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#Baba yaga‚ the devil witch
goryhorroor · 5 months
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horror sub-genres: witch
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julieschulerart · 2 years
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Baba Yaga and Her Basket of Devils. Original painting. https://www.etsy.com/listing/110789528
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spardaxwarchief · 2 years
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Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Oh…her ring…must’ve torn it off her finger when we were fighting…and when she tore off my hand.” Baba growled as she stood up, forcing Dante to do the same. “If you were here to stop her, we wouldn’t be in this situation, would be, Son of Sparda?”
He closed his eyes. He was getting real tired of people telling him to control his wife, when he really doesn’t want to. “She tore off your hand? Good for her.”
“ Shut up! ” Baba hissed in his ear. “Now me and you are going to go and find her and make her fix my hand.”
“And if I don’t, you’ll rip my head off, right?” Dante guessed.
He shivered in disgust as he felt Baba’s tongue licking the side of his neck. “That,” she answered. “Or take a couple sips of your blood. I’ve heard that the blood from Sparda tasted delicious when you take a sip. Yours was the best one.”
Chapter Twenty Nine of Magical Memories II: Rise of the Witch Hunters is FINALLY up after not writing for MONTHS (school, y’all. It’s School. But I’m almost done so YAY) and CW for mention of rape and mention of bloodletting. This one might be my favorite one, not gonna lie. So enjoy!!
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wpmorse · 11 months
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Week Four of Everwood!
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cateyedfox36 · 1 year
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behold!
the framing of my art!
Art by Death of Seasons
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Art by Adrian's Anomalies
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Sapphic Books Coming Out July 2024
Contemporary 💖 Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd 💖 The Loves of Her Life by Haley Donnell 💖 The Coin by Yasmin Zaher 💖 Making It by Laura Kay 💖 The Black Bird of Chernobyl by Ann McMan 💖 About Last Night by Laura Henry 💖 Together We Fall Apart by Sophie Matthiesson 💖 Lover Birds by Leanne Egan 💖 Forbidden Girl by Kristen Zimmer 💖 Cash Delgado is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia 💖 One Last Summer by Kristin Keppler 💖 Rainbow Allies by Nancy Churnin 💖 Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin 💖 The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford 💖 StreamLine by Lauren Melissa Ellzey
Paranormal/Horror 💖 Carmilla, Vol. 2: The Last Vampire Hunter by Amy Chu & Soo Lee 💖 The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington 💖 I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy 💖 So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky
Fantasy 💖 The Princess and the Thief by Mary Lynne Gibbs 💖 A Wolf in Stone by Jane Fletcher 💖 The Second Son by Adrienne Tooley 💖 Daughters of Chaos by Jen Fawkes 💖 Queen B by Juno Dawson
Historical 💖 A Thousand Times Before by Asha Thanki 💖 A Lethal Lady by Nekesa Afia
Mystery/Thriller 💖 The Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani 💖 Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher by Katie Siegel 💖 The Devil You Know by Ali Vali 💖 Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor 💖 The Meaning of Liberty by Sage Donnell 💖 Undercurrent by Patricia Evans
Sci-Fi 💖 Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard
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tomionefinds · 1 year
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can yall share some tomione fics that youre currently reading/following? or even maybe an updated list of favorites?? thanks!
Hey Anon,
Sorry for the wait was checking if our other admins had more to add. As always there's our Admin Favs list here for anyone who wants to peruse everything on there. Apparently we've hit the threshhold for max links you can have in a post on Tumblr so we can't keep adding there.
Here's a few new fics I've been reading/following, as always I'm sure they're will be more to come in future ask me again in another year. Can't stop, won't stop. <3
I'd love to get more recs from people reading new works too! Please drop them in our comments or use our Submit feature to make a post! -JD
Altered State by Ginnyruin
E/Ma | WIP | 219k
Six years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Auror Hermione Granger activated a mysterious dark object, which unexpectedly sent her decades into the past.
Tom Riddle, now known as Voldemort, returned to British wizarding society in 1966 after a decade-long absence. Under the guise of interviewing for the DADA teaching position, he went to Hogwarts to conceal one of his Horcruxes, Ravenclaw’s Diadem. However, the coveted position had been stolen a week before his arrival by an intriguing witch.
As manipulative schemes emerged, tension built into a ruinous obsession.
Art Trilogy by WildKitsune
E/Ma | WIP
Art of Genius- Three years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione is working on a team of healers to help find a cure to a new wizarding disease. An imprisoned Lord Voldemort offers the help of his considerable genius but only if Hermione consents to be his handler.
Art of Charm- Even though Voldemort seems to be keeping his word to Harry and living within the laws of wizarding society, Hermione isn’t convinced her mate is as reformed as he seems. She becomes overwhelmed, knowing she can’t trust the one person she needs most in the world.
Art of Magic- A new player has entered the game between Hermione and the Dark Lord. What will it mean now that their bond has been broken? And what sort of powers does the mysterious Mr. Lake wield?
atelophobia by natasharomanhoffs
M | WIP | 107k
Sure enough, not five seconds later, the door cracked open, and a tall boy with green lining on his robes strode into the Hospital Wing. Hermione absent-mindedly noticed his attractive face, but she was more focussed on his uniform.
Lord, that looks stuffy, was her first thought.
At least he knows how to tie a proper Windsor knot, was her second.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Perhentian.en
M | Complete | 252k
Hermione had grown quite used to help Harry each time her friend managed to end up in some impossible situation, and this even if the war with Voldemort had been over for a long time. But when Harry, faced with the destruction of the magical world, decides to throw his friends back in time, Hermione is appalled. And what about this reckless plan of his to somehow use Voldemort?
Dark Lord Who by Naidhe
E/Ma | WIP | 35k
Bellatrix Lestrange uses dark, sacrificial magic to bring the Dark Lord back to life after Harry Potter has given his life to defeat him. However, asking for a "Dark Lord" turns out to be a tad bit too ambiguous. Baba Yaga is having fun, Godelot is a sadistic bastard, Herpo the Foul brags about his horcrux, Tom Riddle is unimpressed. (Dark)
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement by devdevlin
E/Ma | WIP | 14k
Harry's got a wild theory, and naturally, it's become her problem.
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In which Voldemort fled the Battle of Hogwarts and seven years later, Hermione is appointed to lead the team tasked with tracking him down. *this is a rewrite
The Diary by LittleMulattoKitten, weestarmeggie
M | WIP | 127k
Hermione was suspicious when she found an old journal amongst her things.
Tom was intrigued the night someone else's handwriting appeared in his diary.
Lord Riddle watches his past unfold from Hermione's side of the timeline to make sure history repeats itself without Albus's interference.
Endless Night by cassidyblackwrites
E/Ma | WIP | 41k
The one in which Hermione is Abraxas Malfoy’s step-sister. 1940s - 1950s AU. No time travel.
Exitus Acta Probat by JellyBellys
M | Complete | 466k
After a series of catastrophic events, Hermione decides to go to the past to stop Tom Riddle. Story includes timetravel, Slytherins that aren't evil, romance, betrayal, death, angst, and some comedy thrown in. AU after OoTP.
Forever Means Forever by cocoartist
T+ | Complete | 7k
If she ever saw Unspeakable Number 37 again she would kill him with her bare hands: Hermione's research into the Veil has an unexpected side-effect. COMPLETE.
Gryffindor Red by foolishlywandwaving
NR | WIP | 37k
"How - how dare you?" She stammers, pushing him away with both hands. Riddle backs away as though she is brandishing a hot poker, a horrible little smile on his face. Her thighs burn white hot from where his hands have been trailing up. Hermione yanks her dress down and continues, finding her voice through the fog of insanity that has clouded her judgement. "How dare you just show up to my house and threaten me, then kiss me!"
Hermione Granger And The Journal’s Riddle by Little_Seraphim
E/Ma | WIP | 104k
‘I want to open it,’ Hermione thought nearly opening the book before stopping herself. “You cheeky book.” She tapped its cover. “Compulsion? Really?” Rolling her eyes at how stupid whatever magic the book had upon it was, she put it away in her school things and began sorting through ways of blocking magic. The new project had her eager and before long, she’d forgotten her boredom. Whatever the book was, it wasn’t common and it could influence the minds of those nearby.
‘I’ll get to the bottom of you.’ Hermione thought giving the book a grin.
Icarus by MarbleGlove
T | Complete | 16k
Some successes are only measured in how long you last before falling. Hermione writes a letter and begins a relationship. Complete
I of the Storm by Ardentlyadmired
E/Ma | One Shot | 6k
Her mind is still racing as she flees between the trees. Each bite and sting of the landscape feels like it’s fighting to keep her, hold her here. Even in the slick rainfall branches scratch at her face, drawing blood, snarling and pulling at her hair. Leaving pieces of herself in her wake.
She can smell the damp. Petrichor and dirt. Rot. The blood on her cheek, the sweat on her skin that melts into the rain. The acrid scent of fear. It reminds her that she is alive. Almost there. Almost free.
Infinite Spin by seollem
E/Ma | WIP | 24k
All the screens flashed black and white simultaneously, scoreboards blinking excitedly, the same glorious name at the top of each list.
Invictus by greyana
E/Ma | WIP | 319k
Voldemort intended the object to be used by his most loyal follower in the event that his horcruxes were destroyed, but it ended up in Hermione’s possession instead.
It sent her back to a time when he was much less the monster that she’d always known him to be. Dumbledore’s description of him couldn’t have prepared her for the intelligence and charm of Tom Riddle.
He isn’t who she thought he was.
Hermione discovers that it’s a dark descent into the madness of the man she should hate, but can’t… a descent she will never emerge from.
LordVoldemort.
Lady Selwyn by matchapuff
E/Ma | WIP | 88k
The discovery of an old Selwyn family photo sends Hermione back to 1952. At the heart of her journey is a silver crown.
Miðgarðsormr by xXAonoNYmouSPXx
M | WIP | 163k
Tom watched as the mother and son stop at a spot by the fountain. The witch whom he's never met before in his life, with bushy brown hair atop a heart-shaped face, and the boy who looked exactly like him when he was at that age.
Pink by yuwoo
E/Ma | WIP | 10k
If Tom had any say, he would not be here, but he has only just gained the Gaunt Seat. It is aberrant for one of his status to not possess a Thrall.
A Pound of Flesh by Thomas M Riddle sequel: Ill Met by Moonlight
M | Complete | 20k
AU: In her sixth year, Hermione engineers a way to reawaken Tom Riddle's diary. But forbidden magic has its risks, and she finds herself locked in a deadly battle of wits with the most dangerous teenaged Dark Wizard of all time. A game where the only way to win may be to prove the Sorting Hat's decision to put her in Gryffindor wrong. TW: Torture (some sexualized)
the price of water by peppershark
E/Ma | WIP | 34k
After a mishap in the Room of Hidden Things, Hermione finds herself in a barren, post-apocalyptic future where witches are all but extinct.
Ruination by VittoriaRenoir
M | WIP | 33k
Tom Riddle shows up on Hepzibah Smith's door in search of Slytherin's locket. Unfortunately, Hepzibah's daughter, Hermione, doesn't seem to like him much. Meanwhile, Hermione plots revenge.
She Rises by giraffelove92
M | WIP | 341k
"He watched as the air around her crackled with her magic, and it was so aggressive, so electrifying, that he wondered how this beautiful creature had ever managed to evade his notice – how he'd so foolishly underestimated her from the start." Darkfic.
Shopkeeper by Ciule
E/Ma | One Shot | 6k
A strange impulse rose - as if he wanted to have a conversation with her, maybe find out what she needed the fae teeth for - and he Summoned his trench coat, shrugging into it.
“Let’s have dinner.” It came out as a command, not as an invitation, and the girl looked as if she had seen a flying Merman.
A Sin To Know by EchoPhoenix
M | WIP | 81k
Tom allowed a genuine smile past his bloody lips as he raised his slender fingers to his gaze. Miss Granger really ought to curb such a self destructive habit, digging her fingernails into her palm like a reprimanded child?
stars never fade by no_halo
E/Ma | Complete | 9k
Almost a decade later, Tom finds her in Paris. She's still up to the same scheme, hoping to stop him and his rise to power.
Trials by nauticalparamour
M | Complete | 51k
A happenstance meeting between Tom and a mysterious witch named Hermione in Borgin and Burkes sends the pair of them on a tangled path to get what they want - Tom, ultimate power over the wizarding world, and Hermione, to bring down the dangerous wizard at the edges of her mind. Will their magnetic connection help or hinder them in their ultimate goals? Time travel AU.
Venenum by Koryanderi
E/Ma | WIP | 145k
Hermione travels for the year 1943. All she wants is to return to her friends, but her evasive attitude and behavior that breaks the standards of time, ends up arousing interest of Tom Riddle that soon turns into an obsession.
Verso by virennia
E/Ma | WIP | 25k
Hermione met him when she was twelve.
Tom Riddle, the most handsome boy in school.
when sunsets look like blood (hold me till the stars appear) by justprompts
T+ | WIP | 37k
"I - I'm really sorry, I've had a kind of portkey issue - " the girl begins, her voice carefully controlled - as Tom smirks at her.
"Really?" he says, pointedly raising an eyebrow at the offending object around her neck. "Wouldn't you rather say you've had issues with time?"
There's a long pause, as the girl's eyes widen and she looks down at the exposed chain of the Time Turner. She mutters a curse, before sighing and saying, "So, what year is it?"
Or alternatively
The one in which Hermione Granger accidentally time travels into Abraxas Malfoy’s bed in the middle of the night.
Who Are We? by BareWithMeHoney
E/Ma | WIP | 28k
The year is 2004. Voldemort has hidden his Horcruxes in the past and the Order is fighting against impossible odds to find and destroy them.
But when Time itself begins to unravel, a new kind of sacrifice must be made before the world comes to an end.
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Stats from Movies 1201-1300
Top 10 Movies - Highest Number of Votes
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Splice (2009) had the most votes with 854 votes. Dark Cloud (2022) had the least votes with 290 votes.
The 10 Most Watched Films by Percentage
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Ghostbusters (1984) was the most watched film with 83.3% of voters out of 756 saying they had seen it. T Blockers (2023) had the least "Yes" votes with 0,3% of voters out of 732.
The 10 Least Watched Films by Percentage
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Salem's Lot (1979) was the least watched film with 64.4% of voters out of 449 saying they hadn’t seen it. A Snake of June (2002) had the least "No" votes with 6,9% of voters out of 391.
The 10 Most Known Films by Percentage
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Ghostbusters (1984) was the best known film, 0,5% of voters out of 756 saying they’d never heard of it.
The 10 Least Known Films by Percentage
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A Snake of June (2002) was the least known film, 90.8% of voters out of 391 saying they’d never heard of it.
The movies part of the statistic count and their polls below the cut.
Bingo Hell (2021) The Descent: Part 2 (2009) The Reckoning (2020) The Lair (2022) Dream House (2011) The Other Lamb (2019) Unsane (2018) Children of the Night (1991) Manichithrathazhu (1993) They Live (1988)
Chasing Sleep (2000) The Special (2020) Grabbers (2012) Blood and Roses (1960) Eating Miss. Campbell (2022) Violated Angels (1967) A Snake of June (2002) The Alligator People (1959) eXistenZ (1999) Blood Widow (2014)
Blood Widow (2020) Honeymoon (2014) Uninvited (1987) Scarecrows (2017) Talon Falls (2017) They Reach (2020) Devil's Gate (2017) Killer Sofa (2019) The Ghost Within (2023) Hidden 3D (2011) Grave of the Vampire (1972) Lamb (2021) See No Evil (2006) Planet Terror (2007) Lights Out (2016) Gerald's Game (2017) Webcast (2018) The Love Witch (2016) No One Gets Out Alive (2021) Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Wounds (2019) Paintball Massacre (2020) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) Charlie's Farm (2014) Child Eater (2016) Monster Brawl (2011) 247°F (2011) Dark Cloud (2022) The Hole (2001) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)
Hazard Jack (2014) Pumpkinhead (1988) The Resurrected (1991) Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) The Curse (1987) The Dunwich Horror (1970) Earth vs. the Spider (2001) The Fan (1982) Mute Witness (1995) The Call of Cthulhu (2005)
The Suckling (1990) It Conquered the World (1956) Bug (2006) The Signal (2007) Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) Gehenna: Where Death Lives (2016) Monsters (2010) YellowBrickRoad (2010) The Blood Spattered Bride (1972) T Blockers (2023) The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow (2008) The Mothman Prophecies (2002) Baba Yaga (1973) Kill List (2011) Splice (2009) The Crazies (2010) Fire in the Sky (1993) Banshee Chapter (2013) Angel Dust (1994) Blood and Black Lace (1964)
It Came from Outer Space (1953) TerrorVision (1986) Lurker in the Lobby (1998) A Night to Dismember (1983) Altered States (1980) Cube²: Hypercube (2002) The Dark Half (1993) Darkness (2002) Ghostbusters (1984) The Keep (1983)
Cobweb (2023) The Empty Man (2020) Bloody Hell (2020) The Green Inferno (2013) Turistas (2006) Salem's Lot (1979) Stir of Echoes (1999) Christine (1983) Found (2012) The Hole (2009)
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mask131 · 3 months
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There is a trope I really like when it comes to magic in fantasy, and it is the "inhuman wizard/witch".
In fantasy nowadays, the origin of magic mostly boils down to two things. On one side: "learned" magic. It is an art and knowledge you can learn, train and develop and anybody can be a wizard, witch, sorcerer, warlock, whatever. On the other side: you are born with your powers, magic is something inherent in you, that you cannot control.
But the third way is the trope I enjoy and I don't see it being brought up a lot: certain characters have magic because they are NOT human. (And I am not speaking of The Owl House style where witches are just a separate species, no, no no).
This trope is literaly as old as time, it being highlighted by folkloric, legendary and mythological characters like Merlin, Circe, Baba-Yaga, Vaïnamoïnen: most of the great enchanters and sorcerers of legend, most of the powerful witches of myth and folklore, were demigods, half-devil or even minor gods themselves. Being a wizard wasn't just a random business, and it wasn't just being born "special" - it was about belonging to an entirely different level of existence.
I do note that it is quite strange for this trope not to have gotten more of a success because it was a key part of THE great work of the fantasy genre, The Lord of the Rings, + The Silmarillion. In it the Five Wizards, the Istari ; but also Sauron (in his necromancer/sorcerer persona), and Melian (the closest thing Tolkien had to an enchantress or sorceress), are all applications of this trope. They literaly are Middle-Earth's embodiments of wizards, witches, enchanters and sorceresses, but they are such powerful magic users precisely because they do not "come from this world" but rather are divine spirits made flesh, angelic beings disguised as humans/elves, minor gods who bound themselves to these appearances. And yet, when you look at the many Tolkienesque imitators or renewers (Shannara, Belgariad, Wheel of Time, Fionavar Tapestry) they all insist on the wizards and witches being... human.
C.S. Lewis, in his Narnia books, also followed Tolkien's trope, by having his wizards be literal fallen stars stuck on Earth - a concept of "astral magic" that will be reused in works such as "A Wrinkle in Time" where the trio of planet-travelling witches are pointed out to have had previous existences as suns and other stellar phenomenon. Lewis' witches also originally were depicted as otherworldy, inhuman entities (half-giant half-jinn entity working as a sort of angel for the fantasy equivalent of God, giant demonic snake taking the shape of a lady) before he gave us a new Jadis backstory making her more "human", so to speak, or at least part of a neat and clear-cut species.
There's also Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, where the two great magic-users, Sheelba of the Eyeless Face and Ningauble of the Seven Eyes, aren't just hyper-powerful and very weird sorcerers, but also strongly implied (if not outright said) to be interdimensional alien entities.
This trope does creep up and shine in some fantasy works from time to time, but it is quite rare. A recent example I ABSOLUTELY adored is the Witch of Sarnwood, from "Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone". The trope is also used frequently in French fantasy (probably because it has closer roots with fairytales and medieval tales, where enchanters and witches are more inhuman) but since it probably won't evoke anything to people here I won't do a full list, just point out the character of The Enchanter in Michel Pagel's great "Les flammes de la nuit". (But it isn't very surprising given Pagel's work is part-Shakespearian fantasy, and Shakespeare was a famous user of this idea of "inhuman magic users", with his Weird Sisters from Macbeth, for example)
And of course, I have to speak about The Lich from Adventure Time, which is probably THE big highlight of this trope in modern day. The Lich is presented as, well, a manifestation of a D&D lich, as just your typical undead "evil lord sorcerer", but then as we move more and more down the story it is revealed he is literaly the embodiment and vessel of a cosmic force of destruction and mass extinction that dates back to the primordial monsters before time itself... This is notably such a Tolkienesque move, because I don't think I ever saw such a big character-exploration/twist reveal since Tolkien slowly revealed the Hobbit's Necromancer was Sauron, and then who Sauron originally was - in fact when you look at Youtube "lore videos" trying to piece out the background and evolution of the Lich, you will notice they do bear a striking resemblance to videos discussing the "Necromancer" of the Hobbit and how it ties to Sauron... Someone should one day point out all the Tolkienesque elements in Adventure Time, but that will be for another day.
Conclusion? It is quite fascinating to see how magic-users started out a lot of the time as these otherworldy divine or demonic beings, these inhuman forces that merely appear human somehow, but today people seem to REALLY like and REALLY prefer their wizards and witches to be human, and I guess relatable? The biggest example being the Harry Potter phenomenon, and even more recently the Owl House because while they are not "humans" per se, they are still basically an alternate humanity, instead of being stars in human masks or unique alien beings travelling time and space like Doctor Who.
(By the way, did you ever notice that Doctor Who was literaly designed to be a sci-fi version of the fantasy genre? If not, then I have another post to make... But yes, the Doctor is literaly an alien, sci-fi version of a wizard/sorcerer, down to the magic wand/sonic screwdriver.)
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bergamotych · 1 month
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Ref on my character Unibor
Unibor is the son of a witch and a forest devil
Before he performed a dark ritual and became Kromeshnik (Slavic Boogeyman) he lived with his mother on the outskirts of the village and helped her treat the locals. He was a herbalist and part-time healer. After his mother disappeared and his best friend lost, he freaked out, turned to dark magic and burned down the village he lived in
He ended up in Prelesye because of his search for the local Baba Yaga, who was supposed to help him revive his friend
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julieschulerart · 2 years
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Baba Yaga and Her Devils. Prints available. https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/53970140
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spardaxwarchief · 2 years
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Chapter Thirty One
You killed me.”
It was a male voice. Morgan smirked and turned around, only to be met by Silas McCormick, the half-breed son of Sam and Marjorie. Morgan found it weird that he looks exactly like Dante Sparda, all the way down to his hair, but he was black with brown eyes-the only attributes he’d ever gotten from Marjorie.
“So what?” Morgan snapped. “You had to die. You were the product of evil.”
“Actually, I wasn’t. I was the product of goodness. Maybe you should do your research on Sparda more.”
At that, he had to laugh. “You? A product of goodness between a demon and witch?”
“My father was actually half-demon,” Silas said, reaching behind him to draw out Rebellion-which didn’t make any sense to Morgan as to how he had it when the puppy was currently using it. “ And he’s the Son of Sparda. You must be thinking of my uncle.”
Chapter Thirty-One is finally up, and I hope you all have a happy holidays (and this fic will be done in 2023...darn it.) CW for fighting and dirty talk (mostly from Dante) and also hints bout Nero’s family??? And Silas making a return???
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nobibiname · 9 months
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Questions for HOFAS that I am absolutely 💯 gonna need answered and/or addressed in a reasonable amount of detail
1. Where in prythian did Bryce actually land? At first I thought it was the manor, since it described grass, but Az carries her for a while, also, why would there be a portal in the gardens of the manor? What about the theory that Elain saw Bryce fall and sent Az? But sent him where?? Where are the gates?
2. Jesiba- what is her role in all of this, and is she the person on the cover? (I’m not convinced she’s the strongest contender, but I do think she’s a good possibility. Jesiba is based on a southern Slavic myth of Baba Roga (Jesibaba Roga in some regions, and it’s an alternate to Baba Yaga) she’s a witch, but typically not purely antagonistic. She’s there to teach you lessons, often about behavior and etiquette, and she just knows things. This is beautifully reflected in her dynamic with Bryce. But what else is there to Jesiba? And what’s her tie to Aidas?
3. Is Viktoria halfway to a summoning with blood salts? — the vipe tells us blood salts require the blood of a dying soldier and the blood of a mother in labor. Also presumably salt. Viktoria is placed under a tortured Justinian and then tossed into a salty sea. Is there a way she also got into contact with labor-mother blood? So if she managed to summon… where is she? Or when/who is she?
4. Is Lehabah actually dead? I think the way that she’s talked about in HOSAB leaves room for doubt. Same goes for the pack of devils!
5. What the hell else did Danika keep from Bryce ???
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theladyofbloodshed · 10 months
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have you ever watched the popelku (cinderella ish) film?? it's a winter classic here in germany and in the czech republic but i'm wondering if it's popular in slovakia too? since it was a collaboration between ddr and czechoslovakia back in the day but it's only in german and czech (i think) so idk how people in slovakia feel about it
Oh my goodness. One thing people need to know is Czechoslovakian film did not fuck around!!! The costumes and sets are all incredible. Popelku is probably one of the most popular - if not the most. It's a lovely cinderella retelling. The title can be translated to three wishes for cinderella or three nuts for cinderella lmao
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We tend to watch a dubbed Russian one which is hilarious (Morozko - Russian, Mrazík - Czech) about father frost, a cinderella type girl, a selfish man who's turned into a bear and baba yaga. It's a mix of different fairytales.
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Under here I'll put more Czechoslovak films that i love
Give the devil his due (s čerty nejsou žerty) - a demon takes the wrong person to hell, a magical wolf's tail and 3 wishes. This one is super popular too.
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The Girl on the broomstick (Dívka na koštěti) - facing 300 years detention, a witch escapes to the human world
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Cosy dens (pelísky) - about a block of flats during russian occupation at christmas-time and subsequent prague spring of 1968. This is a really good insight to communism in czechoslovakia - you could only have the boots that were allowed. The son has new boots from usa (i think) and haircut like the beatles. a girl argues with her dad because she says the food is like italian gnocci rather than czech dumplings. It's very good!
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PelísI
I enjoy the world with you (S tebou mě baví svět) - a group of dads take their kids to a cabin in winter for skiing etc and just total carnage because they're in charge (it's so funny)
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The insanely sad princess - (Šílene smutná princezna) - both want true love but are being put into an arranged marriage
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The princess with the golden star (Princezna se zlatou hvězdou) - fleeing an evil king (and future husband) into the arms of a handsome man and also has a golden star on her forehead
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and one of my favourites is called vodník in slovak according to my partner but i literally cannot find it anywhere?? It's about people who live in an underwater world and can move on the land as a vodnik in folklore is like a water creature.
anyway old czechoslovakian movies were real cinema
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thisisnotthenerd · 10 months
Text
and now for our 2022-23 intrepid heroes season:
quick episode descriptions:
no place for a prince or princess: first level one battle since the corn cuties. an army of constructs plus the fairy. buttoned up. crit to pull attention. the first of the red gems. running screaming puppet boy. ylfa's bottleneck. pib and alphonse. pib facing the fairy godmother. murph's bad turn. gerard is almost insta-killed. ylfa getting overwhlemed as everyone dies around her. gerard rolls an 18 and pulls the shard out of the fairy into himself. total party kill. ylfa is the only one who doesn't elect to fail.
the curdled web: trying not to fall off the web. first crit with a death blow mechanic. faerie fire on pinocchi-crow. spider drops from the ceiling. ylfa eats a spider. look alive, wet, naked spiders on your 10, 11, 12, 1 and 2 and behind the and the 10 and the 11. senator! we're all on our own in the dark, little boy. weird spider goo. ylfa crits. monster girl bonding.
trouble in tuffeton: cleaning up. mayor harold hopps. adult sleepover. gerard assisting crits. finding the ritual. the wicked fairy clawing her eyes out. you are seeing something you absolutely should not see, the face of a divinity you don't worship, the fucking smile of a devil that you never believed in. the children look into the face of horror. the stepmother eats grandma. pinocchio crits on cutting his strings. going to the lines between.
the baron of bricks: split narrative and battle episode. you came with a handmaiden, a butler, a jester, and a second butler. how do wolves like sex. the book is tugging. he's in the fucking stew. huff and puff, little girl. heat metal on the copper. stay mad, baby. giant moving spoon. the soup is lava and does 18d10 damage. he has eaten of the soup. mother goose goes down. spilling stock on the fires. little red riding hood successfully grapples the third little pig. 51 damage from the spoon. just another blue collar little cat working his job at the factory. full nelson. the culmination of pinocchio's story.
terror on toy island: a soft little touch. mer-king's insect plague. no daddy. pib getting the little guys. i'm so fucking scared! the water surges around the mer-king. the terrible dogfish is here. daddy-meter is spinning. pinocchio crits to figure it out. pinocchio screaming to wake the dead. with the eyes! you were about to instantly die. gerard is wearing full chain mail in the ocean.. rosamund & ylfa are swallowed. the sea witch shows up. murph causes a nat 20. call of destiny. rosamund gets the eye with a seven. i'm a lion in the water. pib's acrobatic crit. one v. one.
leap of faith: using the code word. red and la bete. pivot after pivot after pivot. gerard giving the note to elody and failing so hard. 🎶 her hair is everywhere! 🎶 pib succeeding by not being social. pinocchio starting off drinking whiskey with bubblegum and telling cinderella they have her book. timothy with rapunzel truly fucking it up so hard. rosamund and snow white. attempting to put cinderella in her book. jumping out the window. getting attacked by dwarves. nat 20 perception as they leave. nat 20 to repel the gander. we're the giants.
in the land of giants: we might be the giants. ice knife. princess or bully? a bunch of tiny wizards. jack 1v1ing timothy. get in the crevice. animate objects. fuck alphonse. a really sharp bird. gerard lands some hits. shatter on some birds with a side of existential crisis. ylfa critting twice to carry tim and take so many opportunity attacks. the goose is loose! pinocchio is attacked by alphonse and goes down. goose casts heal. failing on insight. you have collected all of the golden belongings of this battle. nat 20 save for alphonse a cricket shot a rocket at me.
the trials of baba yaga: the aftermath of pinocchio's persuasion. my hot form. pinocchio select. i'm always pissing. stray from the path, but stray together. gerard sees rapunzel, gives up his name for elody's, and goes full frog with a crown. rosamund encounters the fairies, gives up her true love, and takes on the briars again. ylfa meets her grandma, and walks her great-great grandma to death, having replaced the wolf. pinocchio eaves-peeps on the stepmother, gives up his chance at being a real boy, and gets the stepmother's name. timothy pulls artifacts & puts them in the book, and gives the baba yaga a full page. pib sees the tricksters, goes from a 33 stealth to an 11 performance, and somehow still tricks the giants, after giving his book away. piss stew. i cast banishment on the actual man murph.
the ending of all things (part 1): geas on scheherezade. pib crits immediately on rapunzel. the bird is dead. bad persuasion checks. scheherazade be normal. pinocchio persuades mira. i'm a fucking frog, elody. no one liked that. she poked me with a d4. ylfa drops la bete into oblivion. rosamund goes down, gets revivified and consumes thumbelina. gerard eats rapunzel. breaking concentration with vicious mockery. rosamund crits on snow white for an insta-kill.
the ending of all things (part 2): a friendly platonic kiss. ylfa gets scheherazade's book. crit on the blue fairy. animate objects. flat william. firing a rocket to knock a hat off. the concept of beaky. pib's very good turn. elody hits the hand. ocd boyfriend, add girlfriend. the stepmother appears. you're a dumb motherfucker and I'm going to kill you. using so much pc creep to get the orange hat fairy. crit on the stepmother. baba yaga is banished. pib kills god. almost everyone goes down. all rise to roll for the fate of the universe. 18 from zac. you've thrown the orange hat in the Box of Doom without any permission. stealing everything back from the baba yaga. determining their own stories in the end.
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coffeeandmagicaltales · 7 months
Text
The Auror&The Devil part 12
AesopSharpxMC (Angst, hints of fluff, TAROT READING disclamer: I'm a witch and this is my own interpretation for the fic purposes)
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"Is it nice to steal, huh, young lady?" grumbled Aesop, now in his own form, dabbing Sidó's scraped knee with Wiggenweld Potion, wiping the wound with a clean cotton bud. He wasn't concerned that the girl didn't understand English; his stern expression served as a universal language.
At the beginning she was quite scared that some force incomprehensible to her had brought her back near the orphanage. Now she averted her gaze in offense, lightning bolts striking from her eyes. She didn't even flinch, although the potion must have stung her- brave, angry little fluff. Morana struggled to contain her laughter. She and the girl were indeed similar... Perhaps not in appearance, but they shared a similar spirit.
"Hmm, aj ja som chodila do tohto sirotinca a ako ty som utiekla." (Hmm, I used to go to that orphanage too, and like you, I escaped) Morana began timidly, poking her side with her finger, which immediately elicited giggles, and she gave girl a piece of smoked sausage to eat.
"Naozaj?" (Really?) she asked incredulously and eagerly began devouring the food.
"Áno. Už dávno som stratil rodinu, hľadám ju." (Yes. I lost my family a long time ago, and I've been looking for them) Morana replied, leaning against the low wall on which Aesop sat the three-year-old.
"Boli to tiež čarodejníci?" (Were they also wizards?) she asked.
"Neviem, možno." (I don't know, maybe)
Sidó pondered, and after a moment, with her mouth full, she replied, "Pretože tu žije baba yaga, možno je to tvoja mama." (Because there's a Baba Yaga living here, maybe she's your mom.)
"Ako to?" (How so?)
"Ach, v ruinách hradu. Vraj všetko vie a vidí budúcnosť." (Oh, in the castle ruins. They say she knows and sees everything about the future.)
"Budúcnost..." (The future...) Morana immediately thought of the visions she had... maybe they weren't the result of Ancient Magic, but something she inherited.
"Ako sa voláš?" (What's your name?) she asked, reaching out her hand, greasy from sausage, towards Morana's scar, which made Aesop chuckle and silently say to Morana (when her face was smudged in grease she tried to ged rid off with her sleeve), "You deserve it."
"Morana, a toto je Ezop." (Morana, and this is Aesop.)
"Mám ťa rád." (I like you) she said immediately and added, "Môžem ísť s tebou?" (Can I go with you?)
The seemingly innocent question tugged at Morana's heart. The girl's eyes were full of hope that they would indeed take her with them, wherever that might be, even though she hardly knew them. She preferred to leave with strangers than to stay where she was.
The woman's mind suddenly found itself in Vienna, several years ago.
She sat covered in hops, cowering, trembling upon hearing someone's footsteps, and when someone's hand brushed aside the cones, she saw the face of an older man. He looked at her with surprise, and the kindly gleam in his eyes made her trust him.
"Shhh, calm down, little one. Don't be afraid of me," he said gently and sat her on a barrel. She was missing a shoe, which she had lost somewhere. She didn't understand his words then, but the tone of his voice was very soft and calmed her. He pulled out a checkered handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her dirty face. "Where is (he pointed to Morana) mama... hmmm mutter?"
Morana shook her head, indicating that she was an orphan.
Mr. Dimm scratched his head, surprised by the whole situation. Thoughts raced through his head; he looked into her crystal blue eyes, big and sad, knowing that this child was a blessing from heaven. Before him sat a beautiful girl, the long-awaited child they had dreamed of with Lyra for years.
As soon as they heard footsteps and voices, Morana grabbed his big hand and hid behind him. At that moment, he completely fell for her. Someone wanted to harm her? Over his dead body. He lifted her up and wiped her tears away. For a few moments, they looked into each other's eyes, their fates intertwined.
...Sidó looked at Morana and Aesop alternately, waiting for an answer.
"What did she ask?"
"She wants to go with us."
"Oh..." Aesop let out, also touched by the question, and began to think feverishly. "Well... it's not really a good idea... Where would she live? With whom? You... You're studying, you have plans for the future, and I... I'm old and alone... I work a lot... It wouldn't work out..." he started, as if for a moment, he really considered the idea. Morana sadly shook her head; it didn't make sense. A three-year-old wasn't a puppy to "hang around" with them... And even a puppy should have better care. It was out of the question!
Morana picked her up without a word, and the three of them started silently toward the orphanage. Sidó wet the woman's shoulder with tears, intertwining her hands in her hair, which she clung to tightly, causing Morana's heart to ache. Aesop, following them, saw the sad look in the girl's eyes and did everything not to look at her, knowing that in a moment, he would completely fall apart. Just before the orphanage gate, he dampened a tissue with a few drops of a potion known only to him, to pretend to wipe her nose and put her into a blissful sleep, so that she wouldn't experience the parting.
They handed the sleeping Sidó over to the hands of sister Illuminata, Aesop took care of it with one of the spells, so that the nun would forget that she had seen them and that Sidó had escaped.
"Ugh, how much I'd give for a glass of whiskey... Or three," he muttered as they walked away from the gate and gently stroked Morana's shoulder, who walked beside him in silence, with her head down. "What's on your mind?"
"Ehhhhh..." she grumbled. "I feel terrible. I want to cry. I've had enough."
"Hmm... We can always visit her from time to time, support her financially in her future education. Ask if anyone among our friends would like to adopt her... Does that thought comfort you at least a little?"
"Maaaaaybe," she muttered, then added. "It's good that you're down-to-earth. Your ideas always comfort me..."
Aesop smiled; Morana's words stroked his ego and made it purr.
"She's safe, she has food, nothing's happening to her. Even though that nun, whatever her name is, the Illuminata sister, is terrible, she won't harm her, she takes care of the children - that's what my intuition says, although, well, I'll admit, those big dark eyes made me ready to run away with her for a moment." he laughed. "My next brilliant idea is: let's get back to why we came here... I heard her mention something about Baba Yaga, that's a Slavic term for a witch, isn't it? I saw that it caught your interest."
Morana nodded and sent him a smile.
"The ruins of the castle are nearby; according to Sidó, a witch lives in them who sees the future..."
"Mmmm," Aesop became interested. "Interesting... How far is it?"
"About 5-6 hours from here by foot, I recall those ruins from local legends... people said that they were haunted."
"I like such legends; you immediately know there's something to them. We'll find a carriage and set off!"
"I'm not sure if there are carriages going straight to the castle here..."
Aesop pulled out a tiny vial with a "DANGER" label from Madame Niffleur's bag, certainly not a Polyjuice, and his sly smile seemed very suspicious to Morana. "Did you say something? We're certainly not flying there on a broomstick. Madame Niffleur can be very persuasive."
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The afternoon sun, although still scorching the skin, was slowly beginning to descend. Aesop and Mora struggled to climb the slope, from the top of which the ruins of the castle watched over the surrounding hills, resembling the sleeping dragon with its uneven, elongated shape and white scales. Bright, hewn blocks of limestone, from which the fortress was built, sparkled in the light and seamlessly merged with the base of massive rocks, tightly entwined with a tangle of weeds, bushes, and sharp thorns tugging at the wizards' clothes. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Aesop conceded to the ancient architects who chose this place as an observation point and a true bastion – the view of the hillside ocean was breathtaking, but back then it was crucial for military tactics, and the numerous caves hollowed out in the rocks at the beginning of time provided shelter and were perfect for securing food. A beautiful place surrounded by the history of thousands of people who lived before them, possibly even some of Morana's ancestors... He imagined Morana in a princess's attire, but not the kind a regular princess from books about knights would wear... no... He saw her as she gazed at the green hills with her blue eyes, a just, decisive, calm ruler, but incredibly dangerous to anyone who dared to appear with a foreign banner under her walls... Pearls intertwined in jet-black hair adorned her temples. Her attire? Not just any dress in pastel colors. A gown made of leather and black silk, very comfortable, not restricting movement; a sleek scabbard tightly fastened with a belt to which the best sword and dagger would be attached; wrapped in a cloak of bear fur... which she probably hunted herself... The thought amused him somewhat and sweetened the climb. Queen Morana, the ruler of Nitra. It sounded more than good, huh.
A solitary ruler? Would she have a king? Probably not. This thought amused him again, but after a moment, another, less pleasant thought arose. Many would vie for her hand. Maybe it was due to fatigue, but in his imagination, he saw a knight from a painting that hung in his room at Hogwarts, which resembled of him... Sir Sharp of... what exactly? Hmm, Hogwarts? Aranshire? It didn't matter... He dismounted from the white steed, striding proudly in shining armor amidst the pitifully tumbling bunch of youths writhing at the feet of Queen Morana... He bowed before her, and taking her delicate hand, he brushed her ring with his lips. She smiled, and her eyes sparkled, she lifted his chin, gazing deeply into his dark eyes...
He twisted his foot on a stone, and a bolt of pain pierced his knee. He cursed soundlessly, pushing through the bushes, unable to see a path trodden by deer. Morana walked a little ahead of him, easily navigating the path...
As a disabled person, he probably wouldn't survive long in those times... Most likely, he would buckle under the weight of the armor, become a laughingstock... Not only in the past, though. He lowered his gaze, feeling another wave of uncertainty and disgust towards himself wash over him. A man in the prime of his life, yet he had to be handled like a porcelain figurine, like an old man... Men like him don't dance with princesses, they hide in the shadows and quietly fade away...
"Aesop, everything okay?" Morana's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "You seem... gloomy... Maybe you'd like a break?"
Aesop cleared his throat and shook his head. "I'm perfectly fine... It's very beautiful here, I got lost in thought... Shh!" He suddenly became cautious, as his instinct told him they weren't alone. He stopped, scanning the surroundings; they were practically at the gate. Something moved near it, a shadow. Morana spotted it too. Both exchanged knowing glances and discreetly prepared their wands.
The shadow stood still, leaning against the stone wall. An old woman in a cloak with a hood casting a shadow over the upper part of her face, leaning on a staff. She smiled mysteriously, and in the pale sunlight, her teeth gleamed with gold and silver, tufts of completely white hair grazed her wrinkled tan face. Aesop and Morana cautiously approached her and greeted her uncertainly, their wands behind their back at the ready.
"I knew you would come," she said in English, her voice carrying a strong accent, but not the one people from these parts or any Slavs had. Something Italian, maybe Spanish...
"How do you know we speak English?" Morana asked, looking at her suspiciously.
"I know everything, dear..." the old woman whispered.
Aesop became wary. "You probably heard us from afar. These empty walls must echo sound well..." he interjected, squinting, scrutinizing the woman. She laughed.
"You guessed right. My knowledge comes from what I hear and see, and I listen very attentively and observe carefully, so I know... Come, it's a sin not to welcome guests, especially if they come on business..."
"Business?" Aesop bristled.
"For what other reason would you come here?" she shrugged, leading them along the long courtyard towards a hole in the wall, which was almost blocked by fallen doors. "The castle is haunted, terrible things happen here... That's what they say, so no one comes here without good reason. And so it is. No one visits me without a reason. Only on business."
Morana and Aesop looked at each other, perplexed, not knowing what was happening. With no choice, they followed the old woman through a winding corridor illuminated by candles. Along the walls, hanging from the ceilings, were bunches of dried plants and mushrooms emitting an incredibly intoxicating scent. Lavender, rosemary... there was plenty of that here... They finally reached a small cave or a room that was once a palace cellar. It was quite cozy; the ceiling and walls were covered with carpets, there were plenty of dried plants, trinkets, vials, and jars crowding the shelves, bowls with crushed seeds, ointments, crystals, bubbling distillation flasks in which all sorts of remedies were weighed... In the old royal fireplace, a fire was burning, and above it hung a cauldron with bubbling liquid. The old woman pointed to the table with a wave of her hand. Aesop and Morana took their seats opposite her.
"I came to..." Morana began, but the stranger immediately silenced her.
"Don't say anything, be silent, I will find out myself." she said pleasantly. "What the mouth says does not always speak the heart and mind... And I must see the truth, however... For every magic, it is right to make an offering first. Magic is a gift from the ancient gods, just as they were offered sacrifices, so every use of it, like meeting a friend, should start with a gift and end with gratitude..."
She pulled out a deck of cards from her pocket and began shuffling them. Aesop moved, surprised by her words, but in a fraction of a second, everything became clear to him. "Dammit, she's a Muggle witch." He rolled his eyes and immediately turned to Mora. "We're wasting time, she's a fraud. Tarot, crystals, ointments... Uh, quackery, trying to extort money." he muttered, glaring at the witch. Morana wasn't so sure about that, her intuition, on the other hand, suggested to her that whether a fraud or not, she might have some information about what happened to her family. She took out a coin and placed it on the table.
Before Aesop could protest, the coin disappeared into the witch's pocket, and two cards appeared on the table. One by Morana, the other by him. The woman smiled mysteriously.
"Payment accepted. My question is – who are you, strangers?" she reached for two more cards and laid them below. "What did your pasts bring?" She began shuffling. "And, since you seem to work together... oh!"
From the shuffled deck, only one card shot out and fell on the table, between Morana's and Aesop's line of cards.
"...How might this future unfold for both of you?" She finished, sliding the last card down, but leaving it between Morana's and Aesop's readings.
"Ugh," Sharp grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Well, wonderful, making a fool of myself, splendid..."
The witch silenced him and turned over his card.
THE MAGICIAN
Aesop's eyebrows twitched. Not that he believed her, no, not at all, she was just a simple fortune-teller, but the coincidence intrigued him somewhat.
"Oh yes... The Magician..." the witch began. "It's a card of someone who pursues knowledge, powerful, often invisible to many, which can lead to boasting... Hmmm, it's funny, you see?" She placed a finger on the drawing, and Aesop and Morana leaned in slightly to get a better look. "All the elements that make him up lie before him on the table, as if he's about to examine them, as if he's pulling them out of himself and trying to understand them somehow... He doesn't know what to do with them, they're ready, but unused... His wealth," she pointed to the coin, "the path he has taken," she indicated the staff, "the desires, feelings, and longings he carries within," she pointed to the cup, "and his mind, sharp and extraordinary," she pointed to the sword. "It's all right here before him, yet he separates it from himself, as if he doesn't want to accept it, seeking help from above, in magic, or some 'higher knowledge,' but the answers are literally before him, within reach. He seems lost, uncertain... Is he afraid to reach for them and use them? We'll soon see why, but first, I want to get to know you, young Lady..." She paused and turned to Morana. Meanwhile, Aesop stiffened, not liking how accurate the woman's words were.
Morana's card was swiftly revealed.
THE DEVIL
"Hmm, I didn't expect to see such a card for a young, beautiful lady... But looks can be deceiving. Power surpassing that of the Magician, even black magic! However, my instinct tells me it's just a symbol... A symbol of someone seeking freedom, because you see, Lucifer defied God himself to go his own way, but... I don't see freedom here, but rather enslavement... Something that binds you and won't let go, even though the nooses around the necks of the figures visible here are completely loose and could slip off at any moment, yet they don't escape... It seems to me that something that once helped you turned out to be your false friend... Not a person, no, no... Something you deeply believe in, something whispering all possible negative scenarios into your ear... Why is that? Hm... It's time to learn about your past, shall we? Let's start with the Magician, what made you be here today, in the company of this extraordinary woman, thousands of kilometers from home?" She turned over his next card, and Aesop's stomach churned. A bloodied figure lay on the ground, literally nailed to it with swords. He heard screams and noise in his head, for a fraction of a second, he saw Sholto's dead body lying face down in a pool of blood just like the figure on the card. He averted his gaze, trying not to look at it.
"I'm so sorry..." the witch said gently, seeing how the card panicked him and immediately flipped it over so he wouldn't have to look at it. "You've encountered terrible things, Magician... Blood, suffering, despair... Your own mind has failed you, you've made a mistake somewhere, one that cost you everything... This card speaks for itself and is worse than the Death card because you see, the Death card heralds rebirth, but this... emptiness, nothingness, which clings to you. So much evil has befallen you. However, this card pertains to your past... The future is ahead of you..." She gestured to the mysterious, single card in the middle. Her gaze fell on Morana, who was absorbed in every word she said. "And what befell you, Devil?"
The card was revealed, depicting a very idyllic scene of floating cups and a happy family looking at them, as at the rainbow. However, this idyll was upside down before Morana.
"You've lost your family," the witch concluded. "That's why you can't free yourself from the past, find a place for yourself, stability, and emotions, like water from these ten upside-down cups, spill over..." The old woman looked at the last card and smiled mysteriously, lifting it without showing them what was on it. "This card ripped itself out to you, but it's up to you whether you want to know what's on it, or, judging by what I've seen, it's not the purpose of your visit..." Morana wasn't too eager, and Aesop, even more so, as he had seen enough and wanted to leave.
"I understand." The woman shuffled all the cards back into the deck and rested her intertwined hands on the table. "Magician and Devil... How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for my family," Morana spoke softly. "Something happened in Nitra a years ago; suddenly I found myself in the forest one night with no memory... I'd like to find out what happened then... Maybe you remember something, or at least know someone who spoke of some strange phenomenon, I don't know... It happened on the night of January 1st to 2nd, 1875..."
Baba Yaga pondered for a moment.
"In Nitra? Hmm, not really, I's a dull place... Although, there was a fire in Jelenec at that time, I remember it well. People said the flames burst literally in a split second, as if it was the work of the devil himself, so I was summoned afterward because the neighbors were afraid, fearing it was black magic..." Morana flinched.
"Do you know where it was? What happened?"
"By the lake. I instructed them to sprinkle everything with holy water and bury it, mark it with a stone so that no one would build anything there. Hmm, it's strange, but no one could figure out who lived there, and we all know each other very well here, or at least I know everyone well. There were a few huts in that area. We looked for bodies, asked if anyone knew anything... in vain: we only found a few charred bones and buried them in that place..."
Morana felt a stab in her stomach. That was her home, she was sure of it. And her family was dead.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Aesop felt touched by the words of the Muggle woman, who had undoubtedly deduced many things about them by observing their reactions to the pathetic cards. It was a game, and she was barely observant and extremely intelligent. He was a real wizard.
"What magic school did you attend?" he asked rather curtly.
"Schools?" she laughed. "None, Magician. My mother taught me spells, her mother taught her based on the knowledge passed down from our mothers. These are old spells, not spectacular, they work slowly, but they are as powerful as yours... Yes, even though I'm old, I saw your wand, which is now barely sticking out from under your sleeve... Don't worry, it's nothing new to me; people like you also visit me. There are quite a few of them living in the area, those who returned from studies in France or somewhere in the north... They come to me for advice on many matters, especially when it's restless in the nearby graves..." The woman turned to Morana. "Go southeast; the lake is nearby. You'll see an empty space between the houses filled with stones. That's the place."
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Morana, enveloped in the velvety rays of the setting sun, stood in silence, looking at the pile of bright stones in front of her and a quite large boulder laid on them. It was very quiet, peaceful, and the temperature had dropped thanks to the pleasant chill from the nearby lake, around which wild birds circled, mainly crows living nearby.
She felt strangely absent.
She had reached her home, where she wanted to be. Although she didn't know their names, her family lay buried under her feet; now she could visit this place, she knew where she came from. The puzzle was almost solved.
Well, she should be happy. Feel relieved, from finding her parents' grave, even though the perpetrator of their death could still be at large...
She should be happy.
She felt only confusion.
Anger that her life hadn't changed, that she couldn't call those nameless people "family." She didn't feel an influx of emotions associated with this area, she didn't feel "at home" here. She looked at the boulder and was basically indifferent to everything.
Aesop observed her from a distance, casting Revelio in a few places out of habit to find any clues. Too much time had passed, and Muggles or wizards had already erased all traces. It wasn't comforting at all. Something had been solved, but nothing had really been. Morana seemed even more depressed than before, which saddened him and that annoying fortune-teller, well, a Muggle witch made him sick. He had encountered such frauds mixing in the heads of Muggles in his life and didn't trust them for a penny, and now he calmly analyzed everything she said, making sure she just read their behavior and chose responses based on that...
He kicked a small stone with his healthy foot, annoyed, then took a deep breath and looked at Morana. He let her stand there as long as she needs; she needed time to sort things out in her head. He walked ahead, looking at the surrounding houses... he noticed freshly planted Chinese Chomping Cabbage in the gardens, some Dittany... There were indeed wizards living here. Morana's family was probably one of them, but someone literally wiped them out with an exceptionally strong and cunning spell. Soon Morana approached him.
"Let's go back," she whispered.
"Do you want to look around some more? Maybe ask someone?"
"No," she replied, staring at the ground.
"Do you have anything else to do in Vienna, or can we head straight back to the Highlands?"
"No, I've taken care of everything, orders will come next week straight to the brewery."
Seeing her sad expression, Aesop laid his hand on her shoulder. She flinched, as if awakened from a dream, and looked him in the eyes.
So much had happened in these few days.
"Butter beer?" he offered, smiling warmly and extending his forearm toward her. Morana sent him a hesitant smile. She looked at the boulder one last time and grasped his arm firmly, practically nestling into it. Aesop kept his promise, helping her find her parents, for which she was grateful... and she didn't know how to express it. She tried to say something, but the chaos in her mind completely prevented it.
"Thank you," she whispered, looking him straight in the eyes, and at the same moment, she gently squeezed his arm. Aesop felt her fingers clenching the fabric around his skin, causing it to sting and tremble, as if even his own skin was pleased with Mora's the closeness. He nodded slightly, humbly saying nothing. The investigation had come to an end for now.
For now.
There was a loud crack, and the two wizards disappeared, leaving the hills of Nitra far behind.
End of part 12, thanks for reading.
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