#i read that she's a natural born witch

[deceptivemorals]

@fidelissimi liked the starter call (no longer accepting)

        "i was told that you're a witch," elijah started the conversation quite directly after he had stepped closer to her. "i'm in need of a gifted witch and i would be interested in a deal – your efforts will not go unrewarded."

        those who possessed magic were rarely on good terms with his kind which is why he intended to make sure that he didn't envisage exploration hence why he mentioned it in the beginning.

[love-belle]

u dumbfuck i adore u !!!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ in which they're secretly together and one comment leads to the grand reveal.

or

for when you find out that it'll always be them. ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

social media au // max verstappen x fem!reader

warnings - language

author's note - max's version!!!!!! i hope u like it <3 charles' version coming soon!!!!!! thank u sm for reading, i love you <3

≡;- ꒰ °instagram stories ꒱

*maxverstappen1 added to their instagram stories*

≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc, lilymhe and 865,427 others

yourusername when maxverstappen1 irritates you so bad u have to go and reconnect with nature but he follows u there too

9,627 comments

username THEY'RE TOGETHER OMG

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-> username they're childhood friends????? but they hate each other

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danielricciardo he has attachment issues

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maxverstappen1 "reconnect with nature" you fell in a ditch

-> yourusername i could've said that u fell into that pond and ducks encircled u for 20 mins but i didn't did i

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*this comment has been deleted*

-> maxverstappen1 sorry you witch

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username if they are together u can have my first born

landonorris oh u dumb bitches

-> yourusername BLAME HIM

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-> maxverstappen1 she had a vision board and everything

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username these bitches so dumb (im in love with them)

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≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by yourusername, landonorris, danielricciardo and 988,728 others

maxverstappen1 rarely recorded moments of her not looking like she wants to bash my head in but i love it when she smiles ❤️

tagged yourusername

11,628 comments

username SHUT THE FUCK UP

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username *our girlfriend just so u know

username no bc the way they talk about each other even when they were NOT together :///

-> username "i have known her for so long and it's safe to say that she's got real talent and she deserves all the support and praise that she is getting, i tolerate her and all but i do hope she will stop stealing my cats"

-> username "he's kind of a cool guy, okay okay"

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charles_leclerc her face is doing that weird thing

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-> charles_leclerc ah there's the y/n i know 🥰

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username I 😭 LIKE 😭 SHINY 😭 BUT 😭 I'D 😭 MARRY 😭 YOU 😭 WITH 😭 PAPER 😭 RINGS 😭

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username if my relationship isn't like this then i don't want it no thank u lol

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landonorris mom and dad

-> maxverstappen1 no

-> yourusername no

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username im SO normal about this

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username i just know the f1 gc went WILD

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-> landonorris AND UR CHILD

-> maxverstappen1 thought you disowned us

-> landonorris i see how it is

username i love them sm

username me when.

≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by lewishamilton, maxverstappen1, carmenmmundt and 986,427 others

yourusername u dumbfuck i adore u

tagged maxverstappen1

12,628 comments

username WE GOT A SAPPY POST FROM Y/N

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username screaming throwing up sliding down the wall bashing my head gagging rolling down the stairs laying on bed like a spider ripping my hair yelling kicking

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lewishamilton 💜

*liked by yourusername*

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*liked by yourusername*

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maxverstappen1 don't call me dumbfuck

-> yourusername dumbfuck

-> maxverstappen1 you're lucky i love you

-> yourusername ❤️🖕 (i love you)

maxverstappen1 i actually enjoyed that pastry

-> yourusername thank u, my maa taught me that recipe

-> maxverstappen1 i miss her pav bhaji

-> yourmomsusername i'm catching the next flight to monaco, i need to feed my son-in-law

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[satxnsupreme666]

Even after all these years: Agatha Harkness/Agnes x Fem!Reader

Masterlist

Summary: You´re a witch, your mother was killed by witch-hunters and you end up in New Salem where you meet Agatha, you fall in love with her but what happens when the coven accuses her of practicing dark magic?

Words: 3000+

Warnings: Fem reader, angst (well kind of), but apart from that, I do not think there’s something else.

Author´s notes:

This was one of the first stories I wrote three years ago, I had posted them on Tumblr on my old account, but due to my mental health, I had to take a break from Tumblr and the toxicity and hate that had suddenly increased, I deleted all of my stories and my old account, now I have decided to upload them again here on Tumblr and also on Ao3.

Again, as this was one of the first stories I wrote for Agatha Harkness is a little bit short, I will be uploading the rest of the stories from time to time, I have to edit them and make sure they are legible enough and with not a lot of grammatical errors.

I hope you enjoy!

If you enjoy, could you comment, like or reblog? it would help a lot really ♥️

You were born in 1670, in Massachusetts, and as well as your mother, you were a witch.

While growing up, your mother taught you some basic spells that you could perform without any problem, you were just 6 years old and your mother said you held a lot of power, she was very proud that at such a young age, you could cast spells without making a lot of effort, it was so natural and easy for you.

You were always a curious child, so when your showed signs of wanting to know more, your mother started to teach everything else she knew, from making potions to different spells and to conjure stronger things, she was willing to show and teach you every single thing that she had learnt before.

From your usual spot at the table you always watched her make beverages, different creams, herbal potions and liquids all made out of herbs, she used them to help different people, she made potions that could disappear the effects of a poisoning, and she had a huge knowledge about all different kind of herbs, you were amazed about that, you really admired your mother.

You were just 7 years old when you started to read her herbal books and when you didn’t understand a word you would ask her the meaning, and while you were entertained or doing any other thing, she was always making sure you were alright, and that you were safe, that’s why she had casted a spell all around your hidden cottage, so that no one, not even the witch-hunters could find both of you

On your 9th birthday she gave you a book of spells, the cover of the book was hard, it was made out of leather, you passed your hand through the cover to feel the texture and you smiled, you were amazed, it contained thousands of spells which you started to practice right away, for you it was a dream come true, you were eager to start learning each one of them, so you tried to memorize almost all of them, your mother would always watch you while she read a book in a corner, sitting on a chair, reading out loud in your room or just reading silently outside in the backyard.

In 1690 at night you were preparing an herbal tea that accelerated the healing process of wounds, but in the middle of the preparation you heard gunshots coming from outside your mother’s cottage

Panic filled your entire body but you tried to remain calm, remembering all of the protection and conjuring spells that your mother had taught you, you were not about to back off, ready to attack whoever was outside the once hidden cottage, but before you could conjure a fireball the door flew open, revealing your panicked mother running straight towards you

When your eyes landed on her panicked figure, worry started to grow inside you, you had never seen her in such an altered state, before you could even ask her what was wrong or what had happened to her she spoke first, trying to catch her breath she almost spat her words

 -“You have to run way, I thought I had kept you safe and that they would never find us, I was so wrong, they’re here y/n, there are at least 7 of them on their way” -

 You knew right away of about whom she was talking about, witch-hunters

-“Mom we can leave together! We can run together; I’m not going to leave you here!”-

 - “Oh, my sweet y/n, I can’t, I won’t make it, they will take you too”-

 You frowned in confusion, what was she talking about? You couldn’t understand, until you realized, she had been holding her side with her left hand, she had been shot and tears started to run through your cheeks

- “c'mon mom, we can make it, I- I can give you something to help you heal the wound, I won’t leave you here!”-

 You took you mother’s free hand in your own ones, you were shaking, trembling, and fear was consuming you

 -“It’s too late for me, it was a silver bullet, it will take longer for me to heal, hours and we don’t have time, here take this”-

 She took her hand out of yours and with her shaking hand ripped her necklace and then took the brooch from her lilac collar blouse, and handed them to you

 -“Take this with you and never forget, I will always be with you”-  she put her hand on you face, caressing your cheek, she wiped away the fresh tears that had fallen from your eyes and put her own forehead against yours

 -“I won’t leave you; I can’t leave you here to die”-  You were choking on your own tears and she was sobbing as well as you-

 She shushed you and said that everything was going to be ok

-“I love you y/n”-  your mother said and put her hand in your temple and started to chant something in an unknown language, before you had the chance to ask something you realized what was happening, smoke of a baby blue color surrounded you and before closing your eyes you saw 5 men entering into your cottage yelling to each other to catch the witch, you started to scream and tried to conjure something but suddenly everything went black, you didn’t feel your mother’s grip loosening and then disappearing, but when you opened your eyes again, you were in the middle of a misty forest, hastily you turned your head to the sides and looked for you mother, you were shocked.

Tightening the grip around the necklace and the brooch that you mother gave you, she was nowhere to be seen, you did not know what to do so you started to run through the thick forest.

What had happened? How did you end up in the middle of a forest? But most important where was you mother? suddenly you remembered everything, and images of the witch Hunters entering to your house took your breath away, you gasped for air, everything around you was blurry and you felt dizzy, you tried to keep yourself steady and tried to reach for something, to keep your balance and not to fall, but you tripped over something and lost your balance, you were too tired to even try to hold onto something, so you just let yourself fall, you waited for the hard hit against the rough surface, but the hit never came, instead you felt  two strong arms catching you and tightened around your waist, you tried to see who had caught you and lifted your head a little but the only thing that you had caught a glimpse of was of some long strands of dark-brown hair before you passed away.

The sunrays started to bother you, why had your mother opened the shutters, you were sure it was 7 in the morning because of the way you felt, your body ached and you didn’t want to rise from bed, it was weird, a smell of lavender and vanilla filled your nostrils, it was so good, something you had never smelled before, it was calming and you felt relaxed, you turned yourself to the other side of the bed to hug your pillow, but you found nothing, it was strange, you didn’t remember your mother taking your pillow to be washed, but it was at that instant, in which you remembered everything that had happened the day before, you opened your eyes and hastily sat down on the bed, ready to leave but you felt a hand against your shoulder and you were greeted by a pair of piercing baby blue eyes. The woman in front of you gently pushed you back against the soft purple mattress and you laid back.

-“ You need to calm down, sweetheart you fainted last night, I caught you before you could hit the ground, why were you alone in the woods at night?”-

-“ My mother! I need to go back to look for her, she’s in danger, some witch hunters shot her and I do not know what happened, she said something in another language and the next thing I knew I was standing in the middle of a forest and…” -  You stopped rambling and started to touch your clothes and you hair, Agatha understood that you were looking for something and took something out of her pocket dress, she gently touched your face to catch your attention and showed you her hand, your eyes became glossy, you stopped for a moment and slowly reached her hand with yours, she handed you the brooch and the pendant.

- “Sweetheart I’m sorry about what happened, those witch-hunters keep looking for us…” -  Before she kept talking, she looked at your palm and hers, she could feel your soft hand against hers and she changed what she was going to say next

  - “ I noticed you had this with you and I supposed it was yours, even though you fainted you still had a tight grip around this so I took it from your hand to keep it safe” -

 She looked at you in a curious way, you were mesmerized by her beauty, you had never seen such a beautiful woman like her, she radiated something else even though you could tell what it was, but you could feel it, before you could keep staring at her, you remembered her first words about the witch Hunters looking for you, you were surprised, did that mean that she was a witch too?

-“Are you a witch too?”-

She laughed about your question, her laugh was a little bit loud but at the same time it was kind of soothing, but you did not understand why she was laughing, she saw you frowning and stopped, she looked right in your eyes before speaking again with a serious look

- “We´re in New Salem, only witches with great power can enter this place, New Salem has been hidden for centuries, people who don’t have powers can´t enter, this place is totally invisible for humans, only witches like you and me can enter this place”- She stopped for a moment

- “So, you’ve never heard of New Salem?”-  She asked and you just shook your head

She looked surprised for a moment and gave you a quick look, a witch as powerful as you who could enter New Salem only could come from a mother or should have descendants with great power too, how came that you’ve never heard of the place, every powerful witch had been there before, the older witch in charge of the Coven had registered every witch that had been in New Salem

- “What is your name?”-  She asked

- “My name´s Y/N Le Fay, why do you ask?”- Your told her, confused in why she was suddenly interested in knowing your name

She seemed to be deep in her thoughts before talking again

“I was curious, and now that you told me your name, I will tell you mine, the name´s Agatha Harkness and now that we have introduced each other properly, it´s a pleasure to finally meet you dear”-

You smiled, she was very charming and you felt your face becoming hotter because you realised both of you had been holding hands all this time, you started to blush and Agatha found the fact interesting and cute.

-“What am I going to do now? – You asked, you still did not know what to do or what to think, by this time the witch-hunters had already taken your mother, and again you felt tears in the corner of your eyes threatening to fall, before you could do anything, Agatha pushed you to her chest, she was hugging you, and even if Agatha had just met you, she wanted to give you some comfort, her action only made you close your eyes and cry into her chest, she put her hand in your hair and stroke it, Agatha told you that everything was going to be ok, that the witch-hunters could not enter New Salem and that she would take care of you, by the time you had calmed down, you withdrew yourself from her and looked right into her eyes, she had no malice in her eyes and she had saved you, you felt safe with her and decided to give her a smile, maybe not everything was bad.

Since that day Agatha and you were inseparable, she presented you to the other witches and to the one in charge of everything, they let you stay and also gave you a room to sleep in, plus your room was next to Agatha´s room.

You still remembered the exact day when the older witch Madam Lane, the one in charge,  took you to your room and gave you new clothes, after examining every corner of the room and the ceiling you heard a slight knock on you door and went to answer, Agatha was standing right in front of you with some flowers and greeted you, again  –“Hi, I´m Agatha, your neighbour to the right”-  You started to laugh, she always had the power to make you smile even on your worse days, and that was one of the many things you loved about her, she was always so carefree, and she stood for herself, for you and for the things she believed in.

From time to time you would shut down remembering your mother and how much you missed her and you just wanted to lie on your bed and sleep without nobody interrupting you, but on those days Agatha had been there, all of the bad days, she would held you and stroke your hair or your back, she was so attentive, always asking if you were ok or if you needed something, without knowing you started to fall in love with her.

One day when you were studying some spells on a bench in the huge garden, one of the older witches of the coven came to your side, you tensed, you knew the other witches did not like you, Agatha was the one who made you feel safe and showed you how much she cared for you, you decided it would be better to leave the bench and as you were about to leave not wanting to bother the older witch, she grabbed the book you were reading, you tried to reach for it but she was stronger, she stood in front of you, blocking your sight

- “What are you going to do? How is it that a witch like you can be here anyway? You have never casted any powerful spells, you´re the weakest, also why Agatha would hang with someone like you though- “

She did not finish her last sentence because Agatha sent her flying to the other side of the garden, you were shocked, you watched her body colliding against the ground and before you knew Agatha was standing in front of her

She said something to her, you couldn’t hear what she said but when the girl finally stood, she tried to run, Agatha then came flying to your side, and hold your hand closer to her chest

“Are you alright? Did she do something to you?”-

She started to check for any injuries and when she did not find any injuries, she sighed in relief

-“Agatha what did you do? She´s going to tell to Madam Lane, she will ground you”-

You put your hand against her cheek and stroke it, you were so in love with her, you put your free hand on her neck and caressed the softness of her skin, she noticed you looking at her lips and took this as chance, she was a tad taller than you and she leaned her face to kiss you.

The kiss was soft and you loved the feeling of her lips against yours, you returned the kiss and she put her hands on your waist and brought you closer to her, when you feel the need to breathe again you separated a little and looked at her

-“I love you Agatha and I think I´ve done it since I first met you even if it sounds impossible”- You smiled at her and with your hand hooked one strand of her hair behind her ear, and then you caressed her cheek

“I love you too y/n and I think I´ve done it since I caught you stopping you from falling to the ground”-

You felt your heart full of love for this woman, you loved her with every piece of your heart

“Let me love you till the end of our lives; I will fix your heart and I will fill every empty space of it”

She whispered to you and you found yourself blushing, just as many other times when you were with her, she could not believe that you returned her feelings

-“Of course, I will let you love me, and I promised I will fill every part of your heart with my love too, what I feel for you I´ve never felt it before and it´s real” – You said back to her and you kissed her again

-“Also, thanks for saving me from that girl, you shouldn’t have done it, you will get yourself in trouble”- you said while stroking her cheek

-“Do not thank me my love, I will always have your back and I won´t let anyone hurt you, I will protect you with my life”- saying that she kissed you again, that was for sure the best day of your life.

On 1693 was the worst day of your life, the coven had taken Agatha for a trial, they said that Agatha had been playing with dark magic, you knew that was false, she had never told you anything related to dark magic, she could never, someone had said lies about her to madam Lane.

While she was been taken to the post, you were behind all of them yelling and begging them to let your girlfriend free, it was all a mistake.

Two witches were stopping you from getting free and also had put magical ropes to your hands, to prevent you from using your magic, you watched in horror as they tied you girlfriend to the post and while she was grunting with pain they tied their hands with magic too, you saw 10 witches surrounding your girlfriend and making a circle around her, in front of her was Madam Lane, you heard her asking if she was a witch, Agatha  said yes but Madam Lane said to her that she had betrayed the coven, but that was a lie, she could never! You tried to remove yourself from the two witches holding you, but they had a strong grip around both of your arms.

Before you could move again you heard Madam Lane accusing Agatha of practicing dark magic, your girlfriend said that she did not know anything of that crimes but Madam Lane told her to stop, you looked Agatha staying quiet for a moment before speaking again

-“I did not break your rules, they simply bent to my power”-

You gasped in shock; has she been lying to you all this time?

You looked at her with a lot of sadness in your eyes you could not believe, you told one another every single thing!

She looked at you and she could not stand the look in your face – “I´m sorry my love, I´m sorry I couldn’t help myself!”-

Tears started to run through your face, you were scared, even though she had lied to you, she did not deserve to die, you couldn’t stand the idea of her dying

- “Please Madam Lane, untie her, she´s sorry it was all mistake! You can´t burn her, she´s one of us!-

Before you could keep talking all the witches started to chant in Latin, you were confused, what were they doing? You saw your girlfriend struggling against the wooden post, and you began to worry too

Agatha looked at you and yelled to you “Do not worry my love, I will be ok, nothing will happen to me, we will be together just as we planned”- You saw the tears running through her cheeks and you couldn’t stop yourself from sobbing harder.

Your worry begins to grow harder when you saw the blue magic emanating from the hands of the witches

-“Stop! What are you doing!?”-

When your heard Agatha calling Madam Lane “mother” you felt yourself getting lost for words, Agatha never told you that she was her mother, she never mentioned it, and you never suspected anything, they rarely talk to each other, how was possible, how did you miss all of those things? However, your thoughts stopped and you screamed in horror as you watched the witches throwing their blue magic hurting Agatha, your girlfriend started to scream, she was in pain, you couldn’t stand watching her in pain, but when the blue magic turned purple, you were perplexed, was Agatha doing that? She stopped screaming and turned her head to look around her, the purple magic touched the witches and all of them started to agonize, they were starting to look like corpses, was Agatha consuming their power and their life? Her mother rose from the ground and she attacked Agatha, when her mother´s powers got to her, it was as if they were making her more powerful, she freed herself from the magical ropes and her hand and eyes glowed purple she released a huge amount of the power and all of the witches fell to the floor looking like corpses, one thing she did not realized it was that her magic had thrown you away hitting really hard a tree, you fell to the ground without her noticing.

When she was done with her mother, she turned her head hastily at her sides, she looked for you and you were nowhere to be seen, she panicked, so she ran and looked between the corpses, had you run away from her? Were you afraid of her now? She did not know what had happened, but when she took a glimpse of your dress, lying down on the ground she could not stop herself from screaming, she crouched down to take your body into her arms she could not believe it, she sobbed, she hugged and pressed your body against hers and told you how much she loved you, she had sworn to protect you and on the contrary she had hurt you, she could not believe it, she thought she had killed you, she thought you were dead because of her, she could not stand watching you like this because of her.

She took your face with her hands and caressed your face one more time, kissed your lips for the last time and stood up, she left your body on the ground and left, she would not love again.

｡ ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶‌ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶‌ ｡˚｡ ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶‌ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶‌ ｡˚

Agatha arrived to Westview, she had rehearsed her script one time, she was ready to knock on Wanda´s door, she changed her purple drees into a beautiful plaid dress, which matched exactly to the 50��s era, she even changed her hairstyle, when she decided she was ready she went straight to knock on Wanda´s, she was not looking when the door was opened, she was distracted by the plant she had in her hands, so she started to talk before looking at the person in front of her.

 - “Hello, dear, I´m Agnes, your neighbor to the right”-

However she stopped death in her tracks when she realized who was the person in front of her, she saw you, the person she thought she would never see again, a lot of thoughts passed through her head and she for once in her life did not know what to do, you the love of her life, you were right in front of her, was this faith to let her mend what she had done and get you back? You smiled at her, it was obvious that you were under Wanda´s mind control, and she wanted to cry, you were suffering on the inside and she could not do anything for now, Wanda would notice if someone broke away from her mind control so she decided she would help you, but how? Even after all these years, she still loved you the same.

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

hey! I'm pretty new to your stories: currently reading curse words and loving it! (I started the first book with the mindset that I wouldn't be caught enough to miss some real life stuff because of reading... guess what, I missed some real life stuff reading.)

but now I have a question: the books have a pretty intricate plot with a lot of good payoffs for small things. which is very cool from a reader's point of view, but from the writer's one— can you maybe share some stuff about your process? especially in the early stages, how do you go from the initial spark of an idea and what this is about to a fully formed plot? would be cool if you're willing to share

anyway have a great day I'm off to start the third book hehe!

One thing to know about me is that I have just the worst possible imagination. Absolute pisspoor garbage imagination, nothing going on up there. When I want to plot, my process is simple:

Find a problem, then solve it.

Curse Words was born of several disparate story ideas coming together, but mostly I wanted to play with the magic system -- I wanted to write a story where spells were metaphysical parasites that possessed mages, and each mage could only cast their unique spell. The whole thing came about when reading The Princess Bride, specifically the chapter where Buttercup dreams of being a perfect baby and the doctor looking her over and regretfully informing her parents that she was born with mo heart -- I was possessed with this powerful impression of a slightly wacky doctor peering over the top of his rose tinted glasses to inform a pair of parents that their baby had a curse trapped in her heart. From there, it's find the problem, solve the problem.

I wanted to separate Kayden from his family and put him in an unfamiliar environment for the story so that he and the audience would be on a pretty similar level re: world information; isolated magic and a magic school is the easy way to do that. Okay, so why is this school isolated? Why is the curse thing not common knowledge? Why do the public fear curses and have such limited access to magic that it's not a part of Kayden's day-to-day, if it's so useful? Solve the problem; look at the economy. The unique nature of spells makes them difficult to scale up, and the unpredictable nature makes them inferior to technological solutions to problems in most large-scale issues. What does this say about how the Industrial Revolution would've affected the usefulness, and therefore the public perception, of magic? The logical conclusion is the Purity Revolution.

This school is gathering and teaching all these students; why? I wanted a clear division between witches like Kayden and a privileged elite that formed most of the school body; why are they different, how are the elite kids here, why are witches accepted and integrated into the student body? Solve the problem; look at the economy, the politics. Where are these rich kids getting their magic? Why pull in witches? One question answers the other. Why didn't Kayden and Kylie know that curses were spells in advance? Seems something that should be common knowledge. Look at the politics; tie that in. Logical conclusion: magic trap. We have this magic lake with a monster in it that we introduced super early for dramatic purposes and haven't explained yet. What can we do with that? Let's invent empowered water. Let's look at what that means for the creation of potions worldwide. Let's tie in the management of unmanageable spells. Let's elaborate on the structure our magic trap.

Now we have a channel of power. Curses parasitise witches; some are blessings, some are more trouble than they're worth. The school collects curses, domesticates them, makes them more useful, locks away or renders harmless that which it cannot make use of. More curses are collected over time, the school grows and grows and Refujeyo becomes stronger and stronger as they control more of the world's magic supply, but every system has a capacity. What's the effect of this infinite growth? Here we have a clear and unavoidable economic metaphor, so obvious that not centreing the story on this concept would basically be dishonest. Who's managing this collection, what does it say about the power of the school within mage society? How would such a school relate to the rest of Refujeyo; how would Refujeyo, collecting power like this, relate to and be viewed by other magical traditions, and by nonmagical society? Run through the reasoning, solve the problem.

Why would the school only approach Kayden as a teenager, after his curse caused problems? Surely the school would want to collect as many curses as if could as early as possible. There has to be a reason why they waited. This is a good one because it flows directly from the complex political relationships between Refujeyo and commonfolk politics that have to exist, AND ties neatly into critical character motivations that have to exist for book 1's main twist to function (notably, Malas Aksoy's actions). Sort this out for book 1 and accidentally create a critical political point for the rest of the entire series.

I started writing book 1 with the idea of the court case and subsequent twist about Kayden's curse being the big mystery, but Kayden still needs something to actually do at school. We have this mage who we threw in to rescue Kayden and Kylie from the lake, and had Max hero worship her for flavour; she seems to be becoming central to a lot of interactions for some reason. A lot of dramatic stuff is therefore automatically happening in her presence, but why is this incredibly accomplished and intelligent mage fucking up so much? We've established her as careful and thorough. We need a reason for all these accidents beyond random chance. Someone's sabotaging her -- why? Let's look at our established characters and figure out who has means and motive, and who the most fun red herrings would be.

How could a place like Refujeyo, such a complex and time-consuming project that would have to involve the cooperation of so very many mages, even get built? How would it survive long enough to be powerful? When and where did this happen? We've already established the Purity Revolution; maybe there was something more coordinated than just random undirected economic forces. We've established some incredibly powerful mage families and the old system of apprenticeship and inheritance; we know that the most powerful family in Refujeyo used to have a prophecy and owned a very powerful place that helps prophecies specifically. They could coordinate something, given enough motivation and the help of enough other powerful mages. What kind of motivation? Let's go back to the Purity Revolution. If tech develops alongside magic without central oversight of some kind, what could magic enhance? What problems could be foreseen that would make this kind of investment worth it? How does Refujeyo save the world?

Tie this into our power channel. Refujeyo's attempt to save the world endangers the world due to infinite growth and power being passively collected by those who benefit from the dangerous status quo. It fits our economy metaphor, because they're essentially the same thing, just putting in magic instead of money as a means of power.

Find a problem, then solve it.

The important thing with this method is to keep your solutions cohesive. If you come up with a new different reason for every thing, your plot will look scattered and disorganised. We don't want to look like we're just pulling the story out of our arse. I mean, we are pulling the story out of our arse, that's what writing fiction is, but it's a big part of our job to help our audience suspend their disbelief on that. Whenever possible, you should look for answers that solve multiple things and weave disparate parts of the story together; this is especially true when they relate to the core plot or central theme of your story.

Also, leave gaps for reader inference. You don't have to answer every single question, you just need to make sure that some plausible answer exists for every single question. Sometimes this involves saying less, not more, and letting the audience figure it out.

[prythianpages]

Slipping Through My Fingers | Azriel

Azriel x Green Witch | Summary: it's your baby girl's first day of school and Azriel isn't ready to let her go.

warnings: fluff/angst; some suggestiveness at the end (bonus scene)

a/n: This is part of my ABBA x ACOTAR series (masterlist) where I dedicate a song to a character (: but also my Dandelion series. I really adore this song and this was the only series I could apply it to. This can pretty much be read as a stand alone imagine. All you have to know is that reader is a witch and is an established relationship with Az.

In the quiet hush of morning, Azriel and Melaina find themselves at the breakfast table with sleep in their eyes. The floor is cloaked in their shadows, joining one another at their feet in a vast sea of darkness.

Yet, the dance of their shadows harbor distinct meanings.

Though he tries to hide it, your keen eyes pick up on the subtle poignant unease in Azriel's demeanor. An undercurrent of melancholy taints the air, prompting you to send a reassuring tug through your bond. Azriel returns the gesture, his hand finding yours across the table. Meanwhile, Melaina quietly finishes her breakfast. Her shadows, a whirlwind of nerves and excitement, betray her impassive appearance. Today is her first day of school, the precipice of a new chapter in her life, and Azriel can't help but grapple with the realization that his little girl is growing up far too quickly.

“All done, my pretty?” You ask softly, gaze alight with admiration as her small wings flutter behind her.

She’s the mirror image of her father with her captivating hazel eyes–a perfect blend of greens and browns that remind you of the nature you’re so fond of. Two braids cascade down her shoulders and delicate bangs accentuate her sun-kissed complexion. When she was born, you had joked that you had given birth to Azriel’s carbon copy and little did you know that even her personality would match his. 

Melaina nods and you rise, taking her plate to the kitchen sink. The corner of your lips lift up into a smile when you hear Azriel ask, “Are you sure you want to go to school? You can always start next year.”

“Mel is more than ready for school,” you lightly chide Azriel, who chooses to ignore your words of consolation. 

His gaze is fixed on Melaina, a plethora of scenarios plaguing his mind. He wishes he could see what’s really on her mind–to be able to foresee any worries she may have and ease her through them. The same way he’s eased her through every milestone of her life thus far. He was there when she took her first steps, when she first got hurt from tripping over a rug that he immediately disposed of after, when she said her first word–which much to your dismay was your cat’s name, Binx. 

But now, she was ready for school. Her first time being away from home without you or him or his brothers by her side. Her first time being on her own. What if the kids in her class don’t take well to her? To her shadows? He remembers the apprehensive looks he’d receive in Windhaven when growing up and the thought of anyone doing the same to her pains him. What if they are mean to her? What if they hurt her?

The obsidian tendrils at Azriel's side stir with an eerie melody, commanding Melaina's shadows to rise. They snap to attention like disciplined soldiers heeding orders. An unspoken promise unfolds—her shadows would help guide her and protect her from any lingering stare or slightest suspicion of malintent. They return to her side as she rises to her feet, tickling her sides and causing her to giggle.

 Azriel smiles and shares her laughter, capturing every minute of it, the feeling in it.

**

There’s that odd melancholy feeling again as he stands in front of the school with Melaina on one side and you on the other. He can’t help the frown that settles over his face when she wiggles her tiny hand out of his grasp to run to her cousins. You’re following after her, tugging Azriel along with you to join his brothers and their mates at the front of the school.

“Good morning, Azriel jr,” Cassian greets her with a smile, playfully tugging at one of her braids. “Are you ready for your first day?”

Melaina lets out a huff. “Of course I am, Uncle Cas.”

Cassian then looks toward Azriel, who continues to brood, and chuckles. “It doesn’t look like your daddy is.”

Azriel glares at Cassian. You leave his side to hug Feyre and the frown leaves his face at the delighted squeal that comes from you, his shadows singing in response. He turns his head to see you and Feyre exchange smiles while you gush in excitement over her growing belly. Though Feyre looks at Azriel with a knowing smile, her words are directed to you.

“Rhys was the same way with Nyx,” she muses and out of the corner of his eye, Azriel catches his brother rolling his eyes. But he doesn’t deny it.

“So was Nesta,” Cassian adds, propping an elbow on Nesta’s shoulders. She shoves him off with a shrug before chiding after their twin boys, Cardan and Calian. The aftermath of the aphrodisiac you made–or rather, remade–for her after Azriel accidentally drank the first batch.

“I’m surprised you’re faring well with this,” Feyre says with a raised brow at you.

“Well, someone has to be the strong one,” you tease, side glancing at Azriel and squeezing his hand. 

Azriel lets out a small huff, similar to the one Melaina let out earlier. He knew you were also stressed and a little sad but you were surprisingly able to hide it better than him. But unbeknownst to him, just in case the obsidian necklace she wore was not enough, you had casted a protection spell over Melaina before she went to bed…and packed her bags with a variety of charged crystals.

The gathering of students at the school's entrance slowly disperses, and Azriel tenses beside you, acknowledging the imminent moment of having to say goodbye. Nyx, ever courteous, takes it upon himself to accompany Melaina to class. Azriel suspects Feyre's influence in Nyx's gesture, as if she intuited the added difficulty for him and you. He watches as Melaina walks back to you and you lean down, gently smoothing her bangs before placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Today will be a wonderful day for you,” you affirm for her with a radiant smile, making Azriel's heart melt at the sight of the two girls he loves the most.  He wishes that he could freeze the picture and save it from the funny tricks of time. 

Your hand delicately reaches for the obsidian crystal suspended from her neck, lifting it tenderly to your lips. There’s a flash of green light that engulfs the crystal and as you release the necklace, Azriel notices the new sparkle to it. “Love you, my pretty.”

Though Melaina doesn’t verbalize it back, her eyes radiate a golden glow and the soft caress of her shadows against your face feels like a tender whisper that articulates, "I love you too.” You pull her in close, hugging her smaller frame and lean down to whisper. But Azriel’s attentive senses still catch it.

“Now hug and give your daddy a kiss so he doesn’t cry.”

Azriel resists the urge to roll his eyes. Feeling a tug on his sweater, he leans down to meet his daughter at eye level. Opening his arms expectantly, a surge of warmth envelops him as she eagerly rushes into his embrace. A tender kiss graces his cheek, accompanied by the familiar caress of her shadows against his other cheek similar to the way they had done with you. He pulls away to look at her, holding her gently by the shoulders. He knows her shadows will do well to protect her and if those aren’t enough, her older cousins are just a couple of classrooms down the hall. But he needs to hear her say it.

“What will you do if someone is mean to you?”

Melaina’s eyes light up and she steps out from his hold. True to the goddess you named her after, she's a tiny vision of nightmares and madness, as she assumes a defensive position, her shadows dancing around her.

“Kick them in the face!” She exclaims as she raises her leg up with a glare directed toward her nonexistent enemy.  “I'll make my enemies bleed.”

Cardan and Calian follow after her while Nyx wisely keeps a safe distance, amused by the spectacle of his younger cousins engaging in an imaginary brawl. Cassian watches them fondly, striking punches of his own into the air but you’re shaking your head with furrowed brows. Azriel catches the pointed look you send his way and a subtle blush overtakes his cheeks as you’ve discovered his secret. He continues to read Melaina, those books you told him not to. 

“No, Mel, that’s not–”

“That’s my girl,” Azriel grins as he rises to his feet, feeling slightly better. He rustles her bangs fondly.

The sound of the school bell echoes through the park as a final warning that class should be beginning shortly. Azriel reluctantly shrugs Melaina’s backpack off his shoulder, the small bag looking ridiculous on someone of his stature. He adjusts it on her with careful consideration for her delicate wings and feels an ache in his chest as the backpack nearly engulfs her smaller frame. 

As the faint rustling, reminiscent of rocks shifting, comes from the bag, it is Azriel’s turn to send you a subtle yet pointed look in your direction. A suppressed smile tugs at his lips when you quickly avert your gaze and he realizes he wasn’t the only one keeping a secret.

“Off you go, my little shadow. See you later.”

Once the backpack is secured to her, she takes Nyx’s waiting hand and runs off to the entrance with him. Azriel almost frowns but then, at the top of the stairs, she turns around, waving goodbye with a small absent-minded smile.

He watches her go into the school with a surge of that well-known sadness. Tears prick his eyes and though he knows he’s being dramatic, he can’t help the feeling that he’s losing her forever. His sweet little girl who keeps on growing. She’s slipping through his fingers all the time.

**

Bonus scene

Before his family could indulge in making fun of him, Azriel grasps your hand, drawing you close as he summons his shadows. The inky tendrils swirl around you both, transporting you back to the familiar sanctuary of your home.

"If this is your reaction on her first day of school, I can only imagine what you’ll be like when she has her first crush," you say, a teasing sparkle in your eyes.

Azriel's grip on you tightens. He doesn’t want to grapple further into the inevitability of his daughter's growing independence because to him, Melaina will always be his baby girl. A subtle strain echoes in his voice as he pleads, "Don't."

Easing out of his embrace, you giggle at his dramatics, strolling toward the kitchen with a lightness in your step, intent on brewing some tea. "It's just a couple of hours, Az," you reassure him.

"A couple of hours?" Azriel echoes, a pensive note in his voice as he joins you in the kitchen.

Having taken the entire week off, he had intended to be present for every moment—dropping Melaina off and picking her up during her first week at school. He didn’t plan for much other than that and he was used to spending his days off with his little family but now Melaina was off at school, leaving the two of you alone.

The kettle placed on the stove begins to whistle, harmonizing with the new thought that brews in his mind. You’re raising your steaming cup of tea to your lips, peering over at Azriel as he walks up to you. “What? You want some?” You ask, raising your cup to him.

Azriel shakes his head with a smile. Carefully taking the cup from you, he places it onto the counter behind you. He gently but firmly holds your chin, coaxing you to meet his gaze. The faint blush on his cheeks returns, a soft hue that complements the golden brilliance in his eyes as he looks down at you with adoration because you’ve given him everything he’s ever dreamed of and more.

Still, there's an insatiable desire within him for even more moments, more shared dreams, and more of you.

“Let’s have another?”

“A baby?”

Azriel nods, attentively studying your features for any nuanced emotion. He feels relief when you smile and you voice your answer without having to say anything, flooding him with love through the bond you share. The two of you had discussed having children years ago, almost two years before having Melaina. After she was born, you mirrored each other’s desires for having more but had agreed on waiting but not too long as you wanted your children to grow up together.

“We do have a couple of hours to ourselves,” you remind him again, embracing him with arms entwined around his neck, fingers brushing through the back of his hair.

He hooks his arms under your knees, lifting you up with ease and you’re wrapping your legs around his waist. He grins when your legs tighten around him and kisses you.

“Let’s not waste another second.”

a/n: hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it <3 Sorry, I skipped ahead. I do want to eventually write an imagine for when Az & reader first find out they're having a baby. That might be the next imagine for this series.

tagging: @fxckmiup

[series masterlist]

[blasphemousclaw]

Do you think The Moons in Elden Ring only communicate with certain people?

It could explain how Count Ymir sees the Moon as just a Celestial Body and not a divine figure.

hmm that’s a good question; it does seem like Rennala, Rellana, and Ranni have a special affinity with the moon… I’m not sure that this is because the moon only communicates with them though, because I don’t believe the moon is a god, at least not in the same sense that the goddess of rot or the Formless Mother are gods?

Plenty of people draw power from the moon, including the Carian knights and preceptors (not just the royals), the sorcerers of the Lazuli Conspectus, the Nox, and perhaps Ranni’s mentor the Snow Witch… here the moon is used as a source of magic in the field of glintstone sorcery. There is a reason why glintstone sorceries and incantations are separate disciplines: sorceries are based on intelligence (study, research, self-discovery), and incantations are based on faith (belief in a higher power or force of nature). Lunar sorcery does not draw from faith like Bloodflame incantations or rot incantations do, which in my mind classifies it as a different sort of power than divine communion.

The way the moon is described in relation to Ranni, Rennala, and Rellana is that they “met” or “encountered” it:

“The young astrologer gazed at the night sky as she walked. She had always chased the stars every step of her journey. Then she met the full moon — and, in time, the astrologer became a queen.”

“This moon was encountered by a young Ranni, led by the hand of her mother, Rennala. What she beheld was cold, dark and veiled in occult mystery.”

“Queen Rennala encountered this enchanting moon when she was young, and later, it would bewitch the academy.”

“In her childhood, she and her elder sister Rennala met these moons. Overlapping, as though nestled against one another.”

But I’ve never interpreted this as a god selecting champions to enact its will, but more like a fateful discovery of a source of great power? Rennala and Rellana were astrologers, who read fate within the stars, when they encountered their moons… it seems to me that there’s an element of fate or destiny involved in connecting with the moon, but not necessarily personified divinity? I bet the Carian royals are like uniquely fated individuals… like how Sellen says “The stars alter the fate of the Carian royal family.” Also, Rennala’s description of chasing the stars and one day meeting the moon, and Ranni’s description of encountering the dark moon led by her mother’s hand also suggests to me a proactive arc of personal discovery and study rather than a god who chooses a person and communicates their divine will to them (such as the Formless Mother).

I think the reason why Count Ymir “abandoned his allegiance to the moon” because "It was merely the closest of the celestial bodies” is a combination of the fact that he doesn’t have this seemingly fated connection to the moon, and the fact that his interests go much further than the moon… he’s interested in the origins of life itself:

“I, too, am a glintstone sorcerer. We study the stars, and examine the life therein. Are you familiar with our findings? Long ago, we began as stardust, born of a great rupture far across the skies. We, too, are children of the Greater Will. Is that not divine? Is that not sublime? ...and yet, none can fathom its implications, its utter brilliance!”

and so is Sellen, who studies the primeval current:

“Our powers draw upon the powers embedded in glintstone, but what is the nature of such power? Glintstone is the amber of the cosmos, golden amber contains the remnants of ancient life and houses its vitality, while Glintstone contains residual life. And thus, the vitality of the stars. It should not be forgotten that glintstone sorcery is the study of the stars and the life therein.”

So I can understand why these characters would spurn the study of the moon as a trivial topic, instead exploring topics that get to the very heart of the nature of life and where we come from.

idk if I actually answered your question… I guess in a way, I believe the moon only communicates with certain people… but I think it’s more like, Rennala and Rellana, after tirelessly pursuing the knowledge of the stars, met the moon in a fated encounter and gained the ability to understand and tap into its power (and passed this on to Ranni), not that the moon is a sentient being that chooses champions to enact its will. Whether this still counts as being a god or being divine is up to personal interpretation I think, but the moon is at the very least a totally different sort of power than the confirmed outer gods we know of, and Ranni has a totally different sort of relationship to the moon than Mohg has to the Formless Mother.

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Binding, Forced Marriage and Free Will in Tolkien Legendarium

According to Tolkien lore, what is truly happening in Sauron and Galadriel scene in 2x08?

**Trigger warning: Mentions of Sexual Assault**

The fandom is underestimating what truly happened here, and if blood binding theory is correct (and everything seems to point to that), we also have the (obvious) parallel with Morgoth and Arien in “Morgoth’s Ring” (that I already discussed in another post). Now, let’s analyze what this means.

To me, this moment when the sun shines on Galadriel, and Sauron seems dumbstruck seals the deal of the Morgoth and Arien parallel that’s happening here.

Sauron isn’t only raping her body in this scene; he’s raping her soul, too. He is forcing them to bind together. And this binding is marriage. Sauron is taking Galadriel as his wife, by force.

And this is aligned with the very symbolism of Morgoth’s crown in the lore; Morgoth wanted everyone to know the Silmarils belonged to him, like Sauron wants everyone to know Galadriel belongs to him, now.

Forced marriage via rape is something that happens a few times in Tolkien legendarium (with both Men and Elven characters), and is what Morgoth did to Arien, the Maia of the Sun, when she refused to be his wife and queen, and share her light with him.

Both Morgoth and Arien are spiritual beings so this rape isn’t alike human sexual assault (the physical act). Galadriel is also a immortal spirit, and Sauron is a spiritual being; so the process is similar to Morgoth and Arien.

And in 2x08, Sauron is not only compared to Morgoth but also acts like him with his chaotic and destructive killing of Celebrimbor.

This would be a good time to say that Elves are not “higher beings” nor of “divine nature” on Tolkien legendarium, they represent the intelectual and artistic-driven humans, and they want to be the perfect Catholics (and we have a lot of examples of Elven characters being the opposite). Elves are immortal because immortality was Eru Ilúvatar gift to them (as “mortality” was His gift to Men). Both Elves and Men are Children of Ilúvatar, and only Him can give or take immortality (not the Valar, like I’ve read some Tolkien fans saying).

Galadriel is absolutely shocked; she’s aware of what he is doing.

Now, Galadriel is already married to Celeborn, at the eyes of the Valar and the Eldar. But Sauron is a fallen Maia, a servant of Melkor, a member of the “Satanic rebellion” against Eru Ilúvatar (like Tolkien tells us in his letters). Whatever oath Galadriel has made to the Valar doesn’t mean anything to Sauron, not only because he doesn’t recognize their authority but he’s also in open rebellion against them. To him, Galadriel is as good as single. And Sauron isn’t only binding her to him, but to Morgoth (the darkness), too.

And Celebrían has not been born, yet in “Rings of Power”. Creating children is when Elves, in fact, join souls to create new life, blessed by Eru Ilúvatar (because only He has the power of creation). There’s this weird headcanon in the Tolkien fandom that Elves join souls whenever they have sex, but no. This only happens when they intent to produce a child; Tolkien tells us this in “The Nature of Middle-earth” when he describes Elven sex. To the Elves “sex = marriage” because of Tolkien Catholic message in his legendarium (but more on that later).

The consequences of such a thing are dubious. Galadriel survives (paralleling Frodo/Morgul knife from the Witch King of Angmar), but like Arien, she’s now “tainted” by Morgoth/Sauron. In her case, by both (because Sauron used Morgoth’s crown). Frodo was tainted for the rest of his life, too, with a wound that would never wholly heal, and it would cause pain and torment for the rest of his life, to the point he decided to go to Valinor at the end of “Return of the King”.

On his notes, Christopher Tolkien recalls the reader that the Valar “beget not” (don’t reproduce), and that Morgoth’s intention was to humiliate Arien and harvest her light for himself (not produce “fiery offspring”). We do know, however, that Maiar can reproduce (Melian example, and Tolkien implied some fallen Maiar might have reproduced with the first Orcs, in his “Orcs” essay on “Morgoth’s Ring”). So, what does this mean for Sauron and Galadriel? Adding to the fact that Sauron might have bound himself to his physical form in the legendarium (like his master before him), this can open Pandora box, depending on Sauron’s intentions here.

But we also have another detail in this scene that further complicate things, lore-wise. Galadriel was about to join Sauron:

And Tolkien legendarium tell us this was out of her own free-will, because characters can chose, and there is no “hypnosis” nor enslavement of wills in this world. That’s Sauron’s goal but he can never achieve it. That’s the whole point of his tyranny never being fully accepted by every character, and alliances being made to fight him, every time.

This is the moment that marks the “Fall of Galadriel”. She succumbs to temptation. Like Eve she ate the apple of the tree of knowledge, after being tempted by the serpent.

All of this seems very contrived. And this is why I think this scene was poorly-executed. All these references are present, we are dealing with deep Tolkien legendarium here, but it’s very confusing because the events appear to contradict themselves.

We have Sauron raping Galadriel, body and soul to harvest her light for himself and share some of his power with her (parallel with Morgoth and Arien in “Morgoth’s Ring”);

A wound that will never heal and Galadriel almost joining Sauron until Nenya advises her otherwise and she doesn’t want to anymore (Frodo and Witch King of Angmar in “Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Two Towers”);

Galadriel jumps to her death to escape Sauron; is this a reference to Elves not being able to cope with sexual assault or something else?

This weirdness I’m talking about isn’t new to Tolkien legendarium, by the way. We see this in another tale, although I’m not sure “Rings of Power” was using this as a reference here, mind you. And it’s the story of Aredhel and Eöl the Dark Elf (“The Silmarillion”, “The Nature of Middle-earth” and “Morgoth’s Ring”).

Aredhel, the “White Lady of Gondolin”, was Fingolfin's daughter, and she lived in Gondolin with her brother Turgon. Gondolin was a isolated kingdom, and Aredhel was an adventurous spirit who felt trapped. One day, she’s granted permission to leave, and she intents to meet with the Sons of Fëanor. Anyway, she eventually gets separated from her escort and finds herself in the dark forest of Nan Elmoth.

In “History of Middle-Earth”, Tolkien writes: “Eöl found Irith, the sister of King Turgon, astray in the wild near his dwelling, and he took her to wife by force: a very wicked deed in the eyes of the Eldar.”

The account in “The Silmarillion” paints a somewhat different picture, even though it recognizes that Eöl used spells to trap Aredhel and force her deeper into the forest, until she arrived at his doorstep: “And when Aredhel, weary with wandering, came at last to his doors, he revealed himself; and he welcomed her, and led her into his house. And there she remained; for Eol took her to wife, and it was long ere any of her kin heard of her again. It is not said that Aredhel was wholly unwilling, nor that her life in Nan Elmoth was hateful to her for many years.”

Some say Tolkien changed his version but this comes from a misunderstanding of what “The Silmarillion” is and how it’s pretty much a case of unreliable narrators. This work is from the Eldar POV, after all. When Tolkien writes that Eöl took Aredhel “to wife by force” is a very clear indication that he raped her, precisely because sex = marriage to the Eldar.

In both cases, Aredhel stays with Eöl (alive), bears him a child (Maeglin), but she escapes back to Gondolin when she gets the chance. The tale ends in tragedy, because Aredhel is impaled by Eöl poisoned javelin (oh, that Freudian symbolism). 

Now, what’s weird in this tale is not only because it contradicts the whole “Elves can’t cope with sexual assault and die” headcanon (I’ll spare you the on-going debate if this applies only to single vs. married Elves), but Aredhel, in spite of the rape, gets pregnant. And this is supposed to be something consensual on both parts (union of souls). Is it a case of Stockholm's Syndrome? Either way, this tale contradicts much of what’s written in the “Laws and Customs among the Eldar” chapter, because Eöl isolates Aredhel from the world and this entire marriage screams abuse and physiological and physical violence, when the mentioned chapter paints a very illldic and romanticized view of Elven marriages. Tolkien never one shies away of condemning Eöl vile and wicked actions, mind you. He’s clearly a villain and a rapist.

Speaking of the "Laws and Customs among the Eldar” chapter, Christopher Tolkien does tell us, the readers, he’s not sure [It is not easy to say] from what fictional perspective Laws and Customs among the Eldar was composed”, but he believes it’s not a part of “The Silmarillion”. But Tolkien himself was no longer alive to either confirm or deny this.

However, Christopher does write: “in this account the lives and customs of the Eldar have been considered mainly in their natural courses in days untroubled, and in accordance with their true nature unmarred. But, as has been said, the Eldar did not escape the Shadow upon Arda, that caused both misfortunes and misdeeds to afflict them.” We already know there are countless examples of Elves behaving in ways that contradict what’s written in this chapter, Christopher only confirms it. 

What this means is this chapter is meant to be interpreted as how the Elves **would** conduct themselves if they had remained in Valinor, and if Morgoth has not corrupted Arda. Meaning: this chapter might not be the best source when trying to interpret and understand the behavior of the Elves on Middle-earth (which is symbolically our of fallen sinful earth). And this is why folks have to read the introductions, Christopher's notes and Tolkien letters.

In the tale of Aredhel and Eöl, we have even more evidence against the “Eldar customs” chapter. After she escapes, Eöl chases after her, and runs into Curufin, her cousin. Eöl invokes Aredhel’s status as his wife, as means to “get her back”. And Curufins answers this: "Those who steal the daughters of the Noldor and wed them without gift or leave do not gain kinship with their kin.”

This is a very tribal and pagan way of thinking: the group (tribe) didn’t consent to the marriage, hence Eöl doesn't have any claim to Aredhel. For Curufin, Eöl has wronged the Noldor as a whole (by taking Aredhel as wife without the Noldor consent), not only Aredhel herself. This contradict the Catholic view expressed on the “Eldar customs” chapter, where marriage is a unique and eternal bond, created by two Elves having sex. Apparently, many Elven characters in the tale don’t see it that way. Because Celegorm also wanted to take Lúthien as his wife by force and coerce her father, Thingol, into an alliance, in “Beren and Lúthien”. She escaped thanks to Huan, the Hound of Valinor. These are two examples in two different stories.

And this means that everything that "Rings of Power" is doing with Galadriel and Sauron situationship is completely valid lore-wise. Tolkien didn't write it (canon), but it fits the legendarium.

Anyway, all of this is to say that it's possible, lore-wise, to have Sauron taking Galadriel to wife by force (rape) and her still wanting to join him because we see this happening with Aredhel and Eöl the Dark Elf, in "The Silmarillion" (and if we ignore all the other accounts of this tale). Not sure if this was the justification for this contrived scene, thought. 

I’m not a fan of any of this, by the way. Yes, Galadriel would never willingly bind herself to Sauron in 2x08. And and the fight was necessary story-wise because having her going from wanting to kill him to join him the next minute wouldn’t work story-wise either. Still, to me, this is an unnecessary victimization of Galadriel’s character, and once again using rape as a plot device to advance the narrative. This is goes without further comment, it's not only overdone but terrible in itself.

As for Sauron, he’s a villain on his way to become a super-villain, however, his Second Age persona is the “seducer” and “the deceiver”, so I don’t really interpret him as the “rape type”, but perhaps the writers took his creep rant from “Beren and Lúthien” as reference, when he straight-out sexualizes Lúthien, calling her a “pretty fay” and describing her body as “very white and fair”, and taunting his prisoners on how “Morgoth would possess her in his lair”, and is puzzled by “why laughs he not to think of his lord [Morgoth] crushing a maiden in his hoard.” But that was First age, full-on servant of Morgoth Sauron, not "Sauron the reformer" from the Second age, who wants to rebuild Middle-earth with "fair motives" at first, like Tolkien tells us in his letters.

Now, I have no idea how they'll handle all of this in Season 3. The marriage subtext will not be addressed by the show. I have no doubts about that, because I don’t think they have the guts to own to that.  Sauron will probably use the bound to have Galadriel deliver the Elven Three rings of power to him; that's the obvious and safest way to deal with this and upset the least amount of Tolkien fans.

[nincompoopydoo]

CAUGHT IN A CROSSFIRE

ALL THINGS MUST END — ; PART 10 / 10

PAIRING: Theseus Scamander x Female!Reader WORD COUNT: 4.7k SUMMARY: You and Theseus awaken in a place that feels all too familiar, uncovering that the truth behind Miriam’s intentions lies within the act of revenge itself. This is a tale of betrayal, love, and hatred, but it's also the story of how you learn to love again. A/N: This is it! I’m so so nervous for yall to read this, but I hope you like it!! I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been here either from day one or at any time you found this series– thanks for sticking around. WARNINGS: Swearing. Angst. Injuries. Mentions of hurt. Mentions of being burnt (it’s not detailed), Mentions of death. Theseus being a simp (HAHA). No beta as always we die like men. MASTERLIST ; MASTERPOST

Augustus Warden was a tyrant, characterised by his uncaring, manipulative, and violent nature towards anyone who dared to oppose him. He held a firm belief in eradicating magic, viewing it as inherently evil, and saw himself as a saviour destined to rid the world of it. 

Augustus Warden was also Miriam’s father. 

Well, he could hardly call himself a father. He was never one to her. And was never a husband to her mother. 

Augustus became obsessed with the perception of a saviour complex. It drove Miriam’s mother away, leaving her to deal with her father’s aggression and temper. Yet, Augustus's influence within the scourers' community grew, and The Gardenia Society landed itself in the thick of the chaos.

Again. Being hunted.

When your brother began showing signs of magic, your mother feared for his life. She had known about a distant ancestor with magical abilities for quite some time, though she hadn’t expected it to resurface in her only son.

Your brother was born at the wrong place and at the wrong time.

Your mother sought the help of Miriam, her closest friend. Almost a sister to her. She trusted her with her life. Nobody knew about your brother’s abilities besides your family and Miriam. It was a well-kept secret for the society's and your family's safety.

So, when word got out about your brother, your mother knew who had leaked the secret. Or so she thought.

The inhumane arrest of a boy. To be burned at the stake. Those were the words of the people. Just like their ancestors did. Hence, your mother decided to retaliate that betrayal of trust with Miriam for turning against her and her family. Miriam was then accused of being a witch and is the sole reason behind everything that happened to your brother.

She knew her father was insane but never knew he would ever go this far.

Her father. He showed no mercy.

“You dirty witch.”

Those were the words of the people, it rang against her ears.

Miriam remembers the fear etched in her throat. How her heart was beating out of her chest as she screamed, pleading to Augustus that this was all on pretence.

Yet, it seems that Augustus had been searching for a way to get rid of Miriam and finally found the opportunity.

A ball of flame in the darkness lit on a matchstick.

Augustus Warden stands tall and looming as he creeps from the shadows. He holds the little match with a grim twist to the edge of his lips. No sign of remorse. No sign of guilt.

“You did this to him … So long, witch.”

He tosses the matchstick.

Flames engulf Miriam.

Your family fled from the village with the help of The Gardenia Society and several Aurors, landing yourselves in the heart of London where the Warden would never find your brother. Since then, you had your memories erased.

But nothing ever stays permanent. And nothing ever truly dies.

–

Darkness.

Theseus struggles to grasp reality, feeling his presence as the memories from moments ago flood in.

He remembers … you. On the ground. Bleeding.

Immediately, he’s wide awake.

His surroundings are a blur, in the process of recollecting his thoughts when all that fills his head is you. Theseus then realises he’s seated; it’s cold, solid against his back and causes his slumped figure to lay straight on its surface.

A pungent smell suddenly fills his senses. Gasoline. He smells gasoline.

Merlin’s beard—

As he regains his sight, he recognises the room he is in. It’s circular, lined with seats to portray an amphitheatre. It’s a courtroom, though its structure tells a different story. Frescos held by its walls were heavily worn with time, abandoned, and unseen. This may be a ministry courtroom, but no longer operational.

The courtroom is filled with members of The Restoration Movement, all eyes on him. Among them, Morrigan and Mulberry stand sentinel, their scrutiny unyielding.

This is also when Theseus realises he is missing his wand.

Why on earth would Miriam bring him back to the ministry?

Before he could even begin to question it, Theseus spots you lying unconscious on the floor before him, in a pool of liquid. You’re drenched in gasoline too, he’s sure of it. It sends a sudden surge of shock to his heart, and there’s an immediate sense of urgency in how he moves to you, yet he stays unmoving in his seat.

Theseus glances at his arms and notices they have been bound with chains attached to the seat’s armrest. Eyes now wide, they return to your unmoving figure on the ground and all he thinks is to pull and pull and pull. Still, he can only watch you from a distance.

“Look at you. Helpless. Desperate. Seems like she changed you for the worse, Theseus.”

Miriam appears before him, you lay at her feet, tone laced with sarcasm as it booms through the courtroom. Strong and relinquished. Her expression wild, flashing with anger, hurt, and betrayal—hardened without an ounce of fragility and mercy in sight.

“Why are you doing this?”

There’s a tone of desperation tinged in his voice and it shakes him to his core. Theseus has been afraid plenty of times—during his training, the war. He has seen unspeakable things, but never has he been in the position of seeing someone he cares so tortured and bruised.

It clicks in his head. The ministry is the last place anyone would find them. Miriam is no fool.

Theseus heaves a silent prayer, hoping that despite the impossibilities of the day's events, both of you would make it out alive.

His gaze returns to you, catching a glimmer in your eye. You’re awake. Barely, but you are.  Your body remains frozen, yet your eyes convey a silent assurance, hidden from Miriam's sharp scrutiny. It's a subtle promise that you'll endure. That you’ll be fine.

Miriam’s smile widens as her expression morphs into a cynical, surprised look, mocking his question.

“I laid out all the clues, and you still haven't figured it out? Perhaps you weren't as intelligent as I thought.”

Despite the gravity of the moment, Theseus restrains the impulse to roll his eyes. Of course, he quickly discerned the laid-out clues: the open door, the photograph, and the brooch. Yet, certain questions remain unanswered—how did his brother become privy to Miriam's existence, and how did he predict Theseus's unravelling of the hidden messages in the letters?

Perhaps, Miriam doesn’t know why either.

“All I want is to destroy her. The Gardenia Society. Everything her mother ever loved.”

Miriam speaks in a manner of delusional confidence. A false sense of belief that her actions are deemed righteous. That whatever she intends to do is all for justice.

And it all ties back to your mother and the Gardenia Society.

Theseus watches the way her eye twitches, a flicker of sheer annoyance.

Something feels wrong. Or missing?

“Yet, you, dear Theseus. You always had a habit of sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, and now I have no choice but to take you with her,” Miriam declares, her tone laced with frustration.

Theseus merely scoffs. It sends Miriam boiling.

"You’re a hypocrite, Miriam. You revelled in meddling in everyone's lives, in my family's lives. Tell me, Miriam, did you truly believe we wanted you around?"

“Shut up –”

“We only did because we felt bad for you. After your husband passed –”

“I DON'T NEED YOUR FUCKING PITY.”

Her voice tears through the room, booming against its very walls. Miriam's eyes blaze with fury as she strides toward Theseus, and in an instant, her hand connects with his cheek in a resounding slap that leaves it stinging.

Unbeknownst to anyone but Theseus, you are wide awake, silently observing his calculated provocations aimed at pushing Miriam to her limits. With each jab, you understand his strategy, sensing the gears turning in his mind as he buys time. Knowing Theseus, he probably had a plan in motion before he came for you.

Through her distractions, you take it as an opportunity to survey your surroundings,  noting the dilapidated state of the room. Amidst the debris, a broken piece of wood catches your eye—it looks like a post that came apart from a railing. Its edges are sharpened after being torn apart. Something you could weaponise if you needed to.

Immediately you exchange a fleeting glance with Theseus. He’s looking right at you, though almost unnoticeable. You aren’t sure how you could tell, but there’s a silent understanding that develops between the of you.

Something is about to happen.

Just then, a sudden thud echoes from beyond the courtroom. It comes from the room’s entrance.

Miriam's attention snaps toward the sound, prompting you to feign unconsciousness once more. As she directs one of the men to investigate, the pieces fall into place.

Theseus just hopes the plan is set in motion.

He takes a deep breath before fixing Miriam with a steely gaze “You know, Miriam. Something doesn’t quite add up.”

Miriam's jaw clenches in response. “And what is that?” she retorts, her tone edged with defiance.

“The fact that I’m the one who’s in this chair, instead of her … This isn’t just about revenge on her mother isn’t it?”

He sees it. Only a flicker. Her facade slips ever so slightly. 

“I’m not stupid, Miriam.”

A beat. The air thickens.

Theseus watches intently as she takes his words in. Then, she steps back, creating distance from him once more. As if she’s almost afraid he’ll be able to detect any sort of falter or weakness in her.

Her once furious eyes are now almost solemn.

“Oleander was … ambitious, hard-headed, and strong-willed man.” Miriam begins, her gaze distant. “Despite all his faults, I loved him. He promised me an escape from my father's tyranny, a chance for us to be together at last.”

Her eyes flicker towards you, still prone on the ground, and a tumult of emotions washes over her face—a mixture of anger and hurt.

“Then, her mother accused me of betraying the very secret that shielded her brother," Miriam continues, her voice tinged with bitterness. "I became a pawn in their game, a scapegoat to be sacrificed. Oleander vanished, leaving me to face the consequences alone.”

So, it’s all for love. Or more for the betrayal she felt. 

"I discovered years later that it was he who leaked the secret. Turns out he was an Auror, undercover. He seduced the daughter of a Scourer to infiltrate my wretched father's inner circle. When everything went awry, he led the operation to save the members of The Gardenia Society," Miriam pauses, regaining composure as she continues, "But not me."

Then, Miriam turns to him once more.

"You remind me of him, Theseus. A little too much. All you seek is justice, yet you have no qualms about destroying lives in your path. You deem some unworthy and strike them down, all in the name of righteousness. Just like him. I will not stand by and let history repeat itself."

Fishing something from the pocket of her coat, Theseus discerns its shape in the dim light—a matchbox.

But, Theseus isn’t afraid. Not anymore.

It instead conjures a smile from him—all in rebellious smite.

“You won’t kill me.”

His tone is mocking. It elicits a frown from Miriam.

“What makes you think I won’t end you like the rest? I’ve killed muggles. I've killed her entire family without hesitation. I’m not afraid.”

“But you won’t kill me. Well, you can’t kill me,” Theseus counters with confidence as he clocks movement in the background.

“What?”

“All things must end, Miriam.”

Just then, a sudden flash of blue streaks across the courtroom and hits Morrigan in the shoulder. She collapses at impact.

Immediately, chaos erupts in the courtroom. Aurors flood the room, emerging from every corner of the amphitheatre as the surprise attack begins. Flashes of blinding blue, green and red bolt across the expanse as the attack began.

Theseus sees Travers in the crossfire, Mulberry collapsed on the ground at his feet. His expression is solemn, it’s a reflection after knowing the truth, but also a silent recognition and gratitude to Theseus that if he did not make it in time, this whole place would be in flames.  It was risky if anything were to happen to him, but thankfully, his Patronus found Travers and knew of his current location. It was the right call.

Through the impossibilities of today, a miracle did happen.

Miriam’s face splits into pure horror and she loses her concentration amidst the onslaught. Before she can react, you spring into action, wielding the broken piece of wood you had your eye on with fierce determination. Instantly, you strike Miriam on the head with a forceful blow that immediately sends her to the ground, rendering her unconscious.

Miraculously, the binds that held him to the chair disappear, finally able to get to you.

Well, that certainly works.

Breathless and weary, you stand on the edge of exhaustion, your body protesting with every step as you find yourself teetering on the brink of collapse. Despite your efforts to remain upright, your knees finally give out, sending you to the ground. With palms outstretched, you strain against the weight of fatigue, muscling all your strength to keep yourself from falling.

You then feel him. His grip finds the curve of your shoulder and your arm, supporting the weight of your own. It's warm, gentle, desperate yet assuring.

Theseus stares down at you with panic in his eyes. 

“Are you alright?” 

The words hang in the air as you grapple with the question. 

Are you really alright?

“... She killed my family.” you choke out, your voice strained with grief as you struggle to contain a sob. Immediately his hand finds your cheek, fingers against cold skin. They are soft. Grounding.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs softly.

You feel the gentle drag of his thumb just below your eye. It’s only then your blurred vision from the welling of tears, cheeks stained with the desolation and hurt that begins to settle within you. It hits you, gradually, but the pain is turning unbearable. It’s the physical pain searing through your back and the emotional hurt from everything that’s happened.

All you wanted was for this to end.

And now, when it is, where does it leave you?

Theseus’ careful touch remains on your cheek, his other hand firm against your shoulder. He can see the way your mind begins to spiral. 

He says your name. You finally bring your eyes to meet his.

Furrowed brows, charming eyes, cheeks tinged with a little colour of red, vaguely tousled hair.

A small smile plays on his lips.

“We should get out of here, don’t you think?”

–

2 MONTHS LATER

My dearest,

I hope this letter finds you in consolation and comfort, though I must admit that my own heart is heavy with the weight of the news I bear of the fate of your brother.

Contrary to our belief, your brother did not meet his end on the battlefield, as we were led to believe. Instead, he orchestrated his demise when he sought information on your mother and The Gardenia Society. Through our research and Miriam’s testimony, we gathered that your brother was intentionally recruited into the Restoration Movement and allied with Morrigan. He had every intention to seek Miriam and avenge your mother’s death. He was part of the operation until Miriam sensed his true plan and decided to eliminate him. No matter the situation, Miriam would’ve killed him in the end, but she intended to use him to get to you first. This was when her plan started to fall apart.

This is all we know thus far. I shall keep looking for more. Your brother was a brave soul. He saved your life.

With that said, I hope this brings you some peace. 

You must know you have been a constant in my mind these past few months. Though I understand your need to be alone at this time, nothing can ever describe the unthinkable things you have been through.

But perhaps, if you wish so, we could meet at St Mary’s Gardens in Woolwich. I hear it’s near your current home. I’ll be there on Sunday at 10 in the morning, should you choose to join me. It’ll be good to see your face once more.

Yours,Theseus

You’ve read this letter a hundred times since a certain familiar owl dropped it on your windowsill, just like the other times it had done so. Letters from Theseus were merely part of your days for the past two months, your desk in your bedroom filled with parchments of handwritten letters, signed by the very man that saved your life and sought to protect you.

Despite this, you never once gave a reply to any of his letters. Truth be told, you had been avoiding Theseus, a subconscious decision to try and distance yourself from everything related to magic. You never wanted to push him away, but you didn’t know how to separate yourself from the events with The Restoration Movement and Miriam without being in his presence. Theseus reminded you of all you’ve lost, though you seem to have forgotten the one thing you’ve gained.

You never saw him when Miriam was put on trial. When the ministry convinced you to step in as a witness, to give your testimony. In return, a deal was made—you get to keep your memories but sworn to secrecy. You somehow suspected that Theseus is the very reason the Ministry is so willing to work with you.

But it was overwhelming. Especially at the start. To talk about everything.

You pushed him away but It didn’t stop Theseus from writing to you. Update after update. He understands your grief better than you would expect. 

Theseus never gave up on you. And for a moment, you wonder why you ever gave up on him.

A gust of wind whips through the deck of the Woolwich Ferry, tugging at the letter from your fingers. For a moment, it seemed like it would slip from your grasp, lost to the currents of the River Thames. Your heart leaps as you tighten your grip, fingers curling around the paper as if it were the only thing anchoring you to reality.

You clung to every word like it was a lifeline. His words were the first thing you reached for in the morning, the reassuring touch that helped you muster the strength to face another day alone. 

Though certain words made your heart thrum a little faster than usual.

You must know you have been a constant in my mind these past few months.

You know how you feel about Theseus, but now, it’s clear as day.

Perhaps you don’t have to be alone anymore.

The ferry comes to a halt by Woolwich Pier, and your hands start getting clammy. From your position trailing behind a line of people as you step off the ferry, you can spot the gardens, a small gathering of trees amid the urban landscape.

However, you’re distracted, your mind lingering on the words that filled Theseus's letter.

It’ll be good to see your face once more.

The passing scenery catches you off guard and grounds you back to reality when you realise you’re already at the entrance of St Mary’s Gardens. Towering trees with arched branches and leaves rustling in the gentle breeze that shines golden against the morning sunlight. The trees cast shadows on the ground, dancing along the lush yet overgrown grass. 

And there, you see Theseus.

He seems anxious, movements betraying a nervous energy that mirrored your own. One moment, he’s seated; the next, he’s standing; and another, he’s pacing as if unable to settle into one spot for more than a moment.

You watch him for a moment, somehow unable to move. 

God, you miss him.

Then, as if he had sensed your presence, he’s turning around only to meet your gaze. In an instant, a wave of relief washes over his face, melting away the tension that had gripped him moments before. His expression softens at the mere sight of you. His expression splits into a smile that lights up his entire face.

Theseus says your name, and you feel the sudden warmth that floods your chest.

“Theseus.”

He carefully ambles to you, halting just about a foot away.

“You look …”

Tired, distraught, awful—

“Beautiful.”

Your heart picks up speed and pulls a bashful smile from you. You can’t even look at him without going red.

“Thank you. You look …”

Handsome, charming, the most beautiful man you’ve ever encountered.

“—well too. At least from the last time I saw you.”

The two of you were at St Mungo’s. Theseus had his arm around your waist, bearing the weight of your weakened frame as you stumbled, the sudden nausea overwhelming you after apparating to the hospital. In the reception area, you doubled over and vomited.

Just like old times.

Then, you were separated ever since.

Theseus mirrors your smile, similarly coy.

“I was beginning to think you were ignoring me for good.”

Your heart breaks a little at his words. “Look, Theseus. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just …” you trail off, unable to finish your words. You feel guilty.

“No, it’s—you don’t have to apologise. You needed space, I understand that.” Theseus says with an edge of anxiety. As if one wrong word, you’ll go running. He purses his lips and tucks his hands into his pockets.

“I was just worried about you, that’s all.”

Your heart stutters. Theseus has always been so caring that it’s almost overwhelming.

He senses a shift in the air. He knows to be careful and patient. You need time. And he’s willing to wait as long as you want him to.

“If you would like, we could meet again. Same place, same time?”

“I would like that a lot, Theseus.”

–

Your Sundays were then days that truly felt brighter. Theseus works through the week at odd hours, yet ensures to keep his weekends free. Every Sunday, he’s there at St Mary’s Gardens, to give you an update on the investigation.

You find out how your mother passed in America at the hands of Miriam and how your brother may have been a seer, though unproven. It was the only explanation as to how he predicted you would even meet Theseus.

You buried your family. Three empty caskets.

Those times were the hardest. The realisation that secrets had been kept from you left you feeling helpless. Yet, through it all, Theseus stood by your side.

Weeks drift by, the case closes and Miriam and her followers are put behind bars. Still, Theseus ends with the same words:

“Same place, same time?”

So, Sundays turned into Fridays. Then, Wednesdays and Mondays—Theseus always found a way to weave you into his life, despite the hectic life of being an Auror. With his career on the rise from his hard work with your case, it’s hard for him to make time, but he makes it a point to see you, to hear your voice, to check up on you ever so often.

Theseus carries a certain air of enthusiasm when he’s with you. It’s carefully placed, disguised behind his calm demeanour, but you hope he knows how much you share that same enthusiasm whenever you see him. Whether it’s traversing through Hyde Park or sharing meals, these little times tend to be the highlights of your week. It revolves all around him.

Your love for Theseus doesn’t come careening in like an arrow pieced to your heart or a shock to the discernment of your feelings for him.

It’s gradual. And it grows larger and larger with every passing day. With every passing second.

And here you are, leaning against the railing that overlooks the River Thames, brushing shoulders with Theseus as you finish your ice cream. The river glimmers under the setting sun, and a gentle warm breeze sweeps through as the two of you watch Tower Bridge light up in comfortable silence.

“I saw Mr. Shacklebolt the other day,” you chirp suddenly, gaze trailing the ducks by the shore. The skies begin to turn dark as the crowds diminish, but you feel safe. Especially with Theseus.

Theseus turns to you with a curious furrow of his brows. “Who?”

You hum. It’s soft and contemplative and it causes a small smile to creep on your lips. “My old employer. He fired me months back. Before, you know, everything that happened –”

You catch your slipping and immediately halt your sentence, back to munching on your almost-gone ice cream cone.

Before I met you.

He recognises the implication and the sudden shift of your expression. It’s so vague, but he sees it. He always does.

Theseus takes a pause and decides to not address it.

“Really? So, did you clock him in the jaw?” There’s a hint of mischief in his tone and it causes you to laugh. Theseus’ eyes crinkle at the sight.

“I would have. He was right across the street. But, I decided not to. Not because he was with his children and I didn’t want them to see their father get knocked out by a lady –”

It’s Theseus’ turn to laugh. Your face splits into a grin as you continue. “I realised I wouldn’t be where I am today if he hadn’t fired me that day.”

A beat. You’re mustering up some sort of courage to make your care for Theseus known. To put it under the spotlight for everyone to see. From the corner of your eye, you can see him staring at you, taking you in, clinging to every word you say.

“And I wouldn’t have met you.” 

You huff, feeling incredibly restless as you turn to face him.

“Theseus, I don’t think I ever thanked you for everything you’ve done for me. You saved my life, and you never gave up on me. I thank you for that.”

He goes quiet in an almost bashful manner now tucked into the pockets of his slacks as he replies, “I try my best … or are you just saying that because I bought you ice cream?”

“Oh piss off!” you snap back at his tease with ardent humour, jabbing him in his shoulder with your finger.

You watch him squirm away with a casual laugh, beaming at you like you’re the sun. At this moment you decide you’re not waiting anymore. God, you don’t even know why you waited this long.

Theseus falls silent, his gaze still fixed on you with a curious beam that ignites a sudden surge of courage within you—courage you never knew you had.

In an instant, you’re surging to him, closing the distance between you where your lips meet his. It’s clumsy, graceless and so quick that it’s almost dreamlike in its brevity. You’re looking at him with wide eyes as if you couldn’t believe what you had just done.

You kissed him.

And Theseus looks like he’s about to explode.

"It seems that you just beat me to it," he breathes, his own lips tingling with the burning imprint of yours.

His words elicit an airy laugh from you, and as you mirror his grin, Theseus feels his heart skip a beat at the sight. Of all the times he’d known you, he had never seen you this light, this warm, this … happy.

He can’t explain it, but an impulse drives to reach for your hand, fingers tangled in your own as he brings his other to the curve of your cheek, warm to the touch. Vacant from tears, but lined with crinkles of laughter and smiles.

He feels the same way when with you.

At that moment, Theseus leans in to press his lips to yours once more. It’s different from before—more gentle, honest, and grounding.

It’s beautiful.

You’ve lived your life full of discrepancies and contradictions, but Theseus is the one thing you were so certain about. It’s a final profound sense of clarity.

Entwined with his fingers, there’s a sense of contentment that settles within you. As if the happiness you always sought has finally found its way into your life.

TAGLIST: (i really hope i got this right ;-;)

@crumpets-are-better-with-jam

@inlovewithfictionalcharacters27

@aterriblelangblr

@yournewmommy

@mariaelizabeth21-blog1

@eternallyvenus

@poolnoodlerescuer

@mads-weasley

@decrepit-bees-knees

@eternallyvenus

@lanespeaks

@127djarin

@iceman-kazansky

@probabydeadbynow

@lunalov3smoony

@rinisfruity14

@orchiidflwer

[ace-and-ranty]

also like. I love Orion as like. Person who isn’t a person. Child who was born dead. The whole section of the story where he starts straight up subjecting people to eternal torment for attacking El rings strange in contrast with everything else until you remember that his heroics were the byproduct of hunting maleficaria for mana, his actual goal. Guy who’s whole personality was built over a sinkhole that finally caved in. Lost all his morals

Ooohhh, I feel like this is a good time to use this quote from Naomi's AMA...

"(...) Once Orion does register El, he fairly quickly realizes that she is the kind of person he wants to be. Everyone around Orion constantly is telling him he's a hero, and meanwhile he's mostly just doing what comes incredibly naturally to him and thinking "this is great, I get to hunt all the time, and I'm a hero! :D" and meeting El and being forced to look at the system that has made him a hero and its unfairnesses makes him start to realize that he wants to truly be a hero, that this is something that he wants to choose, the hard and moral path (...)"

And also this quote from The Golden Enclaves...

“It’s both of you,” Shanfeng said. “You, and the child Ophelia made. The boy we heard about from our own children as they came out of the Scholomance each year of the last four. The boy who saved the lives of others, who took no payment, and paid no attention to which enclave they were from. Ophelia got—not the hero she wanted, but the hero she deserved.”

And of course this delicious nugget from The Lat Graduate:

The words are even engraved on the stairway railings and the upper molding of the library reading room, those precise words: to offer sanctuary and protection to all the wise-gifted children of the world, only absolutely nobody ever took them seriously. (...) Except, apparently, the Scholomance itself.

Orion and the Scholomance as parallels is absolute crack to me. Selfish machinations of powerful enclavers; run on the death of countless children; and told a beautiful golden lie that they believed in so hard, they built that lie into their true selves.

(With a little help from your friendly neighborhood mass-destruction witch :)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Tale of the Cursed Raven -- Author’s Notes & Afterthoughts

The full series:

Part 1 I Part 2I Part 3 I Part 4 I Part 5 I Part 6 I Part 7 I Part 8 | Part 9 I Part 10 I Part 11 I Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20

Miss Raven sketch is by shimmeryspark!

Well, it’s been quite the journey but we’ve finally made it to the end of ✨ Raven’s origin saga ✨. It was such a wild experience to write it all and hear your feedback for each installment. I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as much as I loved creating it... and I hope that it sheds more light on why Raven is the way she is.

Now that the series is done, I’m feeling really nostalgic about it (maybe it’s Mis Raven’s enchanted inks working their magic on me)💦 so I wanted to relive the memories a little, and share some of the feelings, insights, and thoughts I had before, during, and after writing the saga.

If you’re interested in reading that, it’ll all be below the cut for your convenience.

“May those who accept their fate be granted happiness, may those who defy their fate be granted glory.” — Edel, Princess Tutu (2002)

The Origins

I’ve always loved stories—more specifically, fairy tales. When I was little, they’d always be on my mind. Actually, they still are to this very day. If I wasn’t reading them, I’d be watching them or thinking about them, making theories and spinning stories of my own.

I loved the fantastical elements, the whimsy of magic and talking animals, the witches and the monsters, the royals and the warriors that protected them... I loved it all. That childhood love of fairy tales followed me into adolescence and adulthood. That’s really where this all began.

Of course, I gravitated towards media that prominently featured elements of, or borrowed from, fairy tales. This would lead me to the rabbit hole that is Twisted Wonderland 😷 (you all knew this was coming). Due to the blank slate nature of the game’s protagonist, Yuu, TWST was ripe for an OC community to crop up.

I saw a lot of unique characters in the fandom, so I wanted to create a character too. However, no matter how hard I tried, I struggled to develop a “Yuu” that I was satisfied with. At times, I even felt uncomfortable because I felt I was either putting too much of myself into “Yuu”, or not enough. It was then that I realized I would have much more fun making a character based on a preexisting story. A theme, a concept—they’d all be pre-set for me, and I could let my imagination run wild from those.

I didn’t want to adapt a character from a Disney movie (say, the Mad Hatter or King Triton). While I had seen many cool interpretations made by other people, I didn’t want to limit myself to personalities and character traits that were already determined by the movies or stories for me. I started looking into fairy tales themselves, looking for a character or a concept vague enough for me to base my OC on—and I found it in the wording of a riddle from Alice in Wonderland.

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

It captured the spirit of whimsy I wanted to evoke in the OC. Ah, but there's also an underlying sadness and dread to her character. It's mostly Alice in Wonderland with a whisper of Edgar Allen Poe.

And thus, Raven was born.

Tsunderes — but why???

At first glance, you might look at Raven and label her personality as “tsundere”. It’s a popular trope in Japanese media where a character that is initially cold and harsh shows or develops a warm, friendlier side over time. One problem that I’ve always had with the tsundere archetype is that the media that employ it rarely, if ever, explain the reasoning for why a character is a tsundere. More often than not, tsunderes are used to comedic effect nowadays, with the tsundere characters acting violent towards their supposed love interests—and that’s something that has never really sat well with me. I don’t think that’s necessarily good writing, but I won’t fault the people who do enjoy that kind of thing. I personally prefer it when we get to know the characters and the reasoning behind their personalities and decisions more. Character-driven storytelling is my jam.

Familiar of Zero’s Louise lacks the magical power to back up her noble lineage, and she has an inferiority complex as a result of that. Toradora’s Taiga has a complex family situation which has left her distrustful of others. When writing Raven, I didn’t want her to fall into the trap of “no explanation” tsundere. I wanted to outline a clear reason for why her personality is “hot and cold”, like Louise and Taiga. Even more than that, I wanted Raven’s reason to line up with the concepts of “freedom” and “expression” that tie with her bird and storytelling motifs.

And so, her story started taking shape in my head. (If you want to read more specifics on my thought process, I’d check out this post. I also talk more about the concepts behind her there.)

Her Magic

I wanted to tie in her personality and philosophy into her unique magic too. After all, it's a spell that defines who she is as an individual. In the beginning, Raven was excited about the prospect of writing, as it would help her comes to understand others--however, she struggles to come to grips with their emotions and keeps holding herself at a distance. Only when she empathizes with her characters and with the people around her does her unique magic come into fruition. With it, she can see into others' hearts and rewrite their feelings--that is, if her willpower and coaxing can convince them to.

I didn't want Raven to be a particularly gifted magic user; she's someone that had to work hard to come into her own. I think of her humanoid form as something still awkward and developing, which sometimes interferes with her spellcasting. What really makes Raven shine is her determination, and the strong imagination that pairs with it. All she truly lacks is the ambition and the confidence, things that I hoped would be honed at Night Raven College.

The Characters for the Series

Initially, I wanted to feature a much larger cast of characters. At some point, I was ambitious enough to think I could somehow include every NRC student in the plot... but thank goodness I realized that just wasn’t feasible. I saw the narrative mess that happened whenever a creative piece tried to get too many characters involved. It just made it hard to keep track of and care about anyone on an individual level. Sometimes, it also distracted from the central themes and conflict. Now, that’s not to say that Raven has never canonically engaged with other characters (because she definitely has)! It’s just that those interactions aren’t as important to this story, so I left them out of it.

In hindsight, I’m so glad that I kept the core cast (up to a certain point) small. That way, I could dedicate more of my time writing each of their individual thoughts and emotions. Raven remains the main character throughout, while Rook, Crowley, Jade, and, to some extent, Azul, Floyd, and Octa A, are secondary characters. Idia, Vil, Epel, the Fates, etc., are very much tertiary characters that showed up a few times total 😂 but they all played their parts and still contributed the overall story.

A character that was introduced in part 6 was the timid but well-meaning Octavinelle A-kun (whose name is Kon, like konbu, or Japense kelp). He was actually included as a gag character because I couldn’t think of someone from the main cast for the role he ended up filling. I unintentionally got attached to Kon and decided to bring him back later in the story, because I guess I like the irony of a mob character that lacks eyes having more screen time than two Dorm Leaders (Vil and Idia). I think the inclusion of Kon also really helped the themes of the story, because, in a meta way, he’s like Raven. He’s a “background character” who ended up having time in the spotlight (and even earned himself a small but dedicated fan following), which proves that it’s possible for Raven, who also sees herself as a “background character”, to ascend and become a “main character”.

Speaking of semi-original characters, I also had fun doing my interpretation of the Fates in part 10. I doubt that’s what they’re like in canon and watch TWST prove me wrong, but it was super fun to write regardless of that. I think my favorite thing about them was how they bicker when they’re out of the public eye, but it was also interesting to come up with their idol poses and phrases.

The cast noticeably expands around part 15, and that was a very purposeful move on my end. Raven has had her revelation then, as well as a stronger understanding of how her unique magic works. Art that point, the story shifts from Raven being on the outside looking in to the characters witnessing her tale unfold. It's to indicate that Raven has finally properly begun integrating herself with the stories that she has always isolated herself from. Characters that have previously had smaller roles before (Vil, Idia, Azul) return for a reprise and to add their own context to what's happening now, and the characters never previously mentioned (Lilia, Riddle, Kalim, Leona) give their perspectives as people who had no direct involvement. I wanted to show the shades of familiarity that they have with what Raven's been up to on her lonesome, and how these different kinds of relationships and points of view are all important when looking at a story.

I was very excited to introduce the Enchantress (Estella) as an onlooker that has a tenacious history with Lilia; she's an original character I've been working on and hiding in the shadows until her first appearance late in this saga. Estella is a very complex person, whom I would describe as a mix of the Enchantress (Beauty and the Beast), Giselle (in both Enchanted and Disenchanted), Isabela (Encanto), Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Mother Gothel (Tangled) and Fairy Godmother (Shrek 2). She gives... "tough love", but often acts in morally self-righteous and self-important ways, believing that it is for the "own good" of the people she becomes entangled with. Sadly, I was not able to go into her own background and motives, but someday I'd really like to!

The Plot of the Series

There’s a lot that you don’t see that goes into writing. I went through several iterations of Tale of the Cursed Raven, especially with the rising action and climax. You should see my writing drafts--there’s no rhyme or reason to them! You might see some bullet points to show a sequence of events, but the rest of the document is just random lines or ideas I think would “sound cool” that I just scribbled down while on the bus or something.

When I write a story, I usually know how I want things to begin and how I want them to end, and I have trouble filling in everything that’s in between. I usually took large chunks of time between the release of each installment to review information from the previous part and make sure the continuity carried over to the part I was currently writing.

It was also common for me to write, rewrite, and rewrite the parts again several times over before I actually put it to the public. Sometimes I would almost be done with an installment, and I’d delete it all and start over because I thought of something much better. I’d be irritated with myself in the moment for wasting all that time and hard work, but I think it ended up working out.

sadibasudbad Okay, I want to talk about some of the plot points that I scrapped, because some of them were actually interesting... They just took the story nowhere or caused issues with other things I had planned, so I had to drop them 😅

After Jade’s betrayal is revealed in part 3, I was going to have Raven become Azul’s business rival. Not in the restaurant sense, but more like she would offer similar “wish fulfillment” services as Azul, mostly because she needs something to do to keep herself positive. Her services were going to be called “Fairy Godmothering” and involved sending wishes on slips of paper in little black boxes she placed all over campus. However, she’d probably need a lot of help or strong magic to make that happen, neither of which really applies to her. I guess the tradeoff would have been that Azul offers more but asks for a price, whereas Raven offers less but works for free. She’d write stories as kind of a “road map” or “plan” for how she would personally fulfill her a wish, as opposed to Azul’s contracts, and which required a mutual agreement to the terms. I also didn’t know where to take the story after this point was introduced, so it had to go.

Part 8 was originally going to open with Raven and Riddle having a tea party and catching up. Floyd was going to emerge from some rose bushes with Cater and Trey chasing after him 😂 and Floyd was going to kidnap Raven from there for the boat scene with Jade. Like I mentioned before, I decided to cut this out to keep the number of characters the story had relatively short. (Plus, I guess Floyd would have had to run a shorter distance to the lake if Raven was already in the forest area than if she were all the way in Heartslabyul?)

There was a large hiatus between part 10 and part 11, because a lot of rewrites had to happen for the latter half of the series. Part 11 in particular went through several different versions—one of which would involve Prince Rielle visiting NRC for a magift game and knocking Raven out cold with the frisbee. Because Raven didn’t remember the face of the “prince” that saved her from drowning when she was a bird, I was going to have her mistake Rielle as that “prince” (similar to how Eric mistook Ursula/Vanessa for Ariel). Djsbsjsbshs But I already took a huge chance by writing my interpretation of the Fates, so I didn’t want to also do my interpretation of Rielle in case TWST gives us more details about him later. Rielle is based on a Disney princess, so I thought it was more likely that he got more details revealed about him over of the Fates, and I didn’t want to make my series too reliant on headcanons or unconfirmed information about a character we haven’t even seen yet.

Finally (and this is the biggest change of all), parts 10 through 20 were originally going to be heavily focused on action and adventure. Raven was going leave NRC in search of the Enchantress (who originally cursed the Storyteller several years go) and ask her to lift the curse, and the Enchantress was going to send her on a series of heroic quests to prove that she is “worthy”. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought the scale was too grand 💦 At the end of the day, Raven is just a bird trying to be a normal human girl... and I wanted her development to be more of a traditional coming of age story instead of a literal hero’s journey where she confronts dragons and saves villages. Something more down-to-earth makes her more relatable, so I went with that route instead of the action-adventure one.

I don’t know if you noticed, but the saga happens alongside the events of the main story (as some main story events, such as Overblots, are referenced). The last 5ish parts happen around the transition from the Ignihyde arc to the Diasomnia arc, sooo... :)) You can think what you like about whether Raven’s happy ending is reality or a dream conjured up by Malleus~

I argued with myself a lot while writing the series, especially about the ending. I had a lot of my friends (and readers, too) telling me “you’d better not kill Raven” and “Raven and Jade should kiss and make up/date each other at the end” (some of which came true, some of which didn’t). I was so conflicted at the time because while I never intended to kill Raven, it was clear that my audience was expecting a perfect “happily ever after”... and I didn’t know if such a conclusion would fit the overall tone of the series. I think what I ended up doing was satisfactory, though. It’s happy, but not overly so, and it keeps the door open for future shenanigans in a light-hearted and hopeful way. I think leaving it open-ended like this suits the theme of the saga and Miss Raven's struggle to find her freedom.

Raven’s Growth and Development

Raven has come so far.

The saga here is written kind of like “oh, this is her main story”, but it’s meant to be supplemented by “vignettes” and “event stories” (ie all the side content of Raven which fleshes out her relationships with other characters). The idea is that all her experiences at NRC helped her to develop her own sense of self, and granted her the confidence to fly in the face of her own fate, which she was once so hopeless about. When I look back on the last few years, I’m amazed at how much of it there is, whether produced by myself, by friends, or by fans. It’s really humbling that I get to share this journey with you all.

Raven used to be scared and shy, a timid bird with little to no understanding of the world, or of the creatures in it. Then she picked up a quill, ink, and paper—and a whole new world opened up to her. Her story is one of how freedom of self expression and creative works can connect us not only with others, but with ourselves. Because of that, Raven was able to grow and become a much more mature person (with the support of her friends and family, of course)!

Just because the saga is over doesn’t mean Raven is suddenly perfect, though. She still very much struggles to be emotionally expressive and honest with her feelings of affection (since she has gone so long burying those), so she’s still got a long way to go in that regard 💦 She also has some lingering self-esteem issues that she’s got to work on. Raven’s always changing...! Always willing to learn! Jade and Rook, please help her—

When people read Tale of the Cursed Raven, I don’t want them to “just see it as a love story” or “TWST OC x TWST Boy” fanfiction 💦 because the focus isn’t just on romance, but on Raven discovering herself, and her voice, in a world that once confused and scared her. It’s not just a story about finding love, it’s also about a girl growing up, gaining confidence, finding new family and friends to support her... It’s a lot of things, and I feel that it’s doing the saga a disservice by calling it just a love story.

I’ve mentioned this a few times before, but while Raven is not meant to be a self-insert character, I feel that her struggles are very relatable and I hope that you, too, can see some part of yourself in her and her journey. A lot of the writing process involved me analyzing and coming to terms with difficult feelings, particularly ones of self-loathing, self-acceptance, coming to terms with emotions, and trying to find one’s place in a world that can be confusing and scary to navigate. I feel that writing Raven’s tale was able to help me through those tough times in my life. For that reason, this saga will always hold a lot of sentimental value to me.

So... What’s next?

There were originally plans for me to make a follow up/spin-off series where Octa A/Kon was the main character. The theme of that series was “even the unnoticed and ordinary can be noticed and extraordinary!” It was going to focus on Kon and his mob student friends (one from each dormitory), along with their struggles of being “noticed” (as they are often just one face in a sea of mob students) and “fitting in” with their respective dorm’s ideals. I think it would have been a series that resonated a lot with introverts and people who see themselves as “less than” others or as “not fitting in” with others’ expectations. I might still do this, but it would probably be another huge project that would take months of planning and revision.

Another idea I had was to write a series of stories that are just flashbacks of Raven’s life prior to Night Raven College, whether as a bird or whether as the Storyteller’s apprentice. I also considered writing in-depth about how the Storyteller was originally cursed, and about the Enchantress responsible for it. I would like to get into her backstory and her motivations for spinning the Storyteller’s curse to begin with. (Maybe I’ll do those as blog anniversary or follower milestone specials?) Some friends of mine also jokingly suggested I write a sequel series focused on Raven and her relationship with L*ONA 🤢 dfhlbahefvqoeuq Lots of ideas, lots of possibilities!

As for Raven, she’s definitely not going away just because her origin saga is done. She’s still the beloved poster child of this blog, so of course I want to continue writing about her! It’s just that she’ll be a little freer to speak her mind now that her curse has been lifted. After all, "the end" is just "the beginning" of another story!

I kind of feel like a proud parent, seeing my bird daughter growing up, making friends, finding love, and developing her own sense of agency and independence 😭 I’m excited to see where this next chapter of Raven’s life takes us.

Before I sign off, I’d like to thank you, dear readers, for following Miss Raven’s story until the very end. None of this would be possible without you!

[book--brackets]

The BFG by Roald Dahl (1982)

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast. 

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

Graceling Realm by Kristen Cashore (2008-2022)

Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, who is smart and beautiful and lives in the Seven Kingdoms where selected people are born with a Grace, a special talent that can be anything at all. Katsa's Grace is killing. As the king's niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his brutal enforcer. Until the day she meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, and Katsa's life begins to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900-1920)

Join Dorothy and her little dog Toto on the yellow brick road, as they set off to explore the magical Land of Oz. Can they find the Wizard, defeat the Wicked Witch of the West, and return to Kansas?

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1997)

Catch a fallen star . . .

Tristran Thorn promised to bring back a fallen star. So he sets out on a journey to fulfill the request of his beloved, the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester--and stumbles into the enchanted realm that lies beyond the wall of his English country town. Rich with adventure and magic, Stardust is one of master storyteller Neil Gaiman's most beloved tales, and the inspiration for the hit movie.

Inkworld by Cornelia Funke (2003-2023)

One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called INKHEART-- and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever. 

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (1997)

At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you'll ever read.

The Witches by Roald Dahl (1983)

This is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don't ride around on broomsticks. They don't even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you're face to face with one? Well, if you don't know yet you'd better find out quickly-because there's nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she'll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (2010-2012)

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.  One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.  Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set?has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe -- a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Discworld by Terry Pratchett (1983-2015)

In the beginning there was… a turtle.

 Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different.

 Particularly as it’s carried through space on the back of a giant turtle.

 It plays by different rules. But then, some things are the same everywhere. The Disc’s very existence is about to be threatened by a strange new blight: the world’s first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land.

 Unfortunately, the person charged with maintaining that survival in the face of robbers, mercenaries and, well, Death, is a spectacularly inept wizard…

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (2011-2014)

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

[lilia-calderus-pet-goat]

This is a very sleep deprived thought—and I don't actually believe it, per se—but.

I've seen a lot of people who are deeply unsatisfied with the retcon of it being Agatha that bound Jen's magic. Mainly, because it felt like shoe-honing. Especially since Agatha made such a point about going out of her way to not kill Jen despite hating her, because she respected her work too much.

I think many interesting discussions can be had about this. I've talked about this before—the fact that Jen's character felt sort of neglected in the finale, and the fact a lot of people struggled to connect with her prior to rewatches. (I myself didn't have this problem, but still, my criticisms are still of the same nature-)

So anyway, Agatha probably chose to bind Jen to keep her out of the way, not realising the weight of that, the intersectionality—perhaps not caring about the suggesting very much at all. Because, you're a midwife, Jen. You can still do good. You will do good, just out of my way. And I truly do believe this is how it went.

But what if Agatha hadn't been the one to bind her? What if, in a brief moment of clarity, Agatha locked in to get everyone out? Her movements are always supposed to be calculated, so is carelessness really in her repertoire?

Maybe, just maybe, she heard Jen say that, “I'll be damned if I let one of you two idiots die,” and that triggered her. Maybe because of pride—god knows she was overwhelmed before the final trial and all her walls had come right back up. But the same didn't apply to Jennifer. She had actually changed. Jen had actually re-discovered her worth. She'd remembered who she was, power or not. She was someone Agatha respected in spite of the resentment. Someome who heals, nurtures, helps, does good. Not the vain, surface-level, self-serving fraud—who had previously been on a dark path too similar to Agatha's own, so close to complete cynicism. Lilia had saved Jen from that path and oushed her to be the path ahead. The Obstacles? Agatha.

And Agatha won't accept Jen's help—not after what happened to Alice, which to Agatha's & Billy's eyes alike stands as evidence of the fact she is a monster. She won't even accept to acknowledge her own character development, as a mere episode ago she jumped in front of a sword to save Lilia. She won't, above all, acknowledge that Jen has grown to care about her. Instead, she will do everything tomake that kdea crumble. She will destroy it.

All she needs to do is shape the narrative Billy truly thinks is true, and so it can become the truth. Billy, who created the condition in which it was possible for Alice to break her generational curse. Who found the spirits of Evanora and Nicky alike. All the trials were his limited understanding of the coven & of witch folk. (Jen's was right out of her vision board, she looked like one of her clients—nothing like the rootworker midwife we know she used to be. Alice's is in the seventies, which mathematically makes no sense with her age as she would have been born in the eighties to be the age she is on 2025—but Billy based everything about her trial on Lorna, because that's what he was familiar with. Agatha's mind he couldn't read—all he knew about her was that something happened to her son. So he puts a grown woman in children's clothing, to force therapy on her—and she regresses into the hurt little girl she was at the stake. Lilia, whose mind is the loudest & most easily accessible to Billy, had the most personalised trial, but even then, it latches onto the witch stereotypes that she so desperately hates. All of those do help the girls—minus Agatha—but still don't fully represent them. As for the green witch trial, well, it took him a while to cook it up, because he just found out Rio is death. Anyway, I digress—) My point being, if you can shape Billy's understanding of a situation, you can have some power over what happens. (One trial for each witch, the public transport system, etc.)

Would it be such an impossible stretch to say Agatha painted herself as the villain once more, embracing the part presented to her, the oart most familiar, the oart she knows best to simultaneously reject Jen's offered sisterhood/peace/altruism AND make sure the road gave Jen her powers back? She gets Jen out of the way—go do good again, just out of my way—because she's hellbent on the narrative that Agatha Harkness can't be anything but a covenless witch.

And what's the next thing she does, after assuring Billy that the road took Jen to safety after giving her what she wants?

She tries to get what she wants, because she knows Billy is in no real danger in his own road. Give me a little power-boost, dungeon master, get me out of here, come on. But he doesn't trust her. And if he doesn't trust her—she can't possibly convince him to willingly hand himself over to Rio.

So she gives him what he needs, what he wants from the road. She guides him—cradles his head and helps him fight the guilt, she helps him save Tommy. The second abomination that Lady Death was trying to prevent has already been re-born, but Rio's too busy playing mother-knows-best in suburbia on Agatha's rooftop.

So Agatha gets Billy out, accepts that, “sometimes boys die,” that death herself can't be blamed for Nicky—she forgives Rio—and starts to mourn herself. She's gotten Jen & Billy out. She can stay here and die the villain. But the road presents her with the opportunity to live—from death, life—(she also realises right then that Nicky was also Rio's, btw)—and she makes her dramatic exit. The rest is... A different post.

[the-queen-of-cups1500]

As a reader, I'm not entirely happy with this fic, but since I'm inexperienced in writing I'm not entirely sure how to fix it.. I hope you enjoy a wicked inspired Lilia x Agatha fic (Calderess ?).. there is smut, containes fingering & use of dark magic as a sort of vibrator 😨 (you'll get it once you read it, it's not in a literal sense), also contains angst having to do with loss and death..

recommend listening to the wicked soundtrack and Like real people do by hozier..

Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?

Every witch with a lick of sense had heard of Agatha Harkness, the witch who killed her own coven. A witch who's wickedness got her the darkhold. Rumors said she was able to hide from even death with all that dark magic.. That had gotten Lilia's attention.

Lilia was a hermit, a witch who moved often enough so a coven could not find her, she couldn't go through that loss again. She found herself in front of Agatha herself, her finger tips were coal black, only starting to fade to their natural color at the second knuckle. Lilia bit her tongue "You have the darkhold-" a thrill went down her spine, she could feel the buzz of Agatha's magic..

Agatha smirked, she shrugged with a gesture that brought even more attention to her magic stained fingers as they splayed out in a flourish to frame her face. Her hair was wild and sort of wavy, contrast to Lilia's practically perfect ringlets.. "..How observant-" Agatha mused, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

From there on Lilia and Agatha kept meeting as if fate was forcing them together. It didn't matter where they were, meeting over dead bodies or over alters. Lilia talked to her Maestra often, Agatha learned. Of course speaking to the dead wasn't Lilia's thing, but grief kept her tied to the woman of her childhood, she talked to her Maestra in a.. none magical way.

Lilia sat among the grass and leaves, a pocket alter unfolded in front of her. There were gold trinkets and an old piece of dark fabric along with a tea cup. As Agatha watched from afar Lilia started talking about the wicked witch herself. "..She's just- unusually and exceedingly peculiar, and.. all together quite impossible to describe-" she cut herself off with a short scream of shock, and yet there was nothing there to shock her.. Lilia packed up her alter before turning to see Agatha behind her.

Agatha sort of looked Lilia up and down.. as if she could see right through her "..Kook-" her lips pressed into a thin line..

Lilia scoffed "..Like you wouldn't be-" she gazed at Agatha, two beats of silence pass "..You could be good, you know-" the words seemed to come from no where, but somewhere in Lilia's scrambled mind- she had been thinking about this.. This moment where she could change her fate, and possibly Agatha's.. she just needed to get closer..

It was Agatha's turn to scoff "..Oh- I see.. you want to change me?.. that's what you're about." She pressed one of her fingers to her lips as she thought "..What do you get out of it, Dory?-"

Lilia took a step forward, she knew there were walls between her and Agatha.. things about Agatha that Lilia might never understand.. "..Maybe you'll to a favor for me one of these days.." she shrugged and extended a hand to Agatha..

When Agatha took Lilia's hand she pulled the older witch closer, their right shoulders clashing, Lilia could feel Agatha's breath against her neck as Agatha hissed out her final words "..I'll let you try-"

So, Lilia got close.. perhaps too close. The sent of loathing was still in the air with each meeting, but now the meetings were purposeful. Lilia thought being good was a mindset, so with each meeting she would bring bread and butter.. sometimes jam or soup, she would break bread with Agatha in the same way she would with her coven. They would eat and talk, today Lilia brought blackberry jam, butter, and a rosemary bread.

Agatha got to prepare her bread first, she pinched a bite sized amount from the loaf.. steam rose from the warm bread's insides. A knife was used to smear butter and jam before Agatha ate it with a hunger.

Lilia simply watched, her legs intertwined as she sat across from Agatha. "..I share my bread, and my butter, and my jam. I let you have the first bite every time.. why?"

With a mouth still half full Agatha laughed "Because you're a sucker-" she shifted closer as she crossed her legs, she sat slightly hunched over the placemat Lilia had set out.

"..Because I care-" Lilia corrected with an unamused look, "Caring doesn't make me weak or- a sucker. Not if it is for your benefit." It was Lilia's turn to prepare her bit of bread, she savored it compared to Agatha.

Agatha looked up at Lilia, rolling her eyes "..I don't get it- you're doing all of this- for what? For a favor sometime in the future, Which.. you know I'm not going to hold up my side of the deal anyway- so yes, you are a sucker.. you share your bread, your so called wisdom, and I give you nothing. I take."

Lilia frowned "..You need to take before you are able to give.. sacrifices make-"

Agatha cut her off "..I don't get you." Her eyes are looking past Lilia..

Lilia tilted her head, searching for the right words "...You don't have to-" her lips press together for fear of trembling, no sign of weakness can be shown. Can't flinch, can't react too harshly, for fear Agatha might get up and leave.. she places her hand on top of Agatha's, making eye contact.. she wouldn't back down

Agatha's eyes wondered, to their hands- the bread.. the blanket laid out under them- Lilia's brown eyes. Agatha sneered "...You need me-"

Lilia froze for a moment, shaking her head "..No I- just.. stay."

Agatha's face changes to one of surprise.. she smirked "..Oh, am I your dog now? Sit. Speak. Stay?-" she shook her head.. she would get up- leave this place, never look back.. but Lilia intertwined their fingers.. it was so hard to understand what was going on in Lilia's mind..

Lilia's voice was hushed "..You're not a dog, Agatha- Please.. stay with me, I am not telling you.. I am asking, I want you to stay.. did it ever pass your mind that I might enjoy your company?"

Agatha's brows furrowed "..oh, you're more of a sucker than I thought-" she laughed, she moved to get up, but Lilia pulled her closer.. their faces just a few inches apart.

Lilia gazed at Agatha, like the stars.. like impending doom, Agatha was a train wreck that she couldn't stop watching.. "..I enjoy your company-" she merely whispered..

Agatha grited her teeth "I hate you-" and yet.. Agatha was the one to close the gap between their lips..

Lilia was too gentle, too soft for Agatha.. Agatha wanted their teeth to clash, for blood to be drawn. To feel loved she needed to feel hated, to give she needed to take. It clicked while Lilia cradled Agatha's head against the soft grass as their kiss continued.

Sun streamed down between the branches of the trees that hid this scene from the outside world. Soon Agatha flipped their positions, breaking the kiss.. "..Don't speak- Don't ruin the moment" her words were brash, but the darkened finger pressed against Lilia's lips was gentle.

Agatha smirked "..I know you like them-" she trailed her finger down from Lilia's lips to her collar.. "..I see the way you look at my hands- a bit of fear.." Agatha clicked her tongue "..a bit of lust- Do you want me to.. use them?"

Lilia's eyes were wide as she looked up at Agatha "..You're crazy-"

Agatha cut Lilia off "..Just nod or shake your head-" she looked down at Lilia with a raised eyebrow, waiting for Lilia to make her mind up..

After a pause, Lilia glanced away and nodded, as if she was embarrassed by her own actions.

That was all Agatha needed before she slid her hand between Lilia and her clothes, dark magic practically buzzed against Lilia's skin, her chest rose with each breath as Agatha began to.. tease her- soft, but not gentle, not kind.. Agatha wanted to watch Lilia squirm, it raised the question if this was just some sort of power play.

While Lilia continued to stay quiet with her words, that didn't stop her from making noise. Short gasps, the sounds of her breath hitching.. Agatha was going to break her.

Agatha couldn't do that, no matter how wicked she let people believe her to be.. she pressed a finger inside Lilia. It was almost too much for Lilia.. she had never felt the draw of dark magic, not like this. Lilia's back arched and a desperate moan escaped her lips, she grabbed Agatha by the collar before pulling her closer.

Skin against skin, they were much like yin and yang.. the light Lilia had put in Agatha's soul.. and the darkness Agatha let seep inside Lilia. Agatha added another finger before pressing kisses on the underside of Lilia's jaw as she curled her fingers.

Closer than ever, so close they had become one.. where did the darkness end, and the light start? As Lilia became undone, she forced Agatha to look at her "..Agatha- my favor.. I- I need my favor now.. Please."

Agatha's brows furrowed as her pace came to a stop "..The favor that you know I'm not going to do for you?-"

Lilia sighed "..Listen- people talk about you- since you have the darkhold.. they say you can hide from death.. can you- bring people back?"

As Lilia forced eye contact Agatha couldn't help but hate her, Agatha's gaze softened nonetheless her own grief kept back to her "...Don't do this to me, Lilia-" she tried to pull away.

Lilia only pulled Agatha closer, clinging on to false hope "..Please- please.. tell me you can.. tell me there is hope-" how nature brought out the worst in her- though she was begging to deaf ears..

Agatha could not rewrite what had been done, or disrupt nature's course.. There is no hope, no wishful thinking, no quick fix. One must move on and heal.. Whether it be the loss of sisterhood, a teacher, or a son.. it cannot be undone, ash cannot grow back a forest, but it can be used as fertilizer for the new forest yet to come.

The deal was over, the lessons learned.. the bread left for the crows. Sometimes.. they would try to meet again, wondering into that forest.. but their time together was just another loss they would have to learn to live with.

[carrie-tate]

Okay okay, I see at least one person is interested in my new OC (which is almost like as the previous one lol... But they are definitely from different timelines I would say) so.

(forgive me Percy/Oliver or Percy/Penny or Percy/Audrey fans)

Please love and favor

Riley Ellis Chandler

Muggle-born witch (I haven't figured it out yet, but probably her parents are either office workers, or one of them is an elementary school teacher), Hufflepuff student (because I love Hufflepuff and probably all my characters will be from this house)

Speaking about her, she has a rather boring character, a stereotypical girlish nature, I would say. Feminine, polite, diligent. She needs reading glasses because she (like probably many Muggle-borns after learning about the world of magic) read a lot. And that's why she's well-read (Although she is reserved and does not try to answer all the questions in class, often doubting whether she remembers this or that fact correctly) and her eyesight is ruined, lol

She was a member of Flitwick's Toad Choir in her first and second years. She has a pet toad named Bean... She later realized that music was not her thing and became more interested in the main subjects like Charms and Transfiguration.

In her fourth year, she started a reading group within the confines of her house, reading extracurricular books to those who wanted to read and helping younger students with their homework. In fact, because of such efforts to try to support newcomers in the first and upper years, she received the Head Girl badge in her fifth year.

Despite getting good grades in her theoretical classes, she is terrible at anything that requires practice. That is, flying lessons, Divination (though she still likes the atmosphere of Astronomy Tower), or care of magical creatures are difficult for her.

She most likely did not participate in the events of Hogwarts' defense, but kept in touch with the students from her house whenever possible to know about their safety.

Maybe after Hogwarts, in the future, she tried to work in the Ministry of Magic. But I see her eventually becoming a Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts.

The few sketches I have with her and a little bit about her and Percy:

She entered in the same year as Percy Weasley, so they are about the same age (maybe Riley is a couple of months younger than him), But I see it this way: they met somewhere in their third year, perhaps accidentally paired up in a joint Gryffindor and Hufflepuff class.

But most likely their communication would become closer in the fifth year, since I see that Riley is also a prefect. (And I said that they are very similar to my previous hp oc, Tracey. But I will write about this at the end) So it's obvious that they would see each other more often simply because of their duties. Well, and somewhere by the end of the fifth year they would most likely have... Just gotten together, I think

Most likely, in the fifth year, Percy will appreciate Riley's activity with her reading club, and eventually this small company will be replenished with a couple of students from Gryffindor.

So you understand, I see them as a very calm couple of two responsible people. Where Percy has a lot of responsibility and is more often nervous (because he is trying to show authority), and Riley is more calm, who sometimes lets the students get away with minor misfires, trying to evaluate the situation not only from the point of view of the rules, but also from the point of view of personal opinions

I think it was Percy's initiative that their relationship was hidden at first (in the style of hiding in empty classrooms to just talk about the day, hold hands and be alone. That's innocent teenage romance... There's already a headcanon that despite Riley's short curly mullet, Percy would claim it could still be braided. And since he still has a little sister, he can do it. He probably finds stress relief in playing with his girlfriend's hair... Ahem), so that his brothers wouldn't find a reason to joke about them. I think it was also revealed in the end because of Ginny. Or Ron.

Of course, eventually this will also get back to the twins, and until graduation, Percy and Riley will be making sweet little remarks about their sugary couple. This irritates Percy, but Riley finds it funny.

Riley probably has a generally non-confrontational relationship with Percy's family (I'm sure the twins asked something along the lines of "why would such a cutie choose a stale cracker like you, Perce?") So I think the moment Percy distanced himself from his family, he distanced himself from her as well.

But after the war for Hogwarts, after everything they had experienced and rethought, they would have been able to gradually come together again. Percy would have tried to get her a job at the Ministry, but in the end it just... Didn't work out. Although I think he would support her in her professorial work, it seems that a long-distance relationship (due to the fact that Hogwarts professors, as I understand it, live on the school grounds the entire school year) suits them.

A compilation of headcanons about them that I discussed with @pockysfluffiez

Speaking of my previous OC Tracy Thorens. I think she's more of a Cursed Child years old than a Harry Potter years old, and maybe she could technically be related to Riley. (Perhaps she could have had a sibling, or cousin, who didn't have magical powers, took a new last name, started a family, and Thorens could have been... Riley's niece, or cousin niece)

[bloodhxney]

A flutter of wings through the open window signal the return of her companion. Perching easily on a chair and opening it's beak to release what it had been holding. 'Welcome home. What have you brought me, darling.’ Alice cooed softly as she turned away from her work table. A stroke of her finger over the raven's head before reaching over to pick up the piece of paper that had been dropped on the small kitchen table. An invitation of sorts. Cursive script, soft colored flowers, followed by a date and a time. A grand gathering was happening tonight. A celebration of an engagement that was open to the entire town. But what stuck out to the blonde instantly was the name.

Wynter.

A family she'd kept an eye on for nearly all of her four hundred years of life. The family of her love who'd been snatched away from her. Memories flood her mind, visceral and like they happened just yesterday. Alice took a deep breath, shaking her head to push them away. ‘So, another Wynter is getting married is that right?’ Glancing to the familiar as it shook out its feathers, cawing softly as if to tell her to keep reading. Catching the other name is what gave the witch pause.

o’Brien.

That name haunted her even to this day. Reverend o’Brien had taken everything from her. Alice could feel her blood start to boil just from seeing the name alone. That man condemned her love, a one Tiberius Wynter to a painful, agonizing death all because he could not see that all Alice had been doing was helping people. Tiberius's death was one of many during those years. History books taught all about it to this day. But there was a partial truth to her story. The blonde was a witch, that much was true, born and raised in a coven that believed in the power of nature and healing.

She never hurt anyone, even helped so many of those towns folk heal over her time there. Yet with a simple word from the reverend, they'd all turned against her. Turned against Tiberius and used him as a warning. Burnt her tiny little home to the ground and killed him publicly while she was away. Left him hanging in the town square for all to see. How could a Wynter be marrying an o'Brien? Absolutely absurd. Did they not know the history? Or had they all just simply buried the tragedy over the centuries. No longer wishing to be associated with such a sad and morbid tale.

Alice had stayed away from the Wynter estate ever since Tiberius was murdered, focusing instead on her anger and revenge to the people of Cypress Falls. A dreary and odd town it had become. Superstitions abound, strange happenings. And a new person every year finding home in the sanitorium at the edge of town. Driven mad from hallucinations of an old hag. The occasional sighting of the elusive one eyed raven who now became synonymous with bad luck and death. That same bird stared at Alice from across the table. In the home that she had to rebuild from scratch. Tossing the invitation back on to the table the witch squared her shoulders. 'Well, I haven't been to a ball in sometime. Shall we dress up and pay the manor a visit Narcissus?' There would be no such wedding. Not while she was alive and could prevent it. No Wynter would mingle with the people who caused her so much pain. // @wynterhxney

[marvelfanfn2187a113]

How do you think Sam and Dean would be with a teenage sister/Daughter who is a Supernatural creature?

Like a nephilim, the Reincarnation of a witch, a kid with demon blood (Like Sam), a fallen angel, someone who can sense paranormal activity, a dreamwalker or something like that?

Like... Imagine that this supernatural teenager is just quiet and they don't like to talk that much, so They just focus on things that hey like to keep their mind distracted from the fact that They aren't human at all, like drawing, reading, etc...

I think nephilim or half demon makes the most sense for an au (because I’m pretty sure witch is a learned thing, not necessarily something you’re born with, and the boys wouldn’t let their sister learn magic. Plus the demon blood thing, Dean already dealt with, so for sake of something different I’ll do these).

I think it would be super interesting if their sister was a nephilim, because they didn’t even know what angels were until season 4, so here these three men are, with a baby/kid that one of John’s old hookups dumped on them, and the kid starts doing all this weird stuff that no one can explain, and none of the usual monster tests work on her, so they have no idea what she is.

John would have such a hard time with it—he shoots first, asks questions later when it comes to the supernatural, he always has had to be, because it’s the only way he knows he can protect his boys—but he can’t, not this time. This is his baby, that smiles whenever she’s in his arms, and has the cutest little giggle, and always seems so scared whenever she accidentally blows a light or somehow ends up in John’s bed without ever taking a step out of her crib. That’s what hurts John—his kid is just as scared as he is when she does something supernatural.

Sam and Dean would have a little bit of an easier time with it, because they met her when they were teens, so they had some developmental time to get used to her.

John wouldn’t let her use her powers, not even to help with hunting. He didn’t know the extent of what she could do, and she didn’t want to—he didn’t think it was right. So she grew up more separated from hunting, because high stress situations could draw out her powers, and things went wrong easily when that happened.

She also grew up really quiet and reserved. She found it was easier to control her powers if she just kept herself in check. She wasn’t tamping down her personality, she was just naturally introverted and withdrawn.

After John died, she got really attached to her brothers. She got really clingy with Dean, because she got close to him while Sam was away. Dean knows how to calm her down when she gets stressed, and keeps her from losing control of her powers.

Once Sam starts figuring out his powers, both Dean and the little sister are worried about him because it’s nothing like her powers. Sam starts to be really sympathetic to the little sister, because even though their powers are different, he gets now how hard it can be.

As the show progresses and the boys mature, this is kind of how it goes—

—Sam is always willing to listen to his little sister rant about her powers, and he always tries to give her advice. He always tells her that she’s more than just her powers, she’s her own person, and using or ignoring her powers isn’t going to define her.

—Dean always knows how to comfort his little sister. If she’s really scared or sad or angry and her powers start getting out of control, he can bring her down faster than anyone.