Are you high?”

“Shut the fuck up, Dylan. Now listen to me; get your ass out to my location right fucking now so I can kick your ass to ground. Got it?”

Dylan could have laughed. “You really think you can beat me down? You think you scare me? ‘Cause all I hear right now are pathetic bitch ass words and an asshole breathing heavy on the phone like he’s touching himself.”

Zach completely ignored the comment however. “I’m not alone, Dylan. Did you even read my message?”

And now did Dylan’s anxiety return. “H-How do I know that’s not just some pathetic way to get me to come to you?”

“You don’t believe me?” Zach chuckled darkly again. “Well then, I guess I gotta prove it to you then. Here, baby.”

Dylan squinted. Baby? Was he even talking to him anymore?

Another moment of silence…

Before a sweet voice came through...

Her voice...

“Dylan?”

The boy’s eyes widened. “B-Breeana?”

“Dylan, c-can you…” she paused, sounding weak, “Can you come get me? I…I don’t know where I am.”

“Breeana!” Dylan began to pace. “Breeana, ha-has he hurt you? What did he do?!”

“I can’t…I can’t move. I’m sinking…I can’t…” Breeana trailed off as Zach clearly pulled the phone back to his mouth.

“Believe me now, tough guy?” Zach glowered. 

“What did you do to her? I’ll fucking kill you if you’ve hurt her!”

“Relax, man. All I did was…probably slip something in her drink. But don’t worry. I haven’t laid a finger on her, Dylan. Well...not yet, at least. Just depends how fast you can get here. Have I made myself clear?”

Dylan was panting now, his blood boiling. Just the thought of anyone hurting that girl made him see red. “Drop the fucking pin, man. I swear to God, you’ll never live to see the day.”

“We’ll see about that. Bye, Dylan’.”

Not one moment was wasted. Dylan flagged the closest cab he could get. No matter where it was, or how much it would cost, he was going to get to that absolute waste of human life, and he was going to smash his skull with a rock.

[atherix]

Hello! If you don’t mind me asking, what are fae dances like?

Good question! I am terrible at describing things :D <- totally an amazing writer

So Fae dances vary depending on what kind of Fae they are. Fauns and Dryads and Nymphs (generally wild and energetic, fast paced dancing, solo or group) dance differently from Pixies and True Fairies and Sprites (which dance while flying almost exclusively in pairs or troupes) who dance differently from Vex and Allay (who use their wings but don't fly while dancing, incorporate a lot of jumping/wing boosting into their dances) and they all dance differently from Elves.

Elves dance the most similarly to humans, of course, being that- again, they're modeled after humans (which I am. emphasizing. For a reason. Conspiratists add this fact to your red line boards it is so so so important). They're a formal society so while they definitely have casual, fun and wild dances their "official" dances are formal, and often do that switching-partners thing. Very elegant, much spinning which is very lovely with their shimmery formal attire just billowing and flowing and mmm it's all about the ✨aesthetic✨

In formal events, there's generally minimal physical contact; Elven dances are more communal/group driven than solo or pair- with the exception of marriage/courting dances ofc, which focus on the people courting/marrying- and generally said contact is a single hand, held palm to palm, and there's spinning together and separately and weaving and joining different groups and it looks very cool from above. It's a spectacle, honestly- and it's very, very particular, one misstep can cause the entire dance to fall apart. (Scar.... has absolutely ruined a dance before. Thankfully for him not at his own debut but. Dancing with Cub = Laugh = Stumble = Hit Another Dancer = Domino Elves! Poor princey, so embarrassing).

Generally, in Court specific events (in which every attendee is either from that Court or the High Court (as formal/ceremonial events, such as weddings, require a royal witness/overseer)) they'll also incorporate their magic into the dance. This isn't done at mixed Court events (such as an event hosted by the Monarch, where members from every Court are invited) bc the dances that incorporate magic are all different (different motions to perform different magic means incompatible dances) and it would just be... chaos.

Shapeshifters will incorporate their shapeshifting into dances (if their animal form will allow it), shifting into their animal form and being tossed up in the air by their partner(s) and shifting back into human mid-air and being caught and just a lot of twirling and ducking and shifting at just the right moment.

Changelings are an interesting case as far as Fae go, because most Changelings grow up in the Natural realm before returning to the Fae realm (Changelings, like Joel, are naturally drawn to other Fae as a way to "bring them home." this also means Changelings are actually more susceptible to Elven charms. Most Changelings don't even know they're not Human until they meet another Fae and are told, or realize they stopped aging/are living way too long). They generally dance the way they grew up learning, and in the Fae realm will learn how to dance from the Changed Children (Human children who were swapped with Changelings). There aren't many Changed Children anymore, all of them adults now (Joel was among the last Changelings to be swapped with a Human child, now Changelings are only given to Humans who make a deal and request a child to raise, knowing it's a Changeling they have. With some... exceptions, of course). There are two types of Changelings, Born and Created; Born Changelings are living creatures with souls and Created Changelings do not have a soul and "die" quickly once they leave the Fae Realm.

I HAVE STARTED RAMBLING ABOUT MIDNIGHT CHANGELINGS THIS IS ABOUT DANCING WHY DID I GO INTO A LORE DUMP anyway the point is the dances in the Fae realm vary wildly but among the Elves it is very aesthetic and communal/group oriented and it's beautiful and fancy and easily disrupted and Tubbo has only a few weeks to learn lmao-

[repmet]

Fic: Iris

For FowlFest2020: Obscure Character Appreciation Day. Iris is actually an OC, but her family is mentioned so... that counts right? Shoutout to @ms-nothingspecial for betaing  and listening to me stress about word choice for far too long.

--

The fairy shuttle port at Tara was an impressive operation. Ten thousand cubic metres of terminal concealed beneath an overgrown hillock in the middle of the McGraney farm. For centuries, the McGraneys had respected the fairy fort's boundaries and, for centuries, they had enjoyed exceptional good luck.

- Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident

--

Iris McGraney is born at midnight on a full moon, which for a McGraney is the very best of luck.

The birth goes smoothly and without complications, and Iris is born quietly, wailing briefly to let the world know she’s arrived, before settling on her mother’s chest, quietly basking in the comfort of her family around her.

Iris McGraney is born lucky. Then again, her family always has been.

--

When Iris is 7 she gets sick, as children do.

Plans are made to see the doctor in the morning, but McGraneys have a certain way of treating illnesses first that most others don’t.

Iris is well enough to listen to her Dad tell her to keep the bedroom window open all night, even as he bundles her up in blankets and turns the heater on.

He puts a note on the sill along with a single gold nugget, just in case.

“We’ve invited them in before, but it’s better safe than sorry, isn’t it? And you should never ask without offering something in return. It’s rare they take it but it’s only polite.”

The McGraney’s were always digging up gold, especially near the fairy fort. Iris knew it was a secret though, or else everyone would want to come dig on their farm which would make the cows sad.

“Now, go to sleep,” her Dad tells her, tucking her in tight. “You’ll feel better in the morning.”

Iris doesn’t wake all night, and in the morning, the note is gone, the small piece of gold now sitting on her night stand.

Iris picks it up and runs to the kitchen.

“It moved, Daddy!” she announces proudly, the picture of a healthy child. “They didn’t take it but it moved.”

Her father laughs and hugs her.

“That’s how they let us know they were here.”

--

When Iris is 14 a severe looking boy in a suit sits down across from her at a cafe she’s in, and puts a phone on the table.

Iris recognises the model, it’s seven months away from being released and the hype is already intense.

“For a moment of your time.”

Iris stares at him.

“My parents are gonna think I fucking stole this.”

The boy sets a letter down on the table as well. Iris has a brother so she ignores the letter at first and continues staring at the boy, hoping to unnerve him. He seems unbothered, maybe he has siblings too. She picks up the paper and reads a very official looking letter from the phone manufacturer congratulating her on being selected to test an early release prototype.

It’s fake of course. Iris isn’t an idiot, she is however a teenager in a tiny village with not much going for it. In short, she’s bored and whatever the hell this is, it’s interesting. Also her parents don’t know shit about technology or how major releases work.

She shoves the phone in her backpack.

“What do you want?”

“The fairy fort on your property, I want to know about it.”

Iris raises her eyebrows, that’s hardly top-secret information.

“I don’t know, man, it’s been there for ages. We take care of it, respect the boundaries, and we get lucky.”

“In just the past fifty years your family has uncovered a lost work of Holbein the Younger, a sword owned by Íriel Fáid and seven seperate stores of gold. You’ve also never lost an animal to bovine spongiform encephalopathy in all the history I could find of your farm.”

Well it was more gold than that at last count but they’d stopped being so vocal about it and also-

“Yeah... what’s that last one?”

The kid gives her a disdainful and patronising look. “Mad cow disease.”

“Right.” This dude is a dick. “Like I said. Lucky.”

“It seems a bit more than lucky.”

Iris shrugs. “Look man, you don’t need to believe in the People if you don’t want but you’re in the wrong town. We eat that shit up here, the Hill of Tara borders our farm, there’s three fairy-dedicated gift shops in this village alone.”

He looks interested now though, leaning forward in his seat.

“The People?”

His eyes are weirdly intense, Iris can’t wait to tell her friends about this. Orla is super into vampires right now, she’s going to love it.

“Fairies, the fae, the fair folk, aos sí, whatever you want to call them. Maybe it is just luck, I’ve never seen one-” She frowns, a memory bubbling up then she shakes her head, brushing off a dream of a small winged figure on her windowsill one night. “The People is what my grandparents called them though. Capital P.”

“What else did your grandparents tell you about them? Did they have any superstitions specific to your family?”

Iris doesn't even need to think on that one.

“Grandpa Rob had this thing where he would make everyone wash their hands after we came back from church. Said it was not to harm the People with the holy water, but no one else I know does that, even the Creideamh Sí families.That means -”

“The Fairy Faith,” he interrupts. “Yes, I’m aware. I’ll need to know anything else your family knows about them.”

He pulls a laptop out of his bag which looks like nothing Iris has ever seen and her family is pretty well-off (selling lost works or art tends to help).

“This is getting to be more than a moment, dude.”

“I can take the phone back.”

Iris laughs, he’s not wrong that the phone is worth more than a short conversation, but the threat is just plain funny coming from a pre-teen who looks like he’d never seen the sun in his life and a stiff breeze would knock him over.

The man standing behind him, who Iris initially assumed was his dad but now isn’t so sure, clears his throat and there’s something in the way he does it, or maybe the way he glances down at her, that makes it very clear this tiny undertaker looking child would be leaving with either his answers, or the phone.

If Iris were older or wiser, she would be suitably unsettled but today she just waves a hand at the mountain of a man.

“Chill, I don’t mind, just weird to be honest.”

“You’re welcome to whatever opinion you please so long as you answer all of my questions with as much detail as possible. Now, tell me more about the holy water.”

This phone better be worth it. (It is.)

--

When Iris is 19 the world ends.

Kinda.

Her PlayStation is ruined at least which is annoying as shit.

More importantly, the fairy fort is gone and there’s an actual fucking fort there.

“I always thought it would be a bit less… concrete.”

She’s not sure who she’s talking to, her brother’s moved to London and her parents are out at lunch with friends. But it’s rather the sort of day where Iris thinks she might not believe anything at all if she keeps it just in her head.

The door gives a loud bang and Iris yells and leaps backwards. The banging continues and she realises there’s someone on the other side.

“Are you okay?’ she calls, trying to keep the sudden nervousness in her chest from coming through the words.

“There’s a fire in here, and the suppression systems aren’t working.”

Iris takes several long breaths, processing several things. One, her family is not mad, fairies do exist. Two, they do in fact have a fort on their farm. Three, she might be about to meet them for real. Four, it’s kinda ugly and dull, she expected a bit more… magical?

She looks up to try and centre herself and catches sight of a plane, trailing smoke and flying disturbingly low before it disappears over a hill. In the distance there’s the sound of thunder.

Right, the world is possibly ending, perhaps that should be higher on the list. That part is plain not registering in her head.

She tells herself she imagined the plane, there’s no room in her head to process the alternative right now.

“Who are you anyway?”

Iris’ head snaps back up at the question. Right, fairies trapped in a burning building. Focus.

“Iris McGraney! Stand back, I’ll kick the door in.”

“This door is built to withstand more than you, human.”

Iris frowns, annoyed. “You prefer to suffocate?”

There’s a long pause then, from what sounds like a distance, the voice calls back, “Alright, give it a go.”

Iris is a farmgirl through and through. She’s been stacking hay and climbing fences and eating well her entire life, she wouldn’t be carrying the Dinnie Stones any time soon but she could best all the local boys in an arm wrestle and carry a small calf several fields if she had too.

Her first kick connects with a satisfying crack. The second gives more of a crunch and on the third the door snaps and slams inwards. It’s a pretty cool moment, Iris wishes the day wasn’t so surreal so she could bask in it more.

Smoke starts to billow out as soon as it meets the outside air and there’s a lot of yelling and organised panic as thirty-odd fairies of differing colours and various sizes of small come pouring out, most coughing.

One, in an official looking uniform, makes a line for Iris.

“You’re a fairy,” she tells him.

“Yes, a gnome if we’re getting technical.” He pulls out a handkerchief and starts dabbing at his forehead. “Thanks for that, by the way, Frond only knows what’s going on. One moment we’re getting the call that Haven’s locking down the next the electronics start sparking and melting off the walls.”

“The same thing happened in the house.” Iris tells him, rapidly compartmentalising, there was far too much to take in today. Fairies sure, but gnomes? She pushes it in a box for later. “My phone melted, and the TV almost started a fire.”

The gnome shakes his head worriedly. “This is not good, not good. No contact with Haven and all our tech going bust. I bet it’s that Koboi pixie somehow, right crazy one she is.”

Iris nods for a moment, then shakes her head. “No, I don’t know what that means.”

“Not good, is what it means.”

Iris looks across the fields to several columns of smoke rising in the distance, the further she looks in every direction the more there are.

Not good at all.

--

When Iris is 32 her parents die.

It’s sudden and so plain, after a life of quiet magic and unrelenting luck. Her mother took a turn too fast and hit a patch of ice.

They didn’t suffer at least.

She blames the People at first, but even as the anger bubbles inside her she knows it’s only grief behind it. She’s learnt over the years they’re just people themselves, no capital letter. They can do extraordinary things but miracles are miracles for a reason.

After the wake is passed and the friends gone home, her brother reluctantly back across the channel, promising to call that same night, Iris is at a loss.

She had expected to be but still.

The knocks at the door are so frequent she doesn’t even startle when another comes. She’s not sure she’s in a mood for more well-wishers but she’s not doing well alone either so- she sighs and goes to open the door.

On the other side is a black-haired man in a three-piece suit, still pale but Iris felt less concern now that he might combust if the sun ever does manage to find him.

“Artemis Fowl, I didn’t expect us to meet again.”

“You remember me.” He doesn’t seem surprised.

“Being interrogated by a ten year old tends to stick in a girl’s mind.”

He smiles. “I was 12.”

Iris invites him in and makes tea.

It’s a welcome distraction right now because you have to be living under rock in Ireland not to know how just very extraordinary Artemis Fowl the Second is. Three doctorates, Time Man of the Year at 22, already one Nobel Prize and smart money’s on a second soon.

If anyone could have done it at 12… well.

For a moment she almost hesitates, but Artemis gives her a real smile, as if he already knows what’s on her mind.

(In the years ahead she will come to know him well enough to realise that’s exactly the case.)

She hands him a cup and sits down.

“Tell me, Dr. Fowl, did you ever find the People?”

[letsbenditlikebennett]

Eclipse || Ariana & Sammy (Ace)

TIMING: Late Tonight PARTIES: @inspirationdivine & @letsbenditlikebennett SUMMARY: Finally after weeks of Ariana going out to their spot every night, Sammy (Ace) turns up and they settle on a new timeline for their wolfy plans.  CONTENT: Abuse mentions

The fairy ring had fricking finally dissolved, meaning Sammy had finally been released from the mental clutches of a dozen tiny pixies. Now he was just beholden to one, better, bigger fae, so of course the first thing he did was sneak out. Lydia was still angry at him, rightfully so, and when she spoke her tongue lashed at them like a hot poker. He had to make it up to her, prove he was worth her time and attention, because he’d let her down so much. He just…. also had to let Ariana know he was okay. So he’d scrabbled on his knees through the tunnel, and had practically run all the way through the woods until he was back where they were supposed to meet. He ran all the way up to Ariana and threw his arms around her, almost barrelling her right over. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m okay.” 

The fact Blanche hadn’t seen ghost Ace had been a good sign. It didn’t completely dissipate her worries, but Ariana felt better knowing he was likely still alive. As much didn’t stop her from showing up at their spot every night yet again. The dark circles around her eyes seemed to keep growing the more she denied herself sleep, but she couldn’t live with the thought of Ace showing up and her not being there. She’d been sitting on the ground drumming her fingers against her knees when she heard someone approaching. His familiar earthy scent became present and for the first time in weeks, she felt herself truly relax. He nearly knocked her over when he swooped her into a hug. She squeezed him tightly and refused to let go. She was upset, but she knew Lydia was the one who deserved her anger. She patted his back and assured, “It’s okay, I’m just glad you’re alive.” She held onto him a few moments longer before she finally stepped away and looked him over for any sign of injury. “So what happened,” she asked, not sure she really wanted to know the answer. 

“Don’t say that,” Sammy murmured, although Lydia’s rage had made it clear his survival wasn’t foregone, not after they’d betrayed her like that. “Don’t say that,” he repeated again, her arms shaking like jelly as she stepped back, and she looked him over sharply. He didn’t know how to look back at her, with shame or fear. Every time they met he felt more and more aged, but between the last time they met and now, he felt it especially so. His dark undereyes matched hers, his cheeks hollowed. There were bad calluses on his fingers, and god, a week of dancing in a fairy ring had left him a little worse for wear too. “You know I can’t answer that.” He replied shakily, looking down at his shoes. “But it’s… it’s been bad. She’s been different. It’s understandable, god, I get it. I want to help her, but I- I keep making it worse. I’m making it worse right now.” He looked back up at her with a wry smile. “But I had to see you, right?”

Somehow, Ace always had a way of tugging at all of her heartstrings. Hell, he looked worse than she did right now and Ariana was not looking her best. He looked paler, more tired. Thinner, even. More than anything, she wanted to scoop him up and run away with him right now. Somewhere far the hell away from White Crest where Lydia could never find him again, but she knew he wouldn’t come. Somehow, that stung even more. She reached out to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “I won’t say it again, but I did mean it,” she said in a hoarse whisper that gave away the fact she was holding back tears, “You’re important to me, Ace.” Maybe she was making it worse, but she just couldn’t let this or him go. For a moment there, she’d forgotten he literally couldn’t tell her anything and frowned. “Right, I… I forget that sometimes.” She continued to scan him and try to take note of any injuries. It looked like he’d been through hell. “I’m sorry it was bad,” she croaked as she did her best to be strong for him and blink back the tears. “But it’ll be better soon, I promise.” She looked down briefly before looking back up at him earnestly. “Did you still want-- You don’t have to-- I can figure something else out.” 

“Yeah, yeah, it’ll be better soon.” Because his main problem? More than not having been there for the five minutes the vampire was, more than having let her catch with his nerves before all this had happened, Sammy’s biggest failure was being human. And after he’d get to spend more and more time with Ariana, as his big wolf mentor. Which meant less time with Lydia. Sammy’s stomach turned and he pushed that though deep as a rock inside him. “Yes. Yes! I still want time with you! I still want to be chomped on, changed, all that.” He swallowed. He’d just have to be less nervous about it all. “What- what about you? How was your August? What have you been up to?”

It felt like the better they both spoke of couldn’t come quickly enough. Ariana longed for nights that wouldn’t be spent worrying about him. The exhaustion of waiting out here for him most nights had been catching up to her. “It will,” she said softly, not sure if she was trying to convince him or herself. While she was determined to save him, she still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was in way over her head. “Alright, we can plan to do that next month then. When should I-- You know I’ve never heard it called chomping before, but hey, it kind of works,” she said with a nervous laugh. It was hard to ignore the fluttering in her stomach as they updated their place. She needed this to work. Ace needed this to work. Though she supposed she should enjoy this time she had with him instead of worrying about what may or may not happen. There was a brief pause before she answered, “It’s been…. An August, but hey, I moved into a new place closer to campus. One of my best pals is my neighbor and carpentry school has been pretty dope so far.” She focused on the happier parts of August hoping it would brighten the mood, but she still couldn’t fight the overwhelming sorrow that seemed to be growing. “I brought snacks-- I know you mentioned the mime food before,” she blurted out and pulled some things out of her backpack. 

“Yeah, let’s do it this month. Let’s, uh, I don’t know, when do you think is a good time?” Sammy agreed. Oh, man, she looked so tired. Which kinda felt like his fault. She’d thought he was dead. She’d thought - Sammy swallowed, and decided he would do anything in his power to ensure that she never had to worry like that again. He’d be better at hiding his feelings, better at sneaking out, better- better at tricking Lydia. Sammy’s stomach twisted like there was a rope going through it. He listened to her almost normal life with wild eyes. College still felt lifetimes ago. “That’s awesome, about your friend and the carpentry school,” he said softly, and then grinned as she pulled out snacks. “Oh! Dude, sweet, th- that’s really cool of you. The mime food is all gone. Back to normal food. Which is like, great, way better than mime food, way better than I would cook.” He grinned, sitting down on the leafy underlayer in the dark. “Do you want to talk about the bits of August that was bad or?” 

“Okay, cool, yeah-- Maybe we could go for the 23rd this time? That’s a week before the first night of the full moon again,” Ariana explained, still somewhat apprehensive about this whole thing. There was no doubt that she wanted to do this to keep him safe, she just hated waiting. Not being able to check in on him and make sure he was okay left every day feeling impossibly long and she found herself growing more and more weary. Every day left her feeling more and more like she should just let Athena get involved, but she wanted to try and enjoy the little time they had together now. “Yeah, that stuff is all going pretty well. Been making some pretty cool stuff, I’ll have to actually get some pictures to show you next time,” she said with a smile that mostly masked the fact she always worried there wouldn’t be a next time. She still felt a bit guilty that he got stuck with the mime food and pulled out a thermos that had some venison stew in it, some chips, some cookies, and some sandwiches. It was nearly a whole picnic. “Well, I had to be sure. I’m glad there’s no more mime food.” She looked down and fumbled with her hands briefly. The bad parts of the month seemed to stick with her more so than she would have liked. “Right, yeah, I guess I did kind of leave those out. That obvious, huh?” Her eyes drifted back up to meet his as she rested her palms on the ground. “Uh, well, I was pretty freaked out when you didn’t show up-- I thought you-- I figured you didn’t when my medium friend couldn’t see you, but you know. Which is totally not your fault. I was also in a bit of a fight with a good friend of mine, but we made up now. Weirdly enough, actually ended up at a funeral sort of gathering with Lydia… which is kind of a long story.” 

“Okay, but if I miss it, I will find a way to meet you before the full moon. We’re not missing it this time,” Sammy promised. He wasn’t about to give them away again. He’d do breathing exercises, distracting Lydia from himself by making the best sculptures he possibly could, the whole nine yards. He’d have to get Chloe in on it, to help him. Thinking he could just, you know, sneak out had been a big mistake, but Sammy was going to do better. There was no way in hell he was letting Ariana think he was dead again. “Yeah, I’d love you to show me what you’re making too! Hell, maybe after we can even do kind of like a mixed media thing together. It’d be cool.” Thinking about an after? Now that did weird things to him. It made his stomach flutter with excitement of having more of a life, getting to spend times in the day light with Ariana, try making new friends. (Ha, that was funny - friend making was not one of his top tier skills by any means.) Then at the same time his chest squeezed as he thought about how Lydia would take all of this. He’d be so much better for her. He’d actually be able to protect her from the vampire that made her frightened, he could be a real friend and confidante, but losing a human was so inconvenient for her… Sammy decided, once again, not to think about that anymore. Not tonight. His eyes widened as Ariana brought out a whole picnic worth of food. “Oh, Ariana, dude, you didn’t have to! This is amazing. But uh, yeah, that obvious, sorry.” He said, sombering right up as she talked. “I’m really sorry you had to do that. I, uh, I don’t think I’d turn ghosty, if I did. Not for long. But I’m also really not planning on ghostifying any time soon. I’m sorry about your friend. That shit always sucks. And I, uh, heard about the funeral.”

“Good, you really had me worried before. I know you couldn’t help it, I just… I’d really rather get this done sooner rather than later and be able to know that you’re safe,” Ariana explained. That feeling of waking up alone in the woods and realizing he never made it had gutted her. It was hard to shake the image of his lifeless body from her head and it had haunted her nightmares more than she would ever admit. She breathed deeply and reassured herself this was going to be okay. Ace was going to be fine and she’d be able to guide him through being a wolf. It was easier to smile again at the mention of them doing some mixed media pieces together. One day, it’d be a reality. She could see it now, them working together in a small but cozy workshop making wooden and clay pieces that complimented each other well. She could practically smell the sawdust and clay in the air and she couldn’t quite think of anything more peaceful. “I’d love that. Working on stuff together sounds great. It’s kind of… well, thinking about a time where we can actually do things like that together is pretty happy. I can’t wait to see some of your stuff, too.” There was a hint of wistfulness to her tone though her features brightened a bit. Especially when seeing Ace so happy about the spread she brought. Sure, he was right she didn’t have to bring them a bunch of food, but somehow taking care of him, at least in this small way made her feel a little more at ease until she could make sure he was safe permanently. “I know, I know,” she responded with a laugh, “I wanted to though. One thing you’ll learn once you’re a fellow wolf is that I like to take care of people I care about.” As they both became a bit more serious, she patted a hand on her shoulder. “Hey,” she started softly, “It’s not your fault and I’m really just glad you’re actually okay. That’s good-- Celeste never-- It’s supposed to mean you’re at peace. I don’t want you to die, but like one day very far away from now when you do, I want you to have peace. Yeah, the funeral was kind of-- I didn’t know the wolf that died, but wanted to give them a proper send off, ya know?” 

Now he had said it, Sammy couldn't stop thinking about it. He'd still do most of his stuff with Lydia, he wanted to help her, and she could have all the credit she wanted, Sammy didn't mind. He wanted to help her. He would do anything for her. But  maybe, occasionally, he could meet Ari and they could make things together. Make it cool. "Yeah- it makes me happy too. I bet your wood work is amazing. I can't wait to see it." In this forest, though, all good things had to come to an end. It is my fault, the protest died on his lips. There was no point in arguing over a little thing like that. "I… before all this, I had kind of accepted that I would die, soon. It sounds… morbid, but I was okay with that. So I think… I think I would just want to move on, you know. Join some of my family." He wrapped an arm sideways along her shoulder, gave her a squeeze. "But that's not happening, okay?" He smiled softly. "Yeah. I get it. Someone there to remember them."  He picked up one of the cookies with a smile and took a big bite out of them. "Oh my god," he moaned, "you have no idea how long it's been since I had a cookie."

As much as she cherished their nights in the forest together, Ariana couldn’t help but daydream about seeing Ace during the day. Sunlight peeking through the window in a workshop and relaxing music playing in the background. Maybe even with his company, she could stomach going back to Al’s and having the breakfast special she used to love so much. The thought of it was enough to keep her pushing forward. “You’ll be seeing a lot of it soon enough. I can’t wait to see some of your pottery… not that you’ve told me that’s what you do. You just always smell like clay, which is kinda earthy and comforting,” she explained with a small smile. It was hard not to frown when Ace mentioned he had pretty much accepted he was slowly dying prior to all of this. She supposed it was a pretty hopeless situation before she came along. “I’m glad you don’t anymore because I’m not letting that happen. Still, when you do die, a very long time from now might I add, I’d want you to be at peace. From what I understand, it’s not good to stick around as a ghost for too long,” she responded softly and leaned into him as he gave her a comforting squeeze. “You’re right,” she agreed, finally feeling content. “Exactly, there’s a certain sense of connection you feel with other wolves. I think you’ll get it once you’re one, too.” She took a cookie herself and took a bite. She laughed a bit. “Glad I could provide. I’m not much of a baker, but chocolate chip cookies were Celeste’s favorite so I got pretty good at making them.” 

“I do, do I?” Sammy replied with a smile, instinctively smelling at his hoody. He couldn’t smell it, but he believed she could. He spent all day and some nights working on the clay, it was probably clogging up his nose too. “Yeah. I’m not afraid of it either way, but I’d like dying to be a long time away.” He replied, holding her close. When she described her pack feelings, he couldn’t help but smile. “I can’t wait to be part of something like that.” He’d always  been a bit of an outsider in his own family. Not that anyone treated him bad, just that he was the one non-slayer in the family, he hadn’t done the training or the night time hunts, so it had just been different. Not that the family would love him being a wolf, but they’d be okay with it. They’d just be happy to see him again, right? Right? “These are so good. If I died right now I’d be such a happy man, Ari. I can bake a mean banana cake, you know. It’s like, my only culinary skill.” 

“You do,” Ariana responded with a soft smile painting her features. All she wanted was to share more moments like this exact one with him, but without that nagging fear present in the background. It was so close to being in her reach, that she almost wanted to bite him now. That’d be too long away from the moon though. “A very long time away,” she added, “I’ll make sure of that.” She hoped like hell she could live up to that promise. She needed to live up to that promise. She wasn’t about to lose Ace so shortly after losing Celeste and Winn. There wasn’t a chance in hell she’d just let Lydia slowly kill him the way she had been or otherwise. Soon, he’d have a pack. “It’s-- some of the wolves can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but we always have each other’s backs. I think that counts for a pretty big something.” She relished in the feeling of being close to him, hearing his heartbeat, knowing he was alive and mostly well. Seeing him so happy over the cookies she made only furthered that warmth. “I’m glad you like them, though I��d argue the longer you stay alive the more of my homemade cookies you can have. Plus, now that you’ve mentioned it, you have to make me one of those banana cakes,” she responded with a playful nudge. Being here, finally joking with him again, was the best she’d felt in weeks and she intended to take advantage of their time until the sun threatened to rise yet again. Sleep be damned, some things were worth losing sleep over.

[aures-rose]

The following is written in Welsh, in a lovely, looping handwriting.

Dear Diary,

This week has been… very weird and I feel… very weird about it all. I guess that's the theme of this week. Weirdness. Very weirdness. I'm going to try to include everything in it but I also kind of don't want to talk about it all, even with you. I hope that's okay, it's not like I don't trust you, Diary. After all, you're just a book that lives under my mattress, you're not going to tell anyone, even if they find you unless they read Welsh. It's just… well, we'll see when we get to it, right?

It all started Thursday when Tom called me a baby. I don't know why it bothered me so much. I guess it's because, well I mean it's Tom! He's not even that much older than me, he's only two years ahead and that's not even a whole lot. But he called me a baby, as if I haven't faced the Organ that ate Everlina or the Orb just like he did. And so I said some not nice things to him and he ended up saying that I wasn't cool and calling me a cow. That hurt even more than being called a baby. I don't know what happened after that because the whole time this cat had been trying to get our attention and so I decided to follow it with Jamie instead of arguing with Tom.

The cat ended up leading Jamie and I to the greenhouses where a bunch of pixies had gotten in and were making all kinds of trouble! I decided I really like Jamie, they're a lot of fun and don't back down from adventure or run after professors. They're a real Gryffindor and I hope I am half that cool. We ended up fighting the pixies and afterwards, we talked while rounding up their frozen bodies to give to a professor. Jamie said that Tom probably didn't mean to hurt my feelings and was just teasing me like a sibling does but I don't want Tom to be like my sibling. I also don't want him to hate me though because then who would call me Fairy-Face?

Anyways, later in the common room I found one of my dormmates. Andie Taylor. How do I even describe Andie, Diary? She's the coolest and scariest person I've ever met. It's like she doesn't care what anyone else thinks which is super cool. We ate every flavour beans and talked about her mum's book and about my crowns and the Fae. Andie says she likes me, but she likes me better when I'm not trying to make her like me. I think she was just hiding that it worked on her though. I don't know though, talking to her made me wonder if I can still be cool if I like faery tales.

Friday, I heard Nora gave Tom horns when we fought because he called me uncool and a cow and I kind of felt bad about it. Someone said he looked like he was crying and that made me feel even worse so… I wrote Tom and told him a little bit about The Horned Boy in one of my Faery Tales. About how he was very cool and he became a king. I didn't tell Tom The Horned Boy was kind of a jerk but I offered to tell him the story. I'll just tell him a version where The Horned Boy was nicer. I wanted to apologise to him proper but… I couldn't bring myself to say sorry to him then.

Andie and I went to Muggle Studies and we were kind of mean. I mean, well… I guess I was the mean one and Andie… I just wanted her to think I was cool and so I told her the Beauxbatons students weren't smart and that they needed their hands held to get to class. Well… them and the Ravenclaws sat in front of us. I kind of felt so bad about it that I went to bed early because I felt unwell. Anyways, we ended up talking about how muggles killed each other and Andie talked about how when you're sad, sometimes muggles will use a pick made out of ice to pick out your brain. She said they still do that. She's kind of scary, really.

After class, I told her and Jamie about the dark side of Faery Tales after class, about the Queen of Mirth and how the Fae will use their magic to make you believe the garbage you're eating is a royal feast, the rags you wear are silks. Andie said that I'm scary and… I kind of liked it? Scary is better than a baby. Scary is… cool. Which means I can be cool and still like scary stories… I just have to make sure everyone else sees how cool they are.

Saturday, Professor Macauley called for people who were interested in drama to meet in the dueling room and we all found out he wanted to put on a play. We talked about what kind of play to put on and what play so we're doing the Tale of Three Brothers but with our own twist on it. Professor Macauley was asking me about music but Nora says I should audition and… I want to. My music shouldn't be something I use to please others, even Professor Mac. Nora also said she'd braid my hair so we planned for Hogsmeade weekend and now I have braids.

Then we had the Owl Post. Nora seemed really frustrated. I guess I would be too if I were only a fourth year trying to run a school paper too. Nora's cool like that though, she's super tough and able to handle all that. I just wish she was nicer to Tom, I don't think she knows how much it bothers him. Tom and I also talked Magnus into fighting Big Rod - that's Artie, if you didn't know. It took me telling Magnus about how Artie's mean to me sometimes to get him to agree.  I didn't mention that when Artie was mean to me last time I threw my wooden sword at him, he was too excited about wanting to… I don't remember the word he used but he kept talking like a Faery Tale knight. He reminded me of one in one of my books. I didn't tell him the Knight died halfway through the book.

 Anyways, Tom and I are going to do an article on leaks in the castle because Witch Weekly keeps finding out gossip before even we do. I also talked to Tom about… what I did. Trying to make him feel bad because he made me feel bad. He doesn't hate me though. He said hating me was the last thing he did, which I think means that he just really doesn't hate me? We talked about how I'm sad a lot and how he's sad sometimes and… other stuff. He did say that making people feel bad on purpose is wrong and… he's right. I can't help it though, sometimes I just… well anyhow, Tom said he'd always be my friend. And then I left because… well talking about serious feelings with him is kind of embarrassing. He always makes me feel nervous. I told him I needed to find Eve and left after that which wasn't a lie because Every and I agreed to look at the portraits in the Long Gallery. We did that for a while until Eve decided to go to dinner and Andie found me to tell me some gossip.

See, Andie thinks Jamie really likes me. Like likes me. She said she could tell by how Jamie was staring at me and got all blushy when she asked them about me. I like Jamie but I think they're just enchanted because I'm part veela. I tried telling Andie that but I think Andie just thought that I was really just that pretty because I had to explain what being part veela even meant to her. Luckily, unlike Rubicon or Octavia, she thought it was really cool. I told her I've been trying to see how much I can get away with, with it so we're going to test it…

*The ink here is a different shade of blue, fresher as if it were written at a different time than the rest.*

I should not fall asleep reading my scariest Faery Tales! I had a nightmare about shadow people- I guess they were a sort of Fae- and I can't stop thinking about it. I was so scared! Anyways Diary, that's everything. I need to go now, since I'm up, I should get ready for classes, but I'll update you next time something interesting comes up.

*More is added here in black ink.*

Diary! So much more has happened! It all started at lunch time Monday. Andie and I were in the Great Hall when these books came out of nowhere! They started attacking Hufflepuffs first before coming at us. I tried to stop them when one started attacking me. Andie got mad because she said I was going to destroy them so Jamie saved me and I ended up running after Andie, except I forgot my backpack under the table. I had caught up to Andie when Jamie came up to bring my backpack to me. Of course, Andie started teasing me saying I should get ready for them to ask me to marry them. Instead… after we talked for a while… Jamie actually asked me to the Hearty Party!  I didn’t think I’d be going really, I’ve had such a hard time being friends with anyone other than Professor Macauley but now Jamie and I have been spending almost every day together. Although, it is kind of hard. Jamie and Andie don’t… Well Andie keeps upsetting Jamie. This time it was by insulting Magnus, even if what she said was true, she was very mean about it and called him a name. I thought Jamie was going to hex Andie! Anyways, Andie ended up leaving so Jamie and I talked a little bit and I told them Andie kind of just likes getting a reaction out of people. I don’t know if it’s really true but it does seem that way.

Jamie and I ended up going back to the commons and Andie was there pretty much sitting by herself. It’s always weird to see someone by themselves in the commons because there’s always so many people in there and it’s always so busy and alive. But Andie was there playing cards. It was really awkward so I said we should play truth, dare, or hex. Andie ended up having to go into the Boys’ Dorm to get something from one of their bunks and while she was in there, Jamie told me about how they’re genderfluid and what that means. We talked about how they have a bunk in both the boys and the girls’ dorms and how the magic all depends on whether or not they’re feeling more like a boy or a girl and sometimes they end up locked out of their dorm.

Andie came back with a poem from an older boy and after reading it out loud, it was Jamie’s turn. Jamie took a dare and Andie dared them to write a fake love letter from Elliott (you remember him right? Our Triwizard Champion) to Cardan- the Beauxbatons Champion. Jamie’s a very Gryffindor person though and they got upset because they thought that was a very… not nice prank. I tried to tell Jamie they didn’t have to /send/ the letter but Andie insisted and… she ended up leaving after calling Jamie a wet, soggy, jumper. Jamie was going to storm off but I asked to talk because… Well, I like hanging out with Andie but I don’t want Jamie to think… Well, to not like me. So I told Jamie that and… well some other stuff. Jamie confessed some stuff to me too, but I’m not going to write them down because… well, I know no one will probably find this who speaks Welsh but I don’t want to risk it, it’s not my secret to tell! I like being the keeper of secrets. Anyways, I told Jamie that I think they’re good and kind and they said they think I am too but I think they’re worried that hanging out with Andie will change that.

I guess the last thing to write about is… Divination class. I don’t want to go into detail but… Thistlewitch, Diary. Thistlewitch! It was really scary too, they all screamed and it seemed like they were really in pain. Jamie and I talked about it some after class though we mostly kind of got to know each other. Anyways, it’s dinner time so I’m going to run down there, I’ll write soon, Diary!

[everly-kindred]

Eve’s Diary - Entry #50

Synopsis: Eve details the events of Valentine’s weekend - the Hearty Party, and the Cirque de Sorcieres! And also finds out something disconcerting...

Words: 1,863

Date: 21st of February, 2027

Dear Diary, 

It has been yet another busy two weeks, which is why I’ve neglected to write to you again. It’s been… wonderful, for the most part, but there are also some things that have been worrying me...

After I had written in you the last time, I went to get a snack from the kitchens before curfew hit. As I was coming back (I had had warm milk with honey and cinnamon!) I accidentally knocked into the grandfather clock and the pendulum fell out. Since my grandmother has one of these at her house, I’m kinda used to this so I was going to fix it, when this house-elf showed up and wouldn’t let me! Told me I didn’t know what I was doing and I needed to go to bed! 

So I ended up arguing with this house-elf until it was past curfew. And that’s when this Slytherin prefect named Elliott showed up, escorting Peach to her common room. We were just about to head out when Professor Waldgrave showed up! I guess he was headed to the teacher’s lounge or something. Anyways, Peach made up a story about me helping her to find /her/ diary and added the truthful note that we were being escorted by Elliott, but then Waldgrave said he’d have to give Elliott detention for not being in full uniform while on patrol, and that he’d be writing Professor Priaux about me and Peach getting detention as well!

I’ve yet to get in trouble, so the idea makes me sad, but what really bothered me was how heartbroken Elliott looked when he was told he had detention, too. And the professor wouldn’t hear neither me nor Peach’s protests. I ended up sending him so donuts to apologise for him getting in trouble because of us. Oh, I had also managed to get the pendulum and fix the clock though, so there’s that. 

The whole week after that was interesting and a lot of fun, though! In Herbology, we got to sniff some flutterby bushes that are in bloom, and learned they only bloom once in a century! Flutterby bushes smell like something that you like. Mine smelled like firewood, honeysuckle, and chocolate chip cookies… And the professor said it’s likened to amortentia but the difference is that amortentia smells like something that would attract you in a lovey sort of way. I’m going to write mum and dad about getting a flutterby bush of my own, or maybe growing one from seed, because Dracheblume says that wizarding families tend to keep flutterby bushes as family heirlooms, and I love that idea! 

At some point during the day, I had a free period, and I ended up getting flagged down by this portrait who was really frustrated about something. He told me about these other two paintings who complain about how lonely they are all the time, and asked me to fix it! So I went on this like… quest of sorts to try to bring the two paintings together. The painting who asked me to do this was named… Terrence, I think? Or Roderick? One of them was named Terrence and the other was named Roderick. And then there was a lady painting named Wilhelmina and another painting named Rattlesmere got involved…

Rattlesmere is this very full of himself poet though I must admit he does have a way with words. But he’s a complete weirdo. He asked me to say something so stupid and weird that I’m not even going to write it down! Anyways, I got a poem from him to give to Wilhelmina, and tried to convince her… Terrence wrote it. I think Terrence was the other lovelorn painting. Anyways, she didn’t believe me, so I was forced to admit it was actually Rattlesmere and ended up moving her painting next to his by her request. The two seem made for each other, honestly.

Anyways, I was supposed to sway Terrence into loving Wilhelmina by delivering a cupcake (which was bloody freaking difficult to get from that one house-elf in the kitchens! I got yelled at about not knowing the difference between bacon and prosciutto!) but this just made him mad because paintings can’t eat. So I was forced to tell /him/ that it was set up by Roderick because he was tired of Terrence’s complaining, and… Well, Terrence took this to mean Roderick cared about him. And now those two paintings are actually together, I guess? So it all worked out in the end, and they all fell in love! 

Before the Hearty Party, the Owl Post released something called ‘Eros’ Classified’ which was sort of a blind date type thing. If I hadn’t already been asked to go by Aures, I might have signed up, because it sounded interesting and like it might be an exciting adventure to be set up with someone you don’t know! Of course, it could easily go horribly wrong, but anyways…

Oh, oh! And in Divinations, I got a taste of what it would be like to be as big as a fairy! Gallo turned his divinations room into a giant mouse box, with mice the size of bears! It was incredible! I felt like Tinkerbell and Cheese from Pixie Hollow like I could throw a saddle on one of the mice and go riding off on an adventure! I wish I could have stayed that tiny forever…

Oh, and I was written to TWICE in Cupid’s Corner! Of course, I had put in a note to all of my friends to thank them for being there for me, but I hadn’t imagined I’d be written to, and such lovely words, too! I think both are from Aures, but I’m not sure, and I’m too shy to ask. I’ll put them here. 

“I knew that you would come here,’

That’s what the Fae Queen said in the wood

She was bless-ed with the Sight

And flow-ers bloomed where-e’er she stood

She was a girl like me

her skin like the moon and hair like the earth

‘I knew you’d be here soon’

But not that you would feel so like home”

&

“I look at you

my heart racing,

roses bloom across my face

warm as the rising sun”

 There were some interesting entries - some really big love letters to… A few Veela in our school, actually. And some sweet stuff from one lover to another. It was really cute to read. But I think I’ll treasure my two poems forever. 

And then, finally, it was the Hearty Party. I danced with Bonnie a little, and sort of lingered off to the side sipping punch and eating cake. The theme was Persephone’s garden, so one half of the room was this magnificent romantic garden while the other half was the underworld. I saw Ruby there, but he was with Octavia and some other Slytherins, and he didn’t talk to me at all. Bobby came with Talula and there was some trouble with some of the older students, their friends I think, though I don’t know what happened. The Rumor Has It Article suggested they got into a fight because of burping? 

And then Marigold was there, too, and she got to dance with one of the Ashworth boys it looked like. She did this cute thing with her hair where she turned a braid into this sort of heart shape. It was cute!

Finally, just when I was about to give up and go back to my dorm, Aures arrived! And she reminded me very much of the main subject of an old, romantic oil painting, and I told her just as much! She was dressed in blush colours like me, and wore lilies in her hair. The whole scene, and they way we were dressed, reminded me of paintings like that famous painting called ‘The Swing’ with this elegant lady swinging in a magnificent garden with a handsome gentleman. 

We danced for a long time before the night ended, and it was simply lovely. I’ll never get over how magnificent they can make the Great Hall look, or how pretty and perfect Aures looked! Or, well, looks. The whole thing felt like one of my dreams! 

The next day was Hogsmeade weekend, and the Cirque de Sorcieries! And you’d never believe it, but the theme was one of my all time favourite things! Alice in Wonderland! We got to fall down this rabbit hole just like the one in the book to get to the circus, and then we landed in a maze with all of the beloved book characters. 

And then they had three magnificent performances, and it was absolutely amazing to see magic used in such a beautiful way. The first act was Tweedle Dee & Dum, the second was the Queen & King of Hearts, and the final one was Alice. And then there were cool rides everywhere, and snacks, and it was just… absolutely amazing. I’d always wanted to visit Wonderland, and because of them… I could! I can’t wait to see what they do next! 

So the week of Valentines and Valentines itself was absolutely wonderful. I’ve been going to classes since then, of course, and sort of just returning to life as normal, waiting for spring, but apparently something bad is happening in the forbidden forest…

I was talking to Bobby at lunch one day. He had just gotten out of one of Vikander’s classes, where they were apparently outside close to the forbidden forest, and one Acromantula was chasing the other? And one or both of them died, I don’t remember what he said. But, Professor Dracheblume overheard us, and came to talk to us about it. 

She said that Professor Eastwood is worried something bad is happening in the forbidden forest. Apparently, Acromantulas don’t really fight, and when they do it’s because there are two clans and they’re territorial. But, Drachblume said this was even weirder. She said Professor Eastwood met one of the Acromantulas and believes it is not an Acromantula at all, rather than something… or someone disguised as one! And that now there could be two tribes living in the forest - the true tribe, and the tribe following the false Acromantula, and that this would be the reason for the conflict. She also said he spoke to the leader of the Centaur herd, who said something about a ‘gift-giver’ but that the rest of the herd didn’t seem very happy with the leader at all.

I don’t know what to make of it, honestly. On one hand, I want to trust and believe that the professors will keep us all safe, but I’ve heard so many stories… Maybe I should train myself to be able to protect myself and fight if I need to, since I’m practically useless at spells. It has been awhile since I’ve practiced archery or swordplay…

I’m not sure what to do. At least, for now, I feel safe and okay in my dorm, and that will be good enough for me in the meantime. Anyhow, my day is about to begin, so I suppose I should get ready for class.

Much love, Everly

About the Character: Everlina Rosemary Kindred is an imaginative Hufflepuff attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She keeps up with her magical journey through a series of diary entries, dream journals, and tarot readings, all documented for future reflection. Her diary is a small glimpse into her enchanted life, and her adventure into the wizarding world and all its splendors. If you’d like more information about Eve, visit her wiki page. 

About the Author: My name is Katherine! I am a 22-year-old Hufflepuff & Pukwudgie from Louisville, Kentucky. This page is my creative journey into the magical world, through the lenses of Second Life. Here I post diary entries, dream journals, and tarot readings all from my character’s perspective. If you’d like more information about me, visit my Flickr! 

[ununniliad]

Another LNH Title? Really? #9: “War For the Oak Moss“

Fairy Princess Lad stood in front of the smoothie bar, way at the back wall of the natural foods store, behind the aisles of canned goods and bulk foods, the automatic sliding doors a rectangle of light in the distance. FPL bopped gently to the music, hips bouncing to the beat.

The smoothtender - smootherista? - smoothmellier - the person working the bar handed him the delicious orange-pomegranate-nutmeg monstrosity he'd ordered. Fairy Princess Lad took it and curtsied. "Thank you, sir!" he said.

"Aw, you're precious." The smoothulator patted him on the head and then went off to clean out the bits of nutmeg shell.

Fairy Princess Lad bounced over to the cafe area, sucking on the straw. He looked around for a seat and— wait a minute. There, in the corner, at the line of stools by the window - wearing a "Lagneto Was Right" T-shirt, with home-dyed bright blue hair, slouching with a plate of macaroni and cheese and the burningest ginger beer they had - Fairy Princess Lad's rival... Cynical Queer Teen!

CQT was a freelance net.hero who kicked bad people in the face. Which was great and all, but Fairy Princess Lad had tried multiple times to get them to loosen up and enjoy the sunniness of life and being gender-nonconforming - TO NO AVAIL! But he would keep trying, or his name wasn't Fairy Princess Lad! (Actually, it wasn't, but it was very bad for fairies to reveal their true names. That was probably also true for half-fairies like him.)

FPL walked up to CQT and sat down next to them. "Hi~i!"

Cynical Queer Teen glanced over at the perky figure. Their lip twisted in an ambiguous downturn. They took a deep breath... siiiiiiighed. "Hi." They occupied their mouth with a bite of mac'n'cheese and a swallow of ginger beer, nostrils flaring as the burn hit.

"How are you?" FPL gave them his sunniest smile.

They shrugged, performatively careless. "Meh. You?"

He wiggled his head a bit. "Pretty good, pretty good! Just got out of the LNH's infirmary."

"...oh?" The response was a layer of offhand casualness pasted over unease.

"Yeah, I was practicing first aid with some civilians who got scraped up by debris when the Liminals were fighting the All-New All-Different Fountain Pen Four."

Cynical Queer Teen exhaled, the unease dissipating. "That's good. Wouldn't want your tutu getting ripped."

Fairy Princess Lad heard the relief in their tone. "Hey, wait—" And his eyes got huge, the reflections in them turning heart-shaped. "I didn't think you cared about me!"

"Ah, ert—" CQT hesitated, then chuckled softly, looking to the side. "Well, I mean, I don't know if I'd go that far. But you're a cinnamon roll. Even I can't not like you."

"Awww, gee..." FPL blushed around a big grin. "But then why do you always, like, say something cool and drift off instead of jumping in and doing a team-up?"

CQT took a deep breath and sighed again. "Look, like..." They ran a hand through their hair, mussing it up further. "Like... how'd you get started in net.heroing?"

"Ah!" Fairy Princess Lad jumped out of his seat— "whoop, excuse me—" pulled his stool out— "just, there we go—" and stood atop it. "Ahem!"

"On the Day of First Becoming, when each inchoate fairy chooses what existence they will have in this cycle of their lives, I, being of human and of fae together, chose the Winding Way - to straddle the two worlds, to bring the iridescent glamour of the fae to Earth, and to bring the earthy joy of humanity to the Lands Beyond!" FPL threw his hands in the air, and his wings fluttered, pixie dust sparkling down from them.

"See, that's nice." CQT took a slug of ginger beer. "It's cute." They wiped their mouth. "I did it cos I couldn't take the abuse anymore."

"...oh." FPL sat back down. "What, um, which... what happened?"

"Just... Fuckin' kids, man." They shook their head. "Really just a few, but that was enough, y'know? They'd make fun of me, they'd spit on me, they'd take my backpack..."

"Oh, jeez." FPL put his face on his hand, looking up at CQT. "And nobody helped?"

They shook their head. "I tried to tell people. Sometimes, the teachers just told me to ignore them, or they just waved it off. One of them told me I wouldn't get teased if I didn't act so weird." They pfft'd. "Some of them tried to help, but the people above them wouldn't let them do much. Not enough, anyway. And like..."

CQT swallowed, and looked to the side. "I never really told my parents. I should've, but they're... they've always been really nice, and supportive, and I just..." They shook their head again, a quick jerk. "I just wanted home to be a place where I didn't have to deal with this, didn't have to think about that."

FPL nodded, slowly, mind afire with painful empathy. "And then?"

"And then... one morning, I was being shoved into a wall, and then, another kid was shoved up right next to me. And I looked in their face, and saw the bruises, the tears, the pain in their eyes, and I thought... fuck, man, that's me."

"And I just kind of... gave them everything that had built up in me, all of that time, and they used it - just knocked all of the bullies over with one blow. Because, it turns out, that's my power. I can charge someone up, make 'em a stronger version of themselves."

FPL sniffed, holding back the waterworks. "That's... that's good..."

"Yeah. And when someone actually bothered to check in, I told them I started the fight. I got expelled, but I told my parents everything, and they... well, they weren't happy, but they got it, I think. And things were... better? But... it's not like the shitty people weren't there at the new school. It's just... they see me coming, now, and they know I'm gonna fight, so they don't start shit." CQT ran a hand through their hair. "That's why I go around and stir shit up. If they're not doing it to me, they're doing it to someone else, so I gotta make sure I'm there so they can try to do it to me and get smacked down."

"Uh--" FPL's head was dizzy with the logic. "Jeez, that's... that's... wait, that kinda sounds like you're not using your powers and just taking everything on yourself because you don't want other people to get hurt."

"Yep. That's how it is." CQT crossed their arms and sat back. "That's how it's gotta be."

"But... aren't your powers way more useful in a team-up? You could—"

"No I can't!" They slammed their hands on the counter. "I can't sit back while someone else jumps in! I've been through this shit - I don't want anyone else to have to!"

"..." FPL's hands were in loose fists, his thumbs rubbing against his fingers. "I—"

There was a crash, and a high-pitched squeal came from the canned goods section. Fairy Princess Lad and Cynical Queer Teen looked at each other and leapt to their feet, running over.

In the middle of the canned goods aisle, next to the bulk spices, he stood, holding a scared man by the buttons of his shirt in one hand and a pikestaff in the other. A sturdy old man with red eyes, taloned hands and large teeth. A figure from the dark crannies of the folklore along the Scottish border, wearing a blue suit with red power tie and a "Make America Great Again" hat - the sign of - The Redcap!

CQT cracked their knuckles. "Get outta here, kid. It's time to rumble."

"No way!" said FPL, wings flapping, the iridescent shimmer of magick on their edges. "This guy's an old foe of the Midsummer Court, I know how to beat him! We gotta—"

But CQT was already off, running down the aisle with one fist in the air. "HRRARGH—"

The Redcap turned his head and smirked. With a nasal cackle, he tossed the man at CQT. They skidded, trying to reverse their momentum, letting their body relax before the man plowed into them and knocked both of them onto the floor.

Fairy Princess Lad leapt over them, gliding on an ethereal wind. He floated above the Redcap's head, up among the mahogany rafters and track lighting, pixie dust raining on his head. "Redcap, the imprints of thine steps in the loam of this world betray thee! Return to thine stones and thine circle and thine place of power, or be banished!"

The Redcap laughed. "Etiolated words!" he said, in a screeching, Chris Latta-ish voice. "Mine power flows beneath this place and through its arteries! I drink deep of the bittered indulgence, the helplessness that curdles into gnawing hate!"

"Whatever!" A bottle of oak moss essential oil smashed into pieces on the Redcap's face, and he hissed in pain. Cynical Queer Teen did a flying elbow slam into the Redcap's body, knocking him back into a display of organic jellies.

"Pssssst!" whispershouted FPL at CQT, fluttering down to the floor next to them. "There's too many people! We've gotta pull his aggro out of here!"

CQT hesitated, then nodded. They grabbed a neti pot and ran down the aisle toward the exit. "Hey, ugly!" they shouted, standing between the sliding doors and lifting the pot to toss.

The Redcap bounced up out of the jam. The end of his pikestaff cracked the linoleum and he vaulted over the aisle, over the checkout lines and registers and the frightened cashiers crouching beneath them, through the air, the deadly point of his pike arcing right at CQT.

They squawked and rolled, narrowly dodging the cruel metal stabber, dropping the pot and heading out the door.

"Oh pease porridge!" Fairy Princess Lad fluttered at top speed towards the door. "Buttercream, puppies, towels just out of the dryer..." he whispered, stretching out his hands.

The Redcap stepped out onto the sidewalk, leering around. He spotted Cynical Queer Teen by the shopping carts, getting to their feet. He grinned maliciously, raising the pikestaff for a killer blow.

FPL's hands pressed into the Redcap's back, and the dark fae shouted in pain as the concentrated energy of pure appreciation of domestic things surged through his body. He swung his staff around, catching FPL in the side with it; FPL gasped in pain and descended to the ground, clutching his ribs.

The Redcap leered. "Vanquished! Poor fairy. To the plucking!"

"Dammit!" CQT was back on their feet, kicking the Redcap in the wrist. "Stay back, kid!"

The Redcap screeched in pain. "Gaddastard!" The pikestaff dropped, and he lashed out with his other hand, but CQT was already hopping back into a combat position, hopping back and forth like a pugilist.

Fairy Princess Lad winced. "Ow ow ow goshdarnit ow..." He lifted himself on one hand— "Ow!" —and looked over to where Cynical Queer Teen was sidestepping the Redcap's attacks. "Cynical Queer Teen, don't— nng." He adjusted himself gingerly. "Call for help or something - he's not a human bully, you can't— nng! You can't take him by yourself!"

"The hell—" The Redcap charged forward with a swipe of his talons. "I—" CQT danced out of the way in the nick of time. "Can't!" CQT slammed an elbow into the Redcap's kidneys, a disabling blow... or, indeed, what should have been such a blow, had its target had kidneys.

Unaffected, the Redcap spun to face them, and they leapt out of the way - a hair too late, the Redcap's elbow catching them in the side, knocking the breath out of them and whirling them into the wall of the store. Stars swirled before their eyes, and they blinked them away - and twisted their body violently to the right. A fist slammed into the wall just where their head had been, cracking a decorative ceramic panel of fruit into pieces.

Fairy Princess Lad grabbed a street pole and pulled himself to his feet. "Cynical... Cyn... You don't... you don't want anyone else to have to get hurt... you want to be the only one in harm's way... but we all feel that way... that's what a hero is!"

Cynical Queer Teen swallowed, painfully. The Redcap grinned at them, lip curling cruelly, and shook the shards of ceramic off his hand.

FPL took a deep breath. "I don't... I don't want you to have to get hurt either! You're good, and that compassion in your heart that drives you so strongly... it's why you're alive! I want to protect it!"

CQT closed their eyes, and let out their breath. "...GODDAMNIT!" They thrust their hand out at Fairy Princess Lad and it burned with bright energy.

All at once FPL felt it - a spark of anger in his head that lead to an ignition of righteous fury that slammed into his gut and his muscles and his spine, lifting him up on an expanding ball of blazing plasma. He straightened up and he couldn't even feel his injury, the rage a light in his head illuminating the sharp corners and punchable surfaces all around him. He could see the Redcap pitiful and awful before him.

He rose on wings whose luminance burned. "REDCAP!" He pointed at the leathery figure, and it cowered.

"Hiss..." The Redcap drew in on himself. "Slaying is not allowed, the treaties, the codices..."

Fairy Princess Lad wanted to tear the coward apart, burn him, blast him, beat the stuffing out of him, let loose all his special attacks and return him to the ashen dust. But he opened a door in his head and let the rage flow into his concern and passion and love. "Death would drop thine crimes in the shade. Let them instead be raised to the sun!" He pointed a finger at the Redcap, and inscribed a mystic sigil into the air, a broken lemniscate held tightly within a septagon. "Thou art banished from this realm! Return and face thine peers! Return! Thou art banished!"

"No, no! Is not meet, is not right!" But the Redcap's voice was fading, his form curling in on itself like paper.

"Thou art banished! For the full turning of a year and a day, thou art banished! To the rock of guilt, thou art banished! In the name of my mother the King—" Fairy Princess Lad thrust his hand through the symbol and it shattered with a thunderclap. "THOU ART BANISHED!"

The Redcap's shrill wail was swallowed up as his body collapsed to a point. There was a THUMP! and an explosion of fairy dust, and he was gone.

The crackling flame in Fairy Princess Lad's brain smoldered down, the all-consuming rage losing its focus, guttering, smoking, and going out. He put his hands on his knees, and let out a breath. "...WHEW!" He shook his head. "What a slobberknocker!"

Cynical Queer Teen made his way over, leaning on the street pole. "Whew... not what I expected you to do, but, good job, man." They gave him a smirk.

FPL giggled, then winced, clutching at his side. "Ah! Thanks. Couldn't have done it without you."

CQT nodded. "Yep, yep. ...sooooo... you said something about an infirmary?"

"Right... ah, jeez... right this way... oh that stings." And they hobbled off down the street, arms over each other's backs in mutual support.

"...didn't even get to finish my mac'n'cheese..."