#they got the tree off my house and actually being able to physically see w/o obstruction

[stitchthesewords]

Hello friends I am Going Through It atm does anyone wanna give me an excuse to ramble about random things in my stories or what have you for the good brain juice please and thanks

[randomidiocyncrazies]

2.43 ep 5 thoughts: Oda and Aoki edition

sooo as you all know i’m an Oda (and Oda/Aoki) stan, so I just wanna take some time to talk about Oda and Aoki’s dynamics in episode 5 and compare it to the book a little

as a note, I’ll be commenting using my translated copy of the novel, which I’m pretty sure is based on the tankobon edition of the first arc (‘S1′); there may be some revisions in the bunkobon edition that i don’t have access to

[2.43 BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD]

while i think the tension during the club activity suspension had been downgraded from “this is a huge blow to team morale :O” to “hm, i guess people are kind of annoyed?” and we didn’t get to witness Aoki and Oda flying off the handle, I do appreciate that the seniors are presented as a unit in handling the younger team members, especially that Oda was able to stop Aoki with a glance in the anime (as shown above).

this strong partnership also leads us to the scene where they are hanging out together on break at one of their houses and communicating with each other about the incident, even though they have different opinions about it: Oda believes in Yuni’s innocence, while Aoki is holding a grudge (based on his words and expression). (also, what a gorgeous house!) 

there is no similar scene, or even a reference to something like this, in the book—this is because, as alluded earlier, the team suspension is presented as way more devastating to team morale than it was presented in the anime

in the book Aoki’s displeasure towards Yuni had a sharper edge; not only was Aoki the ‘lead interrogator’ during the team’s questioning of Yuni, but he also hauled Yuni up by his shirt collar when he thought Yuni’s refusal to explain what happened was him not taking this seriously. 

Oda actually had to physically intervene in the book, and although Aoki reluctantly let Yuni go, he specifically says that Yuni had “betrayed [Oda’s] trust.” When Yuni insisted that he didn’t do anything that’d cause trouble to the team and “it’s you [seniors] who refuse to take my word for it”, Aoki basically threatens to kill him if he keeps looking down on them/refusing to take this seriously. 

(Chika is also much more aggressive in the book; he tried to lunge at Yuni, but was held back by Kanno, who advised him to at least hear Yuni out, but also made it clear that they need an actual explanation out of Yuni instead of the wishy-washy stuff he’d been saying)

in the book, they make a note that Oda calming Aoki down is a rare sight that the underclassmen normally never see, which was kind of interesting in terms of how the 3rd year duo presents themselves to the team—Aoki is the cool cucumber while Oda is the excitable ‘heart’ of the team, so that line reinforces how unusual Aoki’s actions during the interrogation were. there’s also the implication that, since Aoki was so aggressive, Oda has to hold back and be the one who diffuses the situation this time.

as the argument over Yuni’s refusal to explain what exactly happened spirals out of control, Oda also reached his limit and snaps at all of them, including Aoki, to just resign if they’re just going to get in his way of playing at the Spring Tournament. this shocks everyone into silence, and Oda is so ashamed at his (”selfish”) conduct that he dismisses everyone, and it was heavily implied that he didn’t really speak to any of the team members during the month that club activities were suspended (horrified at his outburst during the last meeting).

in the epilogue (which timing-wise roughly corresponds to the after-credit scene in ep 5), it’s implied that Aoki was the one who reached out to Itoko’s friends in an attempt to figure out what went down during the incident, and Oda and Aoki have a rather touching reconciliation conversation.

essentially, Aoki walks in to the club’s supply office to see Oda taking care of the equipment. When Aoki pointed out that Oda doesn’t have to do all this as he’s the captain, Oda felt that it’s penance for “being the first one who gave up”:

“Nobody thought you’ve given up, you know.” Aoki sat down at the end of the bench, the worn wood creaking under his weight. Just as he was about to pick up one of the balls by his feet, he noticed—the “Seiin High School” written in marker on all of the balls are facing up in the same direction. 

Oda isn’t the kind of person who’d deliberately make sure the equipment was laid out uniformly, so it was easy to imagine that he got in early to maintain the equipment, as well as the way he stared at the name written across each ball he cleaned with deep emotion before putting it down naturally, with the school name facing in the same direction.

“If you weren’t the captain, the team would probably be finished and unable to make a comeback. It’s because of you that everyone is willing to push through these circumstances. You should be proud of that.”

“That’s because you went around to help me make nice with the underclassmen in the background, right?”

“No, I didn’t do anything to soothe them at all. Besides, I was only doing it for your sake before.”

Honestly, Aoki wanted to smack the hell out of Kuroba [...] While the others were more or less sympathetic after the whole incident was cleared up by Kuroba Itoko, Aoki still couldn’t quite forgive him. If it wasn’t for that brat, things would never have gotten to such a state.

“On this topic... Aoki, are you sure? If you retire now, you’d have plenty of time to get ready for your entrance exams.”

“Shin, stop bringing such an ancient topic up.” Aoki rested his elbows on the back of the bench. “There’s no time for you to feel guilty. Isn’t this the practice you’ve been looking forward to for so long? You have to show them you want this more than anything. Come now, before the others show up, hold your head high.”

Dipping his head down to look at Oda, Aoki thought Ah, so we’ve become old geezers too. Every time he looked at Kuroba and Haijima, he couldn’t help but think that Oda’s skin had a healthier glow back then; is it because he had gotten skinnier... no, no, he had built up some proper muscles since then, so maybe it’s just his face that looks tired?

It had been two and a half years since then. The first time he saw this shorty was when he’d been poked in the back, Oda’s eyes glittering as he chattered away about the “super ace.” He had been unwavering in the pure, naïve belief that he’d grow and become a super ace back then.

“I’m... really blessed.” Oda said quietly with a sniffle. He wiped the corner of his eyes, and when he lifted his head he expression on his face was one of happiness, though it was mixed with faint embarrassment. 

No, I think you’re pretty unfortunate. Aoki’s sure that, if he had been in Oda’s situation, he’d have given up on himself a long time ago. [...] Oda’s the type of person that, even when he’s forced to give up on his dream to become a super ace due to the unsurmountable challenge of his height, he’s still able to say he’s blessed with a straight face.

“Also, there’s one other thing I wanted to apologize for.” Oda hunched his back, clearing his throat sheepishly.

“What is it? Like I said, it’s fine.”

“I heard that you got a girlfriend, and went around on dates. I thought, ‘the team’s in a pinch and that guy had the time to play around with girls?!’ Honestly, I was really mad.”

“Pfft—” Aoki couldn’t help but laugh. When Oda looked at him in confusion, he covered his mouth with a hand and shifted his gaze away. “Don’t worry about it, there’s nothing going on.”

“You contacted the girls from the other school because you’re looking up leads for what happened with Kuroba, right? Still, even if you didn’t get a girlfriend, I think it’s only natural that you’d be popular; you’re really tall and smart after all.”

“Shin... can we just drop this?” Aoki interrupted, feeling his temples throb. He was a little angry, but... oh well, it’s fine if Oda doesn’t understand.

(2.43 S1 Epilogue part 3)

(Aoki is pining SO HARD he can be a frickin’ tree 🌲 he already has the height covered :V) 

in a previous post examining the Oda/Aoki dynamic, I’ve talked about how they seem to be at cross purpose when it comes to understanding the other’s motivation—we’ve seen Oda being confused by why Aoki would devote himself to him back in Chapter 3 (it’s because he is in love with you thinks your pure drive is admirable); and now the “I’m really blessed”/‘no I think you’re unfortunate’ exchange from Aoki’s point of view shows Aoki’s blind spot. it’s not explicitly stated, but to me it’s pretty clear that Oda was talking about having the team, and more specifically about having Aoki’s support, which is what makes him blessed. Aoki, though he’s not wrong about Oda being an optimist, seems to have missed (or dismissed) what Oda was really trying to say here

all in all, both the anime and the book have shipping material for Oda/Aoki, but in slightly different ways; in the anime it’s more of a stable and straightforward dynamic (which makes it easier for the anime staff and the viewers to handle, since there’s no opportunity to devote precious run-time to an in depth exploration of their characters and dynamic), while in the book it’s a bit more complicated, where it feels like they’re on the verge of something but it’s never addressed explicitly

or, in the terms of fanfic tropes, in the anime they give off strong established couple vibes, while in the book they’re more about the pining and miscommunication

EDIT: lmao the staff sure knows their marketing huh. they really said "Dinner at the Aoki Household" huh. (I guess the implication is that Oda slept over that night? or at the very least had dinner at Aoki’s place)

honestly it's rly interesting to sketch out the dynamic i want to explore in Oda/Aoki fics, because i see them as an established couple in the anime (sir they DATIN’), while i maintain that they have not gotten together yet in the books (and won’t until after Aoki had gone off to college)

(also, just to be clear, i don't think Oda/Aoki would ever be 'canon' in the sense that it'll be officially/explicitly confirmed. i just like their dynamic and i’m having fun with it)

[justkpopjokes]

Vampire!Minghao || PART 2

A/N: I’M BACK WITH VAMP!HAO!! Also this was almost vampire politics lmfao

Requested by: 4 anons + sunflower anon + @riptidethepen + a blog I can’t tag (y'all sent in asks wanting for a pt.2!! this is dedicated to you♡)

NOTE: for those of you who have read my Vampire!Mingyu AU, the lore is changing! There’s new canon since that au was written so long ago. It’s just small details that are changing, the end of that au is the same👍

part 1

Imma pull some Incredibles 2 shiz with the start right after part 1 stuff

Are you ready? no? too bad

Minghao is red as blood once you lean away from ur kiss

He's having an internal meltdown like hhhhh they agreed to that 2nd kiss

y'all just take some of his knitting stuff and get back to your room so you can cuddle learn how to knit

Mr. Xu is abt to walk in but then he yeets himself outta there after seeing y'all cuddling knitting v close together

For the rest of the week, your teeth grow out a bit more and Mr. Xu teaches you how to use ur fangs properly

Basically biting into apples n other foods for practice

Mr. Dad (ik what I wrote) also makes Minghao practice because this boy turned you into a vampire from not being able to do this properly smh

After that practice is done, you get oddly sick to your stomach again, meaning ~the transformation is almost complete~

(Wow finally it's been like 2 months now)

Minghao just stays next to you as long as he can to make sure you're feeling alright and don't bite yourself

You have to get smth like a mouthguard so you don't bite ur lip in ur sleep

And after that passes…

Congrats! You've graduated from Vampire school👏

VHS'19 go bats!🦇 my new instagram bio

The whole process wasn't actually as painful as it sounds, but it's just… what do I do now

Well Minghao surprises you by dragging you outside

WOOO FINALLY OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR THE 1ST TIME IN MONTHS

Minghao trains you more (rip), but it’s fun this time bc you get to run around with super speed

and climb trees!!

mainly bc you remembered Twilight vaguely and were like “wait hao can we do that stuff”

the answer is h e l l  y e a h

Yea so you climb trees and run around, essentially playing tag with hao

Until he tackles you to stop you from running

“y/N WAIT DON'T GO THERE!!”

he barely manages to stop you before you get onto a forest trail leading to some buildings

You: “Wow… we're far from your house...”

Hao: “Yeah. Let's head back home.”

“Minghao, do you think… Will I ever be able to go back?”

“What do you mean?”

“To the city”

“Well, you won't have too, don’t worry. My dad arranged your stuff to be kept somewhere until he can pick it up”

“But what if… what if I want to?”

Minghao gets a little confused because he doesn’t understand why you’d want to go back

he thought you loved it here?

confused boy is like “wait what's wrong with the mansion??”

“Nothing, Hao. I just miss home.”

it’s a little hard for him to understand, having lived in the mansion his whole long immortal vampire life…

But he doesn’t want you to be sad, so he asks his dad if he can take you to Vampire Square!

which is just the vampire night market lol

Also,,,, Minghao has a plan to make you even happier ;)

so before you wander off, he takes you to this tailor who takes your measurements

Then you go out to explore the market/square w/Hao while the tailor sews up a surprise

Minghao treats you by trading books for some cake since you can finally eat sugary stuff!! also coconut water since your body has enough blood in it again

((I realize I never really explained shopping in my other vamp au, but they don’t really use money lol they trade objects or favours since everyone knows each other))

it’s a small, chill night market, so there are lights everywhere and you get to watch tiny vampire kiddos and spot a few other creatures roaming around

it makes you realize how… human they are

yknow… hahah… just humans… who have to drink blood or coconut water… and have superhuman abilities… yeah

After ur nice cough cough DATE with Hao, he takes you back to the tailor who has prepared some fancy clothes for you!!

The tailor is like “a stunning outfit for a stunning vampire! I assume it’s for the ball, yes?”

and ur like. what ball lmao

Minghao answers for you and explains to you what the ball is on ur way home

Which is via CAPE TELEPORTATION btw!!

(some capes allow for teleportation and other capes help you turn into bats, etc etc (it’s how Mingyu teleported in his vampire au btw))

So every year around Halloween, there's this Vampire Ball™ for all the vampires at the Vampire Prince’s castle, aka JUNHUI’S CASTLEEE

Btw if you haven't read my Vampire!Mingyu series, note that Jun isn’t king bc his mother is technically queen still but she’s in hiding rn

he’s coolio but anyway

His Royal Highness is a bit mad that Minghao bit someone on the streets since it’s illegal

...but with Mr. Xu’s lawyer skills and the fact that Jun is a nice person (also the fact this has happened recently but was resolved well *cough* Mingyu) you were allowed to live!

and that’s how this almost became vampire politics akjfdh anyway

The night of the Vampire Ball, the 3 of you in the Xu residence change into formal clothing

Hao looks so fine, he’s got a suit on that’s accented w/a red carnation in his pocketand of course he’s got his cape on bc he looks heckin c o o l with that on

functional and fashionable eheh

he has a real proud dad who’s like omg did you get y/n a matching outfit? (yes)

you’re the last to get ready and do that slow walk down the stairs to where Minghao & Mr. Xu are waiting

Hao is obviously like o shit okay okay don’t panic don’t pani—

“…wow”

Mr. Dad: “Minghao, your jaw is physically dropped, please be polite and close your mouth”

Eventually, you get to the castle, which has been decorated w/shades of red

it’s real fancy and all these vampires are dressed up and have nice accessories,

it’s like you’ve been transported back in time to another century!

there are vamps playing classical music and everything

like oh is that a dude on double bass?? hell yeah, you fine sir

and Prince Junhui proposes a toast to another year of living!

Mr. Xu goes off to talk business with some older vampires

So you get to spend time with Hao and dance!!

he was able to get you to ballroom dance with him uwu

Finally, you could be at peace and live in a dream

but peace doesn’t come that easy around here…

there’s obviously gonna be some wine, and you get kind of intoxicated oops

you get a bit moody and start thinking of home back in the city

as much as you love being here with Hao, it’s probably caused so much trouble with your friends/family who’ve likely reported you as missing at this point

Hao notices you looking sad and looking up to the moon in the centre of a garden of roses

he steps next to you and takes your hand

a section of the roses starts to glow, but he ignores it bc he just wants to understand

he can’t really know firsthand what it feels like to be far from home, but maybe you can help him understand that?

maybe then he could feel human?

so he wraps his cape around you and teleports you somewhere else

When your eyes adjust to the dark, you see city lights and trees

Hao just whispers to you, “We can’t be here for long, stay close to me”

you’re at an empty park at the edge of the city, sitting close to Hao on a bench

“Wha—Minghao why are we here?”

“I want to know what it’s like to be far from the mansion. This is the deepest part of the city I’ve been in… And I thought you’d want to be closer to home, too.”

“Thank you, Hao”

You sit silently with him, slowly falling asleep on his shoulder until he has to take you back to the garden

When you return, there’s a small crowd gathered around you

Mr. Xu is in shock or smth, “Minghao did you—was this you?”

You’re obviously like. uh what

but there’s a whole prophecy or something and because of your little trip to the park,,, you’ve got another scheduled appointment at Vampire Court™

but don’t worry, you’ve got a vampire lawyer and a vampire boyfriend by your side~

[save-the-spiral]

InkWizTober Day Thirteen: Ash + Return from Beyond

Welcome to day thirteen of Inktober! I wrote about my oc Fledge, who I’ve written snippets about before but this is literally their entire storyline of the first arc. They use any pronouns before the events of this, but are misgendered hardcore in the beginning and use they/them exclusively afterwards in the first arc. I also included my friend @pyromancyy‘s oc Caleb, Caleb’s not my boy. Warnings for swearing, misgendering, microagressions (touching their hair w/o consent), blood, death, undead creatures, kidnapping (a literal child), forcing my small oc to do horrible things, so child trauma.

(link to prompt lists) (link to inktober tag)

Fledge is eight years old when their entire world is ruined. It happens like this: Merle Ambrose notices a strange human child with no parents in Ravenscar, not hidden like they usually are when outsiders come to Grizzleheim. Merle Ambrose grabs Fledge by the arm, and bodily drags them from the Ravens, claiming that Fledge just needs to go to Ravenwood, that it will domesticate 'him’.

Fledge has to watch the angry expressions on their guardian’s faces morph into helplessness as they are pulled up a rickety wooden ramp and out of Ravenscar.

They’re dazed from some kind of spell, stumbling and mostly dragged through Northguard. Bears and wolves alike who know them- have called Fledgling their Pup or Cub, have cared for them- have to just stand by and watch. Grizzleheim has trade agreements their economy, their entire world, relies on. They can’t start a fight with the wizards now, not when Wizard City houses some of the most powerful wizards, not when they could drag other worlds into it as well.

Right before the Rainbow Bridge, a large bear woman that taught Fledge how to light a fire palms them a small single bladed axe, sadly stepping away before Merle notices. Fledge hides it in the folds of their feathery cloak.

Fledge had never gone over the Rainbow Bridge before that day. Children were forbidden from playing near it, and were never to even think about playing around the Spiral Door beyond it. 

They were dragged into the Door, afraid and still dazed, speechless and without the mobility to sign anything either. Then they were pulled through, and it hurts, like their being is pulled apart and put back together. They don’t know if it’s homesickness setting in already or the Door.

Their first impression of Wizard City was that it was weird. 

Who keeps their Door in a real living being? 

Later, when Fledge learns theoretical physics, they’ll hate the concept of that even more.

They almost pass out from the stress of it, and are very confused when the people around them don’t speak Grizzleheim’s language, having to switch their mind to work with Common. The only thing that anchors them is the coolness of a metal axe blade against their spine, hidden. 

They’re introduced as a boy. 

Fledge isn’t a boy. They just pick and choose what to wear, sometimes ask to be a boy or a girl when they feel like it, but they won’t ever be a boy always.

They aren’t awake enough anymore to be angry.

A professor with hair like fire in a big stupid curl calls them cute when they wake up. She touches their dreadlocks without permission and it takes everything inside them to not burn her alive for it.

They learned ruthlessness in Grizzleheim from the Wolves and the Bears, but right now they needed the Raven cunning to get back home.

Fledge plays dumb, mostly. They pretend to not know how to write Common, only understanding speech. Every single student and professor treats them like a baby, except for the bald one who looks like he ate rotten berries. 

It works for a few weeks, and they fall into a bit of a routine. Stay in their dorm, sit in a classroom and sleep, wander around as if lost when really they’re looking for escape routes, some way to get into the big tree without the permission others seem to need.

It’s not until someone starts trash talking their home world that they blow their cover.

It’s some arrogant death wizard with a rat familiar always perched on his shoulder. Even his peers seem to dislike him, but they still laugh when he insults the people of Grizzleheim.

It’s then that Fledge says, in perfect Common, “Take it back or I duel you and you lose.”

And, well, the boy couldn’t refuse that challenge, even if others seem unnerved that Fledge can speak at all. The death wizard says he’ll go easy on Fledge.

Fledge shrugs, eyes wide as they enter the dueling arena. As soon as the battle array lights up, they pull out a thick deck of cards and the axe they were given, now glowing in ancient Grizzleheim runes, the silver blade reflecting flames that aren’t there.

It only takes a few turns to cast an oversized, screeching phoenix and simultaneously terrify and defeat the boy in one hit.

After that, Fledge walks past all of the shocked students and goes back to their dorm to nap. 

The adults tell Fledge to go to the later classes, the ones for older students. The people here are even taller and even meaner at times. Fledge doesn’t ignore assignments now, only answering them in ancient Grizzleheim runes that no one but a few people from their home world could decipher. 

Most of the students begin avoiding them, speaking lies about them.

Then the death school falls, and thirty kids along with it. The death professor is blamed, and now every competent wizard is sent to clear monsters from the residential areas of the world.

Fledge has always had a temper. And finally being able to fight something for real, to not hold anything back and vent their frustration?

They may have cracked off a few areas of Firecat Alley on accident, but they do clear out every enemy, so they technically followed orders, only with the other three members on their team having to stay back to not get their flesh melted off their bones.

Maybe they ran away. 

Anyway, as soon as Fledge gets back to Ravenwood, Merle Fucking Ambrose is there, and he says Fledge needs to find Professor Malistaire Drake, to defeat the man before the Spiral is destroyed. 

The only reason Fledge says yes is because Grizzleheim is in the Spiral, so the whole universe shouldn’t be destroyed. 

They’re given a few keys, and told that Krokotopia would be their first stop. 

Krokotopia is hot and dry and they hate it in their raven feather cloak and thick leather tunic. They persevere, and play dumb with the dogs because they know the dogs can’t help it, they’re like wolves, but wrong and stupid. 

It takes only a few battles in the first pyramid for enemies to start running away from them. They follow leads, dragging dogs out of trouble because they tend to babble out new information, and eventually they get to the second pyramid.

They love the Colosseum, because it has honor to it. More honor than Wizard City could ever have, much more than the Marleybone dogs. It reminds them of home, of proving yourself with your strength. 

After the second pyramid, they stay with the Krok in the balance school for a few days, getting their wounds tended to and learning a bit. With their knack for languages they have conversational Krokotopian learned in a couple of days, and they start on their ancient runes too before remembering themself. They rush off to the last pyramid with trade promises between Krokotopia and Grizzleheim running through their head, occupying their thoughts.

The third pyramid is easy as well, though the dead things unnerve Fledge. It’s not simply the fact that they are dead, it’s that they never got their peace, or were brought back to this realm by a dark force. 

Fledge delights in defeating Krokopatra, who actually has strategy, and is the first difficult opponent they’ve faced. She still dissolves into sand after revealing that the secret they’re looking for is in Marleybone, but they let her die with honor, with a fairer fight than most got.

Marleybone is just annoying. They run around on rooftops, growling back at dogs who dare to call them uncivilized, and they fix their gang problem within a week with brutal efficiency. The Krokonomicon is no longer in Meowiarty’s hands, though.

If Fledge melts the interior of the huge clock tower, no one alive is around to tell the tale. 

They move onto Mooshu now, their last key, their only way to get to Dragonspyre. The culture shock is startling, but learning the languages of the world is the most interesting thing they’ve been able to do in the past half a year since they were kidnapped.

This world takes much longer. With Fledge more sympathetic to their plight, they spend more time doing it right instead of the easier way that ‘technically’ accomplishes their goal. Mooshu’s connection to nature makes them take the longer routes most times, as opposed to razing down their pretty trees and bamboo forests. 

They team up with some wizards from Mooshu who are looking for others to help heal their poisoned emperor, to heal the land itself as well. 

It takes six months before Fledge stands before the last oni, able to roar back at it with the perfect Mooshu accent and dialect in response to its taunts. They take this battle alone, and it drags on for hours before the Jade Oni falls, the sick form of the emperor taking its place.

Fledge gets the Dragonspyre key, and for the first time feels homesick for a world other than Grizzleheim when they leave. 

Dragonspyre is awful. They retch at the stench of brimstone, looking miserably up at the professor from Wizard City who only looks at them pityingly before saying “You got taller.” 

Fledge figures if they had to send a child on a mission to murder their sibling they’d be upset too, so they don’t let it phase them. They struggle through Dragonspyre, having to make sense of long dead ghosts and crazed drakes. They travel through time and see a world like Wizard City, and don’t mourn that it’s gone. They spend months getting approval from specters.

Eventually they’re able to travel into the husk that once was Dragonspyre Academy. They speak to the tree left there, and she’s joyful. They learn the ancient Dragonspyrian tongue from her because she seems far too lonely. They promise to visit again each time they have to leave on a new mission in order to finally scale the Great Spyre, and every time Ashley is surprised they come back alive.

Fledge gets to hatch an actual drake. They feel it bump against the thick shell, sitting there at the base of Ashley's trunk. Fledge uses their raven feather cloak as a nest for the giant egg. They cry for the first time in years when the little drake is born, aging rapidly in front of their eyes until its large enough to carry Fledge, though still stumbling like a newborn deer.

Fledge plays for the first time in years too, rolling around and wrestling with the baby drake, chasing and being chased, until Ashley has to remind them of their goal.

It’s two years after being kidnapped when they fly up to the top of the Great Spyre, axe in hand, a drake of their own at their side now, refusing to leave Fledge for even a moment.

They tear through the preliminary forces of undead, reaching Malistaire completely unscathed. The man is surprised, staring at Fledge.

“You’re so small.” His voice cracks, bloodshot eyes wide. “You’re a child- no, no- please-!” 

Fledge is numb to it all. Two years of this. They weren’t going to wait for some monologue to end it. The Dragon Titan eyes the scene with one sleepy eye, before rumbling contentedly and falling asleep once again.

Fledge has to dig through Malistaire’s ashes to find the Krokonomicon, but when they do find it they toss it off the world as hard as they can, and hop onto their Drake’s back, flying back down to speak to Ashley again before they have to leave for the last time.

In the end, they return to the Basilica to see the still living Drake brother, only nodding grimly when asked if it was done. Professor Drake’s grip on their shoulder is shaky when they go through the Spiral Door to Wizard City.

The students crowd around, awed by them, still calling them a boy, still asking why they are so silent, still trying to touch their now longer hair. 

Fledge is dazed, and their drake is confused, only able to make sure no one gets to close. Eventually they’re saved by the same death student they had beat in a duel two years ago, the arrogant boy now with one less arm and a more subdued attitude, and Fledge gets to drink tea for the first time since Mooshu.

Fledge dozes off in the abandoned Nightside house Caleb had been fixing up into a home. They watch the boy who once yelled at them, was once defeated by them, and has now saved them from a cyclical fate. Fledge finds themself crying when they notice Caleb is, and they curl into their drake’s warmth, lulled into sleep by the promise of safety at last.

Fledge is ten years old when their world is starting to be put back together.

[lemonywitch]

Hello my dear brothers and sister of the Craft. I know last time I said we were going to talk about candles, but Halloween is getting close (just a few more weeks!), and I wanted to talk a bit about Samhain.

Actually, I’m going to take a lot. This is going to be a long post, so make sure you’ve got some free time for yourself. Now go grab that pumpkin spice latte and let’s get going!

(I’m actually not ready to give up my ice cold lemonade yet. But y’know, you do you.)

If you’d rather skip to the spells and other Samhain ideas, they’re going to be at the end. Scroll until you see the Beetlejuice gif, and start reading right after that.

So. Halloween. Or, as it’s called by its old name, the Sabbat of Samhain, pronounced like SOW-in, SAH-vin, or SOW-een. I know, kinda wierd. Before we get into anything, I just want to remind you that whatever you decide to do this year, please be careful. There’s a lot of things going on this year, so make sure that you and your family are safe and well throughout the season

I first want to talk about the history of Samhain a bit. I researched as much as I could, but I could always be wrong or have gotten my information from the wrong source, so if you think I’ve got something wrong, please let me know! The goal here is for us to all learn and grow together, in an evironment in which no one else is judged or looked down on for the things they may or may not know, or how they practice. Going on that, feel free to ask questions if you still are confused about something!

There is still a lot of things about the history of Samhain that we don’t know or aren’t sure about yet. Most historians think that it came from the Celts. According to the old Celtic calendar, the end of the year fell on Samhain. The days were getting colder and shorter, and it was now time to harvest the last of your root crops and dry the last of your herbs before winter set in. It is known that the Celts were polytheistic, meaning they worshipped many gods. During Samhain, they believed that the Sun God (I wasn’t able to find out exactly what the Sun God’s name was, or if he had one) essentially died. He would rise again to bring forth spring, another Sabbat called Beltane. They also believed that this was the time of year when the veil between this world and the next, the Otherworld, or Netherworld, was the thinnest. This meant that there would be more faery activity, and that you could attempt communicating with loved ones who have passed. Let’s break some of these things down a bit.

The Sun God died at the end of each Celtic year. We all know how winter is, everything is all gloomy. The trees have no leaves, your flowers have died back, the grass in your yard turns yellow and brown, everything just looks dead. But we know that the Sun God will return in spring to bless the earth and give life once more. Because of this, the Celts really didn’t believe in dying in the literal sense. Much like pulling the Death tarot card from your deck, it doesn’t mean that you’re actually going to die. It means that this is the time of year to “lay to rest” a bad habit, an old relationship, anything that isn’t doing you any good, and start anew. Just an example, if your bad habit is smoking, this is the time of year to lay that old habit to rest, and rise again as a new person, much like the Sun God. If you’re still trying to get over an ex, now is the time to get rid of anything that you have, whether it be a physical item or maybe memories with them. Lay those things to rest, and come forth as a new creature with a new beginning. The old You has died, now you have to rise again and live as the new and improved You.

The faeries were called the Aos Sí. The Aos Sí were said to be very mischievous during this time, and would play awful pranks on unknowing people. Not the time to accidentally step into a faery ring, that’s for sure! Some people were so afraid, they wouldn’t even leave their homes! If they had to go out, they would carry either salt or iron with them for protection. Even today, witches all around the world throw salt in their homes or carry it with them for protection against evil spirits. It was believed that the Aos Sí had to be fed this time of year, or they might curse you. They may curse your next year’s crop, your cattle, or someone in your family. Food and drink were often left outside to appease the Aos Sí. I wasn’t able to find out what kind of food they left out for them, but let the rest of us know if you happen to know!

This was also a time to communicate with lost loved ones. But as everyone knows, there are bad spirits as well as good ones. For this reason, the people would dress up in all white to blend in with ghosts, or they would stuff their clothes with straw so the spirits would confuse them with a scarecrow and leave them alone. Like the Aos Sí, it was believed that you had to appease the spirits so that your livestock would survive the winter, you would get a good yield from next year’s crops, your family would be safe, all that jazz. Families would light a single candle in each window of their home as an invitiation for their deceased loved one to enter into their home. This is also where the Dumb Supper comes from, as families would leave an empty seat at the table for each loved one that had passed. Food and drink would still be in their place, just as you would do for someone who would be alive. Apples were left by the side of the road for spirits who had no living relatives. There is one difference in the deceased and the Aos Sí, and that is the belief that the deceased would bless your home if you treated them well. This was very important to the Celts, as they believed that this may sway some of the factors that determined if their crops would yield, or if they could survive the winter.

Children celebrated Samhain very much the same way children celebrate Halloween now. They dressed up as noted above, and would travel from house to house, collecting apples, nuts and other goodies for the Samhain feast. In Scotland in particular, children would often play pranks on other families in an attempt to trick the faeries and evil spirits into thinking that they were one of them, which is where the “trick or treat” eventually came from. They would also carry hollowed-out turnips with scary faces carved into them to ward off the evil spirits. These ancient “jack-o-lanterns” would also be placed outside the home at night on Samhain Eve, to keep the evil spirits from entering.

The skull and skeleton also came from the Celts. They revered the head as the most important part of the body. The skull was revered as the seat of your power and the house of your soul. It is believed that skulls may have also been used as a sort of oracle.

Despite this time of year being themed around death, it was also time for a great feast. It is believed that during this time, a cow (or multiple cows, depending on how many people you had) would be killed and the whole cow would be roasted over a bonfire. Once the whole cow was cooked, cuts were given to people to take home for their own feast. (Fun fact: The bones of the cow were left in the fire, so it was called a bone fire, which is where the word bonfire came from.) However, before the people left to go back to their own homes, they would mark their name on a stone and cast it in the fire. They would then take some of the still burning coal back to their own home and build a fire in their hearth with it, and leave a place at the hearth for each of their deceased loved ones. The next morning, they would dig the stone with their name from the ashes and “read” it, as an oracle of sorts. I tried to find out how these stones were read, but couldn’t find anything. My assumption is that if the stone was still in good shape, you would have a good year, and if it wasn’t, you would have a bad year. But I don’t know.

So let’s talk about how we can celebrate Samhain in today’s modern world. And because of the pandemic, this may be a great year to stay home and try some new things out! Let’s come up with some new ideas!

This is the time of year where there is an abundance of pumpkins and other types of squash, apples, and all kinds of root vegetables. Nuts are falling from the trees. The days are getting shorter, and the leaves are turning colors of bright red, orange and yellow. We need to harvest the last of the food from our gardens and cut and dry our herbs now before they die back for winter. The veil is thin, so maybe we could try some ways to communicate with some loved ones who are still dear to us. Let’s lay down the old versions of ourselves, and rise anew to be even better, and settle down with a fine feast with our families.

I’m sure a lot of you came for the Samhain spells, and I promise I will not disappoint! Samhain is about laying down and old and picking up the new, so now is the best time of year if you want to cast a spell for self love, or to help you drop a bad habit, or to help break your relationship with someone who is not good for you. Let’s start with a basic spell for new beginnings. You can tweak this to have it suit your needs, but if you want to just go for some general new beginnings, this will work just fine on its own. And you only need 2 things: a bell and a crystal quartz. If you don’t have a crystal quartz, any gemstone you have will do.

Here are the basic words to the spell:

Out with the old, in with the new.

Winds of change, I welcome you.

I ask you please blow through my door

To rearrange my life with more.

After this, you’re kind of on your own. The next parts of the spell are up to you to add, so if you need to quit a bad habit, or if you want a more fulfilling career, you’ll have to make up the rest of the spell to suit your own purpose. But don’t worry, you don’t have to make it rhyme like this if you don’t want to. It’s your spell, so you can do anything with it! Just make sure your words and intentions are clear and to the point. While you perform this spell, hold the crystal quartz in your dominant hand, and the bell in the other. It’s believed that the sound of bells can carry your voice through the air, and to your deity, if you have one. So recite your spell, and ring the bell at the end. Do this tree times, keeping your mind clear and focusing on what you’re trying to accomplish. When you’re done, keep the crystal with you at all times. When you’re tempted to go back to that bad habit, hold your crystal and remember your spell. Write it down or memorize it so that you can recite it to yourself if you struggle. You are in full control of your life and choices, and this will help you to stick to your decisions and be a better You.

Fall is the time of year that people are eating and drinkin pumpkin spice everything and going apple picking. If you want an excuse to eat pumpkin pie before Thanksgiving, now’s your chance! Or maybe you could try some apple recipes with all those apples you just picked:

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a28224491/homemade-apple-cider-drink-recipe/

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/apple-crumb-cake/

How about some slow cooker roast beef with the veggies from your garden? These recipes are so easy, you can add anything you want! That thyme you just picked looks like it would add some good flavor...

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/slow-cooker-pot-roast/

Mom, can I help you make the pumpkin pie?

2 15-ounce cans of pumpkin

6 eggs

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of brown sugar

1 1/2 cups of milk

3 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp of vanilla extract

2 tbsp of flour

Throw all ingredients into a bowl and mix. Bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour. If using Pets-Ritz pie shells, will make 4 pies. If using deep dish, it will make 2.

(My dear mother’s recipe 😊)

Disclaimer: I am not being supported or sponsored by any of the above websites or their respective owners or companies. I just want to be able to share some ideas with you.

If you have an altar at home, this is a great time of year for some new decoration. You can lay it with some candles, cloths or gemstones of fall colors, or just use fallen leaves. Since the nights are getting longer, you could use some decorations that are darker in color, like onyx gemstones or a black candle. If you worship a deity, you can use some of the seasonal foods, like maybe a small portion of your feast, or a vegetable from your garden, as a sacrifice to your deity as thanks for helping you get through this year, and to help you along the next.

Now, how do we get to talk with our dearly deceased ? There is an easy way we can accomplish this: spirit guided writing. You can also host a Dumb Supper, like I mentioned before when talking about the Celts, if you just want to take some time to honor a loved one who has passed on.

Spirit guided writing is fairly easy to do. You will need:

1 candle (white is preferred but any color will do)

Pen (or pencil) and paper

Mugwort

Sage bundle

Make sure that you have cleared your mind and are in a space that you won’t be disturbed. I would say that about 30 minutes is long enough, but you decide for yourself. Light your candle so that your ancestor(s) can find their way. Use the flame of the candle to light your sage, and smudge your space with it. You can leave the sage smoking if you like, just make sure it’s on a heat-safe surface. Take your mugwort and rub it on the front and back of your paper. Mugwort is known as a dream herb. Drinking mugwort tea can invoke dreams or visions, so using it on the paper which you will be writing on can help you contact someone.

Take a few deep breaths and get ready. Put the pen in your hand and get ready like you’re going to write. Recite these words:

I surround myself in love and light,

And seek my spirits’ guidance tonight.

Guardians wise and helpers sage,

Speak truth to me through pen and page.

Close your eyes and let the spirits guide your hand. It may take a few minutes for you to let your mind take over. Let yourself go and let the words come to you. You will write subconsciously, and when you’re done, see if you can make anything out of what you had just written. This will take practice, so don’t worry if you don’t get much the first time. This is a technique that takes years to master. I’ve been doing it for a few years now and still don’t really have anything legible, so don’t worry if you don’t think it’s right. I would advise you to always save your papers, you may look back on them and realize what your ancestors were trying to tell you. Working with the dead takes a lot of work, but you have to start sometime, right?

Remember, you can always ask a specific loved one if you want. It may take a few tries for them to hear you, but they will eventually answer.

I also want to quickly say something about hexes and curses, because there seems to be a lot of this going on around Halloween every year. Contrary to Hollywood movies, this is NOT the time. At least, not in my opinion. Sure, go ahead and do a spell to separate yourself from someone if it would make yourself a better person and if you have to, but don’t cast a spell with the sole intention of cursing someone else. This is a time to focus on yourself. Karen that spreads rumors about you at work isn’t your fault or something you can help right now, so it shouldn’t be dealt with on Samhain day. We can wait another day to do that. This day is for you, and you only.

This year, I think I will make a roast beef (although not like the way the Celts did) with the vegetables I’ve grown from my garden this year. I’ll make some fresh bread to go with it, and maybe a pumpkin pie for desert! Afterwards I think I will cast a spell of new beginnings for myself, and charge some water by the moon of Samhain night for use in future spells. I also want to try to get in touch with a certain person this year, who has been passed away for five years now, who I would really like to have a conversation with. Before I go to bed, I will leave some of my bread outside for the Universe as thanks for her protection this year. Then I will wake up on a new day, in a new month, in a new week. Seriously, in what better time to start new beginnings?

I really hope everyone learned something and I hope that you have some ideas for your Samhain celebration too. I would love to hear of your ideas, so please share them if you feel comfortable doing so! I am no longer working two jobs, and will now just be working one! I want to be able to post more often, and I hope I can develop a schedule soon.

Now, next time we will finally talk about candles! See you then, witches! Happy Samhain!

[beebosbitchh]

1-65 ;)

holy heck ! thank you sophiw i lov u 🍒

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

i dont understand this question?? like sometimes i doubt my own existence and other times i doubt that i exist to certain ppl? ya?

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

2,, normal amount? like good for sleep but pitch black is scaryy but not to the point i need the escape ?? if that makes sense??

3. The person you would never want to meet?

guy fieri, i dont think i need to know if hes actually real ? like is he real and from this dimension or from flavortown (which he has a very scarily detailed description of)?? thats not something i need to know

4. What is your favorite word?

hmm, probably ‘fam’ obviously

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

a willow tree !!!!!!!!!! i just talked to my mom about this :-0

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

ngl but i dont look in the mirror anymore unless its lip syncing along to a song sung by a guy/someone w a deeper voice bc i feel like it suits me better! gotta love coping w dysphoria!

7. What shirt are you wearing?

baseball tee, gay

8. What do you label yourself as?

nb, lesbian, fool

9. Bright room or dark room?

dark room

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

slepe

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

10-11 when i was in 5th grade. i still only had two friends but i was way more extroverted and everything was so carefree and i was very invested in adventure time and art. i think that was the most of a childhood i got? i honestly did not do much as a kid and i wish i had..

12. Who told you they loved you last?

sophiw ! tumblr user almightyportraits ! the loml !

13. Your worst enemy?

x

14. What is your current desktop picture?

one from apple called ‘abstract shapes’ its very orange but also blue which is my fave color pairing atm so its perfect

15. Do you like someone?

tumblr user vahilla

16. The last song you listened to?

megan played ‘marceline’ by willow in her car ! a song i suggested to her a few months ago and it makes me very happy that she likes it especially bc we bonded over adventure time in 6th grade :-)

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

mmyy seelfff ??

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

mmmyseyyffelllff ??

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do? 

eh whats the point

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

n o ne ? 

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

what is the opposite of nb,, i feel like if i was opposite of how i present id be a girl, which is a verryyy weird thought for me, pass

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

no :-/

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

uh first of all blood, like, ill pass out,, second of all,, literally everything worries me

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

jimmy johns #16, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, NO MAYO

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

im a very practical person so the least boring answer i can come up w is more art supplies

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

denmark

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?

fukcing , acetoNe

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?

i think a FIRST rule would have to be pretty IMPORTANT so probably smt like how ~WE THE PEOPLE~ are all EQUAL would be a pretty good start and pretty UNDENIABLE and STRAIGHT FORWARD especially if it was the FIRST thing in this,, hmm lets call it the CONSTITUTION, in the completely hypothetical society

29. What is your favorite expletive?

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuk cufck ufc kfuck 

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

sunglasses??!!! that shit gotta be bright huh>?? gotta protect my retinas 

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

i wanna say my first relationship made me a better person but that shit was rreeeaaallyyyy fucking awful and 4 months (+recovery months) that i will never get back and i think ? maybe ?? i wouldve been ok without it ? idk just a thought

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! 

spain ?!?!? why not + i sorta know the language? thatd b cool

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

zoey my dog :-( i miss her a lot, this month it will have been two years oh my god i miss her so much

34. What was your last dream about?

the last one i remember was a nightmare about someone tryna murder me i was very scared

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

i think so , when i was two i got really really sick and couldve died ?

37. Have you ever built a snowman?

ahh yes ! we gave hhimm,, fruit snack nipples, please forgive me fathr

38. What is the color of your socks? 

grey w blue n orange stripes ( again i lov blue n orange together, my shirt is teal and i have an orange hat on wow)

39. What type of music do you like?

all! i had to train this new guy at work and im sooo awkward but once why started talking about music it was easy for me to talk bc it was smt we both really like !!! i felt like i could actually communicate w feeling a disconnect it was nice ! we talked mostly about rap which was cool and unexpected but i could do it ? i really love music and i love being able to know enough to talk about it ,, isk 

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

sunrises, ive been pushing myself to wake up unreasonably early to have more time to myself and i get to watch the sunrise most days which is nice

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

chocolate 

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)

whom?

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?

college? god i dont even know… smt w art.. by an illustrator or art teacher or freelance artist or graphic designer ,, i really dont know

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

one thing ?!!?!? i wish i was neurotypical

46. Are you reliable?

yes? i try hard to be? i hope so ?

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

u still a lil bitch ?

48. Do you hold grudges? 

nope i try not to, ive had too many toxic petty people in my life that i dont need to be one myself.. now this is grudges w/o reason, but if ive given people several ‘second chances’ and theyre still (thumbs down) then ill avoid them but w/i reason?

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

DOG HORSES BIG DOGs

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

mm probably smt w my lab partner from last year. she always sends me weird quotes from a fanfiction shes reading and its weird but i really appreciate that she still talks to me or talks to me at all tbh

51. Are you a good liar?

nooo ?? i try not to lie? mb not tell the full truth but idk , i feel like id feel too guilty

52. How long could you go without talking?

uhh literally days like i already fucking do.. i m taking this as verbally but i dont get texts so like, it would not be hard

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?

before i went to short hair i used to alllwaayyys wear a tight ponytail every single day bc i wasnt girly enough to do anything w it and it was really really gross like thank god i cut it all off

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?

heck yeah

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?

*clears throat*

h-

hewwo?

56. What do you like on your toast?

butter and jam

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?

x

58. What would be you dream car?

razor scooter

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

sometimes im just too physically or emotionally exhausted to stand so ill just,, lay down? ive fallen asleep in the shower before ha

60. Do you believe in aliens?

yup

61. Do you often read your horoscope?

whenever it comes up but i dont ,, seek it out

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?

Q

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

dragons tf

64. What do you think about babies?

evil, ugly, dont see the appeal. open ur eyes ppl !!!! bbs are n Ot cute !!

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.

x

[infinitehouseofbooks]

BLOG TOUR - Wellington Beaus

  Welcome to Shannon Muir’s Infinite House of Books!

DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS by Bewitching Book Tours. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.

Wellington Beaus

Wellington Cross

Book Five

Cheryl R. Lane

Genre:  Fiction/Romance/

Historical/Victorian

Publisher:  Cheryl R. Lane

Date of Publication: May 6, 2017

ISBN: 1539035492

ISBN: 978-1539035497

ASIN: B06Y5JVWFW

Number of pages:  288

Word Count: 92,709

Cover Artist:  Cheryl R. Lane

Book Description: 

Two Wellington brothers, Godfrey and Bertie, find love and loss in 1895 in the small town of Charles City, Virginia.  Godfrey, the older one, is married and expecting his firstborn child, but when tragedy strikes, how will he carry on? 

Will Malynn Selman, who comes to live at Wellington Cross Plantation, be able to help him through his grief?  Meanwhile, Bertie has just proposed to Amanda Adams, but when an old flame comes to live and work at the boarding house, Adams House, will she tempt Bertie into being unfaithful? 

She is recently widowed and brings her two children with her along with her own troubles.  Will the two brothers eventually find happiness?

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/P-zppqOjaj0

  Amazon       BN       Goodreads

Interview with the Author:

What initially got you interested in writing?

I always used to play pretend when I was little.  I loved making up scenarios, mostly of TV shows I watched.  I didn’t start writing stories down for fun until after I had graduated high school.  I had a manual typewriter that I took outside one summer to our picnic table under the trees and wrote a Civil War love story.

How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?

When I moved to Virginia Beach, my husband and I toured old plantation homes, and I got inspired to make up stories to people that I imagined lived there.  This was when I first wrote Wellington Cross, my first book.  I sent off letters to a few publishers at the time and was rejected, so I put writing aside for many years while our son was young and growing up.  I had a job (and still do) as a medical transcriptionist.   When he was a teenager and driving his own car, I had a little more time to write again, and I revamped that book and sent letters off to the literary agents once again.  I got rejection letters once again and decided to self-publish with Amazon.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

I want readers to enjoy the stories, enjoy the family interactions, fall in love with the lovers in the stories, and I like to provide an escape from everyday life.  I especially enjoy writing historical romance because it’s easier to be taken away to a different time period and try to imagine what life was like back then.  I want my readers to take that journey, too.

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

I just think it’s fun to make up stories.  Every time I finish a chapter, I feel a sense of accomplishment and my mood improves.  It’s just something I love doing.

What do you find most challenging about writing?

I think the most challenging thing is writing historical fiction.  For my Wellington Cross series, which is set in the late 1800’s, I have to do a lot of research and look things up for what they had back then.   I try to be as historically correct as possible to make it seem more authentic.  That takes a lot of work.

What advice would you give to people want to enter the field?

If you want to write, you have to read other people’s books to get a sense of storytelling.  Also, don’t give up.  If you enjoy writing, keep doing it, whether you publish it or not.  Do it for the enjoyment of it.

What ways can readers connect with you?

Readers can connect with me through my website, email me, send me a letter through snail mail, and I have accounts as Cheryl R. Lane on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Goodreads, and an author page on Amazon.

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Charles City, Virginia

Adams House

July 1895

Amanda Adams walked out onto the front porch wearing her best blue dress with leg o’ mutton sleeves and waited for guests to arrive. She was having a birthday party and had invited a few of her family and friends to attend that day.

Her actual birthday was in June, but she had delayed a party so that her cousin Jason could have a proper honeymoon with his new wife, Belle Wellington. Belle had worked at the boarding house where the three of them lived and took care of Adams House. Most guests were just passing through town, but one guest had been a particular nuisance and caused a lot of trouble to all three of them at the boarding house.

Mister Wade Brewster aka Wayne Trueman, Jr., had forcibly raped Amanda back in February when he first came to visit the boarding house. He’d been handsome and charming, and she’d made a terrible mistake.

She had ended up being with child and called on a doctor in Richmond to try and get rid of the baby. She didn’t think she could bear looking at a baby every day who had been the result of such a brutal act of violence and violation. She found a Doctor Gardner, and he’d come to the boarding house in May to perform the surgery.

However, Mister Brewster had returned, found out what she was doing, and tried to stop it. Doctor

Gardner ended up having a heart attack and died before completing the surgery, before sewing her up. She’d bled a lot and the next day, Doctor William Brown and his wife Ginny had taken over her care. She’d taken a long time to heal, both physically and emotionally, and had eventually moved out to the country to stay at her Aunt Paisley’s plantation for a while. Her savior had been Bertie.

Albert Wellington, whom everyone called Bertie, had come to visit her at Carter Manor on a regular basis, and the two of them started taking walks outside on the plantation. First they walked in the garden, then the walks got longer and they’d walked around some of the crops and even over into the woods a little.

He was the sweetest man she’d ever met, and he knew how to make her laugh. He seemed to care a great deal about her.

Truth be told, she was in love with him. The day he saved her and his sister, Belle, from Mister

Brewster, by shooting him after he’d shot Belle in the stomach, was the day she realized she loved Bertie.

He’d sacrificed his life, which he did quite often being deputy of Charles City, but she knew he would do it for her at any given moment, should the need arise. He’d told her so on one of their walks. That he would do anything for her to prove to her that there were good men still left in this town.

Amanda had felt guilty about Belle getting shot and that it was her fault since she was the one who had gotten involved with Mister Brewster. It took her a while to forgive herself, even though Belle said she didn’t blame her at all. She’d insisted that since Mister Brewster had lived in the boarding house when he was growing up, he would’ve been back anyway, whether Amanda had taken up with him or not. Amanda knew that was true, but it didn’t help assuage her guilt sometimes.

She also felt guilt for getting rid of the baby. She had been the cause of an innocent life being terminated. Essentially, she had committed murder. Not actually with her own hands, but it was still her fault. She was the one who’d asked Doctor Gardner to perform the surgery that terminated the baby’s life.

She felt just awful and dreaded that she might not ever have another baby again, either as a result of the procedure or as punishment.

She tried most days not to think any of those thoughts and quickly pushed them out of her head as she straightened up her dress. It was her best dress, one she had gotten at Belle’s sister Lillie’s shop. She first wore it to the Wellington’s Spring Ball last year. She hadn’t been able to go this year because of all the mess with Mister Brewster. She was happy she could wear it now. She’d sent it out to the lady who does their laundry, and it had just barely arrived at the boarding house in time – that very morning!

She rested a hand on one of the white porch columns and looked around the town until her eyes paused at the Sheriff’s Office where Bertie worked and then the small house down the street from it where he lived.

He said he would ask for the whole day off so he could attend the party. She couldn’t wait to see him. And dance with him.

“Amanda, everything is nearly ready,” Belle said behind her.

Amanda turned around as Belle walked out onto the porch. She looked so much happier since she’d married Jason. Amanda was happy for them both but felt a twinge of jealousy. She wished she could feel so completely happy. She thought she just might be able to, someday. Maybe with Bertie.

“Wonderful,” Amanda said. “Thank you so much for all your hard work.”

Belle had cooked all the food for the party, including a ham, a large roast turkey, a round of beef, and scalloped oysters. Also served would be four kinds of finger sandwiches – cucumber, egg salad, ham and goat’s cheese, and tomato-and-basil – as well as fresh vegetables from the garden, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots, which would be served alongside peach cobbler, ice-cream, and a three-layer cake made with strawberry jam inside the layers.

When Belle first started working for Amanda, she was tasked with cleaning the rooms, cooking, checking people in and showing them to their rooms. After Belle married, she recuperated from her gunshot wound and had only recently started cooking again as her sole duty. Amanda was checking people in, and another lady, Malynn, was cleaning the house.

Malynn Selman had been involved with Mister Brewster out in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and had followed him to Virginia just before his tumultuous demise. She had also become impregnated by Mister Brewster and had a baby girl named Mabel who was now two months old. Amanda marveled at the woman’s tenacity and ability to make the long arduous journey all the way from Colorado after such a short period of time since birthing a baby. Malynn had helped Bertie trap Mister Brewster and decided to stay in Charles City after the incident. She said she wanted a quieter place to live and raise her baby.

“You’re welcome, Amanda,” Belle said, stirring Amanda from her thoughts. “It’s the least I could do.

Jason helped me before he left. Is he back with Aunt Paisley yet?”

Jason had driven a carriage to go and fetch Amanda’s aunt, as she was planning to spend a week at the boarding house. Amanda had insisted that she stay in her own room, which was located on the second – main – floor of the house near the check-in area. That room had been Belle’s room at first, but after

Amanda’s procedure and Doctor Gardner’s subsequent death, Amanda wanted no further part of the room she used to occupy with all its bad memories, so she had switched rooms with Belle. When she moved back

from Aunt Paisley’s while Belle was recuperating, she had taken the same room on the second floor, still not ready to face her ghosts in the other room on the bottom floor.

“No, not yet, but I expect them anytime,” Amanda said.

“All right. Send Jason to the kitchen when he arrives. I need to check on the beef.”

“I’ll be sure and tell him. When your brother gets here, I’ll have him help carry the food up.” The food was going to be served in the dining room on the second floor, while the kitchen was on the first floor.

After Belle went inside, Amanda turned around and saw Bertie walking her way. She broke out into a big smile and pushed a loose strand of her copper-colored hair behind her ear.

Their eyes met, and he began smiling, too.

“Amanda, you’re breathtaking,” he said upon reaching the top step of the porch. He took her hands in his, leaned in, and kissed her temple.

She blushed a shade that competed with the color of her hair. “Thank you, Bertie. You look very nice yourself.” She was used to seeing him in his deputy uniform, though he had worn a rugged Norfolk jacket or cutaway morning coat on many occasions when he came to visit her. This time, he wore a more formal dark dinner jacket with a shawl collar over a light gray waistcoat, white shirt, and a dark tie. “You didn’t have to get so dressed up for the party. It’s not a big to-do, just a nice quiet little party.”

“I know, but you weren’t able to attend my family’s party in the spring, so I wanted to look nice when I dance with you.”

She smiled and her stomach fluttered a little bit at the thought of dancing with him. “I can’t wait, Bertie.” She straightened his collar, just wanting to touch him somewhere.

He closed his eyes briefly and took her hand in his. When he opened his eyes, he looked troubled.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“No, I, uh, no, nothing at all.” He seemed nervous all of a sudden.

A carriage pulled up then – it was Jason and Aunt Paisley. After him was the Wellington carriage which held Bertie’s parents, and another carriage behind that which belonged to Bertie’s brother, Godfrey.

Amanda felt herself getting nervous at the thought of mingling with Bertie’s family because of how close she felt to him now. She barely knew his family at all, had only met his mother once. It was time she got to know them.

It was time for the party to begin.

An hour later, the party was in full swing. A string band played inside in the parlor, and with the windows open, the music could be heard inside as well as outside on the wraparound porch. Food was spread out in the dining room at the back of the house in a room with red walls, white trim, and windows on three sides, which afforded views of the garden and cottage out back. Jason and Belle were the perfect hosts, making sure the food and drink were plentiful.

Bertie mingled with Amanda as well as his family who were there – his parents, his older brother

Godfrey and his wife Cecilia, and his three sisters – Lillie, Lizzie, and Belle – along with spouses Ian and

Jason. Lizzie was visiting from Boston and would be going back home the following morning. She was found out to not actually be a blood relation to the Wellingtons, but he still considered her a sister. Her husband, Josiah, was actually the one who was a Wellington, and even though they were nearly the same age,

Josiah was his uncle. He didn’t travel down for this visit, as Lizzie wanted to stay for four weeks and Josiah could not be away from his occupation as a banker for that length of time.

The only other people present were Amanda and her small family – her cousin Jason and her Aunt Paisley. She had lost her parents in an accident three years ago and Bertie knew she missed them a lot, especially her mother. Especially on her birthday. That was one of the reasons he decided to propose marriage to her at her birthday celebration, so that she would have a new memory to think about and something happy to celebrate instead of feeling sad.

He was nervous and tongue-tied around her. He’d been engaged before, had been in love before, but the woman had broken the engagement and he swore off women for many years. Until he met Amanda. In all his twenty-six years, he had never met a more formidable and yet vulnerable woman before. He loved her for her sweetness, her determination, and her courage. She’d been through a lot and he wanted to take care of her, more than anything, for the rest of his life.

She was on the back side of the wraparound porch looking over the garden when he walked up behind her. “Amanda, there you are.”

She turned quickly, looking startled.

“Hey, Bertie. I was just looking out over the garden…thinking about my mother.”

“Oh. Would you rather be alone?” Although he thought he would die if he put off proposing to her any longer.

She looked at him and smiled. “No, I’m glad you’re here. We haven’t danced yet.”

“Oh, yes. Dancing. Could we, uh, talk for a minute first?” he asked her.

“Of course. What did you want to talk about?”

Bertie cleared his throat and fumbled inside his pockets for the ring he was going to give her. He found it and kept his hand on it for the moment until he worked up the courage to present it. “Would you take a walk with me in the garden?”

“Now?” she asked. “Can we not talk here where we can still hear the nice music?”

“We can most likely still hear it out there,” he said. “And then we will dance after, um, after we walk in the garden. It’ll only take a moment, I promise.”

He took her hand in his and kissed it, hoping she would comply. He was so nervous that she would decline his proposal.

“All right,” she agreed. “A little walk and talk, and then we’ll dance.”

“Yes.”

He followed her around to the back of the porch, past the dining room windows where Bertie knew others would be watching. He glanced inside and saw Jason looking his way. He smiled broadly and gave him a thumbs-up. Bertie quickly looked away and nearly stumbled as he followed Amanda down the outside stairs leading towards the garden and stables. When they got to the last bottom step, he placed his hand on the small of her back and pointed towards the cottage and they walked behind it where there was a black wrought iron bench. This was a secluded spot away from view of the house, and it overlooked a tall group of sunflowers and the woods beyond. They walked over to the bench and he motioned for her to sit down on it while he kept standing. She looked at up him curiously, and he looked around them nervously, not wanting an audience for this.

“What is it, Bertie?” she asked him. “Just tell me.”

He reached into his pocket again and pulled the ring out, not showing it to her yet. He might as well get this over with before he exploded. He dropped down onto one knee and Amanda looked stricken. Did she know what he was going to ask? Why didn’t she look happy?

“Amanda,” he squeaked and cleared his throat again.

“Yes?” she whispered.

He took one of her hands in his and with the other he presented her with a silver-banded ring with a square-shaped small diamond on the top. It was brand new; he’d ordered it at the mercantile a month ago.

Amanda gasped.

“I know this is sudden,” he said, licking his lips. “We’ve only known each other a short time, but I…I love you and I want to spend the rest of my days with you. Would you…will you marry me?”

She closed her eyes, looking like she wanted to cry. Why was she sad? “Oh, Bertie. I would love to, but…”

He felt like he’d been slapped. “But what?” he whispered. “Is it too soon after…your ordeal?” He cleared his throat again and spoke louder. “Because I’ll wait as long as you want to. We can have a long engagement.”

She brushed tears back with her free hand. “It’s not that, Bertie. I don’t…well, it is partly because of that. I’m not good for you, Bertie. I’m not…pure.”

His jaw dropped momentarily and then he recovered himself. “You think I don’t know that? I know what procedure you had done and how you got that way. I’m not naïve.”

“I know you’re not, but I’m just not good enough for you, Bertie. You deserve better.”

“Not good enough? Amanda, how could you think that? You are a beautiful woman who cares about other people. You have gone through many challenges in your short life and yet you smile and wear a happy face. And you have made me happy in the short time I have known you. You absolutely are good enough for me. You’re all I’ll ever want.”

“You have made me happy, too, Bertie, but I hide my feelings a lot. I…I have a lot of burdens in here,” she said, putting her hand over her heart. “A lot of sadness.”

“I know, but I can change all of that. Haven’t I made you happy at all in these past few months? Don’t you care about me?”

She closed her eyes and sniffed, opened them and said shyly, “Yes, I have come to love you dearly, and yes, you have lightened my burdens a lot, but I still don’t feel that I deserve you.”

“Amanda. No marriage is perfect. Even my own parents had difficulties. My father took another wife when my mother had lost her memory for a year and couldn’t be found. I’m not perfect either and I’m not looking for perfection…just love. And I love you like no other. Won’t you please be my wife? We’ll lighten each other’s loads and fill our lives with love. I’d like no one but you to share my life with.”

She looked at him, then at the ring, and then back at him. “Are you sure your family will approve?”

He could tell she still felt down on herself for her past mistakes.

“They already like you, and once they find out that I love you and want to marry you, they’re going to love you, too. Belle already does.”

“What if I can’t have any more children? You know what I did to Brewster’s baby.” She looked down again and he saw tears in her eyes again, which she tried to hide.

“I don’t care. We don’t have to have any children. It won’t change my love for you.”

She glanced up at him under her long lashes, her green eyes making his insides melt.

“Please?” he whispered. “Please say yes. I’ll treat you better than any man ever has before.”

She finally smiled. “Yes,” she whispered.

“What’s that?” he asked, grinning happily.

She smiled even more. “Yes,” she said louder.

He pulled her into a quick hug, released her quickly, and then stood up. “Thank God! My knee is killing me, and I didn’t know how much longer I could stay on it like that.”

Amanda laughed, making him so happy. He pulled her up against him. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Bertie.”

  He placed the ring on her left third finger and then leaned down and kissed her sweet lips.

    About the Author:

  Cheryl R. Lane was born and raised in Tennessee and went to college at East Tennessee State University before marrying her high school sweetheart and moving to Virginia Beach, Virginia.

  She started writing as a hobby while in college after purchasing Southern Heritage cookbooks, which were filled with pages of old plantation homes. She wrote more after moving to Virginia Beach and visiting beautifully restored homes in Williamsburg as well as plantations on the James River.

  She has been working as a medical transcriptionist for over 20 years while writing on the side, and finally decided to self-publish her first book, “Wellington Cross”, on Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing as well as in print through CreateSpace. She has since published four more books and a novella in that series as well as starting a modern-day fantasy Angel series and has two books in that series so far.

  She is currently working on her next novel, book six in the Wellington Cross series.

  She is still married to her sweetheart after 28 years and they have one son and a Havanese bichon.

  Website:  www.cheryllaneauthor.com  

  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cherylreneelane/   

  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cheryllane01  

  Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6653858.Cheryl_R_Lane   

  Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/crlaneauthor/   

  Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Cheryl-R.-Lane/e/B00ALDXOAY/   

  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQ_khfhYc7oRwXEmCd-XHg  

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  BLOG TOUR – Wellington Beaus was originally published on the Wordpress version of SHANNON MUIR'S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS.