#ariafcwn

[morningsmead-blog]

@ariafcwn​ 

Hands deep in the soil and with careful precision, Allison lifted out the mandrake root, grinning at it’s largesse. Most plants she used in her teas didn’t have a long period of growth and were easier to jumpstart. Mandrake roots took years to come to full maturity and if grown too fast, she’d found they were small and misshapen. Aria had also said they didn’t seem as potent as previous mandrake she’d worked with, roots that had a chance to develop over the full three years. It had taken some experimenting but she’d finally found a good balance between letting them mature naturally and boosting their growth. Each batch took her about four months to complete but Aria hadn’t had any complaints about their effectiveness and by the end, they seemed even larger than the ones grown without any help. Wrapping each root individually, she placed them in a small carrying box and headed out the door. 

 It didn’t take her long to get to Herbs and Hexes. Using her back to push open the door, Allison smiled at the few people she recognised browsing the shop’s shelves and went up to the counter, putting down the box with a relived sigh. “I swear, these roots gain ten pounds any time they’re put into a box. Is Aria in the back?” she asked the young cashier, having not seen the familiar witch out front.

[thiskryptonite]

@ariafcwn

August set the candles about the room as he drew the shades and double checked all the locks on the doors. Bones. Was what August had decided to name the Hellhound, and it curled up now on the kitchen floor - snoozing and waiting hungrily for breakfast. The apartment was in its transfixed state, not an object out of place as he sank into the circle on the floor. His book of ceremonies levitated beside him, open to the page on dream walking as he whispered the incantation across the pieces he’d collected that would tie him to Aria’s dreams. 

She wasn’t expecting him, so this was going to be interesting. August sat on his knees and leaned back, eyes towards the pale moonlight that filtered through the curtains, heavy lids drew him down as he felt the sensation of sinking back, like falling through vacant space. August  planned out the landscape he intended to bring about with him, it wasn’t necessary, but he didn’t particularly want to see whatever Aria was dreaming about at this time of night. 

Light rolled over the hill as the Blood Tree bloomed cherry blossoms that seemed to dance across the Forest of Eyes. It looked decidedly less frightening absolved of the mist and barren limbs, the gnarled roots became inviting chairs, the normally gray sky was full and blue. One black cloud, especially puffy with scarlet hues, floated down from the sky, carrying the ambitious young witch upon it. August came upon Aria shortly thereafter, he’d wanted to give her time to get reacquainted with her surroundings. He smiled, glad that he hadn’t accidentally made her head melt in upon itself. “Hey nerd.” 

[willowxwispxrp-blog]

Trembling ~ Willow, Aria, Percy

@ariafcwn

Her head was swimming, her head was a blur of color and sound and fear and hope, and the solid steady beating of Rowan’s heart monitor was the percussion. She hadn’t slept, 4pm when she got the call, it was now 2pm of the next day and she didn’t dare close her eyes for more than a few seconds for fear that her brother might disappear from the hospital bed.  She’d been clutching her phone for hours now, clutching it with trembling fingers. The ability to function had been missing, she hadn’t been able to pull herself together enough to even think about reaching out to anyone, until a nurse had called in and said they really needed to speak to Rowan’s parents. No, not Rowan’s parents, their parents. If Willow weren’t such a mess she would have winced at the detachment in her own thoughts.

She’d made the call, out of obligation, and because Rowan deserved support. It was uncomfortable, and the words she reluctantly spoke into the phone reminded Willow that she could, in fact, communicate. And so she sent a group message. Aria. Percy. Hit send.

At the hospital. Rowan is here. He’s alive. Need you.

Funny how just the text helped her breathe a little easier. Made her feel safe enough to tilt her head back for just a little catnap, her free hand twined with Rowan’s in the hospital bed. 

Noise, the door. Aria...the world became a little less blurry as Willow shifted. She would have gotten up to hug her friend but that would have meant letting go of her brother’s hand and that...that was not an option.

“Is this a dream?” she asked, plaintive, eyes wide, her voice unsteady. “Aria I don’t think I can handle this if it’s just a dream.”

[juliettelikethesun]

“Excuse me.”

Juliette had picked the girl out when she had first walked into this quaint little grocery store. She had made a round of the place, picked up an apple to munch on as she explored the shelves, but she kept an eye on the brunette, the interesting character that had caught her eye the moment she had walked in. Biding her time before she struck up a conversation. She wanted a new friend, and this girl looked to have the vibe telling people to stay away.

Those were Juliette’s favorites.

Her grin grew as she rested a hip against the shelf, taking another bite of the apple before speaking up again. “I am quite new to town. You wouldn’t happen to know where I can go to find a more permanent residence than the room I’ve been occupying at the Vine Tavern, would you? I’ve been asking around, had absolutely no luck at all.”

@ariafcwn

[charlottexcrane-blog]

@ezekielxhartxurquhart , @quietmagics , @ariafcwn , @augustxknight

[a-painintheneck]

aftermath - malachi & aria

Henryk is not okay. This was his mantra. A song he played on repeat in his head over and over until it started to crack. There was something wrong and he had no idea how to fix it. Of course, he recognized this feeling of hysteria and desperation. The one he gets when shit started to hit the fan. In his case, its a constant thing. However, he always managed to figure out a way out of whatever deep black hole was trying to swallow him. If Malachi was anything, he was resourceful and pretty unstoppable when he wanted to be. Truth was that Malachi never gave anyone the opportunity to even try to stop him. And yet, now he was completely lost in a haze of confusion and fear. He had almost killed him. Henryk had fed off him before but nothing like this. This time he had wanted to devour him and not in a sexy kind of way. There was nothing sexy about his lover almost ripping his hand off with his teeth.

Aria. Maybe she might have a solution to the problem. In some way he felt a little ping of guilt for putting so much on her shoulders. After all, she almost died too. Desperate times and all. He also wanted to check up on her and see how she was holding up after the spell. Thank her face to face. All that good stuff. So he found himself knocking at her door, holding this stupid basket of soaps and lotions. When the door opened he released a sigh. “Hey -” @ariafcwn

[diabolicxl]

@ariafcwn

Feet on the table and grimoire on his lap, Philippe flipped through the yellowed delicate pages of the old book. It’d been cursed when he first collected it, words all jumbled into an unknown language. A witch by the name of Vogel, who had been at his service at the London Witchcraft Research Institute, found a way to break the spell only to reveal the vampire’s very own native tongue on paper. Philippe, of course, seldom believed in coincidence and that was just another sign he was meant to find the spell book.

Like most grimoires, the Visigothic detailed a witch’s journey through personal experiments and practical lessons. The pages had notes at the borders and several descriptions had been struck out and corrected. He brushed the pads of his fingers across the indentations on the paper, gentle with his touch. It detailed the various cursed objects this witch in particular had created. From what he could tell, she’d been an Exorcist, and excelled at the summong and trapping of spirits. Philippe would’ve given anything to have that much power.

A frustrated sound distracted him from his reading and he turned his head to look at Ariana, whose company he kept as she worked over --- what was that? A scroll of paper? All he knew was that she’d been working on the spell Malachi had handed her, one he had little knowledge of. “What is the matter?” He asked, impatient, when the girl seemed to huff and puff again. Soon she’d bring the whole store down. “Is there something wrong?”

[moved-suscitat]

“Oh my God. It’s you.” Cecily Fawn was an insufferable woman. At least from what he remembers. Constantine used to watch her, like a hawk, from across the table during those many times she and her daughter had been invited over to his house. Wearing the best clothes she could afford and even then she was still drenched in her own mediocrity . To him, she was could not disguise her paucity for it was vomited from within her, spilling out of her every time she opened her mouth to compliment his family. Once, she told his mother that she wanted Ariana to conduct herself in a sanguine manner. Constantine did not believe she knew what this meant. Ever definition of a word is taken verbatim. Another time she used the word demagogue incorrectly. It made him frown. And now, she was standing there, holding the door open, eyes wide and skin pale. Not as confident as the last time he saw her. When she stood there in court, pointed a finger at him and Celeste and called them degenerates.

 “Maybe I come in?” She swallowed so hard that he could hear it. The lump in her throat. No response. “I’m not a vampire Cecily. I’m merely asking out of politeness.” Finally, she pushed past the door to lead him inside and into the living room. The house looked a lot smaller than he remembered. Then again, the Ashbourne itself was smaller than he remembered. ”Do you - Do you want some coffee or tea?” Constantine stood there, eyes traveling across the walls to the pictures that hung there. “Where’s your daughter?” Cecily gasped, bringing one shaky hand up to try and reach for his arm but stopped half way. Probably realizing it was a bad idea. “Please Constantine. Don’t hurt her.” Hurt her? Laughable. It was smart of her to fear him though. She knew about the mark and yet she knew better than to simply dismiss him as a threat. “I have no reason to hurt Ariana. You - on the other hand…” He took a step forward and she stood still - frozen. “I had to. I’m sorry. I needed to protect my daughter.” The necromancer took another step, finally stopping a few inches away from her. Looking down as she shrunk in his presence. “Where is she?”

Unlike her mother, Ariana Fawn had made quiet a name for herself. No longer the little girl who followed him and his sister around in awe, trying to learn as much of their tricks as possible. Even behind bars, Constantine managed to follow up on her life. He knew about her uncles tragic demise and her rise to becoming a Ceremonialist. Frankly, he could not believe it had taken her this long. Finger pressed on her doorbell. Was she even home? It was a gamble. One that he won when he heard the sounds of footsteps rushing toward the door and soon the piece of wood was flying open and she was standing there - looking just as he remembered her. Only now, she was stronger, powerful, and far more useful to him. “Hello Ariana. You haven’t changed a thing.” @ariafcwn

[carasoliz]

MAGIC OF LAND AND SEA

Trading with a very interested witch

DATE: February 13th, 2019 LOCATION: Herbs & Hexes, Greenfield Street (Ashbourne) CHARACTERS: Carina Soliz, Ariana Fawn @ariafcwn TRIGGERS: n/a SUMMARY: Shortly after finding out about witches and getting her new job and enrollment for medical classes, Carina realizes she needs some way to pay for necessities since her first paycheck would all be spent to pay for the hotel. Taking down two birds with one stone, she goes to meet the witches and asks about shops that sell instead of buy. Even though it’s not exactly her job, Aria realizes the benefit of obtaining some enchanted merfolk items and pays for them herself while so making a useful connection.  WORDCOUNT: 1400+

Greenfield Street was where Carina currently lived. But because Town Square and Downtown were where work and school were located, she’d hardly paid much attention to the shops and buildings around the Vine Tavern. It wasn’t until her conversation with Philippe and her realization of witches that Herbs and Hexes finally drew her curiousity. Instead of immediately going home after one exhausting day at work, Cara walked a little further and made it to the little, spice smelling shop. Her first impression coming in was just how beautiful and mysterious it looked. From vials to herbs and books, Herbs and Hexes had so much more than the mermaid had imagined it would.

“I haven’t seen you here before,” Aria spoke, appearing from behind a shelf to a startled mermaid. The witch smiled. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay!” Cara said quickly, laughing softly and putting a hand over her heart. “I just did not hear you is all.” She came closer and afterwards offered the same hand with a smile. “My name is Carina.”

Aria hesitated before taking her hand and giving it a single shake. “... Like the constellation?” The woman was definitely foreign, she could tell by the accent. 

The witch could also tell there was something else that was very different about her. She wasn’t the species she was used to seeing but Aria wasn’t yet familiar with the sense that she got from her. She’d never been very good at species perception. 

Cara’s brows raised and she beamed. “Yes! Not many know that!”

That drew a half smile from Aria. “Astronomy. Any witch worth anything knows at least the basics.” 

“You are a witch?” Again, the blonde’s brows raised in excited surprise.

“... Yeah,” Aria responded, letting out a small huff of amusement. “Aria,” she introduced herself. She squinted, wondering just how new and naive the woman was. “Is there something you were looking for?”

“Yes,” Cara breathed out, relaxing her smile and stance. She reached down into her bag and drew out a smaller, plastic one. "Thank you, Aria. I was told that witches are also interested in magic... I was hoping to meet one. And perhaps that these might be worth something or that you could tell me where to go to sell them.” Her expression became sheepish as she offered it to the witch. “I am afraid I need to have quick money to pay for some things before my work gives me some. It is not really magic, but...”

Aria opened up the bag and peaked in. All she could see was a strange sort of leather, shells and pearls. However, the symbols etched into many of the items drew her interest. She couldn’t distinguish the language and Aria had studied all sorts of runes.

“What language is this stuff in?” She asked automatically, brows furrowing as she closed the bag and looked up at the blonde.

“Mermish,” Cara said with a smile.

Aria blanched. “Like...” She hesitated, sizing the stranger up with wide eyes. “Like a mermaid? You’re a mermaid? From... the ocean?” She squinted again. There was no ocean in Ashbourne as far as Aria knew. Yet, she couldn’t help but start to believe her. The sensation she got from the woman was definitely unlike any other species and... she seems extremely charismatic and trustworthy. It was almost too good to be true.

“Yes,” Cara responded. Automatically she jumped into the entire story. She’d told it enough now that she was aware of what interested others. Aria listened with rapt attention, grimacing in sympathy at some parts. Coming from tropical paradise to this hellscape? What made this nice-seeming mermaid deserve such horrible luck? 

Cara finished off her story and then gestured to the bag that Aria was carrying, explaining that the contents were the only thing she had from home. It was the long brassiere she’d been wearing before breaking it for her feet. It was equipped with small pockets at the sides to carry tiny necessities. The clothing was made from string ray leather and embellished with rare pearls and shells. It was when she explained that the Mermishs were blessings her people etched on the leather that the witch looked even more intrigued than before. Happy to oblige with information, Cara explained about ocean spirit magic. The witch looked far more interested than anyone she’d spoken too, even the nice vampire from before.

“... So, your stuff blessed with some sort of merfolk magic?” Aria repeated, walking behind the counter as Cara stopped on the other side.

"Yes, we do not wear clothing the way that humans do,” she explained with a soft smile. “We do not need to wear our clothing, but it allows us to carry little objects without our bags. It also has symbols and blessings from our family so they are with us everywhere we go... even if we are just venturing out onto the shore.” There was a certain sound of wistfulness as she spoke. It was clear Cara missed her family dearly. “At least that was the tradition of my community - but there are many communities of tropical merfolk, as there is of any other race of merfolk.”

“There are more of you?” Aria breathed out, leaning forward on the counter. Then she hesitated. She didn’t know the extent to which this nice woman was willing to explain everything about merfolk and Aria was certain her questions could last hours. She didn’t want to scare such an important source of knowledge away... So she leaned back again, smiling sheepishly and putting a hand up. “You know what? We should get together another time and you can tell me all about your people. I’m... really interested, if you couldn’t tell. It’s not everyday you meet a mermaid. Plus, I know a lot about magic... but everything you were talking about is a complete mystery to me. I could show you a few things myself as a tradeoff.”

“Oh, I would love that!” Cara said with genuine excitement.

Aria smiled. This woman was endearing. “You know what? There’s technically a pawn shop just a few blocks away, but I’ll take your stuff and pay out of my own pocket - not the store’s. It’ll be good for research purposes, plus I know what’s it’s like to need money.” It would be worth it to have some genuine, tropical mermaid artifacts. Who knew what use it could come to?

Cara’s brows raised. “Oh, no, I could not ask you to give me your-”

“I’m not giving you anything. It’s a trade,” Aria interrupted, huffing in amusement. “You give me anything you’ve got and I’ll pay top dollar for them. How about... 500 or 600 bucks for this bag of old mermaid clothes, plus the promise you can come here anytime to talk shop or mermaid magic with me.”

“That... That sounds perfect,” Cara said with relief that deflated her tense, embarrassed figure. She smiled softly and with genuine gratefulness. “I can not thank you enough, Aria. I am... so very glad to have found a witch friend. I promise I will come back any time I have something to show or talk to you about then. I am also truly excited to know about land magic, just as you would like to know about my own.”

Aria grinned lightly. “Great. Sounds like a plan, Carina.”

“You can call me Cara, if you’d like.”

“... Cara. Right. Well...” Aria reached under the counter to take out a checkbook. She flipped through the pages before settling on an empty check and writing down the money. “I’m writing you a check for... 600. You just take this to the bank Downtown and they’ll give you the cash. I think that’ll be enough for a couple trips to the grocery store and whatever else you need before your first real paycheck comes in.”

A check? Interesting. Cara watched her write down on the piece of paper before Aria ripped it out of the book and offered it to her. She took it with a widened smile. “Take this to... the bank Downtown. Then go to the store. Understood... Thank you so much.”

Aria shook her head, smiling and taking the plastic bag on the counter. “Don’t mention it. I’m glad we could do business.” Oh, definitely. The curious witch was going to take a look at the Mermish symbols and items the moment she had some time to do it. Then maybe a visit to the library was called for. “Stop by anytime alright?”

“I most definitely will,” Cara promised, smiling and pocketing the check. 

[morningsmead-blog]

Discovery over Drinks  (Discord)

Date: January 13 - 19 (1 day in the Faerielands) Location: Faerielands Word Count: 2426 Triggers: None Summary: Aria and Allison share a drink while contemplating the diminishing population of the Fae @ariafcwn 

After separating from August, Aria was feeling very ambitious with her desires to make the most of her time spent in the Faerielands. After all, there was no telling when there would be another time. She made her way to the dessert table and started to eye all the different things she could try. After nibbling absently on a very good pastery, she settled for taking a glass of the shiny champagne and turned to leave. A fae had been approaching the table as Aria turned and knocked over her drink. It spilled all over his suit. “Shit, sorry,” she said quickly. The fae was looking down at his stained ensemble with alarm before glancing up to glare at her. The glare turned into a look of surprise and then a strange sneer. Aria felt herself get on the defensive immediately. ‘Hey, no problem. Not everyday we get to see pretty humans in here.’ ‘Why don’t I show-‘ He took a step too close and Aria stood her ground. With three fingers on his chest, she pushed him away and glared. “Witch,” she interrupted. “Not human. I’m not interested in whatever you have to show.” The man did not enjoy her attitude and opened his mouth to angrily retort, putting up a finger. “Oh, I would think really hard about what you’re going to say next,” Aria interrupted again before he could. ’How dare-‘ “Because the second you smiled like that,” she said a little louder. “I knew I wouldn’t mind causing a scene to embarrass you in front of your fairy friends. We wouldn’t want that, would we?” A handful of fae had turned to witness the drama unfold, especially when Aria begun to project her voice. 

Allison was picking at the food table, placing small delicacies on her plate, when nearby raised voices caught her attention. Turning, her mouth dropped open as she saw a beautifully dressed Aria facing off with a peeved looking fae. “Shit,” she muttered, tossing her half filled plate onto the table. Why was she here? And who let her in? And why didn’t they warn her not to annoy the other fae? Sidling up to the witch, she wrapped a gentle hand around Aria’s arm and gave it a warning squeeze. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere - I told you not to wander off.” The male fae took the opportunity to interject, a lascivious smirk on his face. “She’s a pretty little thing isn’t she? Is she yours? Because I’m willing to share if you are.” He winked at Aria. Holding her tongue, Allison straightened her spine and sharpened her tone. “I don’t share. And if you touch her again tonight, I will personally see you can’t touch anyone again for the next century.” Allison began to steer Aria away from the situation and away from the prying eyes of the watching fae. She didn’t let go of her arm until they were well away and tucked into an empty corner. 

Aria could immediately tell the fae was fuming at being embarrassed in front of the other faes by a stranger. But despite the situation, the witch did not falter in her sharp gaze or firm stance. Aria heard someone slide up beside her and felt their arms around her back. She was ready to elbow whoever it was when their hand squeezed at her arm and Aria looked beside her to see it was Allison… At least she was mostly sure it was Allison. She looked a lot like she always did but there was something much more ethereal about the emerald glow she had. She looked amazing. And despite herself, Aria was thoroughly relieved and happy to see a familiar friendly face. Her words had Aria grinning. She didn’t argue as her fae friend steered her off in another direction. Casting one last cocky look at the man, she followed Allison until the two were far away and alone. There were still a few lingering looks but at least her friend had picked some where by the large, covering plants. Aria had to resist the urge to take some samples for herself. “Oh my God, Allison. Thanks,” Aria breathed out with a smile. “I was on the verge of punching that guy and that probably wouldn’t have been the best idea…" She let out a small laugh. "I’m surprised to see you here. You look... different.” 

“That would have been a very bad idea,” Allison responded and relaxed once it was clear no one had followed them. Crisis averted. “Surprised to see me? I’m surprised to see you! Look at you!” Gesturing to Aria’s outfit, Allison smiled widely. She was still clearly human but only if you looked closely. At a quick glance she blended in well with the rest of the fae. “You look beautiful!” How did she get here? There were only a handful of fae that lived primarily in Ashbourne and she didn’t think any of them would have brought a human in and then just left them to their own devices. Worry crept into her smile and bit her lip nervously, yellow eyes creasing. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see you but why are you here?” 

Aria’s smile grew a lot more sheepish as her ridiculous dress was pointed out. “Thanks,” she said half-heartedly. As beautiful and high-quality as she knew the dress was, it made her feel like a different person. At least it was comfortable - she had to give her props to Kolya for that. “I was invited as a plus one with…” She glanced around the area but couldn’t catch immediate sight of August. He was probably mingling and the area was huge. “My friend. Who’s somewhere nearby, probably eating.” She looked back at Allison. A hand waved dismissively. “Don’t worry, we’re fine. A fae named Xander or- er- Vitalis led us in. My friend August has an audience with the High Queen for some reason we don’t yet understand. I came to accompany him and make sure he didn’t get into trouble.” 

She wasn’t surprised to hear Vitalis was here but the second name caught her attention. ”August is here? And the High Queen invited him?” Allison parroted the information back, unable to think of anything else. She didn’t know the Queen well but it was odd for her to invite other species into their midst, especially given their fragile status. Absently, she wondered if Dresden had made it as well. This definitely seemed right up his alley. “You seem to be doing a fine job of getting into trouble on your own,” she teased but there was still an undercurrent of worry in her voice. She liked Aria and August and while she would never question the Queen, she didn’t want to see them get hurt. The whole situation made her uneasy. “Come on,” she said abruptly. “I don’t know about you but I need another drink.” 

Aria nodded, lips pursed. She looked clearly uneasy with that fact. But while the situation was suspicious, this had been the chance of a lifetime. August would not have passed it up and so it was better they were there together. Besides, she revelled in a new experience that got her out of the town she’d been stuck in her entire life. Sorta. She let out a small, amused scoff at the jest. “I don’t look for trouble, trouble finds me.” It was a joke but she couldn’t claim for it to be completely true. While Aria truly didn’t mean to find real, dangerous trouble - she still seemed to make choices that she knew would lead there. It was a habit. “Ugh, yes, please.” Aria walked alongside her as they made their way to the bar. “So, what is you’re doing here? Do faes have parties like this all the time?” She glanced over at a beautiful plant as they walked. “... And Vitalis said I can’t pick any plants but... would they kill me if I took a leaf or two?” She had so many questions. What did these parties mean? Were they just for fun? Who was the Queen and what was the best way to approaching a conversation with her? Allison was the only fae she was acquainted with. The only one she was willing to trust at least a little. 

Leading Aria through the crowd, Allison waved and smiled at a few of the fae she recognized, politely declining their invitations to play with a quick laugh. “Don’t pick the plants,” she warned. “The Queen is earth, much in the same way I am and I highly doubt she would take kindly to someone plucking the decor.” Allison grabbed another glass of wine, the clear crystal sparkling under the lights of the hall. This would be her second of the night - not something she’d usually care about but she was a notorious light weight and knowing that Aria and August were both here made her wary. She didn’t want to be caught off guard if something went wrong. “I’ve been away for a while,” she explained. “Something that’s not exactly encouraged and I just had this gut feeling I should attend. Whether it was because you were here or because of the way things are going in town, I honestly couldn’t tell you.” Taking a deep sip from her glass, Allison surveyed the room over the rim and tried to imagine what it must be like for Aria. Like so many fae, Allison always kept her glamour up in town, dropping it only when she was safely tucked away in her bed. She hardly noticed the drain on her energy and it was only now that she was realizing how alive she felt. “The parties are partly for fun, partly to take stock of how many fae are left. The world is shrinking Aria, even if it doesn’t feel like it in Ashbourne, and we’re running out of room.” 

Well, wasn’t she popular. Aria observed Allison interacting with the other fans with a small smile. It wasn’t exactly surprising so many knew her… Allison was just a sweet and genuine soul. Aria felt lucky to have her around the party. It was someone to count on that she actually knew and trusted more than whoever that Xander, Vitalis guy was. Aria could just pout a bit at the idea she wasn’t allowed to take anything with her. But she decided it wouldn’t be a worthwhile risk to take breaking rules in a place she needed help getting out of. “Fine,” she responded. Then she listened and wondered what exactly Allison was thinking. Gut feelings never meant good news for Aria. She thought she’d also felt strange coming into this but also the uncertainty of a new place and creatures she wasn’t too familiar with was natural. She tried to dismiss it all as paranoia and her always strong desire to be prepared for everything. “… How do you mean that?” Aria asked, brows furrowing in concern. “What's going on with the fae right now?” 

“We’re dying. Slowly, but it’s still noticeable.” Allison lowered her voice, until the din of the hall practically swallowed her words. It was a depressing truth and Allison had no idea how many of her friends were still left or if their trees had been destroyed. Allison worried her lower lip, hesitant to reveal too much. But if they kept it all to themselves, would they be able to stop anything? Or would they fade from existence without anyone noticing? “As humans continue to expand, they destroy anything in their path. Including our homes.” It was vague but Allison didn’t know how else to explain. 

Aria’s eyes narrowed and a strange guilt started to squeeze her insides. Here she was worrying about nothing but her magic and keeping her people safe when there was something like this affecting an entire species of magical beings. She had no idea. In a way, she’d always lived in a sheltered life stuck in Ashbourne where the trees and grass were always green and the flowers blooming. She’d heard about climate issues only through books and internet and seen its real life effect in minimal quantities. It was a horrible thing beyond explanation - one of the shittiest things about the world out there. But now to know it was also killing the fae? “… I’m sorry,” she said, feeling like that was completely inadequate. The words felt meaningless and small compared to what they were for. “That’s not right.” Aria sighed. “Do you know if there’s anything they’re doing to fix it?” Her brow raised. “Anything… the witches can do too? Surely with all these people here they’re figuring something out.” 

Aria’s concern brought a soft smile to Allison’s face. What was happening to the fae was awful and she was sure if they reached out to others, there would be people who cared enough to help figure out a solution. There had to be. She wasn’t so beaten down by the world that she had stopped believing in others. “I’m sure the Queens and the courts are working on it. Here and outside of Ashbourne.” It was like an anvil hanging overhead – at some point it would fall, she just didn’t know when. And since no one seemed to be immune from what she’d seen, it was a rallying point for all fae no matter what their status. She had been out of the loop for so long though, that she had no idea what could be done. “I’m not sure. I think it would be worth asking but that isn’t the fae way,” she said, her words undercut by a small amount of bitterness. 

Aria smiled half in dark humor, shaking her head. “Not a big fan of some of your people’s customs? I can relate to that.” She sighed and looked out at the crowd. “Hopefully they’re not as stubborn as witches. But if you ever need any help with them...” Aria looked back at Allison. “I don’t really have good ties with my coven anymore, but there are ways of making due. I think if something affects the faes and the world, it’s going to affect everyone else. Who knows? Maybe they can work together.” She offered a smile. “... It's funny to think about it now but you’re really the only fae I know personally. I’m hoping the queen has more in common in you than just being an Earth fae. Maybe we can get along.”

[thiskryptonite]

@ariafcwn

August’s text had been pretty clear, he stood now outside of Herbs & Hexes and rocked absently on his heels with his hands in his pockets. Night would be upon them soon, but there was still an hour of daylight left, time still to venture into the belly of the beast: the home of Philippe Ballard. August mused at the thought, his attention more towards the inevitable task that the Regium vampire would have he and his newfound cousin carry-out. Apparently it was strange to Aria that Philippe had contacted August first, in retrospect, it seemed a bit odd to him, as well. August was the thief, after all, but he would not pretend to understand the inner-workings of whatever complicated history existed between Aria and Philippe.

It did him some good, putting his hands to some use, he’d spent the afternoon preparing a repertoire of spell works that would hopefully serve him through the events that were to follow. While August was surprised at how long Philippe waited to call, he could not be offended, after all, August himself had been busy. Since his last encounter with the regium, the witch had been fortuitous indeed. His eyes, trained firmly forward, where once August had allowed glib distractions to deter him, he’d become resolute in his pursuits.

“You look terrible.” August breezed, teasing. “Are you ready?”

[charlottexcrane-blog]

– @ariafcwn

“I wasn’t expecting you to come in today,” Charlotte mused, shelving another potions bottle containing a sleeping draft. Her employee hadn’t been in for several days and the witch might’ve been concerned were it not for a text saying she needed some personal time. While Charlotte didn’t question it, she wasn’t ignorant either. She understood the reputation the Fawn family had had in the past. The witch wasn’t quick to judge, though, knowing that the paths people took were deeply personal and even if she didn’t agree with them, some decisions weren’t hers to make. Besides, so far, despite rumors, Aria had proven to be nothing but a good employee who helped Charlotte run the shop on the daily.

It didn’t lessen her suspicions but it made them irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Until rumors proved true or things started affecting the productivity of the store itself, Charlotte didn’t have grounds to not believe Aria was sick. “Are you feeling better? It’s been slow all day. I was just doing inventory–– you could’ve stayed home,” she said with a small smile as she looked over at her fellow witch. 

[a-painintheneck]

CHAPTER: PARTNERS IN CRIME STARRING: MALACHI & ARIANA

In some way he was putting Henryk’s life in her hands, wasn’t he? So he had to trust her. At least trust that she was who she claimed she was. A bad ass witch who never failed. “Is there a nobler cause, hm?” He laughed at how ridiculous he sounded. Of course it had been a joke, but in some sense he had a point. Was there a better reason to fight? Malachi couldn’t think of one. [x]

@ariafcwn

the tag

[diabolicxl]

@ariafcwn 

Herbs & Hexes was the kind of place where you could find whatever you needed to cook up a hex and no one would bat an eye at you. Every time he stepped foot into a witch-run store, he found something to be intrigued with or amazed by. Ashbourne didn’t have many attractions, Philippe would’ve thought so even if he could leave the place, but it did have witches. A whole coven of them. It made him wonder how hard they were really trying to get out of town.

The vampire perused the shelves with interest, but no particular item in mind. He missed his own magical collectibles. Soon, Philippe thought. Soon he’d have them back, and a witch to torture. For now, he looked through bottles of various standard potions, briefly wondering how they were able to find the right ingredients for them in a town as secluded as Ashbourne. 

He approached the woman he’d ran into every time he visited the store. She didn’t have the friendliest of faces, but she seemed capable. “Do you make other potions?” He glanced at the shelf. “If I needed something you don’t have, could I order it by any chance?”

[diabolicxl]

Three hottest people in town in your opinion

“Aria, Carina and Natalia are incredibly entertaining to look at.”

@ariafcwn @carasoliz @txliabites 

[a-painintheneck]

FMK: Talia, Ariana, Ashley

Fuck Talia up, Marry Ariana and Kill Ashley. She’s not on my good side at the moment.

@txliabites @ariafcwn @ashfilledsoul