#i’ve just turned myself into a witch i guess

[edoodlings]

cringetober day 2 - self-insert

[blackhairedjjun]

the forest of you

pairing: choi soobin x gn reader | genre / tropes: fluff, cottagecore au, fantasy au, prince!soobin x witch!reader, mutual pining, just very soft vibes | word count: 1.9k | warnings: none, just a little (friendly) teasing

summary: prince soobin lives undercover as a commoner as part of a royal tradition, and you are the local potion-maker tasked with caring for him and magically maintaining his disguise. you take him to the forest one day to forage for ingredients, and you start to realize just how much you need him with you.

author's notes: i wrote this after binge-listening to soobin's forest cover, it was just soooo comforting and beautiful 🥰🥰 this fic isn't that overtly romantic since i mostly focused on recreating the comforting vibes and message of the original cover, but the pining is still there (i hope). the premise of this story is based on an idea i had some time ago but never turned into a fic, i do have ideas for fics in the same setting though!

(support by reblogging banner by @/cafekitsune)

“y’know, soobin, you’ve become less scared of the forest since you got here,” you say, swinging your herb basket back and forth as you walk.

“oh really?” the prince stares at you, his mouth agape at first before morphing into his familiar dimpled smile. cute. “i suppose that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“it’s a very good thing. having company with me is nice.”

soobin trails behind you as you trudge down the worn dirt paths of the forest, trees on all sides towering over you. you hum as you walk, eyes on the lookout for anything of use in your potions: flowers, berries, mushrooms, seeds, leaves, even fallen bird feathers. from time to time you turn back to glance at your ward, who follows at a comfortable pace while gazing at the canopy above him.

he stops in his tracks and points at a patch of mushrooms growing on the bark of a tree. the mushrooms are at his eye level, above your head. “wait, these are the ones you use for my disguise potion, right?”

“that’s right! i missed that 一 thank goodness i’ve got a tall person helping me out.”

soobin pries the mushrooms from the bark hands it to you, a proud grin on his face. you can’t help but smile yourself in admiration, and your smile only grows when his hands brush yours while he places them in your basket. “thank you,” you whisper.

now you walk side-by-side through the forest, and you much prefer it this way. even with his princely nature hidden, you find something reassuring about his presence: soobin towers over you, but he moves slowly, deliberately matching his stride to yours, even the swinging of his arms in sync. he stays close by you, as if protecting you from anything that might leap out of the forest, and your arms nearly brush his a few times.

every now and then you stop to take something from the forest: a cluster of deep red berries, a yellow-green fern growing in swirling patterns, a flower so white it practically shines on the forest floor. soobin gazes at you intently as you do your job, and you’re so engrossed in your work that you miss the soft smile that crosses his face while he observes.

“did you really do all this by yourself before i came here?” he asks as you step through a narrow space between two gnarled trees. in the distance some birds begin to caw, but you don’t even flinch at the sound.

“pretty much. i’m used to it, i guess.”

“and you weren’t lonely or scared? that’s really cool, y/n.”

“i wasn’t always like this,” you say as you pry another mushroom from some tree bark for soobin’s disguise potion. “the first time i went on my own, i wanted to prove to my parents that i could forage by myself. y’know, be a real witch and everything. but i was shaking the whole time... and i missed my parents so much. they used to point out the different birds to me while they foraged, or they’d just look at me all excited if they found a rare ingredient. and that’s what i missed the most, just having someone to be with.”

soobin presses his lips together as he listens to you. you’ve been foraging on your own for years, and though you tell yourself that you’re used to it, your heart aches at the memory. you turn to face him and your eyes meet. 

“i get what you mean,” he says. “when i first came here for my incognito period, i remember missing everyone a lot. my parents and all the palace staff... kai, beomgyu... your cottage was so quiet in comparison. not that it’s a bad place, it’s just...”

“not home?”

soobin nods, his gaze falling to the dried leaves on the forest floor. the two of you continue walking through the forest, stopping only a few minutes later so that you can collect a few wild berries from a bush.

“it feels more like home now, though,” soobin says as he crouches down to help you. “i like the smell of the herbs from your garden and how toasty the cauldron room is. and helping you is, ah, it’s fun... you care about your potions so much and i like watching you work.”

you laugh softly to yourself, turning away as you feel a warmth spread through your cheeks. “it’s... well, i’m used to it. and having you around has helped a lot.”

“sometimes i feel more like a bother than a help. you work so fast!”

“don’t say that, you’re plenty helpful. look at you right now, i would have missed some of the berries hidden here if it weren’t for you.”

with the berries collected and placed in your basket, you stand up at the same time. you don’t realize at first how close soobin is standing to you, but your eyes meet his and you can’t bring it in yourself to look away. the prince gazes at you as if trying to speak without words, as if telling you from his presence alone that everything will be alright.

he reminds you of the forest too, you think: tall and quiet and seemingly stern, but filled with a cool comfort all his own. 

your mutual reverie is broken by the cawing of a nearby flock of birds. soobin jumps and nearly falls; you grab onto his hand and you both wobble before he finds his balance.

“sorry...”

“it’s一it’s fine.” your hand is still holding onto his, and your cheeks feel hot. “we should keep moving.”

the two of you continue through the forest, taking care not to travel too deep but stay at the periphery. soobin stays close to you, and you thread your arm through his 一 this will slow your pace, but you don’t mind.

“by the way, i changed the measurements of the disguise potion a bit,” you say as soobin crouches down to pick some flowerbuds. “i’m not sure if you felt any difference.”

“oh really? it felt the same to me.” he shrugs and places the flowerbuds in your basket. “i always feel... disoriented when i use it.”

“i know, that’s why i was trying to change it...”

“don’t worry about it too much.” soobin glances up at a tree branch right above him, and a cool breeze blows down on both of you. “it’s just... when i’m a prince, i feel shy from all the people watching me, but when i’m disguised, it feels odd not being recognized, as if no one cares about me. does that make sense?”

you’re quiet for a few moments. you glance up at the canopy, then back at soobin; prince or not, there’s something about him that feels right at home here. 

“i see what you mean... being around others is exhausting, but being by yourself is lonely. right?”

“yeah, exactly.”

“what about being with me?” you give him a teasing grin. “do you ever get sick of me?”

he grins right back at you, even rolling his eyes for dramatic effect. “yeah, i get totally sick of you. when i become prince again i’m banishing you so that i never see you again.”

“you could never do that, i bet. who’s going to make the potions of soothing to help you fall asleep, huh?”

“i’ve been stuck with you long enough that i could make it myself!”

you elbow him gently and you both laugh. the sound rings through the forest, and it makes the place seem smaller and warmer than it is.

you’ve often wondered what will happen when soobin’s incognito period ends and he goes back to his princely role. when the royal family first approached you to help with their son’s journey 一 apparently an old tradition to help future monarchs stay in touch with the common folk 一 you didn’t think much of it. you’d get an apprentice, make a few extra potions of disguise for him, then collect a hefty royal commission after eighteen months. at first, it had been nothing more than a chance to get an extra pair of hands and supplement your income as a potion-making witch.

but as you walk through the forest, arm in arm with soobin, you realize that you like the new routine you’ve established. the young prince helps you sell potions and make bread for meals, and more than once you’ve caught him giving harsh glares at rude customers who want to use your potions for nefarious purposes. and though his accompaniment to your weekly forages were originally nothing more than an excuse to get some help, you now find it impossible to imagine going on them without him.

soobin and the forest and you: in your mind they all fit together.

you’re so lost in your thoughts that he has to move in front of you to catch your attention. “y/n?”

“oh 一 sorry!”

“you know i was just kidding, right?”

“huh...?”

“about banishing you, i mean,” he says. “i like being around you too much.”

“ah 一 yeah! d-don’t worry, i know,” you say, and now even your ears are warm together with your cheeks. “and um, thank you.”

you blink a few times and glance around. the trees have become more gnarled and more densely packed together. you realize that the two of you are starting to approach the heart of the forest; go any deeper and things will get dangerous, not just from wild animals but also from wild magic. “uh, we should... go back...”

soobin nods and waits for you to lead the way before falling in beside you. again he offers his arm, and you thread yours around it. with his free hand he offers to carry your basket for you; it has gotten heavier from the foraging you’ve been doing. you shake your head and give him a polite smile, letting him know that you can carry it just fine, but the gesture opens up a lightness in your heart.

the walk back to the main road is quiet, but not awkwardly so. such moments of silence are not uncommon with soobin, but they have a comfort all their own; the prince smiles to himself as he walks, taking the time to admire the lush green canopy above or the carpet of flowers and ferns growing in between the tree roots. you find yourself sneaking glances at him and following his gaze to whatever plant has caught his attention 一 you’re so used to forest forages that you’ve forgotten how to stop and admire the scenery.

can you really imagine the forest without him? you feel his arm wound around yours, anchoring you, and it reminds you of the tree roots beneath your feet.

by the time you reach the edge of the forest, the sun has started to set and the sky has turned orange. rays of yellow light peek through the remains of the canopy. you put your free hand up to your face to block out the most blinding rays, and soobin tightens his grip around your arm. 

“let’s go home?” he says. 

you turn to him and smile. he looks radiant in this light.

“let’s go home.”

[sweet-yellow-honey]

HEY SO I NOTICED ALOT OF PPL ON HERE LIKED MY MIRRORBOX ART SO HERES A FIC I ALSO WROTE!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN ALSO FIND THIS FIC ON AO3!!!!!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Boxten and Poppy were sitting in the audience of one of Vees game shows, listening in on the winners prizes and loud buzzers.

“How did SHRIMPO win a car??? He can’t even drive!!” Poppy said with a huff. “Nether can you.” The box shot back. “oh ya” Poppy sighed, looking back at the stage as said shrimp almost ran though the stage wall with his new prize

“Hey Pops, any idea who the finishing act is? I just hope it’s nothing with cannons.. or flashing lights…. Or spiders…….”

“Oh! I think it’s Glisten this time actually!” The bubble responded, looking over the pamphlet that was handed out to them to check. “Huh, Glisten Glisten.. I dont think I’ve ever met him actually..” Boxten said, witch was a surprising statement, considering the fact everyone here pretty much HAD to know eachother. “YOU’VE NEVER MET HIM?????” Poppy yelled, looking at her friend with wide eyes. “What? What, was I supposed to know him? Ohhh I knew I should have introduced myself! I just got so worried about whether or not they would think I was weird… i mean… as I weird??? Ughh I-“ The music box went on for a few more minutes, when he felt a sharp jab in his arm.

“Stop worrying! I swear, it’s all you do!” The bubble taunted, rolling her eyes “heh, ya I guess I-“

“OH OH SHUT UP ITS STARTING-“ Poppy shouted before Boxten even had the chance to reply, turning to look at the center stage where Vee was standing.

“Alright folks! We’ve got an excellent show for you all tonight! Without further ado, its the gorgeous! The iconic! The gymnastic!… GLISSTTEENNNNN!”

Vee shouted, raising her hands to a large platform yards above the audience, lights flashing and darting towards the stand. Boxten had to cover his face to try and block out the blinding lights, trying to catch a small glimpse of the glittery mirror. And then… he saw him.

It was just for a second, Glisten had peered over the edge of the platform, gazeing down at the crowd waveing with a smile.

Boxten saw him just for a second. His bright, blue eyeshadow. The singular golden curl that fell over his face. The way his eyes sparkled just as much as the lights around him. Wow.

“He’s beautiful…” Boxten thought to himself.

Then the actual show started.

At first, boxten thought it was just gonna be a normal performance, probably singing or dancing or something. Something tame, something that wouldn’t make him jump out of his seat in fear. Besides, this guys seemed reasonable.

Boy was he wrong.

Just then, around two dozen or so glittery silver rings, bars, and hoops fell from the ceiling, makeing the stage more shiny than before. Then, the glittering mirror grabbed onto one. Then jumped from his post.

Boxten’s heart almost burst out of his chest in worry, how on earth can an angel like that put himself at risk like that?! Then he finally realized that sense the mirror was holding on to the bar, he wouldn’t fall.

Oh right.

Boxten tried watching the rest of the performance (still panicking for the gymnasts safety) gripping at his bandana as to try and stop his heart from pounding out of his chest. He tried to remember what Poppy always said to him. Breathe. And that’s what he did. In and out, in and out.

He then turned his attention back to Glisten, who was currently throwing this slimmer figure through multiple hoops at once. While terrifying, still impressive. REALLY impressive. Boxten couldn’t stop his hands from reaching his edges cheeks in a swoon, watching the taller jump from ring to ring, twisting and turning to dazzle the crowd.

He moved like an angel flying though heavens clouds.

At least that’s what Boxten thought.

And then it kept going.

Glisten grabbed bars, rings, and performed tricks that could’ve killed him if anything went wrong. At one point, he even flung himself from the top of the platform, grabbing onto a pair of rings to catch his fall. Then he started to spin around the golden metal hoops, moving faster and faster as the audience cheered.

Boxten seemed to be getting more and more nervous as the performance continued. I mean, who wouldn’t be when the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen was flying through the air like a damn stunt man.

Glisten then took a dive from his hoop landing back onto the large podium and Vee walked back on stage. “Alright everyone, thanks for coming to the game tonight, I-“

“BITCH I WASNT DONE!!!!”

Glisten blew a quick few kisses into the crowd and somehow struck almost five poses in the span of a second, then turned back to Vee, ok continue, ima go back to the dressing room, love you all!!!” The mirror said, jumping down from the podium and walking off the stage, leavening Vee a little speechless due the this mans audacity.

“…ok then.” Vee said, a little flabbergasted with the sheer amount of sass Glisten had. She then continued with her speech and the crowds slowly started to leave.

“Holy crap- Glisten is amazing!” Poppy said as she turned to Boxten. “What did you think?”

“I think…. I think I need to go.” Boxten said, jumping up from his seat and running down the stairs of the aisle, turning his square head back to Poppy, who looked utterly confused.

“ILL CATCH UP!! I’LL RIGHT BACK!!!!!”

The box shouted, already darting down a known hallway behind the stage area. He only new the place from a tour he did with Vee as a prize of the show itself. Boy did he love being smart.

Poppy stood halfway in the aisle, somewhat dumbfounded as a bright red lamp wandered up to her.

“Where’s he off to?”

“I don’t know, probably to the bathroom to masterbate or something”

“Poppy… he doesn’t have genitals… none of us do.”

“Oh ya! Why do i always forget the most important things…”

“It’s probably because of the brain damage.”

“What brain damage?”

Boxten rounded a corner, stopping in front of a huge wooden door with the words “guest room” written across a gold star plate. Once he caught his breath, he stopped for a moment. Should he do this? Should he knock? It was just that that was the greatest performance he had ever seen. He had to complement the man behind it. With a shaking fist, he gently knocked on the door.

Just then, the door slowly creaked open, revealing Glisten himself peaking around the side. “Oh! Can I help you?” He asked, politely smiling down at the small box toon in front of him. God, he was even more beautiful up close…

“Oh I uh-“ The music box muttered, stuttering on his words “ya uh, you don’t really know me… but I was actually in the audience watching your performance, I just wanted to say that it was amazing! It was honestly one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen, uh sorry it that sounds weird… I just needed to complement you on it… it was magic, really.” Boxten said, fidgeting with the end of his bandana, looking up at the graceful mirror in front of him.

At the box’s words, Glisten’s eyes widened, looking at him suprised. Then they softened, a small smile appearing on his face.

“Why thank you, dear.” The mirror said softly, his cheeks glowing slightly more pink than the blush already dashed onto them.

“Oh uh, ya thank you! I- I should be going now actually, I’m really not supposed to be here….. You’re beautiful tho- I MEAN- your performance was beautiful!” Boxten said quickly turning on his heel about to make a clean getaway, when a yellow hand stopped him.

“Hey, wait a sec!” The mirror said from behind Boxten, causing the box to whip his head around to face the taller toon. “ I just realized, I never caught your name, sweetie.”

“OH UH…” Boxten stuttered “it’s Boxten! I’m one of the background toons… although I WISH I was one of the mains…” the box chuckled, Glisten giggling along. “Oh ya, they get WAYYY to many food perks… But I was actually thinking..” the mirror said, leaning against the door frame. “… if you wanted to grab lunch or dinner at together sometime? I always atleast TRY to know everyone-“ Glisten said, hand on his hip and his face a little… nervous?

“Oh! Oh um, YES! Yes… I would- love too!” Boxten said, face red as hell at the fact this beauty of a man wanted to get dinner??? With him???????

“Great! Heres my number Boxy! Call me!” The mirror said, slamming a folded up piece of paper into the boxes arms, giving him a wink before closing the door before Boxten could respond.

Boxten looked at the paper in this hand, then back up at the door. At this point, only one thought could run though his mind…

“OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG-

I’m the luckiest man alive.”

ok Ty for reading this yippppieeeeee👉👈

[m-jelly]

The Crow's Song - Chapter 3

Prince Levi x Witch Reader

Royal Romance with magic.

In this chapter: Levi meets your ex and protects you. You and Kuchel have a heart-to-heart while Levi confesses his feelings. A grand ball takes place where many things are revealed and happen.

Mentions of nudity in this one.

Part 4

Ao3

The carriage rocked slowly towards its destination. Soft fabrics lined the carriage, the seats were cushioned and big enough to sleep on if needed. A delicate smell of citrus hung in the air to soothe the Prince. Summer was getting closer, so the window was open just by a bit. It was nice that things were getting warmer and you could wear your lighter clothes, which would tempt Levi a lot.

As you sat on one side Levi was on the other with a slight pout, his reason was a mix of you not sitting next to him and he was being made to socialise. He tried pouting and huffing as much as possible so you would pay attention to him, but you just enjoyed yourself and relaxed in your seat.

You smiled at him. “You know, if you want to sit next to me you can just sit over here.” You got up and leaned over him. “Or do you want me to sit on your lap?”

He eyed you. “I ah…umm.”

You squeaked when the carriage went over something causing you to fall forward. You fell against Levi and gasped. “Guess it’s this.”

Levi wrapped his arms around you. “I like this.” He tangled his fingers in your hair and lifted your head. “You are so beautiful.”

You smiled. “Thank you for noticing.” You shifted and sat on his lap. “You know, you’re handsome from any angle, it’s impressive.”

“Thanks.” He sighed. “I don’t want to do this today.”

“Mm, but you are going to because I’ve said so.”

He sighed. “You’re right.” He pulled a face as he thought. “So, uh…why am I socialising?”

You played with his hair. “Because it’s good for you. As a Prince, you need to get your face out there and seem approachable. Also, spending time with your friends is good for you.”

“I…” He huffed. “Okay. Do I get a reward?”

You cupped his face. “Yes. You get to pick the reward.”

He hummed when you nuzzled your nose against his. “I would like tea.”

“Tea?”

He nodded. “A nice tea party for me and you.”

You rubbed his chest and knew he was flirting a bit. “Alright, that’s a promise.”

“Really?”

You kissed his temple. “Really?”

He cleared his throat. “I ah…I intend for it to be a da-.” He winced when the door opened. “Tch, shit.”

You stood up and smiled at the carriage driver. “Thank you.” You climbed out before turning to Levi. “Ready?”

Levi climbed out of the carriage and huffed. “I suppose so.”

You giggled. “You’re cute like this.”

“Tch, thanks.” He blushed a little. “So, it’s a gathering of people?”

You nodded as you floated along. “A few nobles have gathered, along with a few magic users as well. Don’t worry, I made sure that Duke Erwin Smith has been invited, I know you two are dear friends.”

Levi smiled softly. “He’s a good friend. Any Kings?”

“Nope, but I do believe there might be another Prince here.” You patted his back. ��Just focus on the Duke, okay?” You landed on your feet. “He’s a great friend and a great asset to this country. Plus, he looks after some land that would be pretty good for a lot of things.”

He paused in front of the double doors that had been opened for the two of you. “You know, you’re incredibly smart and cunning.”

“I’m good at my job, Levi. I want to help, so I have to educate myself.” You frowned. “Actually, I think we should visit the Duke’s land as there is a unique plant there that grows happily in wet weather. I think it would be useful to study it as you do have marsh-like land. The people in that small area struggle with producing food.”

Levi smiled a little. “I have heard about this plant. I think it’ll do us good to learn a lot more. I think Erwin is interested in a mine I own. There’s a lot of salt in it and crystals our magic users have no use for. So, it’ll be good to hand that over as payment.” He shook his head. “Whatever would I do without you?”

“Probably have more nosebleeds.”

“Yes.”

You pushed your breasts together. “Also, have bad views cause you get to see amazing knockers every day.”

He stared at your chest. “They are impressive.”

You laughed. “I like this honesty.”

“It’s this new thing I’m trying. I’m being honest with how I feel.”

“It’s good.” You walked inside with him and felt your stomach drop. “Ah, fuck me.”

Levi felt his heart skip a beat. “Sorry?”

You turned to face him as you groaned. “That man with the pale skin, shoulder-length black hair and purple eyes?”

Levi’s eyes scanned the room and landed on the man you were referring to. “I see him. Vance Noir, right?”

You groaned. “My ex I mentioned to you before. The one who’s possessive of me and a pain in the fucking ass.”

Levi eyed the man and started a bit of comparison, he was wondering if he was like that man or if he was better. He was hoping you would adore him and not even consider Vance anymore. Levi knew of Vance and his downward spiral into this greedy possessive thing that seemed to be so consumed by his power, that he’d physically changed. Levi could tell he was an attention whore because the people around him were overly praising him and he lapped it up.

Levi placed his hand on your back. “Let’s go get a drink and socialise with Erwin.”

You smiled sweetly. “Sounds like a great plan.”

He guided you across the room and saw Vance was eyeing you, it seemed like he knew very well when you entered the room and had been watching you the whole time and trying to see if being surrounded by women would grab your attention. It was clear Vance didn’t know you at all.

“What a dick,” Levi muttered under his breath.

You glanced over at Levi. “You can say that again.” You winked at him before approaching the Duke. “Duke Erwin, lovely to meet you.”

Erwin turned and faced you and Levi. “Why, hello.” He softly said your name and kissed the back of your hand. “Lovely to see you again.”

Levi growled a bit. “You’ve met?”

“Indeed, we’ve discussed a few things before and she’s worked in my area of the country before she worked for you.”

You took a glass with a nice drink. “Thank you.” You cuddled up to Levi a little. “I was talking to Levi and we were wondering if we could go to your land to talk about some plants and seeds that are good in wet climates.”

Erwin smiled. “I’d love that.” He hummed a laugh. “It’d be good to have you around. You work so much that you barely have time to socialise. You do know that we can work and socialise at the same time.”

Levi huffed a bit. “You’re right…I think a few day's trip would be good.” He offered his hand. “I think we have a deal.”

Erwin shook his hand. “Fantastic.”

“Your Highness, Prince Levi.” Vance walked closer with a grin on his face. “Lovely to meet you finally.”

Levi’s eye twitched a little. “Lord Noir, I believe this is the first time we’ve met. I’m surprised you’re here actually, you are normally joined to the hip of King Rowen.”

“I had time.” He eyed you and said your name. “You’ve changed a bit. You’ve gotten more stunning. I did not think that was possible.” He offered his hand to you.

Levi handed Vance a drink to stop him from touching you. “She’s divine and always been divine.”

“Indeed.” He gripped the glass tightly. “May I ask why you two arrived together?”

“She works for me.” Levi put his arm around you. “She’s incredibly valuable to the Ackermans and has made a massive difference already.” He gulped and looked down at you. “She’s everything to me.”

Your eyes sparkled with pure joy. “Thank you, Levi. That means a lot.”

Vance gritted his teeth a moment. “You rejected my offer to work for the King and yet you’re working for him?”

You frowned. “Well, that’s because the Ackermans are nice. Plus, the reason for the job touched my heart.” You lightly touched your chest. “It was something I wanted to help with.”

He downed his drink and said your name. “Can we talk?”

You frowned. “Talk? We’ve already talked.”

“I need to talk to you.”

Levi stood between you and Vance. “Whatever you have to say you can say it to me.”

“Fine.” He held his head high. “I believe this job is below you. You should be working for my King. You should be in King Rowen’s kingdom.”

“Who the hell do you think you are to tell her what she should and shouldn’t do?” He moved closer to Vance. “She’s her own person and she has told you what she’s doing, why she’s doing it and you have no right to tell her how to live her life.”

“You don’t know her like I do.”

Levi snorted. “You don’t know her.” He turned to you and said your name. “What do you want? What would you like to do?”

You hummed as all three men stared at you. “Well, I would like to drink my champagne, go have something big to eat and then return home.”

Levi’s shoulders dropped. “Home?”

Vance smirked. “Home.”

Erwin smiled at you. “Where’s home for you?”

You sipped your drink. “Mm? Oh, it’s in the kingdom of Paradis. You know, at the Ackerman palace. I thought that was obvious.”

Levi’s eyes widened in delight. “Your home…is…”

“With you.” You hummed a laugh and patted his cheek. “Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m going to get something to eat.” You fixed Levi’s cravat. “I’ll be back later.”

Erwin cleared his throat. “Actually, I think the three of us have work to discuss, so a meal together is needed.” He gave Vance a fake smile. “Excuse us, but this is business with Paradis.”

Vance called your name. “There is a ball in two days to celebrate Countess Layla Newhart’s birthday, I’m assuming you’ve been invited.”

You nodded. “Indeed, the prince has been invited. He will be attending.”

Levi huffed. “I will and you’re coming with.”

Vance grabbed your hand before Levi could block him. “I would be honoured if you were my date.”

You pulled from hand from his touch. “I’m sorry, but I will be going with the Prince as his aid.”

Vance glared at Levi. “Your Highness, surely you don’t need your witch to assist you at a party.”

Levi placed his arm around you. “Who are you to say who and who I don’t require?”

“I didn’t mean to offend.”

“But you did.” Levi pulled you along. “Come, we have negotiations to discuss.”

Vance watched you leave and felt his rage prickle away at him. “Damn it.”

You floated down the hall on your day off reading a magical book that could aid you in your spells. You came to a stop when you heard your name called. You lowered your book to see the Prince gazing at you and dressed in one of his nicest outfits. “Levi, how may I help you?”

“Tea.” His blush deepened on his cheeks. “Now.”

You landed on your feet. “Tea?”

He shoved some flowers into your chest. “You and me. Tea.”

You gasped in delight. “Oh! I promised you I’d have tea with you.” You hugged the flowers and hummed a laugh. “I’d love to. Is it now?”

“Y-Yes.”

You hummed and looked down at yourself. “I should change into something nicer.”

“O-Okay. Mm…the garden gazebo.”

“I’ll meet you there.” You waved to him and flew all the way to your massive room.

The room Levi had given you since he declared you could never leave was clearly the room for his bride. It was beautifully decorated and had a large balcony and a door that connected you to Levi’s room. The closet was full of your dresses and dresses Levi and his family had gifted you. They even wanted to give you a maid, but you declined because you could use magic to help you and you worked for them you weren’t the princess.

You wanted to make an effort for Levi and possibly turn this into a date. So, with your magic, you wore a long flowing white dress with hints of a very light pink. You gazed at yourself in the mirror and felt flustered at how you appeared, normally you had black or other dark colours so this was your first time showing Levi what you’d look like in a light colour.

You hurried down the halls until you were outside. The gazebo had been set up as if this was a date, which made your heart throb in delight. There was fabric draping in perfect places, wildflowers tied in the right spots and the chairs sat close so it could be intimate. Shadow crows were sitting perched and others were fluttering around which meant Levi was experiencing a lot of emotions.

You smiled sweetly. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Levi shot to his feet and a strong blush spread on his cheeks. “Th-that’s okay. Ah…mm…you look…incredible.”

“Thank you.”

He took your hand and led you to your chair. “This colour is lovely on you.” He took his seat after you sat. “N-Not that I’m saying you don’t look pretty other times. You look fantastic in black. I…”

You reached over and held his hand. “I understand.” You hummed a laugh. “Relax, okay?”

He nodded. “Y-Yeah, sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

He let out a long sigh. “I’m just nervous.”

You cocked your head to the side. “Nervous? Tell me what makes you nervous. I can ease the tension.”

He nibbled the inside of his lip. “You…I…umm…” He went quiet when a maid placed more food and tea on the table. “Thank you.”

She bowed to both of you. “Please, enjoy.”

You smiled sweetly. “We will, thank you so much.” You poured Levi a cup of tea and placed some food on a plate for him. “Now we’re alone, why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”

He gazed at you. “Are you single?”

You smiled. “I am.”

“Are you looking for something?”

You hummed in thought. “I’m not looking because I know it’ll find me.” You poured yourself a cup. “As a witch, I believe in the natural order of things. Things find you, such as love.” You opened your hand and made lights dance above your hand. “The world is a mysterious place.” You gently blew on the lights and sent them towards Levi. “It’s a fun place.”

Levi hummed a laugh as the lights danced over his skin and nuzzled him. “These little things are cute.” He lightly touched one and hummed. “I like how you view things.”

“Sometimes you have to take a step back and look at everything as a whole picture.”

He smiled at you. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

He reached over and played with your hair. “Make me feel so at ease, so happy, so at peace and just so…” He kissed your hair. “I adore you.”

Your heart fluttered in your chest, no one had ever been this delicate and adoring towards you. This was so different and it made you feel special. For so long you didn’t think you deserved adoration and love, but right now you wanted more from Levi. “Levi?”

He leaned closer and locked eyes with you. “Yes?”

“I also adore you.”

Levi’s eyes widened. “Really? Do you mean it?”

“I do.” This time you leaned closer and tilted your head, Levi did the same. “Levi.”

His lips lightly brushed yours sending a jolt of pleasure through the two of you. “I have a confession about today. It’s not just a tea party, this is a da-.”

“Hello, both.” The two of you pulled from each other to see Kuchel standing at the steps of the gazebo looking nervous. “I’m ever so sorry for disturbing you.”

Levi kept a hold of your hand. “It’s okay. Is everything alright?”

She called your name. “May we walk and talk?”

You rose to your feet. “Of course.” You leaned over to Levi and kissed his forehead. “I’ll be right back, don’t pout too much.”

Levi whined a little. “I won’t pout.”

“You already are.” You giggled as he pouted a little. “Cute.” You kissed his cheek before joining Kuchel. “I’m all yours, your majesty.”

Kuchel walked down the garden path a bit as she thought about what she wanted to say. “You…you look beautiful.” She smiled softly. “Light pink looks good on you.”

“Thank you. You look dazzling as always.”

“You’re too kind to me after how I’ve treated you.” She came to a stop and sat on a bench. “Join me.”

You sat down with her. “Your majesty, I fully understand how you reacted. I can’t imagine what it’s like to see your only son with blood on him, passed out and the woman you hired to care for him covered in blood.”

She gripped her dress. “I suppose you’re right.” She sighed. “Sebastian told me about when he unleashed his power, that the blood is a normal thing. I thought…I was wrong…you care for him and he for you.”

You smiled a little. “The King told me about what he experienced as well to ease me. Seems like this blessing is good, but it is scary to unlock.”

She hummed a laugh. “We have very silly men as lovers.” She saw you flinch. “Oh? You’re not lovers with my son?”

You shook your head. “N-No.”

“Hmm…that boy…” She shook her head. “I should focus.” She reached over and held your hand. “Please forgive me for how I spoke to you and treated you. I was overly emotional and I didn’t take a moment to listen.”

“Levi’s passionate like you.”

“He is.” She giggled before sighing and saying your name. “I’m sorry.”

You gazed at her. “I forgive you.”

“You do?”

You nodded. “I mean, there isn’t really anything to forgive. You were right to react the way you did, but I know you are like Levi and you need to hear this. So, I forgive you.”

She wrapped her arms around you. “Thank you.” She squeezed you as you hugged her back. “I like you, I like you so much and having you as a daughter-in-law would be perfect.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” You pulled back. “I don’t think Levi sees me like that.”

“I do.” The two of you looked up at Levi as he blushed. “Forgive me, but I followed to see if you were okay.”

You whined a little. “Levi.”

He knelt before you and held your hands. “Before my mother came to see you, I wanted to say that today was a date. I have deep feelings for you. I want us to be together. I struggle a lot with my emotions, but you helped me see and feel.” He leaned up and paused a moment. “Mother?”

Kuchel pulled back and stood up. “Sorry! Sorry! I was just so excited about you two. I’ll give you space.” She giggled. “So cute.”

Levi looked over at her. “Mother?”

She squeaked. “Sorry!”

He watched her run off before turning to you. “Now then, little witch.”

You hummed a laugh. “Yes, Levi?”

He brought your hands to his lips and began kissing. “As I was saying. I adore you. This adoration is not a simple one, this one is from the heart.” He looked up at you. “I desire you, crave you, need you. I want to be with you. I want to hold you and kiss you every minute of every day.”

Your heart throbbed. “That’s a lot of kisses.”

He chuckled. “It is.” He called your name as he leaned up a little. “My heart and soul belong to you. For the first time in my life, I have experienced an affection that makes me feel unstoppable.”

You felt a rush of excitement. “What is that?”

“Love.”

Your eyes sparkled with joy, your dreams were coming true. “You…you love me?”

“I do.” He smiled at you. “So deeply that it is rather possessive. I will struggle to share you.” He chuckled. “Please forgive me when I act out a little towards other men who approach you.”

You squeezed his hands. “I understand. I’m the same when you are around other women.”

His eyes widened at your words. “Really? So you?”

You nodded. “Levi, I love you too.”

“May I kiss you? I have a strong urge to.”

You threw yourself at Levi causing him to fall back onto his bum. You lay against him, arms around his neck and lips passionately against his. Levi was in shock at first before his brain started processing what was happening. He smiled against your lips, tilted his head, wrapped his arms around you and kissed you over and over. He nipped your lip and pushed his tongue onto your mouth allowing you both to kiss deeply.

You pulled back from Levi’s lips making him whine. “I’m getting you dirty!” You flew up and gasped. “Sorry.” You used your magic to lift Levi into the air. “I’ll clean you.”

Levi chuckled. “It’s okay.” He dropped to his feet and gazed up at you. He reached out to you. “Come to me.”

You floated down into his arms. “Mm.”

“Mine. My precious little witch.”

Levi watched you closely as you walked around the room in your underwear. “Mm.”

You glanced over at him as a maid helped you on a dress. “You’re staring a lot.”

“I’m just admiring your body.” He tilted his head a little. “I’m looking forward to exploring it.”

You glanced at the maid. “Sorry, Maria.”

Maria giggled. “It’s okay. It’s nice to hear the prince get excited for a good woman.” She pulled your dress on and smiled. “You’re good for each other. Though I snapped at you a while ago, I do adore you. You’ve made this palace a better place, which I didn’t think was possible.”

You wrapped your arms around her and held her close. “Mm! So cute.”

Levi growled. “Tch.”

“Ignore him.”

Maria smiled. “You’re both sweet.” She pulled back and helped finish dressing you up. “You look like a goddess, miss.”

You twirled a bit. “Thank you. Light colours look nice on me.”

“I’ll help with your hair and makeup.” She sat you down and started. “Maybe His Highness should get ready for the ball.”

You looked over at Levi. “I would love to see you dressed up.”

Levi shot to his feet. “Anything for you.”

Maria hummed a laugh. “He’s so cute.” She painted your lips and pulled back. “Um.” She softly said your name as she blushed. “I’m ever so sorry for how I was with you. I was out of line. I didn’t understand.”

You made lights dance in the air and drape around her neck to form a necklace. “If you ever need help, or to heal, or protection, please use this necklace.”

She lifted the cold pendant with icy blue liquid inside. “You…” She welled up. “You care for me that much?”

“I never once hated you or felt any irritation towards you. You were doing your job.”

She squeezed the necklace tightly. “Thank you.” She gazed at you. “Allow me to be your assistant.”

You felt your cheeks heat up. “Are you sure?” You cleared your throat. “S-Sure. I’d like to have a friend like that.”

“Thank you!”

You rose to your feet. “You’re welcome.” You kissed her forehead. “A blessing for you.”

She hugged you. “Thank you again.” She pulled back and gasped. “My lady, you look beautiful! Like a goddess.”

You walked over to the mirror and felt your cheeks burn, you were a vision. You always thought you were pretty, but there was something about this dress that made you just a bit more magical. “This is wonderful.”

“Maybe you’re a goddess born again.”

You thought about the goddess you worshipped and who gifted you with powers and saw a similarity, but it was simply a blessing. “Thank you for the compliment.” You winked at her then left your room. “I’ll get the prince.” You lightly knocked on Levi’s door. “Oh, grumpy kitten?”

Levi flung the doors open. “I am no kitten.”

Your heart raced at seeing him in his princely suit with colours that matched you. The medals he had impressed you, it was clear he was incredibly strong in battle. “Le-Levi.”

He eyed you and smirked a little. “Now it’s my turn to make you the flustered one.” He caressed your cheek. “Do you find me charming and alluring?”

You nodded as you gulped hard. “Y-Yes.”

He kissed the corner of your mouth. “Good.”

You pouted. “That’s not a kiss.” You grabbed his face and kissed him roughly. “That’s a kiss.”

He chuckled at your actions. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.”

“Nor will I.”

He held your hand, his fingers entwined with yours. “Now, let me escort the most beautiful woman in the world to the royal ball.”

You hummed a laugh as you walked with him. “So, what is the reason for this ball? Your parents never told me.”

“Social and work reasons. It’s a perfect opportunity to talk to people and arrange things. It’s a chance for sneaky political arrangements.” He looked down at you. “It’s also a place to make connections and announce things.” He turned and nuzzled your neck. “A place to show off who we love.”

You giggled at how soft he was being. “Mm. You’re right.”

He pulled you along as the doors opened for you both. He held you close when they announced the two of you together. He leaned down and kissed you as everyone gazed at you both. He had just publicly announced your relationship to the whole ball. “Now everyone knows who has my heart; it’s you.”

You grinned at him. “You have mine too.”

He kissed your cheek before leading you to the main hall and over to his parents. “You both approve, right?”

Sebastian grinned. “Of course! The two of you are perfect for each other.” He chuckled. “You have my blessing and approval.” He softly said your name. “Make sure-.”

Levi huffed. “She doesn’t need to be asked to treat me well.”

“I was going to say, make sure he treats you well and if Levi doesn’t tell us.”

Levi’s cheeks burned as he pouted a moment. “Of course, I’ll treat her like a goddess.” He gazed at you with a deep love in his eyes. “She takes so much care of me that I need to shower her with affection.”

You rubbed Levi’s chest. “You do a wonderful job.”

“I want to do better.”

Kuchel hummed a laugh. “You two are so cute.”

He kissed your forehead. “I’ll get us a drink. Wait here.”

You hummed and bowed your head. “Thank you.” You watched him leave before turning to his parents. “It must be odd that the woman you hired to help your son is now romantically involved with him.”

Sebastian laughed. “I mean, we knew it was going to happen when we first met you and saw how he was with you. You’re good for each other.”

Kuchel clasped her hands together. “I can’t wait for the wedding and the sweet babies you’ll have.”

“Darling dove, it’s early days for them.”

She pouted. “But bear.”

He pinched her cheek. “No buts, my darling dove. Give them time.”

“Your majesties? A word? I want to discuss the monsters in the northern pass.” A man with a large scar over his nose bowed. “I am sorry to both you and the future princess.”

You smiled. “I’ll excuse myself. I’ll locate the prince.” You bowed to the King and Queen. “I will see you later.” You parted ways from the pair with a friendly wave. You could sense Levi’s presence and he didn’t seem like he was in too much trouble, but you could sense he was being made to socialise.

“Hey!” A woman in a puffy pink ball gown with bows, blonde bouncy hair with curls wearing white gloves holding a fan and a glass glared at you. “Get out of my territory.”

You knew exactly what this woman was about, why she was here and why her dress was so ridiculous. What you were looking at was a love rival, in her mind, but to you, she wasn’t a rival at all because Levi loved and desired you. It was almost comical how she thought she could compete with you. You had a lot of confidence in your looks and body, even more so that it made Levi very horny.

She frowned when you looked around on the floor. “What in the world are you doing?”

“I was looking for a line on the floor because you said I was in your territory, but I don’t see one.” You gasped and smirked. “Oh, that’s because we’re in King Sebastian and Queen Kuchel’s land, not yours and I’m pretty sure this is their palace.”

She blushed as her friends giggled. She stomped her foot as she pouted. “You know what I meant!”

You smiled at her. “Actually, I don’t have the foggiest idea. I have no idea who you are.”

She held her head high. “Lady Tasha Copperlarke.”

You gave her a deadpan stare. “I’m sorry, am I supposed to know you?”

“I know you’re just pretending!” She closed her fan. “Everyone knows me. I hold a high standing in society. I know very well that Prin-.” She glared when you yawned and looked bored. “How dare you yawn!”

You hummed a little bit as you felt tired. “I didn’t mean to be rude, but the prince has drained me of energy. Levi has a strong desire and need for my attention. I have a lot of power, but it was hard to keep him full.” You giggled. “Gods and goddesses help me when other things happen.” You smirked as her friends giggled. “Now, excuse me but I have to find the prince as he gets a little upset when I’m not around.”

She gritted her teeth. “How…you!” She stormed after you. “Hey!” She gripped her fan. “I’m not done talking! Face me now!” She kept chasing you. “Witch whore! I’m talking to you! You…you…trash!”

You turned to her making her come to a sudden stop. “Are you a child?”

She went red. “Sorry?”

“I said, are you a child?”

“No!”

You tilted your head a little. “Then why do you act like one? When someone doesn’t act the way you want them to you act like a toddler throwing out all their toys.” You sighed. “I’m all for fighting for what is yours and standing up to people, but your reason for this is because of your childish selfish desires.” You held your head high and gave her a warning look. “You claim the prince to be yours, but he isn’t even aware of you. If you so desperately desire him, you would have been a couple already. I won’t warn you like most other people to stay away from him because I am incredibly confident in our feelings for each other. Do as you wish, just don’t hurt him.”

Tasha gripped her cup tightly and began shaking with rage. She felt humiliated by you, you a mere witch. It enraged her that it took just a small meeting to ruin her pride. She needed to teach you a lesson. She had to put you in your place. She looked into her glass at her red wine and knew this would ruin your dress. She charged towards you and threw her drink.

Gasps filled the room. She thought she’d won, but instead, she’d made a grave error. Right as she was about to throw her drink at you Levi had stepped in the way after seeing the exchanges between the two of you. Even though it was just wine, he still needed to protect you. Wine could wash out of his clothes, he could take the stares and whispers that came from this. Levi didn’t want you to suffer at the hands of gossip if the wine got on you.

Tasha dropped her glass causing it to shatter on the floor. “Your Highness, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Tears filled her eyes as she began to shake. “I…I…”

You walked over to Levi. “You tripped on your dress, right? I saw it. It’s a rather long dress, so it happens.”

“Wh-what.”

Levi lowered his voice. “Take her excuse. She’s saving you socially.”

She bowed deeply. “Y-Yes. I tripped.”

You summoned a hankie and began wiping Levi’s face. “Those long dresses are deadly.”

Levi hummed. “It appears so. You may leave, but one last thing.” He gave her his death glare. “You’re lucky my lover is so kind.”

Tasha flinched at his glare before looking over at you and wrinkled her nose up in disgust. “Yes, your Highness.”

You turned Levi’s head so he was looking at you again. “Eyes on me, Mr. Your gaze belongs to me and me alone.”

Levi smiled at your words. “Forgive me.”

You giggled as he leaned into your touch. “Now then, handsome, we need to get you changed.”

“Was this your ploy to get me shirtless?”

You grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “What if I said yes?” You glanced back at him to see he was blushing. “Cute.”

He let out a long sigh. “The things you do to me.”

“Good things, I hope.”

“Yes.”

You pulled him to his room and left him to stand in the middle of it. “I’ll get the bath going.”

He hummed. “Thanks. We don’t need to return to the party.”

“Are you sure?”

He started removing his clothes as he spoke to you. “Mm, I’ve done a lot of talking while I was getting drinks. Plus, a lot of people saw what happened, so most will assume we won’t return. We’ve been insulted.”

You finished up in the bathroom and walked back into Levi’s room. “I believe we reacted well.”

Levi turned to you, his body glistening in the moon and candlelight. His pecs were plump and bistable, his abs soft and squishable, and a few scars dotted his perfect skin. The V above his trouser line was defined and commanded your attention. A delicious treasure trail of black hair enticed and beckoned you to go lower and discover what was hidden under his trousers. Some veins popped in his arms as he flexed a little, but it was the ones that stood out on his hands that aroused you. Your eyes were drawn to his hands as he clenched them while he talked about business.

Levi stopped talking and called your name. “Did you hear me?”

You stared at him as your heart throbbed in your chest. “I’ll be honest. No. I was very distracted.” You walked closer to him. “Fuck me, Levi, you have an incredible body.”

He reached over and held your chin lightly. “Is it to your liking?”

You gulped hard. “Very much.”

He kissed you and hummed in delight. “I’m glad. Maybe you should join me for a bath.”

You started pulling at your dress. “Maybe I should.” You smiled at him as your dress dropped to the floor. “Am I to your liking?”

Levi stepped back and gazed at you in your corset and underwear. “Fuuuuck.”

“I’ll take that as a yes then.”

“You have to secretly be a goddess with a body like this.”

You hummed a laugh. “That’s quite the compliment.”

He picked you up making you squeak. “Bath.” He carried you to the bathroom. The bath itself was a deep pool one, it was just perfect to soak in. “Ready?”

You slipped out of his arms. “Yes, my handsome man.”

He pulled the ties on your corset to help you before pulling the last of his things off. He hoped that his member was to your liking also. He gazed at you as you pulled everything off and was naked before him, you truly were a vision. “So stunning.”

You looked over at him. “Thank you. I am a bit shy about my naked body, but you have given me my normal confidence back.” You took him all him. His thick thighs were pure perfection and showed off his power, but what truly grabbed your attention was his length. It was thick and beautiful. “My goodness.”

Levi glanced down at himself. “So?” He looked back up to you. “I ask again. Is it to your liking?”

You cupped his face and pressed your naked body against his. “Very much. It was as if you were designed by god.” You lightly kissed him. “I look forward to when we become one.” You pulled back and descended into the bath. “Mm. Just what I needed.”

Levi hurried down into the water. “It’s relaxing.” He grabbed you and pulled you over to him. “No escaping me. You’re staying right with me.” He nuzzled your neck. “I’m also looking forward to when we become one.”

[distant--shadow]

Author’s notes - the witch and the widow chapter 5

Ayo, here’s another round of these caus I’ve gotta indulge myself.

Same as last time there’s some way juicier things this chapter I’d ideally by noting on, but I’ll leave them til they’re made a bit more explicit.

So to start off we got something sentimental and fun:

In amongst all of the metal is a porcelain black bird, back straight and beak open to the sky.

‘You can’t take that, that’s one of the Lady’s favourites. Do you know what it is for?’

‘For looking pretty?’

‘It does more than look pretty; if you give it back to me I can show you, we can make something lovely together.’

This guy is one of these guys, from the search engine it seems a lot of these say made in england but IDK how further afield they got. Surprise surprise this is some mother complex thing I guess, she has a couple of these and I have a lot of memories of her putting them in her various pies she baked when I was growing up. I really like my nik-naks and goobies and just general bric-a-brac and I’ve always thought these little guys are so cool, and bonus points caus the Eurasian blackbird is one of my favourite birds. In the fic I made it so that this guy not only lets off steam, but acts as a whistle of sorts and imitates bird song as the pie is cooking.

I think the contraption itself is in reference to an old nursery rhyme, which my mum would also sing when she’d be dishing out the pies.

Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye, Four and twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened The birds began to sing— Wasn't that a dainty dish To set before the king?

The king was in the counting-house Counting out his money, The queen was in the parlour Eating bread and honey,

The maid was in the garden Hanging out the clothes. Along came a blackbird And snipped off her nose.

This little youtube video has some interesting theories on the possible origins of the rhyme

“…saying to put someone's nose out of joint conveys the idea of offending or upsetting someone; often by acquiring something they desired for themselves. this idiom was first documented back in 1581 (…)”

All just fits pretty well, dunnit? Is the Lady jealous of the made? Either way, I think Laudna would be a fan of ceramic pie blackbirds.

“Indeed, those are dahlias, I grow them myself.”

Imogen likes how the new word sits on the Lady’s tongue, so close to darling but transmuted into name, like the numerals she planted as flowers around the sundial statue. If Imogen had not carried a briared rose in the same manner of magix maybe she would believe it was the bedside flower that gave her such power. 

“They’re really pretty.”

They are, how their dense arrangement of petals are so flawless they look as though constructed by formula, a stone carved garden stair ornament balustrading a descent onto grand grounds, chiselled according to chalk-stringed-marking and papered calculation, an armoury of plate metal pierced into a crimson-pollened baron-

She remembers the silk touch of the delicate petal under the skin of her bare thumb.

More visual notes here on the variety of dahlia I was thinking of, and its colour, and also here are some ornamental outdoor steps that I was inspired by in terms of imagining architectural details that could have in turn been inspired by a similar flower.

Whilst we’re there, here’s a pomander:

“A pomander, from French pomme d'ambre, i.e., apple of amber, is a ball made for perfumes, such as ambergris (hence the name), musk, or civet. The pomander was worn or carried in a case as a protection against infection in times of pestilence or merely as a useful article to modify bad smells.”

and that orange speared with cloves from chapter 4 (we used to get handed these at church during Christmas, and do a similar thing but with an onion when making bread sauce) i think the tops of cloves make for nic little pommel details of heads of maces and blades various that are sunken in:

“One modern style of pomander is made by studding an orange or other fruit with whole dried cloves and letting it cure dry, after which it may last many, many years. This modern pomander serves the functions of perfuming and freshening the air and also of keeping drawers of clothing and linens fresh, pleasant-smelling, and moth-free.”

Shout outs to both of these being from the same wiki page, I actually didn’t know those oranges were called pomanders too, and I’d learnt the French perfume one from a Picture’s fic (read it):

“Imogen licks her teeth, reveals a violet petal plastered over incisor that she shortly removes with a blade-of-dry-grass toothpick, re-places the petal on the flat of her tongue, rolling it around her mouth and swallowing it.

Laudna stares.

"You like the flowers?" she finds herself leaning towards Imogen. Wants to tell her that for years this one was her perfume - pomanders adorned and concealed in tattered layers.

“They’re purple, ‘course I do.” she giggles, resting sat cross-legged with her weight behind her on her palms. Her head rolls towards Laudna, leaves their foreheads almost resting against one another, Laudna able to count each individual eyelash.

Purple, like the deep undertones of her hair. That much Laudna was very aware of.

“I should have guessed that that would be what caught your attention.” She brings her hand up and wraps her bony index finger in a ringlet of Imogen's curls.

“More like your magic, I was thinkin’…” She drawls, tenor lowered and breathy.

“And the taste?”

Imogen visibly swallows, cheeks flushing a further tint than what the sun has already given - it makes Laudna feel overly aware of the networking of her own heart and veins.”

(sorry im a fanboy idk how 2 not get carried away)

Here’s one for the lols. A genuine old phrase for going down on someone with a clit:

“So now you know at least two things-” the Lady meticulously arranges her skirt’s pleats, perched on the edge of the lip of stone pedestalling the statue, unable to sit fully thanks to her outfitting, also unable to sit on her hands, and Imogen really notices now how much she talks with them. “-add to that a wealth on horses so that makes at least three, and you must know yourself, somewhat-”

“Often that’s what I feel like I know the least about.”

“Well, we know you’re partial to diving for pearls…”

We love a witty Laudna. I did have a source for this at some point but you can just search engine it if youre that much of a nerd.

The statue Imogen and Laudna sit under (and Angharad and Imogen fucked against lol) is this one here:

It’s at one of my very favourite places (and in a serendipitous way has followed me), and also its sculptor was around 1790-1866 so it lines up story timing wise, just maybe let’s say this one statue is less aged than the others idk lol seeing as the estate and all of that is definitely not a new build. Also picturing it being marble instead of bronze, and of course on a hip-ish level plynth near the wall.

This causes Imogen to throw her head back with a laugh, bumping it on the elbow of the statue behind them. She attempts to play it off as she stands, rubbing her skull as her other hand falls to her hip as she stands opposite the Lady, slightly taller than her as she sits.

“I think ya might be havin’ trouble tellin’ me apart from the horses, I don’t share their paddocks like that.”

“Only their porridge. How was your trip to Fairfield?”

She acknowledges Imogen massaging her head, settling her chin on her closed fist with a smirk.

“If it pains you so much to recall you do not have to, I shall make note to send someone else in the future-”

“That won’t be necessary, m’lady-”

“You can call me Laudna.”

“Ms. Laudna-”

The Lady - sorry, Ms Laudna, lowers her hand so it can speak again, shakes her head with a smile.

A little note here is that in the first 2 chapters Imogen was referring to the Lady as The Lady Bradbury fairly often, and after that she has taken to just calling her the Lady, whether that’s formalities or Imogen separating Laudna from the family she married into you decide lol, and I am just taken by the idea of bein’ a good polite country girl and still ma’am'ing and Ms’ing Laudna for a while even when Laudna's asking for her to drop the formalities (hm maybe forgetting class aint that simple, or maybe she respects and fears her too).

some pretty surface level notes for now, im gonna be so wanky in these posts when we're further in (sorry not sorry) enjoy xoxo

[descendantsramblings]

Im gonna join the Morgie Male reader fans and also request something xD

Please consider writing a story where Male reader and Morgie are dating but Morgie is just always talking about Uliana and constantly trying to impress her etc and Reader feels unvalued and like Morgie is actually in love with uliana and not him so drama i guess

I like hurting myself as you can guess 🙂

-emil

Let’s not enjoy that!!!! But no I love some good angst; I’ve got you. You’re always welcome in my inbox sugar 💛

Second Place

Morgie le Fay x Reader

Pronouns used: he/him/his

Summary: just once he wants to feel like he’s not his boyfriend’s second choice

Warnings: angst, underage drinking (depending on where you are ig), Morgie isn't purposely a bad boyfriend he's just stupid. Pet names, Bestie Hades and Hook because the boys gotta stick together

Word Count: 2.3K

    His fingertips brush over different silks and starched cottons as he follows his boyfriend around the store, barely paying attention to dress shirts around him. How could he? How could the boy ever focus on the task at hand when all it did was ground his insecurities into his bones? Morgie is taking the lead as he walks through the store, occasionally lifting different button ups to feel them. Ones that seem to pique his interest led to him holding them against his chest, raising a brow to his boyfriend to silently ask his opinion. And (Y/n) does his best to respond, though it comes out more as hums and silent nods than true responses. His heart isn’t in this, he can’t focus on something like this. It is so incredibly obvious that he doesn’t want to be here, and maybe if Morgie would actually look at him instead of through him, the boy might notice. He won’t though, lord knows the sorcerer doesn’t have the time to care. Not when his task at hand is so dire. Uliana’s birthday party is only a week away, how could he think about anything but making sure it’s perfect?

   Obviously Morgie can’t look a mess, he just has to be in something new. And the gift has to just be perfect, he has to outshine everyone. Of course he does, he always does. Uliana was the sun in his solar system, and (Y/n) was barely even the tides that the moon was occupied with pulling. How could Morgie ever remember to pull the tides when he was so busy reflecting the light of the sun? How could he dare to wear something the sea witch has seen already when her eighteenth birthday was such a big deal? “Babe, you are being extremely unhelpful right now,” Morgie grumbles the words as he’s putting an honestly kind of atrocious golden silk shirt down. He’s turning away from his lover, venturing even further into the store. “Sorry, I’m just kind of tired. Didn’t sleep well,” his voice is far off to the sorcerer though, the boy too wrapped up in his own world to pay attention to a word that falls off of his fellow villain’s lips. “Once we find the right shirt we can go.” (Y/n) sighs, giving the boy a curt nod that he doesn’t even see. They’d been out shopping for four hours now, the bags in his arms were surely going to cut off his circulation soon and Morgie was still just as tuned into what he was doing as he was when they left the dorms. 

   They were supposed to see that new Nightmare on Elm Street sequel that (Y/n) had been dying to see, but now there would only be one showing left until the mall closed and it started in twenty minutes. He guesses he can kiss that plan goodbye, why would what he wants matter when Uliana was in the frame. He always fell behind her in Morgie’s priority list, he should have known that. Why would he dare to ask his boyfriend out this soon to Uliana’s “most important birthday yet”? He should have known better. The early weeks of November always took to Morgie being far more engrossed in his friend than his partner, he should have known better. 

    “Babe, can you please at least give me a color option? I’m drowning in options here!” He spares (Y/n) a look over his shoulder as he speaks, reaching back to grab his boyfriend’s hand to keep him behind him. “Go green, Uliana wears some green too,” the snarky tone has Morgie’s brows furrowing. If he looked back he’d see the way that he was shaking his head as he talked, sass falling off of every word. “Are you sure you’re okay?” “Yeah, let’s just find you a shirt, Morgz.” 

                                   ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

  If the crew of the Jolly Roger would be known for nothing else, they would still go down in history for the parties they threw during their time at Merlin Academy. So of course, they would be the true hosts of Uliana’s birthday party, and it was set to be a rager based on that alone. Of course, every villain party was known to be a good one. Obviously the group known for breaking rules and dark magic would have a reputation of throwing good parties. But a pirate party? Those could go on all night, with just about every liquor you could think of. And though no one ever saw them bring a blender in, there would be daiquiris and piña coladas flowing all night just so they could convince you that rum was good. Surely once he was a few daiquiris deep Hook would be sliding a shot of rum into his hand with the false promise that he’ll like it this time. Though he’s yet to actually like it. 

    He might need it tonight though, considering that in the hour that they’ve been here Morgie has spoken to him twice. He’s too busy being Uliana’s dog, running around and doing whatever the sea witch asks of him. So (Y/n) has occupied himself with leaning on a wall, squinting as the blue and green lights are far too bright compared to their normal tones. He barely notices that someone has idled up beside him until there's a solo cup of what he’s pretty sure is a mango daiquiri under his nose. “You look like you need this,” Hades’ gruff voice rings out beside him, the soft sound of metal spikes against the wall accompanying it. He reaches out and nearly snatches it, sipping the drink and giving it a hum of approval. Definitely mango, god bless Hook for that one. “I might just love you, you know that?” He leans his shoulder against the god’s with a smile, sparing him a glance. “Yeah, someone has to take care of you. Shouldn’t your little boyfriend be getting you drinks?” He glances around, shaking the other villain off of him to instead slide an arm around him, “Or at least be near you? Where is he?” 

    A sound that Hades thinks is supposed to be a laugh slips out of the other boy’s lips, the boy seeming to snuggle into the god’s side. “Oh you haven’t heard? It’s his wife’s birthday. It would be wrong of him to act like he cares about the side piece on such an important day.” As (Y/n) finishes the statement he nods aggressively towards where Uliana is sipping on a piña colada on a make-shift throne. She’s glowing, talking to Maleficent and Morgie about god knows what with a tiara sitting on her head. At least she’s having a good time with Morgie’s attention, no one else seemed to be getting any of it this week. “Oh ouch,” Hades forces out a fake hiss as he taps the other villain’s hip with his own, “Calling yourself the side piece?” 

   “Yeah well,” he shrugs, tearing his eyes away from the green silk shirt and carefully styled hair across the room, “That’s what it feels like.” Hades shakes his head, letting his hand slide up and down his friend’s bicep, “Now, you know that’s not true.” “Yet.” The singular word earns his arm a squeeze and gains him a verbal scoff from his friend. “Morgie’s little snake heart beats for you. He’s an idiot, but he does love you, you’ve gotta know that.” (Y/n) bites his lip, sliding out from under Hades’ arm. “Shouldn’t Hook have tried to force a shot of rum down my throat by now? Where is he at?” He’s walking away as Hades watches him with a disappointed face. He did know that Morgie loves him, didn’t he? Hades needs to keep an eye on him.

   Hook is at the make-shift bar in the back of the hide out when the other villain finds him, pouring two shots in the comical little solo cup shot glasses that he keeps handy for nights like this. “Where have you been? It’s not a villain party if I don’t take a shot with you before I sneak out.” He smirks, slipping one of the two shot glasses into his friend’s hand before lifting his own. “How did you get Morgie to agree to leave this early?” At the mention of his boyfriend’s name, (Y/n) slams the bottom of the shot glass in their hand against the table before them, quickly throwing the rum back before he can process so much as the taste. A strong sip from his daiquiri follows it, sliding the shot glass across the table. “Another, Cap.” It makes thick brows burrow, grabbing the rum nonetheless as he stares at him. “Finally finding a taste for it, eh?” The boy shakes his head, “I just need it. I’d like to be able to sleep when I finally hit my dorm, easier if my mind is swimming.” 

   It makes the pirate beside him frown, sliding another shot to him, “That’s a lot of alcohol compared to what you normally go for, Lad. Morgie is walking you home, right?” It draws a bitter laugh out of the slightly tipsy villain, “No it’s his wife’s birthday. He’s far too busy for me.” As Hook opens his mouth to argue, Hades comes up behind (Y/n), his hands sliding onto the boy’s shoulders. “I’ll walk you home, idiot. As long as the daiquiri stays here.” It elicits a whine from the villain in his grip, (Y/n) leaning his head back to pout at him, “No fair. You gave it to me.” And Hades scoffs, “Yeah, to drink here. You’re not drinking on our walk back to yours.” Hook wants to argue that his friends shouldn’t leave yet, but something about (Y/n) simply isn’t right. Of course, there was always a bitter air around the topic of Morgie and Uliana but this level was new. He didn’t normally act like this, and if he was this set on getting drunk over it, the boy needed to go home. So instead of arguing, he raises his shot glass to (Y/n). The two villains knocking the little glasses against each other. “Down the hatch, Darling,” he smirks, watching the way that his friend raises his brows with his own shot. And they knock them back, the same way they had at every party the group had ever thrown. 

    Of course, normally Hook didn’t take (Y/n)’s drink so it “didn’t go to waste” right after. The boy wishing Hook a good night before double checking that the god behind him truly didn’t mind walking him home. Something that the villain was sure he could do alone but there was no way that Hades or Hook would allow that, not when the boy was like this. So Hades promises Hook that he’ll be right back and wraps a hand around (Y/n)’s shoulders to drag him out of the party and back into the chilly November air. 

                                      ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ 

     (Y/n) knew his limits well enough, he was lucky for that. The second he hit the pillow he was asleep, and now he was awake without even the ghost of a hangover looming over him. Not that he wanted to be awake, he would much rather spend his Sunday wasting the day away in his bed. But how was he meant to sleep with that incessant knocking at his door? So with a begrudging whine and stiff joints, the boy finds himself swinging his legs over the side of his bed. The knocking only seems to grow louder and more urgent as he makes his way over to the door. “I’m coming, god!” A hand reaches out to snatch the door handle, basically ripping it open. Morgie le Fay all but tumbles into his room with the motion, center of gravity being thrown off as the wood he was leaning on is ripped from him. And he looks worse for wear, sweat dampened neck and dark bags under his squinted eyes. 

   “What?” He recoils at the sound of his boyfriend’s voice as if it bit him, a pout crossing over chapped lips. “Can you quiet down? My head is killing me.” (Y/n) rolls his eyes, scoffing as he goes to close his door. “Then go home.” A foot is thrown in the path of the door, stopping him from closing his boyfriend out. “I woke up after a party without you.” There’s this odd sense of disappointment hanging off of his words, eyes seeming to pout more than his lips already did. “Yeah, I’d assume so. I left hours before you did.” Morgie pushes his way into the room at that, softly closing the door behind him. “You did?” “Yeah,” there’s a scoff dripping off his lips as he makes his way back to his bed, “Which you would have noticed if you gave me so much as a minute of thought this past week.” Morgie frowns, leaning against the door with his arms crossing over his chest, “You didn’t walk home alone, did you? You should’ve come and got me. I don’t want you to walk around at night like that.” 

   “No, Hades walked me home.” Morgie nods, looking over at the boy curling up in his bed. (Y/n) obviously trying to make himself smaller as he attempts to talk about his feelings. As if he was doing something wrong. “So why did you ask Hades instead of your boyfriend?” He cuts Morgie a look, rolling his eyes, “I didn’t ask Hades, he just knows me well enough to know when something is wrong.” Morgie raises his brows, “And I don’t know you? I know you, I can tell when something is wrong.” It earns him a laugh, a twisted and broken one that makes his skin crawl. “You do, do you? Okay, then why did we originally go to the mall last Saturday?” And his stomach falls with his confidence. How was Morgie ever meant to come back from this one?

@an-absolute-waste-of-space

[holybibly]

hi!! i’m a writer myself and despite having mdni on my blog, i still get a lot of minors trying to with my work. i regularly have to check my followers for ages in their bio and i’ve even had minors come in my inbox telling me that i’m ’overreacting’ for not wanting them to read my writing. it’s gotten to the point where i’ve just turned off anon altogether, partially because of the weird people in my inbox and partially so i know i can be safe and not respond to minors by accident.

i guess what i’m trying to get at here is even though you have mdni on your blog, how can you be sure that the people in your inbox aren’t minors. there’s nothing physically stopping them from coming on your blog and sending sexual asks and you seem to facilitate these asks by responding in an equally sexual manner. i hope i’m not coming across as rude, but i just don’t see how you can be sure that you’re not engaging with minors when you respond to anons in a flirtatious and sexual way. if you somehow do check their ages, great! but since they’re anon, i don’t really see how that’s possible…

So, hello. Well, the wording of the question is rather crude to begin with, don't you think? And frankly, I'd prefer to take such questions to DM posts, but if you want to talk, you're welcome. 

First of all, don't you think it's a bit unfair? Accusing anonymous people and then asking a question anonymously? I don't think it's very nice, or do you think I'm going to declare a witch hunt and go on a bashing spree? That's so stupid. Or do you just not like me? Because that's what it sounds like. In general, I don't mind you having an opinion, but by sending a message like that, you knew I'd respond to it. 

Secondly, I know this is going to sound awful and you can totally throw a bunch of shitty comments and posts at me, but let's be honest, even if we check the age of our subscribers and readers every time they subscribe to us, when they ask us questions, comment, reblog, etc., where is the 100% guarantee that those people didn't lie about their age when they created their blog on Tumblr? 

Go to any porn site; age verification is just a tick in the box. These are the horrible realities we face every day. The internet is a place where it is very difficult to verify anything, and unfortunately, there are consequences.

I am in no way supporting the sexualization of minors, and I am certainly not engaging in depravity, although you make it sound that way. 

But I do know that there are many people who can't talk openly about their desires, sexual or otherwise; people who doubt their sexuality and self-acceptance; people who are judged for being different; people who are shamed for being too feminine or masculine; for having problems with daddy or mommy; or simply for being too quiet and shy. Not all of us are going to come out for manifestos and parades. 

And in this case, the only option for them is anonymity. I repeat, I do not support the sexualization of minors in any way, and if you want to accuse me of encouraging such things, I suggest you look at some of the profiles of authors on AO3 who openly use sex scenes with minors and even children in the text of their work. 

I don't know your social circle as a writer, and since you're asking this anonymously, I can't even check your work, but I think the problem is not whether I answer anonymous questions or not, but whether I talk to my bunnies at all. Every time I get messages like this, I think about it. You call me weird, angry, triggering, and now a lecher. Not directly, but the context is clear. 

I've never written messages like that to anyone; you know, it's not nice. I've never intended to offend or hurt anyone with my replies or FFs. But apparently everyone around me, for some strange reason, thinks I'm some source of universal evil while trying to retrain me and change my character and disposition. 

I really hope you are happy with what you are doing. 

Bunnies, I'm sorry. There will be no updates for a while. 

[scarletemeraldpurple]

Agatha Mentors (Among Other Things) A Butch Baby Witch. Pt. 1

CW for drugging (sleeping potion in a glass of wine) and dubious consent.

Partially clothed sex. Reader humps Agatha’s thigh, fingers her, and sucks her tits. Little bit of bondage (enchanted leather gear) Lots of praise and some degradation. Good girl and babyboy are both used for reader (I am a genderqueer butch who loves genderqueer butches)

You knew better than to approach Agatha Harkness. You had heard all of the stories. But she was your last hope.

You were an outcast among witches. You would hope witches would be above the radfem brainworms, but alas, you had been an outcast your whole life. Always just outside of what a woman, what a witch, was “supposed” to be.

Maybe Agatha could understand. Maybe you two could help each other.

She was sitting on her porch when you arrived at her address.

“I was wondering when you would show up.” She said.

“You know who I am?”

“I’ve heard talk for weeks of some butch baby witch that everyone has refused to teach. I’m guessing that’s you handsome.”

She smirked as you looked down. Easily flustered. She noted to herself. “It’s not your fault you know.”

You looked back up and nodded.

“It’s funny isn’t it. How easily some people are willing to turn on their own kind. How easily they use any scrap of power they have to marginalize others.”

You nodded again.

“You’re quiet. Well I suppose I can talk enough for both of us. Come inside my dear! Your back must be killing you.” She said, gesturing to your backpack.

You followed her inside.

“You’re not as scary as everyone says.”

“Well my dear, trust me when I say you don’t want to be on my bad side.”

You nodded your head in understanding and followed her up a set of stairs.

“Here is your room, set your stuff down here and we’ll continue our tour.”

You hesitated to let your backpack go. It was your whole life, packed up into a backpack.

She studied you and walked a bit closer. “Hon, your stuff is safe here. You’re safe here. I promise.”

You nodded and set your stuff down.

“What’s it gonna take to crack you open huh?”

Your eyes widened.

“Get you to open up sweetheart, I mean I talk to myself enough as is.” Agatha made herself laugh with that. Which caused you to chuckle too.

“Ah that’s a start. C’mon, hon.”

—

She took you all through her house, everywhere but her bedroom. She also walked you around her land.

“Tomorrow we hit the books. Make sure you have a firm grasp on the basics. If we have time we can do some potion making, if not we just do it the next day. For now, you’ll help me with dinner.”

Turned out that helping mostly meant staying out of her way, and occasionally opening a jar.

“Not that I mind at all, but couldn’t you use magic for this?”

“Oh sure, but where’s the fun in that.” Agatha said with a smile. “Not when I have a brand new butch roommate.”

You tried to hide a gleaming smile, you were unsuccessful of course so you looked to the side. Agatha thought you were quite cute.

Dinner was spaghetti with bolognese and garlic bread.

“You’re a good cook.” You said.

“Why thank you dear. Couldn’t have done it without your help.” She winked.

You two ate in silence for a bit. You looked around at the big, empty house.

“Hmm nobody taught you to fortify your mind hm?”

Your eyes widened.

“Go ahead and ask me, dear.”

“Do you get lonely?”

“Well sure dear, I mean I do have my rabbit, you’ll meet him eventually.”

“What? Did I miss him?”

“No dear, he’ll be around later. But he’s even less of a conversationalist than you hon.” Agatha teased.

You fiddled with your fork. “Sorry.”

“I’m only teasing,hon. I promise. We’ll be spending lots of time together, I’m sure you’ll open up sooner or later. One day you’ll stop being quite as scared.”

“They said no witch in their right mind would dare approach Agatha Harkness. Much less become her new jar opener.”

“Well my dear, I’m not interested in the company of right minded witches.”

You smiled at each other and finished dinner.

You did the dishes.

“You really didn’t have to do this, but I’m not going to tell you you shouldn’t.”

“Well you did the cooking, why should you have to wash up? Also you’re letting me stay with you…why are you letting me stay with you?”

She regarded you with an unreadable expression.

“I think we can help each other out.” Agatha said.

“How so?”

“You’ll see.”

—

You slept surprisingly well. The exhaustion of the day and the comfort of the bed took over you quickly.

A knock at the door awoke you. “Hey superstar! Time to get up, breakfast is almost ready and then we’ll head to my library.”

—

Breakfast was over easy eggs, bacon and hashbrowns, all cooked for perfection.

You learned that Agatha liked 2 sugars and no cream in her coffee. She learned that you liked it very sweet and almost as pale as her.

“I mean if you wanted some milk and sugar you could have just said that dear.”

“No caffeine that way.”

“Fair enough, drink up superstar.”

—

You brought in your own books. She shook her head at all of them.

“No this edition is awful, it was all you could find? Oh you poor lost soul. Sshh, darling I simply won’t hear it, you will borrow my books. We’re doing this right.”

She sat you down and had you review runes.

“It may seem boring but the fundamentals are very important dear.”

“I understand.” You fiddled with your quill.

“Waiting for a sign to start?” Agatha said, peering over your shoulder.

“N-no,” you coughed. “No ma’am.” You took a deep breath and got to work.

Agatha smirked above you. “Just ensuring your progress. Nothing to be nervous about love. In fact you’re doing really well, not so bad once you get started hm?” Agatha said to you in a surprisingly gentle tone.

“No ma’am.” You willed yourself to keep your quill steady as you sketched out more of the basic runes.

“So formal all of the sudden. I don’t know if ma’am is working for me dear.”

“Oh-sorry I don’t even know why I—”

Agatha put a hand on your shoulder. “Deep breath dear. You’re okay. You’re just nervous. Don’t wanna screw up in front of the great Agatha Harkness. I think a lot of people are so nervous because they’re so capable, they have such high standards for themselves. Sound familiar?”

You nodded vigorously.

“And it’s especially not easy when we’re told we’re not supposed to have these talents. You did well on your rune sketches. Let’s do something a little more exciting, to the cauldron!”

—

“I want you to make a sleeping potion.”

“Got it.” Simple enough. You thought to yourself.

You got right to work chopping your ingredients. You didn’t feel as nervous about Agatha’s eyes being on you.

Maybe you would have been if you could tell what she was thinking.

After about 10 minutes your potion changed to the proper color as it boiled in the cauldron.

“Good job superstar!”

You smiled. “Thank you.”

“Good work today. I see a lot of potential in you. Let’s bottle these up yeah?”

Agatha Harkness sees potential in me. You thought to yourself. Still beaming with pride over a simple compliment.

Aw did someone get a crumb of validation? Agatha thought to herself as you continued to grin.

You two cleaned up and bottled all of the potion. You didn’t notice when Agatha slipped a small bottle into her pocket.

—

The rest of the week went very well. You mastered casting protection runes. You gained confidence in your telekinesis. She taught you how to make more complex potions. Potions that could summon prophetic dreams. Potions that would energize.

You mostly managed to hold your composure when she would adjust your hands or peer over your shoulder. At least that’s what you thought.

Agatha enjoyed the week of teasing you. Watching your confidence grow with every word of praise she gave you. Her little superstar.

She also allowed herself to peer into your mind. Her favorite time was right before you fell asleep. Fuzzy images of you and her filled her vision. She knew what you needed.

—

Agatha surprised you with something after dinner during your first weekend with her.

“How old are you again dear?”

“24”

“Wow such a young thing. But old enough to drink yes? I’m pouring us some wine for a successful first week of lessons.”

“Oh I don’t drink often—”

“One glass dear? Indulge me.”

She looked at you with those deep blue eyes. How could you deny her? How could you deny the opportunity for quality time with her…

“Okay, just one though.”

“Of course hon.”

—

Agatha insisted you sit on the couch and let her bring the glasses out.

In the kitchen Agatha got down a fruity red, the slight sweetness of the very first potion you made would blend right in. She would have you soon.

“Here we are superstar!” Agatha said handing you a glass.

“Thank you.” You cautiously took a sip. It was nice. Sweeter than you expected, but you had often found wines to be too dry for you, so this was nice.

“This was a good year.” Agatha mused

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Oh I’m very trustworthy.” Agatha said. She was smirking about something. But you didn’t know what.

You took another sip. You felt heat rise to your face. “I can’t be that much of a lightweight can I?” You mumbled, mostly to yourself.

“Cute.” Agatha said.

Your eyes widened.

“You’re okay sweetheart. Put your cup on the table for me.”

You did as she asked.

“Good girl.”

You looked at her, stunned at the pet name. A warmth spreading through you. You definitely shouldn’t have felt this fuzzy.

“My little superstar did a great job this week. Now I’m helping you rest.” She said as she moved closer and stroked your hair.

“Soo tired. Shouldn’t be…”

“Sshhhh listen to your body hon, don’t resist it, it’s okay. I got you, you’re safe here with me.”

Your mind was just on the edge of putting everything together when the potion took full effect and your eyes shuttered closed. You slumped forward into Agatha.

“There you go, good girl.” She cooed, just in case you could still hear.

“I have you now.”

—

You woke up in a bed that wasn’t your own in a room you didn’t recognize. You tried to get up but found your wrists were in cuffs clipped to a leather belt around your waist. You managed to sit yourself up, metal jingling as you did so.

“Aw is my superstar awake? You made that sleeping potion kinda strong huh angel?” Agatha said as she walked over to the bed.

“If you wanted to take my magic, why didn’t you just do that from the start?”

“Take your magic, you really think such a thing of me? Well, I’ll be honest dear, I thought about it. But why do that when I can take you, and have a magical butch house pet instead?”

“Take me? Housepet? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Oooh that got an F bomb out of you. Maybe I should drug you more often. Make that mind all frazzled and pliable.”

You tried maneuvering your wrists to undo yourself from the cuffs.

“Oh you’re not getting those off, not with the enchantment I put on them. And there’s runes burned into the inside, so good luck trying to get them off through magic.”

“What-what are you going to do to me?”

Agatha smiled. She came over and straddled your lap. “I’m gonna help you stop worrying sweetheart.”

Her perfume was intoxicating. Her eyes were so pretty looking down on you. God how fucked up is that to think?

“See you’re worrying right now, I can hear it. And there’s simply no reason for it.”

She gripped your chin. “So handsome like this.”

She watched your eyes get wide then grow conflicted. “So cute to watch you struggle. Struggle with what you really want but feel you shouldn’t. I got all night baby, all night to wait for you to give in.”

She traced your jaw and down your neck. You leaned back to expose yourself more before snapping out of it.

“This is really too cute angel. I could just eat you up. And eventually I will.” Agatha chuckled.

You felt a wet spot form in your briefs.

Agatha got up close to your ear. “You keep forgetting I can hear your thoughts. That I can see inside of you.” She lightly grazed the shell of your ear with her teeth, causing you to gasp.

“Such a sweet butch. God the things I’ve wanted to do to you this week.”

Like what? You wondered to yourself.

“Oh every time your eyes went wide I just wanted you pinned against something with my thigh between yours.”

You shuddered.

“I could show you if you want.” Agatha laid you down and parted your legs with her thigh.

“I know you want this, but too much of you still wants to resist. Too much of you is so bent on denying yourself pleasure.” She pressed a light kiss to your left cheek, then to your jaw, then barely there kisses to your neck.

You panted, your head swimming with her and everything she was offering.

“It’s okay to let go, angel. It’s okay to give in.” Agatha whispered, working her way to the other side of your neck. She trailed kisses up your neck, to your cheek, until her lips were hovering over yours.

“Just say the word baby. I’ll take good care of you, but I need you to say it.” She leaned in so close, but didn’t quite kiss your lips.

“Please. Please Agatha—” you whined out.

“Good girl. No more resistance. No more resisting me.” She said before finally kissing you and pressing her thigh to where you needed it.

You whined and bucked your hips against her. Her lips were so soft. You gasped when she bit your lip. You let her explore your mouth before she pulled back up.

“How long has it been since you’ve been touched honey?” She whispered.

“Years.” You admitted.

“Years? Oh you poor thing. Bet it didn’t feel this good huh sweetness?”

“No ma’am.” You whimpered. Then realized what you said.

“Oh I see. Maybe ma’am works a lot better for me than I thought.” Agatha teased.

“Sorry—”

“Hush. Be good for ma’am. Keep humping me babyboy.”

“Yes ma’am” you whimpered. Desperately chasing more friction between your legs.

“Doing so good for me baby, but let’s get some of these layers off hm?” With a snap of her fingers your pants were done away with.

You shivered as the air hit your newly bare legs.

“Aw are you cold? Poor thing. Don’t worry, I’ll warm you up.” She ran her blackened hands up and down the tops of your thighs. Then she readjusted to kiss all over them. Biting the sensitive part of your inner thigh. She was gonna mark you all up. You were all hers now.

You whimpered and squirmed from her mouth on your thighs.

“So sensitive, gonna have to hold you down huh hon?”

You felt something grip your ankles and hold you down. You looked to see it was her magic.

“I’ll teach you that trick eventually. For now just let me have my fun.”

She sucked one more deep purple mark onto your right thigh, before pressing kisses to your front through your underwear. Tasting what had leaked through from her teasing.

“Mmmm, so good.” She said against your front. The vibrations shuddering through you. “I could stay here all day, teasing you like this.”

She licked a stripe through the fabric before placing more kisses. “Tell me baby, do you want more.”

“Ma-ma’am don’t—Nothing under—please…”

Agatha moved from between your legs. Coming up to stroke your hair. “Sshhh it’s okay. You wanna keep those on?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“That’s okay baby. My sweet butch, thank you for saying something. My brave angel.” Agatha peppered your face with kisses.

“How can I help you feel good?” Agatha asked gently.

You looked at her, your eyes wide with nervousness.

“Tell me angel, before I just look into that dirty little mind of yours.” Agatha purred.

“Can-can you grind against me some more ma’am? Please.”

“You just love my thigh between your legs hm? My weight on top of you? Like having me all around you?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good girl, good girl for asking. I would love to get you off in my thigh.”

Agatha kissed your neck while you rutted against her thigh. Chasing the pleasure that came with friction.

“So easy for me. Humping my leg like a good little slut. You know only sluts get this needy from this right?”

“Yes ma’am” you said breathlessly.

She sucked a mark onto your neck, causing you to speed up.

“Gooood girl.” She crooned in your ear. “Such a good, needy butch for me. Give me your pleasure baby.”

“Yes ma’am.” You felt your climax start to build.

“I’m so close ma’am, can I?”

“Can you what angel? Use your words.”

“Please can I cum, I’m so close ma’am please.”

“There you go. Be a good girl and cum for me. Let go for me my sweet butch.”

You rock against her and came with a series of whimpers and “thank you”s.

“So sweet for me. You look so good when you cum. So handsome when you’re all blissed out.” She kissed you and stroked your hair until you settled down.

“Can I touch you ma’am? Please, I wanna make you feel good too.”

Agatha took off her shirt. You found out she had no shirt on underneath. She traced a finger up from her breast to her collarbone. “You wanna touch me, baby? Want your hands and mouth all over me?”

“Please ma’am, please. I-I’ll be good I promise.”

“Oh I know you will, angel. Alright baby.” She flicked her wrists and your bindings unlocked. You sat up and reached for her.

She grabbed your wrists and guided one hand to her hip, the other to her nipple. “I want your mouth on my tits baby. Come show me how desperate you are.”

You thumbed one nipple while you latched onto the other. Circling it with your tongue, sucking it, but in it lightly.

“Fuck baby there you go. Like having my tits in your mouth? I bet. Bite me harder love to ahead.” She tangled her fingers in the back of your hair.

You bit harder and she let out a moan. “So good for me, my perfect pet. Mark me up pet.”

You moved to the flesh of her breast and bit down hard.

“Fuck baby, not so shy anymore huh? Gonna make me look all pretty? Gonna make me look like yours?”

She enjoyed the wide eyed expression you were giving her. “Don’t think about it baby, just feel, just do ask I ask.”

You left big bruising marks all over her chest.

“Look at those teethmarks baby. Bitey little butch hm? Oh I love it baby keep going. My other nipple needs attention.”

You were sucking her other tit when she led your hand down her soft stomach, to her naked thighs. You had no idea when she had done away with her bottoms.

“Keep sucking baby, but feel how wet it gets me. Feel how wet you got ma’am.”

You obliged happily. She was soaked, so soaked you had trouble creating friction on her clit.

“So wet,ma’am”

“That’s right baby, you did that to me. Can you slip into me baby?”

You leaned up for a kiss while you easily slipped two fingers into her cunt. She moaned into your mouth.

“Oh good girl, your fingers feel so good in me baby.” She bucked her hips against your hand.

“Wanna mark your neck ma’am, please?”

She looked at you, eyes wild with desire. “Gonna mark your mentor up? Want me to be yours? I suppose that’s only fair, seeing as how you’re all mine.”

“Yes ma’am, please.”

“Okay baby, fuck me with your fingers and mark up your ma’am’s neck.”

You did just that. Sucking deep purple marks onto her. Purple was her color after all. You loved feeling her squeeze around your fingers as you marked her all up.

“Fuck baby, I’m so close. Suck on my tits again baby. Bite my nipple again. Be my good girl.”

You did just as she asked, biting down as hard as you could on her nipple as you kept fucking her on your fingers. She fell over the edge, gripping the back of your scalp, her nails digging in. You were both moaning as she rode out her orgasm.

You slowly pulled out when she was done and immediately started cleaning off your fingers.

“Such a good girl for me, such a slut, do I taste good baby?”

“Mhmmm.” You moaned around your own digits.

“Let me have a taste then.” She said, pulling you in for a kiss. She lapped herself off of your lips and sucked herself off of your tongue.

—

“Told you I’d figure out how to crack you open. How you’d stop being so quiet around me.” Agatha teased when you had both finally settled down.

You were laying with your head on her chest. She was in a flimsy tank top and a pair of pajama shorts. You were in boxer briefs and a t-shirt. Both so cozy together on her bed.

“I mean the drugging was a little overkill if you ask me.”

“Well I wasn’t asking you, now was I dear?” Agatha said, giving you a kiss on the forehead.

You buried your face in her. “I guess not. You said into her chest.”

“Needed your defenses allllll the way down. And now look at us. Look at how we get to spend our nights now.”

You squeezed her closer. “Well now you can just ask, instead of slipping potions into my drink.”

“Well no promises there sweetheart. You’re just so fun to mess with. I’d never give you anything you wouldn’t enjoy though.”

You didn’t protest, you just let her lull you to sleep.

[ash-whimsicalfanfic]

The Scarlet Witch (CH 2)

Mattheo Riddle X Fem OC/Reader

Word Count: 1854

Warnings: Mild language, violence, graphic content, blood, angst, fluff, smut…

Prompt: Y/n Maximoff, a witch who can perform wandless magic transfers to Hogwarts. She makes friends and foes, all the while love seems to be in the air even though she wasn’t expecting it. There is highs and lows in this love story, with unexpected twists and turns and maybe even heartbreak.

Faceclaim: Wanda Maximoff/Elizabeth Olsen/Scarlet Witch

Y/N’s POV

I was silent, following behind Pansy as she looked for the guys. She squeals when she sees Draco who was with the guys in the courtyard under a tree. Mattheo was smoking, leaning against the side of the tree. I stay rooted to my spot that was a little ways off from them.

I look at the Astronomy tower and decide that maybe I could go there. I tense as my wrist is grabbed and I look over to see a first year girl.

"Please. I want to go home." She pleads as tears well in her eyes.

"Let me show you something." I murmur.

I watch the red tendrils between my fingers before I gently tap her temple. I watch as she smiles widely, her eyes dazed as she takes in the different memories I sent to show her. She turns to me and hugs me.

I tense, freezing as my arms stay up out of awkwardness before I slowly hug her back. She pulls away, thanking me before she skips away. I wait till I know she's gone before brushing myself off. I straighten the front of my outfit before I feel eyes on me.

I look around before my eyes meet Mattheo's. He was watching me and I quirk a brow before turning away from him and striding towards the Astronomy tower.

I wasn't quite sure how to feel about this school. They weren't ready for me. I didn't struggle with casting one of their spells.

I think...I think I had finally settled into Hogwarts. It had been nearly four months, and it's been...interesting. I had nowhere to go for Christmas and neither did Mattheo. He didn't want to go home to where his father was. I couldn't blame him.

"I guess I'll see you guys when I get back." Draco sighs.

He too dreaded going home to his father. He was eager to see his mother, but I couldn't blame him. I had a brief meeting with Narcissa and she is quite splendid when her wretched husband wasn't around. She lives in fear when he is there. It's heartbreaking.

Draco does some “bro” hug with Mattheo before coming to me and hugging me. I’ve gotten better about hugs too in the past four months. Who would’ve thought?

"Try and make the most of it." I say, returning the hug.

"You as well. And try to stay out of trouble." He teases and I chuckle, rolling my eyes as we pull apart.

"No promises." I say.

It was sad everyone was going home. I know it was just for holidays. I kind of wished I was like them. I wanted to have a home to go home too. I wanted to have a family to go to. But, instead I was an orphan myself.

"Mattheo? Y/N? Why are you guys still here?" Pansy asks as she comes back out with her bags.

"Oh...we are staying here for the holidays." I say quietly.

"I didn't want to go back to my father." Mattheo mutters.

"And you?" Pansy asks, looking at me and I frown.

"I...I don't have any family." I say quietly, looking down at my hands.

"Alright, we have to hurry. But, both of you go pack a bag. You guys are coming with me for the holidays." She says.

"What? No, I can't do that to you Pansy. It's so last minute and I don't want to intrude on your holidays." I say.

"Shut up and pack a bag. My mom and I will enjoy having more people with us. She'll be excited. Now hurry! We don't want to miss the train." She says.

Mattheo and I head to our dorms and throw together bags before we meet her back in the common room. She smiles at us before leading the way.

"Are we almost there?" I ask, looking out the train window again anxiously.

"Relax, Y/N. That's the fourth time you've asked in the past fifteen minutes." She says, laughing softly.

"Have you never been on a train before?" Mattheo asks confused.

"No." I say.

"Then how did you get to Hogwarts?" Pansy asks confused.

"I made a portal. Portals are easier than these...trains." I grumble, poking the window.

"Hey, it's not that bad. You get to hang out with us." Pansy teases.

"Your right. I do appreciate your guys' company. But, I've never traveled by train before so it is a bit distracting." I admit.

"It's okay, love. Just relax." Mattheo says mindlessly, focused on his sketchbook.

Pansy wiggles her eyebrows and I stick my tongue out at her causing her to laugh. I put my middle finger up, glaring at her as Mattheo looks between us confused.

"Excuse me, Scarlet Witch?" A small voice says.

I look over confused to see a first year. A Hufflepuff to be exact. They hold out a package with shaky hands.

"He told me to give this to you, your Christmas present he said. I didn't want too, but he said he'd hurt my sister." He says.

"Who?" I ask, taking the package.

"You know who." He says before scurrying off.

I look at the package as Mattheo clenches his jaw. Pansy seemed shocked and I pulled the envelope off the top of the page and pull out the small card.

Dearest Y/N,

Your parents were my loyalist followers until they fell in love. I knew when your mother fell pregnant that you'd be a powerful witch. I could sense it. I knew you'd be a Slytherin. A Pureblood Slytherin who can perform wandless magic. So powerful indeed. Your parents betrayed me when you were born. However, I'm giving you a chance to redeem the Maximoff name...to be my follower.

-The Dark Lord

"He's pathetic. Ignore him. I'll handle this, love. I'm sorry." Mattheo says, glaring at the card I held.

"Mattheo, don't. I don't want you ending up hurt. I'll just ignore it and if he's persistent, I'll handle it. He's right, I am powerful. I'm not being cocky or arrogant, but none of you know half the power I possess." I say.

I look at the box before I open it and my heart falls as I pull out a picture of my mother and father. There were their wands and their wedding bands. Then a picture with me. I grab the last picture, my hand shaking. They were dead. Mattheo snatches it from my hand as I grab the last letter.

If you wish to live, then you'll join me. Otherwise, you'll end up just like your parents.

"Y/N..." Pansy says sympathetically.

My eyes go red as I focus on the letter. Everything goes black and I look around to see him. I was in his head. He turns towards me quickly, glaring.

"Get out of my head." He snaps.

"Do not threaten me. You do not know who you are messing with. I will ruin you. You have my word." I snap.

"Oh, you have the same fire as your mother. Unfortunately, she was too much of a coward to end it." He says, laughing.

"My mother saw the good in everyone. And she saw something in you. She saw that there was still a human in there. There was still someone there that just wanted to save the world even if it wasn't the right way. She still saw a bit of Tom Riddle you heartless, bastard! I’m my mother, I'm my father and I am me. And I can damn well end it." I snap.

I blink and shake my head, as I come back to reality. My magic completely ruined the letter and I look at Pansy who looked shocked like Mattheo.

"You spoke in parseltongue." Pansy says.

"And to whom?" Mattheo asks.

"Your father. I don't appreciate his dry threats." I say.

"Y/N...please do not think this is some joke. I know my father and that is far from a dry threat. He means it." Mattheo says.

"Mattheo, I understand it's a threat and I understand he means it. However, I say it's a dry threat because I'll quite literally end him when I see him. He killed my parents. Then had the audacity to reach out to me. To threaten me. So, I sent him a message. I made him feel threatened and vulnerable. Maybe he'll second guess ever reaching out to me." I say.

Mattheo didn’t look so sure, but he nodded slowly. He looked at his fist that had the crumpled picture of my dead parents.

“I’m sorry…I…I’m sorry for what he did.” He says quietly.

“Mattheo, you…you don’t need to apologize. You had no part in this. This was your fathers doing.” I say.

“Many people say I’m my father. Unfortunately, being his son means I need to help clean up his wrong-doings.” He mutters.

“You aren’t your father Mattheo. You both may share the same last name, but that means nothing.” I say.

“How do you know I’m not him?” He snaps, glaring at me and I smile.

“You just apologized for something that didn’t even involve you, Mattheo. Your father…he would never do that. He hates to admit when he’s in the wrong. And I honestly don’t think he thinks he is wrong. But, you know it’s wrong for what he did. You’ve acknowledged it’s wrong and it never even involved you. This happened a long, long time ago.” I say.

Pansy was silent, a small smile on her lips as she listened. Okay, so maybe I am saying the right thing. He didn’t look like he knew how to respond and I give him a smile.

I grab his clenched fist and grab the picture, watching as red tendrils go towards it before the picture dissipates. I let a slow sigh out, feeling a lot better.

[ofmermaidstories]

i’ve gotten back into playing my switch with a lethal combo of stardew valley/animal crossing: new horizons again and i must admit… i’m digging my nails into my palms to stop myself from starting a stardew valley AU lmao. and like! in the past i’ve threatened to do a new horizons AU, but that’s specifically because I like the whimsy of the setup—moving to a new location that is it’s own little world, independent of any outside influence, where all your relationships come from your neighbours. a tiny little idealistic land for you and you alone, that’s filled with strange and wonderful things (the ghoul in the sewers, for stardew. the ghost that wanders around your island at night, for new horizons. there’s falling stars and mermaid shows and sly little salesmen who sell stolen art and things you can build for yourself, or trade for with pearls or batwings or seashells). i just!!! isn’t that the appeal of both of these games? that you don’t have to sit at a computer (ironically) day after day, or scrub out the walk-in freezer that hasn’t malfunctioned and is now defrosting, or serve assholes that last used their manners when their mothers still wiped their mouths after eating. instead you do things like… shake trees for fruit. grow flowers. grow vegetables. chop trees for wood, dig up stones. you get some cows for milk. you craft things and sell them. you catch bugs. you go down into the mines where you’re startled by walking skeletons or little slimes. sometimes you still deal with assholes, i guess—but they grow to love you. you banish the Big Bad Supermarket from town. You buy weird one-off items from the only store-keepers on the island. there are night markets and open-air concerts and celebrations of a new community centre, a new bridge.

i’ve been merging the sdv/ac:nh examples because at the heart of it, what i think i want out of a AU like this is the escapism of being uprooted, and settling down somewhere enclosed, that has everything—and everyone—you need. sunshine and rain and lightning and the ocean, snow, green things and smooth wood underneath your hands and the tiny threat of something darker (a witch’s hut where you can turn children into doves, abandoned mines full of monsters, mossy skeletons abandoned amid patches of flowers)—but ultimately, the promise of magic. just beyond the farm’s fences. washing up on the shore in the blue-green dawn. hidden in a wizard’s tower on the outskirts of town. flitting about and waiting for the only person who can see it: you, you, you.

[blenselche]

wanted to sketch this scene from Oneirogenic Coalescence out

“Shoko?”

She stares back at him, only a few inches away and inspecting his face with narrowed eyes.

“I’m stuck being your guide again,” she surmises. “Subtractional. We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” She blows a sigh out, pushing a hand through her hair. “I should have stayed in the deadworlds.”

Finn snorts, elbowing her. “Well, for what it’s worth I’m glad you didn’t. Is it actually you this time, or- or is this just part of the hallucination?”

“I’ve been dragged out of your subconscious. I’m still with you, after all, as you’ve aged you’ve grown closer to me. You remember my life,” she turns, and they’re back at the gang’s open bathhouse, overgrowth creeping backwards. “Why is that?”

The Plant Teacher metamorphoses into a bath boy, poking at its hair rollers. “Your future is debating removing you from the cycle of reincarnation.”

Shoko looks over her shoulder, quirking a critical brow at him.

“I—“ his hands raise in defense of himself. “Maybe. It was just a stupid thought,” he muffles into his palm as he stares at their feet, uncomfortable and edgy. “Fern is immortal, he doesn’t have to die unless I do, and- and if I don’t die, then…”

“You’re afraid you won’t be able to find yourself in the next life,” she guesses, and he lifts a finger gun to the air without looking up. “You found the Princess, Finn, and we were barely friends. You found our closure, what makes you think you wouldn’t be able to find it again?”

“Maybe I’m tired of finding myself! Maybe- maybe I’m tired of going through painful junk and learning the same lessons just to find something good under it all,” his hands raise and slap back down to his sides as he walks in a circle on the concrete platform. “I’ve never been in love in any of my lives, and I finally have that. Why can’t I get off the ride if I have the chance? What if I want us to stay like we are?”

Shoko stops him, dragging him to sit on a cracked step as her life bustles around them in blurry, fluid dreamscapes. Finn watches with tired, drooping eyes as she releases the Ice King from a group of old witch women.

“That’s what life is, Finn. Sometimes we have our arm cut off by our father, sometimes we lose it trying to cling to him. It’s just how the cycle works. You can’t stop it.”

“I want to,” he murmurs, muscle of his jaw jumping. “I’ve finally got some stability.”

“Life is change,” the entity reminds him, lifting a slice of cucumber over its eye. “You cannot cross the stream without getting wet. You are not prone to give yourself to indolence, child, you are always moving, always changing. Do not falter to the soul erosion of a middling existence in vampirism, it is counterintuitive to your purpose.”

Finn groans, chest deflating. “I hate that determinism gunk. I’m not made for anything. I don’t believe in destiny.”

“No, I know you don’t. That does not stop it from being true.” It settles lower in the water, watching him. “You are a very purposeful being, Finn. You, a cosmic force trapped within a man cannot remove yourself from the cycle even if you wish it. You have yet to find your final method of being.”

“Not this comet crap again,” he whines, face tipping to the sky and eyes screwing up tight.

“Yes this comet crap again.” It snaps its fingers and they’re hung in the vast nothingness of space, Shoko scrambles to grab onto him, terrified.

“Finn!?” she screeches. “What’s it talking about?”

He curls an arm around her waist and hefts her higher. “We were put here to commit acts of ‘great good’,” Finn says, tense, “Davey stopped Orgalorg, you released Simon, I defeated the Lich, Penny blasts the cosmic elementals…” he pauses, brain skipping on the realization that he remembers her, “and some day we’ll ascend to the fourth dimension. I refused last time.” He nods with a rigid jerk to the comet, to Martin and the moth. “We’re… some godlike entity. But we forgot.” He swallows dry, throat constricting. “I don’t think about it. It makes me feel like- like my skin is on too tight.”

“You may reject predeterminism, but that does not stop it from affecting you,” the Teacher announces, loud enough to rattle his bones. “I can only help you if you’re open to it. Will you open yourself? Or will you pursue this dead ended, disillusioned passivity borne from the fear of your truth?”

He feels Shoko tremble in his arm, smells the sweet spices they used to use in her hair and sighs out a dejected “okay.” His feet hit the hardwood of the tree house’s kitchen, and he lets Shoko dismount his side, knees shaking and wobbly as she falls back into the dingy cushions of the wrap around sofa.

“That was terrifying,” she chokes with an airy laugh, forehead thunking to the table.

“… our bones are like, six feet away,” he thinks out loud and she shoots him a freaked out glance. “Sorry. Nerves.”

“Are you ready to face yourself, little hero?” It hangs from the ceiling, having taken on Marceline’s form.

A smarmy, weak grin stretches across his expression. “I already am, technically.”

“Don’t be tiresome, the other half of your soul gives me enough trouble.”

Finn snickers unevenly in the face of this unknowable tutelar, at the sensation of bantering with some infinite providence when he’s such a tiny animal.

He nods, and the strings of his being unravel as Shoko keeps hold on the red piece of yarn that connects them, steadying the knot at his center.

[wandering-winchesters]

Premonitions

Pairing: Dean x Reader, implied feelings. Word Count: 2,239 Summary: The reader has always had visions, but now they're changing and causing her physical harm. Trigger Warnings: Mentions of death, implied vomiting and pain. Requested: Yes, by anonymous. The reader has visions of future events since her childhood, but since the last hunt and burn of a witch her visions are getting more powerful and begin to affect her health condition. The visions weakening her, she suffers from heavy migraine and also dizzy spells and nausea. She tries to hide it from the Winchesters but as observing as they are, they instantly recognize her pale and sick appearance.  A/N: Requests are open! I hope you enjoy my take on this request, please let me know!

Masterlist

Visions are something I’m very familiar with, I’ve had them since I was a child. They felt like dreams, mostly peaceful and serine. Predicting the things that were to come, always happy occasions. I knew the days to come that I would enjoy, the places we’d visit and joys I’d experience before they ever happened. It was a good thing, I was thankful for it. It brought reassurance in times of doubt, joy in times of sadness and it didn’t really affect my day to day life. Dean would try to use it to their advantage, running lottery ticket numbers by me in hopes of me having a vision of him winning, he hadn’t been successful yet. Sam always rolled his eyes at Dean’s childishness, but would listen intently to whatever I recounted for them. 

Since the last hunt that we been on my visions had changed, they were no longer predicting joyful occurrences, they were dark. Foreshadowing death and torture, often continuing on for twenty or thirty minutes. The amount of time a drastic change to the maybe five minute long visions that I was used to having. They caused me to get sick almost every time, a wave of nausea taking over the second the vision ended. My body felt weak, muscles ached and I had a headache that had taken up permanent residence since these new visions had started. I was doing my best to keep it from the boys, not wanting them to worry about me anymore than they already did. They already watched me closely, concerned that I would get hurt while on a hunt. If they knew about this, well, I don’t know what they would do. Probably bench me, if we are being honest. I had managed to keep it to myself, thankful that most of the visions seemed to appear at night, to the point where I could almost call them nightmares. Yet I knew better, I know that they’re predictions, some of the things I have already confirmed to be true. A train derailing in Michigan, a bus crash in Ohio, the list goes on. Every time I have one, I search the news headlines, praying that I won’t find what I am looking for. However, it’s always there, a day or two after it happens. 

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why my visions had changed, the only plausible explanation was the witch that had escaped on our last hunt. Despite our every effort, she had fled moments before we would have killed her. My guess is a spell, what spell you might ask? No clue. All of the research I had been doing, has been turning up empty. No explanation for the full body symptoms I had been having in response to the visions. 

Which is how I wound up here, hugging the toilet in the bathroom connected to my room. My head is spinning and throbbing, the pit in my stomach nauseating and unbearable. My body was aching from the constant shivers running through my body. There was nothing I could do but sit and wait, and hope that it faded overtime. This was by far the worst one, it had pulled me in and completely overcome my every thought and action. Flashes of red and orange flames, the screams of innocent people trapped within the building, being burned alive or smothered by smoke. All of it so real and vivid, forcing tears to fall from my eyes as I laid there paralyzed, unable to snap out of it, until it was over. Just as abruptly as it had begun, it was gone. I was back in my room at the bunker, sick from fear. I had painstakingly made my way to the bathroom, my eyes closed and my feet shuffling. Avoiding any sudden movements due to fear of passing out or throwing up. Judging by the time on my phone, it had lasted nearly an hour, fifty-three minutes to be exact, the longest vision I had ever had. I remain on the floor of the bathroom for almost an additional hour, taking slow, even breaths, waiting out the nausea. Which eventually faded, I had hoped that the migraine would fade too, however no luck. I opened my eyes, allowing them to adjust to the harsh light in the bathroom, a light that I didn’t recall turning on. I stand slowly and turn to head towards my bed, hopeful that the rest of my sleep would be uninterrupted and dreamless. 

I am awoken by a knock on my door, followed by a voice calling out my name. I ignore it, hoping they’ll go away. I am tired, so tired. The thought of getting out of bed felt like the most insurmountable task, I was already being lulled back to sleep by the warmth of my blankets. 

“Y/N, it’s almost noon, are you okay?” Sam enters the room, his voice much louder than I would prefer. I would rather he not be here at all and to just leave me to my sleep. 

“‘M fine, Sam. Go away, tired.” I mumble, throwing my arm back behind me and motioning for him to leave, not bothering to open my eyes. I hear light shuffling and I assume that he is leaving, but I am proven wrong when I feel the bed next to me dip down. Sam has not left, but come to sit beside me. I open one eye to glance at him, but close it again quickly, the lights flooding my senses with searing pain. His hand comes to rest on my shoulder and when I still don’t stir to look at him again, he speaks.

“What’s going on with you? You might think you’re doing a good job at hiding whatever it is, but you’re really not. Dean and I both know that something is going on that you’re not telling us about and its getting concerning. You’ve been sleeping a lot, in constant pain when you’re awake and you’re pale as a ghost, Y/N.” I know he isn’t going to leave me be without an answer of some sort. So I do my best to come up with one, something that sounds believable but not too concerning. 

“Just haven’t been feeling the best, must be food poisoning or something.” I whisper, again willing that he will leave me alone to sleep. My body physically exhausted, head throbbing, pain pulsating through my every nerve. He shifts again and I rejoice, hoping he’s headed for the door. But instead, his hand comes to rest on my forehead, a hiss leaving his lips as he makes contact. 

“Shit, Y/N, you’re burning up.” He says, tugging back the blankets that I have pulled up around my face, revealing my sweat soaked t-shirt. “How bad?” I hear Dean mutter from the doorway, the sound of his foot steps indicating that he has crossed the room to stand next to my bed as well. I hesitantly open my eyes, squinting to try and lower the amount of light that is allowed to enter. 

“Feel for yourself, Dean.” Sam says, standing up and letting Dean take his place on the bed next to me. Dean rests his hand against my forehead, grimacing. It must be bad judging by the look on both of their faces. I push myself up into a sitting position, tugging the blankets up to cover my bear legs. Painfully aware of how little clothing I have on compared to them, not that they hadn’t seen me dressed like this before, it just made me feel weak in this moment. 

“I’m fine, just need a shower.” I mumble, I throw my legs over the edge of my bed and begin the short walk to my bathroom, ignoring both of Sam and Dean’s protests and offers of help. I barely make it three feet before my world is spinning, darkening at the edges and crumbling around me. 

My body collapses, colliding with the hard wood of the floor and I can faintly hear my name being yelled, but it is all drowned out by the vision dancing before my eyes. This time it is different, it’s not strangers in a different state, it’s Bobby, Ellen and Jo. They’re surrounded by vampires and it doesn’t look good. All of them injured in some way, Bobby worse than the girls. They stand in a circle, their backs together and weapons raised in front of them. I know what is about to happen and I try to scream, try to warn them in some way, to move faster to run! But nothing comes out, my voice but a silent whisper in my throat. I am forced to watch as the vampires kill them, their bodies falling to the ground and, and then it is gone. 

My eyes fly open a scream bubbling out of my throat, terror filling my every nerve ending. Dean’s above me, his voice shushing me, telling me that I am safe, nothing happened and that everything is okay, but nothing is okay. Bobby, Ellen and Jo, They’re all in danger. 

“Sam, call Bobby right now, tell him not to go on that vampire hunt.” Sam hesitates, his eyes trained on me and filled with questions. But there’s no time. “Now, please! I had a vision!” I snap, putting all of the emotion I can into those words, trying to convey just how urgent they really are. Sam nods, still silent, but pulls out his phone and leaves the room to call Bobby. I take a couple of breaths, trying to focus on my surroundings once again. I am on the floor, Dean cradling me in his arms, his eyes trained on my face concern and confusion written through every inch of his skin. 

“How did you know about that hunt, Y/N? Bobby just told us about it five minutes before we came in to wake you.” He says, his hand brushing a strand of hair out of my face, his touch comforting me slightly. 

“I-I, promise not to be angry with me?” I ask, letting out a rather large sigh. He hesitates, but nods in agreement and I begin to explain. “You know about the visions that I have, they’re normally happy predictions. But ever since the last hunt, with that damn witch that got away, my visions have changed. All of them are now predicting death and tragedy. I’ve had one everyday this last week, all of them have come true. I’ve seen it on the news or in an article online. Before today, they were all strangers, but now, today, it was Bobby, Ellen and Jo. I couldn’t bear to let anything happen to them Dean, God what if I wasn’t in time?” I ask, tears beginning to form in my eyes. He hushes me, reassuring me through his touch, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. Sam comes back into the room, his phone still clutched in his hand. His face slightly pale and concern etched throughout his features. 

“I got through to Bobby, he’s okay. So are Ellen and Jo. They were about to leave when I called, but they stopped when I told them you had a vision. Bobby wants to talk to you about it all when you are feeling up to it, Y/N.” He says, I nod in response, relief washing over me, they’re okay. They’re not going, which means they won’t die. 

Dean takes a minute to repeat what I had told him to Sam, the tension in the room growing every second. Sam is angry, Dean is angry and I am tired, oh so tired. These premonitions have really started to take it out of me physically and mentally. I listen to the boys discuss the steps that need to be taken, the witch has to burn. Sam volunteers to go and Dean agrees to stay behind with me. 

“You should both go, I’ll be fine here on my own.” I argue, trying to offer them a reassuring smile, but neither of them buy it. Sam shakes his head, his mouth parting to answer but Dean beats him to it. 

“In your dreams sweetheart, there’s no way in hell that we’re leaving you here alone. You fainted, you could’ve smacked your head if I hadn’t caught you as you fell. One of us is going to stay with you until this witch is dead. Don’t even bother arguing, you’re not going to win.” He adds on the last part as he notices my enthusiasm towards disagreeing with him. I close my mouth, exhaustion sweeping back over me. Dean notices and carefully carries me back to my bed, again ignoring my protests. He sets me gently on the mattress and I eagerly roll onto my side, resting my aching head onto the cool, soft surface of my pillow. He tugs the blanket over my body, pressing another kiss to my forehead. He makes up some excuse about it being the best way to check my temperature, but I don’t mind. He plants himself in the chair by my bed, pulling out his laptop. His presence enough comfort and safety to lull me into a peaceful sleep. They’ve got me. Sam is going to go take care of the witch and I will be okay. Those were my last thoughts before I was pulled into the blanket of sleep. 

[sl-newsie]

Spelled: Descendants Halloween Special! 🎃

Summary: The Auradon kids put on a Haunted trail and the VKs, being new to Halloween traditions, decide to check it out. (Based after Descendants 3)

“Why are we doing this again?” Audrey asks in an annoyed tone as she hands Jane an orange banner. “Auradon’s never done a haunted trail. We always do a Halloween dance.”

“We do a dance for everything!” I huff as I set down a tote of pumpkins. “For once I want to do something more interactive.”

Indeed, it seems that nearly every event at Auradon Prep is another ridiculous dance. But this year I finally convinced Ben to do something different: a haunted trail in the Enchanted Forest with a costume contest. And what’s even better is that it’s the VKs first Halloween! This is by far my favorite time of year, no question! The changing leaves, the candy, amazing costumes, and an excuse to be my true witchy self!

Audrey cocks an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t celebrate Auradon traditions, you know being raised in the woods and all.”

I gawk and put a hand on my hip. “Um, excuse me? I’m the daughter of a witch, Audrey. This is my holiday! And so far from what I’ve seen this haunted trail wouldn’t frighten a kitten. No offense, Jane.”

“None taken!” She steps down from the ladder and seems to get an idea. “Actually, maybe you could help us scare it up a bit? What magic would make it scary?”

I think for a moment. “Definitely a shrieking hex, some lightning jinxes, random bodies…”

“Fake bodies, right?” Audrey asks, slightly nervous.

“Oh you want fake dead bodies?” I grin mischievously. “Very well then. I can also get Binx to sneak up and scare people. He’s good at that.”

In the next three hours we’ve completed the finishing touches, and just in time too. It’s beginning to get dark out and that means it’s almost time to start scaring. It’s no wonder why the VKs are the first to show.

“Mwahaha!” I jump out from behind a tree and find my first victims: Mal, Ben, Jay, Carlos, Celia, and Lonnie. “Welcome, foolish mortals! Dare to test thy fate in the deadwood grove!”

Ben, Carlos, and Lonnie all jump, but the others are less amused.

“Nice scare, Magica. Maybe next you’ll throw a fake spider at me?” Celia smirks.

“Believe me, your terrors are just beginning.” I look around. “Where’s Evie?”

“She and Dizzy are having a Halloween movie marathon with a few others. They’re not really into the whole ‘scary stuff.’” Carlos gives my witch outfit a look-over. “Nice costume. I guess Halloween’s really your thing, huh?”

“Oh yes, this is definitely my favorite holiday!” I cackle. “And I’m pleased to see you all joined in for the costume contest!”

Mal’s a spider queen, Ben’s dressed as a knight, Jay chose to be Frankenstein, Carlos and Dude are matching skeletons, Celia is a venus fly trap, and Lonnie is a fairy.

“You bet!” Dude barks from below and scratches at his costume. “But I’m glad it’s only one night, ‘cause this thing is itchy!”

“What have you got in store for us, Enchantress?” Carlos smirks.

“You’ll have to find out.” I heard them over to the forest entrance, but then we hear someone calling for us to wait. We turn around and find Uma jogging up to join us.

“Harry and Gil are too chicken, so they’re pigging out on candy back on the Isle. Let’s go!”

“What are you dressed up as?” Jane asks as she scans Uma for her costume.

“Myself,” Uma states like it’s obvious.

Carlos gives a stiff nod. “You’re right, that’s scary enough.”

Uma doesn’t get the joke and just keeps walking to the trail entrance, followed by the rest of the VKs. Once they’re inside I wait with Jane and listen, both of us bursting with cackling laughter when the screams start. This means my added enchantments are working! 

Dude comes sprinting out, chased by Binx.

“That cat’s gonna get me!” he barks. “This is all wrong- I’m supposed to be chasing him!”

The frightened canine makes me laugh and I hold up a hand. “Alright, Binx. Let him be.”

The black cat chuckles. “You should have seen how well your magic worked inside! Your aunt would be proud.”

Yes, but for now they’ll be celebrating All Hallow’s Eve elsewhere.

When the VKs rush out they all have cheerful smiles and are laughing like lunatics, all except Carlos.

“Where’s Dude!? Magica have you seen-?”

I point to the dog in question, who’s laying in a pile of leaves. “He’s right there, calm down. Binx was just having a little fun is all.”

He sighs in relief and looks at me with wide eyes. “Th- That was one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen! Is Halloween always this scary?”

“Yes, especially when you’re dealing with a Sanderson.” I put a hand on his shoulder. “But it’s fun to be scared, isn’t it?”

Carlos lets out a laugh. “Yeah, it kinda is. Right, guys?”

Mal and Ben are laughing from so much excitement, while Uma just shrugs. The others however keep looking around for something.

“I thought there was supposed to be candy?” Celia asks.

I smirk and step over to my cauldron. “It’s candy thou seeks, is it? Well-” I throw in some moon powder and in a big poof! the entire cauldron fills with sweets. “Trick or treat, Auradon!”

Jay whoops in delight and rubs his hands together while approaching the cauldron with a gleam in his eye. “Now this is what I’m talking about! This is what Halloween is all about!”

“Um, uh-uh. It’s about scaring people!” Uma argues.

“I like the costumes!” Jane cheers from the trail entrance.

Everyone starts talking about what they love most about the spooky holiday, but it’s Mal, Ben, and me that just shrug it off.

“Halloween isn’t just a holiday, it’s a lifestyle.” I flick some sparks up and make them appear as ghostly visions. “It doesn't have to be about just one perk.”

“Sparks is right,” Ben agrees as he takes Mal’s hand. “It’s a fun holiday that brings people together, whether it be through getting scared or getting candy.”

Mal nods. “I’m so glad we’re finally getting to try out these fun traditions. It’s a lot more fun than the stuff we do on the Isle.”

Audrey hears this and scoffs. “Really? I thought you VKs would have Halloween as, like, your cult holiday. Isn’t it the type of holiday that your parents basically invented?”

“Not exactly,” Celia speaks up. “It was actually Auradon that decided to use our parents’ evil tricks to turn Halloween into a time for mischief and scary stuff. On the Isle the most we do is carve turnips.”

Her explanation makes everyone’s spirits start to droop, so I wave it off. “Now now, let’s ignore the past and focus on the present. It’s Halloween! Let’s have some fun! Who’s up for getting donuts and cider at Little Miss Muffet’s?” I offer a wide smile. “Binx, you in?”

The black cat lets out a joyful meow. “I’m always up for a trip to town!”

By now the others have started to get excited too. 

“Alright, we’re in!” Jay grabs Carlos and Celia, ushering them toward me. 

Ben and Mal back off. “You guys have fun, we’re going back to meet up with Evie.”

“I’ll go!” Lonnie raises her hand.

“I will too!” Jane joins her. “Audrey?” 

Audrey rolls her eyes. “Fiiine, we’ll go too.” 

The only one left is Uma, who just nods. “I’ve got nothing better going on. Why not?”

“Where’s the car?” Celia asks.

I tilt my head and smile. “Oh, no. This is my holiday, you’re all traveling in style!” I snap my fingers and brooms appear, getting a startled reaction from Audrey.

“No, no, no! I am not riding this death trap!”

“I will!” Lonnie mounts the broom and tries kicking off, only staying grounded. “How does it work?”

“They’re enchanted. Just say ‘fly!’” 

I grab my own broom just as Binx jumps up to perch on my shoulder and we zoom up into the cool night air. When I look back I see the others are following, all with big grins on their faces.

“Wow, have I been missing out!” Jay shouts as he dips up and down. “Trixie, this is so fun!” He flies down and taps Carlos’ shoulder, who swats him away.

“Stop doing that!” Carlos speeds up and meets up with me in front. “Thanks, Magica! This is the best holiday ever!”

I chuckle. “Just wait ‘til you guys try Christmas!”

“What’s that?” Lonnie asks from behind.

“You’ll see!” I say mischievously.

“Happy Halloween, Enchantress!” Carlos calls before flying off to join Jane.

The scene squeezes my heart, but Binx gives my shoulder a light squeeze and I look past it.

“Happy Halloween, Auradon!”

[makayla-is-writing]

Female Mountain Fae x Blind Female Reader (Pt.2)

Find all parts here

Your breath hitches as you take in what she just said. Leaning into her touch unintentionally, you grow confused. When thinking about it, you couldn’t recall ever meeting someone so affectionate, on a mountain no less.

“It’s so sweet the way you try to remember, but let me clear some things up for you, my darling.” The mysterious not-a-stranger drags you slowly to the ground, finding a comfortable position for you to sit in. You turn towards her body heat, giving her a look of expectancy. 

“I’m positive we’ve never met,” you say, determined. You would have remembered someone as affectionate as… Well, you never got her name.

“The name is Ula, my dear.” She could read the questions right off your face, chuckling at your astonishment. 

“Many years ago, I found myself wounded on this mountain. I’ve been trapped here a very long time, labeled a witch by the townsmen. The villagers found my presence unsettling, of course with no concrete evidence that I had done what they accused me of. They had tried banishing me, wounding me, and almost succeeded in murdering me. That is, until a lovely little fairy happened upon my dying body.” She taps your nose, loving the way you’ve become so entranced in her story. 

“But it’s not fair to banish you from the village! Mother says witches are evil beings who are selfish and cold. But you're so warm.” As if to prove your point, you scoot closer to Ula, taking in her body heat.

“How long ago was it,” you continued. “Maybe my parents could clear up som- '' Before you’re able to finish your train of thought, Ula breaks out into a fit of laughter. 

“Oh sweetheart, I promise that no one you know could clear up the air and undo my banishment. I was a… special kind of villager, who wasn’t appreciated by your kind.” You grow even more confused, why would your town outcast someone so kind and thoughtful? What kind?

“I don’t understand…” You pout slightly when all Ula does is hum in reply.

“You’re not expected to, love. Now, let’s continue. A small child found me and offered me some of her water. The child of course, was you. You were so worried about me, it almost broke through the cold exterior of my heart, as described by local villagers.” She laughs again, interrupting her own story. “You wanted to help. Started crying, even. I wish I could’ve seen your face, but the villagers had taken my sight. I asked what you could offer me. Can you guess what it was?”

Ula pauses, tapping your eyes with the pads of her fingers.

“These lovely little things.”

[simslegacy5083]

Today's (11/7/2024) Episode: Friendly Encounters

Skye had been worried that once Elyse aged up she’d be too busy with high school freinds to see him anymore, but she quickly proved him wrong.

Besides shooting up in height, she also decided to totally change her sense of style. It was a little intimidating, but Skye did his best to be supportive of the sim who had always been his best friend. “You look so pretty” he enthused, “like you’re going to win first prize at a Spooky Day party.”

“Thanks!” she replied “I guess. I’m trying out some goth looks and found this online. Do I look like I would fit in at Forgotten Hollow?”

Skye frowned. “I’m not sure. I know my Great Grandpa Vlad lives there, but for some reason we’ve never visited him.”

She looked disappointed. “Well I haven’t been there myself either, but I found a lot of cool pictures and stories. One day I’ll move there and never have to deal with sunny days and early mornings again. Maybe I’ll be a vampire or take one of the huge spiders in the trees as my witch’s familiar.”

Skye listened, rapt. It all sounded more scary than fun, but Elyse always knew better than him, so if she said it was awesome then it must be true. “Neat! Do you want to make pancakes? We can use some chocolate syrup and strawberries to make them spooky spider pancakes!”

The Sulani crew come visit anytime, living just down the boardwalk, but Noemi got to see her non-island friends much less often.

Chestnut Ridge was only a teleporter away, but she was still excited for the excuse to visit when Amaya called to announce she had adopted a baby.

“Miguel and I had only gone on a couple dates when I found out I was pregnant. Shotgun wedding anyone?” Amaya said with a laugh. “Now that we’ve really settled in as a family, we decided that raising little Graysen has gone so well that we should do it again… So come over and meet Julissa!”

“Ok sure, this project is at a good breaking point, we’ll be over soon to see your new daughter.” Noemi replied, earning herself a surprised look from Lu.

The Lawbournes decided to bring Roach too. Their four-legged friend could run around the ranch with Silver, like he had during their honeymoon.

While the parents were cooing over the new baby inside, Grayson was trying to convince Skye to go for a ride together on the two horses.

Skye looked up at Roach, towering above him and easily ten times his weight, and shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t want Roach to buck me off – I could get hurt! I’ll take some pictures of you riding Silver, or we could go exploring together.”

Grayson was disappointed not to be able to race his friend, but thoroughly enjoyed posing for pictures on his faithful steed. After picking out the best shots to keep and which to post online the two boys left the stables and set off to dig up hibernating toads along the creek bed.

Inside Noemi was snuggling the incredibly soft and warm Julissa, who was happily chewing her fist as her mother talked about deciding to adopt.

“…so I told Miguel that I’ve got enough back pain these days without adding 30 pounds of bulbous baby belly into the mix!” Amaya chuckled “I carried the first one, and it was clearly his turn, but the chicken decided to see what was available on the second-hand market instead of doing it himself.”

The "chicken" in question shot his wife a scandalized look at her description but resisted being pulled away from his conversation with Luigi.

“Hunter said that The Collective found this little sweet pea left all alone in their front garden. No idea if she’ll be “hungry like the wolf” yet, but  we’ve got plenty of room to run around out here, whether she wants to do it in fur or track gear.” Amaya continued, stroking her daughter’s cheek.

When they got back home to their own campfire that evening Luigi remarked “We all got really lucky in the friend department at the end of the day.”

“No thanks to you, Mr. you can't be Amaya's friend” she reminded her husband with a mock serious expression.

Luigi chuckled “I never meant to say exactly that, and anyway you were quick to put me in my place, as always. Skye, you’ve got a nice group of playmates already and a good head on your shoulders to know when what they are asking of you is unwise…” thank goodness he finished silently. “I just hope you have as much luck in the future as your mom and I have.”

With that they rose and headed inside to get Skye off to bed, looking forward to what new adventures awaited them with the sims they were lucky enough to count among their close companions.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[ganonfan1995]

DSAU Truth -

“There’s no point in lying anymore,” she spoke, rawness lacing her voice. “I have no way to return home.”

Gans’s brows knit together as he looked down at her, a quizzical expression on his face. “What do you mean?”

Zelda averted her gaze, hanging her head low as if she bore a great shame he was not privy to. The fire illuminated the underside of her face, the light dancing in hues of amber and gold against her skin. Her lips parted, cracked from the dry heat of the day and wind-weathered from their daytime adventures.

“I am not who I said I was,” she revealed, the first truth, though Gan had already guessed as much. “I come from a future,” she continued, the second truth, though it felt less believable than the first. “A future in which we are bound by hatred, and no matter who wins and who loses, we both take lives as a toll.”

The final truth felt like something out of a nightmare. Gan shook his head, struggling to make sense of Zelda’s story. As she spoke, she revealed something hidden on her person—a gem, small and claw-like, nestled neatly in her palm. A quiet hum resonated from it, so soft that it could easily be drowned out even in the stillness of the night.

“This—this is the secret of the Zonai. It’s a dangerously powerful artifact; it allowed me to tap into power I didn’t even know I had.” Zelda’s expression turned serious. “When I found it, it fell loose from your withering body. And when you found it—” She paused, a darkness washing over her. “You stole it from someone close to me.” She clutched the gem tightly.

 Gan scoffed, twisting his face in utter disbelief. “You can’t possibly expect me to believe that?”

“Can’t you?” she barked back, her knuckles turning white as she clutched the precious stone tightly within her fist. “You truly can’t remember a single thing of what you’ve done, what you did, what you will do?”

“Zelda—” He chuckled incredulously. “It’s not that I don’t want to believe you; it’s just—you're admitting to the impossible, to magic—time travel? And to accuse me of murder?” He drew in a breath. “Is that why you’re here? To monitor me? To stop me from—what? I don’t even know.”

Zelda froze, but her eyes remained trained on Gan.

“Are you afraid of me?” he asked. “You are, aren’t you?”

“It’s different now,” she said, her voice as quiet as a mouse. She shrank into herself, innocent, as if she were a delicate animal and he a violent, ruthless creature ready to pounce and devour her whole. “I’ve seen that you’re good—”

“Good?” He raised his voice, not quite a shout but enough to cut through the silence that hung around them. “Good? I’m good? I’m a good person? As in: not evil?” Gan stood up and paced to the side; Zelda flinched back.

“I didn’t mean it that way. I just—”

“What way could you mean it? Zelda, I trusted you. I took you into my home, I shared my life with you, my family, everything… and only now do you admit to being some envoy of the future, come to watch over me like some grand justiciar to make sure I don’t—I don’t even know… become evil, commit atrocities? Are you listening to yourself?”

“I am!” she shouted back, mustering her own courage to stand tall. “I am listening to myself. I’m tired of everyone around me disregarding what I have to say. You have no idea what I’ve been through, what I’ve seen, what I’ve lost.”

“You’re right; I don’t know. I don’t know anything about you, Zelda. How could I? You keep yourself so closed off. This is the first time I feel like you’ve been honest with me.”

Zelda watched as he spoke; his aureate gaze glistened in the low light as his eyes welled with tears.

“I’ve had nightmares,” he finally admitted. “I watched as the moon bled while my country was consumed by sand and lost to time.”

Zelda’s eyes widened, and a small gasp escaped her lips. “The blood moon…”

Gan’s attention snapped to Zelda as she took small, shaky steps toward him.

“My mothers are witches. I’ve been plagued by prophetic dreams my entire life. Somehow, I convinced myself that my nightmares were never more than just nightmares.”

“Gan,” Zelda extended a hand and looped a finger through his own. “When I used this stone, I used it to unwind time. I brought myself, as I was in your near future, back to our current present. I undid time on your body. Perhaps it was wrong of me to assume that you had kept those memories with you—but…”

He tilted his head and pulled her hand gently into his own, slowly.

“In your dreams, have you ever seen the sunrise?” Her voice was so genuine, so gentle.

Gan shook his head.

“I was born the princess of a land that held your country as a vassal. Gerudo, as I knew it, was a desert land populated by a small town of warriors. In their history, an ancient king had betrayed them, stolen the power of the gods, and become a demon. Our fairy tales recounted this history—stories for children of the demon king, Ganon. My godmother was a Gerudo woman; she was always anxious about this history. When the fairy tale of Ganon proved to be true, she took it personally and sought to end his terror.”

“Zelda, that’s—”

“I know how it sounds, but it’s true, Gan.” She pleaded, with urgency in her voice. “I don’t know why, but when I first saw you as a man, it was—” She froze again; something wasn’t right. No… When she saw him as a man, he was a king, no different from Rauru or even her own father. “You had an army, warriors at your side… and…”

“But we had to protect our people. You were going to—” Conflict painted her expression, and she tightened her grip on his hand. “But you— But Rauru…”

Horror, reality, and an uncomfortable truth ran through her body, chilling her to the core.

“Your country was already a desert. There was no Turmali, no cities, no lake, no sea…” She covered her mouth in shock and disbelief. “Gan, I think your dreams could be memories… And if that’s true, I’m afraid something awful is going to happen.”