#sky wizards academy

[setteidreams]

Kuusen Madoushi Kouhosei no Kyoukan (111 sheets) has been added to the WIP section (https://patreon.com/setteidreams).

[theplotmage]

50 Worldbuilding Setting ideas for your fantasy book

Cities and Settlements

1. Capital City - The central hub of political power and culture in the realm.

2. Harbor Town - A bustling port city crucial for trade and naval activities.

3. Elf Village - A serene settlement hidden within a forest, home to elven inhabitants.

4. Dwarven Mines - An underground city where dwarves mine precious metals and gems.

5. Nomad Camp - A temporary settlement for wandering tribes and traders.

6. Market Square - The commercial heart of any major city, filled with vendors and artisans.

7. Sky City - A floating metropolis held aloft by magic or advanced technology.

Natural and Enchanted Locations

8. Mystic Forest - A dense, magical woodland filled with ancient trees and mythical creatures.

9. Enchanted Lake - A serene body of water with mystical properties.

10. Secret Cave - A hidden cavern that might contain treasure or danger.

11. Dark Swamp - A treacherous wetland often home to dark magic and creatures.

12. Forbidden Desert - A vast, arid expanse known for its harsh conditions and ancient secrets.

13. Floating Island - A landmass suspended in the sky, often home to unique flora and fauna.

14. Hidden Valley - A secluded, fertile valley protected from the outside world.

15. Charmed Meadows - Peaceful fields imbued with protective enchantments.

Magical and Supernatural Places

16. Wizard’s Tower - The abode of powerful sorcerers, filled with arcane knowledge.

17. Sacred Temple - A place of worship and spiritual significance, often protected by divine magic.

18. Haunted Castle - An ancient fortress inhabited by ghosts or malevolent spirits.

19. Necromancer’s Crypt - The lair of a dark sorcerer who practices necromancy.

20. Oracle’s Sanctuary - A holy site where oracles deliver prophecies and visions.

21. Magical Academy - An institution where young sorcerers learn the art of magic.

22. Alchemist’s Workshop - A place where alchemists experiment and create potions and elixirs.

23. Time Portal - A gateway to different eras, allowing travel through time.

Dangerous and Uncharted Areas

24. Ancient Ruins - The remnants of a once-great civilization, often hiding secrets or dangers.

25. Dragon’s Lair - The home of a fearsome dragon, filled with treasure and peril.

26. Cursed Forest - A dark, haunted woodland where malevolent forces dwell.

27. Battlefield - The site of a significant past conflict, often haunted by the spirits of the fallen.

28. Volcanic Wasteland - A desolate, fiery landscape wrought with volcanic activity.

29. Giant’s Keep - A massive fortress built and inhabited by giants.

30. Pirate Cove - A hidden inlet where pirates gather to plan their exploits.

31. Shadow Realm - A dark, parallel dimension filled with malevolent entities.

32. Frosty Tundra - A vast, icy wasteland where few dare to venture.

Cultural and Social Hubs

33. Royal Palace - The lavish residence of the ruling monarch and their court.

34. Thieves’ Guild - A secretive organization of thieves and rogues.

35. Warrior’s Training Grounds - A facility where soldiers and heroes train for battle.

36. Arena of Champions - A grand coliseum where warriors compete in combat.

37. Goblin Market - A chaotic and colorful marketplace run by goblins, offering exotic goods.

38. Hermit’s Hut - The secluded home of a wise hermit, often sought for advice.

39. Secret Hideout - A concealed refuge used by rebels or outlaws.

Mystical and Legendary Sites

40. Ethereal Gardens - Magical gardens with rare plants and enchanting beauty.

41. Celestial Observatory - A tower dedicated to studying the stars and celestial events.

42. Sanctuary of Lost Knowledge - A hidden library containing ancient and forbidden texts.

43. Sunken Ruins - The underwater remnants of a lost civilization.

44. Gryphon Nesting Grounds - A mountainous area where gryphons make their nests.

45. Spiral Staircase - An enigmatic, seemingly endless staircase leading to unknown depths.

46. Giant’s Keep - A colossal fortress built and inhabited by giants.

47. Protean Plains - A region where the landscape constantly changes, reshaped by powerful magic or ancient curses.

Adventurous and Explorative Spots

48. Treasure Hunter’s Camp - A gathering spot for explorers seeking lost relics.

49. Relic Seeker’s Cave - A cave rumored to contain powerful artifacts.

50. Explorer’s Outpost - A base for adventurers preparing for expeditions into unknown territories.

***

Discover the Ultimate Sci-Fi Fantasy Planner, designed by a fellow writer to transform your worldbuilding journey! This meticulously crafted template will unlock your limitless creativity and add unparalleled depth to your storytelling.

Why You Can’t Miss This:

• Comprehensive Worldbuilding Worksheets: Delve into political, cultural, historical, and economic facets to create a rich and immersive world.

• Series Support: Perfectly tailored for epic, multi-book sagas, ensuring consistency and coherence across your narrative.

• Lifetime Use: Invest once and enjoy a tool that will support your writing endeavors forever.

• Easy Navigation: Designed with a user-friendly interface, allowing for a seamless workflow and effortless organization.

• In-Depth Character Sheets: Develop complex, unforgettable characters that will captivate your readers.

• Centralized Information Hub: Keep all your worldbuilding details in one accessible place, making it easier to reference and build upon your ideas.

• Writer Tool Repository: Gain access to a curated selection of top tools from around the web, enhancing your writing process.

• Guided Writer Tasks: From idea generation to book publishing, this planner supports you every step of the way.

Don’t let this opportunity slip away! Experience the joy of writing with the Ultimate Sci-Fi Fantasy Planner and watch your world come to life. Build your universe. Inspire your readers. Act now and start your journey toward extraordinary storytelling.

Buy now for a 50% off to this planner!

[flusteredmoonn]

so long, london; sirius black

summary: "i left all i knew, you left me at the house by the heath" in which sirius and a girl from beauxbatons academy fall for one another in a romance with a timer on it.

tags: (SFW), fluff, drabble??, fast paced, angst, fast-paced relationship, implied and brief moments of past sex, lots of time skips, brief flashback, beauxbattons!reader, impliedfrench!reader, she/her pronouns, third person y/n.

words: 2.0k+

ttpd tracklist. request.

it was the event of the year. hogwarts was hosting beauxbattons academy for yule, preparing the pagan celebrations as winter solstice crept up to the wizarding world. dumbledore gave some grand speech to the students of the school, before welcoming the girls from beauxbattons academy.

the last oaken doors at the start of the hall were pushed open as a flurry of blue entered the room. behind the group of visiting students marched a magical band, singing an entrancing tune whilst the girls of beauxbattons danced through the hall methodically. their blue coats swayed in time with the music, and their bell-shaped hats covering their eyes mysteriously. everyone in the room was entranced by their movements, watching as they welcomed themselves to the school.

eventually the group of a hundred or so students had made their way to the front of the hall, before being ushered to sit at the front of the four house tables. the headmaster proceeded to both welcome the guests and explain the importances of yule to the school, before imploring everyone to enjoying the warm feast, which appeared in front of them with a pop!

chatter erupted throughout the room, everyone eagerly trying to befriend the foreign students. one of the students from the academy had walked down the red and gold table, trying to find like-aged students.

"hello," a thick accent broke the conversation of the maraudic group and their friends, "may i take a seat," she asked plainly, looking directly at the boy with long black hair, curious at his familiarity.

looking to his friends, he hesitantly responded, "..sure," with a tight lipped smile before moving over to make space for the beauxbattons girl. she quickly thanked him before filling her plate, which had appeared with another crack, ignoring the pulling at her stomach as she stopped herself from asking about the boy.

"how was, the journey over?" a bespectacled boy spoke up across the table from her, continuing to shovel food into his mouth as he looked at her expectantly for an answer.

"it was good, the horses only had to stop once," she smiled kindly at him, smoothing down her skirt. "do you, uh, enjoy this school?" she prompted, trying to continue a conversation with the rest of the group, her accent causing the group to pause as they took a moment to understand her.

some of the girls positively piped up, exclaiming how much they loved coming here. whilst the boys were quieter, sharing a look as though silently communicating, sirius flashing the girl a look, before also answering;

"i mean, james here," the boy who had invited her to sit pointed to the bespectacled boy, "is too busy chasing after lily there," he pointed to a red haired girl who had spoken kindly to her before, leaning down slightly as to align himself with her eye line, "to enjoy his time here," he laughed. she laughed too, realising she hadn't asked their names before. and so, the group had gotten to know her as she got to know them as the moon rose further in the sky.

prior to being dismissed to bed, dumbledore summoned the attention of the entire hall with him tapping his wand on a chalice, "now, before you all retire for the night; remember, we welcome the guests of beauxbattons to our school, for as long as they're here this shall be their home. make them feel welcome". it wasn't a welcoming suggestion but a demand of his students.

and so, the boy stood from the table with a feeling of dread lingering in his stomach. his concern for the next two weeks already pulling at him from the inside out.

the following day, classes commenced once more, with the immersion of the girls from the academy into the already existing classes, rather than the inception of new ones. sirius had seen her, the girl from the evening before, sat in front of him in his transfiguration class. and the feeling in the pit of his stomach pulled at him once more, urging him to act.

smiling to himself, he scrawled a note swiftly, before levitating it subtly onto her desk. hey, didn't know you were in this class.

the girl whipped around quickly, to see who had left the note. a small smile graced her lips upon seeing it was him. she turned back around and quickly wrote a reply before passing the piece of parchment back to him. i wasn't sure until this morning. your house elves had left our schedules next to our beds.

her explanation made it back to him in broken english and messy writing as she tried to translate between the two languages. he chuckled at him, observing several grammatical errors, before writing another note. much of the class was spent this way, passing notes back and forth, with sirius dodging the scrutinising looks from peter, who sat next to him. he knew the boy was confused over the situation, and despite his skittishness, he would bring it up given the opportunity to the rest of the group.

sirius shot a powerful look to peter, who shrunk slightly under the scrutiny of his friend's gaze. he caught the eye of james in doing this, who looked confused by his friends sudden distraction, opposing his scholarly nature.

the next class, and then the class after that had come around, and the long haired boy knew he wouldn't be able to avoid the interrogation of his friends for long. she wasn't in his last class before the lunch break, which he figured would give him some reprieve from the watchful glares of his friends. how wrong he had been. instead, they had resulted to making pointed comments about the entire visit from the sister school;

"hey, pads, how about those beauxbattons girls yeah? nothin' like we have round here," he smirked, though his demeanour slightly faltering when the girls from the very school he had been referencing scoffing at the remark, before very clearly badmouthing him in french.

"dunno, haven't really had the opportunity to speak with them... and any chance i had, you very clearly just ruined for all of us," he rolled his eyes, stirring the cauldron in front of him.

"you seemed pretty preoccupied all day?" remus piped up inquisitively, quirking an eyebrow.

oh, "oh," was all the boy said, waves of memories crashing over him, such a force impending which had left the boy breathless. "she, uhm," he paused, trying to break the ice.

saved by the bell in the clock tower, sirius eagerly packs up his things and throws his satchel over his shoulder, trying to avoid the trail of his friends following behind him. "last i checked, that wasn't an explanation," james swung his arm around the boy as they both fell into step.

for fucks sake, sirius sighed under his breath. "we met over the summer holidays," he gave his friend a tight smile, clearly reluctant to give up the information. "it was... complicated, to say the least".

the fleeting moments over the last six weeks had hit the boy like a train.

she had been staying over at her great aunt's house, holidaying before the brief stay at hogwarts for yule. she had been walking diagon alley, when they had first met. she was curiously venturing into floris and blotts. he had needed to go in to get his texts for the next year at school.

immediately, he was enraptured with her. she had an allure he couldn't describe – which had given him the confidence to approach her. equally as taken by him, they had spent nearly every waking moment of the rest of the break with one another.

every moment they had to spare, they had spent exploring muggle london. finding pockets of silence amidst the loud bustling streets of the city. it was the most content the boy had felt in a long time, and the perfect escape from grimmauld place.

fleeting moments were shared when they got to be alone. truly alone. with breathy kisses filling the space, using one another as a distraction from what loomed outside their cozy bubble.

and yet, all good things must come to an end. so on the last day of the summer holidays, they counted down the reluctant seconds until they had to leave one another. the day spent with hushed whispers and unkept promises, choosing to stay inside with one another rather than navigating the muggle world.

sirius seemed almost dazed as he recalled the rendezvous to his friends, reluctantly relinquishing the information as he pushed the food around his plate. his eyes rolled at the teasing which ensued, ignoring the claps on his back in praise for his escapades. mysteriously, he manages to change the subject of the conversation, his eyes darting around the great hall as though he's looking for someone. looking for her.

after he finishes his lunch, he looks to the front of the hall the gauge how much time he has before he needs to be at his next class, before dismissing himself from the table. without much elaboration, he walks away from his friends, who look at him confusedly.

he was a man on a mission. and so, he stalked around the school looking for the girl from france. and thankfully, it wasn't long before he found her, laughing with her friends.

"y/n" he called quietly, drawing her attention from the laughter amongst her friends.

"sirius?" she whipped her head around, being met with the face of the long haired boy she had just spent the last six weeks attached at the hip to.

"can we talk?"

thus perpetuated the tone of the next two weeks. quickly, the feelings which had surfaced during their time away from school had been dug up from the shallow graves they were buried in on the first of september.

joined at the hip once more, the boy practically had abandoned his friends in favour for the foreign girl's attention. at any opportunity, they were in the other's company, drinking up one another, knowing the fated departure was looming over them. time counted down and very swiftly, two weeks had become two days.

grief clawed at them from the inside out. a melancholic atmosphere swimming through their veins, searching, begging, for more time together. like any couple their age, they decided that the best way to plead to merlin for more time was to intertwine themselves together, justifying that if they were so interlinked that it would be impossible to pull them from each other. to both the students of hogwarts and the students of beauxbattons, they had become one and the same, never seen without the other. many had mistaken this change for the petulant group of gryffindors to have fallen out, but the reasoning had been much more innocent.

sirius was in love.

he loved her. and he wasn't ready to say goodbye. again. he clung to these moments he knew he would look back on as though they had been fleeting. and that moment was approaching quicker than he had hoped. desperately both teens clutched to the remaining moments they had together, before the departing feast.

for once, silence blanketed the pair. they finally sat with sirius' friends as dumbledore gave a superfluous speech over what a joyous opportunity this had been for the school. the timer ticked silently between them, knowing that he wouldn't even be able to see her of off in the carriage.

so, he embraced her tightly, under the stone threshold between the courtyard, and inside the school. as if they had a foot in both worlds. she pulled away, being called on by the chaperoning teacher to maker her way to the carriage. in the back of their heads the timer ticked down, their time was running out. they held one another's forearms unspeaking. neither knew the appropriate thing to say, as the chaperone called out once more.

the timer had hit zero. and she had pulled away from him, whispering a solemn goodbye, walking over to the champagne coloured horses and stepping into the transport. sirius was at a loss for words, as the sand in the time glass had stopped falling, his gaze never leaving the carriage as it had begun to depart. a deafening silence blaring through his ears.

this took me like three days to write huh?? i dont like the ending, but oh well.

[sitp-recs]

Thank you so much for your recs—they are fantastic! I wondered if you had any for Draco and Harry becoming friends at (and eventual lovers) at Hogwarts (doesn’t have to start with 1st year, but can!). Thank you!!

Hi there! Happy you’re enjoying the recs 😊 I got a couple recs, the majority is 8th year since I don’t really read canon rewrite AUs. I hope you enjoy these!

Thermodynamic Equilibrium by DorthyAnn (T, 5k)

Harry's far too hot. Draco's always cold. And somehow against all odds, together they create a perfect equilibrium.

Good Company by Greenflares (T, 8k)

With Hermione and Ron always together, Harry's return to Hogwarts to complete his education isn't exactly fun. Somehow, it's his unlikely friendship with Malfoy that keeps him sane.

Stand Back: I'm About to Perform Archaeology by Blowfish_Diaries (E, 10k)

A new Muggle Studies professor takes the Eighth Year students to work on an archaeological excavation. In which Draco is lazy, Harry is sweaty, Hermione is drunk, and Ron turns red.

Nice Things by aideomai (M, 22k)

The first thing that happened was Theodore Nott came back from France.

Makes Me Stronger by Lomonaaeren (E, 29k)

Rita Skeeter’s Harry James Potter: An Unnatural History is a best-seller, mostly due to the fact that Skeeter’s collaborated with a photographer who’s infused the pictures in the book with Harry’s actual memories. As Harry struggles to survive the storm consuming his eighth year at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy becomes an unexpected ally.

On Our Way by evils (E, 30k)

Draco is trying to spend the summer keeping his head down, but a repair project and a certain snowy owl have other plans for him.

Eager for the Sky by @oknowkiss (E, 35k)

It was announced, just as the Triwizard Tournament had been, at the start of term feast. A year-long, international Quidditch varsity match — the inaugural Wizarding Academy Cup. In which Harry is Hogwarts' star Seeker, Draco is on the bench, and they both have a thing or two to learn about playing for the same team.

Like Lightning at Your Fingertips by potterwatch (T, 43k)

The problem with living with another insomniac is, eventually, they find out you’re one, too. When Harry and Draco return for their eighth year, they think they’ll see very little of each other. Then McGonagall assigns them to room together. And the castle starts breaking. And there’s that thing with Potter’s magic.

The July Tree by @oknowkiss (E, 51k)

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail… nor well-meaning friends, nor questionable communication skills, nor seven years of hating each other’s guts can keep Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from falling in love.

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy (M, 67k)

How was Harry supposed to know that coming back for eighth year would be so confusing? Everything is the same, and yet not the same. And nowhere is this more obvious than with Draco Malfoy. Harry finds himself once more watching and following Malfoy, trying to work him out. When they are drawn together to heal the castle, Harry doesn’t just find Malfoy - he also finds himself.

Azoth by @lol-zeitgeistic (E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

Helix by Saras_Girl (E, 93k)

Seven months after the end of the war, Harry is feeling lost. Fortunately, he is about to be offered an unexpected and sparkling chance to find himself again.

Changing Tides by carpemermaid (E, 109k)

Draco has spent half of his life spouting the things his father has taught him without much thought about how he feels about what he says. When he unexpectedly comes face to face with the Dark Lord, he grapples with the harsh realities of the world and struggles with his changing views on life.

Written on the Heart by who_la_hoop (E, 114k)

Unnerved by the attention he’s attracting from everyone – the Slytherins are the least of it, to be fair – and struggling with a raft of changes to Hogwarts itself, Harry wishes he could be happy that one constant remains: Draco Malfoy really fucking hates him.

Twist of Fate by Oakstone730 (T, 300k)

Draco asks Harry to help him beat the Imperius curse during 4th year. The lessons turn into more than either expected. A story of redemption and forgiveness.

[blasphemousclaw]

What was life as a member of Caria like? It’s weird that, despite ruling over the academy, they have their own study hall and preceptors on the exact opposite side of the region to Caria manor. At any rate — I would assume Caria went through like, four phases? Pre-academy, post establishment as royalty, and then Rennala’s children with Radagon. And of course to the present day.

I’m so glad you asked… this was the perfect opportunity for me to start organizing a collection of Carian-related lore text and I went a little insane and wrote an entire treatise on Carian culture. I hope you enjoy this frighteningly in-depth wizard family analysis

CARIAN CULTURE AND PRACTICES

We know that the Carians were descended from a group of astrologers who lived in the Mountaintops of the Giants, implied by the Sword of Night and Flame (the Carian royal family’s ancestral sword) description: “Astrologers, who preceded the sorcerers, established themselves in mountaintops that nearly touched the sky, and considered the Fire Giants their neighbors.” This group of astrologers must have at some point migrated down to Liurnia and established a society there.

I get the impression that the Carian astrologers might have once been quite numerous, since as you say, the Carian study hall is rather far from Caria Manor — perhaps at their height, they were pretty spread out across Liurnia. I’ve also said before that the Carian Filigreed Crest description might imply other layers of nobility and a wider society among the Carian astrologers, as it mentions Carian knights guarding multiple “princesses” (it’s also possible that “princess” was a noble title among Carian society before Rennala established herself as a queen, as the Discarded Palace Key description is said to be “passed down to Carian princesses” but Rennala was the first Carian queen).

Speaking of princesses, there is strong evidence that Caria was a matriarchal society: though we don’t have much information about Carian society, in the few scraps we have, only queens and princesses are ever mentioned. We also know that Ranni is the youngest child, and yet Iji names her as heir to Caria, suggesting that she might have primogeniture over her older brothers. The Carians also have ties to the Nox people (affinity for the night/moon/stars, the art of puppetry/fate manipulation, silver tear technology at Raya Lucaria and in the Albinaurics, the Nox Swordstress statue in the Church of Vows), which also seems to be a matriarchal society judging by the fact that the Night Maidens and Swordstresses are the highest clerical ranks.

There are many other details that characterize Liurnia as a unique region in the Lands Between that developed apart from the Erdtree: I’ve mentioned before that the nobles in Altus and Limgrave dress in distinctive robes…

This style of dress does not appear anywhere among Liurnians. Instead, the Carians and their knights dress in a distinct color scheme of royal blue and red, ornamented with glintstone in different shades. The sorcerers of Raya Lucaria also dress in the same red and blue, and I think that this style of dress actually comes directly from the Carians! The Queen’s robe item description is stated to be a “robe indicating the highest order of sorcerer.” We also know that the Academy’s name “Raya Lucaria” itself is named for the Carian royal family, no doubt added when Rennala took over. So it makes sense that the Carians had influence over the sorcerers’ uniform too!

Liurnian characters also have a distinctive way of speaking apart from the rest of the Lands Between; every single Liurnian character in the game is played by a Welsh voice actor speaking in their native accent (including both Raya Lucarian sorcerers and Carian-affiliated characters).

The Carians’ standout trait is their mastery of astrology and glintstone sorcery — they craft their own spells and use a distinct royal blue glintstone. Their knights were renowned for their skill in both swordsmanship and sorcery, and notably, some of the Carian knights are trolls, who are viewed as equals in Carian society! Another important magical role is the office of preceptor, which directly served the royal family as experts on reading fate within the stars. Lastly, as I mentioned earlier, The Carians had great influence over the Academy. After charming the sorcerers with her lunar magic, Rennala presided over a new sorcerers’ conspectus: called the Lazuli conspectus, these Academy sorcerers studied Carian sorceries and believed the moon to be equal to the stars.

GOLDEN ORDER INFLUENCE

Power dynamics in Carian society changed drastically when the Golden Order sent Radagon to subjugate Liurnia, and Rennala ended up marrying him: there was a peace brokered between Caria and Leyndell, symbolized by the entwining gold branches and blue glintstone of the Glintstone Kris, a “ritual blade once presented to Leyndell by the Academy of Raya Lucaria to celebrate their newfound peace.”

This peace began an era of coexisting ideas… As Rogier says, “the Golden Order was pliable enough to absorb practices that contradicted itself in the past.” Radagon himself began to learn sorcery from Rennala, and he also had an authority over the royal preceptors (commanding them to don masks as a vow of secrecy). Golden Order devotion also began to spread through Liurnia alongside sorcery. The Converted tower and the Converted Fringe tower in Liurnia show a coexisting of Golden Order faith and glintstone sorcery — there is a statue of Marika inside, and to complete the puzzle, the erudition gesture must be performed in front of her.

This theme of entwining cultures is also reflected in the Carian royal family themselves — Rennala and Radagon’s three children inherit two lineages, the moon and the Erdtree, entangled in their very blood.

Unfortunately though, this was not exactly an equal partnership… though Caria manages to stay independent, they are now inextricably tied to the Golden Order, which was not always a good thing. The telescope item states that “during the age of the Erdtree, Carian astrology withered on the vine. The fate once writ in the night skies had been fettered by the Golden Order.” Whether this description is referring to Radahn or not is a whole other post, but the simple fact is that the Golden Order is the reason why the Carians’ power is in decline. The three royal children also seemed to struggle with their dual heritages and loyalties, especially Ranni as both heir to Caria and an empyrean of the Greater Will.

Of course, we know that in the end Radagon essentially dealt the death blow to Caria’s influence in Liurnia. The Queen’s robe description states that when Radagon left Rennala, her heart went with him, “and then, those at the academy realized. That Rennala was no champion, after all.” Rennala’s weakness led the Academy to rebel against the Carian royal family and launched Liurnia into civil war. And with Rennala’s heir killing herself in the Night of the Black Knives, and the Shattering war breaking out, Caria’s power is now a shadow of its former self.

[twistedintern]

Navigating Twst JP & JP-EN Term Listing (Updated)

Dorm & Character JP Name Abbreviation and Emoji Index

Heartslabyul > 🃏 ビュル Riddle Rosehearts > 🌹 リド Ace Trappola > ❤️ エー Deuce Spade > ♠️ デュ Cater Diamond > ♦️ ケイ Trey Clover > ♣️ トレ

Savanaclaw > 🏜️ サバナ Leona Kingscholar > 🦁 レオ Jack Howl > 🐺 ジャク Ruggie Bucchi > 🐆 / 🍩 ラギ

Octavinelle > 🐚 オクタ Azul Ashengrotto > 🐙 アズ Jade Leech > 🐬 ジェイ Floyd Leech > 🦈 フロ Tweels > イド

Scarabia > 🕌 / 🧞‍♂️ スカラ Kalim Al-Asim > 🦂 / ☀️ / 🦦 カリ Jamil Viper > 🐍 ジャミ

Pomefiore > 🍏 / 👸‍ ポメ Vil Schoenheit > 👑 ヴィ(ル) Epel Felmier > 🍎 エペ Rook Hunt > 🏹 ルク

Ignihyde > ⚙️ / 🔥 イグニ Idia Shroud > 💀 イデ Ortho Shroud > 🤖 オル

Diasomnia > 🐉 ディア Malleus Draconia > 🐲 マレ Silver > ⚔️ シル Sebek Zigvolt > ⚡ セベ Lilia Vanrouge > 🦇 リリ

Ramshackle > 👻 オンボロ Prefect > 🌸 / 🦐 / 🍊 (♀️/🚺 or ♂️/🚹 will sometimes follow) 監 / ユウ Enma Yuuken > 🦞 コミ監 (currently used to refer to Yuuta) Grim > 🐱 / 🐈‍⬛ グリ

NRC Staff > 🎓 / �� NRC(の)職員 Dire Crowley > 🎭 クロ Divus Crewel > ⚗️ / 🐶 クル Mozus Trein > 📚 / 📖 モゼ Ashton Vargas > 💪‍‍ バル Sam > ☠️ / 🎩 サム Lucius > 🐾 ルチウス

Others Rollo Flamme > 🔔 ロロ Fellow Honest > 🦊 フェロ Gidel > 🔨 ギデル Skully J. Graves > 🎃 / 🪦 / 🕸️ スカリー Baul Zigvolt > 🐊 バウル Che’nya > 😺 / 🍭 チェーニャ Cheka Kingscholar > 🧶 チェカ Neige LuBlanche > ❄️ ネイジュ Ambrose the 63rd > 🧙‍ ア ン Najma Viper > 💫 ナジュ(マ) Marja > マルヤ Dila Spade > ディラ / デュママ Kifaji > キファジ Maleanor Draconia > (マレ)ノア Dawn Knight > 夜明騎 Eric Venue > エリック / ヴィパパ Farena Kingscholar > ファレ Ace’s older brother > 兄ッポラ

Glossary

The following list is in no way all-inclusive. I will do my utmost to update this section as the EN server progresses in story and translations become known.

(If I’ve overlooked anything, don’t hesitate to message me about it!)

Night Raven College

Mage Training Academy - “Wizarding Boarding School” (lit., no one uses this term, though)

Headmage - Headmaster

Housewarden - Dorm Head, Dorm Leader

Vice Housewarden - Vice Dorm Head, Vice Dorm Leader

History of Magic - Magic History

Flight - Flying

Freshman/Sophomore/Junior(/Senior) - First-/Second-/Third-(/Fourth-)Year

Potionology - Potions

Flora Element - Tree Element

Cosmic Element - Null Element

Objects and Activities

Thaumarks - Madol (Magic Dollars) There is no equivalent for “Sorcents” in the original canon, as Madol more closely converts to Japanese yen, whereas Thaumarks seem to reflect United States dollar values. The “cent” of Japanese currency (sen) has been obsolete for decades.

Blastcycles - Magicwheel

Spelldrive - Magift (Magic Shift)

Locations, Countries, and Regions

Queendom of Roses - Rose Kingdom

Shaftlands - Land of Pyroxene (Pyroxene)

Harveston - Village of Harvest

Sunset Savanna - Afterglow Savannah

Island of Woe - Island of Lamentation

Briar Valley - Valley of Thorns

Fleur City - City of Flowers

Event Names

Culinary Crucible - Master Chef

Beanfest - Happy Beans Day

Joint Exams - Unified Exams

The Phantom Bride - Ghost Marriage

Wish Upon A Star - Dance and Wishes

Camp Vargas - Vargas Camp

(A Twisted Halloween) Terror is Trending - (Scary Monsters) Screaming Halloween Show

(A Twisted Halloween) Spectral Soiree - (Scary Monsters) Endless Halloween Night

A Firelit Sky Over the Sands - Scalding Sands's Al'ab Nariya

Harveston's Sledathon - Harveston's Kelkkarotu

Twisted Tsumderland - Welcome to Tsumsted Wonderland

Fairy Gala Remix - Fairy Gala If

Glorious Masquerade: Let the Bell of Solace Ring - Glorious Masquerade ~Crimson Flowers and the Bell of Salvation~

Sunset Savanna's Cloudcalling - Afterglow Savanna's Tamashina Mina

Stitch's Tropical Turbulence - Lost in the Book with Stitch ~Midsummer Ocean and the Spaceship~

Playful Land's Miraculous Marionettes - Stage in Playful Land ~Dancing Puppets and the Fantastical Theme Park~

Limited Card Names

All club outfits - Club Wear

Apprentice Chef - Chef-in-Training

Suitor Suit - Groom-for-a-Day

Starry Robes - Star-sending Robes

Halloween - Scary Dress

Silk Adorned - Jasmine (Yasmina) Silk

Applepom - Apple Boa

Tsumsitter - Tsumsted

New Year's Attire - New Year's Yukata

Masquerade - Masquerade Dress

Rabbit Costume - Rabbit Wear

Tropical Wear - Suisui Wear

Liongarb - Kingly Beasts' Garb

Playful Attire - Playful Dress

Birthday Boy - Birthday Suit-Up

Birthday Jacket - Union Birthday

Birthday Bloom - Bloom (Broom) Birthday

(Lilia only) General - General of the Right

(Rollo only) Council Robes - Council President Uniform

JP Monikers ~ Floyd

(Floyd uses specific suffixes depending on his perceived relationship with individuals–i.e., diminutive/pejorative/etc.)

MC = Shrimp (koebi) Grim = Seal (azarashi) Riddle = Goldfish (kingyo) Ace = Crab (kani) Deuce = Mackerel (saba) Cater = Sea Bass (hanadai) Trey = Sea Turtle (umigame) Leona = Sea Lion (todo) Jack = Sea Urchin (uni) Ruggie = Remora (kobanzame) [changed in EN] Kalim = Otter (rakko) Jamil = Sea Snake (umihebi) Vil = Beta Fish (beta) Epel = Guppy (guppi) Rook = Seagull (umineko) Idia = Firefly Squid (hotaruika) Ortho = Sea Angel (kurione) Malleus = Sea Slug (umiushi) Silver = Jellyfish (kurage) Sebek = Crocodile (wani)* Lilia = Flapjack Octopus (mentako) [changed in EN] Crowley = Manta Ray (manta) Crewel = Striped Beakfish (ishidai) Trein = Red Squid (akaika) Vargas = Lobster (robusutaa) Sam = Seahorse (umiuma) Fellow = Foxfish (kitsunebera) Gidel = Cat Shark (nekozame) *Leona also refers to him as a “crocodile”

JP Monikers ~ Rook

Rook uses a combination of Japanese, French, and English variously; I have attempted to render the names in the simplest manner possible. (Those with names I cannot find in-game at the time of posting are marked accordingly and will hopefully be updated in the future.)

MC = Trickster Grim = Monsieur Hirsute (Mister Shaggy) Riddle = Roi de Roses (King of Roses) Ace = Monsieur Heart (Mister Heart) Deuce = Monsieur Spade (Mister Spade) Cater = Monsieur Magicam (Mister Magicam) Trey = Chevalier de Roses (Rose Knight) Leona = Roi de Leon (King of Lions) Jack = Monsieur Tough Guy (Mister Tough Guy) Ruggie = Monsieur Tanpopo (Mister Dandelion) Azul = Roi d’Effort (King of Effort) Jade = Monsieur Mastermind^ (Mister Mastermind) Floyd = Monsieur Yukaihan (Mister Joyous Offender) Kalim = Roi d’Or (King of Gold) Jamil = Monsieur Multi (Mister Multi) Vil = Roi de Poison (King of Poison) Epel = Monsieur Himeringo (Mister Lady Apple) Idia = Roi de Ta Chambre (King of [Your] Room) Ortho = Monsieur Doll (Mister Doll), “Miracle Boy”^ Malleus = Roi de Dragon (King of Dragons) Silver = Monsieur Sleepyhead^ (Mister Sleepyhead) Sebek = Monsieur Crocodile^ (Mister Crocodile) Lilia = Monsieur Curiosity^ (Mister Curiosity) Sam = Monsieur Mysterious (Mister Mysterious) Rollo = Monsieur du Mouchoir (Mister Handkerchief)

Monikers ~ Other/General

・MC > Malleus ~ Hornton - Tsunotarou ・Malleus > Humans ~ Child of Man (hito no ko) ・Leona > Azul ~ Tako-yarou (Octopus [derogatory]) ・Leona > Malleus ~ Tokage-yarou (Lizard [derogatory]) ・Leona > Idia ~ Kaiware daikon ・Leona > Skully ~ Anaguma-yarou (Badger [derogatory]) ・Leona > Humans ~ “Herbivore” ・Vil > Sebek ~ “Cucumber” ・Vil > a great many students his junior ~ “Potato” ・Sebek > Malleus ~ Young Master (waka-sama) ・Cheka > Leona ~ Unca’ Leona - (Leona-)ojitan ・Neige > Vil ~ Vi-kun ・Crewel > Students ~ “Puppies” (koinu-domo) ・Rollo > Trein ~ “Professor Mozus” (Mozus-sensei) ・Sam > Customers/Students > Little Imp ~ lit. “Little Demon” (ko-oni) >>> Sam sometimes will add a descriptor to distinguish between “demons”–examples being Kalim’s kin no oni and Rook’s okappa oni

Unique Magic (Signature Spells)

Below is a comprehensive list of romanized furigana (that is, the intended/spoken) readings of Unique Magic names as they appear in the original Japanese version of the game.

Riddle Rosehearts - Off With Your Head Deuce Spade - Bet the Limit Cater Diamond - Split Card Trey Clover - Doodle Suit Leona Kingscholar - King’s Roar Jack Howl - Unleash the Beast Ruggie Bucchi - Laugh With Me Azul Ashengrotto - It’s A Deal Jade Leech - Shock The Heart Floyd Leech - Bind The Heart Kalim Al-Asim - Oasis Maker Jamil Viper - Snake Whisper Vil Schoenheit - Fairest One Of All Epel Felmier - Sleep Kiss Rook Hunt - I See You Idia Shroud - Gate To The Underworld Malleus Draconia - Fae of Maleficence Silver - Meet In A Dream Sebek Zigvolt - Living Bolt Lilia Vanrouge - Far Cry Cradle Rollo Flamme - Dark Fire Fellow Honest - Life is Fun Skully J. Graves - Scary Night

Other Notes

+ Che’nya’s full name is rendered differently between the EN and JP versions. + Leona's family's royal chamberlain, Kifaji, had his name changed to "Neji" in the localization. The reason for this is unclear. (Kifaji means "food" in Swahili, which makes sense if you consider Scar and Zazu's relationship.) + Fellow Honest's name was changed to "Ernesto Foulworth" in the localization to better reflect Honest John's real name. + Gidel's name was changed to "Gino".

[netherese-blorb]

Blackstaff Ball

Passage inspired by this absolutely incredible caped court suit.

Excerpt is from a larger Gale/tav story I'm stuck on, but I thought this passage made for a cute little reader POV moment on its own.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

The present moment finds you with minutes to go before your departure to Blackstaff Academy's annual ball, making final adjustments to your hair. You made a point to go with the customary styling of you own upbringing, rather than the slick elven braids you had been taught to associate with class and nobility. Loose curls were piled precariously onto the crown of your head and secured in place with dozens of pins, each capped with shimmering gems made from colored glass. As you move, your hair sparkles as each new pin catches the light.

Your fiddling comes to a sudden halt as Gale enters the view of your mirror. You’d never seen him in formal dress before, and to say it suited him would be a criminal understatement. The impeccably tailored three-piece court suit had every inch of his toned form covered in deep blue velvet and golden embroidery. A swirling thigh-length cape of matching fabric made it look like he brought the night sky wherever he stepped. He wore it all effortlessly with his ever-present, well-educated poise. You had never seen anyone look so beautiful. 

“Gale, it’s-  you look-” Your sentence, already ill-formed, is lost as soon as you turn to face him. Taking him in fully, it’s as though you were getting a glimpse of him at the height of his power; before the orb, before his fall from Mystra’s grace. This is Gale the storied prodigy, the towering Archmage. You resist a sudden urge to fall to your knees in reverence. 

Gale had never been unsatisfied with your level of appreciation for his appearance, yet now he sees reflected back on him the intensity he often feels when looking at you, and suddenly understands the startled blush you sometimes give him in response. It was piercing, that look, overwhelming, but it was also intoxicating. He wanted your eyes to leave him, and he wanted them to consume him.

“I could speak no more eloquently of you, my love.” He jests, a little breathlessly, failing to thin the palpable tension between you. The moment you take a first step toward him, the floodgates open. He rushes across the room to meet you and captures your lips in a heavy, desperate kiss. You return his moves with equal intensity, taking his face in both of your hands, as if to pull him impossibly closer. 

He pulls you in by the waist until you're flush against his chest. His fingers brush against the ribbons sinching your dress closed and he can think of nothing else but pulling them undone, breaking them if he has to. 

Before he can, you’re interrupted by an alarm spell alerting you that the scheduled cabbie has arrived to take you both across the city to Blackstaff. You pull away reluctantly and erupt into a fit of giggles. 

“The illustrious Professor Dekarios is covered in my lipstick.” You say, wiping his mouth with the pad of your thumb. It was ridiculous, this life you had found yourself in; swapping sloppy schoolgirl kisses with one of the most accomplished wizards in a generation, rushing to catch a carriage that will whisk you away to a magical ball. If only your teenage self had known the fairy tale life that was in store for you.  

Gale snatches your hand and presses a kiss to your palm. “The oft-sung hero, soon-to-be Mrs. Dekarios, is going to end up on that bed covered in nothing if we don’t leave right this minute.” 

As tempting a threat as it was, there would be time for that once you returned. Several times, if you had the energy for it. You grab your shawl, your gloves, his hand, and stroll dreamily out to the waiting carriage.

-

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to see more from me, you can find me as 'luckybottlecap' on ao3 <3

[shewolfofvilnius]

Wild Magic: Chapter 1

(oh my gods I actually WROTE SOMETHING)

Read on AO3 Part 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Notes: Genre: Romantic Comedy, Magical Adventure, Self-discovery Words: 5100 Pairings: Gale x Lia (main, developing), Rolan x Tav (background, established) Tav is a secondary character, a female tiefling bard. Chapter 1 is mostly PG-13 (w some slight comedic nudity at the end) but will eventually become Mature

Synopsis:

"Rolan always said I put the 'can't' in 'cantrip."

Gale has time off before returning to Blackstaff Academy and has been tasked by Rolan to find the cause of a worsening series of magical oddities and maladies affecting Ramazith's Tower. Mishaps that have only increased by several orders of magnitude after Lia attempted to use a scroll to light a room only to have the scroll backfire (a rare occurrence all its' own).

In the process, it's discovered the cause of the tower's unstable and increasingly...wild...magic is far closer than it appears. In the process, Lia gains both a new dimension in the sibling rivalry with her brother Rolan, a new level of annoyance at puzzles, and yet another new wizard to both frustrate and fascinate her endlessly. She might even (gasp) learn a thing or two about magic along the way. Gale, Rolan, Cal, and Tav certainly hope she will, anyway, for all their sakes.

Full 1st chapter below the break:

A snowy breeze drifted across the Lower City district of Baldur’s Gate. A red-hued tiefling woman stood in contrast against the snowdrifts swirling about her. The cold hadn’t been a surprise, however, the snow had come on suddenly as she had been picking up some supplies she had had delivered to the Elfsong. Certain couriers were…apprehensive…about delivering to the tower, but the Elfsong? No worries.

“There wasn’t a cloud in the sky at sunset – I wasn’t in there that long. Where is all this coming from”.  Lia shivered under her cloak.  “Only a few more blocks to go.  The nerve of Rolan and Tav to just LEAVE for WEEKS like that.  What do Cal and I know about running an entire magical store? I can barely cast Dancing Lights even with a scroll AND that arsehole’s notes – damnable backfires - and Cal’s even worse.  I swear if it wasn’t for Tolna the tower would have burned to the ground two tendays ago.”  

Lia, rather cross but using her desire to enact revenge against her elder brother and his lover, the so called Hero of Baldur’s Gate, provided extra warmth against the snow and cold.  To an outside observer, the gusts of wind even appeared to be in sync to whatever the woman walking by was muttering to herself.

They said they’d be gone a tenday. Two tops. Why has it been a month?!  They were just going to visit that little lakeside near that stupid grove!

Finally arriving at the recently repaired Sorcerous Sundries – and the looming tower overhead that she and her family called home. She’d never admit it, even after a potion or under duress, but she was beginning to…ugh…miss Rolan and Tav.

Fortunately, no such admission would need to be made.  Nearing home, she noticed a flurry of lights and sound coming from the nearby emporium. Half of her suddenly became hopeful that Rolan and Tav had returned; the other half apprehensive at what the activity could be if it’s NOT them. The things they’d all been through since The Descent had made her permanently apprehensive.

Rounding the corner, she could start to feel heat against the presence of the cold and snow.  Further investigation, however, came to a half when Lia carefully rounded the corner, and came face to face…with a mind flayer.

Taking an instinctive step back and reaching for the dagger she’d just obtained from Dammon, Lia assumed a defensive posture.

“Lia.  I remember you.  Please, wait” projected the mind flayer, almost with a hint of…familiarity?!

“Prepare to die, Illithid scum!”

A hint of what could almost be called fear, if mind flayers felt fear, appeared to cross the creature’s face for a moment, before a shout rang across the shop foyer.”

“Lia! STOP! WAIT!”

Making their way through a small but raucous gathering were two all-too-familiar tieflings.  Her insufferable brother, Rolan – and Tav.

Lia’s concern was immediate.  “Do you MIND telling me what that thing is doing here, you two? Last time I saw a mind flayer, they were sweeping up corpses and using water scrolls across half the lower city! I can still occasionally see specks of silver in the cracks of tile.” Lia was NOT allowing THAT thing to harm any of her friends, her family.

“Bloody hells, Lia, that’s Karlach. Giant tiefling barbarian? One horn? Persistently on fire? Tav TOLD US the sacrifice she made to save the city. Put that weapon DOWN.”

Fear and the worst case momentarily crossed her mind. Could they have been enthralled?  She’d once heard Tav speak of the suggestive power mind flayers, of their ally known as “The Emperor”.   Tav HAD said that Karlach had become a mind flayer…”

Sheathing her dagger but keeping a defensive staff, Lia looked towards the mind flayer before her. Her gaze slowly softened, and she exhaled.  “It’s good to see you, soldier.  Sorry about the cold welcome.”

“It is fine, soldier. You are not the first person I have encountered who has had that reaction. It is not ideal, but eventually, you learn to adapt. I am so glad that Tav found you all after our fight against the Elder Brain.”

As Lia looked over the mind flayer before her, a voice boomed across the room. “Apologies for the confusion, dear sister” perked up Rolan.  Rolan, for a moment, considered teasing his sister about the weather, but decided that such levity could wait until tomorrow.

“Several of them all arrived together at the Emerald Grove, where I’ve been deep in consultation with the druids there for the past few days.  I must say they seemed far more amenable to my presence this time. The new Archdruid, Francesca, has made a stark difference towards climate of the grove.”

“Oh of course now that you’re the bleedin’ Archmage of Baldur’s Gate suddenly they have time for a tiefling” spat back a still embittered Lia, remembering many of those same druids had been all too keen to cast her, her family, and their friends and traveling companions out to face sudden death just months earlier.   Lia sighed; this was an argument for another time. 

“Speaking of climate, dear sister, I don’t recall there being any forecasts from the seers indicating snow. Curious, we didn’t even encounter any prior to arriving in the city.”

Glancing towards the window, Lia looked at intently at the flakes against the glass.  “Beats me. Went to go pick up some things I had shipped to the Elfsong, and the flurries started almost as soon as I walked out the door.”

The elder tiefling, seizing the opportunity to tease his sister, could not resist. A smug grin crept across his face. “Clearly, Baldur’s Gate is merely responding to your chilly disposition, sister.”

Letting out a glare and a low growl, Lia growled towards her brother, before snapping back. “If it was your personality out there, Baldur’s Gate would be a desert in a tenday.”

A chuckle escaped the tiefling wizard’s face.  “I missed you too, sister.”

The warm moment was broken up by a shout from a younger tiefling in a silvery flowing robe. “Tav!”

Lia ran towards her future sister-in-law with a warm embrace.  The tiefling bard had become family in recent months, though she still questioned Tav’s taste in gentlemen. Her brother? Seriously? Did she suffer head trauma while fighting The Absolute?”

“I still wish the three of you had been able to come to the party” shouted back Tav. The conversation crossed back to Lia - “From the looks of it, you brought the party back to us!”

The two women looked around the room. High Harper Jaheira!  The legendary ranger, Minsc! Grand Duke Wyll Ravengard!  She’d already come face to…face? with the now-Illithid Karlach.  She could swear she also saw a cat she didn’t recognize skulking off in the corner, although she would swear it had…wings? Did she have too much sherry earlier that evening?

“Lia? Lia? Anyone home?” Tav looked at Lia with concern.

“It’s good to see so many of these faces again.  Wouldn’t have anything we have without you and your friends.  I’m just a little overwhelmed, wasn’t expecting a party.  I’ll be back. Just gonna drop these off in the kitchen!  Missed you!”

Making a hasty exit towards the top of the storefront, she stepped into the rightmost portal at the top of the stairs. One of Rolan’s first actions had been to reconfigure the four portals in the storefront for tower access – and to ward against unauthorized entry by the use of small keystones attached to a pendant. To access the privacy of the tower, one would either need to be granted access, or be a skilled enough mage to essentially function as a magical locksmith. 

The tower’s magic had been…on edge? Lately?  The keystones had largely kept the portal system stable, but without Rolan present to maintain the magic, several weird issues had arrived. Randomly locked doors.  Rooms that would extinguish all their lights when she walked in.  Two days after Rolan and Tav had left, Lia recalled, she had tried to use a scroll to illuminate a room.  While she didn’t trust Rolan’s assessment of the ease of using it, even Cal had noted the simplicity by which the scrolls worked. 

Except instead she’d nearly been electrocuted by the damnable thing. The lights in the room lit up, sure, but so did she. She spent the better part of an hour physically illuminated, as though her own skin were a light source.  Glitches had been growing more and more common since then, although Cal SWORE that they only seemed to occur when Lia was there.  Except the locks, which seemed to have a mind of their own.

Rolan had also been quick to note that no, the ‘Knock’ spell she’d seen him use to unlock the storefront once shortly after they’d moved in – after they’d been locked out – would not open the portals.  Knowing that no one save her brothers and Tav held keystones, Lia figured she could retreat to the kitchen, regain her composure with a few moments of privacy.

As the warm glow of the kitchen portal enveloped her, a few minutes away to regroup would be perf—

Hopes of a moment or two of solitude were quickly dashed. A tall human man clad in the most ornate purple mage’s robes she ever seen sat seated at a table, glass of wine and some sort of book before him.  She remembered – this was another of Tav’s friends. Gale, that was his name. Ugh, not another wizard.

“Oh, a thousand pardons. I wasn’t aware anyone would be venturing up here. Hello! I’m Gale Dekarios, Professor of Illusory Magic at Blackstaff Academy”

The man stood to greet Lia, extending a hand outward.

“Friend of Tav’s, right? Considering this is my home, this is our kitchen, and my brother indicated that the portals were locked, I’d REALLY love an explanation as to why you’re in here.” She was clearly unimpressed at the wizard stood before her, annoyance and contempt gradually simmering warmer.

“A thousand pardons, my dear…Lia, I believe. Rolan’s sister!”

The sound of a clawed hand tapping the countertop impatiently echoed around the room.  “Yes, I know who I am.  Why are you up here? And don’t call me ‘my dear’”

“Apologies again, I meant no ill will or intent” hastily sputtered the wizard. “Your brother had indicated an issue with the tower’s lock mechanisms and asked if I might be so keen as to take a look. That’s primarily abjuration, however…. you don’t share your brother’s inclination towards the arcane, do you?” asked Gale.

“Can’t say I do.  Tried, a couple of times. Rolan said I put the ‘can’t’ in ‘cantrip’.”

Resisting the majority of a hearty laugh at the wordplay, Gale still couldn’t help a small chuckle.”

“I know we’ve been having issues with locks malfunctioning, traps going off, ever since we moved in.  It’s why the portals are tied to these things”, noted Lia, showing the pendant that normally allowed them access. 

“It’s a clever mechanism, but long term the root cause needs addressing.”

“Okay, but, why the wine and the book?”

“When I entered this room 20 minutes ago, that door -” Gale pointed towards the larder entry

“The larder locked itself AGAIN!?”

“A simple ‘Knock’ spell was easily dispelled, so right now I’m observing. And for me, I’ve found a good glass of wine and some quality literature helps pass the time. Say, now that you’ve entered the room, I wonder…” The wizard’s voice trailed off, as he raised his hand to begin manipulating the Weave, quietly muttering several things Lia couldn’t quite understand under her breath.

The door to the larder swung open. 

“Aha. You’re entering via the portal appears to have triggered the next sequence in which doors are locked.”

“But why would the portal from the shop to the kitchen – OH!” Lia’s face lit up. “I saw something like this once!  It was…”

“Please, do continue, anything could be of import or significance” responded Gale, with kindness.

Looking the wizard directly in the eyes – and after shaking loose a stray thought – Lia continued. “There was this game thing that I saw once in Elturel when we were kids. You’d push a button, but when you did all the buttons around it flipped over. You had to be real careful and try to set them off in a specific order, and flip them around a few times, but eventually if you did it right, you’d get them all pushed in!”

“The wards on the doors are tied to the same magic as the portals. The portals are forced open with the keystones, but whenever you use them, it’s flipping over other locks.” Lia’s face sunk.  She might not have been a magic user, but she’d spent hours playing that game in frustration. “It means we’re going to have to set off all the locks, we’re gonna have to see which ones cause other ones to change, and it’s going to be a long night.”

“Indeed, long month more like.  Fortunately, we’ve just hit a break period at Blackstaff and I’m CERTAIN that this magical lock system would be of great note to researchers, it truly IS a marvel.”

“If you say so.”.  Lia’s frustration was palpable. The locks had been malfunctioning for weeks, and now it turns out the only way to solve it was going to involve diligence, studious observation, and the services of another wizard. 

“Apologies if this is a sensitive topic, but as I’ve been tasked to help, there IS a matter I’d like to go back to.  Neither you nor your younger brother…. Cal, I believe…have any magical aptitude whatsoever? It’s quite unusual for a family to have a spellcaster as talented as your brother while…”

Lia exhaled. She knew where this was going, might as well get it out of the way.

“Rolan’s adopted. We do not EVER make a thing out of it in this house, Rolan is our brother, but he was adopted. Hence why he’s ‘Master’ of an entire wizard’s tower, and Cal and I…run the shop, and mostly try to not get ourselves blown up.”

“Ah.  I see.  Well…” The wizard’s voiced trailed off. The conversation had stretched on now for some time, and Lia had nearly resigned herself to wanting to rejoin the party (whatever the risk to the damnable locks) when Gale’s thought finally made its’ way to his mouth.  “Has Rolan ever, you know, shown any interest in teaching the two of you?”

“He’s managed to get Cal to a point where he can use a scroll without it backfiring or causing us to need to evacuate the shop.  Whenever he tries with me, it ends…explosively.  I tried to use a scroll for LIGHT and managed to set an entire bookshelf ON FIRE”.

It was an unpleasant memory. She’d found her brother an insufferably smug teacher.  It’d all always come so easily to Rolan. Lia’d rather just have her wits and a good sharp blade.”

“When I first met Tav, if she attempted to use her instrument as a focus, she could perform minor spells, but on her own had zero capacity to cast – in fact, it would frequently result in a backfire of wild magic not unlike what you’ve just described with the bookcases.  From what I recall, you generally prefer a bow or blade to magic, however, if you’d at least like to be able to use a scroll, I believe I can help. It may even make dealing with the locks simpler.”

“Learn magic? From you? Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t. Seriously, I have tried. Hells, I have actually, proper tried.  Rolan tries to be supportive, but…he looks so angry when I try, and it backfires like that.  It wastes scrolls, and knowing his sister is SO magically inept, I just…I don’t need more proof that I can’t do this stuff.”

Lia turned towards the portals

“Tell you what – I’m not above a friendly bit of wagering, and truly, I believe this will help all parties involve.  Tomorrow morning, I’ll be at the door of the shop an hour before you’re posted to open.  This is zero risk, all reward. You don’t even have to step out into the cold.  Since you’ve said that even scrolls cause backfires, let’s start there. If I can get you to cast one scroll – something relatively harmless like Dancing Lights – without a backfire, then you get rewarded.  I, uh, I know things. About Tav. And your brother. You could tease them both mercilessly. “

“Tempting, Wizard. But how do you know things I don’t about Rolan?”

“Wizards are notorious gossips, and your brother has rapidly developed quite the reputation.  Mostly positive, I hasten to add. But replete with a story or two that could certainly cause him minor embarrassment.”

“So, wait, I get to figure out this magic thing enough not to blow up the tower with a single scroll, I get juicy gossip about those two, and I don’t even have to leave the house…. really, wizard, what ARE you getting from this.”

Looking directly into the woman’s black and orange eyes, Gale simply grinned. “My dear, there is no greater joy than to be able to show someone who believed that they are incapable of something that they indeed possess the capability.  So many in this world would be capable of so much more if they were only of the belief that they could.  I believe you can do this.”

Lia let out a small, toothy grin.  He believed in her? Even over six months after that brain had nearly destroyed the city, Tav’s friends were continually a surprise.

“Also, I MUST admit…”

Oh, there’s always a ‘but’ or an ‘also’, Lia thought to herself.

“In all my years, I have only rarely known the use of scrolls to produce the kind of wild magic surges and backfires that you’ve described. If something IS impairing your ability to manipulate the weave in any manner, including a common scroll, that’s something worth investigating.”

Her defensiveness rose once more. She was no one’s laboratory experiment or object of pity.

“Look. I have a theory – and I RUSH to emphasize, it is only a theory – I think whatever is going on with the locks and the wards and your ”backfires” as it were are somehow related. Why and how? That is what I’d like to get to the bottom of.  If I can help a charming young lady gain some skill in the arcane arts along the way?  I would consider that a win-win situation.”

Sorry, charming? Was he?  Damnation, he was at least ten years older than her.  And a wizard.  No, no, work past it Lia. Okay, say something, this is getting awkward.

“Fine, one hour before opening. Wait – where are the rest of you staying tonight?  In the tower?”

“We were able to send ahead and rent out our old suite in the Elfsong.  There’s fewer of us now, and it’s only a few streets away.”.

Alfira and Lakrissa had mentioned this suite.  Absolutely palatial.  Alan Alyth had offered them the entire upper floor suite of the tavern during their battles against the brain.

“Snow’s piling up. If you don’t head back soon, you might be stuck the rest of the night.”

“Ah yes.  Still, I could certainly picture worse environs to be trapped in for a night.”. 

A slightly uncomfortable quiet began to hang over the room, broken only by occasional howls of wind and snow pelting the windows.

“Party’s downstairs. If you’re through ‘observing the locks’, let’s rejoin everyone else.  And you, I’ll see you promptly at six.”

Gale rose and began to head towards the portal with Lia. Once more, the warm glow began to envelop them, then, suddenly, a loud POP and a chilly breeze. 

Snow? Wait, they were outside? Why did she have a headache?

“Lia, I must admit, I did not anticipate this particular development.”

Looking around, the situation quickly became clear. 

“We’re on the bleedin’ balcony of the tower!?!” let out a shocked Lia. The pair had at least landed on firm ground, but near the uppermost floor of Ramazith’s tower, and most importantly, outdoors. 

“Right, let’s look for a door or window.”

The pair searched around, and eventually Lia found an opening to a window to the library inside.  Escaping the frigid gusts of the outdoors, Gale raised his hand, planning to illuminate the lighting inside the library.

“In for a penny, in for a pound.  Lia, do me a favor, watch me, carefully repeat every motion I make, and repeat every sound I make. Clear?”

Doing an imitation of Gale, the tiefling retorted back “Watch me, carefully repeat every motion I make, and repeat every sound I make. Clear?”

Letting loose a louder laugh this time, Gale began the process of casting Light.  Lia, relaxed in spite of their situation after the joke, following along closely. Word for word, motion for motion, she had proven a fantastic mimic for the wizard from Waterdeep.

At least in terms of her attempts to copy Gale.  The results…diverged.  Gale’s attempt effortlessly resulted in the illumination of a nearby brazier.  As did Lia’s.  “Gale! Oh, my gods, I….” Before she could complete the thought, an itch began to spread through every cell of her being. An itch that became a tickle.  Laughing, Lia suddenly found herself as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.”

“Uh, Lia…”

The levity of the moment was replaced by a different form of levity as Lia found herself nearly a meter off the ground – and rising.  Leaping, Gale managed to grab her by the hand and pull her towards him. 

Equally parts amused and concerned, Lia fleetingly found herself noting the wizard’s surprisingly firm grip.   For a bookworm, he has surprisingly strong hands here.

With her attention firmly focused on Gale, she noticed his casting once more. A glow rapidly enveloped them both – and she found herself beginning to return to the ground, slowly and gently.

Suddenly, a feeling of static and a pop of light. Gravity took hold once more, and the tiefling woman came crashing down upon the human wizard, landing atop him on the ground.

Realizing she had Gale pinned to the ground, she allowed her brain a moment, then rolled off, a sly grin mixed with intense confusion. 

“WHAT IN THE NINE HELLS WAS THAT?! Gale, not that I dont appreciate the soft landing but what happened? I did your little magic thing, it even looked like it worked, then suddenly I’m airborne.  What’s going on?”

Gale attempted to regain his composure, his mind lingering perhaps just a moment too long at having just had Lia atop him.

“Lia, excluding Rolan, does your family have ANY history of magic use whatsoever?”.

“Honestly, a lot of our folks died when we were young.  Why? I already told you, I’m not a mage. Rolan and I aren’t even related.”

“I’m aware that Rolan isn’t strictly your biological sibling. However, what I just witnessed is crystal clear, Lia.  Would you like the good news, the bad news, the worst news, or what’s behind door #4?”

“Out with it, wizard!” glared Lia, albeit slightly playfully. 

“What do you know of magic users known as ‘sorcerers’?”

“I’ve heard Rolan say things. Honestly, I think he was a little jealous. They’re the ones that are just born with magic, right? No studying or…. wait, what are you saying?”  Lia’s confused statement, however, was betrayed by a knowing look upon her face.

“There exists a category of sorcerers known as ‘Wild Magic’ sorcerers. The source of their magic tends to be the most unpredictable. Sometimes it’s by pure happenstance of birth.  Others it’s by unintentional magic exposure. Some have gained their talents by interactions with demons, or with the fey.  Still others went to their deaths believing that their powers had simply been a trick of the Gods.”

“Out with it.”

“Lia, what I’ve witnessed now twice in just the last half hour with you is indisputable. Those are the tell-tale wild magic surges of a sorcerer.  Why it started with scrolls, I’m not sure – perhaps it’s particularly volatile magic, perhaps there was some sort of ward on one of the scrolls that you tried to use that caused its’ magic to backflow into you. But ONLY a wild magic sorcerer could have caused what you just experienced when you attempted to light that brazier.   You’re a sorcerer, Lia.”

The intense emotion of the situation brought forth a familiar tingle. Her eyes shot open with alarm.

“Control it, Lia.  With study, you can learn to master these – “

Gale’s words were all too late. Another flash and crackle of electricity filled the room, along with a light layer of smoke. 

“Lia, answer me please, are you okay?”

As the smoke cleared, the first things visible were a pile of clothes of the ground.

Eyes opening wide, Gale could only let out a shocked “Uh oh.” as he prepared a sending spell and tried to think of what counterspell would be proper for this.

---

Downstairs, the magical lights of the shop flickered for a third time.  Grand Duke Wyll was the first person to notice “Look, everyone, the snow’s stopped.”

“Finally. The weather seers hadn’t said anything about snow” noted Rolan, interrupted by the large man (and mighty hamster) near him. “Clearly, they did not seer this coming” chuckled Minsc. 

“Hey, has anyone seen Lia? She took a bundle to the kitchen an hour ago, and she’s not back yet.  Kitchen portal’s not working either!” shouted Cal across the room. 

“The magic in this tower HAS been rather…eccentric, dating back to even before we’d left.  I had asked Gale to look at it.”  Rolan looked concerned towards Tav. 

Suddenly, Tav heard a familiar ping near the back of her head.  A sending spell?  From Gale.

“Tav. Come quickly to the library.  Bring Rolan. It’s Lia. Portals acting weird. Wild magic”

The hero of Baldur’s Gate wasted no time, grabbing her betrothed and heading towards the library portal. “It’s Gale, he’s with Lia.  They’re in the library, and it sounds like trouble.” 

“Why would my sister be in the library? Why would she be in the library with Gale? He’d only gone to the kit- “

Remembering that Lia had taken the now non-functional kitchen portal herself, they exchanged a confused glance.

“Gale said something else.  Said that the portals are weird and indicated “wild magic.”. 

“That is most certainly bizarre, my love.  How would the wild magic of a sorcerer affect the portal system?  What does it have to do with Gale and Lia?”

“No clue.  Wyll, Jaheira,“ Tav yelled across the room, “Rolan and I are going to the library. Something’s not right. If we’re not back or you don’t get a sending spell from me in fifteen minutes, get Cal’s keystone and come directly to the library. Portals are acting weird, though, so be prepared for anything. Keystone works for up to two people.”

Wyll nodded, almost eager at the chance for some semblance of actual adventure. Minsc appeared slightly saddened to not be invited to whatever was about to go to down town.  The others continued to focus amongst themselves?

“Ready, my love?” asked Rolan to Tav

“Ready”

The glow of the portal engulfed them quickly.  Aside from a slight draft, and a marginally smoky smell, moments later, they found themselves in the library. Gale’s hand was aglow and raised over his head.  In front of Gale stood a pile of clothes and a medium sized sheep, bleating in a vague panic.

“Gale what is-“

“QUIET. NOW.” shot back the wizard, grateful at their presence but annoyed at the interruption.

A curious pairing of scents, lilies and root vegetables, began to waft over the room. Rolan quickly found himself wondering Why in all the nine hells is Gale reversing a poly…OH. OH NO

A bright flash and more smoke engulfed the room.  Before Gale – and at a distance Tav and Rolan – once more stood Lia, now in the unfortunately compromised position of being “on all fours” and, embarrassingly, naked as the day she was born.

“Oh, oh thank the Gods, thank you Gale.  That was…I am getting rid of ALL of the wool in my wardrobe tomorrow.” Gale rapidly averted his gaze as a passing thought tried to remain in his mind. Rolan looked ready to fire a spell of Blight in his direction.

As Tav went over towards Lia in order to help her future sister-in-law with her outfit and to offer comfort, Rolan angrily grabbed Gale, pulling him towards an alcove on the site. 

“Gale Dekarios. Explain, now! WHY WAS MY SISTER A SHEEP? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?”

“Rolan, I promise, you and Tav will get a full recap in the morning.  What we both need now is to find someplace to rest, and safely.  Lia is safe, Rolan, she – “ “SHEEP. GALE, WHY WAS MY SISTER A SHEEP. WHY WAS MY SISTER NUDE AND IN THE LIBRARY WITH YOU?”

“Brother I’m fine.” Yelled Lia across the room.

“I just don’t understand WHAT IS…”

What had been an anger and confusion filled stream of consciousness set of reactions slowly gave way to Rolan’s more analytical nature.

Sheep.  Magical backfires. The angry sending spell I got from Tolna.

Rolan’s jaw started to hang open as his pupils opened so wide his eyes began to form an eclipse.

“You can’t possibly…no…she’s nor.”

With an almost giggle, a now re-clothed Lia make her way over towards her brother and Gale.  “Looks like you’re not the only mage in the family now, brother”

“Oh gods, she’s not.”

“Rolan, as senior instructor of Illusion at Blackstaff Academy, it is my solemn duty to inform you that your sister, Lia, is in fact a sorcerer. Potentially one of some moderate degree of power, if albeit near-zero control without the proper tutelage”. 

“Rolan, this is great. ANOTHER mage in the family!” noted Tav, excitedly.  Her music had provided Tav herself with a conduit to the Weave, while Rolan’s skills as a wizard were known.  Now, here was Lia – and she was manifesting magic?!  The possibilities for taunting Rolan are delightful now.

Sharing a glance at each other then towards Rolan and Gale, Lia and Tav began to laugh.

“Damnation.” grimaced Rolan.  “Still, if you can learn some measure of control”, began Rolan with a mix of pride and hesitation, “If you can learn some manner of control, perhaps you may yet accomplish great things.”

“I had offered your sister a magic lesson in the morning. I would actually still like to follow through with that, if it’s alright with you Lia?”

“You know what?” Lia glanced at the two wizards with a mix of curiosity, playfulness, and perhaps just a pinch of spite?  “I’d like that. I think I could learn a lot from you, Gale Dekarios.”

This time the glances were shared between Rolan and Tav.  Uh oh.

[dilatorywriting]

(just a thought I wanted to shared thinking of grandpa Vil) Howl's moving castle au, Vil's beautiful so you think he'd be howl but no, he's an old grandpa crying about his beauty, you think the poor ol guy has started losing his marbles and let him in to live out his days traveling

Vil: "I used to be so beautiful, royalty envied my beauty, I was a muse!"

reader: "Okay grandpa, lets get you to bed, I'll bring you some tea" :)

Holy fuck holy fuck. Howl’s Moving Castle is genuinely my favorite movie. This is killing me. Also I know this is definitely going in a very different brain direction BUT LIKE. I CAN’T HELP IT

Vil as the Witch of the Wastes, desperately doing everything he can to maintain his youth and beauty. Neige as Suliman’s young prodigy, who easily sweeps in one day to take his place, leaving the once first choice to be the Royal’s Head Wizard as nothing more than a bookend. Vil who after losing access to all the grand magics of the Academy trades his soul away and begins dealing in the inexplicable in order to maintain even a fraction of the powers Suliman tried to strip from him.

Vil, who becomes a living legend and a nightmare—feared so well by all the little town folk that no one ever bothers to even think of getting in the way of his slowly building atrocities. Until one day he curses a poor, innocent, hat shop keeper he sees Neige leading through a waltz in the sky. Curses them to be old, and ugly, and everything he fears. Except after he no doubt ruins their miserable, little, life, they just keep running into each other. The Hat Shop Idiot just doesn’t know what’s good for them. Has sought out powerful magics without thinking to harness it for their own advantage, talks with a fire demon like its a pampered little pet, walks into danger with a stiff upper lip and an even stiffer, tackier, hat. They trade insults with him—as he deserves, who is he kidding—until the both of them are standing at the Gates of Suliman’s castle.

And then that tacky little idiot helps him when his magic fails. Cheers him on with genuine kindness and offers him an arm when his muscles are put under the strains of his real, battered, body for the first time in ages. When Suliman strips him of everything he has left, the poor little Shopkeep he once cursed out of nothing but cruelty takes him with them—saves him too. Gives him his own room in a magic castle and access to every, forbidden, thing he’s been hunting with such wicked fervor. And you, stupid hatter that you are, treat this real, ugly, version of himself with so much gentle kindness that how could he not finally see why all these other magical men and monsters have fallen in love with you too?

[bloofinntoona]

These things I promise you: (one)

Word Count: 2 k

Themes: ominis gaunt x f! beauxbatons reader x sebastian sallow, slow burn, arranged marriage, eventual infidelity

Summary: (part I) by the age of ten, you were betrothed to ominis gaunt. every summer, your parents forced you to spend summers with the gaunts. in an unlikely unfortunate event, you get to know your betrothed better.

Pureblood. The word still left a bitter taste in your mouth no matter how many times you heard it. Your sweaty hand held onto your maman's tightly. The frills and lace adorning your dress rubbed against your skin - eliciting and itchy feeling that you couldn’t scratch unless you wanted a good scolding from your parents. Your maman was wearing an elegant black dress, her corset perfectly accentuated her slim waist. The woman never failed to look exquisite, especially during the annual Pureblood families gathering - the upper echelons of the Wizarding World. The ball happened once a year at the end of summer, exclusively for wizards and witches whose blood runs purely from magical family. Whoever had a trace of muggle blood would be promptly exiled from the community - and even few faced death for it.

Your fingers twiddling with the hem of your skirt, eyes fixed on the boy in front of you. Your gaze lingered on his milky blue eyes. You had never met a blind person before, and all you could think about was how beautiful his eyes were. Ominis Gaunt. The name echoed in your head. Your parents wouldn’t shut up about the Gaunts on the way to the ball - talking highly about the particular Pureblood family, especially knowing that they were direct descendants from Salazar Slytherin, and a part of the sacred twenty-eight. The woman in front of you, who introduced herself as the blond boy’s mother, hailing the Gaunt’s name proudly. She had a tight grip on the boy’s arm, and you winced your face imagining how hurtful it was.

“We are so very honored to have this union with the Archambeau family.” said the woman, snapping you back to reality.

“Likewise,” your maman smiled politely, “Y/N is very thrilled to be engaged to Ominis.”

Your eyes widened at the statement, the urge to break free from your maman’s grasp was too tempting. They had never told you about this plan before, let alone ask your opinion about this. You were merely ten years old, and you were already set to marry a stranger that you had never met before. Ominis stood still as well, his face scrunched up, most likely feeling the same way as you do.

“Praise be to Slytherin!” the woman exclaimed, “Though I suppose their marital union should be done after they both finish their studies. After all, our dear Ominis will enroll at Hogwarts next year.” hissed the woman in parseltongue. Your ability in deciphering and speaking the language was still elementary, as you could just catch the word “after” and “study”, yet you get the gist that you will be truly married to Ominis once you finish school.

“I agree, our Y/N will be starting her studies at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic next year as well.” you mother hissed back.

“Ominis,” the woman dragged the boy closer to you, grabbing his hand a little too hard, and held it in front of you, “say hello to your darling fiancée.”

“Bonsoir, Ominis.” You did a quick curtesy before shaking his hand. The poor boy was trembling slightly, his hand was sweaty and cold.

The rest of the ball was a complete blur for you. There were dances here and there, crude gossips about Pureblood families who started to ally themselves with Mudbloods, and hearty dinner that you couldn’t enjoy as your stomach flipped from the sudden news of your engagement. You stayed silent on the carriage back to your home, gazing at the clear night sky from the carriage window. Suddenly, warm hands enveloped your tiny ones, “Mon petit coeur,” your mom smiled softly, “You should be happy. The Gaunts have the purest magic blood in England.”

You sighed a little to loudly as your father glared at you, prompting you to look down, “But,” you gulped, “I don’t know him at all… How am I supposed to fall in love and marry him?”

Your papa erupted in laughter, “Love? This is about the union of two powerful pureblood family. Feelings don’t matter.” His expression turned serious as he glared at you, “This is for your own good, ma chérie, our own good, so you better behave.”

Tears threatened to fall down on your cheeks as you bit your lips hard enough that you tasted iron. Your maman stroked the back of your hands gently, “We shall spend our summers with the Gaunts starting from next year... I think it will help you get to know Ominis better.”

A heavy sigh escaped your lips, the ride home continued silently after. You leaned back, resting your head against the plush cushion in the carriage, closing your eyes as your thoughts jumbled together in your mind. 

The next summer, your parents fulfilled their promise to visit the Gaunt’s manor. The place was too gaudy to your liking, a tad comical seeing the old gothic building, too fitting with the name Gaunt. Tall trees and unkempt plants decorating the front of the manor. Your frown deepened. It was harrowing enough that you had to spend the entire summer at an unfamiliar place, being forced to get to know your future fiancé, but seeing the state of the manor just worsen your mood. You stepped inside the manor, wooden floor creaking underneath your shoes. As dust filled your lungs, you let out a series of coughs. Your mind started to wonder, perhaps your parents secretly hated you, subjecting you to live in such terrible condition for the rest of your lives.

Your parents, as well as Ominis’, had been urging the two children to get to know each other, but it only resulted in awkward stare-downs. A week passed by, both you and Ominis had not yet spoken a word to each other. As an act of desperation, your families decided that it was a good idea to lock the two alone together in the living room, forcing the two to interact with each other.

“Ominis, would you like to play?” you sighed, finally approaching your supposed fiancé. Half an hour passed by and you were bored to death - trying to talk to the boy was a thousand times better than talking to the silent moving paintings on the wall.

Ominis shook his head. You let out another exasperated sigh, imagining your bleak marriage days in the future. The boy held onto his wand tightly, a soft red glow emitting from the tip. 

“Can you see,” you gently touched the stick, “with that?”

“Not really,” Ominis whispered, startling you. That was the first time you actually heard him speak. His voice was very gentle, almost like a squeak.

“So what do you do with it?”

The blond boy shrugged, “It helps me feel… things around me-” Before he could finish his sentence, a blood-curling scream echoed throughout the mansion. You swore your heart was about to burst from your chest, and you stood still, utterly shocked. The sound of small, hurried footsteps startled you again, as you saw Ominis quickly hid underneath a table. The poor boy hugged his knees tightly, tucking in his head. You walked closer, starting to notice that Ominis was trembling, his wand was discarded on the floor. You picked up the wand, slowly sitting down next to him. Your hand rested carefully on his back.

“Don’t cry,” you whispered, “We are safe here. Our parents will protect us.”

“You don’t understand!” Ominis sobbed, tears ran down his cheeks, voice shaking, “They are doing it again… doing bad things to muggles.”

“Ma chérie,” you sat on your papa’s lap, gaze lingered on an open book that he was reading, “Do you know that there are good magic and bad magic?”

“Bad magic?”

“Magic that can… hurt people, and even put them to sleep forever.”

You stayed silent as your papa continued, “But these magic are powerful. And they will keep you safe from harm. You will need to learn it in the future. It is our duty as Purebloods to pass down this precious knowledge.”

“Does maman know about bad magic too?”

“Yes, of course.”

Another scream startled the two children again, louder this time, sending shivers down your spine. Everything clicked in your head. The adults were casting dark magic to muggles. A little part of your heart sank - you didn’t know that your parents were even capable to do such things. Your mind raced, your hand instinctively found Ominis’. Surprisingly, he reciprocated your action. The two stayed that way until the series of screams stopped.

“Can you do it too, Ominis?” you broke the silence, “Bad magic?”

Ominis shook his head, his eyes were puffy, and snot running down from his nose, “My parents and siblings made me do it,” he sniffled, head hanging low, “I could not do it at all. Then they did it to me… It hurts… so much.” The boy started to sob again.

You gently laid your hand on his hair, stroking the soft strands gently - just like how your maman calmed you down after being scolded by your papa. “I’m sorry…” you muttered under your breath. 

For what seemed like hours, you sat down under the table with Ominis, hands still intertwined. The tension of the situation took a toll on the children physically as you both fell asleep, Ominis’ head leaned comfortably against yours. In a half-concious state, you felt your body being lifted up by your papa as you drifted into a deep slumber.

The shared trauma that you shared with Ominis was like a key that opened parts of his heart to you, little by little. Starting from short games of hide-and-seek, which Ominis was particularly good at since his senses were heightened by his wand, to secret meetups in the attic by the end of the summer. 

You crawled through a small opening in the Gaunt manor’s dusty attic, following Ominis who deftly dodged obstacles - most likely remembered the place at the back of his mind. “This is my secret hiding place,” the boy flashed a smile, something you get to see more often. “Aunt Noctua showed me how to get here. She said it was her secret spot when she was just a kid like us.”

In a secluded corner, you saw books, stuffed animals, and muggle toys sprawled around the floor. You couldn’t contain your excitement as you quickly grabbed onto the assortment of toys, your papa hated muggles so much that you were “protected” from the so-called dirty muggle things. You felt a nudge on your arm and saw Ominis holding out a book with the title ‘Alice in Wonderland’ gilded on the cover. “Aunt Noctua gave this to me on my birthday,” he said with a chirpy tone, “Secretly, of course.”

“What is it about?” you mused, taking the book and flipping through the pages. “My parents would never let me read such things.”

“It’s about a girl who fell into a rabbit hole and traveled into a weird place,” he smiled, “I haven’t finished it though. Aunt Noctua is too busy to read it to me these days.”

“Shall I read it for you?” you held onto his hand, carefully helping him sit down across from you.

His milky blue eyes glimmered, “Really?” Ominis flashed the biggest smile you’ve ever seen ever since you met the boy.

“Of course!” you grinned, proceeding to read the passages to Ominis. You couldn’t help but occasionally peek out to gaze at the boy, who kept his joyful smile throughout. At that point, a thought flashed in your head, a promise that you kept dear in your heart ever since - a promise to keep that smile on his face.

The summer ended with the annual ball. As much as you hated the smug grins on the adults’ faces, thinking their plan of getting you and Ominis to know each other worked, you didn’t mind the newfound friendship you had with the boy. At least you didn’t have to be dragged around the ballroom by your maman, sitting down in the empty garden with Ominis was a far better way to wait for the event to finish.

“Are you nervous about going to school this year?” Ominis asked, his hands twiddling a stick that he picked up from the ground. 

“A little,” you resorted to picking small flowers that littered the garden, gathering them into a small bouquet, “But my maman said I will live in a beautiful castle. I saw the uniform, it is quite pretty.”

“I bet it is.”

Your felt heat rushed to your cheeks, as a loud thump echoed in your chest. The night air felt particularly warm, gently flowing through your frilled skirt. You approached your fiancé, carefully putting the messy bouquet of flower on his hand. Ominis took the bouquet, bringing the flowers close to his face, inhaling the floral scent of freshly picked wild flowers. You swore his face reddened as his lips formed to a soft, genuine smile.

“I think you will be alright, Ominis.” you smiled widely, “I think you will meet lots of new friends.”

“I hope so.”

[letters-from-dekarios]

{ After he was met with his affliction, Gale withdrew himself into his tower for a year. With only Tara for company, and bless her - she tried her best, the wizard drowned in guilt and shame. After the first few weeks, the incessant sending spells died down, after some months, colleagues stopped coming by, safe for only a few friends and his mother. Around that time he stopped checking for mail too. It didn't matter anymore.

Safe to say, Gale was unprepared when the sky suddenly darkened and before he could react, he was plucked right from the ground and taken by the nautilod. But his unexpected adventure served to be quite enlightening and he returned to Waterdeep as a happier and healthier man. He comes back to his home to find his mailbox absolutely flooded. He's got some mucking out to do.

Beneath all the letters of concerned, confused and even some angered colleagues and acquaintances, as well as archmage business, he finds a rather surprising set of letters penned by an old friend from his time at the Blackstaff Academy : Theofiel Rivershade.

A timid but sociable half-elf. The two of them lived parallel to each other in the first few years there, same friends and mentors but somehow never crossing paths. Until they began nursing a quiant friendship after Gale needed help in hunting down a set of very rare and old books by an author that was as sound of mind as he was known : barely.

But after a while of idle comradery, Theofiel, who was quite studious and hardworking, a trait Gale admired as he was more of the sleep-in-class-but-ace-the-test kind of guy, became.. unmotivated and sluggish. And as he attended the Academy less and less until completely dropping out, Gale never truly knew what had become of his formerly bright and curious friend apart from rumors that he had fallen on quite hard times with his health.

And now, four letters lay before the wizard on the coffee table. He brewed himself some tea in the meantime as he opens the first letter. The date was about five months after he'd secluded himself from the world. The second letter was sent eight months in. The thrid was nine months and the last just recently, about a few weeks ago when he was still in the midst of his quest to safe Faerun.}

⚝─⭒⭑⭒─⚝

1st letter : Warm greetings, Gale Dekarios

Or Gale of Waterdeep, if you prefer it. It's a quite imposing and deserved title, after all.

I know you haven't heard of me in a long time, and I hope you'll forgive me for it. But I have heard of you in the meantime. And while what I usually hear fills me with a content warmth in my chest, it has recently begun to feel colder and tense.

I do wish you well with what has been ailing you. You should know that I'll always be an open ear, like in good old times.

~ Best of wishes, Theofiel Rivershade

2nd letter : Greetings Gale Dekarios,

I know my concern might be of little comfort or significance to you, I admit it's been a while and in our brief friendship I don't think we ever talked about the plights that weighed on our souls. I know I never did. Perhaps I should have, and then we could have ended up more closely acquainted and I would have come to visit instead of sending letters.

But alas, I can't help being concerned, I always am. And if I learned one thing back then, it's that it's always worth trying. So I hope you're taking care of yourself, Gale. I hope you have someone with you.

~ Be well, Theofiel Rivershade

3rd letter : judging by the slightly skewed writing and the spelling mistakes, it must've been written either in the late hours of the night, while drunk, or both.

Greatings Gale Dekraiu

Theres an very uneasy feeling that has been playging me for a while now because the longer yur silence stretchs, the harder it bites down in me somewere. Like a fly trap but more big. I don't know what is hapening to you but I keep thinking about how similar it is to when I dropped out of the Acadeny. They say it's like you steppd into the shadows, or you are just drowning yourselv in research. But I have a bad feeling, I don't know. When I shut away it was because I was tired. Everyting was exsohsting. I felt a fire in me dying out. I felt like I was rotting slowly away and something eating me from inside. So I hid away to rot in peace. I was ashamed. But you were never exhasting to me, you know? It was easy with yu. But learning wasn't. I'm sorry. I'm not asking you to reply, it's still not my plase to do so. This is my last letter, I don't want to bofher you anymore. I hope you are okey.

At the bottom of the page was a sentence scribbled out, but he could still make out the words : "You've always been someone special to me, even after all these years."

~ Theo

4th letter : Warm greetings, Gale Dekarios

You've always been a common topic in my circles but now you're a topic everywhere it seems. I can't express to you how relieved I was when I heard you reappeared, be it quite far from here, and that you were with company. Fighting for the greater good.

I assume you are doing better. I hope so.

I apologize for my previous letters. There's nothing I can really say for myself except that I have a bad case of 'being a worrywart'. You may discard them if you so please. I think that's for the best.

I'm wishing you lots of luck for your quest and with yourself. All of Waterdeep has faith in you. Me as well. Keep your new friends close, they'll be good for you.

All I want is for you to be okay, happy if I dare say so. This letter is actually my last, I promise.

~ Sincerely, Theo Rivershade

⚝─⭒⭑⭒─⚝

( I'm so glad this blog exists. I've been very nervous about writing here but finally got over myself xD

I imagine the relationship between Gale and Theofiel never got explicitly romantic, but they did have moments that sometimes felt like it would become more, but neither of them acted on it. They got along, but never deeply knew each other but it still felt weird to go from a pleasant friendship to complete silence from Theo's side. But it happens.

I hope this wasn't too long though, I'm sorry °~°)

Dearest Theo,

I apologize for not writing you sooner. Time has gotten the best of my mind, even now but more upon the initial sending of your letters. As I sort through the piles of untouched words from friends much like you, it is only then I see how much I truly missed out on. As you may have deduced, I spent little time outside my tower for some time. I will admit to my isolation, but there is far more to it than that simple word.

Regardless, I’d like to address everything in each letter you sent me. As busy as my mind is, I cannot shake the feeling of losing out on something by not taking it all in. You must know how I recognize every letter you planted into these pages, or I fear my mind may give out.

It’s common knowledge that yes, again, I had isolated myself for a while. A year, to be exact. Given your standing as a friend, I’ll be honest in also admitting that I was not doing well. I’m not quite sure how far the grapevine went, but I was shunned by Mystra for… well, I’m not sure where I stand with her now despite it all, but it was a while. A long while. I was selfish and stupid, qualities I am not proud of holstering at that time. But, alas, young minds and a desire for greatness are not always the best combination. Thankfully, though I was not taking the greatest care of myself, I had my Tressym, Tara. You may remember her, do you? I’m sure if I mentioned your name she would have plenty to say.

Worry naught! After a year of sulking and withering away, Tara found the solution to my needs. And, now, those needs are gone. Replaced with ones that are much more fulfilling to the soul, I can happily say I am an entirely new man! As you also may have heard, being infected with tadpoles and nearly transforming into a Mindflayer does change a person.

Theo, dear Theo… I’m not sure where to begin with your third letter. Your drunken worry brings a feeling to the heart I cannot begin to name. While I try to keep this letter more lighthearted, I cannot help but feel akin to what you described. Just the same, I locked myself away with the intent to… pass away, silently. I’m not sure why. I had everything, yet nothing at all- isn’t that odd? I often reminisced on my relationships with people of my past, you included. I knew that if I just asked, you’d extend your hand to help. Shit, you wrote to me all that time. I feel a fool for not replying sooner- for not easing your concern sooner. Now I ramble here, hoping for an answer to the questions I had back then. I don’t wish to put this on you, as aforementioned I’d like to keep it light.

But, Theo, you were special to me, too. I believe you still are.

I can reassure you now, though. I am doing significantly better than I had been. Please, do not apologize for your former concern. You had every right. It is I who should be apologizing for leaving you to worry in silence. I promise to do as you ask, it’s certainly part of my plan for the future.

I’m not sure where you consider me, after all this time of silence, but I hope I can still be considered a friend. I still think of you as one, truly.

Perhaps we can meet sometime to reminisce over the past and catch up on what we’ve each missed. I’d enjoy that. Though, the trip to Waterdeep is a long one. Perhaps our correspondence can make up that time for now.

Tell me, Theo, how are you? Are you taking care of yourself? I hope you are. How are your studies nowadays? I never had the heart to ask how you were after you left, for fear of rubbing my success in your face. I hope you don’t hate me for that.

I’d hate to kill the pigeon who carries this letter from the weight of my words, so I shall end it here.

Thank you, for all of it. It calms my mind to know that I am surrounded by those who care. I used to believe I didn’t have anyone, but that just isn’t true.

Your friend,

𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒌𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔

text reads: gale dekarios

oh my god I absolutely loved this!!! I literally squealed reading this for the first time. This is so so cute! never ever apologize for writing long, this makes me so happy. I’m still kicking my feet as I write my little a.n cause this is just so [ chefs kiss ] ~ kore

[selunesdreams]

Somebody in the Hells Loves You

“Gale, I don’t mean to sound unappreciative, but what are you doing here? We haven’t spoken in years - we’re practically strangers-”

A bright white flash interrupted Florence, and she lifted her gaze to find a strange, tentacled ship tearing through the night sky.

“What in the hells?” Her body was frozen in terror. “Is that a-”

For once in his life, Gale was speechless, and as the ship rapidly approached, he cursed and grabbed Florence by the hand.

“Unless you want to see that thing from the inside, I suggest we run.”

Pairing: Gale x Named Tav/OFC

Summary: It’s been nearly a year since anyone has heard from Gale Dekarios. Once a promising mage, he now lives as a recluse, stripped of Mystra’s favor and cursed by netherese magic due to a well-intentioned but catastrophic mistake.

For Florence Ashveil, who left Blackstaff Academy years ago after circumstances thwarted her dreams of becoming one of the best and brightest wizards of her generation, the silence has been even longer. But when their paths cross again just as they are abducted by a Nautiloid ship, it seems they’ll have plenty of time to get reacquainted.

Rating: mature

Words: 3.8k

Tags: just-fucked-it-up-with-Mystra era Gale, slow burn, mutual pining, mysterious past, baggage, sexual/romantic tension Warnings: brief tangential mention of Astarion-related trauma, not graphic, viewed as flashback.

a/n: Welcome to my first Gale fic! The pipeline is real. This story is still developing, so I'm not sure how the rating/tags will be impacted. It's reasonable to expect some eventual smut. Sorry if you were waiting on the next installment of Forms of Imprisonment, I got distracted by this one but promise it’s coming soon!

There were countless times in Florence Ashveil’s thirty years of life when she complained she “ was in the Hells .” Secondary school, family reunions, her first breakup - her mother had chastised her on each occasion, explaining ad nauseam how everyone endures such things, that they don’t equate to suffering a place like Avernus. Once, during exams week, her second year at the Academy, she wrote the phrase in a letter home and received a pigeon from Cora Ashveil the next day.

“I pray you never truly experience the hells, Flossie, because I fear your poor tolerance for distress would set you up poorly for surviving them.”

If only her mother could see her now.

*Hours Earlier*

Florence perused the offerings of the crowded Waterdeep Market alone, following her usual Tenthday ritual. Hundreds of stalls and camped vendors shouted at passing visitors, vying for their gold. A few called out to her with flirtatious compliments, encouraging her to come closer or try a free sample, and she shook her head with a terse smile, keeping wary of thieves. Her fingers touched her coin purse several times to confirm it was still there. She stopped at her usual booth, inspecting produce with a frown as she tried to ignore the never ending voices screeching in her mind.

Check for worms, maggots - what if they’re infested with maggots and you don’t see-

Relief came as distraction - an ostentatious, familiar voice, chatting with a nearby vendor, as if incapable of stopping.

“Did you know the skin of a kiwi is just as edible as the rest of it? I had a friend from Snowdown as a child, his family had vines upon vines of the things growing-”

Gale Dekarios.

It had been roughly a year since the public had seen him, and even longer for Florence. The last time they were in the same room, he’d given her a wistful look as she carried her belongings out of the Academy, books tucked under one arm, her bag slung over the opposite shoulder. She’d kept her eyes downcast, and shuffled out the door as her mentor, Vajra Safahr, solemnly escorted her out. Gale had opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but quickly closed it and disappeared down the hall. Florence somehow found the idea of him pitying her more mortifying than the whispers as she left Blackstaff Academy for good.

So when she’d heard he’d become a recluse after an erroneous act of devotion to gain Mystra’s approval, she’d wondered if it had felt the same to him as it did her - to lose your chance at greatness because your weakness got in the way. There had been rumors he and the goddess were involved in romantically, beyond the magic and mentorship. The news hadn’t shocked Florence. Gale Dekarios, a man of massive talent with the Art, was also not difficult to look at.

And Mystra was…Mystra.

“Florence, is that you?”

He squinted in her direction right as she attempted to duck behind a fruit crate and clumsily, she dropped the cabbage she had been examining into the dirt.

“Shit.”

She stooped to grab it just as Gale’s fingers reached it, and he held it out in his palm, like some sort of offering.

Contaminated, filthy, don’t touch it, throw it away, throw it away-

“Gale! I-”

“Apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten-”

“-such an idiot, head’s always somewhere else these days-”

They both fell silent, realizing they’d been nervously chattering over one another, and Gale placed his hand on her arm with a soft chuckle. The gesture was tender, unassuming, and a wave of warmth spread through her body in response. No one had touched her in years, save the occasional side-hug from her mother.

“It’s good to see you.” He said earnestly, with a thin-lipped smile as he stood from his crouch beside her. She caught something in his gaze, akin to pity, as he assessed her, and she felt sick.

“Likewise, I…how have you been?” She passed the produce vendor a few coins with an apology and awkwardly carried the cabbage as they stepped to a nearby wall to move away from the busy path.

“I spent most of the last year in my tower, essentially a hermit. Gets rather lonely, but I do at least have-“ he stopped himself and cleared his throat. “Apologies, I’ve…not spoken to anyone but my Tressym in quite some time.”

“I had heard, are you…well?”

“Yes, yes, everyone’s familiar with the rumors.” He waved dismissively, and a shadow crossed his features. “But how are you , Florence? Surely up to something magnificent. As I recall, you were talented with the Art, much more so than our peers…”

“Oh, I…I’m actually…” she released a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, “I have nothing impressive to report, honestly. I work at St. Laupsenn as a potions artificer.”

“St. Laupsenn, truly? I spent a little time convalescing there with a nasty case of ruddy pox. For all their kindness, leaving that place was a relief like no other…” He trailed off. “Surely there are other notable things happening in your life? Extracurriculars? Don’t tell me you’re wasting your talent brewing healing potions for a living…”

“I…have a shift at the Hanging Lantern a few nights every ten-day.”

As the words fell from her lips, Florence realized she’d just told him she moonlighted at one of the most notorious Festhalls in Waterdeep with no further context. She watched his face reveal all his thoughts as he processed what she’d said.

He blushed. “The Hanging Lantern? Ah - not what I’d expected, but I’m sure you - do you…?”

“Oh! Oh no, I hardly have the looks for that-“ she forced a laugh to displace her discomfort, “I play piano. Set the ambiance, you know, so they can do all the hard work.”

She swallowed and glanced over her shoulder.

“Of course! How could I forget! You always had a beautiful way with music, invariably working your craft into how you wielded magic. Truly creative, poetic, even…”

Florence had appreciated his verbosity, and never quite succumbed to the bitter jealousy her classmates had towards Gale. Perhaps he stumbled over words or bragged a bit too much, but at his core, he meant well. She believed that sincerely. However, as she stood in the middle of the market, she wished she was anywhere else as she made small talk with the renowned wizard.

“I ah…I apologize, Gale. You caught me at an inopportune moment. I have actually somewhere to be, but it was lovely catching up with you.” She placed a delicate touch on his forearm. “Perhaps we’ll cross paths again soon?”

“Yes, yes, I hope we do. Don’t let me keep you. It was a pleasure speaking with you.”

If he tried to conceal his disappointment, he did a poor job of it. Gods, he must have been so lonely this past year. She nodded politely and, as she change direction to leave, his smile faltered. She’d gotten several steps away before she heard him clear his throat and call after her.

“Florence?”

“Yes?” She turned, her mind focused on the produce still in her hands. Invisible dirt and grime on her fingers preoccupied her every thought. She yearned to toss it in the nearest bin as fast as she could and scrub underneath her nails until they bled.

“I…for what it’s worth, if you wanted to, I think you have the looks for anything. I’m sure you look lovely at that piano every night.”

She blinked at him as he turned and walked away without another word. Behind her, a rothé reached over the wooden fence of its pen and nibbled at her hand. She stepped away, startled.

“Here,” she said, extending the cabbage to it, “it’s all yours.”

The rothé accepted her offering and dropped it to the earth, grazing at it with appreciation. Florence wiped her hands on the waist of her trousers several times and walked home with an empty market basket and the makings of a headache.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He was in the crowd.

Gods-be-fucking-damned he was in the crowd. She should have never told him where she worked.

Florence set her sheet music on the piano, despite her lack of need for it. She’d memorized everything, but it gave her something to focus on, particularly on nights like tonight when she was prone to distraction. Typically, an over-familiar gentleman would question her about her personal life, or a fight would break out at the bar. Tonight, Gale Dekarios beamed at her and waved cordially from a booth.

Hells.

Surprisingly, the night progressed without incident, and she eventually forgot he was there. Once she’d packed her things into her bag and walked out onto the dimly lit street, Gale was leaning against the side of the tavern, arms crossed in front of him.

“Excellent musicianship.” He complimented her and pushed off the wall. “Apologies if my attendance was disruptive, it’s…been a while since I’ve been out or seen an old friend.”

Friend? She thought to herself. How loosely did this man define friendship? To seek her company. How lonely must he have been?

“Thanks…I rarely have people stop by to listen to me play. I’m more…background noise.”

“I did have to, rather awkwardly, explain my business there when I wasn’t interested in paying for…companionship, but it’s always good to get away from typical comforts…”

She stopped walking and turned to him.

“Gale, I don’t mean to sound unappreciative, but what are you doing here? We haven’t spoken in years - we’re practically strangers and-”

A bright white flash interrupted Florence, and she lifted her gaze to find a strange, tentacled ship tearing through the night sky. People screamed around them and the streets flooded with chaos as bodies collided with one another, stampeding towards hope of escape.

“What in the hells?” Her body was frozen in terror. “Is that a-“

For once in his life, Gale seemed speechless, and as the ship rapidly approached, he cursed and grabbed Florence by the hand.

“Unless you want to see that thing from the inside, I suggest we run.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The tadpole wriggled in her brain like a slithering migraine while her breath fogged the glass of her containment pod. As she returned to consciousness, she kicked and slammed her fists against the window, desperately trying to break out.

A sphincter shaped gate opened across the room, splayed apart in a disturbing manner. Through the fogged window, she glimpsed a githyanki searching the room, trailed by a dark-haired woman with unfortunate bangs and…

Him.

“Help! Get me out! Please!”

Florence prayed her cries would make it through the thick walls of the pod, and to her relief, Gale’s head snapped towards her and he rushed over, investigating the exterior for any indications of weakness.

“There you are! Hold on!” He pressed a hand to the glass to reassure her, and she touched it from the other side.

He’d been looking for her.

Muffled by her vessel of containment, she heard the gith arguing with him, insisting they leave her to die. When he refused, the gith left on her own, and Florence couldn’t blame her. They were wasting valuable time.

She watched him run back and forth across the ship several times before he made any progress, the dark-haired woman lingering near the door until he returned to the pod with a triumphant grin and a strange rune. He inserted it into a nearby console and the seal broke and hissed. A mist rose around her before she was ejected onto her hands and knees, and she struggled to catch her breath, body convulsing as she vomited. Gale rushed to her side, dropping to his knees, and rested his hand on her shoulder with a grimace as she retched.

“Never thought I’d get you out of there.”

“Thanks for saving me.” She panted and wiped her mouth with the back of her arm.

“There will be time to debrief later. The ship’s crashing and if we delay any longer, we’re dead!” Shadowheart yanked Florence from the floor and shoved her towards Gale. He held an arm around her shoulders to steady her.

With a cough, Florence nodded in agreement. “Lead the way.”

They followed the woman through vesseled passageways, using Gale as a support until she got her bearings.

“I see you made friends.” She said as they dodged smoldering piles of ash and carrion as dragons soared dangerously close to the sides of the vessel, screeching and roaring as they set fire to the ship.

“That’s Shadowheart. I found her trapped in a pod, like you.”

“Enough dawdling! We are wasting time.” The githyanki shouted as they met her at the ship’s helm.

“And that’s Lae’zel.” He murmured.

Blocking their path, a Mindflayer fought a large cambion in, and Florence clutched her head as his voice echoed inside of her brain.

“Get to the helm, I’ll hold them back.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Gale said and drew an arcane gate for the four of them. He gripped Florence around the waist and pulled her through, letting go once they stepped through the portal, and began fumbling with the controls. As he did so, a brain with legs and claws scrambled up and stopped at Gale’s feet.

Florence’s eyes widened in alarm, and she instinctively took a step back. “What is that?!” she shrieked.

Gale, his attention still fixed on the console, replied, “I... don’t rightly know, but it seems to be on our side.” He paused for a moment, his brow furrowing. “It called itself Kitty at one point, but I pulled it out of a human skull, so I’m not sure if that’s a comfort.”

“Gods, I’m going to faint.”

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t.” Gale responded, and with a final flick of a switch, the console hummed to life, stopping the vessel dead in the air.

“Ha!” He said triumphantly, “See? Everything will be just-“

Suddenly, the ship jolted, emitting a loud creak, and darkness consumed all light in view.

“K’chakhi!” Lae’zel pushed Gale out of the way and studied the console. “You’ve cut the power. We’ll crash!”

“Brace yourselves!” Shadowheart warned. Florence searched for something to hold on to, but when the Nautiloid careened to the side, she slipped through the air with no hope of saving herself. Panic gripped her as she plummeted towards her certain death, the others falling just a few feet above her.

“Take my hand!” Gale’s voice cut through the chaos, grasping for her as they free fell. “There’s a transportation sigil on that rock below. I’ll try to get us there-”

His strained fingertips grazed her skin, and he seized her by the wrist. Midair. He seized her by the wrist and pulled her against him, transporting them from the sky to the arcane sigil. Suspended in time and space, Florence’s panic grew. Gale held her close enough that she could smell the cologne that lingered on his neck. An earthy, spicy blend of cedar, sage, and ginger. Just underneath his shirt, she caught a faint glow. Some sort of magically infused tattoo?

“My magic is…diminished, of late.” He confessed over the dull roar of the void. The sporadic swirls of light inside the sigil illuminated his grim expression. “I can only get one of us out. Find me and-”

She hit the solid ground with a thud before he even finished speaking, and the force knocked the wind from her lungs. Blinded by the sun, Florence squinted and threw a hand in front of her face, looking out at the vast body of water shimmering ahead of her. Time passed differently in magical planes, and it seemed hours had elapsed in the seconds the sigil had trapped them. Fortunately, Gale had transported her to this beach, and not an entirely different dimension.

She pushed herself up from the ground and clapped away the sand sticking to her palms. When she turned, she found the Nautiloid wrecked behind her. From the state of it, survivors were unlikely. She kept vigilant as she moved through the rubble, scanning her surroundings for any signs of Gale.

“I saw you. You were on that ship. You’re one of them.”

A pale, ruby-eyed elf with white hair darted into her path and drew his dagger. She raised her palms in a peaceful gesture.

“I fell from the Nautiloid, abducted, just like you.”

“Do you take me for a fool? You teleported!”

“I don’t have time for this,” Florence grumbled. She pushed past him and stormed up the beach and into the wreckage.

“Wait! Where are you going?” He shouted, too stunned to react.

Ignoring his protests, she wandered through the smouldering remains of the ship until a familiar, whooshing sound of a portal caught her attention. Florence exhaled with relief at the sight of Gale’s arm sticking out of the swirling violet hole.

“A hand? Anyone?”

Without hesitation, she grabbed his arm and pulled with all her strength until the portal spat him out. She fell backwards, and he landed on top of her, inadvertently pinning her down.

“Are you alright?” Concern etched his face as he stared down at her. “I hope I didn’t send you too far...”

“I’m fine, but Gale, what-“ Florence began, her words interrupted by a voice from behind.

“My, my. Seems you found your missing friend.” The elf from the beach was leaning against a nearby boulder, hand still on the hilt of his dagger. A clear warning.

“Ah, I didn’t realize we had company.” With an apology, he scrambled off of Florence and helped her to her feet before turning to the elf.

“I take it you too were the victim of a rather unpleasant ocular insertion?�� Gale tapped his temple and brushed himself off, extending a hand. “I’m Gale, of Waterdeep-”

“I suggest you stow that hand if you’d prefer to keep it, wizard.”

“Lovely friend you’ve made already, Florence.” Gale mumbled and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets as he bowed his head to Astarion. “I’d advise you to stow that blade or I’ll have to- ack!”

A sharp, searing pain erupted between Florence’s temples. The world seemed to spin as visions, not her own, flashed before her.

You sat cross-legged in a tavern with a hand atop a young patriar’s, sharing a bottle of wine. His other hand touched your knee, and you kissed him, but your chest caved in with repulsion. You insisted he blow the candles out when you reached his room, and eyes open in the dark, you focused on one spot of light, cast from the window, until it was all over -

The vision stuttered and slipped away, fading into…

Darkness. Never ending darkness. Violet-black of the shadow weave swirling as the mark on your chest throbbed harder than your aching heart. You almost had everything, and you gave it all up to impress her. You failed, never good enough. She’ll never forgive you. She doesn’t want you. Nobody could want you, not if they knew-

Florence held her arms out, grasping for anything to anchor herself as another vision flooded her senses like a crashing wave. Her fingertips brushed against the coarse surface of the boulder, and she leaned on it for support as a surge of alien memories invaded her mind.

Swiftly maneuvering through the streets of Baldur’s Gate, you ran for your life, but it was too-

A thunderous crack suddenly filled her head, causing her to lose her balance and fall on all fours.

The woman at the piano was someone you thought you could have fallen for, once. Her chestnut hair fell across her face as she played, the soft curve of her half-elvish ears peeking through thick waves as her bottom lip jutted out. You recognized that look, the focus in it. Such talent, such promise. What terrible thing befell her? Why did she leave the Academy? You never got a goodbye, but perhaps it was foolish to expect one. But you approached her at the market because she was like a beacon of hope. Something familiar from your past that you wished you’d paid more attention to rather than-

“Ugh!”

As Florence regained consciousness, she blinked furiously to ease the pulsating burn in her head. Her tadpole seemed to wriggle with recognition, then settled, seemingly sated. She spared a glance in Gale’s direction. Sweat trickled down his forehead, his hand pressed tightly against his heart with a pained expression, as he avoided meeting anyone’s gaze.

“What in the hells what that?” The elf demanded.

“I think we were in each other’s heads…” she groaned.

“Well, it seems you were telling the truth, after all.” With an apologetic smile, he sheathed his blade and wiped his hands on his belt.

“Let’s start over. I’m Astarion.”

“Pleasure.” Gale responded sarcastically and stood with a grunt. Strategically, almost possessively, positioned between Florence and Astarion, he supported her as she rose from the ground, not turning his back to their new acquaintance. Once more, the peculiar tattoo caught her attention, visible beneath his shirt collar. It no longer glowed, but in the light she could see that it subtly connected to the crinkle of his eye, as if magic tunneled through the capillaries under his skin.

“Likewise.” Astarion said. “So, do you have any idea what these…things are in our heads?”

“Tadpoles.” Gale said, “It appears our minds are linked. Unless you know a healer, in a few days’ time, we’ll undergo ceremorphosis and become mindflayers.”

“Mindflayers? Ha… ha!” The elf cackled, “of course we will.”

“We should stick together until we find someone who can extract them. There were others on the ship. I’d like to see if they survived the crash as well.”

“The more the merrier.” Astarion’s demeanor was suspiciously cheerful, a stark contrast to their earlier interaction. Florence had worked in a Festhall for three years, she could easily spot a charlatan. But rather than press the issue, she chose instead to concentrate on surviving the night without becoming illithid.

They found Shadowheart unconscious on the beach as they wandered the debris in search of supplies. Procuring bedrolls, some abandoned packs from fishing posts nearby, and a few dinner rations, Gale suggested they regroup and rest until morning.

“Out here? In the wilds?” Florence picked at the skin around her thumb and glanced towards the burning ship behind them.

“Presumably, there won’t be a tavern for miles. I think we’re roughing it.” Gale’s expression seemed genuinely sympathetic, which came as a relief, because she felt quite high maintenance complaining under the circumstances.

Astarion edged closer to her, “Don’t worry, darling, I’ll keep you safe,” and she swore she caught a disapproving scowl on Gale’s face before he retreated to the edge of camp, explaining, with some urgency, that he needed to get a sending spell to someone in Waterdeep to check on his Tressym.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment/feedback/constructive criticism (this is not peer read) and a kudos on AO3 if you enjoyed (or feel free to hate-kudos it, I won't mind.)

If you'd like, you can connect with me here on Tumblr or check out my Astarion fic (that features Gale), Forms of Imprisonment!

[h0neybane]

ZVA worldbuilding

just some world building for my ghibli-inspired-twst school, zephyr valley academy! this'll all be in a similar order to the one of the wiki page for night raven college

enrollment:

you can definitely apply to get in but i do think some students are handpicked for different reasons!

i think one of the best parts of ghibli films are the walking shots. moments in which characters are just walking to their next destination and you get to see the environment and detailing in the background... i think hayao miyazaki called them something, but i cant remember what it is.

the reason i bring this up is because i think when students are enrolled in ZVA, since the academy is in such a remote and rural area, they're dropped off at a certain point and then have to travel on foot to the building for the entrance ceremony. i dont think it's a long walk by any means: maybe like 30 minutes max and that's pushing it.

but i do think there are a lot of sights the students get to see while walking there. mountainsides, fields, lakes, undisturbed by society.. it's a very peaceful place. i also think maybe the walk should be timed with the sunrise? just cus its cool

during the entrance ceremony each student will receive a broach with their magestone, in which the color matches their dorm (link in next point!)

i mentioned this in my original uniform post, but also during the entrance ceremony, incoming first years recieve an enchanted leaf laurel and boa (shown here) that doesn't have any flowers. throughout their time at the academy, flowers representing them will sprout from the leaves. here's a timeline of the progression of the flowers:

first year: pretty much empty at the start of the year. little sprouts may begin to grow throughout their first year, and most have 2-5 small flowers. especially exceptional students may already have one or two bigger flower buds

second year: more sprouts start to grow, lots of wild variants; i think the second year is where students begin to experiment a little. by the end of the year, most have bigger flowers waiting to bloom. some exceptional students will have fully bloomed flowers already

third year: big flower buds begin to bloom throughout the year. many have grown a lot as mages over their time. by the end of the year, third year students will have rows of flowers around their shoulders and head.

fourth year: fully bloomed. students enter internships and graduate :]

ALSO the boa and laurel change colors with the seasons until it goes into full bloom where its enchanted to always be healthy and bloomed

i think itd make sense for ZVA to have a large (at least larger than usual) fae population considering how nature-connected it is...

ZVA is a co-ed school!!! both girls and boys attend!!!

history:

i feel like ZVA is younger than NRC and RSA but not by very much! where NRC and RSA are 500 years old (i'm saying 500 for simplicity sake; according to the wiki, it's AT LEAST 500), ZVA would probably be 400-300 years old.

here are the figures each dorm is based on, in no particular order (some of these are undecided and will be added later!)

the wizard of ingary (howl from howl's moving castle)

totoro

i cant decided between kaonashi (no face) or haku for spirited away... maybe i'll do a special case where the dorm itself is split into two?

undecided (ponyo)

undecided but im considering doing an offshoot dorm/group based around that boar thing from the start of the movie.. (princess mononoke)

castle in the sky (undecided)

undecided (kiki's delivery service... it might just be kiki but i need to watch the movie before i decide)

i dont have any values for them for now (like how heartslabyul is based on queen of hearts and her severity, savanaclaw is based on king of beasts and tenacity, etc) but i think ill come up with them after some watching...

i also want to add traces of other movies that arent dorms! maybe in events or classes? speaking of events...

traditions and events:

VDC/SDC is definitely one of them! i think they get pretty far in the competition for the cute peaceful vibes but then i think they get beat out by nrc and rsa LOL

interdorm magift/spelldrive: i dont think theyre like SUPER GOOD but also i do think they've won a couple of times

i mentioned this as a serencor (howl dorm) tradition but wouldnt it be so cute if there was a hat-making event honoring sophie... LIKE IMAGINING HOWL MAKING IT A THING JUST FOR HER... AUGUHGJHGJ

halloween: i think itd be interesting if some of the creepier stuff from ghibli films popped up here (say, no face/kaonashi and the boar worm god thing from princess mononoke)

something spirited away related. i DONT KNOW WHAT but its spirited away related.

reputation:

ZVA is known for its nature and being super duper peaceful!! it has a really good reputation among the public and its up there with RSA and NRC!

but at the same time i think itd be so funny if some of the other magic schools made fun of them for being hippies or something LMFAO

uniforms: (i WILL draw all these ideas i PROMISE)

i already did the normal school uniform (here) but i do think there are variations to it for summer and winter! like NRC, ZVA provides a winter coat and has an alternate summer uniform (it's pretty much just the same but short silk socks instead of stockings or kneesocks and short sleeved shirts)

ceremonial robes: i have no idea yet but im so excited to design them... im thinking going in the direction of a kimono or yukata as a homage to ghibli being based in japan

pe uniform: im sorry but nrc's PE uniforms are so. ugly. i think maybe a t-shirt and some shorts + socks? classic

labwear: pretty much the same as nrc's tbh. lab safety is important chat (IM LOOKING AT YOU 90% OF TWST CAST. PUT YOUR FUCKIN HAIR UP)

that's all i have for now! but i will make another one continuing on this tomorrow probably! as always, feel free to give me input!

[sitp-recs]

halloo!! Do you have any 8th/7th year fics in Draco's Perspective?

Hi there, anon! Sure do, here are some of my favourites. Happy readings :)

All Tied Up by MyNameIsThunder (M, 6k)

Blaise is determined to find out why the entrance to the Slytherin common room is acting up all of a sudden. Draco is determined to keep it a secret.

A Pain of Our Choosing by @lqtraintracks (E, 6k)

It’s 8th year and everyone’s still a bit messed up. Harry and Draco fall into being messed up together.

Aletheia by @lazywonderlvnd (E, 8k)

Draco finds out Daphne's been shagging Potter and it turns out it's really not that difficult to get a piece of her hair.

Slow Hands by eleventy7 (T, 10k)

Blood, shadows, and paper hearts. The Shadow hunts students, but Draco Malfoy most of all.

warmest part of the winter (orphaned, T, 11k)

It’s not even a balcony, it’s just a window with a bit of a ledge, and Draco’s read Shakespeare anyway, he knows how this one ends.

Said and Unsaid (or, The Value of Knowing When to Stop Talking) by bryoneybrynn (T, 15k)

When the Interrogator asked if he had anything to say on his own behalf, Draco shook his head, his lips pressed tight in a thin line. There was nothing to say that wouldn’t sound like an excuse.

Scenes of Surrender by Rasborealis (E, 16k)

Draco just wants to keep his head down and finish his last year at Hogwarts. He's not supposed to let his mask slip, and Harry isn't supposed to care.

On Our Way by dynamic (E, 30k)

Draco is trying to spend the summer keeping his head down, but a repair project and a certain snowy owl have other plans for him.

Eager for the Sky by @oknowkiss (M, 35k)

It was announced, just as the Triwizard Tournament had been, at the start of term feast. A year-long, international Quidditch varsity match — the inaugural Wizarding Academy Cup.

Draco Malfoy, It's Your Lucky Day by Faith Wood (E, 37k)

Even though he's unarmed, injured, lost in the Forbidden Forest, and facing a possible murder charge, Draco Malfoy gets lucky.

The Romantic Prawn Who Loved Christmas by @bixgirl1 (E, 39k)

When Draco, forced into sharing a room with Potter for the year, finds out that Potter has a sleepwalking problem, he expects the odd conversations and the weird games of chess. What comes as a complete shock are Potter's other activities...And why he seems so intent on having Draco join him.

Far From The Tree by aideomai (E, 112k)

The arrival of Harry Potter’s children—snapped back in time, the children themselves guessed, twenty or so years—was the most interesting thing to happen at Hogwarts for years.

[silentmagi]

Rising Star

Main Page

Story time, let’s see what won the vote.

1 Drops of Starlight

While Star debated the choices and prepared her note taking materials, she weighed all the options. The light strumming of he lute as Luna warmed up was somewhat soothing, and as much as she wanted to know it all, she was only allowed one right now.

Well it’s only natural to pick the first one and go down the list from there, right? Besides, she had a bit of the narcissism that all wizards have. She wanted to hear about the stars.

“Drops of Starlight, please,” her voice betrayed her before she could reconsider her choice, earning a small laugh from Luna. finding her voice failing her, the wizard dipped her head and tried to hide the reddening of her cheeks.

If Luna noticed, she didn’t say anything, leaning back against the trunk of a tree and tipping her head back. “A personal favorite of mine, told to me long ago by my master.”

“It has its beginnings long ago, before the kingdoms were founded and villages were independent and free. Upon a moonless night, where the stars filled the sky like leaves on a tree. Two lovers met as lovers are wont to do, upon the banks of a lake.

“The moonless night would hide their secret tryst, from prying eyes, while the stars lent them their blessing and guidance. They had to hide their love, for their parents were bitterly opposed to their relationship. Some perceived slight had torn these two childhood friends apart. Yet years later they were brought back by chance meeting at a village dance.

“Young Lucinda had recognized Alice instantly, and was happy to see her, despite their families. Alice had been hesitant, but Lucinda slowly wore her down. So they met in secret, and their hearts intertwined as one.

“Tonight they had decided to run into the dark, to be free to be together, instead of the loveless marriages their families had planned.

“While they met, they did not notice that Lucinda’s brothers had followed her, and when they found Alice there, they were ready to start the quarrel anew, until the stars began shifting in the heavens. The streaks of light, the falling stars were filling the night sky, and one landed into the lake they met at. When they managed to gain their senses again, Lucinda and Alice were floating, and surrounded by swirling stars of their own.

“They were the first magicians, and their love was blessed by the stars before the witnesses. Their lessons of how to use their new powers for all lead to the first academies of magic,” Luna finished the gentle melody with a final note that drifted off into the winds, just as the stars twinkled high above the pair sitting around the fire. “But that is a story, and who knows the truth of it…”

Star smiled as she gave a polite clap, setting down the notes she’d taken. “That’s a wonderful story, and… I wonder…”

“Wonder what darling?” Luna asked as she placed the lute down in her case.

“Well the first headmaster of the academy was a Lucinda, so there is a possible kernel of truth, isn’t there?”

The smile that curled the bard’s lips almost lit up the campsite in an instant. “Always a curious trick, we’ll have to learn more eventually. Perhaps it is time for bards and wizards to unite our knowledge.”

“I’m not high enough in the school to promise anything, but yes… perhaps so.”

“We should sleep, especially if we want to head out in the morning,” Luna commented as she pulled her cloak around her, and settled in against the trunk. “Would you like to take first watch, or last?”

[zaceouiswriting]

Fairy Prince - Hearts of Leviathans - Ch.14

Character: Sky x male reader, Riven x male reader, Brandon x male reader

Universe: Somewhere in Winx Club/Saga

Warnings: None

I have found peace in the darkness that surrounds me ever since that strange, dull pain coursed through my body and sent me into it. If I'm being honest, I didn't think Corey, of all people, would knock me out. He wasn't in front of me as I tried to turn around to figure out where that strange noise was coming from, but the other guy was, so only he could've been the person to do it.

And someone had to knock me out because I never felt my body hit the ground, or rather, I didn't feel any further pain.

Luckily, it didn't hold me unconscious for long, just for a few moments, as I could feel the Hawke being launched and put into the air. This would mean that we would soon arrive at the old wizarding school high up in the northwest, close to the school barrier between the Alfea Academy in the west and Red Fountain Academy far up in the north.

Instead of fully waking up, I go back into the darkness. To try and get some more sleep since I'm still tired. Considering I just came out of a small magically induced coma, it's somewhat understandable.

But it wasn't long after I went back to sleep until I could feel a sharp pain tear me from the refreshing darkness. My eyes widened in pain and surprise. 

Corey's head is close to mine. His face is covered in a mask of neutrality, but I could still see some strange satisfaction in his eyes glistening. However, I push those thoughts aside as my cheek still hurts. In my sleepy state, I let my hand wander there, only to wince at my own touch.

“Did you just slap me?”

With a shit-eating grin, Corey shrugged, put a finger over his mouth, and turned around. He is clearly mocking me for casting a silencing spell on him. It didn't help my flabbergasted state! How dare he do this to me?

I desperately want to stand up and throw him out of this machine of betrayal, but I'm still a little dizzy. 

“How long?” I ask in the spacious room, to no one in particular.

“About five minutes,” the calm voice of the stranger who had led me out of the academy answers quietly.

All I can do is groan in disapproval and fall back, trying to figure out how to pull myself together again. I don't want to embarrass myself when we land. That's easier said than done because I could feel a blazing gaze fixed on me. Without having to look, I know it's Cory. I shouldn't have silent him for my ears.

But even as I could feel his disapproving eyes judging me, I didn't care.

Somehow, I could sit up and press my body against the soft back of the spot where I had been lying, eyes closed and breathing deeply. I feel my senses returning, but the feeling of the Hawke hurtling through the air still didn't do my sensitive stomach any good.

It takes almost all of my composure not to puke on the floor. I will never understand why people voluntarily use such a vehicle. It's different to fly through space but through the air?

Luckily, the way shouldn't be far. So, I only have to hold on for a few more minutes.

Suddenly, I feel another pair of eyes watching me intently. But they stayed on to me for much longer.

“What?” I hear myself ask, annoyed.

“What’s wrong with you?” the guy who had led me out of the academy asks me with an audibly confused tone.

“Don’t like flying,” I tell him, barely managing to push down what’s in my stomach.

There was silence for another moment until this guy. This random guy had the audacity to laugh at my predicament. Annoyed, I open my eyes and want to confront him. Only to be overwhelmed by a particularly strong gust of wind.

One so strong that I have to lie on the floor to keep from throwing up. The same guy started laughing uproariously. Which I only notice in passing. 

Only a few moments later, to my utter delight, I could feel the Hawke descending. Hopefully, not because of any problems, but because we were finally at our destination. Soon, though, the vibrations of my family's magic flowing through the area calm me down.

As soon as the death machine lands back on the ground, I sigh heavily with pure relief. But it's only when the engine slowly turns off that my stomach calms down.

I let myself completely fall to the ground and chuckle happily. The urge to scream in pure bliss is strong, but it would only make me seem even more mentally unstable than I already do.

As I lie there on the floor, I enjoy the moment. My head no longer spins, and my stomach has calmed down significantly.

When I finally stand up, I'm confronted with the stranger's deep ocean-blue eyes, a wide grin on his lips as his eyes dart between Cory and me. Cory, on the other hand, seems annoyed and confused.

“What did the whackid tell you?”

His grin widens. He leans forward slightly and tells me in a small voice, “Oh, trust me, you don’t want to know.”

I raise my eyebrow and look expectantly at the stranger, waiting patiently, not thinking about leaving this monstrosity until I know what was said.

And the stranger apparently noticed that too, as his grin faded slightly. But he quickly holds his hands up in the air in surrender and looks apologetically at Cory with his eyes lowered. 

“He called your actions disgraceful and unworthy of someone of your status. Whatever that means. Furthermore, he told me how surprised he was that you suddenly didn’t like flying anymore.”

I nod my head and even open my mouth in shock and disbelief, pain flashing in my eyes. When I look at Cory, I see panic rising within him. He gestures wildly at the stranger. That's enough for me to stop this nonsense.

I aggressively step towards Cory, causing him to stop every single one of his movements. I could see his Adam's apple bobbing nervously as he must have swallowed quite hard. Raising my finger, I point at him.

“I never imagined someone could be so despicable, unbelievable, or easily refuted.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the stranger's eyes light up with anticipation. At least until I stop speaking, turn to him, and point the same finger at him. "I detest liars," I tell him with a deceptive smile. "Cory may be a lot, but he would never say anything that could damage my reputation."

There is a strange, confused glint in the man's eyes. His smile vanishes, replaced by an unreadable expression.

"Doors open!" The pilot calls out to us out of nowhere. His voice cuts through the thick air around us, which has allowed us to separate.

I'm grateful to the guy, so I wave at him as he looks over his shoulder, extremely annoyed. He clicks his tongue, but I don't really care.

With renewed health, I head through the open door first, leaving the stranger and Cory arguing, or at least the stranger is arguing.

As soon as I step out of the death machine, I see the entire square in front of the old magic academy full of people, not just first-grade fairies and second-grade specialists, as I requested, but also second-grade fairies and first-grade specialists. The different grades of specialists are easy to recognize because their uniforms have different colors, and it is just as easy for the fairies because the first classes are shy and usually stand alone because they don't know anyone there yet. All the while, the second-grade fairies stand in groups.

In shock, all I could do is stare down, frozen in the doorway of the death machine.

I've never gotten so many dirty looks. Everyone there looks at me as if I were the “terror of the forgotten night”.

Only Cory's firm hand on my shoulder could pull me back to myself. I reach for his hand with my shaking one. I don't look back, not wanting to show him any form of gratitude.

With him behind me, I exhale heavily, straightening my back and turning my gaze forward, past everyone staring at me with disdain. I step onto the ground, my chest swollen with pride, the magic deep within the soil tickling me as it welcomes me home.

At least I have one advantage: this place is part of my homeworld. The magic here is quite different from the rest of the world. This means that even if no one here will like me, at least I feel at home. A small smile spreads across my lips because I know that magic - my true friend - will never leave me, even if everyone despises me.

[Masterlist]