#samhain menu

[danpuff-ao3]

Random Fandom Recs

There is so much dang talent in this fandom, truly!! And so many creations I love so much and want other people to enjoy with me, but individual recs for all of them would take way more time than I reasonably have! So for now....here are a list of cool fandom things you should definitely check out!

5 Fics

The hand that beckons

@bluesundaycake. Lily Luna/Narcissa. Rated T. 1k.

Seductive setting, charming characters, mythical and magical and just plain beautiful!

A young woman with hair like burning coals enters into gardens guarded by fire. 

Or, in which Lily Luna Potter is offered a feast and pomegranate seeds from one Narcissa Malfoy.

A Careful Approach

@digthewriter. Draco/Sirius. Rated E. 700 words.

Hot hot hot! Daddy kink Drarius brings me much joy. More, please!

Draco has wanted this for a while but never had he dared to ask. Until tonight.

white as death, fresh as snow

@lqtraintracks. Pansy/Narcissa. Rated M. 200 words.

Short, intriguing, lovely.

Narcissa visits her husband's grave on Samhain... with her new lover.

it's an inevitable

@swoontodeath. Harry/Snape. Rated E. 800 words.

A most special birthday gift to me from the ever sweet swoons! Voyeurism, student/teacher Snarry?? What more could a gal want??

Severus Snape can be patient. He's spent six years watching and waiting, after all.

Where Thestrals Fly

@writcraft. Harry/Snape. Rated T. 2k words.

Darkness & death, light & life...AO3 keeps telling me I've already left kudos here, which, rude. But I love the thestrals and the ritual of it and, of course, my BOYS!

Every Beltane, Severus and Harry undertake the ritual of moving Thestrals between the Bel fires. As they grow closer the light in their future steadily overpowers the darkness of their past.

4 Art

Untitled Snarry Art

@inarticulateimbecile. Harry/Snape.

Their work has so much character! And I especially love their Snape, with his harsh but captivating features! This piece especially does it for me, with the way Harry holds Severus close, and the way Severus touches and admires Harry's face...so much tenderness and passion here!

Untitled Snucissa Art

@luendland. Lucius/Snape/Narcissa.

Lu's art always just does things to me. Every line she draws captures so much feeling and I wish I knew how she did it!! And while I'm always partial to their Snarry work, this Snuciussa piece gave me all sorts of feelings!! The Malfoys are so pretty and hungry here, and Severus is on the menu!

Snape Tattoo Art

@mrviran. Snape.

So much dark, delicious art from Viran, and I always feel so dang inspired by their work!! Vivid and dark and evocative all at once! It was hard to choose, but I narrowed it down to this piece with Severus' Dark Mark + flower additions. I just have so much love for Severus and I have such feelings about him moving forward and growing and something about incorporating a new tattoo onto the Dark Mark evokes this sense of both acceptance of his past, and the independence he has to move on with his life.

Practice Makes Perfect

@sugareey-makes-stuff. Ginny/Cho. NSFW art.

God, I would recognize Krissy's art anywhere and I love it!! I was actually going to go grab her Pansmione art, but I noticed this one that I'd not seen before and WOW! I love the darkness for the passion and intimacy it speaks to. And the yoga here!! Two athletic ladies having a fine time, nothing to see here! Super spicy! Makes me need much more Ginny/Cho in my life!

3 Poems

rhyme, kissed

@imanakletos. Ginny/Luna. Rated G. 200 words.

Love Ginny's growth as a poet, and how clear her adoration for Luna is!

Free verses run rampant like wildflowers in your hair.

(OR: Ginny tries to write a poem)

An ode to Severus Snape

@bluesundaycake. Harry/Snape. Rated T. 100 words.

Who doesn't love some Snape love, especially from Harry's perspective? 'Exacting and eternal', indeed!

Harry is a masochist and it's definitely part of why he loves Severus so much.

Lovers' Flight

Anonymous. Harry/Snape. Rated T. 200 words.

Part of the Kill Your Darlings fest. So haunting and beautiful. Based on Goethe's poem "Der Erlkönig."

When Goethe meets Snarry

2 Recs

(Am I reccing rec lists? Yes. You can never have too much to read, after all.)

21 HP Slash Recs for 21 Years (2001-2021)

@consistentsquash

My advice would be to check out this list, read everything on it, then go follow Squash and check out her other recs. Sooo many cool lists with MANY excellent recs, but this is the list that brought me to Squash so it is the most special! Lotsa goodies on this one!

any draco/ron recs?

@sitp-recs

Another reccer to follow and read anything she tells you to!! Such a great joy to see all of Liv's recs, aaaand since I really love Draco/Ron I had to link you this one! (Though, seriously, read through these then go follow Liv for more!!)

1 podcast

Ep. 25 interview with perverse_idyll

@fanficmaverickpodcast @perverse-idyll. Harry/Snape. 2 hours, 33 minutes.

I've had the great pleasure of speaking with ChaosBlue and perverse_idyll both and they are both such stellar people I HAD to come rec you the thing that has them both in it!! They've been in fandom for a while. They have a lot to say. A lot of great things to say! All about fandom, writing, and one of my favorite fanfics! 10/10, can't recommend enough. I've listened to this episode quite a few times and it's definitely my favorite from The Fanfic Maverick!

ChaosBlue is such a PROFESSIONAL with hosting this pod so if you like this episode, please check out the rest! Super prepared, super sweet and patient and understanding, and such an outstanding human, I gotta say!

[asktheravenclan]

Morgana hummed as she checked over the decorating and guest lists for this year’s Samhain ball. So far all the invitations had been sent out, with some of those invited already sending back their RSVPs… the palace was in the process of being covered top to bottom in decorations colored in deep reds, vibrant oranges, and a shade of black that looked as though it had been pulled from the void itself. All that seemed to be left was double checking the menu options and ensuring that her staff and family had their outfits ready for the big night.

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

Wonderful. An automatic payment is going through today, one I completely forgot about, and money to cover it won't be in our bank account until Tuesday. Stripe takes five business days to process and deposit into the bank.

Bubby's meds are covered, but this bill will have us near overdrafting until money comes in next week. Anyone mind buying something from my shop, and using PayPal to pay for it? The funds are immediately available for transfer when PayPal is used. We need $171.43 USD; it's the utility bill (water and electricity).

I have several freebies available for download with the option of paying for them. Here are a few of the listings:

I also have jewelry supplies available in random mixed batches.

Or you can donate directly, but please use PayPal. If going through PayPal website instead of Ko-fi, mark it as a gift or I will have to refund you.

Tarot readings are also available!

[spookylittletownhq]

November 27, 1923 The First Snow Is Nigh! [ Song Accompanist ]

Greetings, Albion, and welcome to the Sunday edition of the Albion Gazette! In the wake of Samhain, preparations for winter are being made in earnest throughout the valley. 

A reading of tea leaves performed by the Greenhand Society portends a long winter, and first snowfall as early as midweek.

Ed. note. As a reminder, the valley pass will close once the ground is covered in snow and will not reopen until the spring thaw. Those with trade outside the valley ought to make plans this week to complete their business.

Inside the valley, here is what you ought to know:

Margam Books is hosting a workshop on leather-binding. Should you have a grimoire in need of tending, this evening workshop will be instrumental in the safe removal and replacement of leather covers. Tuesday, 7pm.

Due to the creeping aches in Mrs. Delaney Flory’s hands, Flory’s Bakery will be permanently shutting its doors after Yuletide. Inquiries for Yule cakes are accepted until December 15!

A group, led by Mr. Whitacre Gatlin and Mr. Roger Howell, will journey to the Northwood to hold the annual Lord of the Northwood contest -- and harvest firewood. Interested participants should contact M. Gatlin or M. Howell no later than Thursday. Spectators are enthusiastically welcome!

Albey’s Café has changed their menu. Handpies are now Cranberry-Orange and Gingerspice. The traveling cart was last seen at the corner of Abbott and Elm Street just after 8pm on Friday.

The cinema has been re-located to the blue barn at the crossroads of the South Road and Ramsey Lane. The Hunchback of Notre Dame will play at 7pm and 9:30pm on Friday & Saturday.

Spade had her kittens! Two calico, one mottled tortoiseshell, and two black little gems. They will be available for adoption after Midwinter Day. Visitors to the diner may see them in the side-room!

The Path of Stars will be holding a meeting at midnight of the first snowfall, in the cedar grove north of Albion proper. They ask for offerings of sugar-dust cookies and sage bundles to be brought by those interested in taking part.

Six bolts of cobalt corduroy were mistakenly delivered to Wolgemuth’s. Able hands are requested to turn the bolts into coats for Albion’s schoolchildren. A sewing circle will be taking place at Wolgemuth Hall later this week.

Mr. Andersson, the magistrate, would like to remind all to collect holly branches for your hearths. Red berries chained in garland bring good luck!

We will be back in two weeks to celebrate Midwinter Day, and the festival of Alban Arthan. Remember to brush out your white-wool coat!

[progressivemother]

The True Meaning of Thanksgiving, Our Thanksgiving, and The History of Thanksgiving

In the USA during Thanksgiving, families gather, friendships are renewed, and everyone will exclaim what they are “thankful for” or “giving thanks for the blessings they have received during the year.” Enormous plates of food will be served, including turkey, potatoes, and pumpkin pie. It’s an American eating tradition. Through this blog, I will talk about our simply Thanksgiving and the history of Thanksgiving and where is comes from.

Our Thanksgiving was simple yet fun. I didn't have to cook the meals. We had Thanksgiving at my in laws home. My husband and I hardly ever host Thanksgiving under normal circumstances, especially now that we have kids and the holidays have become a special time for us to visit family.

It's a simple holiday. There are no presents to give, no menu to reimagine (although we don't usually fo turkey ), and the whole day is focused on the one thing we all could use more of: gratitude. Gratitude is one of the greatest practices we can teach our children. But sometimes, moms have a hard time feeling grateful, even if they lead seemingly rewarding lives. In reality, life is stressful. We take care of the bills, the house, the kids, the pets, etc. We have a lot to worry about and that can make us feel a little less grateful for our lives despite being well off and relatively happy. So we can focus on what we lack (time, money, extended family) or, more importantly, on what we have (this moment, our immediate family, our home). I would rather think about what I have compared to what I don't. We are better off than most families and I should be grateful for that.

Now for the history of Thanksgiving.

It has much more meaning than a simple family holiday and no, it isn't anything to do with the natives and pilgrims; although for many this doesn't have anything to do with the holiday either. For most, it is simply a family holiday to get everyone together and be thankful for what we have and our family.

Throughout history people have gathered together for great feasts celebrating the harvest or the first beers being brewed, or any of a number of celebrations tied to the earth. And anyone who is anyone knows that earth-based anything has its roots in paganism.

The great civilizations of the past had their own versions of Thanksgiving. The Romans celebrated a holiday called Cerelia where the festivities included feasting while thanking the Goddess of the Harvest, Ceres. In ancient Greece they honored Demeter, the Goddess of the harvest and agriculture. The Celts and Anglo-Saxon’s had many celebrations connected to thanking the gods for a productive harvest. Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain were the names of the three great harvest festivals of the ancient world. For the Celts, it was called Mabon and it marked the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are equal, making it a time of balance, equality and harmony. In ancient times Mabon was a celebration of the second harvest (Lughnasadh was the first) when farmers gathered hearty foods like gourds, grapes and apples.

As time progressed, these events were adopted and adapted. In England, an autumnal feast called Harvest Home was celebrated and was derived from a variant of the ancient Celtic Pagan feasts. Harvest Home was a three-day feast that began with a special church service followed a communal dinner. Later, the Puritans would shun Harvest Home as well as Christmas and Easter on the grounds that they had pagan origins. Let's face it, the Puritans were never any fun. They were much too strict within their religion. But since many Christians still celebrate this holiday, thanking their god for the things and family in their lives seems just fine.

The holiday was later shared with the Natives of the americas. It can be said that the Natives most likely gave thanks to the spirits and celebrated their creator.

Symbols of Thanksgiving & Their Meaning:

Cornucopia – A Cornucopia is a horn shaped basket, usually filled to the point of overflowing with the bounty of the recent harvest symbolizing "plenty". The cornucopia dates back to ancient Greece.

Corn – One of the easiest symbols of Thanksgiving to recognize is corn. Native Americans would know it as maize or maiz. Native Americans had been growing corn a long time before the pilgrims arrived in the new world, and they taught pilgrims how to grow corn and help them survive the bitter winter. Corn was from that day forward, a part of the Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey – Long before the pilgrims sat down to eat with the Native American’s who saved them from starving, the turkey was associated with abundance and being thankful. It is native to the americas.

We have to remember and respect where this holiday comes from and what it means to each person. But no matter what religion or non-religion, this day is a time to be thankful for what we have, even if it is only a little, and look to the future while we spend time with those that we love. Our children should also be educated on what this day means and where it came from.

I hope everyone had a great holiday.

[coelestino]

we are well and truly feeling The Feast Song by Ken Theriot looking at the Samhain menu

[hedgewitchgarden]

For many pagans, the desire for deeper connection and communion with the world around us is what drew us to paganism in the first place. We sense that the land we live on is more than an address. Our region has history, foods and flavors that are native or naturalized to this specific place, and a unique sacred rhythm of the passage of seasons.

Many pagans are also animistic. We see the land as more than an arrangement of cells: it is sentient and enspirited in a very real way. For most pagans, our spiritual practice is a combination of history, tradition and geographic location.

Our High Holidays follow the ebb and flow of the seasons. Right now, we are between two of our harvest holidays: Harvest Home (sometimes called Mabon) on the autumnal equinox and Samhain on Oct. 31. Both holidays celebrate harvests of different kinds and include customs that involve food. What we eat and the intention with which we do so can be a profound source of connection. When we gather our ingredients locally, we are intentionally connecting to the land we live on.

It’s been so heartening to see the local food movement gaining steam. Here in Frederick, several of our grocery stores carry local produce and this region is home to an abundance of Farmer’s Markets. Along with those resources, pick-your-own orchards and farms are in full swing and offer opportunities for wonderful outings. You can pick ingredients for an autumnal feast, wander through a corn maze, enjoy some apple cider and more all in one stop.

Right now, our region is lush with fall fruits and veggies: apples, persimmon, and pears, brassicas like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, root veggies like fennel, kohlrabi, leeks, turnips and onions, winter squash like pumpkin, butternut, and acorn, and delicious greens like chard, collards, and spinach, and so much more. With such a varied bounty, planning a menu that incorporates local ingredients offers an abundance of choice.

Creating a feast that celebrates the season, land, and our place within it begins with choosing recipes. What foods do you think of as autumnal? Are there particular flavors or ingredients that stand out? Or, are there some fall fruits or vegetables you’re curious about but haven’t tried cooking yet? Recipes can be traditional, familial, or regional. Our region is the unceded, ancestral land of the Piscatway-Conoy tribe. One wonderful way to connect to the history of our land is to look up First Nations recipes and incorporate them into your celebration.

While you’re cooking, take time to imagine all the different people who helped grow and raise the ingredients you’re using and feel gratitude for their work. Visualize the full meal and the result you’d like it to have: everyone gathered around the table, laughing and talking. Stir, measure, chop, and baste intentions and gratitude into the food as you go. The act of preparing a dish, or a full meal, can be profoundly spiritual when approached from a place of intention and focus.

Another way pagans prepare for a feast is through how we decorate our homes and feasting tables for the holiday (or season) we’re celebrating. Consider gathering some natural, autumnal items from the environment around you: acorns, pine cones, autumn leaves, small winter squash and fall flowers can all be incorporated in general home decor as well as table decorations. The colors we tend to use are all autumnal: browns, golds, russets and deep oranges.

As you sit down to your feast, take a moment to feel gratitude for the food on the table and the company around you. Contemplate your place in the turning of the season and the way autumn is present in your life right now. If your dining companions are open to it, share some of your favorite aspects of this change of seasons or talk about a few things you’re grateful for. Adding a blessing can be a wonderful way to remind everyone that dining together on a feast day is both joyous and sacred. You can create your own blessing for your gathering, speak extemporaneously, or use a preexisting blessing.

The blessing my family uses (and you are welcome to adopt it):

Blessed the seed that grew from dark Earth

Blessed the fruits of the harvest

Blessed the hands that made us this food

And may blessings be upon us

May your autumn be blessed with delicious food, joyful company, and deep connection.

Irene Glasse is president of the Frederick Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, offering events, rituals, classes and workshops to a large, vibrant community, including Frederick’s Pagan Pride Day. She is a pagan religious professional and serves communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region as a minister, teacher, musician and community organizer.

[pawprint2]

Day 72 - 84

Botany Bay - Spongebob

Sound Judgement - Homestuck [VOL. 10]

Main Menu - TS3

Calliope - Chesyre

Samhain - Chesyre

Hankenstien - Chesyre

The Fall of Chesyre - Chesyre

Staff roll theme - Bomberman 64

Regular battle theme 01 - Bomberman Blast

Welcome to Mafia Town - A Hat In Time

Rainy Mafia Town - A Hat in Time

The Legend - Toby Fox

Title Screen - Double Dash!!

[hydralisk98]

Optical media personal project devlog #1

A mind movie-style multimedia compilation for myself, divided between video, audio and data onto three separate CDs.

Brainstorming

Moodboard

Mind-mapping

Mockups

Production

Verification

====

VCD aka the video CD

Video focus

25 FPS & 29.97 FPS final render framerate?

288x216p resolution at the 4:3 aspect ratio in landscape orientation

MPEG-1 compression & format

1150 kilobits/second video bitrate

~48 'soft limit' & 60 'hard limit' minutes of video maximum for the project

12 || 24/25 frames/second animation? (perhaps a later rework into a 48 FPS animation?)

Must include interactive menus, at least of the PBC aka customized 'playback control' tier

Stereo 44.1kHz || 48kHz audio, maybe Dolby Surround

224 kilobits/second audio bitrate

Slice-of-life ~48 minutes mind movie divided into twelve segments

Features my constructed world & my very own retro 3D vector cartoon style

Uses rotoscoping from the real world as reference (eventually to be interpolated from 30 FPS to 48 FPS & made into a proper live-action on Bluray & VHS?)

Multilingual closed-captions when appropriate

Mini-scenario suggestions: { Calming walk in a local forested park pathway in early fall, swimming & chatting with friends at some private pool outdoors during summer, quietly navigating decks in a analog card library, playing Dreamcast & '3DO' video games, watching international news on my CRT television. watching 2D/3D hybrid cartoon films, reminicing some alternate life memories through photo albums, morning routine, night routine, shopping at a vast mall for clothes, moving-out & renovating a household of my very own, borrowing media at the video rental store, working at a bookstore, studying history & philosophy at the local university's library, doing design work commissions, going to a convention through the subway system, purchase of Shoshona & Ava, browsing the global 3D retro web for retro equipment & trade, driving my electric car for the first time, doing some government census & survey work, Samhain, New Year, Easter, Birthday... }

Mini-scenarios choice: Morning routine (waking up, dressing up, eating...), quietly navigating decks in a public library of analog info card decks with alternate life memories to reminice, watching some weather forecast show on the television, doing a nice little walk outside at 6 AM in the local hometown park, going to the university by the subway, study philosophy + linguistics + history at university during the day, working a four shift at the bookstore during the afternoon, shopping & people-watching at the mall for clothes with close friends, borrowing some films and games at the video rental store, chatting with the wider friend group as they walk towards our party location by around sunset, swimming in a private pool and simply enjoying this late summer night comfortably, night routine (meditating, taking a shower, going asleep...);

CD-DA aka the music CD

Audio focused album

~48-60 minutes of audio preferably but probably ~72 minutes of 32-bit audio dedicated to the soundscape/music/subs/affirmation total for such audio content

44.1kHz 16-bit sample

2-channel LPCM

Seeking to get towards the range from 12 to 24 audio tracks ideally

Between a minimum of 2 minutes to maximum of 3 minutes per track

Subliminal audio tracks, affirmation audio tracks, actual music, soundscape ambiance...

Still (or perhaps animated somewhen?) album cover

Source textual affirmations

Multilingual subtitles?

CD-i aka the data CD

Data focus

HTML5/CSS3 reference 'key' chart for my constructed world personal life script

Agent profiles

Encyclopedia entries

Atlas

Lexicon

Scenarios / story scripts

Conversion tables

Affirmations

Guide to write your own shifting setting guide

Content license & its disclaimer

Credits

Multimedia assets

Important considerations about life in this world

Interactions with our planet

Citizenship application + other paperworks

Prompts & questions to get yourself started

Further updates for later...

[kikiscauldron]

Samhain Menu Masterpost 

The Samhain flavors are warm, inviting, and comforting. They incorporate in the vegetables of the season, such as kale, leeks, potatoes, squashes, and our favorite pumpkin. Sweets include apples, cranberries, and pomegranate. Spices include sage, rosemary, garlic, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If you eat meat this is a great holiday for roasting and slow cooking pork or chicken. Since Samhain celebrates ancestry, consider cooking a recipe from an old family cookbook. Here are some wonderful recipes that would fit into the Samhain menu perfectly!

Main Courses:

Main courses at Samhain are warm and comforting: think of roasted meats, slow cooked meals, and oven baked foods seasoned with rosemary, garlic, and sage. 

Butternut Lasagna with Mushrooms and Sage

Cranberry Crock Pot Pork Loin

Easy Shepherd’s Pie

Make Ahead Vegan Samosa Shepherd’s Pie

Polenta with Wild Mushrooms, Garlic and Sage

Pork Chops with Apples and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Rosemary Garlic Chicken Quarters

Sausage Cauliflower Spaghetti

Shepherd’s Pie (Alton Brown’s recipe)

Skillet Roast Chicken with Fennel, Parsnips, and Scallions

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Spaghetti Squash Meatball Casserole

Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie

Soups, stews, and chills: 

Soups and stews are also warm and comforting, incorporating seasonal root vegetables and slowly cooked meats.

Brie and Cheddar and Apple Beer Soup with Cinnamon Pecan Oat Crumble

Cheeseburger Soup

Colcannon Soup

Cozy Cabbage and Farro Soup

Creamy White Chili

Grandma’s Crock Pot Beef Stew

Harvest Soup for Samhain

Hunter’s Stew

Irish Beef Stew

Scotch Potato Soup

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

Roasted Garlic and Parsnip Soup with Sage and Lemon Butter

Salads

Fall salads also contain more root vegetables and kale, apples, nuts, and seeds.

Arugula, Apple, and Parsnip Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Autumn Kale, Apple and Quinoa Salad

Fall Salad with Beluga Lentils, Grapes and Roasted Pumpkin

Farro, Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Favorite Fall Orzo Salad

Pear Salad with Pomegranates and Cranberries

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Squash, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans

Radicchio Salad with Caramelized Carrots and Onions

Shaved Carrot and Radish with Herbs and Pumpkin Seeds

Breads

Traditional Irish breads and pumpkin breads are a perfect addition to the Samhain menu. 

Barmbrack

Holiday Stuffed Pumpkin

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

Pumpkin Bread with Salted Maple Butter

Samhain Pumpkin Bread

Sides

Rich, filling, and warm sides made from cool weather vegetables like kale and Brussel sprouts, fall squashes, potato, nuts, and seeds fit in well for Samhain. 

Baked Parsnip Fries with Rosemary

Boxty Pancakes

Brussel Sprouts, Apple, and Pomegranate Salad

Colcannon

Crusty Baked Cauliflower and Farro

Kale, Cranberry, and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacons, Pecan, and Maple Syrup

Roasted Cauliflower with Pumpkin Seeds, Brown Butter, and Lime

Root Vegetable Gratin

Sautéed Kale

Stuffed Butternut Squash with Tempeh

Turnip and Kale Gratin

Desserts

Samhain desserts are sweet, aromatic, and use autumn classics like apples, cranberries, and pumpkins. Caramel and pecan are key players at Samhain as well.

Apple Caramel Cheesecake Bars

Apple Crisp Blondies

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

Apple Pie Cookies (Vegan)

Autumn Spice Cake

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Brown Butter Caramel Rice Krispies Treats

Caramel Apple Golden Oreo Icebox Cake

Chunky Apple Cake

Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake

Crabapple and Rosemary Tarts

Fig, Plum and Rosemary Galette

Halloween Bark

Maple Pecan Praline Crepe Cake

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin and Walnut Squares

Rosemary Remembrance Cake

Samhain Ritual Cakes

Salted Rosemary Pecan Brittle

Soul Cakes for Samhain

Soul Cakes (Gather Victoria)

Spiced Fairy Cakes

White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Beverages

Top of your meal with a warm and fuzzy beverage! Mulled ciders, cinnamon and nutmeg spices, and fall fruit flavors are all comforting drinks for Samhain.

Apple Cider Floats

Festive Sparkling Cider

Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice

Homemade Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider

Minty Kale Limeade Mocktail

Mulled Apple Cider

Pumpkin Pie in a Mug

Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate

Refreshing Pomegranate Spritzer for Fall

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Latte

S’mores Latte

[tomtenadia]

Rowaelin month: A blessed Samhain

Rowaelin month day 7: holiday celebration. ( @rowaelinscourt) This fic is set in the Island Dream AU and we meet again our favourite pagan family. ---

It was the morning of the 31st of October and Rowan was excited. The previous night he and his family had adorned the house with scary decorations. He had baked an enormous batch of witch-shaped cookies for the evening. Aelin had bought him the cookie cutter and he did the rest. Online he had researched some other recipes and was ready to celebrate with his family. The twins were now six and Thomas was just over four. When the girls had asked about Halloween he had told them about Samhain and how he used to spend it with his parents. 

Aelin had been more than happy to let Rowan teach the kids the old ways. It really meant a lot to him and the kids seemed to be loving his special beliefs too. With time he had built a tree house on the great tree in their backyard and that’s was where they were going to spend the night. The kids were far too young to go out guising so he had an alternative plan. Grandma Evalin had created dresses for them. Both girls had decided to dress up as their namesakes. A few months past they had asked their parents about their names and Rowan had told them. So Morrigan was now obsessed with crows after he told her that her mythological counterpart would appear as a crow. Freyja had loved to hear that she was meant to be a goddess and Evalin had created her a cloak that was meant to represent Freyja’s cloak of falcon feathers. Thomas was a much simpler soul and had been happy with a cat costume. Rowan was dressing up as a warrior and Aelin as his queen. In secret he had decorated the treehouse, the floor lined with quilts and pillows. He had carried some books of Celtic legends, and will bring all the spooky food he was preparing and some candles. Aelin was still at the hospital but she was due to come off her night shift in a few hours. And while she rested he would take the kids at the bookstore where they had become a permanent feature. Morrigan had told him that she wanted to sell books like him. Freyja on the other hand, after the fire in their house, had decided she was becoming a firefighter, while Thomas was now set on veterinarian. He and Aelin were proud of their kids. Some days were hard, but they would not change their lives for anything in the world.

As he was removing another tray from the oven, he heard the distinctive chatter of the twins. The two had always been an early riser like him, to dismay of his wife and their little brother who loved to stay in bed as long as possible.

“Morning dad,” the girls went to kiss him.

“Morning my little witches.”

The twins giggled and Freyja grabbed one of the biscuits and laughed when her father glared at her “they are for tonight, have this,” and he passed them a few of the pancakes he had made.

“Is mama coming too?”

“Mum is still at the hospital but will be home soon.”

The girls squealed in delight and went back to their breakfast while their father finished his cooking marathon. It was Sunday and although he was usually closed he had decided top open for a few hours in the afternoon. Aelin and the kids had helped him decorated the bookstore too and Maeve had created a a special menu too for her cafe. After a really bad storm damage at her old location, Rowan had bought the old disused shop beside his bookshop and had given it to his aunt to reopen her cafe. It had a very appreciated move in town too as Maeve’s cafe was very popular. Thomas had woken up too eventually and they all had breakfast together and Rowan had to calm down his super excited kids.

*

Evening eventually came around. Aelin had come back from the hospital later than expected after they had a last minute emergency airlifted from South Uist. She had taken a shower and gone to bed and that’s where he found her after he came home from the bookstore with the kids all hyper and ready to celebrate. 

In October the sun set very early so it was already dark outside. While Aelin was finishing getting ready he had dragged the last few things to the treehouse, had lit up the fairy-lights and the battery candles. The place was now perfect. He had worn his costume earlier on but had left his plastic sword in the living room and once he got back in the house he laughed at the image of Freyja pretending to slay dragons. Some things would never change.

Aelin emerged from their bedroom and for a second he froze. She was wearing a gorgeous blue dress, a fake crown and the cloak she had used for the solstice and their wedding many years ago. She was beautiful and he’d never stop telling her. Even after six years of marriage she had the power to make his legs go jelly.

“Kids, my queen,” he announced while offering his arm to his wife “please follow me to our dwelling for the night.”

He bowed deeply and then ushered his family outside. Luckily the wind had stopped and the night was relatively mild and clear of clouds. He could see the stars already heavily adorning the night sky. The bonus of living in the country side was the lack of light pollution so he could spend evening outside with his kids and tell them all about the constellations. “Ro, it looks beautiful,” Aelin took his hand and stared at the corner of peace he had created for them. Freyja ran for the ladder and Rowan was suddenly behind her, guiding his daughter on the steps and then the other two kids followed. Finally he offered his hand to Aelin “my queen,”

Aelin kissed him “thank you, my king.”

He followed and once inside he removed his cape and joined his family under the heavy blankets.

Aelin distributed the food around while Rowan was placing the candles at the edge of the house and placed a plate with two biscuits on it and a small glass of milk.

“Dad are you offering food to the gods?” Asked Freyja with curiosity.

“Yes, my love. It’s an offering so that the livestock can survive winter.” And he explained them that Samhain marked then end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Then he grinned “It is also when it is believed that the boundary with our world and the Otherworld is thinner and fairies and spirits can easily slip through.”

“Do fairies love witch-shaped biscuits?”

Aelin grabbed one “they do and the fae will be very happy with your dad’s baking” she added munching away.

Morrigan laughed happily “mama is a faerie queen.” She then stood “and I am the Morrigan and will keep the bad people away,” she added swaying her cloak about. Both Freyja and Thomas stood and the three kids started jumping around the three house until Rowan grabbed them all and landed on the softs quilts and started tickling the kids. Aelin joined in until Rowan started making ghost sounds and they pretended to scream in terror. Morrigan drew her cape over her head and joined her father, but Thomas got spooked all of a sudden and ran to his mother.

“Girls, easy, now let’s all sit down under the blankets, have some food and I will tell you some stories.”

They all loved story telling time. Thomas sat between Aelin’s legs whereas the two girls laid down on her bellies and head propped up on their knuckles facing their father. Rowan covered them both and moved under the blanket and grabbed one of his many books on Celtic mythology. 

“A long time ago in a land far away it existed a supernatural race called Tuatha de Dannan, they were kings, queens, bards, druids, warriors, heroes and they all lived in the Otherwold.”

Aelin loved listening Rowan tell stories to their kids. His story telling sessions at the bookstore had become very popular and she and the kids were regulars. 

“Is the Morrigan a tuttnanna?”

Rowan smiled at his daughter’s attempt at pronouncing the words.

“Yes, she is ?”

“Freyja too?”

Rowan and Aelin knew from experience that story telling in the house was always disrupted by the non stop questions coming from the kids. 

“No, Freyja belongs to Nordic mythology. Do you remember the viking?”

Freyja squealed.

“I love the viking,” added Thomas quietly in Aelin’s arms.

“And you my queen who do you fancy?”

“Definitely Thor,” a wanton smile on her face that he did not miss.

Slowly Rowan recalled everyone to attention and did manage to tell a few stories and by the time he was over the kids were asleep.

“We should take them to bed.”

Slowly they carried the kids back to the house and then Rowan went back to collect all the remaining items.

Before he left he stopped and looked up at the sky. The Milky Way had appeared and it was shining brightly. A moment later he felt Aelin’s hand on his hips “what is it, my king?”

He brought her in front of him, her back against his chest and held her “another aspect of Samhain is that with the barrier with our world and the Otherworld being thinner, our loved who have passed can also cross and be close to us for one night,” he whispered quietly “I was just imagining my parents being closer to me tonight and I was telling them of my life, my wife and my children. I want to believe they are proud of what I have become.”

Aelin turned in his arms and looked at up at him. Rowan was still staring at the sky and his eyes shone brightly “They are, buzzard, and I am imagining my dad joining them and the three of them are here right now with us, or in the room hugging the kids.” She brushed his hair gently “they are proud, you are an amazing husband and the most caring dad one could imagine.”

Rowan kissed her and then they stood in silence in each other arms for a second. But before they left a breeze in a very calm evening brushed them and Rowan wanted to believe it had been his parents and Rhoe giving them their last goodbye before fading back in the Otherwolrd.

“Until next Samhain.”

TAGS:

@rowaelinismyotp @swankii-art-teacher @whimsicallyreading @elentiyawhitethorn @aelin-bitch-queen @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity @acreativelydifferentlove @mis-lil-red @thegreyj @sailorsassley @leiawritesstories @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire @sv0430 @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon @rowanaelinn @backtobl4ck @susumaus98 @gracie-rosee @mybloodrunsblue @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah @whoever-you-choose-to-love @theywillnotsingforme @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water @goddess-aelin @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart

[karimac]

...turn of the wheel

A/N: Series level is 18+/minors DNI This is the start of my second series that revolves around the arrival of my OC Kari MacOrish in the MCU. No serious warnings here beyond some cinematic battles, Irish mythological beasts and cute Halloween kids.

The "wheel" in the title refers to the Celtic Wheel of the Year. The stories in this series will be tied to holidays, both Celtic and non-Celtic, and other events from the time before Infinity War.

All Irish phrases done with Google Translate

Word count: 4.7K

Image credit: Image by Here and now, unfortunately, ends my journey on Pixabay from Pixabay

Samhain, or the night The Avengers met The Cupcake Lady

You had spent a lot of your life, long as it was, doing all sorts of things to make money.

Sometimes you were a mercenary.

Sometimes you were a wandering healer.

Sometimes you were a singer.

Once or twice you tried your hand at being a reporter, but the last time at The Daily Bugle left a sour taste in your mouth, so you fell back on the one thing you truly loved--baking.

Your brother Keir, a wizard when it came to investing, had left the family with a decent amount of money in its coffers before he died, so you used some of it to buy an old bakery space in Manhattan. It was close to a lot of major office buildings, so, you figured, foot traffic was likely going to be pretty good.

It was also close to the one piece of Manhattan real estate that interested you the most: Avengers Tower.

You contracted workers to help clean and renovate the space, and then you found a good group of chefs, counter help and front of store staff to help you make the place one that would draw people in. And in a city where kitschy names were king, you had one that, you hoped, would draw a crowd: Cutie Pie-Tutti Bakery & Café.

While anyone that knew you had magic abilities might assume you would use them to make things work, that was not your style. The food had to be real and not conjured up, the service friendly and the word-of-mouth advertising could not be coerced.

You made sure to give food and help to the local hospitals, schools, police and fire stations, and a little piece on your shop in New York magazine led someone to your door you never expected to see.

You had thought Clint Barton might stroll in for a coffee and a donut, or maybe Natasha Romanoff might place an order for the Ptichye Moloko, or Bird’s Milk Cake, that your new server Sergei recommended be added to the menu once a group of UN delegates mentioned it to him on a recent visit.

Nope. The visitor was none other than Pepper Potts. The CEO of Stark Industries was not someone you’d have expected to walk into the 1940s/1950s style eatery with the red vinyl upholstered chairs and vintage linoleum tables and countertops. Movie posters and photos of sports stars from the New York teams lined the walls, and the music was more classic than anything, although those classics did include some of your favorite tunes from the 1960s and 1970s. The juke box was digital, though. Not everything could be vintage.

To be honest, you’d hoped Steve Rogers would wander in so you could talk to him, but that had not happened yet. You didn’t want to drop like an atomic bomb into the man’s life unless you absolutely had to do so. He was Captain America after all, and you were not too sure he’d believe your backstory after all these years. You also had no clue if he knew Bucky Barnes was alive or not, and that was something he needed to know, but he also needed to be told carefully. You never liked making gut punches, and this would have been the king of them all.

While your hostess, Michelle, made sure that customers were seated quickly, she also gave you the heads up that Potts had walked in. Yes, many of your staff were gifted in ways no one would guess, so the mental “tap” was most appreciated.

“Ms. Potts?” you asked as you saw Pepper checking out a large order of glittering purple "50 is the new 30!" cupcakes on the counter being picked up for an Upper East Side birthday party, “Can I help you?”

“The Cupcake Lady, right?” Potts asked as you nodded back to her. “Tony won’t believe I actually got to meet you. He had one of your creations at the event you did for the mayor’s office, and he snagged one for me. They are so good!”

“Thank you, I have one of the best staffs here in the city, and I am very proud of their work,” you said as you pointed to the group of men and women who were keeping things moving in the kitchen.

“And that’s why I’m here,” Pepper said as she looked at another tray of decorated cupcakes being put into boxes. “The Avengers are hosting a party on Halloween for some local children’s groups, and we’d love to have your cupcakes as some of the goodies for the event.”

“The Avengers? Wow, that is truly an honor after all they did to save New York,” you said as some of your staff crowded closer to where you were chatting with Potts. “Let me grab my iPad so you can see what we have to offer. We can make sure that all items are clearly marked to avoid problems with allergies. We can work with whatever your guidelines are.”

“I knew you’d be the best place to check after everything Tony said about that event,” Pepper continued to say as she looked through your menu. Cristiano, your head pastry chef, was beaming as Pepper went over the lengthy list of treats. You gave him a big thumbs up before seeing what Potts was planning to order.

Cutie Pie-Tutti was not the only bakery being contracted for this event, and that was fine by you. Your operation was not the biggest in town, so spreading out the work to several places made a lot more sense. The main goal had been getting this contract for your staff because it meant a financially merrier holiday season ahead for them, and for you, well, it could change everything and put you back into the world you belonged to more than this one. You’d be back in the good fight once more, and for the first time in ages, you’d be fighting alongside other like-minded souls. You hadn’t experienced that too often since your last siblings died.

Halloween morning arrived, and the staff was busy packing all the cupcakes in boxes. “Please make sure the boxes with the special ones for The Avengers are marked and kept to the side. I want to hand those over personally,” you said to Adrianna, another mystic who had gotten her life upended when she moved to New York with promises of fame and fortune on Broadway. A lot of your staff was made up of mystics, fairies, elves and others who fell into the gray areas of life in the modern human world. Some came from the city, while others came from Ireland, Russia, Chile, Nigeria and Taiwan. You loved the vibrancy that all these souls brought to your bakery/café. It made it feel more like home.

“Hey! Excuse me!” a tall, slightly disheveled man in a dark suit said as he made his way back to the kitchen. “I’m Happy Hogan, Ms. Potts’ head of security. I wanted to give you the security passes for the event.”

“Ah! Mr. Hogan! Thank you,” you said as you took the passes and then handed the man one of the Halloween Specials that had been set aside for your usual last minute customers. The cupcake was devil’s food filled with a creamy center, and the crimson frosting was a wonderful blood orange-flavored sweet concoction. It was topped off with a marzipan Jack O’Lantern. “Happy Halloween, Mr. Hogan!”

“Oh wow! Pepper is going to be jealous! Happy Halloween!” he said as he exited through the front door and went back to his waiting car.

“OK, everyone who is going tonight, here are your passes,” you said as you handed out the very techy Stark lanyards and badges. “The rest of you, when we leave, head home. Thank you all for what you did to make this possible! We’ll be closed tomorrow so you can recuperate from all this. A blessed Samhain to you all! Happy Halloween!”

“Boss, are you going to talk to the Captain tonight?” Cristiano said as he closed up another box before handing it off to the crew filling the racks in the bakery van and the rented truck you got for the event. Cristiano was from Spain, a friend of Michelle’s and the best baker you had seen in ages upon ages. “I hope it all works out.”

“All I know is that Thor won’t be there, so I’ll have to see if Steve is around. He should be, but if he isn’t, I’ll just keep my head down as much as I can. I plan to go in costume anyway, so I can blend in and get out of sight if I need to,” you replied as you looked at the bag with your costume. You prayed this was not the stupidest choice in the world, but it seemed, at the time anyway, a fun nod to what you really were.

Daryl, the driver who usually made deliveries for you around the city, had kindly held off going to a party with his friends to help you get the food to Avengers Tower. When you got out of the van, you immediately regretted the slightly goofy Samantha Stevens costume from “Bewitched,” the TV show from the 60s that you used to watch all the time. It was a little black dress, a pointed hat and a broom. It was a bit minimalist, but it was either that or Glinda the Good Witch from “The Wizard of Oz,” and that big poofy dress would have been hell to wear in the front seat of that van!

You had to hold in a chuckle as you saw various Avengers members in their Halloween garb. Clint Barton, the man called Hawkeye, was James Bond. Col. James Rhodes was standing next to Tony Stark, and both men had decided that the “Miami Vice” duo of Crockett and Tubbs was a good idea. Pepper Potts had opted for Marilyn Monroe’s “Seven Year Itch” dress, and Stark kept nudging her to stand over a subway grating to get it to fan out like it had in the movie. Natasha Romanoff had not arrived yet, and neither had Steve Rogers. The fact Steve was a no-show was something you’d deal with later.

“Oh! The Cupcake Lady!” Sam Wilson, also known as The Falcon, said as he came up with Wanda Maximoff and The Vision. Wilson was dressed up as a player for the New Orleans Saints football team, while Maximoff and Vision went as a couple of hippies or generic singers from a 1960s variety show. They had on love beads, tunic tops and bell bottom jeans. They also both looked a bit lost, and that made you feel bad. You knew how it felt to be in a new place, and sometimes it sucked.

“Hey there! Great costume choice! I may not be a Who Dat Diva, but I think that rocks!” you said to Wilson as you opened up one of the special Avengers cupcake boxes. You actually did follow football a bit, a habit you picked up from some of your work crew. “These are for the team. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!”

As you grabbed the second box of the Avengers specials, you turned to Potts and Stark with a big smile on your face. “Monster Mash” was playing on the sound system from the Tower, and all the kids seemed to be having a blast. Tiny Hulks, Black Widows, Elsas, ghosts and bumblebees, along with miniature first responders of all kinds were lining up to get their goodies, and that made you so happy. You even saw a kid dressed as Groot, and it was amazing to see the detail he had put into his costume. You may have loved Yule more, but nothing beat seeing the kids on Halloween.

Then you noticed that Stark and Potts weren’t feeling the joy of the holiday. The look of concern on their faces made you do a double take. The area was filling with fog, and there was howling in the streets around the tower. It was apparently not part of the party festivities.

“Uhm, you better get the kiddie poos out of here, Pepper,” Stark said as he suddenly ditched the TV detective costume and stepped into a waiting Iron Man armor. “Cupcake Lady, you may want to do the same.”

A screaming child ran past you and straight into the legs of the newly arrived Black Widow. “Headless…” the child said before she clamored into Romanoff’s arms.

You turned and saw what the girl was talking about.

“Hey, Ichabod! Go back to Sleepy Hollow!” Stark yelled as a very Irish spectre, a Dullahan, sat on a horse, holding its severed head in one hand and a sword in the other.

“The damned thing won’t listen to you,” you grumbled as you got between it and Stark. “He’s looking for souls to take back with him. And he didn’t come alone.”

Sure, the Dullahan was going to be a nightmare to dispatch, but what scared you more was what was behind the Dullahan.

It seemed that someone with a very big jones for Irish mythology had gone and let out every type of beastie in the book. You were lucky you hadn’t seen a banshee yet, but you would not bet the ranch that one would not come onto the scene, screaming bloody murder as she looked for a new victim.

“Ms. Cupcake Lady, can I call you Cupcake? You really should go inside…” Stark started to say as Wilson moved up behind you to get you out of the battlefield.

Oh, were they in for a surprise!

As more kids came running toward the building and away from the pack of demons, creatures and anything else that some demented wizard conjured up for the night, you took a deep breath and made a run at the insanity in front of you, your tacky costume suddenly replaced by your armor of office—a gunmetal base suit with gleaming gold and silver chest plate, bracers and leg coverings.

“Pepper, why is your culinary expert over there beheading a demon?” Rhodes asked as he snapped down the visor of his War Machine armor. “Where did you find her? In that Off Broadway Buffy musical? Or was she roaming around in the Village? I know. Medieval Times out in Jersey!”

“Wait. She’s not listening to us. We’re The Avengers,” Stark spouted before dodging the head that had been in the Dullahan’s hand. Well, half of the head anyway. You had cleaved it in half and set the remainder on fire, tossing it into a pack of demons that somehow followed the Dullhan out of the spirit realm.

“I take it you lot haven’t fought demons before?” you shouted back to the assembled Avengers as you spun around and jammed a sword into the center face of what looked like a three-headed dragon known as an Ellén Trechend back home. “Tonight is not the night to be in training on your own. Anyone who can fly, you better get airborne…”

“Excuse me, Cupcake, but you don’t call audibles on this,” Stark groaned before he saw the great battle hound Failinis charging at Romanoff. It looked like a demented version of the Irish wolfhounds that marched in the parade route on St. Patrick’s Day.

“Did you say demons? Aren’t the two legged ones bad enough? Where did these come from anyway?” Black Widow asked before she shot the Failinis in the head.

“I’m guessing a rogue wizard decided to open a hellmouth for Samhain. I’ve seen it before. When you next speak to Thor, ask him. I’m pretty sure he’ll remember that day well, if not all that fondly,” you said as you tried to survey the situation. The fog was getting worse, and you feared The Avengers would get sucked into some demon’s maw if you didn’t help them out fast.

But that momentary check of the battlefield didn’t last long as the Dullahan tried to retrieve the flaming portion of its head, making a return run at some of the party goers in the process.

“Today of all days!” you spouted before deciding you needed to finish off the Dullahan first. “If any of you would like to lend a hand, now would be a great time to start!"

Potts, who had come back out after the last of the children were ushered inside to relative safety, still seemed a bit dumbstruck by what she saw. “Who are you? I mean really?” she asked as you lifted off the ground and made another dive at the Dullahan.

“She’s Red Sonja!” one of the kids, this one dressed as Buzz Lightyear, yelled from the doorway of the Tower.

“No, she’s Artemis, like in the comics!” a tiny ballerina shouted before you turned in mid-air, waved your left hand and carefully shut the doors to the Tower with a sigil lock.

“Have any of you heard of The Morrigan, the Irish battle goddess?” you asked knowing full well they likely had not.

“The Morrigan?” Falcon asked as the head of the Dullahan’s horse soon landed on the ground with a thud right by his feet. “What the hell?”

“Sorry, but I have to get that damned thing out of the way!” you yelled as you leaped up and cut the Dullahan in half. “Please, this city needs you all tonight. You want a crash course in demonology and demon fighting? I can do it on the fly. But I can’t do this alone.”

You would have preferred doing a telepathic link with everyone, but there was too much going on. You didn't have the time to explain such links to the team, and any mental intrusions would likely just make them think you were the bad guy all along. And how the heck would it work on Vision anyway? He wasn’t human to begin with.

“I can bless your weapons. I can talk you all through this. Please. We need to get them out of here before things get worse. You do not want to see Fomorian giants strolling through midtown. I’ve fought them. Not fun.”

Falcon was the first to take you up on the request for help. “Cupcake Lady, you can tell me you’re a backup singer for The Foo Fighters, and I’d believe it,” he said as he programmed Redwing, his drone, to make a strafing run at a pack of fuath, or Scottish water demons, which had crawled out of a manhole. “What are those things?”

“Water demons, but they are not Irish, so I am not sure what playbook their maniac leader is using!” you shouted back to Falcon as you turned to see War Machine and Iron Man both going after an oversized buggane, a cousin of the more common troll that was just as vicious. “Falcon, where is Captain America? We could use his shield right about now.”

“He’s away on a mission,” Wilson replied, and you mulled over how to respond to his comment. Telling him your story seemed pretty much a no-go, so you simply nodded back to him before an arrow flew past your head and into the chest of another buggane before it exploded. It was a good thing the Avengers’ James Bond that night was also their archer.

“I am going to put the head of the lunatic who started this on a pike for all to see!” you shouted as you flew higher into the night sky to see if you could figure out where these things were coming from.

“Cersei Lannister, a bit too graphic, or was that just a bad joke?” Stark asked as he flew around another buggane and sent a volley of small rockets at the damned thing. “You hang around with Jon Snow a little too long?”

“Friends of mine were the inspiration for most of the modern fantasy literature they now make into TV shows,” you huffed as you banked, trying to decide how to get these damned things back to the gateway they exited from. You’d keep flying without the wings for the moment. They’d likely just get cut to ribbons anyway, and you didn’t want to reveal everything tonight because Steve was away.

“Falcon, can your friend Redwing do some recon to see where these things crawled out from?” you asked as you suddenly stopped as a roar shook the buildings nearby. “No, not tonight!”

“I think this thing is worse than the headless guy,” Black Widow said as she pointed toward a plume of smoke and fire lighting up a small newsstand near the Tower. It was also worse than the Ellén Trechend that was in play before. You muttered under your breath in Irish as you felt the ground shake beneath your feet.

“How the hell did that thing get loose? Saint Murrough O'Heaney was supposed to have banished it to Lough Foyle until Judgement Day,” you grumbled as the Lig-na-Paiste, the last great dragon of Ireland, raised its head and blew fire at the buildings around the Tower. It then turned toward the Avengers, ready to set off another fiery blast, but soon a wall of debris came between it and them. Wanda Maximoff had been busy while you were getting covered in ichor.

“I know it might not last long, but it was worth a shot,” the Sokovian said in her accented English as Vision stayed close by her so none of the smaller demons would take her down.

“Thank you,” you said to Maximoff before turning back to Wilson. “Falcon, any luck?” you asked as he called up the video being broadcast by Redwing. He showed it to you, and you wanted to smack your head into a wall as you saw the Fomorian giant Balor. He had one eye, reddish skin and leathery demons wings, and he was as evil as they came. His gaze would also kill anyone it touched, so keeping it from getting to the Tower became your sole objective.

“Look, Falcon, Sam. What your drone just showed us is way out of The Avengers skill set, but right now I don’t have any other choice…” you said as you swallowed hard and looked at the collection of demonic nonsense clogging the streets of Manhattan. “When you see Steve, please tell him you saw Red, and let him know I had to give Dum Dum back his hat, OK?”

You turned to head back into the fight, but Wilson stopped you. “Look, I have no idea what that all means. I’ll tell him. But you are not going into this by yourself. I don’t care if you think you are an Irish battle goddess or not…”

“I am her avatar. That is not a lie,” you said as you did your best to get your head back into the present and not let it wander to the past. “I am going to sound insane,” you said as you turned around and looked at the group before you. “Please let this work.”

Words flew from your lips in Irish as green energy runes and sigils swirled around your hands. “Bealtaine an rud atá ar eolas agam," you said. It meant, "May what I know be what you know,” and they were the last words you said as a wave of emerald energy washed over The Avengers. “It will wear off once this fight is over. I need to get to Balor, and maybe I can lead that big eejit away with me,” you said to Falcon as your sword gave way to a double-headed battle axe as you ran in front of the Lig-na-Paiste, and with every step, you became more The Morrigan and less the girl from County Kildare. But this time she held back the full-force show and let you retain the form that was less likely to scare The Avengers or their guests. {{Thank you, Phantom Queen}} you thought as you watched the newly-enhanced team push the horde of creatures back toward Times Square and the hole they crawled out of this time. You weren’t an Avenger, but for a few more minutes, they would be part of the Seven Nations Army, the greatest fighting force of Celts the world had ever seen.

“Remind me not to read any scary stories tonight to the kiddos,” Stark said as he sent a repulsor blast at more of the lesser demons that had been terrorizing tourists and New Yorkers alike. “You are kidding me. These freakshows picked a spot near the Jekyll and Hyde Club? How tacky.”

“Tony, I don’t care if they win the prize for tacky,” Rhodes replied as he flew close to the Lig-na-Paiste and sent a barrage of rockets at it to guide it back toward the gateway. “And why does this remind me of that last Ghostbusters movie?”

“Mr. Stark, Wanda and I will do crowd control to clear the path,” Vision said as the duo worked as a unit to get more people out of the area.

“And where did Xena…well, I’ll be damned,” Stark said as he saw the top of your head as you dodged in and out of a group around the Fomorian Balor. Falcon was on your six, and you were very glad to have him there.

You also realized no one here had ever met anyone from the Sanctum Sanctorum yet. You could have used their help right now, but that was not to be at the moment.

“Cupcake, what do we do to get the big dragon off the street?” Falcon shouted as you took your axe and swung it at Balor. Your blessing was holding, and the team remained safe for the moment.

"That didn't work!" Black Widow shouted as she watched Balor flexing his massive wings. The cyclops laughed as your axe missed him until he turned to see you had ripped open his portal and had made it unstable. Anything with full-on magic in its soul, good or evil, was going to be sucked inside that void thanks to your deliberate near miss.

“Just herd it toward the rip and get everyone on your team out of here!” you yelled back to Falcon as you felt the portal pulling you inside as well. “Thank you all!”

Suddenly you felt a line zip out and wrap around your wrist. Black Widow was trying to keep you anchored so you didn’t get pulled in. You swung your axe to cut it, and you could tell the Widow was a tad miffed. “Natasha, thank you, but I need to see this through. Just make sure the kids are all safe. I’ve been doing this for 1,500 years. One more ride into the black won’t kill me. I have too much to do.”

{{If only you knew}} you thought to yourself as you looked up to see Hawkeye perched on the corner of the Jekyll and Hyde Club sending arrow volleys toward Balor and his crew, taking out several of them before they were sucked into the portal.

Then you noticed Wanda getting pulled toward it as well. Your blessing was now a curse, and you had to fix that fast. “Take the Celts only, and release The Avengers,” you whispered as the group, except for Maximoff, stopped in their tracks. {{And not her. Not now}} you thought as Vision, at that very moment, looped his arms around Wanda to hold her fast.

As Iron Man and War Machine pushed the Lig-na-Paiste back into the portal with repulsor blasts and arms fire, the gateway started to close, and you breathed a sigh of relief as you let it pull you backward. You knew you’d be back eventually. And right now the thought of a few days in Ireland was not a bad one. You had to figure out which rogue from your long list of interlopers caused this. That was going to take a bit of work.

“Go raibh maith agat. Thank you,” you said as you bowed to The Avengers. “May the ancestors watch over you this Samhain night. Until the world calls on us again…” With a flash of green, the portal closed, and your allies stood on the other side looking at where the gateway had been, and you could hear Sam Wilson muttering the words “Dum Dum’s hat” as you ran after Balor.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother, @historygeekfics

[asktheravenclan]

Morgana hummed as she looked over the current hustle and bustle in the castle. The Samhain party had been a blast in and of itself, and the month long break she had taken was just enough time to begin the preparations for the biggest party of her court - Yuletide. At the moment, there were servants putting up holly and wreaths made of fresh pine, and a large tree had been brought into the main dining hall while another was going to be placed in the ballroom. Nodding in approval, she turned to walk down the hall to check on the menu, carefully moving to avoid bumping into any of the hurrying staff as she walked.

[bewitched-moonlight]

💀 Samhain Ritual: Dumb Suppers 💀

Blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween! 

If you are planning a feast tonight, here’s an idea for a ritual to honor your ancestors and dead loved ones...

What is a “Dumb Supper”? 

As Samhain is the night when the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its most fragile, you might call upon your ancestors and dead relatives to share one last feast with you. The menu is up to you, but you might want to use traditional Samhain recipes such as pumpkin soups, dishes with fall vegetables, and desserts using apples - or you could try baking soul cakes! 

Preparing the ritual

Start by casting a circle around your dining area. This is an important step, to ensure that you are not inviting in malevolent spirits. 

“Dumb” is a synonym for mute or silent, as the supper must be entirely taken in silence.  Set the table with a black cloth, black plates, and cutlery, black napkins. Use candles as your only source of light - black if you can get them. Set a place at the table for each guest, and reserve the head of the table for the place of the spirits. 

Rules for a successful ritual

Cast a protective circle around the dining area

Turn off the lights, phones or television

Eat the entire meal in silence

Reserve the head of the table for the spirits you want to invite

The meal should be spent reflecting on the dead

Once everyone is seated, silently bless the meal

No one may start eating until everyone is served, including the spirits

Finishing the ritual

Once everyone is done eating, the guests should silently exit the room by walking in front of the head of the table and whispering “Goodbye” to the spirits. The food left on the spirit’s plate should be buried in your garden, ideally under a tree, or composted. Make sure to thank the spirits for their presence before breaking the circle. 

--

💀 Find more information on Samhain meaning, correspondences and rituals in my Samhain masterpost here 💀

[hobo-joe-writes-and-rambles]

Death last dance (WIP-Short)

The world ended on a wednesday evening in the beginning of autumn. The city streets lay empty and abandoned save for a few abandoned cars waiting patiently as they rusted. As the sun set the street lights started flickering, casting shadows that danced to the gentle beat of falling rain. The sound was joined by the whistling of wind as it haunted through the empty parks stirring the fallen leaves into an ever shifting mosaic of yellow and red and brown. Atop the tallest building a lone man rosined his bow and placed it to the strings of a black violin. With bone white fingers he tested the sound before falling into the rhythm of the music. As he played the wind rushed to meet him, spreading throughout the city gathering wilted flowers and takeout menus adding them to her art. The shadows lept from the pavement to be dressed in fine gowns and suits made by the wind's gentle hands. They danced around each other like in times of old when fairies and witches came together on samhain eve. They turned and spun and flew through the air, in twos and threes and fours the shadows danced to music made from storm and thunder. The pale man played faster as the rain fell harder and the wind wailed louder each desperately trying to be heard amongst the building crescendo. The shadows danced faster and faster, painted with every colour that the wind could find, dressed as knights and queens and monsters, they danced through the streets and the alleys, through the parks and along the river. Above them dragons made of fallen leaves soared, weaving through the lightning. As the finale approached and the sun set beyond the distant sea the wind roared like the horns of valhalla and thunder rained down in a terrible tattoo, and the pale man's fingers danced along the neck of his instrument as his bow sawed wildly across the strings. Then as the final rays of sunlight dimmed and disappeared the wind fell silent and shadows faded as street lights died. The thunder quieted and the clouds dispersed, and atop the tallest building the pale man bowed to the starry sky and all was silent.   

[otakusparkle]

I want to write about the sinful Phoenix halloween event and yes this is about Eli because I love him 😂✨

So we could see from the beginning of the story, that we are being one of the villager who lives there but they suddenly out of the village for many years. This goes with Eli's Huntsman skins description that said : "After the adventurous Huntsman returned to his hometown, he could never feel at ease...". Maybe, actually we are playing as Eli there, who was returned to the village. Maybe he came home because he can feel something strange is about to happend. So he come home exactly at the Samhain festival. There, we knew that Eli, Aesop, and Margie are childhood friend. In the end, both Aesop and Margie are betraying him and Hastur. But maybe it's just Margie. Aesop did attack Samhain in the last second and transforming to be the eternal phoenix.

I think this goes with how they did outside from this 'AU'. Eli is a kind man. He never judge people and just respect how they are. Aesop, he was attacking Samhain, just like how he finally killed Jerry.

Back to the AU, after the last scene, in the event main menu, we can see a single blue feather laying beside the bonfire. And that feather looks the same as Eli's A accessories, Fireproof Feather. The description said : "An icy flame containing mysterious power." In the event, we can see Phoenix Aesop also have this blue flaming feather when he transformed. Maybe, Huntsman Eli reserved that last feather to remind him that he had friend named Fennix before he went again to the town, or, maybe Eli stayed there and never going back to the town.

Yup that's all