#Witch of Light | Isabelle

[the-dimensionals]

Drabble: Icarus' Soil

Deep in the Witches' association lab, someone was occupying the spot. The lab-- equipped with alchemy equipment, a microscope or two, three separate cauldrons, furnaces among other equipments, had been occupied by a woman-- the head witch of flames of the association was hard at work doing R&D for a potion she's been working on for hours.

"...The radiant fertilizer. It's properties can heat the soil's temperature to a degree to simulate that of lava...."

The witch of flames-- a fae with eyes as red as rubies, had mulled over a bit whilst examining her research on the Radiant Fertilizer. On one of the flasks was a flower, one which the witch looked at as she was calculating what her next attempt will require. It had been 6 times that she tried making the thing, but wit all these attempts, she hasn't stopped.

Another hour passed before she decided on what she should do next.

"...Alright, attempt #7... This time the I should be adding 10% more fire magic to it."

But before she could begin, the knocking on the lab's door echoed the room. The knocking was in a rhythm the witch of flames knew. With a hint of slight annoyance in her sigh, the witch spoke up.

"Come on in, Isabelle." The witch raised her voice to the direction of which the knocking came from.

The one who knocked was another witch named Isabelle, the Witch of Light, clad in white and gold, with a tome at hand.

"I had a hunch you were in the laboratory again, Aithne." Isabelle's spoke, the ends of her lips curled to form a small smile on her face as she walked up closer to the flame Witch: Aithne as she observed the experiment from a safe distance.

"You're still at trying to recreate Icarus' Soil, are you?" Isabelle asked, already having her tome placed on the nearest table. "It's not often for you to skip making your own morning beverage, even if you had some work ahead of you."

Aithne was silent for a second upon checking the time. Eyes widened slightly upon noticing the time. "Ah...Right, sorry."

"There's no need to apologize..." The witch of light took notice of that slight reaction to the time, unsure whether or not the other was really enjoying her time doing experiments, or that the other was overworking herself.

"The others are just a little bit concerned about your wellbeing, me included. I know you're an elf, but even you have to feeling a bit thirsty or hungry by now, do you not?"

"I know, Isabelle..." Aithne turned to look at the flower she was taking care of. "I've just been trying so hard to try and recreate the Radiant Fertilizer these last few days. It's just that the Solae Roseas requires that fertilizer and so far rarely anyone has managed to recreate the fertilizer's properties."

"Solae Rosea." Isabelle repeated as she looked at the flower infront of them. The witch of light's took a few steps towards it, observing the flower's radiance. "That's the flower you wanted to grow in your own garden, right?"

"That's right," Aithne responded. her hand gently caressing the pedals of the glower. "It was one of my mother's personal favorite. The person she got the fertilizer from had to stop selling Icarus' Soil due to the cost. It's a rare flower few managed to grow. The price of the soil and flower itself easily can go up to a million in credit. And since it's my mother's favorite flower, the fact that I have this flower made me want to try and recreate the fertilizer so I can help her grow hers back again, while also growing my own collection of these flowers."

"One million credits?" Isabelle repeated in surprise. "N-no wonder there was a massive surge in cost for these fire-immunity potions. Solae Rosaes are the only ones with such magical properties."

"Mhm," Aithne nodded in agreeance to that comment. "That is also why I want to grow these flowers. The fire-immunity potions are prohibitively expensive and quite frankly I feel they're not worth the price in the current market. If I can recreate the potion, I can not only challenge those who extort their buyers, but also get a good income so I can help my mother in restarting her garden."

"Ahah-- and there's the kind of reason that you're known for in the association! You love to stick it to the big wigs out there, don't you?" Isabelle couldn't help but let out a giggle at that. "But while I fully support your endeavor, from the looks of it you're going to be preoccupied with that for a while."

"That's right," Aithne nodded, stretching a little bit, feeling her some of her muscles start to ache. "This will be a long endeavor and it won't finish by itself, even if does make me work to the point where I am starting to feel my age..."

"Heh--" Isabelle chuckled as she gently placed a hand on the flame witch's shoulder. "Aithie, you should really take care of yourself a bit better. You're still a young elven adult and you have a life outside of this. And besides, not a lot of the newer members of the association knows you well. So how about you take a small break, get something to drink before continuing with your project? You've been at this for 3 hours today after all."

"...I suppose you make a fair point." The witch of fire responded, a soft smile slowly started to form on her lips. "Maybe a rested mind might help me with this project." Aithne did wonder one thing as she was setting her work to the side, labeling it with a simple [do not touch/W.I.P project run by the flame witch] before asking.

"Isabelle--" Aithne started speaking. "Once my break is finished, do you have some time to spare in aiding me? I may have knowledge on fire magic, but your are efficient with light magic. Perhaps if we combine our knowledge that we might make a breakthrough in this project?"

"I'll have to look through my schedule for a bit, but I think I have some time in the evening-- if you're fine with that."

"That'll be fine with me. Now then. Let's have our-- as we would call it, a beverage break.,"

[loosescrewslefty]

BEGGING everyone to watch the new trailer for Secrets of the Silent Witch and get as hyped about the 1st season of the anime dropping in July 2025 as I am. The music is amazing, the animation so, SO good and the magic and dragons all look incredible, and the voice acting is on point. I am SO giddy that they are pouring so much love into bringing my all time favorite light novel to the screen, and need more people geeking out about it with me.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙💜🩷 Upcoming Bisexual Book Releases of 2025

💜 My little bisexual heart is SO excited for this upcoming bisexual book releases of 2025. Which ones are you adding to your TBR?

🩷 Say a Little Prayer - Jenna Voris 🩷 Love in Focus - Lyla Lee 🩷 We Are the Match - Mary E. Roach 🩷 Roll for Love - M.K. England 🩷 Solo Stan - Talia Tucker 🩷 Dream On, Ramona Riley - Ashley Herring Blake 🩷 Hopelessly Teavoted - Audrey Goldberg Ruoff 🩷 My Lady Hiraya - Steven Sy 🩷 The Gryphon King - Sara Omer 🩷 We Are the Match - Mary E. Roach

💙 Daughters of the Blue Moon - Millie Abecassis 💙 A Gentleman's Gentleman - T.J. Alexander 💙 Last Hellos and First Goodbyes - Elba Luz 💙 Tenderly, I Am Devoured - Lyndall Clipstone 💙 If I Dig You - Colby Wilkens 💙 Tenderly, I Am Devoured - Lyndall Clipstone 💙 Modern Divination - Isabel Agajanian 💙 Don't Drag This Out - Emery Lee 💙 For One Night Only - Jessica James

💜 Death Card - Jasmine Smith 💜 The Cuffing Game - Lyla Lee 💜 Lovely Dark and Deep - Elisa A. Bonnin 💜 A Ballad for Slayers & Monsters - Rita A. Rubin 💜 The Transition - Logan-Ashley Kisner 💜 A Vow of Wrath and Ruin - K.W. Foster 💜 A Fix of Light - Kel Menton 💜 No Body No Crime - Tess Sharpe 💜 The Trial Period - Auburn Morrow

💟 A Traitorous Heart - Erin Cotter 💟 Tarnished - Erica Rose Eberhart 💟 This Raging Sea - De Elizabeth 💟 An Arcane Inheritance - Kamilah Cole 💟 Nobody in Particular - Sophie Gonzales 💟 Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar - Anahita Karthik 💟 The Afterdark - E. Latimer 💟 A Murderous Business - Cathy Pegau 💟 Her Dark Grace - Rae Valtera

🩷 The Broposal - Sonora Reyes 🩷 It's a Love/Skate Relationship - Carli J. Corson 🩷 Futbolista - Jonny Garza Villa 🩷 Holly Jolly July - Lindsay Maple 🩷 Homegrown Magic - Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos 🩷 Murder Land - Carlyn Greenwald 🩷 Iron Tongue of Midnight - Brittany N. Williams 🩷 Behooved - M. Stevenson 🩷 A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace - Emily Skrutskie

💙 The Coven Tendency - Zoe Hana Mikuta 💙 Serial Killer Support Group - Saratoga Schaefer 💙 How to Survive a Slasher - Justine Pucella Winans 💙 Well, Actually - Mazey Eddings 💙 Unromance - Erin Connor 💙 Medievally Blonde - Cait Jacobs 💙 Hazelthorn - C.G. Drews 💙 Savage Blooms - S.T. Gibson 💙 The Incandescent - Emily Tesh

💜 Backhanded Compliments - Katie Chandler 💜 Build a Girlfriend - Elba Luz 💜 Virulence - Toni Duarte 💜 This Feast of a Life - Cynthia So 💜 On Her Terms - Amy Spalding 💜 Wooing the Witch Queen - Stephanie Burgis 💜 Love Points to You - Alice Lin 💜 The Sun and the Moon - Rebekah Faubion 💜 Thrill of the Chase - Kathryn Nolan

💟 Exquisite Ruin - AdriAnne May & A.M. Strickland 💟 Alice Rue Evades the Truth - Emily Zipps 💟 Lucky Day - Chuck Tingle 💟 Dawn of the Obsidian Sun - R.N. Barbosa 💟 The Billion Dollar Dynasty - Dominique Davis 💟 Cyrus - A.E. Cosby 💟 Now She's Dead - Roselyn Clarke 💟 Voidwalker - S.A. MacLean 💟 Of Abrasion - S.J. Lee

🩷 Tavern Tale - Kristina W. Kelly 🩷 An Honored Vow - Melissa Blair 🩷 Love on the Sunny Side - Cozy DuBois 🩷 Advocate - Daniel M. Ford 🩷 TSWR: Love At First Flight - S Sidney 🩷 Vessel of Shadows - Rowan Redfield 🩷 Flirting Lessons - Jasmine Guillory 🩷 Love At First Fright - Nadia El-Fassi 🩷 French Pressed Love - M.C. Hutson

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate J.R.R. Tolkien’s Birthday with 54 Queer Fantasy Books!

Today, January 3rd, is J.R.R. Tolkien Day—the day we celebrate the legend’s birthday. It’s hard to imagine the fantasy genre without Tolkien’s influence on it. That’s why, we figured, what better way to celebrate than by having an adventure with an awesome fantasy book? And, as this is the first time we’ve done a queer fantasy rec list, our reccing crew got very excited, with the result that this is one of the longest lists we’ve ever posted. We asked our contributors for great queer, fantasy recommendations, and boy, did they deliver! We collected a list of whooping 54 titles, all thanks to Sanne, Kelas, Shadaras, Nina Waters, Shea Sullivan, E. C., Adrian Harley, Alex, D. V. Morse, Zel Howland, Shannon, Dei Walker, Linnea Peterson and an anonymous contributor.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Witch King by Martha Wells

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

The Husky & His White Cat Shizun by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

Devil Venerable Also Wants To Know by Cyan Wings

Ruin of Angels by Max Gladstone

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

Ash by Malinda Lo

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

Reforged by Seth Haddon

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling

The Bone Doll’s Twin by Lynn Flewelling

Umineko: When They Cry by 07th Expansion

The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling

The Brilliant Death by A.R. Capetta

Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha

First Test by Tamora Pierce

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

What are your favorite queer fantasy books?

You can find all these books on our Goodreads bookshelf of queer fantasy books.

Did something here spark your curiosity? You can buy it through the Duck Prints Press Bookshop.org affiliate shop. 

So many books means so much to talk about! Come, join our Book Lover’s Discord server to chat with us about aaaaaall the books!

[petaltexturedskies]

Witches, like saints, are solitary stars that shine with a light of their own; they depend on nothing and no one, which is why they have no fear and plunge blindly into the abyss with the assurance that instead of crashing to earth, they will fly back out. They can change into birds and see the world from above, or worms to see it from within, they can inhabit other dimensions and travel to other galaxies, they are navigators on an infinite ocean of consciousness and cognition.

Isabel Allende, Paula

[the-bi-library]

Here is the final part of the bi4bi books posts!

I'd appreciate it if you let me know if there are any more bi4bi books that I didn't include here 💕

Books listed: They Never Learn by Layne Fargo If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Drowning Summer by C.L. Herman Case Sensitive by A.K. Turner Missing, Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn City of Vicious Night by Claire Winn The Light Years by R.W.W. Greener The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson Tell Me Anything by Skye Kilaen Her Scarlet Letters by Cat Giraldo Break Free by Raleigh Ruebins Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant The Door Into Fire by Diane Duane The Stone Prince by Fiona Patton Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner Wolf, Willow, Witch by Freydís Moon When the Stars Alight by Camilla Andrew Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan Cleans Up Nice by Margo Phelps Educated by Nellie Wilson Queried Sick by Dallas Smith Chance Agreement by Margo Phelps Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress Release by Suzanne Clay Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John Crown of Starlight by Cait Corrain To Beg or Not to Beg by Cat Giraldo Two Winters by Lauren Emily Whalen Electric Idol by Katee Robert Neon Gods by Katee Robert The Scandalous Letters of V and J by Felicia Davin The Spinster's Swindle by Catherine Stein Rocky Mountain Freedom by Vivian Arend Um traço até você by Olívia Pilar Biforia by Rebecca Romero Escalando Você by Rebecca Romero Entre estantes by Olívia Pilar → translated Between Bookshelves by Olívia Pilar Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders The Stars Undying by Emery Robin Legend of Korra: Graphic Novels Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour Novels Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by Venio Tachiban Brimstones and Roses It Would Be Great If You Didn't Exist My Werewolf Girlfriend The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur Xeni by Rebekah Weather

Part 1

Part 2

[roxygenize]

My attempt at classpecting the Activity Club

Isabel: Knight of Heart

“Then, a Knight of Heart is one who exploits the desires, inclinations and preferences of people. Also, they defend the uniqueness and personality of people. This players can be really dangerous if no one keeps an eye on them.

I say this because if they can exploit the feelings of someone, they can toy with them. They could do what Karkat did but with emotions, use the uniqueness of every teammate as a tool to success in their session. That is the best part of these knights, they can help the team to bring the best of it.

They could also be very emotional and aim for think about feelings a lot, but here comes the “armor” knights tend to use: They would try to look as cool people who think methodically and always do everything well, quite like Dirk (but Dirk was full of Mind because he destroys Heart).”

Isaac: Prince of Light

“a Prince of Light is one who destroys the fortune, illumination, attention, clarity and importance and destroys with light and information.

At the beginning of their quest, they may be very mysterious people. They would be very bad at focusing on something, but if they have an objective they could reach it with the information they possess. Sometimes would miss the point of a conversation, and they would not express their ideas with clarity… they destroy the fortune leaving only bad luck.

This is obviously because of the problem all Princes have: to control their destructive nature. They must receive help from someone who’s good at advices, like a Seer or a Heir. If things get too bad, they must need a Witch or a Mage to change them by force. Let the Blood and the Hope be inside of them too.”

Max: Page of Blood

“Page of Blood: One who Invites Exploitation of Blood or one who Invites Exploitation through Blood

Pages start with a deficit in their Aspect that they confidently overcome through obvious overcompensation. Their challenge is to keep at it, even if they fail and the journey is slow, for they become the strongest players.”

Ed: Seer of Mind

“So, a Seer of Mind is one who sees/knows the decisions, thoughts and judgement that a team should have or take; they also see or know through logic and rationalism. They also know the paths a decision will lead.

At the beginning of their adventure, this seer would never doubt of their actions, because they would be sure about everything, and would think that they always know or should know what to do. They would always have the most rational thoughts and judgement. They are the best tacticians of the game, because they can know what the enemy (or others) are thinking.

A team should always hear the judgement of a Seer, and a Seer of Mind as a knower of all the decisions/thoughts. can see the paths of actions that will lead to the most favorable outcome for everyone. That is the power we saw Terezi doing.

For other abilities, it seems they can see the memories of others (In Remem8er). Also, just knowing what others are thinking by scanning them (like in the game: The World Ends With You) would be part of their role.”

[fascinati0nstr33t]

Arcane SSB headcanons

(cus i’ve been replaying smash and the lack of arcane content is killing me-)

Jinx

mains the Inkling or Kirby

i always thought of Jinx as a splatoon player, she’d deffo enjoy the game as a whole (she probably also listens to the soundtrack)

uses the purple inkling girl cus there isn’t an inkling girl with blue hair pipipi

spams the splat bombs and the splattershot

also spams the booyah taunt

another character i think she’d main would be kirby

it’s the “cute but will beat your ass” character that she would pick

absorbs her opponents none stop

is far more insufferable with kirby than she is with the inkling

WILL rage quit if she’s defeated by a final smash

go-to stages are moray towers and gamer

Vi

started using little mac but stuck to incineroar after first use

spams the down smash where incineroar jumps in the air then body slams to the ground

says she won’t get competitive but does the complete opposite when she loses once

favourite stage is the boxing ring

gets cocky if she has the final smash

always teams up with jinx or cait if it’s a team battle

has beef with isabelle for a good reason or for no good reason

has definitely told cait that she looks like lucina from fire emblem

Caitlyn

started playing the game because of vi

varies from lucina and samus

will definitely be the cause of jinx’s rage

manages to get the most KO’s in team battle

WILL accuse jinx if she spams a side special too many times

does get competitive after a few matches

despises the wii fit trainer with every fiber of her being

go-to stage is the great plateau tower

plays classic mode every now and then

if she’s an excellent shot with her rifle, then she’s getting critical hits in the game

grabs every assist trophy that drops on the stage

Mel

has played smash rarely, but is always up for a challenge

elegant and cunning? she’s maining Bayonetta, specifically her third edit style

palutena’s temple is her favourite stage

is possibly the only calm one during a match

witch time and bullet climax are the combos she uses the most

“if you need to learn how to talk to a lady ask your mum” taunt is used at least 5 times during a match

“it was a fair game, dear” as she absolutely demolishes her opponent (probably Jayce or another councilor)

high chance that smash got her to play the actual bayonetta games-

Ekko

i headcanon him as the bigger gamer out of everyone

saw a fanart of him as twilight princess link AND IT LOOKED SO GOOD🔥

so, ye, he mains link

pirate ship and umbra clock tower are his go-to (cus, he’s the boy who shattered time-)

got splatrolled by jinx too many times

gets pissed if his final smash doesn’t hit anyone

spams the boomerang and bow

impersonates the “HYAH” depending on the combo

uses any taunt animation after defeating someone

has beef with wario and king k rool

Jayce

COCKIEST MF WHEN IT COMES TO SMASH

mains captain falcon

spams falcon punch to the point it’s annoying

just like vi, he gets competitive when he says he won’t

played world of light but made it halfway through

will team up with mel (because he loves her and he doesn’t want to get beat up by Bayo)

secretly enjoys the squid sisters songs if he’s playing moray towers

hates moving stages

made a bet with vi to see who would win a squad strike…he lost

buys everything in the shop

hates that blue gumball son of a b!tch

unironically quotes “show me ya moves” while viktor is absolutely fed up with his bs

Viktor

MY BOYYYY SJDBKDJSKXNKSHDKDKF

he mains fox, that’s it

has won three tourneys with little to no effort

bridge of eldin, final destination and halberd are his fav stages

hates ness, absolutely despises him, and definitely takes out his stress on him

possibly has said “PK FIRE my ass you little shit” at least once

he’s known to be pretty calm and calculated, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t gone absolutely livid in a match

if it’s a free for all, he’s targeting jayce, no second thoughts

has teamed up with jinx whenever vi would team up with cait (they would be a solid duo)

spirit board speedrunner

knows how to target the final smash

he’d probably build a miniature of fox’s ship after having mained him for some time

[notinmyvocab]

Welp. Wrote a prologue. Might continue if people want?

Summary: Agatha died after the Road. A young witch gives her another chance.

“Jesus fuck,” Isabel muttered, dragging her forearm along her face to wipe away the sweat and dirt, though only managing to make herself messier. She’d spent the entire morning digging and destroying the bed of azaleas in the backyard.

She tried leaving Agatha’s house. After three days, Billy/Teen/Maximoff/Kaplan/whatever had come by, tried convincing her that going back down the Road was the answer. She said no, gave him Señor Scratchy, and he left to deal with his own bullshit.

A few more days, a few more sleepless nights, and now she found herself here in Agatha’s basement, a corpse on the floor in the center of a circle of salt, candles flickering and casting eerie shadows.

She very much doubted this would work. She was one witch and a spell like this required immense power. But Isabel carried immense grief, and surely that was enough?

You were too far gone. I couldn’t have done anything!

You brought me back. You can bring her back. Bring her back!

Then what good are you!

Isabel wanted nothing more than to shower and lay down. But she couldn’t just yet. There was work to be done.

Agatha’s body lay bare, a pentagram drawn on her chest in blood, the air heavy with the scent of sage. Isabel’s hands were shaking as she held them over the corpse. Well, this was either going to work, or it wasn’t. Might as well try.

Either we get what we want, or we die. And I would much rather die trying than walking away. Wouldn’t you?

Isabel hadn’t really comprehended the sentiment at the time, and even now she didn’t fully appreciate it. But Agatha had said it on the Road and she’d probably say it again now if she was alive.

“Calpriziana Offina Alta nestra fuero menut,” she chanted. A wind picked up, threatening to blow out the candles. “Azazel we submit to you body and soul. Lord of the Underworld we offer you our obedience and everlasting devotion until death sanctifies this unholy union.” She had debated over this part of the spell. It did sound like she was sacrificing herself to the devil, which she wasn’t exactly down with. Then again, witchcraft was metaphorical at times. “

The candles extinguished, wisps of smoke rising from the wicks. Though it was the middle of the day, the basement was plunged into pitch blackness. Westview beyond the window did not exist. This was not life, this was not death. This was somewhere in between.

“Berald Beroald Gab Gabor Agaba!” Isabel incanted again. Clear mind, strong intentions. “Return to the mortal coil! Arise!”

She could feel the energy pulsating from her hands meeting the energy radiating from Agatha’s body. She could feel the sweet, sweet tension. “Come on Agatha!” Isabel shouted, the wind picking up and howling.

And then silence.

Darkness.

Nothing.

Light began leaking in through the basement window, the darkness ebbing away. Isabel felt a warm rivulet of blood pour from her nose, a side effect of when she used magic a bit too powerful for her. Her knees wobbled and she lowered herself to the ground before she could collapse.

She sat next to the unmoving body. Well, it was worth a shot.

A soft groan got her attention. She stared at the body with bated breath. No, this didn’t actually work, did it?

Slowly, Agatha sat up, clutching her head like she had a terrible hangover. She coughed dryly, dirt tumbling down her chin. “Oh yuck!” Agatha sneered, and spit out the rest of the dirt. “Ack!”

She examined her hands. Still intact, and still looked like hers. And these were her legs. This was her stomach. This was her.

Agatha turned to face Isabel, meeting the younger witch’s wide brown eyes. “You got a little something,” she said, gesturing to her own nose to hint at Isabel’s bleed.

Bewildered, Isabel continued to stare wide-eyed. “Uh yeah. That happens sometimes,” she said dumbly.

Agatha pushed herself up off of the ground and dusted the dirt off of her thighs as best she could. “Y’know,” she started, rolling her shoulders, “I can only hope that one of these days you’re gonna cast a spell on me and I won’t wake up naked.”

[lemoncrushh]

Witchcraft

PART ONE NOW ON PATREON

Summary: Three hundred years after his twenty-first year on earth, Harry Styles awakens to realise his new fate, not one of a pop star, but that of a witch.

Part 1 Word Count: 5356

A/N: This is a story I started a while back. If you followed me here last year, you may remember it. I was going to wait til closer to October to repost it, but I've decided to put it on Patreon for now since I'm so behind with writing. A witchrry fic, written from his pov. Takes place in the future when Stevie Nicks is the leader of a coven.

Small sneak peek below...

Blackness. Pure dark midnight is all I see as I open my eyes. I know they’re open, though I can see nothing - no shapes or silhouettes of any kind. I’m not even sure if it’s my own bed underneath me, or if I’m actually lying on anything at all.

That’s when I hear it. It starts low, the faint muffled sounds of someone - or something. I try to lift myself, my hands grasping for whatever is beneath me, but it’s only then that I realise I’m no longer lying face down. Disoriented as I punch the air with my fist, I suddenly panic again, hoping for something to grab onto, or at least to see. Screaming into the silence, I find my voice is mute, no sound coming from my mouth, or even my chest.

The muffled sounds seem to get closer then, and I desperately reach out to where I think it’s coming from. A hand from nowhere suddenly touches mine, and forthwith my entire body begins to tremble.

Before I can protest and attempt to scream out again, the darkness slowly fades as though dawn has just broken. A golden light seems to shine up from beneath wherever it is I am lying, and two ebony eyes stare back into mine.

“It’s okay now,” a voice says, though I’m unsure if it belongs to the same figure from which the eyes belong. It sounds more like an echo from far away. “You’re safe.”

I attempt once more to make a sound, but all I can manage is a croak. I catch the red lips beneath the eyes curving up into a smile, and I’m suddenly affected by a warm sensation of contentment.

“You’re pretty,” she says.

“So are you,” I rasp, surprising myself.

She laughs, a lovely coo that excites me.

“Save your voice, love.”

I would say more despite her demand, if not for the three other figures entering the space. Turning my head - which is no doubt being cradled by the softest pillow known to man - I catch a glimpse of more lovely creatures. My heart skips a beat when it recognises the one in the center.

“Ooh, good choice, mum, he’s a dish!” exclaims the tall male figure on the right.

“Hush, Victor,” chides the middle one, a petite woman with a timeless face and hair like spun gold. “I didn’t choose him. I told you. He was already chosen.”

The woman with ebony eyes beside me, still holding my hand, gleefully chuckles once again.

“Yes,” she sings as her long fingernails graze my flesh. “Besides, he’s mine anyway. I already decided.”

“Isabel-” Victor snaps.

“Hush! The both of you!” demands the one in charge. The queen. Though my thoughts are still unintelligible, my brain still fuzzy, I know this to be true.

Her face softening quickly, leaving no trace of indignation, she steps forward. As if on cue, Isabel leaves her post, taking a new place next to Victor and the one who has yet to make a sound.

“Harry, my child,” smiles the queen as she leans forward, taking my hand. The feeling of deja vu comes over me as I hear her say my name, though I cannot quite place hers. “Welcome. We have been waiting for you.”

“Waiting…” I cough. “Where- where am I?”

“Home,” she replies, as if that was the most obvious answer.

Looking into her eyes, I study them. Though not as dark as Isabel’s, they are still a lovely chocolate shade. My gaze examining the rest of her face, I notice lines but not wrinkles. Her face is porcelain, her lips perfectly shaped. I know this face, I remind myself.

My eyes shift to her hand wrapped around mine, covered in a lace glove. Fingerless. Red fingertips. Again, familiar. Everything looks and feels recognisable about her, just as familiar as my own mother or the tattoos inked on my skin.

“I...I know you, don’t I?” I finally manage to ask, my throat incredibly wretched and sore.

“Of course, darling,” she beams at me. And almost instantaneously, I know, before she speaks it herself. “I’m Stevie Nicks.”

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | FEEDBACK

Also, if you enjoy my writing, please consider joining my Patreon!

[void-botanist]

WIP Intro Tag: Nicea

I am finally posting my intro for the WIP intro tag @anoelleart started over here! Since I first introduced Nicea over a year ago, it actually makes sense to do it for WIP intro tag.

Nicea takes its name from the Nicea, a starship from Antarac star system. To date, she's only gone on shipping trips within the neighboring systems that make up Argoh locality. But when she intercepts a message from her previous captain, Cady, who supposedly died warp racing ten years ago, the Nicea's crew prepares to take her across the galaxy to bring him home. And she's a sturdy vessel, but two hundred light years is a long way. Still, her crew has to make it—failure is not an option.

Genre: space opera

Setting: locality space, a galaxy full of people, some of whom are magical, and some of whom have enabled the current age of interstellar travel.

Core cast:

Declan Ruse [40, he/him, human]: Cady's husband & co-founder of Nicea Shipping. Currently the "shadow captain" of the Nicea, because of course he's the boss, but he hates talking to customers. He's the reason failure is not an option, because he can't imagine spending any more time apart from Cady.

Isabel Hendriss [36, she/her, human]: Rodney's sister & Spinder's best friend. Under Cady she was the load specialist of the Nicea, but she now serves as the registered captain, with her duties mostly being talking to people. She's been planning to leave the Nicea to start her own music career for a while.

Rodney Hendriss [33, he/him, human]: Isabel's brother & Declan's right-hand man. He was an afterthought on Cady's crew (read: cabin boy) but now he's the navigator, computer systems guy, and all around Knower and Organizer of Things. What he wants most is to be needed, especially by Declan.

Tristan Scherie [47, she/her, human]: Cady's friend & Bo's best friend. She's always been the pilot of the Nicea, even though Cady was also a pilot. She feels guilty for going on this trip, because it's dangerous and she runs the risk of missing her own wedding, but she needs to absolve herself of the guilt of indirectly causing Cady and Bo's "death".

Spinder Callawel [35, he/him, human]: Cady's uncle & Isabel's best friend. Years ago, he made a pact with Cady to become his ship engineer one day when Cady had a ship, and that's what he is still. But now he's bringing the ship back to Cady while he grapples with fears of death and also of telling Isabel he's in love with her.

Cady Thilta [40, he/him, human]: Declan's husband & Spinder's nephew. He was once the Nicea's captain because of his determination to become a space business owner, and now he's stranded because of his love of adrenaline. He sent the Nicea a message almost ten years ago and is still holding out hope it arrived.

Bo Eveldan [60, they/he, ferasca (dragon person)]: Tristan's best friend. They were never a member of the Nicea's crew, but they are a warp witch, and more than happy to take their favorite pilots warp racing. In retrospect, that might have been a bad idea, but at least he's here with Cady.

Progress: first draft, currently 31k words

Tags: wip: nicea, set: locality space, any of the characters' first names prefixed with "c: " (c: Declan, etc.)

I've only posted it in snippets so far, but you can also find a few scenelets of things that happened before the events of Nicea in my scenelets wrapped tag.

I'll leave an open tag for anyone who wants to do a WIP intro!!

Nicea taglist: @kahvilahuhut @kk7-rbs @outpost51 @writernopal @athenswrites

[loosescrewslefty]

Finished reading vol. 6 of Secrets of the Silent Witch light novel this morning. I'm always a little worried going into a series that I like that starts running past 3 volumes or so that things are going to start fizzling out, but this series never disappoints me. And one thing in particular I enjoy that was really on display in this volume is the way the author plays with the expectations of perception of others throughout the story.

80% of Monica's success with her cover is the fact that no other characters would look at someone like Monica and this 'ah, yes. This is clearly one of the most powerful magic users in our kingdom.' (The other 20% is the fact that Isabelle is an S-Tier collaborator who goes above and beyond for her beloved 'sister'). That preconception is even part of the reason why Louis strong-armed Monica into this job in the first place, and we see this in full effect when Cyril meets the three of the Sages and his immediate reaction is 'these are NOT three of the seven strongest mages in the Kingdom. These are two weirdoes and a child.'

This isn't a new storytelling element, by any stretch of imagination. But what's brilliant about how Matsuri Isora handles this is that even though the readers know the trick is being used, there are still moments in the story where knowing about it doesn't stop the reader from being surprised by seeing new aspects of characters that you thought you had pinned down. And even MORE surprising and impressive is that the story weaves this so it never feels cheap or unearned or like it came out of nowhere, the way some surprise reveals with characters in other franchises can sometimes end up coming across.

Isabelle is actually an excellent example of this. Since most of the story where she plays a role is limited 3rd person following Monica's perspective, she gets endeared to the reader as a friendly and enthusiastic girl who is extremely empathetic and delights in pretending to be the villainous brat who bullies Monica while secretly helping her from behind the scene. It's only when we step out of Monica's shoes that we see she is extremely competent and capable of making brilliant social calculations that are on par with the mathematical ones we see from Monica. She essentially puppets virtually everyone around her into acting exactly how she wants without revealing anything she doesn't want them to know. And it's brilliant because we do see signs of her doing this in a more kindly manner even from Monica's perspective, but it really doesn't hit home until someone manages to piss Isabelle off and the claws REALLY come out, which we only ever see when Monica isn't around.

Even the 'Looks can be Deceiving/Subvert the Expectations' characters that readers are typically introduced to still follow very predictable tropes if you get enough exposure to stories that follow those threads, but Silent Witch still manages to throw some unexpected punches in it's writing due to the level of character depth on display as well as the use of limited perspective in ways that make sense. This is rarely seen in this day and age, and makes subsequent rereads of the story extremely enjoyable. I have a deep appreciation for this as a reader and fan, and it fuels my excitement for where the story will go next.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🐈‍⬛ Queer Witchlit for Spooky Season

✨ Witch please (add these witch reads to your TBR, perfect for spooky season)! Posting this from my first Pride!!

🧹 Spells to Forget Us - Aislinn Brophy 🧹 Reverie - Ryan La Sala 🧹 The Witch Boy - Molly Knox Ostertag 🧹 Carry On - Rainbow Rowell 🧹 Practical Rules for Cursed Witches - Kayla Cottingham 🧹 Spell Bound - F.T. Lukens

✨ This Spells Disaster - Tori Anne Martin ✨ All the Bad Apples - Moïra Fowley-Doyle ✨ Her Majesty's Royal Coven - Juno Dawson ✨ A Marvellous Light - Freya Marske ✨ Runaways - Rainbow Rowell ✨ Mortal Follies - Alexis Hall

🐈‍⬛ Blood Debts - Terry J. Benton-Walker 🐈‍⬛ The Scapegracers - H. A. Clarke 🐈‍⬛ So Witches We Became - Jill Baguchinsky 🐈‍⬛ Three Dark Crowns - Kendare Blake 🐈‍⬛ B*WITCH - Nancy Ohlin and Paige McKenzie 🐈‍⬛ Remedial Magic - Melissa Marr

🧹 Witchlight - Jessi Zabarsky 🧹 The Dark Tide - Alicia Jasinska 🧹 Coven - Jennifer Dugan & Kit Seaton 🧹 Payback's a Witch - Lana Harper 🧹 These Witches Don't Burn - Isabel Sterling 🧹 Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft - Various

✨ Mooncakes - Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu ✨ Summer of Salt - Katrina Leno ✨ The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea - Maggie Tokuda-Hall ✨ Basil and Oregano - Melissa Capriglione ✨ The Once and Future Witches - Alix E. Harrow ✨ Spell on Wheels - Kate Leth

🐈‍⬛ An Academy for Liars - Alexis Henderson 🐈‍⬛ Over My Dead Body - Sweeney Boo 🐈‍⬛ Wild and Wicked Things - Francesca May 🐈‍⬛ A Sweet Sting of Salt - Rose Sutherland 🐈‍⬛ The Last Sun - K. D. Edwards 🐈‍⬛ The Witches of New York - Ami McKay

🧹 The Midnight Girls - Alicia Jasinska 🧹 The Witchery - S. Isabelle 🧹 The Spells We Cast - Jason June 🧹 Now, Conjurers - Freddie Kölsch 🧹 Cemetery Boys - Aiden Thomas 🧹 That Self-Same Metal - Brittany N. Williams

✨ The Honey Witch - Sydney J. Shields ✨ Wild Beauty - Anna-Marie McLemore ✨ The Invocations - Krystal Sutherland ✨ Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches - Kate Scelsa ✨ Flowerheart - Catherine Bakewell ✨ Snapdragon - Kat Leyh

🐈‍⬛ Labyrinth Lost - Zoraida Córdova 🐈‍⬛ The Witches of Silver Lake - Simon Curtis 🐈‍⬛ Sweet & Bitter Magic - Adrienne Tooley 🐈‍⬛ Witches of Ashes and Ruin - E. Latimer 🐈‍⬛ Edie in Between - Laura Sibson 🐈‍⬛ When We Were Magic - Sarah Gailey

[noobiestnoober]

Old Debts, Dark Hearts (Klaus X F!Reader) - Chapter Index

🩸 OLD DEBTS, DARK HEARTS 🩸 The Vampire Diaries AU | OC-Insert | Mystery, Magic & Found Family Requested by: @issabellec7

Chapters:

Chapter 1: The Funeral

{Coming Soon~}

Chapter 2: The Debt

Chapter 3: Red Under the Lights

Chapter 4: Witches’ Oaths

Chapter 5: Founders' Fire

About: A Vampire Diaries AU where Isabel, an old friend of the Bennetts and Salvatores, returns to Mystic Falls—caught between old debts, new threats, and the supernatural secrets at the heart of town.

[gothdaddyissues]

The Devil Came to a Small Town

Catch up here: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

A Ghost AU Fanfic - Cardinal Copia/Female OC

The Satanic Church of Emeritus moves into an old Abbey on the outskirts of a bougie small town. Sister Imperator and the shy Cardinal Copia strike up a business relationship with Isabelle, the local witchy shop owner. This sets in motion a series of events that uncovers long-hidden secrets, solves mysteries, and unites the town and Church against a common enemy. And also: two lonely people fall in love...

TAGS: Glacially-slow slow burn. Lots of OCs. Romantic fluff. Mutual pining. Sex. Violence. Humor and melancholy in equal measure. Ghoul hijinx. All the Papas are alive and well, and very silly. Small-town weirdness. Drug and alcohol use. Bad language. Marginally accurate witchcraft. Very-likely-inaccurate religious imagery and practices. Magic, psychic abilities, and prophetic visions. Intolerance and discrimination. A happy ending will happen...

Chapter 7 is now up!

Read on Ao3 or below the cut... (~5100 words)

October 7

She ran, her feet pounding the frozen ground. The light dusting of snow on the forest floor was illuminated by the moon above, bathing everything in an iridescent blue glow. The trees soared high into the clear night sky, cradling the stars in their bare, spindly branches. It had been a night of celebration and reverence - a night of worship under the full moon - quickly transformed into a night of terror when they came looking for her.

So she ran, deep as she could into the woods, hoping they would not follow, hoping they would never find her. She could barely catch her breath, her heart slamming in her chest, but she dared not stop. She was running for her life.

The chill air bit at her cheeks, her ears, her fingers. She was so, so cold. She was further into the forest than she had ever been. Nothing familiar here, no bearings. And still, she ran. It was her only option.

"Bella...."

It was his voice. Whispered, drifting through the trees on the wind, meant only for her to hear.

"Bella!" More urgent this time.

He was close. She slowed herself as she came to a small clearing. Gasping, frigid air searing her lungs, she leaned against a tree trunk to hold herself up. She couldn't see him, but she sensed his presence, surrounding her like an embrace. Calm. Safe.

"How did you find me?" she asked, breathless.

"We are connected, you and I," he replied from the emptiness, "I'm with you always."

"Copia, help me."

He stepped out of the darkness — majestic in his long, black and gold military jacket, his skull paint crisp and pristine. Gloved hands reached for her, pulling her close. She melted into his strength, his warmth... his love. He wrapped her in his arms, resting his chin upon the top of her head, stroking his fingers through her tousled, wind-blown hair. The steady thrum of his heartbeat soothed her as she lay her cheek against his chest.

"Mia ragazza coraggiosa," he whispered, "Mia bella principessa. We cannot stay long. They are coming."

She could see the congregation far off through the trees. Their white robes shone in the moonlight, the orange flames from their torches shimmering pinpricks of light in the distance. They were chanting, their combined voices a dull, incomprehensible drone that grew louder and louder the closer they came. Like a poorly edited film, they were suddenly closer. Glitching again, closer still.

"Slut. Witch. Whore. Slut. Witch. Whore."

Copia took her hand tightly. "Come, my love. We must go. Rapidamente."

Together, they sprinted through the trees, but no matter how fast they ran, their pursuers were always right behind. Their voices were amplified by the wind, filling her with panic: "SLUT. WITCH. WHORE. BURN!"

She sensed another presence in the woods. Something animalistic. Demonic. A dozen shadowy figures paced in the darkness just beyond her vision, claws scraping against trees and frozen earth. Gurgling and growling. Angry. But they were not her enemies - they were guardians. They were at Copia's command, and he was leading their pursuers right to them.

Copia let go of her hand and pushed her ahead. "Go!" he ordered as he came to a stop. "Keep running. I will find you."

She turned back, reaching for him. The men in the white robes were almost on him, their faces covered with Venetian Bauta masks, their torches held high. "Copia, please!" she cried.

The demons emerged from the shadows around her, ready to protect their master and his lover. A pack of horned beasts with fangs and talons and long pointed tails. Their eyes and skin glowed incandescent in the pale light, various shades of purple, blue, orange, and green. They flew past her, tearing into the flesh of the white-robed men, snarling and vicious. There was blood. There were screams. She heard Copia again telling her to run, and this time, she obeyed.

She ran for what seemed like forever, but the screams still rang in her ears, the demon guardians chasing down every last villain who took after her. The forest grew dense as she sped blindly through the underbrush, branches scratching at her skin. Even without leaves, the trees blocked out most of the sky, with only thin slivers of moonlight cutting through here and there. She could barely see her hand in front of her face, lost in the darkness. She had to trust in Copia's promise that he would find her and return her to safety.

Finally, the screaming stopped. She slowed her pace somewhat, taking the opportunity to look back behind her. Nothing but pitch black night. 

A sudden thump sent her flying backward, hard onto the ground with the wind knocked out of her. She had run headlong into something solid concealed in the dark. Dazed, she pulled herself onto her hands and knees, and reached out her hand; it brushed against hard stone. She slid her hand up to feel more stones, bricked together and covered with fuzzy moss. A solid mass in front of her. A wall? She had no idea how high it rose or how wide it spanned. She’d reached a dead end. 

Her entire body ached and she was shivering in the cold. All around her was silence, save for her shuddering breaths. Terrified, disoriented, she wanted to cry out for Copia but thought better than to draw attention to herself. Instead, she wrapped her shaky arms around her torso in a feeble attempt to keep warm.

Then she heard the footsteps. The soft crunch of boots on the snow behind her. Copia? She scrambled to her feet and spun around. Her stomach dropped. A lone man, clad in a hooded white cassock, his face hidden behind a masquerade mask, had found her. "Slut. Witch. Whore." She tried to scream, but the man was on her, his hands around her throat. "Slut. Witch. Whore."

She clawed futilely at his wrists as she gasped for breath, and when that didn't work, went for his face with fists. She punched at him hard, dislodging the mask and sending it to the ground. The hood of his cassock obscured his eyes, but she could just make out his dark skin and white beard. "Slut! Witch! Whore!" he roared.

She was dizzy, losing consciousness, going limp under the man's grip. But his chokehold suddenly loosened, distracted by the sound of branches breaking, pounding footfalls, and beastly growling getting closer fast. The burliest demon yet, its skin pearly grey, burst through the brush and tackled the robed man, dragging him to the ground and tearing into him with its razor-sharp claws. Screams filled her ears again, and she was falling, faint, spatters of blood wetting her face from the carnage beside her.

Before she hit the ground, Copia caught her, lifting her into his arms. He cradled her against him, his hand on her cheek. "Bella? Wake up. Wake up!"

Isabelle's eyes shot open to see Poe sitting on her chest, licking and pawing at her face. The cell phone on her bedside table was ringing and vibrating, the 'old phone' ringtone blaring at full volume. The cat meowed angrily, annoyed by the shrill sound.

"Okay, okay," she grumbled, fumbling for the device in her half-awake state, the dream still clinging to her. She was bleary-eyed, couldn't make out the number on the call display, wasn't quite sure what time or even what day it was. But she managed to answer, her voice hoarse and barely working. "Hello?"

"Uh, Izzy?" There was a man's voice on the other end, "Hi, it's Alex, across the street. I woke you up, didn't I? I'm so sorry. I tried calling you a little while ago but there was no answer."

As he spoke, she nudged Poe off of her, struggling to sit up and look at the clock. The sun was up - it was morning. Her first thought was that maybe she overslept. But Ari would have called her if that was the case, not the man who owned the antique shop opposite her. She blinked a few times to clear her vision and saw it was just after 8 a.m. "Oh... uh, hi Alex. Yeah, it's okay, no worries. I'd be getting up soon anyways." She rubbed at her face, willing herself to wake up faster. "What's up?"

"I guess that means you haven't been outside yet?"

His words broke sleep's spell hard and fast, hitting her like a bucket of cold water. Something was wrong. 'Good news sleeps 'til noon,' her mom always said. "No. Oh no... what happened?" She shuffled out of bed and to the window. It faced Main Street and Alex's shop. All seemed normal outside from her vantage point; she could see Alex standing outside his door, his cell phone pressed to his ear as he looked across the street.

"You got hit with some vandalism overnight," he said, his voice soft and apologetic.

"Shit," Izzy muttered, "Again? Is it bad?" She raked her fingers through her hair to tame the bedhead and grabbed a zip-up hoodie off of the chair nearby. She needed to see the damage. At least her pajama pants were somewhat respectable.

"Well," Alex began, "You've had worse, but it's definitely not good."

In the living room now, she stuffed her feet into the closest pair of shoes and took her keys off the hook by the door. "I'm on my way down. I'll see you in a sec," she told him, ending the call.

It was a chilly morning, and thankfully the streets were mostly quiet. She hoped that not too many people had gone by and seen the aftermath; she'd already suffered enough public embarrassment at the coffee shop the week prior. By the time she got down the stairs and around the front of the building, Alex was on her side of the street, giving her a sympathetic look as she took it all in.

An entire carton of eggs had been thrown at the storefront. The metal gate did its job of protecting the windows - nothing broken that she could see. Eggshells and gooey debris splayed across the glass, in the crevices of the gate, and all over the sidewalk. But more distressing were the slurs spraypainted over the gate itself, in giant letters: slut, witch, whore.

Slut. Witch. Whore.

"Oh..." Izzy whispered, her voice trembling, "Oh my god..." Panic, confusion, and anger all welled up inside her, and she put a shaky hand over her mouth. A nasty mess. Plus the words from her dream plastered on her storefront, distressing her more than anything else. What the fuck…? But it wasn't like she could tell this to the nice man across the street without making herself sound completely unhinged.

She felt Alex’s hand on her shoulder. "This is awful Izzy, I know. I'm so sorry. I just got to the shop and saw it. Not a great way to start your day. But I thought it better to let you know as soon as possible. I hate having to be the one to tell you about it."

"No, hey, don't apologize. Thank you for letting me know, I do appreciate it. Really."

"I can help you clean up if you need a hand," he offered, "I know you don't open for a couple of hours yet."

She was grateful for his invitation but was reluctant to accept it. Alex was a kind soul, a bow-tie-wearing, nerdy, goody-two-shoes type, always ready with a dad joke or some historical trivia. The string of expletives she wanted to unleash over this situation would likely shock him to his very core. Probably best for their acquaintance if she saved him from witnessing it.

"Alex, you're so sweet," she began, "But I know you open soon and I don't want to keep you. Let me call Ari and get him over here... if we need any extra help, I'll let you know."

"You sure? I don't mind, really!"

"Yes, I'm sure. I really do appreciate the offer though. If I get stuck, I'll call you." She didn't want to sound rude... but fuck, she needed some time to scream into the void before she could even begin thinking about cleaning up. "And I should probably call and make a police report first too, in case there’s anything they can do." It would be a futile, useless endeavor - chances are they wouldn't even show up when they found out it was her shop - but it did buy her a little more time to calm down.

"Oh yeah, good idea," he agreed, before giving her a nudge with his elbow, "Good luck with that, eh?" He knew as well as she did how the entire police force was bought and paid for by a certain group of people in this town. "I'm right across the street if you need anything - anything at all - okay?"

"Okay. Thank you again." She managed a wave and a feeble smile as he returned to his shop. With a sigh, she turned back to the disaster on her doorstep. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath, "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck." I bet it was those fucking punks that harassed the Sisters yesterday, thinking they were getting me back for giving them shit.

She scanned the area, looking for signs of anything she could use to prove who did this - footprints or something left behind. Nothing. She took out her phone and snapped a few pictures up close, then backed onto the street to capture the whole storefront at once. From there, she could see Poe sitting in the bedroom window upstairs, looking down at her with the disdain of a cat whose breakfast was late. It unsettled her to realize this happened right underneath her while she slept - with the windows open, even - and she didn't hear a damn thing...

Before she stepped back onto the sidewalk, she noticed the security camera on the nearby light post. The previous year, the town council had convinced residents that installing cameras all along Main Street was needed to discourage petty crimes and keep businesses safe. She’d been skeptical, considering the ineffectual Police were the ones doing the monitoring, and also because the company hired to do the installation was a subcontractor of Andrew Francis' land development company. And Andrew Francis was best buddies with the town's mayor - it was all blatant cronyism.

Regardless of her feelings on the matter, there was a camera every 15 feet or so on both sides of the street, and the one closest to her was aimed right at the corner of Main and Richmond, directly in front of her shop. That was the best chance to prove who had vandalized her property. But it was going to mean getting the police involved.

She made her way back upstairs and dialed the non-emergency number. An extremely disinterested woman answered the phone: "Police."

"Yes, hi," Izzy began, "I'm calling to report some vandalism that occurred at my shop overnight. There were slurs spray painted onto my storefront."

"Okay." Izzy heard her begin typing. "Address?"

"The corner of Main and Richmond. Shadow and Light Metaphysical Boutique."

The typing stopped. "I see," the woman replied. "Were any other businesses affected?"

"No, just mine."

"Hmm.... so you were targeted. Sounds like something personal," the dispatcher said, the hint of a sneer in her voice.

Izzy figured the call would go this way, but she persisted as calmly as possible. "Be that as it may, it was still an act of vandalism. Will you be sending someone out to investigate?"

"All of our officers are currently dealing with other matters. I can pass your information along when someone becomes available."

"Any idea when that might be?" Izzy asked through gritted teeth.

"It will be when someone becomes available," the dispatcher repeated.

Izzy squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to quell a rapidly blossoming headache. "What about the cameras?" she asked, "One of the town's security cameras is aimed right at the front of my shop. Would you be able to pull the footage off that and see if we can identify who did this?"

"That would be up to the officer who investigates the incident. Who is yet to be determined. I will pass the information along..."

"...when someone becomes available, yeah, I got that part." Izzy interrupted. "I've taken pictures of the damage. Can I start cleaning it up, or do I have to wait for Officer Yet-To-Be-Determined to come?" Oh, she was so close to losing it.

"Suit yourself," the woman replied, "And mind your tone, ma'am."

Mind MY tone?? "Oh, I do apologize," Izzy said sarcastically. "Thank you ever so much for your help. Your assistance has been invaluable, ma'am." She stabbed the phone with her finger to hang up the call and flung it down on the couch beside her with an exasperated growl. She instantly regretted being so snarky. But being nice wouldn't have mattered  - the dispatcher’s attitude was set the moment she heard the shop name. FUCK. 

The stress had her head throbbing. She reached for the joint she’d left in the coffee table ashtray the night before, a calming blend she enjoyed when she needed to settle her mind after a long day. She lit it, closed her eyes, and took a few small hits; not enough to get high, but just enough to take the edge off. Would it help? Maybe. Definitely wouldn’t hurt.

She heard the pitter-pat of paws, Poe jumping up on the coffee table and plopping himself down, blinking his big green eyes at her. Then a soft 'tap-tap' on her knee, the cat trying to get her attention. When she opened her eyes, she was met with an inquisitive "Mmrrrow?"

"Yes, yes baby, I know. Let's get your breakfast," she sighed, scratching his head. For now, she could focus on something else: getting the cat fed, brushing her teeth, putting her hair in a ponytail, and finding some clothes. An old pair of paint-stained jeans and a worse-for-wear Metallica t-shirt was her standard uniform for grunt work like this. And she needed to call Ari and start the cleanup before the whole town saw the debacle.

Izzy dialed his number and it rang at least five times before he finally answered. "Hrgrarlo?" he croaked sleepily.

She was pacing her living room, back and forth in front of her altar space. His awakening was about to be as rude as hers. "Ari?"

He groaned. "Iz? What time is it?"

"8:30-ish. I need..."

"Too early," he slurred, "Call later."

"Aristotle! Wake up!" she snapped. "The store got vandalized last night. I need your help to clean up."

"Wha...?" He cleared his throat, finally rousing now, "What happened? You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. But it's a fucking mess. We got egged, and the gate got spray painted."

Slut. Witch. Whore. It echoed in her brain, filling her with dread.

"Shit, okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. Give me 20 minutes.”

"Okay, I'll meet you out front. Thanks."

She hung up the phone and continued to pace, images from the dream consuming her. The white-robed men chasing her down with torches, wanting to burn her. Demons protecting her, killing for her. And Copia in his skull paint, right in the middle of it all, infiltrating her dreams again.

Slut. Witch. Whore.

"Why is this happening?" she asked out loud. "I still don't understand." She looked at the statue of Lilith on her altar as she paced, rolling the anxious thoughts around and around in her head. Things were going so well. Things were calm, people were finally leaving us be. Then I met Sister Imperator and everything's been fucked up since then! The weird dreams. The coffee shop last week, the Sisters yesterday, now this… I'm trying to be kind. Friendly. The people from the Church seem like good people. I want to help them. And Copia. I want… Ugh! How much shit will I have to eat? Is it worth it? Why am I putting myself through this?

As she passed the altar again, Izzy saw movement out of the corner of her eye, something falling from the top of it to the floor. A piece of paper. She stopped, bending down to pick it up. 

It was the Cardinal's business card. 

She’d placed it under Lilith's statue the week before - completely underneath the statue, she was sure of it. His familiar energy danced around her as she held the card, the same frisson of pleasure she felt when in his presence. That feeling of calm and safety she’d felt in her dream when he embraced her…

Or maybe it was the weed kicking in.

"I'm with you always.”

 She wanted a reason why this was happening, and Lilith answered: Copia.

“Okay then,” she mumbled, sliding the card back underneath the statue’s base. If her goddess was conspiring to bring her and Copia together, she wasn’t about to argue. But she hoped it was worth it… “Message received,” she kissed the tips of her fingers and touched them to Lilith’s feet, “Thank you.”

With a resigned sigh, Isabelle put on her work boots and made her way downstairs to begin dealing with the mess. She unlocked the shop’s back door, turned off the alarm system, and went to the storage closet for cleaning supplies: gloves, rags, scrub brushes, garbage bags, and spray paint remover. She also needed a bucket full of hot, soapy water to wash away all the dried-up egg gunk. The buckets were under the sink in the tiny kitchenette, and as she crossed the length of the back of the shop, she glanced through the doorway that led to the shop floor. People were outside the front windows, on the other side of the gate. She did a double take, thinking it was a crowd of gawkers. 

But no. Six Ghouls in their shiny silver masks were there, scrubbing and scraping, hard at work cleaning on her behalf. The Church of Emeritus had come to her rescue.

Incredulous, Isabelle went out the back door and made her way around to the front of the shop. They turned to her when she came around the corner. “Uh, hi,” she said tentatively.

She recognized Aether right away. He put down the rag he was using and greeted her with a happy wave. The five others joined in. They’d brought their own cleaning supplies, including a heavy-duty paint remover far superior to the kind she used. 

“What the heck are you guys doing here? I mean… I appreciate you coming to help, but how did you even know this happened?” she asked.

Aether pulled his phone out of his pocket, typing quickly before turning the screen to her.

“One of us saw the mess this morning,” it said, “And so we came to help clean up. We’ve had to deal with this sort of thing before too, unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately,” Izzy sighed. They had already made great progress, doing a faster and more thorough job than she and Ari could have done on their own. After all the stress and anxiety of the morning, this simple act of kindness brought all her emotions to the surface. “You guys,” she said, her voice breaking, “You didn’t have to… this is so wonderful of you. I don’t know what to say.”

Aether typed again: “You don’t have to say anything, Miss Izzy. It’s our pleasure to help! You’ve already done SO MUCH for us, we’re just paying it back. Like you told the Cardinal, we take care of each other.”

She blinked back tears. “Yes, I did say that, didn’t I? And I meant it.” Aether gave her a gentle touch on the shoulder and she felt relief for the first time today. “Thank you so much, Aether, and all of you, for the help.”

“Let me introduce you to everyone,” Aether typed. He went down the line of Ghouls, giving her the names of each: “Rain, Mountain, Sunshine, Cirrus, and Dewdrop. But you can call him Dew.”

“Hello,” Izzy greeted. “I think I recognize you, Dew. And Cirrus too. I met you both in the coffee shop last week, didn’t I?”

The mention of the word “coffee” made Dew hang his head and cover his face with his hands. Aether gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder. “We don’t talk about coffee around Dew anymore,” he typed, “It doesn’t agree with him.” 

Izzy nodded, sympathetic. “Honestly, I understand… Since that day, coffee hasn’t agreed with me either. But I still want to thank you for your kindness.”

Dew placed his hands over his heart and bowed, the same gesture that Aether often used, acknowledging her thanks.

“I had no idea there were so many of you,” Izzy remarked. 

“There are 15 of us all together, for now at least,” Aether told her, “More wanted to come and help but Sister Imperator needed some of us to stay behind this morning.”

“I hope the Cardinal is managing alright without you,” she teased. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of him, wondering if maybe he had encouraged Aether to go as a way of checking up on her…

The sound of hurried footsteps approached from around the side of the building, and Izzy saw each of the Ghouls perk up, on alert. Aether stepped in front of her, shielding her from whomever it was, while the others surrounded her protectively. She felt the tension radiating off them as they stood guard, and the faint rumble of… growling?

Ari burst around the corner, still disheveled from sleep, and skidded to a stop, face-to-face with Aether. “Jesus fucking…” he gasped, startled, “What the fuck?”

The Ghouls closed in around her. None of them, save for Aether, knew who Ari was or that he was her friend. She saw Aether touch Ari’s arm to steady him before he waved off the other Ghouls, showing them there was no threat. Aether pointed to Ari, made motions with his hands like he was drawing in the air, and then mimed pinning something up on a wall. He then pointed back and forth between Ari and Izzy and brought his hands together to make the shape of a heart. The others nodded, backing off as their wariness eased. 

“I ask again: what the fuck?” Ari looked at Izzy, confused.

“It’s okay, Ari, it’s okay. They came here to help clean up. They’re just being extra protective because of what happened and because they don’t know you. Aether told them you’re the artist that made the poster we gave him, and that you’re my friend. Right?” Aether nodded, happy that Izzy interpreted him correctly.

Ari was in disbelief. “You understood all that?” 

“Yes, of course,” Izzy said, unsure as to why he didn’t. “You just have to pay attention.” She grabbed Ari’s wrist and pulled him closer as she turned back to the Ghouls. “So this is Ari, he’s my best friend and he works here with me. He’s cool, okay? No need to worry. Ari, this is Rain, Mountain, Sunshine, Cirrus, and Dew. And you already know Aether.” She nudged him in the side and whispered, “Say hi.”

“Uh, hello,” Ari said with an awkward wave. “Nice to meet you.”

Aether typed quickly and showed his phone to Ari: “They like your art!”

“Oh… well, thank you!” he replied, “And thank you for coming to help, we appreciate it.”

“Listen,” Izzy began, “I’m going to go inside and get some soap and water to help clean all this off. We’ll be right back, alright?” 

Aether and the Ghouls all gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up and returned to their work as she ushered Ari to the back of the building. Before she could say anything to him, he pulled her into a tight hug.

“Fuck fuck fuck,” he swore as he embraced her, “You’re okay, right? I can’t believe this happened *again* Iz.”

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” she replied, hugging him back just as hard, “I’m pretty sure it was those rotten teenagers that messed with the Sisters yesterday, trying to get back at me. But I’ll never be able to prove it, though.”

“Did you call the cops?”

“Yeah…”

“And?”

Izzy pulled away then and gave him a telling look before opening the back door for him. “It went about as well as you’d think. They’re doing jack shit. Even though there’s a camera right outside the shop. I may as well not’ve bothered. But, at least we’ve got some help cleaning up…” She motioned to the front window where the Ghouls were working away. “If I had known they were coming, I would’ve let you keep sleeping. Sorry…”

Ari seemed as stunned as she had been. “So they just showed up on their own?”

“Yep, and they’re doing an awesome job.” She squirted some soap into the bottom of a bucket and turned on the hot water, watching them through the doorway while waiting for it to fill. 

“Getting by with a little help from our friends, huh?” Ari observed.

Isabelle nodded. She was so grateful for their kindness. But now she had to worry about what sort of repercussions this would bring. If word got around town that the Satanic Church was at her service, would her haters be less inclined to hassle her, or would they double down on their hostility? How was she going to play this?

A fleeting recognition, familiarity, prickled down her spine as she observed the Ghouls. The protectiveness they’d had over her? She recognized it, felt it before. Images from her dream - those demon things saving her from the torch-wielding mob - flashed through her mind, her brain attempting to connect the dots while ignoring the rapidly filling bucket. Ari reaching around her to shut off the kitchen faucet jolted her back into reality.

“I’ll take this outside,” he said, not noticing she had spaced out, “You bring the sponges and stuff, okay?”

Oh, uh… yeah, okay,” she stammered, “I’ll be right there.”

Isabelle took a moment to collect herself. It was almost nine o’clock. The town was coming to life. People would see her and Ari outside with the Ghouls. People would talk. Her association with the Church of Emeritus would be indisputable. This was the tipping point; she’d have to choose her allegiance…  

She recalled the feelings of safety and calm that enveloped her in Copia’s presence. The Ghouls had gone out of their way to come to her aid. Even her Goddess had given her a definitive sign. It all felt decided on her behalf.

I guess I’m on Team Dark Side. I wonder if they like cookies?

[ichvrism]

(   lizeth selene  .  genderfluid  .  she/they  )       —       blasting  northern attitude by  noah kahan  down  main  street  we’ve  spotted  ISABELLE O'LACHLAN  sporting  their  bubblegum scented lip gloss and perfume to match .  the  twenty six ( thirty seven )  year  old  HERETIC who’s  been  in  town  for  THEIR WHOLE LIFE  often  can  be  seen  sleeping all day to white noise, late night wandering through the woods, cleaning up failed attempts at baking in the family kitchen,  or  working  as  a  BOUNCER  at  ENVY.  people  say  they  display  ambitious  and  withdrawn  traits,  but  we  rather  trust  their  vibes:  the gnawing feeling at the back of your mind that you've forgotten something important ; the desperate clinging by your fingertips at memories that threaten to fade away ; hiding behind the pristine version of yourself without a hair out of place - refusing to let the cracks and ruin of your damnation show ; .  also,  we’ve  heard  they  love  COLLECTING BUTTONS !   aren’t  they  fascinating ?   

DOSSIER .

full name:  isabelle andrea o'lachlan

nicknames: izz (general), rizzie (friends only), andy (family), belly (sibs only)

gender:  gender-fluid

pronouns:  she + they

sexuality:  bisexual

age:  twenty six / thirty seven

date of birth:  november 3rd

zodiac sign:  scorpio

species: witch/vampire hybrid ; heretic .

occupation:  bouncer at envy + online art side hustle

FAMILY .

parents:  unknown birth mother (witch), unknown birth father (vampire), fergal o'lachlan (adoptive father) + mother o'lachlan (adoptive mother)

siblings:  tba o'lachlan (older sibling ; nephilim), sebastian o'lachlan (older brother; agathion), tba o'lachlan (younger sibling ; witch/shifter)

APPEARANCE .

eyes:  light brown

hair:  black with streaks of blonde running through

piercings:  has multiple in their ears, eyebrow, nose + septum.

tattoos:  too many tattoos to count ; more prominently 3 doves on their wrist for each sibling but she'd never admit that to their faces .

other distinguishing features:  a different coloured scrunchie on their wrist for every day of the week, chunky headphones permanently wrapped around their neck, paint covered shoes

style:  will dress up for a special occasion, otherwise their wardrobe consists of comfortable trackpants, shorts, or jeans always paired with whatever shirt doesn't have a stain on it. will always have their nails done every few weeks.

PERSONALITY .

positive traits:  creative, resourceful, ambitious

negative traits: vindictive, withdrawn, self-destructive

likes:  loud music, raves, painting anything they can get their hands on, bubblegum scented anything, sleeping all day just because she can, practicing how to be a nice person in the mirror, playing their drums in the middle of the night

dislikes: being woken up, brussel sprouts, uncomfortable silence, awkward greetings, moths.

isabelle generally thinks a lot of people don't like them; but she also doesn't give them a reason to get to know her - she's quiet but not unassuming, resourceful in a sticky situation but will withdraw themselves if someone close to them hurts them. is stubborn as fuck and will argue just for the fun of it. when they're in a mean mood it's like hell birthed another child of darkness. they're tiny but fierce and will punch you for taking the last jam donut.

BIOGRAPHY .

isabelle can't remember the first few years of their childhood - only that they were dropped off at the hospital by an upset witch who had just been passing through portum, left only with a bracelet with a golden heart attached to it. all that they know has been filtered through stories told over the years to the point where isabelle can recite it from memory. the o'lachlan's adopted them shortly after being found and the rest had been history.

they didn't mean to be a difficult child, but it turns out a child of a witch and a vampire had a lot of difficulty regaining control over anything. her magic had always been a little temperamental, often reacting to the height of her emotions in the heat of the moment. isabelle grew up comfortable with the status as the youngest o'lachlan sibling until their family grew by one more, even still they took the role of big sibling seriously, doing harmless little pranks on those who would pick on any of her siblings.

just when they thought they had finally found some middle ground in terms of their magic - puberty hit and isabelle was left in deep waters trying to figure out how to control herself. while she was still ageing thanks to their witch heritage, isabelle's speed and hearing enhanced all at once, all while trying to control the amplified source of magic coming from themselves.

a creative outlet that they often turned too had been art - starting from sketching their feelings during art class at school or staying back after class to paint during lunch, it was a way to help sort out the mess in their head.

isabelle feels like they're a crime against nature - a vampire's weakness is magic just as a witches weakness is vampirism, and yet izz walks the fine line between the two worlds. half a foot in each, as if they had a choice in who they would be. their magic too impactful than a general witch, their heightened senses giving them a migraine without enough sleep or nutrients.

isabelle often finds themself more exhausted than normal - retreating into their bedroom to watch reruns of reality tv and eating trashy food to recover each day. they're living life though; it gives them an excuse to pretend to be asleep whenever her siblings are trying to get their attention.

after graduating isabelle did have their eyes set on becoming an artist - but the pay is too unreliable and isabelle doesn't trust the economy to not bottom out of itself. decided to travel instead ; leaving portum for perhaps one of the very few times in their life. made a lot of really good friends and it did isabelle some good leaving portum, allowing her to stretch her wings and connect with other heretics to learn from.

never leaves long enough to miss portum, but the last time they left it had been the longest time. five years trying to survive in a world that resented supernatural had taken its toll before isabelle finally returned to portum for good. did come back married but won't speak about it - turns out they really do marry you in vegas.

spent a year or two being a stay at home child before giving in and working as a bouncer at envy. to be fair they like the music, they're usually awake all night anyway - it is probably the best job for isabelle right now. they also have an online business selling her art in the form of jewellery or personalized sketches or designs. also just started learning how to dj - isabelle's toxic trait is seeing someone do something and immediately believe they can do it too.