#so... about today's g-witch...

[fortune-maiden]

MIORINE WHYYYYYYY T_T

[amelia-yap]

brushy

[hellsitegenetics]

Hi my name is Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way and I have long ebony black hair (that’s how I got my name) with purple streaks and red tips that reaches my mid-back and icy blue eyes like limpid tears and a lot of people tell me I look like Amy Lee (AN: if u don’t know who she is get da hell out of here!). I’m not related to Gerard Way but I wish I was because he’s a major fucking hottie. I’m a vampire but my teeth are straight and white. I have pale white skin. I’m also a witch, and I go to a magic school called Hogwarts in England where I’m in the seventh year (I’m seventeen). I’m a goth (in case you couldn’t tell) and I wear mostly black. I love Hot Topic and I buy all my clothes from there. For example today I was wearing a black corset with matching lace around it and a black leather miniskirt, pink fishnets and black combat boots. I was wearing black lipstick, white foundation, black eyeliner and red eye shadow. I was walking outside Hogwarts. It was snowing and raining so there was no sun, which I was very happy about. A lot of preps stared at me. I put up my middle finger at them.

String identified: a a’ ta a a a a g ac a (tat’ gt a) t ta a t tat ac -ac a c ta a a t t A (A: ’t gt a t !). ’ t at t Ga a t a ca ’ a a cg tt. ’ a a t tt a tagt a t. a a t . ’ a a tc, a g t a agc c ca gat ga ’ t t a (’ t). ’ a gt ( ca c’t t) a a t ac. t Tc a a ct t. a ta a ag a ac ct t atcg ac a t a a ac at t, t a ac cat t. a ag ac tc, t at, ac a a. a ag t gat. t a g a ag t a , c a a at. A t ta at . t g at t.

Closest match: Prunus dulcis DNA, pseudomolecule Pd02 Common name: Almond

[willowser]

i had to call the awful evil witch from tech support at my job today, and it had me thinking about getting the little error message and feeling your heart sink and you lean over to your coworker to whine,

"i have to call and get an override,"

and she snorts because she knows what that means, and despite what she says—there is an evil little gleam in her eye. "maybe midoriya will pick up."

you throw your head back dramatically, letting it hang over the chair until you feel the blood rushing to your ears. "i never get midoriya! what menu options are you choosing to get him, because it's never him for me!"

your coworker shrugs, turning from her computer again to smirk at you. "i don't know, man, it's just whoever picks up."

you stare at the window box in the center of your computer, the red ! at the front of a set of codes you loathe to see. hard as you try to find hope that you'll get lucky and izuku will pick up the phone—you don't think it's likely.

"will you call for me?"

"oh my god, just do it already."

and that's how you end up biting at your thumbnail, staring down at the phone on your desk as the automated voice greets you—happily—and begins to list out the different menu options. you consider choosing something random, to see if that will get you to a different, nicer member of the support team, but you wait too long and the options repeat and you decide to just bite the bullet.

it only rings for a moment before you get,

"task solutions. 's'bakugou."

you roll your eyes up to the ceiling and back and snap to stare at your coworker, mouthing a soundless 'fuck!' as she bursts into a fit of laughter.

"y'got five seconds before i hang up the—"

"sorry, hi, sorry! hi! i'm here!" you muster up all the kindness you can, smiling politely so that it will transfer in your voice. "i just need an override, please."

there's not much he says that he doesn't have to, only grunting in acknowledgement when you give him your name and employee id, read off the error message that brought you into the lion's den.

the support team for your company works off-site, so you've never met him. bakugou. hardly know anything about him outside of the name he barks out when answering the phone, and you don't think you'd like to, really.

it's incredibly frustrating to have to call him for help because he knows the system better than you do, knows your job better than you do—and is quick to call it out when your math is wrong or your input is off. if validation didn't fail every once in a while when the program is overloaded you'd be fine—but here you are.

a tense silence fills between the phone as he works, and you know he can only log in and see your screen but it feels like he's watching you, entirely. to be polite, you ask, "are you, uh, goin' to conference this year?"

the silence becomes a void, all consuming, before he murmurs out a sharp, "no."

"oh, bummer," you chuckle nervously, sweat building on the back of your neck as you watch his mouse click around on your screen. "are midoriya and iida going?"

bakugou sighs, heavy with frustration. "probably," he answers, though, to your surprise. "they like to sit around and do fuck—nothin' all day at the damn booth."

you've been by the task solutions booth every year at conference, mostly because they hand out nice steel cups with metal straws, but the faces you've seen there are never unfamiliar. for a moment, you try to imagine it: walking up to get your free goodie from some sour asshole, only to have him bark at you as you try to reach for it.

the mouse stops in the bottom corner of your screen, hesitating. you hold your breath. this is usually when he chastises you for something he makes sound so simple.

"you goin'?"

"uh," your mouth hangs open for a second, because this is the most you've ever spoken to him that didn't involve scolding of some kind. "yeah, yeah! our team will be there for day 2!" there's a soft hum from the other end, and you see the opportunity for what it is: a chance to get on good terms with this guy, so you can stop being so afraid to call the help desk. "you should go! i don't—i don't think we've ever met before."

it's hard to tell how he takes that, but you only assume not well considering your screen flashes as he logs off, taking the error message with him.

"uh, yeah, whatever," he grumbles, "is there—you need anythin' else?"

"oh, nope! that's it, thanks!"

"alright," the line doesn't disconnect immediately and you curl into yourself, as if you could hear anything else by pressing the phone harder to your ear. then he says, "later." and is gone.

[the-eeveekins]

It's perfectly reasonable to be angry at Bandai and sad about their decision today. But I do not regret watching G-Witch, I do not regret falling in love with this show or Sulemio and I definitely DO NOT wish they hadn't even tried to tell a queer story in a Gundam series. This show and these girls have brought me so much joy over the past year, and they can't take that away from me.

Yes, Bandai's response to THEIR OWN explicitly queer story is frustrating and infuriating. But no matter what they do today or in the future, even if it involves censoring the BRs or writing sequels to undo their happy ending, they'll have to rip the broadcast version of G-Witch from my cold, dead hands, because they can never take that happy ending with Suletta & Miorine explicitly married like the creators intended away from me.

So when I see people say they wish Bandai had never made G-Witch or wished they had never watched it, I just can't agree with that take. I love this show & what the creators tried to give us, and even if cowardly executives held them back, I'm so thankful for what they managed to get through: that representation is so important to me.

[saturnbellfromhell]

ASTRO OBSERVATIONS

On today's astrology post I will list my favorite placements, signs and aspects. Now, there are many of them so I'll make a part two next week if this this one is liked by all of you. Hope you enjoy!

🟤 Jupiter in the 1st House

This placement is like finding a pearl in the ocean. These natives ooze positivity, truthfulness and cuteness. Their desire to make others feel content and loved is something I admire about them. They are the wise and thoughtful one of the group and they truly deserve the biggest hug anyone can give.

🟤 Mercury in the 9th house

The dictionary on two legs. These people are so interesting to befriend. They always have new knowledge to spread and are interested in anything from novels, essays, poetry, encyclopedias...they are hungry to learn and spread their knowledge. They also love learning other languages and others traditions. Very open to talk about anything and everything.

🟤 Cancer Moon

I've already wrote about this placement in my Moon saga, but it definitely needs another reminder. The softness, loyalty and nurture these people have is healing, physically and emotionally. They will do anything to make you feel comfortable and safe, always help you with anything you need and never back down from you even if the whole world is against you.

🟤 Lilith in the 1st house

They're just the definition of sexiness. You can spot them from a mile away and the moment you touch them you can really feel this raw energy they give.

🟤 Sun in 8th house

Having such a personal sign in one of the darkest houses can be quite a storm to overcome. Nevertheless these people are so brave and utterly beautiful from the inside. They hold their pain away from the world with a hard shell of humor and sarcasm. This placement is the one which inspires many. They deserve recognition and to be taken care of.

🟤 Mercury in Pisces

They just know how to explain everything in your manner, being that you're a child, teenager or grown adult they are so patient and talented for it. Never wanting to fight, always thinking before speaking and truly an emotional fairy of words.

🟤 Moon in the 12th house

These natives feel everything and anything. They always know how to make your day better of what to get you for your birthday. With a collective sense of emotion and the willingness to constantly heal, these are the witches of the zodiac. The one's always seeking the darkest parts of others and seeing beauty in it.

🟤 Scorpio Rising

They have such a captivating appearance with their fierce look and everylasting eyelashes. They seem scary and creepy to some, but I beg to differ.

🟤 Scorpio Sun

Even though people love to hate Scorpio sun's, I absolutely adore them. I mean I am a Cap, so dark humor, making fun of others, the cold shoulder and sarcasm are nothing new to me. They are very loyal individuals, that's a fact, even though I've never dated one...but the friends I had as Scorpios are amazing people to have around.

🟤Sun trine Moon

What can I say, the harmonius aspect between the ego and the heart. These individuals are the calm one's who always have a wise answer for everything. Down to earth and an amazing support system.

🟤 Pluto in the 9th house

These individuals cam experience some rocky times in school and/or college, but after some ups and downs they are such interesting individuals. I've also met alot with this placement who love anything crime related especially serial killers and looking into their demonior and motives. They are the curious cats and are highly intelligent. Absolutely oppressed with these people.

🟤 Leo Venus

Even though they're not for me, being a earth Venus they are the one's that love showing their partner off and put them on a pedestal. They make you feel like a Hollywood star and being out the red carpet out every other day. They are the one's to spoil the hell out of you.

🟤 Neptune in the 11th house

Having this placement myself I know the struggle of always believing others and getting hurt by their selfishness. You always feel like your peoples second even though ypu try your best. So all my Neptune 11th hoursers, you're not alone. Love you alot!

Xoxo Numa

[merlingenrecs]

The truth comes out—and Merlin doesn't end up on the pyre! Perhaps there is anger, a heated conversation or some temporary distrust, but ultimately all goes well. Perhaps we even get a glimpse of what a Golden Age might look like?

Today's gen fic rec theme: Magic Reveal Gone Well!

↓ Find the list of fanfic recs under the cut! ↓

⚬ A Better Man by TheActualAuthor, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/43646655 summary: Arthur’s cursed by a witch to experience his worst fear.

⚬ Almost, but not quite by Marti1297, 2k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/39236688 summary: Finally, Arthur starts to realize strange things happen around him, and he comes to an unexpected conclusion.

⚬ a drop of truth by WinglessCrows, 6k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/15636450 summary: Arthur has a truth serum, Merlin lies more than he tells the truth. Who else would Arthur use it on?

⚬ Allow One To ‘See’ by mollrach13, 30k, unrated https://archiveofourown.org/works/16729350 summary: When the King is attacked in his tent on patrol and falls into an unending sleep everyone is worried. What they don't know is that Arthur is fine. In fact he is standing right here next to them, watching them all fret over his prone body. To stave off the boredom whilst a cure is found Arthur takes to wandering the castle and soon discovered a hidden side of Camelot he never knew about.

⚬ Truths Emerge by s0mmerspr0ssen, 22k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/52211941 summary: When Caerleon attacks Camelot, more than one secret is uncovered. In the face of a hopeless battle, will Arthur make the right choice?

⚬ Crown of Light by s0mmerspr0ssen, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/52211941 summary: About four weeks after he had married Gwen, Arthur awoke with a strange, golden light around his head. Naturally, it freaked Merlin out.

⚬ darkest before dawn by merlinemrys, 1k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/48216928 summary: Arthur: I never knew my mother because of it. My father died because of it. I lost my sister to it. So tell me, Merlin, what has magic ever done for me? Merlin: What haven't I done for you? – In the hours before Mordred's execution for using sorcery to save Arthur, Merlin finally snaps.

⚬ I’d Die For You by Fulgance, 4k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/934552 summary: "You know I'd die for you, yeah?" – "It certainly looks like we're headed that way," Arthur says dryly.

⚬ The Reveal byArgentNoelle, 1k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/6645151 summary: How long, Merlin wondered, had Arthur known? He hadn’t seemed surprised at all.

⚬ How Water by LadyAJ_13, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/20817572 summary: Leon shuffles, a move so unlike him that Arthur is immediately concerned. “It's about Merlin, sire.” He wonders what he's done now. Something stupid no doubt, insulted a noblewoman or broken something valuable. A day in the stocks might be required to make the aggrieved party happy. But then, that's not unusual enough for his most capable knight to be fiddling with his sword scabbard. “I believe he has magic.”

⚬ Just a Hint of Magic by Drag0nst0rm, 1k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/28462047 summary: The thing was, most sorcerers didn't know enough spells to actually put up much of a fight. So when Arthur first noticed Merlin had magic, he wasn't too worried about it.

⚬ The Truths He Can’t Deny by N16, 10k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/33923860 summary: Merlin had always known this day would come. An innocent girl. An arrest for sorcery. Except now it's Arthur sitting on the throne in judgment, not Uther. It was always going to happen, but it wasn't supposed to happen like this.

⚬ Treason by N16, 10k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/27763306 summary: Arthur knows four things: Merlin committed treason. Merlin is loyal to him. Merlin wants to tell Arthur the truth. Merlin is scared Arthur will kill him. All he needs to figure out now is what on earth his servant has actually done.

⚬ Greater Love Hath No Man by N16, 8k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/37562236 summary: Once upon a time, Merlin had been so in love with Gwen that he'd confessed to sorcery to save her from the pyre. That moment seemed like a million years and a million lies ago. But that one lie was a loose thread, and now one tug might unravel Merlin's entire tapestry of deceit. Fortunately, Merlin can always count on Gwen.

⚬ A Scar Like a Vision of Grace by nsowlwrites97, VikingSong, 3k, rated T http://archiveofourown.org/works/56321101 summary: “Please,” Arthur tried. “Let him go. If you want the book–”The man holding the sword to Merlin’s neck smirked. “Oh, that? That’s just a bonus. No, king. We’re here for this.” And without another word, he slid the sword across Merlin’s throat.

⚬ The Hand of the Enemy by N16, 45k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/27567688 summary: When Arthur accepts an invitation to a nearby kingdom where magic is free, he hopes to establish an alliance despite their differences. Instead, he and his knights find they’ve been invited under false pretenses, and the queen may succeed in turning friend against friend to accomplish her own aims.

⚬ Who I’ve Been by TheActualAuthor, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/41350509 summary: Arthur glances at him, but doesn’t stop to reprimand, “I told him I didn’t know what he meant. Then he spoke of many things. Said I was a figure of prophecy and legend.” His voice twists around the words, mocking them, “Said I was to rule all Albion. I was about to call him out as some sort of sorcerer’s trick, trying to trap me into oaths or pride, when he began to speak of another. A man I knew well, supposedly, who walked in my inner circle.” The king takes a sharp breath and raps his knuckles on the table, making Merlin jerk his head up, “I have little doubt he meant those who stood with me at the table. When the others come, I am going to eat with them, my men and my favored. And when we are done, I will speak to them of this, and I will know who has been lying to me all this time.”

⚬ Stains Unseen by reelin_writer, 2k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/33212869 summary: During the routine bandit ambush, Gwaine is mortally wounded. Merlin saves him with magic, and instead of exploding at the reveal, Arthur is overcome with guilt. Merlin has been dealing with the trauma of taking a life--alone. Nothing, not even the new powers Merlin has, can keep Arthur from wanting to protect the younger man.

⚬ Behind Me, Beside You by TheActualAuthor, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/37246459 summary: Arthur glares at him, “I have no love for magic, they will not help me.” His eyes narrow, “How do you know the way to their camps? We’ve been searching for their borders for years.” “I have friends among them.” He hedges. The king stares at him a moment, then sits down with a weary air, “So you also have betrayed me.”

⚬ A Moment of Truth by sakarrie, 5k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/35432824 summary: Even though Merlin knows it's finally time to tell Arthur the truth, he can't stop his hands from shaking. He knows being a sorcerer is a death sentence, yet here he is—about to tell the King of Camelot. But Arthur deserves to know, and Merlin can't keep hiding from his best friend.

⚬ Stay by wryter501, 13k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/39378669 summary: A different direction for episode 4.7 "The Secret Sharer". Alator goes to Camelot not to find Emrys for Morgana, but with another plan in mind... Why has Emrys failed so long in his prophetic task of restoring magic to Camelot, in guiding and instructing Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King? Fate seems to have handed Alator the chance to right the course of history gone awry - and he's going to take it. He's going to use Gaius to find Emrys - and then they're going to have a serious conversation. But even the best-laid plans of a canny warrior-sorcerer can be diverted... Alator finds more than he anticipated, plotting ambush in iron mines of Kemeray...

⚬ The Serving of Servants by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle, 80k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/20239129 summary: When a new position is made in the royal household to oversee the servants, Arthur didn’t think much of it. It was only days later when he noticed the mysterious injuries appearing on frightened servants that the prince decided to go undercover and to find out what is going on. Meanwhile, Merlin thinks the newest servant is a mess. Or: Arthur learns what it is like to be a servant and learns some interesting thing about his own servant.

⚬ Golden Is The Dawn by TrekScribbles, 9k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/54962341 summary: When Arthur finds out that Merlin is hiding a baby dragon, he devises a plan to get rid of it. But when Merlin is captured by a band of slavers, the dragon might be Arthur's only hope of getting him back.

⚬ Faithful Are The Wounds of a Friend by VikingSong, 5k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/33734425 summary: Arthur catches sight of a scar on Merlin’s back which he can’t explain, so he asks each of the members of the Round Table if they’ve seen it, too. They have...but it wasn’t the same scar.

⚬ Curiouser and Curiouser by VikingSong, 12k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/28588263 summary: Gwen knew Merlin wasn’t in the tavern each time Arthur thought he was...but it was Merlin, so she’d never worried about her friend’s harmless lies of omission. That is, she'd never worried until the day Merlin disappeared to ‘the tavern’ with a freshly-paralyzed fomorroh still lodged in his neck. With the threat of the dormant serpent hanging over their heads, suddenly those lies didn't seem so harmless anymore. Or: Gwen is the primary keeper of the one (1) brain cell in Camelot, which she wields to great effect in missing-scenes-turned-canon-divergence in 4x06, "A Servant of Two Masters."

[miss-bushido]

make the world safe and sound for you

written for @softsteddieseptember week 3, prompt ‘anniversary’

Rating: G

“Happy anniversary, baby.”

Steve pressed his face to the pillow and groaned. “No, my head hurts. Come back later.”

“Aw, I’m sorry,” Eddie murmured, pressing a light kiss to Steve’s temple, smoothing back some flyaway strands. “How late were you up?”

Steve groaned, tapping his fingers on the bed as he counted in his head. “Last time I saw the clock it said 4:30 AM.” He had been pulling all-nighters while working to get his Master’s degree. He was only a few months away from being finished with the program, and he just wanted to see the back of it.

Eddie winced. It was 7:30 AM. Normally, Steve would be up by 6 AM, ensuring he would see first thing the text messages or emails from his boss asking him to sub for one of the teachers at a local school. Eddie grabbed Steve’s phone and winced again. There were three missed calls from his boss, and a flurry of text messages.

“I’m making an executive decision,” Eddie announced, sitting on the bed behind Steve. “I’m telling your boss that you’re sick and that you won’t be able to sub anywhere today.”

Steve scrubbed his face with his hands. “No, I can-”

“Honey, I love you, but you’re talking out of your ass. You need to rest. You can’t expect to be effective with less than 3 hours of sleep.” Eddie put his fingertip to Steve’s plush lips to silence any further protests. “I’ll call her and let her know you’re sick, and that you should be more than fine come Monday morning. When was the last time you took a Friday off?”

Steve blinked, his eyes heavy and scratchy from lack of sleep. “Almost two years ago.”

“Exactly. So. Since you’re not going to work today, go back to sleep. I don’t want to see you downstairs before 9:30 AM, clear?”

In spite of how exhausted he was, Steve felt his stomach flutter at the tone Eddie used. “Yes, sir.”

Eddie smirked, unable to resist giving him a kiss. “Let’s save that for tonight, okay?”

“Daddy?” came a small, sleepy voice from the hallway. The bedroom door was pushed open to reveal their toddler daughter Rosie standing there, clutching her stuffed duck. “We’re thirsty,” she said, her voice low and rough in her throat. Her twin brother, Theo, was with her as he always was, clutching her purple sleep shirt with his left hand, his right thumb in his mouth.

Eddie’s heart swelled to look at them. He and Steve had thought long and hard about children after their marriage, and though they were fine with adoption, they wanted to try and have biological children of their own. Obviously, neither of them could get pregnant (not for lack of trying), so they spoke to the women in their lives; Nancy, Robin, Chrissy, Vickie, to see if any of them would be willing to either donate one of their eggs or become a surrogate, or both.

In the end, Chrissy said she would do both for them: donate her eggs, and be a surrogate. It was almost immediate that she became pregnant with the twins. When they were born, Eddie cried harder than he ever had in his life at seeing their chubby cheeks and bright eyes. He couldn’t believe it was three years ago that their little family was completed.

“You’re thirsty?” Eddie asked, holding his arms out for both of them to come in. Theo broke into a big toothy grin and ran over to jump on Eddie, his light brown hair bouncing . Both Steve and Eddie loved their children equally, and they knew the twins loved them the same as well. But Theo seemed to have an affinity for Eddie: following him around and looking very interested when he practiced his guitar. He even accompanied Eddie to some band rehearsals, but never to one of their shows. Maybe when he was older. He listened with rapt attention as Eddie read to them: The Hobbit, the Redwall books, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the paintings he did, while rudimentary, were clearly influenced by the stories.

Rosie could frequently be found snuggling with Steve: she liked putting barrettes in his hair, painting his nails and putting lipstick on him. Whenever they had a tea party, she put a silver tiara on him and a pair of ruby clip on earrings, telling him, "Papa looks so pretty."

How could Steve resist? How could either of them resist?

While her brother went to Eddie, she toddled over to the other side of the bed. She tossed her stuffed duck up and clambered up, crawling over to Steve. She looked the most like Eddie: she had his brown doe eyes and the waves of her hair were like his, though she took after Chrissy in terms of her strawberry blonde hair color, and the way she smiled. “Papa?” she asked, looking down at Steve. “No work today?”

Steve looked up sleepily at his daughter, unable to stop the big smile spreading across his face. “Not today, baby. Papa stayed up too late doing school work.”

“That’s silly,” she said, collapsing dramatically against the pillows. Steve had seen Eddie do that exact same thing more than a few times, and it always made him laugh.

“Papa is silly, Duck,” he admitted, quickly reaching forward and pulling her close, blowing raspberries on her neck, her shrieking giggles filling the air. He still had a headache, and her shrieks of glee were not helping, but he could bear it.

“I keep telling him that,” Eddie said as he sat back down, Theo leaning against him. Theo had Steve’s beautiful hazel eyes, but they were turning more towards green the older he got. His hair was dark brown and straight, and though he was quieter than his sister, the smile he had was pure Eddie. Both of them worried they would have a little hell-raiser on their hands as he got older and got more confidence.

“‘M still thirsty, Daddy,” Theo murmured against Eddie’s chest. He looked up at Eddie with his big eyes. “Choccy milk?”

“For breakfast?” Eddie replied in mock shock and awe. Theo immediately started giggling, tilting his head back as he watched Eddie perform. “There will be chaos if we move choccy milk time to morning instead of dinner.”

“Pleeeeease?” Theo pleaded. “Please Daddy?”

“Yeah! Pleeeeease?” Rosie shouted, jumping up from laying next to Steve, all but throwing herself on Eddie’s back.

“Oh! Attacked on both sides! The treachery! The betrayaaaal!” Eddie kept his left arm firmly wrapped around Theo before he hooked his right arm back to wrap around Rosie. He stood up, both of them in his arms. “Steve! Don’t just lay in bed! Save meeeee!” He yelled this while moving quickly out of the bedroom, giving Steve a knowing glance as he shut the door behind him with his foot.

Steve laughed at the display of his little family, though he was grateful that Eddie managed to get them out of the room and leave him in peace. He didn’t see his phone on the bed, so Eddie must have taken it with him. Which was good, as it meant he could fall back to sleep like Eddie wanted him to.

A few hours later, Steve woke up, feeling the warmth of a small body against his chest. He opened his eyes to see Theo snuggled up against him, snoring lightly. Behind him, Rosie and Eddie were also asleep. Both had their mouths open slightly, right arms above their heads as they slept.

“Happy anniversary,” he whispered, feeling happy tears well in his eyes.

[starry-night-rose]

“Come on! Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring!”

Ellis has just landed in Altus for the Airborne Afternoon (Fan Event by @the-trinket-witch )

Voice Lines and Full Body are under the cut!

Summon: “There’s a mist coming in, perhaps something is brewing and bound to begin!”

Groovy: “As they say, Anything can happen, it’s a marvel!”

Set Home: “When dancing, it’s important to step in time with the music! Like so!”

Home Idle 1: “There’s a saying here that ‘a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.’ I wonder what it means.”

Home Idle 2: “I used to fly kites all the time with my dad! This is really bringing back memories!”

Home Idle 3: “Shaking hands with a chimney sweep is meant to bring luck, let’s say we go test it!”

Home Login: “Care to feed the birds with me?”

Home Idle Groovy: “I just learned the most interesting word! It was spelled S-u-p-e-r-c-a-l-i-f-r-a-g-i-l....It seems I forgot the rest...”

Home Tap 1: “Ms. Parapluie seems to be an expert at just about everything! Especially kite flying”

Home Tap 2: “I should pick out some souvenirs for Yuuta and Juvia! Maybe a bag of gingerbread stars? Or maybe a nice umbrella?”

Home Tap 3: “I nearly lost my parasol if it weren’t for Emil rushing over and grabbing it for me! It was so sweet of him!”

Home Tap 4: “Yves and I had some fairy floss and it was just amazing! You should have some too!”

Home Tap 5: “Oh it’s a Jolly Holiday with Albert, No wonder that it’s Albert that we love! Sorry! The verse refers to someone named Mary but I think Albert fits as well!”

Home Tap Groovy: “Today has just been practically perfect in every way!”

Ocs mentioned - Albert belongs to @the-trinket-witch , Emil belongs to @tixdixl , Yves belongs to @valse-a-mille-temps , Yuuta belongs to @rosietrace , Juvia belongs to @jasdiary , and Ms. Margaret Parapluie belongs to me!

Full Body!

[yanderecrazysie]

Asmodeus NSFW Yandere Alphabet

I’m in a NSFW mood today, sorry minors.

WARNINGS: yandere themes, very NSFW, mentions of non-con

A: Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

He likes to cuddle after sex sometimes. He is always the big spoon and loves to hump your butt a little to make himself hard again for round two. He’ll also run a bath for you to clean up when you’re both done.

B: Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

For you, he thinks you have a cute butt. He loves the way it jiggles when you walk and loves to run his palm over the curve of your ass cheeks. He wouldn’t say no to big boobs either. For himself, he likes everything about himself, but especially his dick. It’s the part that gets the most pleasure and he likes how it looks. The avatar of lust has the perfect cock, after all.

C: Cum (Anything to do with cum)

Asmodeus’s cum tastes delicious- like, way better than it ever should. That’s a perk of being the avatar of lust. He cums a medium amount, just enough to fill you up, but not enough to overflow. His cum is also not too thick but not too watery. Basically, he’s literally perfect.

D: Dirty Secret

Asmodeus is super sensitive on his back. He loses control over himself if you touch his back and might do something he regrets later. It’s just something about the way your soft hands touch his spine that instantly gets him hard as a rock.

E: Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Asmodeus is very experienced. As the avatar of lust, he’s put many women, and even some men, under his spell. Witches are his favorite, but humans are just as fun to play around with, and he’s fucked plenty of both. He hasn’t gone for any angels though, and very few demons.

F: Favorite Position

Asmodeus prefers missionary because he can look down at you while still taking all of the control. He loves seeing his reflection in your wide eyes and loves snapping his hips into yours to see your mouth open in long drawn-out moans. He doesn’t mind cowgirl either, as long as you let him take control.

G: Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc.)  

Asmodeus isn’t exactly joking as much as he is teasing. You love me so much, don’t you? You’re moaning just for me, you cute little thing. You’re in the splash zone, cutie pie. He plays around with you just like a demon does with their prey. He’ll purr these things into your ear as he plays with your pretty pussy.

H: Hair (How well-groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Asmodeus keeps himself well groomed, as he thinks it’s important to take care of. He doesn’t shave it all the way, just long enough to be noticeable but not a turn off. It’s the same color as his hair and doesn’t travel up to his belly button like it does for a lot of people (in fact, he barely has body hair).

I: Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect)

Asmodeus may tease you, but he’s actually very loving and caring. He makes sure you’re soaking the sheets before he even attempts to enter you and his goal is to make you orgasm as much as possible. He’s also very romantic, sprinkling rose petals around the room and running you a hot bubble bath for when you both are done having your fun.

J: Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Asmodeus doesn’t masturbate. If he feels in the mood, which is often, he goes and finds someone to fuck. Of course, when he falls in love with you, you’re the only one he seeks out to satisfy his urges. If he can’t have you, he’ll just stay pent up until he can.

K: Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Asmodeus likes dressing up like a girl sometimes- having sex in a dress or wearing pink panties before you start your fun. He also likes stealing your own panties so he can sniff them later. Just to remember you by, of course.

L: Location (Favorite places to do the do)

Asmodeus is adventurous. While he likes doing the deed at home (because he can set it up and make it romantic), he’s not afraid to fuck in public. He especially likes the park and movie theater. It gives him a rush like nothing else.

M: Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

It doesn’t take much to turn Asmodeus on. If you touch his back, the effect is instant, but if you don’t, all he needs is you both alone in a room together before he’s whining for you to agree to having sex with him. He’s a needy man and the avatar of lust, so just about everything turns him on. Even nothing at all.

N: No (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Asmodeus isn’t a sadist- he would never hurt you on purpose. He might have a tiny bit of masochism in him, but he has not an ounce of sadism. He could never whip you or degrade you or anything like that.

O: Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Asmodeus loves both giving and receiving, but he likes giving just a little more. He’s very experienced with eating girls out, so you’ll quickly find that he hits all the right spots with ease. For receiving, he doesn’t mind if you’re inexperienced, he’s happy to guide you into giving him a good experience.

P: Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual?)  

Asmodeus is slow and sensual, holding you close as he rolls his hips, grinding deep inside of you. He thrusts lightly, not aiming for your cervix but for your g-spot. He doesn’t go hard when he finds it, just keeps a gentle rhythm. Sometimes he rubs at your clit during sex.

Q: Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)  

Asmodeus doesn’t do fast. He loves to draw it out, take as much time as he needs. A quickie is almost an insult to him. It feels like a quickie means throwing away all the hard work for just a lousy bit of sex. He doesn’t really mind when others do it, but it’s not for him.

R: Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.) 

Asmodeus is willing to try almost anything, but he’s pretty consistent when it comes to sex. He knows what works for him and what doesn’t. If you want to try something new, then great! He’ll do it as long as it doesn’t hurt you.

S: Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

Asmodeus has basically unlimited stamina. Like an incubus, he grows stronger from sex. He likes to cum at the same time you do, but if he chose not to, he could go as long as he felt like. He loves to do multiple rounds to send you into overstimulation, but he’ll go easy on you if you ask him to.

T: Toys (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Asmodeus doesn’t have any toys for himself, since he doesn’t masturbate, but he does have a vibrator he uses on you sometimes and a feather he likes to tickle your skin with. Other than that, his toy drawer is empty.

U: Unfair (How much they like to tease)

Asmodeus likes to tease quite a bit. He’ll get you to the brink of orgasm, then stop. He wants you to beg for him to make you cum and he’s good at what he does. Don’t worry though, when you give in, he’ll give you the best orgasms of your life.

V: Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Asmodeus is loud. He moans like a pornstar and sometimes lets out a giggle when he sees your eyes roll back in your head. He doesn’t grunt or groan, it’s definitely moaning. He just likes to show you how he feels!

W: With or without consent (Non-con or consensual?)

Asmodues prefers consent so, so much. He wants you looking into his eyes as he fucks you, not crying or looking away. However, if you reject him, and he knows you’re off limits, he may just kidnap you because he desperately needs relief and he can’t turn to masturbation or other girls.

X: X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants)

Asmodeus is just an inch bigger than average and his girth is the same story. But his cock is so pretty and has no visible veins running down the side. It’s a pretty shade of pink and is without any blemishes. It curves a little upwards, which helps him hit your g-spot.

Y: Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Asmodeus could have sex with you multiple times every day if he wanted, but he knows you might not be up for that. Since he doesn’t masturbate, it builds up over time until he has to get some release. Then, he’ll fuck you until you’re too tired to move.

Z: ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Asmodeus sometimes runs a bath for the both of you, but right afterwards, it’s cuddling and sleeping on his bed. He gets a little smile on his face in his sleep and it’s actually really cute. He falls asleep either at about the same time as you or slightly after.

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Pairing(s):Edward Cullen x Wolf!Reader, Jacob Black x Witch!OC

Warnings: this will be the second to last chapter of this series, some spanish (i know a little but thanks to being extremely white washed i still had to go to google translate 🙃), really sorry this took so long :(, i'll try to get the last part out in a timely manner but no promises

Words: 3842

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7 Part 8  Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12  Part 13  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20  Part 21  Part 22  Part 23   Part 24  Part 25  Part 26  Part 27  Part 28 Part 29  Part 30  Part 31  Part 32  Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38

Screams coming from Sam's home has your paws picking up speed and Evita's hands tightening in your fur so that she could hold on. The others were at your heels, uneasiness clouding the pack telepathy and only thinking of the worse. Surely, today couldn't get any worse, right?

Once in the backyard, no one cares that you three wolves are stark naked. Evita didn't bat an eye having grown accustomed to the pack's frequent nudity.

Nearly ripping the backdoor off it's hinges, all of you crowd into the kitchen and rush through to the living room where Bella and Nadege are screaming, but not in pain in horror. Their outburst is one of pure delight when you catch the sight of a perfectly made ward clutched in Bella's hand.

Tension flees from you and you too pull Evita forward as both of you squeal in delight.

"You did it!!" Sliding onto your knees in front of her, you beckon for Bella to show you the ward. Evita's curls bounce with excitement as she says something in Spanish to Nadege.

Bella's eyes are large and there's the telltale sign of glossy tears that are on the brink of following over her bottom lashes. You'd never seen her smile that wide. Her hands are trembling when she hands it over to you for inspection.

"All the wards are finished." Evita gleefully announces to the others in the room that had gone unnoticed in the moment.

Seth, gleaming over Nadege's shoulder, rises to his full height to address Jacob. "Sam?"

Difficult to pull his attention away from Bella's ward, he reluctantly looks up at Seth and Emily who lingered near the hallway. "He'll be at the Cullens for a while. They have Irina there under some sort of sleeping spell."

You catch the younger wolves grumble about missing it but one silencing glare from Leah, they settle down and merely fold their arms. Quil and Embry, sitting next to them, are grateful that it's not them for once on the receiving end of Leah's deadly gaze.

"We need to disperse these wards as soon as possible." Evita says while searching through her backpack for a rolled up piece of printer paper. Inked on it was a map of the Forks-LaPush area. "They don't have to be placed at these exact coordinates. Just as long as they're in the general area."

"I'll go get the other wards." Emily nods and retreats to the bedroom she shared with Sam, deemed the most secure place in the house.

Back and laying out the rest of the wards on the coffee table, there's the question of dividing the pack into groups to scatter them in their appropriate locations.

And much to your shock, their eyes all turned to you.

It takes you a moment to realize everyone was staring at you. You were still congratulating Bella while the others spoke.

When you find their attention solely on you, it causes your face to warm. "What?"

"Well. . . since the older members of the pack are at the Cullens. . ." Jacob takes the lead since no one else was saying anything. "And you and Sam have been spending a lot more time together-"

"You're the closest thing to an alpha we have at the moment." Leah finishes for Jacob since he appeared to be struggling with an explanation.

Nadege and Evita possess toothy grins as they glance from you to your packmates.

"Me?" Voice squeaking, you feel your palms grow clammy.

Embry's warm eyes happens to calm your nerves as he gives you an encouraging grin. "Well, alpha?"

Taking a deep breath, you nod your head. "Okay."

Ideally you'd want to wait for the sky to darken a little more to better hide the massive wolves moving through the woods (and even having to cross a few public streets) to get to their given pinpoints.

You and Evita stay behind as you watch the other duos disappear in the weaving web of the forest trees. Brady and Embry to one direction, Quil and Colin, Seth and Leah; the only pairing you questioned slightly was Bella and Jacob. Perhaps they could use this time to make up as well (not like you were one to talk. you had yet to even mention what happened to him). Nadege would take the last one and shift to her bird body. She much preferred an aerial view opposed to you and your packmates navigating by scent and memory.

Phasing back to your superior wolf form, Evita easily swings herself onto your back. Her fingers slightly pull at your fur as she makes sure to get a good grip. The first time she'd been a passenger on you, she'd fallen without much help staying on you. Learning her lesson, she now used your fur as handlebars, being as gentle as she could while also affirming that she would not be flying off.

You and Evita would be the group to go the furthest out. You'd have to travel to the border of where Forks meets the Elk Creek Conservation Area. Doing your best to keep away from the public eye and keeping to the wilderness.

Trying not to stumble, you realize you're impatient to get this whole thing over and done with. No more of the black overbearing cloud that were the Volturi looming over your heads. Irina was subdued. Victoria was long gone. The Volturi were your only obstacle left. And then. . .

You might be able to have a chance to finally breathe and enjoy your budding relationship with Edward. Live a life of a young lady in love. Was that too much to ask for?

Awkward was not quite the word Jacob would have chosen. Tense, perhaps cringe inducing were the more appropriate terms. Instead of shapeshifting like the rest of his pack, he chose to use his motorcycle and have Bella on the back of his seat. Her hands cling onto the front of his shirt from behind. Jacob had noticed the lack of strength as she gripped onto the fabric. He'd overheard from Dieufel how using magic could drain one's energy. Especially those who are just beginning in the practice. Making that ward must have taken a lot out of her.

Irina had destroyed much of his garage including his beloved Volkswagen. But his motorbike survived.

They drove in silence to the northern most part of Forks.

Actually, not complete silence. Thanks to the slight auditory enhancement he possessed with his human body, Jacob could hear the rapid fluttering of the cardiac muscle that resides in her chest. Swore he could even feel it too against his back as Bella clung to him.

While he felt incensed for what (y/n) had down in spilling the beans, he knew he'd omitted the truth to Bella and ultimately was the cause for her hurt feelings. He'd wanted to apologize before hoping onto his bike, but time was crucial more than ever.

"This should be good enough." Jacob says once the engine of his bike is silenced.

Bella pulls off her helmet and puts it in the spot behind Jacob. She looks around at the barren area where they'd stopped at. Nadege instructed her that all Bella was required to do now was simply dig a small hole and bury the ward. The witch doubted the Volturi would even be aware of what the ward was if they came across it. Better safe than sorry.

From the small backpack, Bella grabs the two necessary items for their mission: the ward and a small handheld spade.

She couldn't mess this up.

She wouldn't mess this up.

Her fingers have a stranglehold on the items in each of her hands. Jacob watches her curiously while scanning his eyes around their surroundings every so often.

Dirt flies as she makes a hole deep enough to properly cradle the stone smooth ward. Covering it back up, she flattens the earth back into proper alignment to not draw attention to what is buried underneath.

"Done." Her smile is hopeful when she walks back to Jacob. Her helmet is almost on her head before Jacob interrupts her.

"Wait, Bella. . ."

Hesitantly, Bella lowers her arms along with the helmet and arches a slim brow up.

"I'm sorry about what happened the last time we hung out. I'm sorry about a lot of things, actually. I should have at least told you about the imprinting. But, I was in denial about it. I didn't want it to be on someone I didn't know. I always hoped that you would somehow be my imprintee." Jacob chews on his bottom lip. "You didn't deserve that though. You're my friend. Probably one of my best friends but don't tell the others."

"I just wished you would've let me be there for you like you've always been there for me, Jake. I can't imagine what you were going through all that time. Didn't understand why you were acting like an-"

"Asshole?"

"Yes."

Both laugh.

"I forgive you." Bella says with a smile still on her face. "How are you feeling about the imprinting now? Still in denial?"

That has his expression sobering up. "Can't really deny it anymore. Plus I feel better knowing that Leah's imprinted on that Dieufel dude."

"Wait- really?"

Jacob nods. "Yup. Neither Dieufel or Evita know about it. Sam instructed the pack not to let the witches know of the imprinting until after this ordeal with the Voltur is finished with."

Their gaze lingers back to their buried treasure. Bella encouragingly tells him "Well, that day may be sooner than you thought. If she's worth the wait, which I think she is, then you just have to bear through it."

Bella holds his hand. it wasn't even that long ago where this kind of contact would have him getting butterflies in his stomach. Now though he sees her as a sister.

That's when he sees the exhaustion on her face. "You tired?"

"Magic, as I am now learning, is a lot more energy draining than I imagined." With the weariness was contentment though. She glowed thinking of all that cramming paid off. "This makes me feel like i can right some of the mistakes that have come from my involvement with Edward"

"Want me to drop you off on the way back?" Offers Jacob.

She declines. "No. I want to see this thing through."

"Quit moping." Leah scolds him through pack telepathy.

The skin of Seth's muzzle furls into an ugly snarl that shows his front teeth. "I'm NOT moping. Why didn't you tell me you imprinted? I wouldn't have judged you for it or anything! I'm your brother-"

She turns to snap her jaws at him. The pouch that hung around her thick neck swings from the sharp movement. There lay their ward that they are to bury. "I didn't want ANYONE to know. I wished it had never happened!"

Seth flinches away, ears flattening against his head and tail moving between his legs.

Taking her temper down a few notches when she feels the hurt radiating from him, Leah internally sighs. She shouldn't be picking fights, especially not with the pack. Enough fighting will be ahead. There shouldn't be any interpersonal fighting within the pack.

She loved her brother and since losing their father, she didn't want to lose anyone else in her small family.

They begin walking again though Leah noticed Seth was further behind.

"I was scared, Seth. I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. I panicked. . ." Hating admitting that she felt fear, Seth acknowledged her apology as genuine.

Quiet passes for a few minutes until Leah could feel Seth beside her once more; his paws emitting gentle pitter patters over small twigs and crunchy leaves. "No. . . it's alright. . . from (y/n) and Jacob. . . imprinting doesn't seem like a good thing."

"Hopefully when you imprint it won't be as complicated." Leah adds with a small lilt to her thoughts that makes it sound like she's smiling.

Doubt crept in. He hadn't seen anyone positively impacted by their imprinting thus far. Even Sam and Emily started on a rocky start. Imprinting became something terrifying to the younger wolves. He'd spoken with Brady and Colin, neither happy or looking forward to finding their soulmate. In fact they continuously hoped that it would never happen to them. Being a wolf was hard enough.

To change the subject, Seth goes about finding an appropriate dig spot when they reach their destination. His long claws are useful pulling up dirt.

Leah's back in her human skin, pulling at the chord around her neck to open the pouch. She holds the stone in her hand. Warm to the touch. Waiting for Seth to finish, her attention is completely enraptured by the small rock that would ultimately save so many lives. They were putting all their faith in this thing.

She heaves a heavy sigh, placing the stone into the ground, murmuring a silent pray she wasn't sure anyone would hear.

"Do you think anyone else from the pack will imprint soon?" Brady once again asks Embry and he has to refrain from groaning. The leather pouch strung around his neck bobs as he merely shakes his head to emote his ire. "I wish I had imprinted on Nadege. She's so hot."

If he were in his human body, Embry certainly would have rolled his eyes. "Focus Brady. This is important and we can't fuck it up."

The younger wolf whines. "I know it's important. I just want to lighten the mood. Everything has been so. . . life or death lately."

Embry felt for Brady. He really did. Poor kid was the youngest in the pack. Not even fifteen yet. Brady wasn't allowed to act like a kid his age normally will thanks to this whole werewolf shit.

Reading his thoughts, Brady flicks an ash brown furred ear. "I'd rather be a wolf then some boring teenager."

"You think that for now." It had been all fun and games for Embry too until (y/n) imprinted on Edward.

Thoughts are interrupted by the loud screeching of a bird from overhead. Brady's body lowers to the ground, lips parted in a snarl as his eyes shoot upwards. Embry too digs his nails into the ground, preparing for any kind of air assault that may come their way. This bird didn't sound like any they'd encountered in the wild before.

Familiar colored feathers flurry around in a storm when a giant falcon dives to the ground. Nadege is flushed, panic striking her eyes. "Bury the ward and get out of here. I just saw two cloaked figures traveling down the mountainside. They must be your Volturi."

She returns to her hawk form, allowing the boys to pick up speed and hurry up all while shooting the message down the pack telepathy.

"Stay calm you guys." They can hear Leah's voice. "Just get it down and get out of there. Like Nadege said."

"Evita said once the last ward is in place, the entire thing will activate." (y/n) says. Since Embry has known the girl since childhood, he picked up on the nervous tremor of her thoughts. She was rightfully worried about them encountering members of the Volturi so soon. "We've already buried our's. Evita got a text from Bella that they've buried their's as well."

"Our's is buried too." Quil replies.

Nadege follows them from the sky, partially leading them to the area they were supposed to be in.

"Maybe if Brady hadn't been mooning over Nadege-"

"Shut up Colin!"

"Both of you shut up!" Leah and (y/n) command in unison.

Phasing, Embry yanks open the pouch hastily while Brady starts to dig a hole with his giant paws.

Another ear splitting cry from the treetops, cutting through the forest. Nadege. The Volturi were even closer, uncomfortably so. Her bird body lands on a branch, sharp talons piercing the bark for support. Feathers ruffled in agitation.

Kicking dirt back into the hole, Embry successfully grins. "Done!" He pivots to Brady. "Lets get the hell out of here!"

Brady wasn't looking at Embry though. Frozen to the spot and fur spiked up, slowly his snout furls into a snarl. Nadege releases a high-pitched whistle, sharp and penetrating scream.

"So, these are the wolves Irina told us about."

Without his heightened wolf sense, their scent had passed by him. Embry feels sweat prickling at the nape of his neck despite the chill in the air.

"Turn around, boy."

A throaty growl rumbles from Brady who dared to take a step closer to Embry. Embry simply tried to shoot him a look that hopefully read 'stay where you are' or 'don't move'.

He does so, knowing the rest of the pack was on their way. And that the wards were in position. To test it, all the Volturi had to do was try and pass over it to get to Embry and Brady.

Embry holds his breath, staring into two pairs of blood red eyes. Eery and reminding Embry of the newborns they'd faced off with two weeks prior.

One of them chuckles. "He's nothing but a mere child. The other also seems like just a pup himself."

They creep closer and Embry has to resist glancing down at the ground at the fresh pile of dirt that hid the ward. Instead he waits while his heart is ramming against sternum, threatening to break free from it's confines. These two. . . they felt different from the newborns he'd faced off against.

"Where are the others in your pack?" The taller of the two cock their head to the side. His foot steps over the threshold, a few inches away from Embry. Immediately there's a sizzling sound before the Volturi guard shoots back as if electrically shocked. He hisses in pain, scarlet eyes glaring at Embry. His companion eyes him questioningly before Nadege swoops from her perch and in another flurry of feathers switches back to her human form to protectively stand next to Embry.

He hisses "A witch. More unnatural creatures."

Recovering from his pain, the other one bares his teeth. "Aro will be pleased to know about this. He'll enjoy wiping all of you off the face of the earth."

"I'd like to see him try." Nadege fiercely barks back. Her height matched that of the taller Volturi member. She was a commanding beauty who wouldn't back down. Not when it meant the lives of those she had befriended. "You Volturi are ignorant of the world around you. If you truly aim to rid the world of other beings like us, you'll never achieve it."

That statement outrages the vampires.

Not more than the thundering of large paws that makes the earth tremble. Back up had finally arrived.

A horde of snapping jaws and snarling faces. Bella is seated atop of Jacob's russet brown wolf while Evita is atop of (y/n)'s back. The human girls glare at the ruby eyed vampires. Bella recalling their identities with a scowl.

"Miss Swan."

"Demetri." Her pale lips spit out. Fingers curl tighter into Jacob's fur.

Demetri's companion hisses. "Traitor. You have gone back on your word."

"The situation has changed."

Edward, flanked by a newly returned Carlisle and Jasper, emerge from the trees on the side of the Volturi guards.

"Explain this heresy." Demetri turns to them while Felix keeps his wicked gaze on the wolves. "Why have you allied yourselves with these beasts? Not telling the Volturi of their existence would be considered the highest of crimes."

"Like Edward said, the situation has changed. They helped us fight Victoria's newborn army. They are not the werewolves which the Volturi exterminated throughout Europe centuries ago." Carlisle simply explains with that calm demeanor of his. Perhaps Jasper was using his ability on their side to soothe the tempers of Demetri and Felix as the rigidness of their posture slackened.

"One of those wolves just so happens to be my mate too." Edward proudly announces which only sends disgust through Demetri and Felix.

Felix laughs bitterly "So you traded in a human for a mongrel?"

The wolves growl in indignation for their packmate. (y/n) simply flicks an ear, uncaring for what they thought.

"Easy there." warned Carlisle. "Right now you're trespassing on their territory. I would change the tone if I were you. If you'll just follow us back to our house-"

"What and talk it over a nice cup of tea?" Demetri lightly mocked. "No, this can't be resolved that simply."

"Demetri, please-"

"You've aligned yourself with these savage animals. Not just them, but mortals who possess the powers of a supernatural. They have no place in our world."

"Que hombre tan tanto. (What a stupid man)"

Evita's eyes round at the two newcomers entering the forest. A fearful tremor in her voice. "Mama?"

As if taking a leisure forest stroll, Alice and an older woman stand side by side. Alice looking so petite and pale compared to her companion whose dark, wild curls had strands of silver that would catch on the light. A burgundy shawl is wrapped around her shoulders, covering the cream colored blouse she wore.

Evita's mother scowls at her daughter on the other side of the ward's protective embrace. "Evita, estas en un gran problema. ¿Aquí es donde has estado? (Evita, you're in big trouble. This is where you've been?)" Her eyes, while being the same lovely color as Evita's, had the tell tale signs of aging. Also much like Evita when the pack first met her, there's that tangy scent of magic that wafts through the air that clung to the older woman.

At the slight threatening tone in her voice, Evita pales.

Switching from Spanish to English, Annalisse huffs and turns to address Demetri and Felix. "You two feel like big men? Threatening children?" They open their mouths like their about to protest, but Annalisse silences them with a slash of her hand. Whether that was due to magic or just her intimidating air would be a mystery. Either way it did the trick.

Almost comedic how they shrank away from her as she struts straight up to them despite Alice and the other three Cullen males trying to stop her. This woman was fearless and had the pack staring at her in admiration. Witches were made of much stronger stuff than the regular human. Even Nadege almost leapt into action once the Volturi duo arrived.

"If you want war, the only losers in it would be the Volturi. Only a handful of your kind possess special abilities. Unlike us. You think immortality will save you? That your massive coven will be enough? You're outnumbered even now."

A few quiet seconds pass, Demetri and Felix exchanged glances, a hint of uncertainty flickering in their eyes. They were used to asserting dominance, but this woman exuded a power they hadn't anticipated. Reluctantly, Demetri spoke up, his tone begrudging. "Carlisle, show the way."

Please let me know what you guys would like to see in the final chapter :) I'm interested to hear how you want things to end.

TAGLIST: @saltedcoffeescotch​  , @dangerouslittlefairy​ , @burn-crash-rqmance​ , @casedoina , @avadakadabra93 , @daryldixonstorm , @blue-aconite​ , @xanniestired666 , @esposadomd​, @godinho11​ , @alexizodd​ , @melaninsugarbaby​ , @lyeatoalinatoheaven , @ronwownsme​ , @itsmytimetoodream​ , @afro-hispwriter​ , @mutandis-extremis993 , @hxgemxscles​ , @nightly-polaris​ , @corrodedcoffin-slut , @ellesalazar​ , @itgetzweird08​ , @crybabyatthediscooffandoms​ , @sassyandclassyx​ , @scarlet2007​ , @theroyalbrownbarbie​ , @jennyamanda8​ , @stevenandmarcslove​ , @biancaindaeyo​ , @loversjoy​ , @turningtoclown​ , @vixorell​ , @xxthackerybinxxx , @daredevilonmyheels​ , @dumbbitch-juicee​ , @southern-bell-give-hell , @nat-the-gemini , @imdoingathingmom​ , @emmettcullenswife , @yoong1c0re , @daddykylokenobi​ , @minjix​ , @magical-spit​ , @krismdavis​ , @arin-swear-rose

[ponett]

with the fallout of bandai namco's idiotic "it's up to interpretation" bs, do you think that it's possible to enjoy queer media made in a corporate environment in addition to independent works? is it even worthwhile to attempt making queer media in a corporate environment? i find it special how well the g-witch production team managed to tell the story they wanted even with the challenges and pressures they faced, but i have to admit that independent works like slarpg are always going to more completely tell queer stories. as someone who has resonated with both slarpg and g-witch, i was curious to know your perspective.

i'm probably less cynical about this than a lot of my peers are - not that i can blame anyone for feeling cynical about queer rep from corporate-owned media. (we've been through so many First Ever Gay Disney Characters at this point, and lord knows blizzard loves to tease that another overwatch character might be gay every year or so as a PR move.) unfortunately it's just extremely hard to get something like a full season of an animated series funded and produced independently, so the artists looking to enter these fields and pour their hearts and souls into meaningful queer stories as a full-time job don't have many options

going indie gives you theoretically endless creative freedom to tell your stories without corporate censorship, but it's also a massive gamble. only an extreme minority of indie creatives in any medium are actually able to make a living. the fact that i came out the other side of slarpg's development with enough money that i can keep being a full-time indie instead of being in massive debt makes me one of the lucky ones. and even with my modest success, i sure as hell don't have the money to hire a whole team, which limits the scope of what i can make. so i can't turn my nose up at the queer people writing disney channel cartoons where they can't say the word "gay" out loud. they have health insurance, i don't. for most people, what i do is simply not an option

with the corporate-produced Queer Stories i enjoy, i'm often able to squint and see what the creatives were trying to do, wishing that they could have done more while understanding that they probably had to fight tooth and nail for what's there

in the realm of children's animation in particular, i'm thankful that the people working at these studios ARE fighting for more, because it means that kids today have so many more positive queer stories to relate with. i didn't have a single gay character i felt i could relate to until i read scott pilgrim at age 16 and saw wallace wells. before that, i felt so alone in the world. i denied who i was for years because it felt like there would be no place for me. i didn't know anyone openly gay in real life, growing up in the south, and in fiction gay people either existed as the butt of a joke or not at all. the fact that queer kids are now able to see people like themselves in so many shows means something, even if we still have a long way to go and the big studios continue to be a major obstacle

on the subject of g-witch, i'm honestly unfazed by the statement from bandai-namco. i guess i wish they could've let suletta and miorine kiss, but like... the text of the show is extremely blunt about them being a couple by the end. it's not up for debate. and it's not like a gundam series having a meaningful story in spite of the wishes of the toy-producing overlords is anything new, this is just our latest example

all that being said, i do think people should branch out more and explore more weird indie shit if they want more wholeheartedly, openly queer stories. people gotta suck it up and embrace more outsider art instead of only valuing things with studio-level production values. start looking at ren'py visual novels, rpg maker games, obscure webcomics, zines drawn in sharpie, artists on bandcamp who aren't signed to a label, all that jazz. maybe part of the reason why i'm not more fazed by the state of affairs with corporate-funded fiction is that i'm constantly surrounded by furry artists who are telling their own little gay stories

[heart-0f-silk]

Captain Killian “Hook” Jones x F!Reader

[Season 3]

Warnings: Fluff, Smut, Semi-Public sex, p in v, creampie, caught?

You and Hook have never truly been alone. There was always someone, whether is was Emma, Henry, or the Charmings. Most of the time you guys even saw each other was when something bad happened and now you were on some crazy fairytale mission.

Now here you are, on ANOTHER mission. You and Hook were tasked to go the library and see if you two could meet up with Belle and search around for some information on Zelena.

The silence as we walk is uncomfortable. I decide to finally try and make some small talk. “So, uhm, Killian is your real name..correct?”

“Yes love. That it is, why do you ask?” He looks at me.

“Well I was wondering, I’ve never really heard anyone use it before..any particular reason why?”

“Well it’s probably because of my reputation, that and I tell most that they may as well call me Hook.”

“Oh..not as exciting as I thought..”

“What? Did you think I’d have some dark backstory besides the fact I loss my hand?” He gives me a smirk.

“No…well maybe. You are a pirate.” I kinda laugh, but it was just nervous laughter. Why is this so hard for me? We’ve spent plenty of time together, we’ve worked together, especially in neverland. So why do I struggle so much with this?? I guess it doesn’t matter, we need to focus on Zelena.

“Well, I am full of surprises, Love.” He continues his smirk towards me, but I didn’t even notice. I tried just focusing on Zelena and what she could be up to. “Something on your mind, love? You seem to be almost bursting a vein.” I hear his chuckle, “oh! Uhm just thinking about Zelena Y’know…”

“No, I believe there’s something else..what is on your mind?” Before I can even think of an answer we are already at the library. “Oh! Were here! Lets uhm.. go find Belle!” I rush inside. Why am I so nervous to answer his question? There’s nothing particularly wrong?.. I mean, it’s just I’m truly thinking about him.. is that why I can’t answer? Why am I suddenly feeling so..flustered about all this?

My mind is running on and on about Killian I completely ignore the confused Belle standing infront of me, “Hellooooo, are you listening?” I snap out of it as I hear her sweet accent. “Oh sorry, uhm. We just came to see if maybe we could find some information about our witch problem.”

“I see, I’m afraid I haven’t checked and I do have somewhere to be, me and Rumple are going out so- anyways, you’re free to look around! I’ll leave a key on the desk, please be sure to lock the doors oh your way out!” Belle finishes putting on her scarf and purse and then rushes out the door. “Well, it seems it will just be us two, love.” “So it seems..” why am I so sweaty all of a sudden?.. my heart rates also increased… “We should probably start looking today.” I snap out of my thoughts once again to Killians voice, “Y-yes, your right. I’ll start over there in section E-G, you can go from A-B.”

“And I thought I was a captain..look at you bossing me around.” Killian chuckles as he walks through the isles, pushing books sloppily with his hook.

After about 20-ish minutes of searching me and hook ended up meeting in the middle on the same isle. Both facing opposite directions. The space between the isle wasn’t forgiving, I could smell the natural musk and rum from Killian. It was so..intoxicating. While scanning through books I saw a red cover reading ‘the truth of your feelings’. Something about the book made me flip open to the table of contents. That’s when I see a chapter of the name ‘why and what is this feeling?’. I flip to the chapter and read a bit. It talks of feelings of intimacy, tension, both romantic and sexual, and a whole catalyst of other things. Most of it sounded familiar..this was how I felt about Killian. I mean, now that I think of it. I’ve always found hook quite attractive, and when he calls me love I feel a shiver go down my spine.

Oh my god.

I have a ‘crush’ on no other than Captain Hook. Right as I was staring off into space from this sudden realization I feel a warm chest seek behind me, pressing against my back. An arm comes over just above my shoulder to meet the bookshelf. “And what so that your reading, love?” Killian snatches the book out my hand and starts reading the contents. “Truth of you feelings, huh.. Do you like someone, love?” His smile is wide as he laughs. I try grabbing the book out of his hands- hand, but he moves swiftly.

“Give it back Killian!”

“I don’t think I will, who is it you like anyway?”

I ignored his question as heat rose to my cheeks. “It doesn’t matter! Give me the book!”

He leaned down to be infront of my face, “Tell me and I will.” I get his breathe on my face, it smelt of rum. I froze for a second before I looked up at him and spoke softly, “Please Killian, we need to find information on Zelena..” his look darkened, I’m not sure with what but he didn’t seem mad..

“And this is information on Zelena? Didn’t know you liked green like that.” He gave a light chuckle and handed me the book. “That’s not- Oh my fucking god. Let’s just keep looking.” I turned away from the smiling pirate and put the book back in its spot.

We continued searching until we found a few books that could be helpful. There was a small desk near the back of the library with a lamp and some bookmarks. I had been sitting in one of the chairs that was with the desk, Killian sat beside me.

“Y’know this is the first time we’ve ever been alone together..”

His eared perked up, “No it isn’t, we’ve been alone on the Jolly Roger.”

“No, Emma, Mary Margaret, and David were all there. I think Regina was aswell.”

“What about at granny’s?”

“Definitely not..” I chuckle.

“Well- what about at the well.”

“Regina and Emma.”

We both have completely set down our books by now and have lost all attention to what we came here to do.

“Wow, I’ve never noticed it seems.”

I don’t know why it stung a bit when he said that but, it did. What was I thinking? I was barely even aware of my own feelings so why is this suddenly so serious? That and everyone knows he pines after Emma Swan. I mean who wouldn’t? She’s beautiful, smart-witted, and resilient even through everything. What have I ever done that’s been of importance? I’m just some..girl. I’ve never done anything that has amount to something. Even back in the enchanted forest, I was no one. I helped Snow hide from the Evil queen for a bit but nothing more. Emma is a savior, the product of true love. How could I even allow myself the fantasy of me and Killian?

“It’s probably because I struggle with keeping my eyes off you so often that it seems that it’s just the two of us.”

I feel my body freeze in place as my eyes widen, “W-what?” Is all I can mutter out. “You’re quite the beautiful woman Love,” He leans in, our noses almost touching, “and I can’t keep myself under control sometimes when you’re around.” I look into his piercing blue eyes. “Then don’t..” I couldn’t even believe what I was saying, it seems I even took Killian by surprise but he leaned right in and kissed me. The kiss was passionate, sweet, and soft. His lips felt slightly chapped but I didn’t mind. The smell of the sea, rum, and desire was overtaking my senses. I broke the kiss first, a string of saliva connecting our mouths. “Please Killian…”

“Please what, Love?”

“Please, touch me more.” I run my hands up over the laces of the leather covering his skin. “Let me touch you more..” my eyes wander down seeing the tiniest bit of chest hair hiding under his shirts. “Are you sure about that love? I wouldn’t want to get in the way of whom ever you liked earlier. Who you were going to speak the truth about your feelings to.”

“No, no, you wouldn’t be in the way..Please.”

“Are you sure? You might have to tell who this lucky mystery person is.”

“Killian…”

“Tell me.” His eyes darken as he felt down my thigh and squeezed. “You..it’s you Killian. I want you.”

“Mm, that’s all you had to say, Love.” He then desperately catches my lips in a sloppy kiss. I hear him moan lightly as I capture it in my mouth. I start instinctively ripping at the laces of the black leather vest. Killian of course noticed and help by taking off his jacket. Before I can continue however he suddenly picks me up from my thighs and sets me on the table. “Much better..” he grabs my lips again in a heated kiss. I continue at his laces before ripping then undone, “gentle love.” He smiled at me. “Sorry..”

“Don’t be, I do like you needy.” He slightly chuckled when he spoke sending another wave of heat to my cheeks. He’s somehow still just as adorable as he is handsome. “You are beautiful..” I couldn’t help but hold his face in my hands, feeling his pokey gruff and soft skin. “No, you’re the beautiful one, love” I smile and for a moment and forget the world around us. This, this is all I ever wanted. This happiness. I leaned in and kissed him softly and he equally kissed me just as soft and sweet as ever. Is this what true love feels like? Maybe love is overzealous and a much to strong word for something so young but, I truly am so happy.

I feel his hands slowly make their way up my body till they were at my breasts. He fondles and massages them lovingly. The kiss gets increasingly more eager and hungry. “Allow me to take this off?” I feel him grabbing the bottom of my shirt, almost ripping it off with the sheer force of his grip. “Go ahead.” I didn’t have to tell him twice, he took it off so quickly I almost fell off the desk.

I feel the cool metal of his rings caress my now naked skin. He slides his hand around to the back of my shirt and uses his hook to snap my clasp. It slightly smacks my back making me shiver, but it strangely felt so..satisfying. He uses his hook to slide off my bra from my shoulders. I watch as Killian then continues to take off his hook and sets it on the table beside me. He leans down and begins kissing my neck and collarbone, peppering me in soft kisses. The feeling almost tickles then he continues further down to my breasts. He then circles his tongue around my bud before taking it into my mouth. He uses his hand to grope my other breast, “Mmph” I moan but conceal it by using my hand to cover my mouth. “No, don’t you dare cover those darling sounds.” I feel him pitch my nipple at this sentence, I squeak from the pleasure. “Mm-more, please~” He smiles at me before taking a set back.

“Are you sure about this, Love?”

“Yes. 100%”

“Oh, thanks the gods-“ He quickly rushes to my lips once more grabbing my face and hungrily smashing his lips into mine. “Mmph- this isn’t fair, you still have your mm- shirt on-“ I try catching my breath in between rough kisses. Quickly breaking the kiss Killian pulls his shirt over his head and goes straight back to kissing me. His hands go straight to the hem of my skirt trying to yank it off my body. I giggle at his actions and help him, taking my panties off with them to make everything much easier.

After I do I finally look up to see Killian’s face, he’s stepped back now just staring at me in awe. “What’s the matter?” I giggle into my sentence. “You are so, beautiful. You’re perfect my dear..” I shy away from his words when I feel him come in between my legs once again and take my chin into his hand. “Hey, look at me. You’re the most gorgeous woman I know, seen, touched. Don’t you shy away from that.” I feel his finger find their way to my hair as he leads my head into another deep kiss. I pull Killian in by the belt and unbuckle it. I pull it out of the loops and let it drop to the floor.

“Pants, please.”

“Yes ma’am”

Killian takes a pause and unbuttons his pants and unzips them, pulling them down along with his boxers. His cock was practically touching his stomach, leaking with sticky pre-cum. It was a decent width but very long. I was so mesmerized I didn’t even realize I was staring. “I’m glad you like the view, Love-” I looked up embarrassed, my face hot & most likely red. “But my eyes are up here.” He lifts my chin up with his hand again. I stare into his sparking blue eyes as they glimmer with lust & desire.

His hand goes from my chin down my neck and he gently squeezes. I a choked moan escaped from my lips when he did so. “Oh, do you like that Love?”

“Mm Mmhm~” I look up at him with pleading eyes. “Do you want it darling?” All I do is nod my head. “Words. lovely”

“Yes. Yes, please Killian. I want it- I want you so bad.”

“I didn’t even have to ask you to beg, such a good girl~”

I felt my core melt at his words, I was practically oozing with arousal. “Please, please give your cock to me, please.” I continue pleading with both my eyes and words. “If you wish, Love.” With that I feel his tip aline with my velvet folds. “Are you ready?” I eagerly nodded my head to the question.

I feel the head enter inside and before I know it I’m taking inch by inch as Killian whispers all kind of sweet & dirty things in my ear. I slowly become louder & louder as he continues. “Ah~ you were made for me love. You feel so good.” He continued moaning soft grunts in my ear. He had began a stable pace for a while, all I could hear was the wet slops of our juices mixing with one another’s, and his grunts in my ear. I wrapped my legs around his waist instinctively. “Y-you are such a good girl for me, Love” The grip he held on my thighs getting rougher, his pace quicker and sloppier, and more erratic. All I could do was let my mouth fall open and let the sounds roll out.

“Yes, j-just like that darling~”

“Ah~ god Killian!~ please, finish inside, fill me up, please, please.” I felt his dick twitch inside me as he slams inside me deeper and harder with each thrust.

“Are you s-sure love?~”

“Absolutely!!~”

“A-as you wish-“ Killian continues slamming into me causing the table to bang against the wall, The lamp has fallen over and the grip moved from my thigh to my throat. Everything felt so good- to good. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I felt the knot in my stomach begin to break and then- stars. That’s all I saw. Pleasure washed over my body causing my legs to shake around Killian’s waist losing strength to keep them wrapped around, but Killian continues pounding into me mercilessly. I still manage to choke out the most pornst⭐️r moans possible as he continues. “T-to- AH~ much!!~”

“C’mon, you can take it love-“ I already feel my own juices dripping from my leg and all over his cock making the wettest of sounds. His cock starts twitching and his moans become louder and thrust more erratic. “God you are amazing~” once he reaches the end of his sentence he cums deep in my cervix, coating my walls white in his sperm.

Both still catching our breaths I kiss Killian’s jaw in soft and sloppy kisses. “You are quite the woman, Love.”

“You not too bad your self.” I retort back, “Your, amazing..”

“As much as I love staring and holding you like this we are in a public library, Love. Door is still unlocked.”

“Oh shit your right- lets get dressed-“ We both quickly grab our clothes off the floor and try to hurrying get dressed when we hear a group come in.

“Hook! Y/N! Are you guys here?” Emma. Shit shit shit, I’m still half dressed.

“Y/N!” And snow. Could this get any worse?

“Where are these bafoons?” And Regina. It can get worse. I finish putting my clothes back on and trying to smooth out the wrinkles and fix my hair. “There you are! What took you two so long to answer-..oh. Seems you two had fun.”

“Listen Regina it’s not what it looks like-“

“I do not care, but we are trying to save storybrooke and more importantly my son so if you could do it on your own time that’d be great.”

“What’s going on over here?”

“Nothing, Emma.”

All I can see is Killian give me a little wink before turning away, pointing to my legs as a small drop of white ran down my leg.

This is my first story 😨 so please be kind. Y’all at the end idk what I was on but it was 9:30pm then 1:25am-

(Also I didn’t proofread I’m so tired 💀)

[aaronsrpgs]

"Ancient World Fantasy" Reading List

(A little context to start. If you just want book recs, scroll on down to the first image.)

As I’ve been getting into RuneQuest (Wikipedia link), one striking component of the culture and community surrounding the game is that they’re very into the lore of its fictional world, Glorantha. I’m saying this as a comparison to a game like D&D, where the game is spread across tons of settings with no real sense of obligation to keep things in line with earlier editions.

Glorantha’s canon and worldbuilding has been going on since it was published in 1978 without, as far as I can tell, any big reboots. Which means that, unlike D&D, where people are bringing in all kinds of influences and doing direct adaptions of Jane Austen books and whatever, the RuneQuest game remains pretty tightly tied to the original setting. (There have been some exceptions. But not many!)

But since I run games for people who have ADHD or aren’t interested in studying up, I’ve been looking at all kinds of inspiration to drop into the game. Here are 20 novels that are roughly “ancient world” or “Bronze Age” like RuneQuest and deal with people interacting with strange gods, tight communities, and a world without fast overland travel or transferal of information.

I’m presenting them alphabetically by author’s last name.

The Brazen Gambit, Cinnabar Shadows, The Rise and Fall of a Dragon King by Lynn Abbey

I'm sorry for starting this post off with licensed RPG novels, but these are good! And I don't mean "good for licensed RPG novels." I've read tons of them, and most are so bad! But these are actually fun. Good character development in a sword-and-sorcery world. It's also an ecological apocalypse world, with godlike beings oppressing common folks, leading to a lack of technological advancement and knowledge of the past.

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bentsson

Written in the 1940s as a series of novellas, these stories take you on a tour of the Viking-era world, from Europe to the Middle East and beyond. Like a bunch of books on this list, this places them post-Bronze Age, so they're not officially "ancient world." But it gives a big spread of cultures, from the more clan-based Vikings to the bustling metropolises of Turkey. And it doesn't place any of them on any kind of linear advancement scale or whatever other gross way people "rate" cultures.

Tales of Nevèrÿon and Neveryóna by Samuel R. Delany

The master of weird sci-fi and gay historical novels, Chip Delany also wrote a fantasy epic. And it rules! Set on pre-historical(ish) Earth, these books describe the stories that maybe inform the myths we tell today? Dragons and slave revolts! A sort of "What if Game of Thrones was good?" series. Lots of good stuff about how people learn and how understanding expands.

I'm not listing the third book only because it's also a historical look at New York during the AIDS epidemic. It's an amazing book! But it strays from the "ancient world" aesthetic.

Baudolino by Umberto Eco

Another novel expressly set after the Bronze Age (this one starts in the 12th century). BUT it's about Medieval people's interaction with the knowledge they inherited from the past, specifically the myth of Prester John and the works of Herodotus.

I think I keep putting books like this on the list because roleplaying in a fantastical ancient world is not too far off from how Medieval people might have worshipped and referenced works from ancient Rome and non-European places.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf and Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James

One of our best living writers! These are fantasy novels expressly set in a fantastical version of ancient/Medieval Africa. The books explore the same events from multiple points of view and are full of cool magic, awesome spirit combat, and a vast number of places and cultures that actively deconstructs most games's portrayal of fantasy Africa as a homogeneous place.

The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

I think Kingsnorth has been outted as a sort of eco-fascist? I totally believe it, so feel free to skip this one. It's a historical novel set in England in 1066, as the Normans invade from France. It's written in a faux Middle English language and focuses on the lower classes and how they try to resist the invasion. A good reminder that "Medieval culture" (and especially the Renaissance as a time that "culture advanced") is often based on certain classes of society, such as rich people and/or men.

Iceland's Bell by Halldór Laxness

Speaking of how class intersects with technological advancement, this book is set in the 18th century, but it focuses on Iceland at a time when it was ruled by Denmark, and the lower classes there were under an enforced poverty. It's a book about how a rich Icelander was trying to recover the stories of his people in order to create a sense of national identity and resistance. But it's also a story about how a destitute man acts like a total weirdo when he's not allowed to fish in his own waters and is cut off from understanding his place in history.

The Raven Tower by Anne Leckie

A big part of RuneQuest is people interacting with and enacting their gods. That's what this book is about! And it's about the strange vertigo that comes to people when they try to interact with the impossible timelines that gods exist on. Very good stuff.

Night's Master and Death's Master by Tanith Lee

Ostensibly set on Earth back when it was flat and demons roamed the world, which is basically RuneQuest. Sort of like a series of hornier, gay bibles? With lots of gender fuckery, fun sex, and cool monsters.

Circe by Madeline Miller

The story of the witch from The Odyssey, told from her point of view. Beautiful prose, tragic and beautiful characters, and a great share of mythical strangeness. Perfect if you want to learn how to run NPCs that are adversaries without being shallowly evil.

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren

Semi-Medieval again, but low class and vague enough that it could exist throughout ancient history. The daughter of a robber grows up in a tower full of robbers and generally has a wonderful time. Lots of weird monsters live in the woods, and there's a great starcrossed romance with someone from a rival robber gang. Perfect inspiration if you're running some cattle-raiding runs in RuneQuest; this is how to make robbers fun and sympathetic.

Read the book, watch the 1984 Swedish movie (which includes a great comedic scene of full-frontal dudity), and then watch the Studio Ghibli series.

A Stranger in Olondria and The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar

Set in a world of pepper farmers and religious fanatics who worship a mysterious inscribed stone, these books do a great job of showing how people might interact with religion, rival cults, and mystery rites. It also portrays literacy and learning to read in places where it's gated behind social gatekeeping. And once again, the prose is beautiful.

The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola

The first African novel published in English outside of Africa, The Palm-Wine Drinkard is a funny, hallucinogenic story about getting drunk, stumbling through weird landscapes, and encountering fantastical spirits and people.

Tutuola also wrote My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, the inspiration for the famous(?) David Byrne/Brian Eno album. I haven't read it yet, but I'm keeping an eye out!

The Green Pearl by Jack Vance

This is a sequel to Lyonesse, which I haven't read because I love staring in the middle of things. Set around a mythical British Isles when Atlantis was still above the sea and part of the group of islands. Some great wizard shit, warring clans, romance, and a wizard whose name is fucking Shimrod (in case you need more convincing).

Those are my 20 novel recommendations! I'm gonna come back to add some nonfiction, comics, and myth resources for running games in fantastical ancient worlds. You can read SpeedRune, my ancient fantasy game, here.

[leothil]

fic recs: archive edition 20

I realized today that Mondays actualy are a pretty good day for posting these lists! We're no longer getting our weewoo fix on Mondays, so it's a great time to dive into some fics to soothe the longing until Thursday arrives (or Friday, for those of us living in future timezones).

This week I chose fics that have some kind of AU elements or strong canon divergence, all from november 2021.

Previous posts in the series are here!

the handyman can ('cause he fixes it with love) by iphigenias (@oatflatwhite) AU where Buck is a handyman who turns up to fix Eddie's blocked sink, and Eddie tries desperately to not ogle him. The most excellent fluffy silliness! 4k words, rated T

Been in the Dark Since the Day We Met by @hmslusitania I shall continue to shout my love for magic!Eddie from the rooftops, even when (or especially when?) he's not a very good witch (or is he? 👀). He's trying to teach Christopher about magic and how to control it, but to his surprise Buck shares some information about the magical world that Eddie never knew about. Part 1, and you will want to read part 2! 4.1k words, rated T

life sure can try to put love through it by wafflesofdoom (@capseycartwright) Buck wakes up after an accident at work and has lost three years' worth of memories - including that he's now married to Eddie. Navigating this new world is harsh for both him and Eddie, and there's a lot of sadness on both sides while they wait to see if Buck's memories will return. There are so many details in this fic that are fascinating to see that the fandom predicted, even if they played out slightly differently in canon! 20.3k words, rated G

Why Do All The Monsters Come Out at Night? by @princessfbi Witch!Buck who the wind whispers to, and vampire!Eddie whose coven doesn't approve of the way he wants to live his life. Follows roughly S2 events and storylines. What can I say, I'm a big sucker for magic AUs, and the elemental magic in this one really speaks to me! 41.3k words, rated M

Enjoy your week, weewoo day is approaching!

[sl-newsie]

Spelled (Carlos de Vil x Sanderson Daughter) Descendants: A Royal Wedding

Fire burn and cauldron bubble, show me what’s the latest trouble.”

Poof!

The brewing potion sparks to life and a smoky image of Auradon Castle appears. It’s almost the same as when I left a year ago, only this time it’s decorated for a celebration. Outside Dude is chasing some frisky squirrels off the stone steps.

“Come on! This is a very special day! It needs to be perfect!” The canine whines.

You’re not wrong, Dude.

A month ago I had a visit from an owl. The creature flew inside the cottage and perched right on my shoulder. At first I was confused by my new guest but that was put to rest when I read the scroll tied to its leg.

Magica,

The Royal Highnesses Ben and Mal invite you to a royal wedding at Auradon Castle. 

So much for keeping me up to date. While Ben, Remus, and the Sea Three have kept their promise of staying in touch, I’m afraid the rest of the VKs have failed. 

“Today’s the day, huh?” Binx asks from the shelf he’s perched on.

“Yes. Yes it is,” I reply, still looking at the swirling potion.

“Do you have a wedding gift?”

A gift. A wedding gift… Good question.

“What gift do I give to my best friend and his bride? Something fun? Something sensible?”

The black cat does a big stretch. “You’ll think of something. Don’t worry too much.”

Broomsticks! I can’t think of something good this last-minute. Maybe I could copy off the three fairies? Grant them a wish? Possibly. On the other hand, doing a magic gift might look lazy and unthoughtful.

“It’ll come to me,” I mutter as I look in the mirror one last time to check my dress: a lavender sundress. Time to fix it. “By the powers of this bewitching book, change the clothes to a wicked look.”

The dress goes stiff and the fabric ripples down to turn into a deep purple gown with a black-laced corset, complete with a matching cloak and Victorian heels. Mother’s spellbook still has its perks.

“Too much?” I ask.

“Nothing is ever too much for you,” Binx chuckles. “You look very pretty. I’m sure people will love it.”

“My name is cleared, but this is the first public appearance I’ve made in a year. I hope this works.”

“And what about your aunt’s spellbook?”

Oh. Right. 

“Not a word of it,” I warn Binx with a narrowed look. “No more evil spells.”

I found it. Mother’s tipoff sent me traveling deep into the Deadwood Grove in search of Winifred’s spellbook. Lo and behold it led me to a twisted tree. Buried beneath it was a wooden chest, and within was the malevolent book itself. Eye and all. And now it remains covered and hidden within the stones of my fireplace.

“How long will you be staying-? Oh my,” father walks in from the kitchen. “You look beautiful, my little witch.”

“Thank you, father. Are you sure you won’t come?”

He shakes his head. “These are your people, Magica. It’s time you enjoyed yourself after a year of solitude. Besides, I’ve got chores to do.”

He’s right. 

“I shall return with haste,” I call before heading out the door. The sight of my broom leaning against the porch sends my heart skipping for adventure. “Fly!”

It all goes too fast. The familiar castle below awakens unwanted happy memories. Deep breath. Nothing will be the same. I prepared for this. What is new is the absence of wanted posters with my face plastered everywhere. All I can hope is that the scene of a witch flying a broom over the village won’t send the residents into a frenzy.

“Look!”

Here we go.

“It’s Magica!”

Magica? Not ‘Sanderson witch?’ 

“Hi Magica!” A little girl waves up at me.

“Um- Hello?” I wave back. What’s happened since I’ve been gone?

“Trixie! Down here!” A familiar voice yells from the castle steps.

My broom sends me down and I land with grace. After I lean it against a nearby pillar I spin around to face Jay with a wide grin.

“Jay, Jay! Thou hast grown!” I greet with a dramatic curtsey.

“Come on, none of that. Get over here!” Jay laughs and wraps me up into a tight hug. “So glad you could make it!”

“Ah! G-Good to see you too!” I wheeze. “How is the lucky couple?”

The VK’s eyes dim and he nods towards the palace. “Oh, you know. Last minute wedding preparations. I’m trying to stay out of it. My job is to be the usher. But I’m sure Mal and Evie will want to see you before the wedding starts!”

Something tugs at my heart. Is that all? Nothing else to catch up on? 

“Oh. I see.” 

I pivot crossly and strut up the stairs, leaving Jay in the dust. My mood is beginning to sour and if this is how today is going to plan out then I’m not sure  I’ll be able to upkeep this happy smile.

I sneak over to peer down the hall to Mal’s dressing room and spot Audrey giving Ben a murderous look with her hands on her hips.

“Get back to the palace, Ben!” She pushes him out and slams the door, then opens it again. “And catch your mother-in-law!”

Ben turns and sees me. “Sparks? You’re here!” He too squeezes me into a hug and I’m surprised my lungs haven’t gotten bruised yet.

“Hello, Brother Ben. It is really a pleasure to see you after all this time.” At least he tried to stay in touch. 

“Are you here to help Audrey with the decor?”

Another tug. Skip to addressing the wedding and nothing else? Granted it’s his special day but surely he understands why I would be upset?

I hold my hands up and walk away slowly. “I don’t want any part of… whatever this is. I’m just here to give you both my best wishes, as well as a wedding gift. One wish.”

The door opens again and Mal notices me. “A wish? What wish?”

My eyes flash but my temper remains tamed… for now. “Any wish you want, provided it’s reasonable of course.”

“Meaning…?”

I huff. “You know, no wishing for more wishes, no resurrecting the dead, the usual stuff. Just make a wish!”

Ben can see I’m getting uneasy. Thankfully he quickly comes up with a solution.

“Um, would long-lasting happiness work? Or is that too sappy?”

I hold back a gag. “Ben, that’s the sappiest wish you could ever think of. Pick something that actually exists.”

“How about having you as our child’s godmother?” Mal thinks out loud.

“What?!” Evie and Audrey shout from inside

“You’re… expecting?” Evie asks with a wide smile and rushes over to put a hand on Mal’s chest.

Mal backs away and both her and Ben shake their heads. “No, no! Not yet. We’re just thinking ahead. Who better would be qualified than Magica?”

Ben comes up behind me. “So whaddya say, Sparks?”

Tug! How many synonyms for pain can I discover? First all this talk of weddings and love, and then they expect me to be a godmother?

“A godmother?” My breath hitches slightly. “Witches aren’t fairy godmothers, Mal. And I- I… I need a moment.”

The gathered crowd watches with confused stares as I push through and sprint back down the stairs. Thump thump thump! Is it possible to die of a broken heart?

For if to grieve is to mourn,

And to mourn is to grieve,

What can a life be if a life is no sanctuary?

Find me a word to describe my pain,

May I never feel its sting again.

Past the doors and into the gardens. Purple flames are beginning to taunt my fingertips. How can they do this? Just- Push it off? 

The hollowness that haunts my soul,

My smile shows one who takes a heavy toll.

For if being alive and ripe alienates me from my peers,

Let me be cursed forever alone to persevere.

Lord’s purpose is ill-defined,

Between life and death can be a fine line.

“Hey, Magica!”

“Hello, sugar!”

My eyes fly up. “Hello Lonnie. Tiffany.” I can’t talk now. Not without breaking apart again. “I apologize but I must be going.”

The two girls wave goodbye and I pull my hood down to cover my glowing eyes.

Some say I look to kill,

But inside I long to love.

If to hate is to love, then in order to love one must hate.

Patience is at death’s door,

And time is weakening the score.

“Magica! Wait!”

My thoughts halt and I’m pulled back to the present. “Wha-? Oh. Hello Remus.”

The redhead jogs up and I see he’s wearing a spiffy suit just like the other men. It’s unclear what he does that calms my triggered pulse. He doesn’t hug me or smile like we’re old friends pretending nothing’s changed.

“Magica… I’m sorry. It- I know there’s nothing I can do to help-”

“That’s not true,” I interrupt. “You’re talking to me. That’s more than anyone’s given me all day. Thank you.”

Remus nods and offers a hand, which I look at with distrust. “It’s ok. I know you won’t burn me on purpose.”

I arch a brow. “Clearly you’ve never seen a Sanderson’s temper firsthand.”

He smirks and takes my hand anyway. “It takes a lot to scare my dad and me. How have you been?”

My heartrate has steadied. This is what I’ve been wanting all year. Closure. Friendship.

“It’s… Been hard. All I want is to grieve properly. Between solving my own family issues and worrying about self image… It- It came out of nowhere.” A building sob escapes me. “And now they want me to be a godmother.”

I anticipate more flames to jump from my hand again but none do. Remus’ eyes stay soft and comforting.

“I can’t speak for the other VKs but I’m sorry they’ve been distant. You deserved to be told.”

His gentle tone soothes my thoughts. “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he the power in the day of death: and there is no mere discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. Ecclesiastes 8:8. Death always follows, Remus. We’re just not always expecting it.”

Silence inches by. We both know no words can repair. I just need someone to stand by me.

Flash!

A bright blaze of blue light shines across the grounds. What in the name of Auradon is going on now?

“What was that?” I wonder out loud.

“I’m not sure. Magica, if you need to talk-” Remus says softly.

“The time for talking has passed,” I answer in a determined manner. “Right now I need to help. They may not have earned it but they still need it.”

The chauffeur starts jogging next to me and we head back towards the palace. “Count me in.”

Ahead of us I already see the other three VKs sprinting in the direction of the ocean. What could-? Oh my goodness. The bridge to the Isle is engulfed in blue flames.

“Any ideas?” Remus asks, sounding as befuddled as I am.

“Not exactly. How about you go help out with whatever damage there is to the castle. I’ll go handle this.”

“Are you sure?”

I give a steady nod to try to convince him and myself. “What’s the point of spending a year studying sorcery if you never use it?”

I hurry down the road and notice the captain of the Sea Three herself standing near the edge of the bridge. Mal, Evie, Jay, and Audrey have caught up with her. 

“Uma! What happened?” Mal calls out.

“Hades happened.”

“Wow. When your dad burns bridges, he literally burns bridges!” Jay jokes.

This shouldn’t surprise me. Inviting Hades to an event in Auradon is like inviting the Mad Hatter to a trial. Chaos is sure to spark. In Hades’ situation, quite literally.

“Sparky? That you?” Uma notices me standing in the back.

The other VKs turn around. Jay is the only one to smile while Mal and Evie avoid my gaze with sheepish frowns.

“Hello, Uma! It’s been too long! Thank you again for those powdered cockleshells. They were just what I needed for my draught.”

Uma sees the others’ strange looks. “What’s all this about? Y’all look guiltier than Gil caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Did I miss something?”

Jay is completely oblivious. Mal and Evie exchange glances, trying to decide how to move forward. I’m waiting.

“Um, we… Mal and Ben asked Magica if she would be the godmother to their first born,” Evie answers slowly.

Uma isn’t satisfied. “That don’t explain why you both are so awkward. Spill it.”

Mal clears her throat and lifts her head to look at me directly. “Have you thought about it? Please, Magica? It would mean so much to us.”

I hiss at her words. “Why would you ask me to be someone so important when you didn't even bother to tell me when Carlos died?” 

Everyone goes silent. One could cut the atmosphere with a sword. Here it is. No more beating around the rosebush.

“‘Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.’ Song of Solomon 8:7. I loved him, Mal. I loved him so much. And now he’s gone.” My glaring eyes catch something gleaming on Mal’s wrist. “New bracelet?”

She sees where I’m looking and stutters. “Yeah, it’s um… All the original VK crests. I…” She can’t ignore my melancholy face and gives a sad sigh. “I- We know how much Carlos meant to you, and I’m sorry we didn’t tell you.”

“I knew.”

She blinks. “What?”

“I knew he died. When you’re a witch and you find true love, you form a love bond with them. An empathy link. You know what they’re feeling, and can tell when they’re -” I sniff. “In distress. When Carlos died I knew something was wrong. I waited to hear any news. Do you know what I was told?”

The three VKs shuffle their feet and look at the ground. “Nothing?”

“Exactly! Not one person bothered to tell me! After the first week I decided to investigate myself, and when I found out what happened-” I can’t fight the tears anymore and my eyes start leaking. Fire is crawling across my hands, which makes the VKs even more anxious.

“Magica, I- we’re so sorry!” Evie tries to comfort me.

“You never told her?” Uma asks, appalled. “Magica, if I-”

“No no, Uma. There’s nothing you could have done,” I quickly assure her. “Processing death is different for all of us. But I cannot dwell on that.” Deep breath. A gentle smile makes its way onto my face. “This is a happy day. Carlos wouldn’t want anything to spoil it. Is there anything I can help with?”

Everyone keeps staring at me. After all these years people’s stares pass right through me.

“So… Hades?”

Uma catches on and fills us in. “I tried to catch him and get him to chill but his fire hair was blowing in the wind and set the bridge on fire.”

Mal steps forward. “I need to get to the Isle and find him. Help me, please?”

“For the queen on her wedding day? I got you!” The aqua-haired pirate runs over and plummets off the bridge into the churning blue sea. Within moments he resurfaces in her octopus form. “Y’all might wanna stand back!”

She does a twirl and her tentacles send a giant wave of water rushing up to the bridge. The only one who doesn’t take cover is Audrey, who’s just walked over.

“Audrey! Look out-”

But Audrey’s too distracted by her phone to notice the giant wave coming towards her. When she gets splashed she lets out a muffled scream, then just stands there dripping wet with a shocked look.

“Thank you Uma!”

“Yeah, Uma. You’re so great,” Audrey says blandly.

“Consider it my wedding present!” Uma cackles. “Now go find your dad and I’ll get all your guests back to the reception.”

“Thank you, Uma!” Mal waves.

Uma gives a sly wink just as the VKs go sprinting across the bridge. When they’re gone she looks up at me with a sad smile.

“Mal is a good person. She’s just not the best at expressing it at times.”

“I know. In their own process of grief my name was at the bottom of the list. It was selfish to hold them to it.”

Uma stifles a laugh. “I would not think you were a Sanderson Sister. That’s got to be some of the fluffiest forgiveness talk I’ve ever heard.”

Still a pirate. I roll my eyes. “Enough chatter. Let’s get this wedding back on the road!”

Audrey really went all out with the decor. Unfortunately I’m not sure if my spells can undo the work of Hades’ power. The blue and gold banners are singed too deep. So… What now?

“Magica?”

My head perks up at the familiar face. “Jane!”

She squeals and hurries over with a gleeful smile. “You made it! I haven’t seen you since…” Her voice falters and she gets a saddened look. 

I give her a soft hug. “He’s with us today. Let’s make this wedding the biggest bash of the century.”

Her smile returns. “Right! Where should we start?”

“I’m off to fetch the bride and groom!” FG announces from down the aisle.

“We’ll come too!” 

Ben’s parents join her and in one big poof they vanish. Jane and I exchanged animated looks.

“Guess that leaves us to tend to the guests.”

“What do we say? ‘Sorry but the couple of the day is missing?’”

I shrug. “I could spell them to fall asleep until they get back.”

Uma gives me a pointed look. “As tempting as that is, you need to steer clear of too much magic. Girl you just got your name cleared! The last thing we need is another witch hunt.”

“Alright! Then I shall need assistance.” I throw my arms up and look around. “I need a phone-”

“Right here.” Uma hands me a small plastic tile. Is this what people are using? “Do you not know how to use a phone?”

“And you do? I thought there was no internet on the Isle.”

“That doesn't mean we never knew what a phone is. Here, turn it on.”

Uma presses a small button and the screen lights up with a picture of the ocean. “Behold! What kind of sorcery is this? Explain yourself, magic box!”

The pirate laughs at my flabbergasted surprise and touches the screen. An icon of names pops up and I very carefully click on the name I need. It’s ringing…

“Hello?”

“Tiffany, is that you?” I ask.

“Magica? Hi, sugar! What’s going on? I’m here for Mal’s wedding but everyone’s gone.”

I give a nervous laugh. “Yes, um- There’s been a slight delay. Did Audrey already call you?”

“Yeah I’ve got the taco bar set out but people are getting antsy.”

“I was afraid of that. Think you could whip up something if I get you the materials?”

I hear an excited holler. “Absolutely!”

Perfect! “Ingredients coming at ya! Pots and pans, sugar and spice, disappear from here to there when I snap twice.”

Two snaps and a flash of pink sparks and I hear Tiffany gasp. I’ve still got my touch!

“We’ll meet you in the banquet hall.” I close the phone and give Uma and Jane a mock salute. “Let’s go!”

We sprint across the lawn and immediately I spot Audrey’s eye-catching tent that’s set up down the hill. Hundreds of guests dressed in many different colors chatter and mingle. Now we just need to hope that Tiffany’s miracle baking can distract them a little longer.

“Almost there! We need to-”

Poof!

I run past Mal and- Hold up.

“Mal, guys- you’re back! And all dressed up I see!”

I’m no longer near the palace. Instead I’ve been spirited away to a forest, joining the VKs, Ben, Audrey, FG, Ben's parents, and- Hades?

“Hey, Sparks!” Ben waves. “We had Fairy Godmother bring you here for the wedding!”

“Wedding? Oh! A more private party, hm?” The other thing that’s different is- My dress? “Evie!”

The blue-haired VK grins. “Now you look like you!”

“You’re a Sanderson witch, Magica,” Mal explains. “We want you to be you for our wedding.” 

I finger the purple locks that have replaced by blonde ones. "The hair too?"

"Dizzy would go nuts if you didn't!" Evie giggles.

I can be me. They even outfitted me with the hat and everything.

Mal looks around the forest and smiles. “Ok, I can work with this! All it needs is…”

“A little VK flair?” Evie inputs.

“That is exactly what it needs!” Mal agrees.

“Let’s do this!”

And here we go!

“Gather ‘round in the forthcoming night, the roaring embers blinking bright.”

I snap my fingers and golden sparks pop to life and sprinkle throughout the waning sunlight. A cozy atmosphere never hurts. Ben returns with Hades and they’re both carrying a red carpet.

“I thought he was all mad and stuff?” I whisper to Mal.

“It really wasn’t his fault. He didn’t do it on purpose.”

Aw! This is going to be a proper family wedding after all! FG waves her wand and pillars form in two rows down the aisle while Jay sets flowers on them. An altar of vines and roses grows at the end. When we all get in position, with FG as the officiant and Evie as Mal’s maid of honor, Hades starts to walk Mal down the aisle to Ben. I feel myself getting worked up and excited, and I can see they’re both really happy. Jay, the ring bearer for Ben, fetches the gorgeous ring.

“Mal Bertha, with this ring, I pledge everything that I have to you. My life, my kingdom, my heart. I promise to always be there for you, to accept everything that you are, and to always put you first.”

Now Evie takes Mal’s ring from Hades and hands it to Mal.

“With this ring, I pledge to you all the days of my life. All of my burdens and all of my joys. I promise to be my best for you, to share all my secrets and to keep yours, and to choose good always.”

No more tugs. My heart is soaring at the beautiful scene of true love. Hours earlier I was terrified to confront true love again but now I’m overjoyed at their happy moment.

“Do you, Ben, take Mal to be your wife, to love and cherish forever?” Fairy Godmother asks.

Ben’s eyes shine and never stray from Mal. “I do.”

“Do you, Mal, take Ben to be your husband, to love and cherish forever?”

Mal looks confidently joyful. “I do.”

“By the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife! Bibbity-bobbity whoo!”

She waves her wand, and in another split-second poof! we’ve been transported back to the banquet hall. 

“There you are!” Uma waves at me. “You just- Poof! Are you were gone!”

I smile sheepishly. “Um, sorry. It’s kinda my thing. But this time it wasn't me.”

“It was my idea!” Ben declares and squeezes my shoulder.

By now the whole crowd sees we’ve returned and cheers loudly. We appeared at the top of the stairs- Much too out in the open for my taste. I start to inch away but Jay pulls me back.

“You’re a part of this too, Magica.”

Something catches my eye. Mal’s bracelet starts to glow, and we see Carlos’ charm shimmers the brightest. Oh, Carlos. Dude comes running up next to me wearing a spiffy bow tie, and I know we’re all thinking the same thing. He’s here, in spirit.

"Mal," I speak evenly. "It would be an honor to be a godmother."

The newlywed smiles and both her and Ben press me into a hug. "Thank you, Magica. Thank you so much."

“Let’s dance!” Evie pulls Doug into the crowd and everyone starts jigging.

“You too, Magica!” Jane waves me over to where her, Tiffany, and Lonnie are.

“It’s the Sanderson witch!” Chad shrieks and all but runs straight into a column.

Audrey rolls her eyes. “Shut up, Chad. C’mon, Magica!”

After all this time I still can have friends. A Sanderson witch having friends. Maybe one day I can set mother free and I can have her back too. But one day at a time.

“Trixie! Wanna join us for sky dancing?” Jay points to the platforms lifting people into the air.

I shake my head. “No, thanks. I think I’ve overspent my welcome. Besides, that looks really dangerous.”

“Says the witch who rides a broom!” Jay taunts.

“At least I have a broom! What’s to stop you from falling off of those things?”

“Get up here, Sparky!” Uma calls, both asking and ordering.

I roll my eyes. “Very well. Broom!” In a split second it appears in my hand. “Fly!”

All of my troubles stay behind. The cool night air refreshes my thoughts and for the first time in two years I’m actually having fun. No more screaming or villagers running away. Even though Willow’s probably still mad at me. 

Someone grabs my hand and suddenly I’m spun into the crowd. Goodness-!

“You stayed!” Remus grins from his own platform. “I’m so glad you’re here! May I have this dance?”

A carefree laugh escapes me and I begin to swing to the music. “You really don’t want to know about my family’s history of social events, Remus. But… Yes. I would love to dance with you.”

Oh. Oh. I wonder if…?

“Looking good, guys!” Jay cheers us on.

Is it possible…? No, life is too short to worry about Fate and true love. I’m finally happy.

We all make mistakes. Some are kind of messy, others… Almost successful in cursing an entire kingdom. But that’s past me now. And not only so, but we also glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulations worketh patience; And patience, experience; and character, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3-5. 

You helped me through this, Carlos. We all will remember you. Wherever you are, we wish you all the best.

(Thank you to Cameron Boyce for his wonderful talent, may he rest in peace.)