#mags: replies

[veilxstars]

For: @coldxxwinter Character: Mags Harper Location: The Cozy Quilt

Mags stepped into the cozy shop, the familiar scents of the shop was the closest she'd come to feeling comfortable while still being in public. She loved the quilts... the fabrics.

The chill of fall was beginning to creep in, and she struggled with the change in seasons, the cold made her bones ache. As she wandered deeper into the shop, the vibrant patterns of the quilts caught her eye. She had come here for a specific purpose: to find something to help keep the cold at bay.

Mags paused, running her fingers over a rich, deep-blue quilt adorned with intricate floral patterns. It felt comforting, almost like a hug against the chill. But as she glanced around, she spotted Winter sitting at a small table, focused intently. She felt a pang of jealousy; she couldn't make anything useful - just bouquets that would die sooner rather than later. She used dying flowers -- the Kingsleys would be so proud.

She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should interrupt him. Would he want to talk? Would he even notice her? With a determined breath, remembering how cold she had been this morning, Mags approached, waving her hand to catch his attention. She signed “Hi” and gestured toward the empty chair beside him, silently asking if she could join him for a moment. "Do you ever make something specific - like colors and warmth and that kind of thing?" Did it make sense? she needed something that would be as warm as possible, and she had brought as much money as she could bear to take from under the floorboard that she kept her wages.

[colonelmajorkepler]

i love spotify comments

[veilxstars]

Mags took in Julian’s words, each one like a thread that bound her, grounding her in this place she’d so hesitantly called home. For years, she had been ready to run. She had an emergency bag just in case she had to flee in the night, but for the first time -- she thought she saw an out. For a moment, she couldn’t bring herself to respond. She’d built walls so thick and high she forgot what lay beyond them—and here he was, offering her a world of safety, of permanence.

He was offering her a hand, both literally and figuratively. She let her hands shape her reply, gentle but certain, even as emotions swirled beneath the surface.

“Maybe jesters play the fool,” she signed slowly, “but you—you’re so much more. You’re the guard and the priest and the --." She faltered for a moment. "And for the Queen, Julian—for me,” her hands hesitated a moment before continuing, “You're one of the reasons why I don't want to run away.” For a moment, her mind flickered to the Kingsleys—the way they’d only ever offered her a home with conditions, a place that was built like a cage, built on lies and pretense. With them, safety had been an illusion, the walls a flimsy barrier from the storm that raged within their own hearts. They’d taken her in, yes, but only so far, never letting her belong. She was livestock. Sure, a cow could be raised preciously, but she was still going to end up at the meat-plant in the end.

But here… here with Julian, it was different. His protection was a shield, something unyielding, without strings, without demands. He was looking out for her because he cared, because he saw her, past everything she’d done and all the fear she carried. “I believe you,” she signed at last, fingers trembling slightly as she pressed her hands together. “I believe you."

This place, this strange little life, was nothing like what she’d imagined, but it felt real. She met his gaze, her face softening as her fingers moved again, slower, her heart behind each sign.

“This is my home now,” she signed, the words more of a declaration than she’d ever thought herself capable of. “Because of you.” She paused, her eyes steady on his, and added, “Thank you.”

"I know it's not yours," he signed, a tight lipped and understanding smile gracing his lips "but the queen deserves panes that are not broken, at the very least. Her jester is happy to divide." He couldn't help but chuckle at that. He always thought parents were a bit like jesters. Himself included, feeling like a father ever since he had stepped into her life. Parents, much like jesters, tried everything they could, including making complete fools of themselves in order to please the high court. Never minding to do so, as it is their duty.

When she touched his hand he felt the true weight of her fear wash over him. Her retellings painted a picture of the torment she faced. He wanted to reach out and tell her that they would face this together but he feared pushing her further into her shell. Instead, he spoke back in addition to his signing as he said "I will do everything. And I mean, everything, in order to keep you safe. I won't let anything happen to you." Julian would die before he ever let anything bad happen to her and that was a fact that was true and absolute.

He reached his arm up to place a hand on his heart for a long moment as he looked at her, seemingly stilling the raging waters. "Listen m-i-j-a," he finally signed and said as his eyes narrowed in a way that was warm and not the scathing way he was used to in court "You don't have a formal birth certificate. As far as the law is concerned, everyone here has only known you as Mags. That's what we can reflect on your official records. Who you were, before you came here, is virtually non-existent. And I'll fight to the death to keep it that way."

Julian's eyes softened further, if that was even possible, when she used her name for him in her own tongue -- or more appropriately, her own hands. A silent language known by the few, by the chosen. "This is your home. You can stay here as long as you want. I will make sure of that. You know that, right? You're safe here. If they come here, for you, they will leave. Immediately. And I will make sure, personally, that they are sorry they ever stepped foot in this town."

[sarcasticscribbles]

Slaughter Avatar! A mind blowing *wink wink* opera singer!

What's her name?

[meownotgood]

sorry but there’s something *really* hot about the idea of Aki covering your mouth with his hand while taking you from behind

"we have to be quiet."

aki's voice is a deep and murmured hum in your ear, tapering off into a hiss as he grips your hip tightly and slides inside you. his shoulders go slack, his eyelids flutter. he leans his body over yours, wrapping an arm around your stomach to keep you up. he's supposed to be better than this, normally he would be. but he's waited so long for you, and he isn't about to wait any longer. he's missed you way too much.

it doesn't quite matter to him that the only thing giving the two of you the tiniest amount of privacy is the thin, shut door to his bedroom. he can hear his coworkers talking in the living room, he takes shallow breaths and hopes to god they can't hear when his pelvis goes flush with your ass, every desperate rut of his hard cock into you echoing heavy and wet. he prays that no-one at the house party will notice how the two of you have disappeared, slipping away to aki's bedroom to fuck because you couldn't wait for everyone to finally leave.

"aki, I-" you cut yourself off with a whine, aki pressing into you so deeply that your whole body tenses, your hands fisting his navy blue sheets and your eyes screwing shut tight. it's taking everything in you not to cry out his name. he feels so good and so thick and you can't help but moan between every gasp for breath. "I can't."

you're still too loud. you're loud and only getting louder, which is a shame because aki really needs to fuck you harder. he sighs, he leans in close, mutters a soft shhh to you, his breath hot on your nape. when you aren't getting the idea, he reaches around and his palm comes to press gently over your mouth, muffling your noise.

you just need to keep it down for a little while longer. soon, everyone will leave, and aki can make up for this, for having to shut you up with his hand, for having to struggle to keep himself silent by biting down hard on his bottom lip. when it's just the two of you, he won't have to keep you quiet like this. he'll have you screaming for him until your throat's gone sore.

[batsycline69]

ngl i want to know what hkigahfflm stands for 👀

lmao every time i type that out i have to think of the whole phrase

it stands for hell knows it's got a home for folks like me, and this is cowboy jason!

jason and reader are childhood sweethearts in this one who haven't seen each other or spoken in years. reader thinks jason is dead, and the fic picks up when they're reunited, but the reunion does not go how either of them would have imagined.

it's got all the good stuff: rival gangs, kidnapping, identity reveals, letters never sent, and so much longing.

[veilxstars]

Mags set the small bouquet down in front of Dorothy with a quiet, purposeful motion. It was a simple mix of lavender and rosemary, nothing too flashy, but enough to convey a sense of quiet strength. She didn’t need to make a big show of it. Her hands moved with a deliberate slowness as she signed, “These might help clear your head. Lavender for calm. Rosemary for memory.” She let the words settle, giving Dorothy the time to read her signs before continuing. “Take them if you want. If not, that’s fine too. I’m just making sure you have something to focus on.”

Mags watched Dorothy for a moment, studying her expression. She wasn’t one for elaborate gestures, but she knew how important it could be to have something tangible when your mind was weighed down. “You’ve got a lot going on, and it’s easy to let it all get too heavy. These can help remind you of the little things. The smell of fresh flowers. A quiet moment, just for yourself.” Her eyes softened slightly, but her tone stayed steady—no pity, just an offer. “Sometimes, you need something small to hold onto, especially when everything else feels too big.”

She stepped back, giving Dorothy space without walking away completely. “I’m not saying it’ll fix anything, but I don’t think you need fixing right now. Just... a moment to breathe, maybe.” Her gaze was understanding, but there was no push, no pressure. Mags wasn’t about to pry into what was bothering Dorothy—she knew better than to force anyone to talk.

Open starter for @cardinalstart

Located in Just Like Heaven Bakery

Taking place after plot drop & prompt 03

Dorothy had known Avalon Rivers, not well enough to be grieving her like she had previously grieved for friends, family, and other loved ones, but enough to be truly shaken over her death. The death of a powerful witch who had been present in the community of Cardinal Hill, and who had been so young and full of potential, was understandably enough to dampen Dorothy's mood - but there was also more to the story. The death of her ex-girlfriend, another witch who had been present in the community, weighed heavy on her thoughts; while she had died many years prior, there were just so many similarities between her death and Avalon's, and Dorothy just couldn't rid her mind of the fact.

"Hm?" Dorothy snapped out of her thoughts as she realised that her company was waiting on her for a response. "Sorry, what did you say?" She slowly came further and further back to reality, though as present as she became, she still couldn't completely escape her haunting thoughts. "I'm just completely out of it today," she extended on her apology with an explanation.

[jennibeultimate]

hiii this is random but !! ive been watching the olympics gymnastics and im kind of Obsessed and wanna get into watching gymnastics not just once every 4 years ?? wondering if u have any advice on where to start !! coz i know Nothing lol :))

Hi, you're welcome!

There is plenty of gymnastics to watch all year round. The Olympics is the highlight though every 4 years!

Btw I also got into watching artistic gymnastics by seeing the Olympics (20 years ago 🤯, when watching was depending heavily on terrestrial broadcast).

I am not really sure if I am the best to explain artistic gymnastics and tbh I am not following gymnastics as closely as 10 years ago but I still try to give some advices. I hope it helps. Pls ask if anything is unlcear.

I think in short the best advice is to just watch as much gymnastics as you can 😁 With time you will see and understand more about the sport.

A short and incomplete introduction into artistic gymnastics:

Let's start with some basics:

There are different kind of gymnastics, but I assume anon talks about artistic gymnastics as this was the most prominent discipline that gets most attention.

The governing body of gymnastics is the FIG. You can find a YouTube channel, an Instagram account and a Twitter account.

There are two shortcuts for artistic gymnastics. Men Artistic Gymnastics = MAG and Women's Artistic Gymnastics = WAG.

Male gymnasts perform on 6 apparatus (Vault, Floor, High Bar, Parallel Bars, Pommel Horse and Still Rings), female gymnasts on 4 apparatus (Balance Beam, Uneven Bars, Vault and Floor). The All Around (AA) competition is the most prestigious as you have to be good on all apparatus.

I would not bother with understanding everything about the points for the start, but for the basics there is a Difficulty Score (D-Score) and an Execution Score (E-Score) for each routine. The execution score will be deducted starting by 10,0. The difficulty score is open end. How the deductions on the E-score work is far too complex to explain in a simple post but you can watch out for landing errors, going out of bounds on a landing on Floor and Vault, pointed feet and bend knees, just to name some common errors. A fall is easy to spot and is always 1,0 off. The D-Score works different. Each element has a value starting by A and going up to H. A has 0,1 difficulty and H has 0,8. The 8 most difficult elements count towards the D-Score. There are some different requirements on each apparatus what you have to fullfill, but it would lead to far here to explain.

Competitions:

Artistic gymnastics has a World Championship every year except in the Olympic year, so that's the event to watch out most besides the Olympics. It always happens some time in October each year. Next World Championship 2025 will be in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Before the World Championship there are multiple other competitions to watch. There are championships on continental level (European Championships for example), World Cups and national competitions. And more but these are the competitions I would put my focus on. The Nationals of the USA are probably the most hyped and easily accesible via YouTube. European Championships have various broadcasts on TV but also have their own streaming site here Most events have some form of livestreaming or videos accesible afterwards.

Watch just as much as you can from competitions. You can always rely on Youtube videos. Also old videos are fun to watch.

Gymnasts and countries I recommend to keep an eye on:

I will focus on those who compete at the Olympics this time, but tbf getting into gymnastics at the Olympics may be the worst time as a lot of gymnast you'll see at the Olympics retire afterwards. So next year you might not see many returning ones...

There are plenty of amazing gymnasts but the post is already far too long, so I'll point out a few of the best and a few of my faves. (There sadly is a picture limit per post on Tumblr)

WAG (Women's Artistic Gymnastics)

I guess this name is familiar but always worth mentioning: Simone Biles 🇺🇸(superstar of the sport, called "Greatest of All Time" GOAT and frontrunner for the last decade - most decorated gymnast of all time. Olympic AA champion 2016 and 2024, World AA Champion 2013,2014,2015,2018,2019,2023)

Rebeca Andrade 🇧🇷 (World AA Champion 2022, Olympic Silver Medalist 2021 and 2024, Olympic VT Champion)

Qiu Qiyuan 🇨🇳 (2023 Uneven Bars World Champion - great Beam and Bars worker - just won Olympic UB Silver 2024 few hours ago)

Some others worth mentioning (sadly not pictured):

Kaylia Nemour 🇩🇿 (2024 UB Olympic champion - first African gymnast to win a medal at the Olympics)

Sunisa Lee 🇺🇸 (2021 AA Olympic Champion, 2024 AA & UB Bronze Medalist)

Flavia Saraiva 🇧🇷 (the most fun floor routines and gorgeous beam)

Elsabeth Black 🇨🇦 (fan favorite, 2017 Worlds AA Silver Medalist, 2022 Worlds Beam silver medalist)

Team USA is without a doubt the strongest nation in WAG. Not only did they win most of the team competitions the last decade, but also with quite a margin. Team Italy and Team Brazil have fought their way up to the top with Italy having a balanced team of gymnasts who can score evenly on all events and Team Brazil having superstar Rebeca Andrade who contributes massively with huge scores. Team China imo has the prettiest gymnastics of everyone but their weakest event Vault prevented them from winning team medals since 2014. Their strongest events are Beam and Uneven Bars.

(From left to right: Team Italy, USA and Brazil)

MAG (Men's Artistic Gymnastics)

Zhang Boheng 🇨🇳(World AA Champion 2021, Olympic AA Silver Medalist 2024 - tbh the best AA gymnast atm but battling with injuries and lost the AA final by a few tenth despite having a fall)

Daiki Hashimoto 🇯�� (Olympic AA and HB Champion 2021, World AA Champion 2022 & 2023)

Shinnosuke Oka 🇯🇵 (Olympic AA Champion 2024, World Junior AA Champion 2019 - the surprise AA Olympic Champion. Just 20 years old with a bright future)

(Shinnosuke Oka (left) and Daiki Hashimoto (right))

Zou Jinyuan 🇨🇳 (Olympic PB champion 2021, World Champion - the cleanest execution on parallel bars and overall you'll ever see)

Some more MAG gymnasts worth mentioning:

Carlos Yulo 🇵🇭 (first Philippine gymnast to win a world title and Olympic title - great AAer and Floor and Vault specialist - 2019 FX World Champion, 2024 Vault and Floor Olympic Champion)

Ilia Kovtun 🇺🇦 (2021 Worlds AA Bronze medalist & 2023 Worlds AA Silver Medalist)

Team China and Team Japan are those to watch out for the titles. They have the best teams and are far off all other countries atm (with Russia's team banned who won in Tokyo 2021) Team China is very strong on Still Rings and Parallel Bars. Team Japan is very strong on Parallel Bars

(Podium from left to right: China, Japan and USA)

Team USA unlike in the women competition are not frontrunners, but have received the Bronze medal at this games with hitting 18/18 routines. Other teams to watch out are Team Great Britain and Team Ukraine. Team Ukraine are the current European Champions are strong on Parallel Bars and Vault. Their weakness is High Bar which costed them the team medal in Paris. Team Great Britain has strong gymnasts on most events, most prominently Vault, Pommel Horse and Floor.

(Team Ukraine at the European Championship 2024 - from left to right: Nazar Chepurny, Stelmakh, Oleg Verniaev, Igor Radivilov and Ilia Kovtun)

About artistic gymnastics fandom:

If you wanna talk about gymnastics you can join the fandom, called gymternet. (The experience to see your faves suffering together may sting a little less 😅)

Tbh I am maybe not the right person to ask about fandom side of gymnastics (I am mostly active in figure skating fandom). There are a couple of "fandom" sites I use to follow gymnastics news: The Gymternet (link here) and The Balance Beam Situation (link here) (this one is a bit more on the "drama" side with the reporting)

For more fandom stuff you should better ask someone else for advice.

______

And while I am at it I also recommend watching rhythmic gymnastics, it's different but very beautiful. And the competition at this Olympics is about to happen from 8th to 10th August 2024! (Tbh by now I follow RG much closer than AG)

[veilxstars]

For: Kit | @hxesandruin Location: Pumpkin Carving Contest Event: Halloween 1990 Character: Mags

Mags tugged at the oversized sleeves, making sure they didn’t dip into the bowl of pumpkin guts at her side. The suit fit her well enough in length, but the rest of it was comically loose. Julian was broad, and she could feel the extra fabric bunching at her shoulders, the seams far too big to make any real sense on her. She’d managed to wrangle access to it from his office—just for tonight—with the solemn promise to return it first thing Monday morning (and she paid the price, Julian would know on Monday that she had borrowed the suit as his secretary had taken a picture to commemorate Mags' idea).

(She hadn’t counted on the shoes, though, which were far too big even by her low standards of comfort. So, tucked under the slacks, barely visible to anyone who didn’t know to look, were her own scuffed-up combat boots.)

The irony of dressing as Julian—she was telling people it was Atticus Finch if they asked—wasn’t lost on her, especially here at a pumpkin carving contest. This was the sort of thing she would have laughed off as a kid, scoffing at the idea of hacking away at gourds for a bit of seasonal amusement. She'd told Kit she wasn't going to participate, had made that clear from the start. But somehow, he'd worked his way through her usual defenses, his unyielding enthusiasm prying open a crack wide enough for her to slip out of her shell and into the crowd. So, here she was, humoring Kit for the night, because somehow, over the years, he’d worn down her stubborn defenses.

Her fingers, steady as ever, took hold of the carving knife as she settled down next to him on a hay bale, giving him a pointed look. She signed, "You owe me for this," before casting her gaze over the pumpkin she’d chosen. It was knobbly and rough, more personality than polish, and somehow it suited her. She glanced sidelong at Kit, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

[veilxstars]

Mags took the seat next to Bunny, setting the cider and pie down between them with a quick glance to make sure Tigger had settled comfortably at her feet. The dog’s sleek black head rested across her ankle, a familiar weight that kept her grounded. She handed Bunny her fork, signing slowly with her free hand, I don't mind sharing. — she pointed to the pie with a slight smile, this looks good.

She took a bite, letting the warm cinnamon and apples sink in, and nudged the cider closer to Bunny, wordlessly offering her a taste. You got a whole basket of these back home? she asked, nodding to the cup and her own half-eaten bite of pie. I’d trade you flowers for more, she signed, one brow raised in suggestion. Mags rarely offered her garden’s flowers freely, but for Bunny’s basket, she just might.

Taking in the festival-goers strolling by, she nodded toward the clusters of people gathered around the vendors. Bet you know most of them, she signed, her movements almost lazy as she leaned back. Could you tell me a few names? Might help me remember what they like.

It was a small way to pull Bunny into conversation—Mags didn’t need the introductions, but Bunny’s way with people made it a quiet fascination for her. Mags didn't know many people in the town despite being there for nearly thirteen years. She had kept to herself, stayed in the greenhouse, tried to keep her head down so that she didn't draw attention to herself -- but now, Julian was helping her establish herself, and she had determined that she wanted to do more than survive, she wanted to live.

There was a certain relief that washed over Bunny when Mags accepted the cup and plate from her, these little gifts. The smile she received was thanks enough. With the weight of those sweet treats alleviated, Bunny dropped her hands back to her sides, fidgeting with the sleeves of her sweater.

Her gaze followed Mags' across the crowd, her head bobbing lightly in agreement. Despite the autumn chill in the air, the sun was distantly warm and the sky was a crisp, clear blue. The sugar maples beyond the vendor tents still held most of their leaves, now boasting bright shades of gold and crimson and tangerine. It was the perfect kind of day to kick off a festival, and that wonderful little fact seemed to lend a whole new layer of vibrancy to the event and its attendees.

"You're right," Bunny said, before remembering Mags couldn't hear her. She bobbed her head more vigorously in Mags' direction.

But at the suggestion to share, Bunny hesitated. She hadn't prepared for spending much time with Mags beyond handing off the pie and cider — and the idea made her suddenly nervous once more. What if she didn't know what to say, or how to sign? Not to mention, she had only grabbed one fork for the pie.

But how could she say no, when Mags had given her the flowers? She didn't want to do anything that would offend her, or jeopardize the tentative friendship blooming between them.

"That sounds nice," Bunny agreed, smiling and nodding. Her eyes fell on a nearby bench, situated between two vendor tents and under the partial shade of a maple tree. She inclined her head in its direction, her blonde curls bouncing as she moved to claim the seat for them before anyone else could take it.

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

How about ye old sex pollen trope my dude??

my DUDE my gemlin

love a good sex pollen trope and have written it for Santi, Eddie Munson, and Bond respectively

From the uninitiated...hmmmmmm......🤔

It could be interesting with Bruce Wayne—the opposite of a fear toxin, maybe. Leto Atreides, too. And while it would be a stretch................Josh Lyman. Trying to remain calm and cool and just flippin' losing it with want

put a fanfic trope in my inbox and I will tell you: how likely I am to write it what character(s) I’d most likely write it for

[huffle-dork]

Swap into the CrystalVerse Chapter 17: Fantasy Masks

Co-written with @crystalninjaphoenix 

Read Swapboys | Read Fantasy Masks | AO3 Link

Prologue | Switch | Stitched | PNPT | Septicheroes | Fantasy Masks

Taglist: @brokentimewatch @di-diwata  

True enough, at first light Bro and Alt hear a voice outside their tent "Alt? Other me--Bro? It's time to get up." It's Chase.

Alt glitches outside of the tent pretty much immediately, his bag of stuff prepared and slung over his shoulder. He looks like he barely slept at all.

Bro stumbles out a few beats later, blinking sleepily and pulling on his tunic and grabbing his own stuff. “Mhm ‘morning-“ He yawns.

“Whoa!” Chase jumps a little when Alt appears in front of him. “Elders, I forgot… You were really fast there.” He laughs. “Hi you two. We’re going to grab a quick breakfast at the fire and then head out, okay?”

Alt flushes a bit, "ah sorry... been trying not to glitch as much..." He mutters. He nods and starts heading towards the fire.

Bro shakes his head, "If it makes you feel better I live with him and I'm still not quite used to it." He laughs, readjusting his stuff and making sure Alt and him didn't leave anything in their tent.

“Well don’t hold yourself back for our sake. Then we’ll never get used to it.” Chase looks through the tent opening. “Have everything? Alright. Let’s go.”

Alt probably only half heard Chase as he stumbles towards the fire. Bro sighs a bit in worry.

The camp is less busy this early, but it’s never entirely quiet. People are already up and walking around, and breakfast is already being made. As they approach the fire, they see the other four already there.

Henrik is busying himself with packing food into a bag, but he looks up when the others approach. “Ah, good to see you. Chase and Chase and Alt, do you have anything you think we should take? In terms of food supplies, I mean.”

Alt waves a little and stifles a yawn, pixelating a bit. “Um- anything we can eat quick… my magic can be a drain but I can bounce back with some good fuel- like… jerky probably.” He shrugs.

“Good! We have lots of that already.” Henrik closes the bag, buckling the flap.

“Are you okay, Alt?” Jackie asks. “You look really tired and… your form is breaking. Did worry keep you up?”

“M’fine,” Alt mutters, rubbing at his eyes. He’s definitely lying. “We just gotta keep moving… I’ll wake up.”

Chase gives Alt an odd look, clearly not buying that he’s fine, but it’s not worth the trouble.

“I could have provided a sleeping tonic, if you asked,” Henrik says. “Oh! But here is the opposite of that.” He reaches into one of his belt pouches and withdraws a small cloth bag. Inside are a handful of brown beans. “I asked Nemet about your ‘kohfi,’ and she says these are the beans that makes it. This is all she had but she insisted we take them anyway. How kind of her. I am not sure how to make the drink but she says they are fine to eat, if bitter, and provide the same effect.”

Alt’s eyes do brighten a bit at the coffee beans. He laughs and smiles some then grabs a couple to eat. They are bitter but he takes his coffee black. “Mm- that’ll help. Thanks dude.”

“Ah yeah! We eat chocolate covered coffee beans at home all the time!” Bro grins. “Sometimes I like it better than actually coffee- it’s like a fun pick me up!”

Henrik grins. “I’m glad this is not so strange, then.” The beans are a bit different than the ones back home, a bit softer but still with a good crunch. Henrik pops a couple in his mouth too.

“You sure that won’t conflict with your medicine, Schneep?” Jackie asks.

“Is alright, I asked Nemet about that.”

“We’d better hurry,” Marvin says. “The days are only getting shorter.”

Alt nods, gaining a serious expression that sharpens up his features. He double checks he has all his modern things- his headphones, his old pants, the TRVLR. Huh- he actually hasn’t checked the TRVLR since they got here… but he’s sure it’ll work… right?

Bro sneaks some beans too and makes a face, “mhm- could use chocolate.” He chuckles. Then he stands up at attention. “Alright team! Let’s get this show on the road!”

When Alt checks the TRVLR, its screen is at first only that low battery sign. When Alt gives it a jolt, it powers on like usual, but there is now a fourth circle in the middle of the usual three. This one is red, and marked with an exclamation point.

Alt’s eyes widen slightly and he checks on the new circle.

A message in red text pops up, with an X in the upper right corner to close out of it

WARNING Latency Detected

This unit is having difficulty connecting to the universal database. This is for one or more of the following reasons:

-A Ripple is happening

-Current location is too far from unit's home universe

-Current location does not have the technical capabilities of helping connection

Please take this into account when jumping.

Jameson leans over Alt's shoulder to look at the TRVLR screen. What strange symbols, he says.

Bro looks over Alt’s shoulder to read and Alt’s face pales. “…it- it might not work…” he whispers with slight horror. “We-We’re somewhere without technology- I-I didn’t even think…!”

“C-Calm down Alt! I’m sure the fancy Iris guys accounted for something like this! Besides… we can’t leave without Mag… let’s focus on one thing at a time, okay?”

Alt shakily nods and puts the TRVLR away, trying not to panic again. “Right.. right- w-we gotta focus…”

Marvin watches the two of them with concern. "Your talisman for getting home is having trouble? Is there anything we can do?"

“I’m not sure…” Alt mutters, “It says it’s having trouble connecting… cuz we’re lacking some- modern things. Things I dunno how to get here… my- lightning might not be enough…” He squeezes his arm and tries to take a deep breath. “B-But Bro’s right we’ll… have to worry about that later.”

“If it does work I’m sure there’s some other way,” Marvin says, a bit awkward in his reassurances but clearly genuine. “I’ve heard of other worlds so there must be a way to get there.”

“We’ll do everything we can,” Jackie says. “I swear it.”

Alt tries to smile and nods, “Thanks.”

After a quick breakfast, and a brief stop where Jackie, Henrik, and Marvin discuss things with the second in commands, it’s time to go.

Alt is anxious all throughout breakfast and Bro watches him in worry. Usually Alt gets a lot of his anxious energy out through glitching but he’s being unnaturally still. Bro doesn’t see him suppress his glitching much…

Once it’s time to go Alt anxiously bounces on his feet. Bro stands next to him and tries to put a hand on his shoulder but Alt glitches out of his reach. “…it’s gonna be okay Alt- we got this!” He tries to reassure.

The group heads out of camp, passing the Phantoms on perimeter part roll and heading into the woods. Things quickly start looking similar to Bro and Alt, but everyone else seems fairly confident. Chase and Jackie are leading the way.

“Yes, we have this,” Henrik says, overhearing the two of them. “I know it is intimidating, but we are all practiced at this by this point.”

“Ha! I’d believe it! With all the training and you all being so prepared, I feel confident!” Bro smiles.

Alt picks at his shirt, glancing at the woods like something could come out of them at any second and grab them.

Chase glances back and notices Alt looking around. "Hah... worried about animals?" he guesses, grinning. "Don't worry. Predators won't attack a group of humans this big unless they're desperate. Trust me, I grew up in these woods. And as for other people... well, no one comes up here. It's a hard climb and there's nothing nearby." He faces forward again. "Although... I wonder if a storm is coming..."

Alt slowly nods. He gets like this sometimes, thinking about Mag. Like he can constantly hear his laughter in his head. See the slinking of catlike shadows in his peripheral vision. He tries to shake off that feeling, clutching the bow he borrowed from the Phantoms close.

-----------

"Magnificent."

The palace is surprisingly dark right now. But not because it's night. No, looking out the windows shows a gloomy sky overhead, crowded with heavy black clouds. The King is standing by one of said windows. "Are you awake?" he presses.

It takes a second for the magician to stir but soon enough he opens his eyes and sits up right quickly, rubbing at his face and putting back on his mask, “ah yes. Forgive me- didn’t mean to oversleep.” He pushes himself off the bed and dusts himself off before approaching the King. “Hm- looks like it could be a storm…”

“Exactly.” The King nods. “And we don’t want to travel in weather like that. It’s a sure way to catch the shivering. Do they have that where you’re from?”

It certainly looks bad out there. And in this strange land {he should probably trust the judgment of someone who lives here.}

“…I don’t know if we call it the shivering but I’m assuming we do.” Mag comments. He huddles his cloak around himself and thinks. Then he shrugs, “Weather can’t be helped. I certainly don’t want to get soaked- mayhaps I can find more books about the magic here…”

“Oh, you know… fatigue, confusion, shivers, difficulty breathing.” The King lists off the symptoms in rapid succession. “Caused by the cold. And walking in wet clothes will definitely leave you cold enough to catch it.”

“Sounds like a bad cold or the flu-“ Mag muttered with a shrug.

“But enough of that. I’m assuming you checked the library. They may have a secret section there, if I remember correctly.”

Mag flares out his cape dramatically to head towards the library, “Well then- if we’re stuck here I shall spend the day in there.”

"Very well." The King reaches out to the candle sconce on the wall. A spark leaps from his fingertip to the wick, lighting it with an electric hsss. "Let me see if I remember where the secret section is..."

As they walk down the hallways towards the library in the center of the palace, the King continues lighting the candles in a similar matter. It doesn't do much to help penetrate the darkness, but it's better than nothing.

Mag blinks at the king doing this and every so often he’ll light a candle before he does with a twitch of his head- lighting it with green fire. Mhm- a castle would look so pretty covered in such a lovely color. The thought makes Mag smirk to himself.

"Best be careful in there," he says, more to himself than Mag. "Dry paper. Best hope they have candle shields in there."

The library is not as grand as it probably should be for a palace. It's small, and probably would have been cozy if it hadn't been so dusty. The King walks back behind a desk, brushing aside some cobwebs to open a drawer. "Oh good. They do." He pulls out a candle holder with a single candle, a glass bowl attached to the base, high enough to shield the flame. He reaches in and lights it. "Now... where is it...?"

Mag coughs at the dust and uses some of his magic to sweep it and more cobwebs away. “Eugh.”

The King chuckles. "Not a fan of dust? Me neither." {That's something else they have in common.}

“I deal with it enough at home,” Mag grumbles.

The King begins searching the shelves. "If memory serves me... There's something we can pull or slide that opens an alcove on this wall. Here, search with me. Or on your own, if you wish."

Mag nods and starts to look across the shelves, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He lights a flame in his hand but flickers a shield around it like the king’s candle.

It takes a long while--maybe frustratingly long--but eventually the King shouts "Aha!" One of the shelves on a bookcase slides back into the wall when pushed. Next to it, a section of the stone wall swings open with a grinding noise. "After you, then," the King says, {ever gracious.}

Mag startles a bit at the sudden noise but then smirks at the king, taking advantage of going first. “thank you Aodhan~”

The King nods and steps aside.

The room beyond is small and windowless, but packed with things. Scrolls and old, crudely-bound books line the walls, dried herbs hang from the ceiling, and various crystals, powders, and pressed flowers fill bowls and jars on shelves. Surprisingly well-preserved pumpkins sit on the floor. A large cauldron takes up an alcove on the opposite wall, hanging off the ground by about a foot. A staff hangs on the wall, a red-speckled green stone embedded in the top. Candles sconces hang off the walls, holding blue candles.

"Ah, I see, this is for both witchcraft and wizardry," the King says from the entrance.

Magnificent’s eyes light up at the sight. He seems to actually smile as he looks at the witchy things. He tries to carefully clean off the dust as he looks at the trinkets. “Ha… this reminds me of playing witch as a boy…” He muses.

The King smiles, looking {almost fond.} "You studied magic as a child as well? I suppose that makes sense."

Magnificent laughs quietly, running a finger across some of the crystals, “My family were sorcerers. Prestigious… we had a family name to uphold. My birth was mainly just to keep the family name in tact for my father. He was very strict in what magic I could and could not learn. Very strict with my studies. So much so I did not interact or go out much as a child.” He laughs and then touches around the caldron, “then.., I met my best friend. Jackie. He got me out of my house… and together we learned things together. He showed me forms of witchcraft his family knew- though he didn’t practice. But it was fun… to rebel and learn things that would enrage my father.” He then becomes more aware of himself and flushes some, coughing and turning back around to look further into the room. “But uh- of course that’s all irrelevant. Apologizes.”

The King tilts his head, {softening a bit.} "It does... help me understand you more. Do you think the child of a monarch is ever born with anything other than 'the family name' in mind? The royal line is especially honored in Glasúil, in a way that isn't often found in other lands. And it is because of the legend of legacy. Something I've already told you I never cared for." He pauses. "My powers were weak, once. Limited, as magic here has always been limited. I spent ages studying, strengthening them. And my family never approved of it." Another pause. "But that's all irrelevant. Apologies."

Magnificent looks at the king and shares with him a wry smile. “…we have even more in common then, Aodhan. Never thought I’d have much in common with a Royal-“ he snorts.

"I never thought I would have so much in common with anyone." The King pauses. Then he turns and heads off. "I'll leave you to explore here. If the weather lets up I'll let you know." And he disappears. {Perhaps he wasn't as bad as their first impression led Mag to think.}

Magnificent watches the King go- expecting to narrow his eyes as he back when he left. But… he had been… decent today. Even… pleasant? Perhaps it was the weather.., Nevertheless, he was here to see if could better understand that magic here. There had to be some way to get the upper hand on the king.., and now- he had the whole day to search. And so he began.

It slowly starts to rain, accompanied by distant rumbling thunder. {It's strangely calming.}

Magnificent always did like the sound of rain, what a soothing soundtrack to his research…

-----------

It is not raining in the mountains as the group finally leaves the Greatwoods, finding themselves on a sloping field, grass pushing up between rocks and boulders.

"Aaaand this is officially where my knowledge ends," Chase says.

Marvin shields his eyes from the sun and looks into the distance. Next to him, Draco hops onto a rock, tail swishing as he hunts down some bug or something. "It does look like there's a storm out there."

I think that would be good, Jameson says. If it's in the direction we're heading, it means they'll be forced to stay in one place because of the weather.

Alt seems to brighten at this, “Oh- that’s… that’s good! Maybe we can catch up!”

"It also means we'd have to walk in the rain," Marvin grumbles.

Bro laughs a bit and lightly nudges Marvin, gesturing at his mask. “Afraid of getting wet, kitty?” He lightly teases.

"Yes," Marvin answers plainly.

"Don't you have some sort of water repelling spell or something?" Jackie recalls.

"Yea, but it can't cover all of you, just me. I'm not going to be responsible for all of you getting the shivering."

Chase shudders. "True, that's not pleasant."

"But Alt is right, we will catch up," Henrik says.

"Maybe it'll be clearer by the time we reach that area," Marvin hopes.

“Oh- well, guess that makes sense.” Bro says, messing with the back of his hair and grinning sheepishly.

Alt hums, “The shivering- that must be hypothermia… I’ve gotten that before- s’not fun… so best to avoid the rain if we can.”

“…you’ve gotten hypothermia before?!” Bro asks alt in alarm.

Alt gives him a steady look, “I was on and off the streets for almost a decade, Chase. Lots of stuff happens there.” He moves to keep going, adjusting his mask.

“Ah.. right…” Bro replies quietly.

"Hmm." Chase glances at Alt. "I got the shivering once. It's actually how I found the Phantoms, I was wandering in the woods sick and they decided to take me to Wyvernlair."

Is that what happened? Jameson asks, surprised.

"Oh, right, you and Marvin weren't there. Well, yea, that's what happened, basically." The group is now slowly walking down the rocky field.

Alt has a faraway look in his eyes, "... I had a really bad night... once. It was storming so hard and I was low on magic... and food. I couldn't find a good place to hide and just- had to stay in the rain. in the cold. I thought maybe that might be the night I would die." Bro listens with wide eyes. He hasn't heard this story. "I'm really lucky... someone found me. A group of magicians, noticing I was low on magic and sick. Called themselves the Chaos Circle." He smiles to himself, faintly, "... found some good people there. They saved me from dying out in the cold." He smiles a bit more at Chase, "Kinda like the Phantoms finding you, huh?"

Chase smiles back. "Yeah. Sounds pretty similar. I'm glad you had those guys."

"Sounds like a rebellious coven of sorts." Marvin grins. "Covens here are mostly sorcerers and witchcraft practicers but sometimes others will join. I was always interested in the idea of those, but I wasn't very sociable."

Alt laughs quietly, "Yeah... It was. We thought of ourselves as punks. We didn't wanna conform to the actual circle's practices."

"I guess Henrik and I were your coven, then, Marvin," Jackie says, half-jokingly.

Bro is staring at Alt with wide eyes, "...you don't-... you never really talked about all of that with us..."

Alt's expression darkens. "...it was another... hard part of my life, Chase. I lost... people I cared about from there. I did... bad things. I didn't fit in. I ran away eventually- when the actual magic circle had enough of us. ... I dunno if they're even still around."

The others are silent for a minute. This feels like a somber moment. "You're in good company, at least, then," Marvin says quietly. "I was on my own for a while. Ran away from these guys. Did some... stuff. So... it probably wasn't the same, but I can understand."

Alt looks at Marvin and shares a look with him before smiling softly, "Yeah..."

"At least... now you have your brother, Alt," Jackie says slowly, nodding at Bro. "Didn't you guys also mention you had other friends? I'm sure they're there for you."

Bro smiles and nods, "Yeah! You won't ever have to worry about that happening ever again."

Alt chuckles and shoulder-checks Bro slightly, "Yeah... you're right." Alt looks back at Jackie and smiles, "Yeah- we got.. other versions of you all actually. We have our Jackie... he's a dad- 3 kids. Sweetest things in the world. And our Jameson... he's a doctor. But a doctor of the mind. And our Henrik- he's... he's a performer. He can't hear well but he's just- a ray of sunshine. ...they're good lads." He shakes his head, "They're not gonna believe all of this when we see them again."

"They all sound so nice!" Jackie grins. "I couldn't picture myself as a parent. I'll leave that to you, Chase."

"Heh." Chase gives him a small smile.

"Would you want to be a doctor, Jameson?" Henrik asks. "Because I cannot see myself as a performer."

Jameson thinks about that. I'm not sure I'd be cut out for doctoring. Of the mind or the body. If anything, I'd prefer the performance. I could be a musician. Perhaps the violin!

"A traveling minstrel?" Marvin laughs. "I can see that. Maybe in another world."

Alt smiles, "I like music- m'not very good at it but I can least put stuff together for a show. I like... drawing more. Painting." He flushes.

Bro laughs, "Maybe once the king is defeated you can travel around Jameson! I think being a traveling musician suits you!"

Jameson smiles sadly. Maybe eventually. I'd have to go home first. Sort out the mess the King made up there. Marvin leans closer to him, bumping their shoulders together.

"Maybe you two can return to this world one day," Chase says. "And you can show us some of your art. Or bring your other friends. I think it would be... interesting. For both of us, since our worlds are so different."

Bro beams, "Dude, the others would love it! Jackie is just as much a nerd as I am- he'd love to try sword fighting. We spar all the time." He laughs, "And i bet Henny would love not feeling like the most out of time anymore."

"I'd love to teach another me how to sword fight!" Jackie exclaims. "I wonder if we'll learn the same way. Well, I'm sure it'll be different. I learned when I was a child."

Alt blinks at Jameson and wants to ask more but.... sounds like its a loaded situation. He anxiously starts to chew on a few more coffee beans.

"Ah, be careful, Alt, we do not have many of these," Henrik says.

"oh- right." Alt blushes and hands the bag back to Henrik, "You should hold onto these then..." He hides in his hood.

"Do not worry about it," Henrik reassures him, putting the beans in his pouch.

"He knows... how to fight! But with his fists, and with fancy moves!" Bro laughs, "Me and Him know more of how to fight with our bodies then with weapons. Cuz- they're illegal in our world- or at least the UK."

"Wait--weapons are outlawed?!" Chase repeats, wide-eyed. "What?!"

"Wait, what?" Marvin snaps back to the conversation. "All of them? Entirely?"

Jackie and Jameson seem equally shocked.

"Do not be so surprised," Henrik says to the rest of them. "Your cultural obsession with weaponry and warriors is a strange thing. In Alterde only the knights and performers may carry weapons."

"You don't know that we're out alone," Jackie says defensively. "I hear that Yuko's home nation is similar."

Bro blinks then laughs, "Well in our world... weapons are more... dangerous now. We have weapons that can... they can kill you in an instant. Faster than a sword could- and easier to carry. And we have a bit more of a structure- there's less to fight for. So, to try to make sure less people get hurt, only certain people can have weapons. But even our... guards for cities- they don't even carry dangerous weapons anymore. It's completely different in other countries though. Our country isn't perfect but- we definitely don't need weapons every day anymore."

"...huh." Jackie blinks. "I can't imagine that. I..." he laughs. "I genuinely can't imagine that. It's easier to think about using lightning as money."

"Something you must understand about this kingdom is that fighting is not just a necessity here," Henrik says. "It is, but it is also a form of... glory, I suppose? And entertainment. And a hobby that you can indulge in. I found it just as strange when I arrived here, but you get used to it. I will remind you that Jackie started training to use a sword as a twelve-year-old."

"Which has made me strong," Jackie says confidently. "Strong enough to handle almost anything."

I hope you're right, Jameson says.

"I get it! That's how our Jackie feels about his fighting- and his job. He can like- travel really fast and do these cool moves. He's really passionate about it. Makes him feel like a hero- like me!" Bro replies. "But yeah... I'd bet you guys would find it strange... how- i want to say peaceful our world is but... that's not true. We just... don't really carry weaponry around and do cool battles anymore."

Alt grips at his knife he has in his bag- Chase always had it a little more easy than he did. He never had to spill blood with a knife. ...sometimes he wonders if that made them too different.

[gammija]

@a-mag-a-day Follow-up to yesterday's poll:

My previous poll is still open for a few hours, if you want to share your interpretation of yesterday's mysterious statement benefactor. And of course, if you've got an idea that couldn't fit in the polls, share it!

[veilxstars]

Mags had been resting, her good leg propped up on a small crate, when Tigger - the black American Greyhound - shifted beside her. The dog had been still for some time, but now he was nudging her gently, his nose cold against her hand. She blinked, pushing the sleepy haze from her eyes. He wasn’t usually so insistent unless someone was at the door. She set her book aside, it was one of the few things she had been allowed to read, and even now - she didn't break the rules.

Sitting up slowly, she felt the familiar throb of her prosthetic, but the pain was manageable, just another part of her now. She reached out for the small light near her in the corner of the attic she had taken (barely) for her own, clicking it on. It wasn’t much light, but it was enough to see her way down the narrow stairs. Tigger was already pacing, his tail wagging in an alert manner, as if to say, We’ve got company.

She made her way down quietly, knowing that whoever was at the door would likely have no idea how to get her attention. Mags had kept it simple, sticking to a routine that made her feel more in control. The stairs creaked under her weight, but her steps were steady as she moved to the door. She hadn’t expected company, but then again, there hadn’t been much in her life that she’d expected.

She opened the door, her hand steady on the knob. Her eyes met Winter’s, and though he hadn’t spoken, the bag slung over his shoulder was all the explanation she needed. The quilt.

She gestured for him to step back so she could move onto the landing, making the sign for "thank you" because she was grateful. Tigger, ever the welcoming creature, sniffed at Winter’s feet before returning to his spot beside her.

"We can go to the kitchen. The inn's kitchen, not the family kitchen." She tried not to invade Scout's space too much, as Scout had already inherited someone who was effectively a stowaway and Scout had been kind enough to give Mags use of the kitchen and second floor bathroom, just like the previous owner had. "I can make you hot chocolate. I didn't expect you so soon."

Closed starter for Mags ( @veilxstars ) Location: The Maplewood Inn (Mags's apartment)

After Mags had come into The Cozy Quilt, Winter had been working overtime on her order. It felt vitally important to get it down as quickly as possible, even without Mags emphasizing it that much when they had talked about the order. Similarly, it had felt important to get the order exactly right, and for days Winter felt like if he wasn't sleeping or tending to his bees, he was working on the woman's quilt, doing it exactly to her specifications. And something strange had happened when he did, something he didn't usually feel when he worked on quilts. It was like there was a charge in the air, like his fingers sparked against the quilt as he worked on it, and Winter didn't quite know how to explain that. All he knew was it felt like he really had imbued this quilt with protection; Winter hoped that was true.

Mags had only given her address, no phone number, which made sense. She couldn't have talked on the phone anyway. Of course, Winter could have just waited for Mags to come back to the shop for her quilt, but with how urgent her request had seemed, Winter wanted her to have it right away. So after folding the quilt neatly and putting it into a bag, Winter headed over to the Inn. Since Winter didn't drive anymore, he had to walk, but that was okay; he liked the crisp fall air, and it helped keep him in shape, walking everywhere. Besides, the Inn wasn't terribly far from The Cozy Quilt anyway. With the bag slung over his shoulder, Winter headed to deliver the order.

Once at the Inn though, Winter wasn't sure what to do. Mags wouldn't hear him knock on the door or ring the doorbell, so...how would she know that he was here? Maybe he should have just waited for her to return. But he was there now, and Winter thought that maybe Mags had some sort of system worked out. Actually she might not even live alone. So with that in mind, Winter knocked on the door and waited, hoping Mags would somehow know he was there.

[queen-scribbles]

Taking advantage of this picrew actually making decent dudes to get visuals for Jas' family. SO. The Swallowtail clan.

Orion & Jessamin Delilah ∙ Maren ∙ Mila Magdala ∙ Jasiri ∙ Avalee

[magnifiico]

every time i get a reply from @howthesleeplesswander i just get re-mad at mags for all the pain and anguish he's caused this literal queen

boy's gonna stay in his timeout corner and think about what he's done 😔