#grimoire challenge stuff

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

April Week 2 - Planetary Magic

This week will be another week with a lot of research and a lot prompts! It will be a long haul as we continue to tear through the cosmic witchcraft part of the challenge!

For each of these planetary prompts we will be looking up scientific information about the planets, physical properties, relative distances from earth, how many moons, and general makeup of the planets, as well as myths and legends about the planets.

Monday - Mercury, Venus

Research/ New Pages - Make a new page for each planet. Start by looking up the scientific information about each planet. What is the planet's physical and chemical makeup, physical properties, colors, orbit and rotation times, how many moons they have, their size and distance from earth and the sun. Then look at each planet in a metaphysical sense, are they related to any myths or deities? What magic if any is related to this planet? What does this planet represent in your practice and beliefs? What are the positive and negative aspects of this planet? What does this planet represent in the natal chart?

Research/ New Page - Herbal research - Pick another herb off of your list and make a new page looking at all of its aspects. Magical, mundane and medicinal.

Tuesday - Earth, Mars

Research/ New Pages - Make a new page for each planet. Start by looking up the scientific information about each planet. What is the planet's physical and chemical makeup, physical properties, colors, orbit and rotation times, how many moons they have, their size and distance from earth and the sun. Then look at each planet in a metaphysical sense, are they related to any myths or deities? What magic if any is related to this planet? What does this planet represent in your practice and beliefs? What are the positive and negative aspects of this planet? What does this planet represent in the natal chart?

Research/ New Page - Gemstone/ other research - Whatever else it is you've chosen to study for this prompt, do it! Research a gemstone and all of its properties, magical, medicinal and mundane, or a type of magic or tarot card or rune, whatever it is! Research everything you can about it!

Wednesday - Jupiter, Saturn

Research/ New Pages - Make a new page for each planet. Start by looking up the scientific information about each planet. What is the planet's physical and chemical makeup, physical properties, colors, orbit and rotation times, how many moons they have, their size and distance from earth and the sun. Then look at each planet in a metaphysical sense, are they related to any myths or deities? What magic if any is related to this planet? What does this planet represent in your practice and beliefs? What are the positive and negative aspects of this planet? What does this planet represent in the natal chart?

Practical/ New Page - If you haven't done so already, look up and record your natal chart and all of your planetary placements and what they mean in your life, and if you agree with them or not! It can be a fun exercise in introspection to look up and look into your natal chart!

Thursday -Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

Research/ New Pages - Make a new page for each planet. Start by looking up the scientific information about each planet. What is the planet's physical and chemical makeup, physical properties, colors, orbit and rotation times, how many moons they have, their size and distance from earth and the sun. Then look at each planet in a metaphysical sense, are they related to any myths or deities? What magic if any is related to this planet? What does this planet represent in your practice and beliefs? What are the positive and negative aspects of this planet? What does this planet represent in the natal chart?

Friday - Wrap Up

Practical- there are a plethora of apps and websites to help you locate the planets in the night sky. Find one and spend a little time outside locating and thinking about each planet and what it means to you.

That was an awful lot this week, I know but we made it!

I hope you're all continuing to enjoy the challenge and looking forward to more prompts and more learning about ourselves and our practices!

-Mod Hazel

[thehazeldruid]

Bonus Prompt - Other Perspectives

For this week's bonus prompt we're going to take a look at our own perspective on things and the perspectives of others.

Think and look back on you pages, about how magic works in your perspective, about how different things work. Then look at other people's ideas, thoughts, and beliefs on the same subjects.

No two witches practice exactly the same, or have the same beliefs. And one way to grow in our own beliefs, is to challenge them. To discuss with others who don't believe the same things those differences. It helps to broaden our perspectives, our minds, and if done correctly, our hearts.

So take a look at different perspectives and beliefs on magic and witchcraft. Compare it to your own. And if you know someone who believes differently than you, perhaps take the time to discuss those differences. You could both learn something.

[thatdruidgal]

New Year's 2024 Grimoire Challenge!

Let's start off 2024 with a month-long grimoire challenge!

I know that I love to always gather new information for my grimoire, and so I wanted to share this challenge with you.

For the entire month of January, complete one of these activities every day in your grimoire. If you have already completed the question, expand on the information you already have!

There is a beginner level and an advanced level for witches of all stages. If you'd like to, post your responses to the questions here and tag it with #branwens grimoire challenge! I'd love to read all of the wonderful information you find, so tag me too, if you'd like.

Farewell and good tides!

January 2024 Grimoire Challenge

by Branwen (@thatdruidgal)

Plants - Beginner: What are the correspondences of five plants that grow in your local area? Advanced: Come up with a new combination of plants to burn in your next ritual.

Heritage - Beginner: Where do you come from? What types of magick did your ancestors possibly practice in their homeland? Advanced: What were common for your ancestors (eg. food, clothing, daily life)?

Practices - Beginner: What is the difference between closed and open practice? Are you permitted to learn about any closed practices? Advanced: What are 2 open practices that you don't follow? What are some similarities with your practice?

Energy - Beginner: What is energy work? How would you begin this practice? Advanced: What are the four energy types, and how can you connect to each one?

Water - Beginner: What are the uses of moon water? How can you make it? Advanced: How would adding moon water affect your favorite potion recipe?

Altars - Beginner: How could you represent each of the elements on your altar? Advanced: What colors are you not currently using in your altar? Which elements do those colors correspond with?

Salts - Beginner: What benefits do you get from moon salt? How do you make it? Advanced: Research cleansing salts and add the recipes to your grimoire.

Omens - Beginner: What are five ways to bring yourself good luck? Advanced: What are recurring signs you've noticed recently? What sort of message do they bring?

Animals - Beginner: What is an animal(s) that you have always felt a strong emotional bond with? What are their traits? Advanced: How has your spirit animal helped you in the past? How have you communicated with them?

Astrology - Beginner: What are the correspondences of the planets? Advanced: In what ways have you been affected by the planets recently? How can you better their influence in your life?

Crystals - Beginner: What are the correspondences of your 5 favorite crystals? Advanced: What other crystals could have improved your last spell? What are some of the substitutes that could have been used instead?

Cleansing - Beginner: What cleansing methods can you use for your crystals and tools? What methods can you NOT use for certain crystals or tools? Advanced: What crystals require extra cleansing? What crystals cleanse other items?

Recipes - Beginner: Find a recipe that helps you with a problem you've been experiencing recently. Advanced: Find a recipe for you to use during the next moon phase.

Spirits - Beginner: What are the five types of spirit guides? Advanced: How can you better connect to the spirits around you?

Motivation - Beginner: What are some easy witchy tasks that you can do when you have low energy/motivation? Advanced: What are easy-to-perform spells or rituals that help boost your energy? Are there any common ingredients? Create a new spell with these.

Divination - Beginner: What are 5 types of divination that you find interesting? Advanced: What type of divination have you used most often? How can you improve your practices by adding crystals/items?

Healing - Beginner: What plants are used in your favorite medicinal tea? What are their correspondences? Advanced: What is a local plant that has medicinal properties? How would you use these in a spell or potion? What other correspondences does this plant have?

Candles - Beginner: What is your favorite scent of candle? What correspondences does that scent have? Advanced: What colors of candles do you burn most often? How would burning a different color of candle affect your atmosphere or your next ritual?

Sigils - Beginner: What are active ways to activate a sigil? What are passive ways? Advanced: What symbols (eg. celtic knots) work as sigils? What are their uses?

Offerings - Beginner: What are suggested offerings for spirits during the next Sabat holiday? Advanced: What things do you normally offer the spirits as offering? What is their favorite offering?

Sabats - Beginner: What are the eight Sabats? Advanced: What are some of the correspondences of the Sabats? What rituals are best done during these times?

Plants - Beginner: What are the bloom times for your plants? Advanced: What other plants can you grow in your climate? What are their correspondences?

Recipes - Beginner: Find a recipe for a tea/potion you'd like to make. Advanced: Find a recipe for a Sabat-specific item.

Warding - Beginner: What are 3 easy ways to ward an area? Why would you want to do that? Advanced: What are ways to refresh your wards? What are ways of warding that you haven't tried yet?

Enchanting - Beginner: What is enchanting? Advanced: What are the easiest materials to enchant? What are the hardest? (eg. iron doesn't stick to magick)

Fae - Beginner: What are things you need to be wary of when interacting with Fae? Advanced: What are signs that Fae are near? Describe 5 different kinds of Fae.

Zodiac - Beginner: What are your zodiac signs? (sun, moon, ascendant, etc) Advanced: How do each of your zodiac signs affect you? What is another type of zodiac (eg. Chinese, Celtic), and what is your sign there?

Personal Beliefs - Beginner: State 5 things that you believe to be true about the universe. Advanced: What are your beliefs on creation? On karma? On dieties? On planes of existence? Be detailed.

Practices - Beginner: What are 5 different spells or rituals that you've been looking forward to try? What are the ingredients? Advanced: How did your last 5 spells go? Did you get the results that you wanted? How can you improve your practices in the future?

Types of witchcraft - Beginner: What are 10 different types of witchcraft? Which of those appeal the most to you? Advanced: What types of witchcraft do you not follow? Are there any that you haven't researched?

Crafts - Beginner: What is knot magick? What is something you could make with this magick? Advanced: How can you incorporate knot magick into your everyday life? (eg. doing hair, bed routine, fiddling)

[markedbyfireandash]

2024 Grimoire Challenge: January Week 1

Figured I could do the @2024-grimoire-challenge more consistently if I answer the prompts in batches instead of daily.

Preparatory Work

Notebooks I already have a planner-journal for messy notes, dream journaling, and personal insights, a pile of loose paper for research notes and organizing them, and a dedicated logbook for keeping track of arcane shenanigans. I'll be answering most of the prompts on my personal journal. Research-related ones will go to my research pile.

List of 52 herbs to study Skipping for now. I already have a good number of botanicals researched for both mundane and magical use. May instead post my research notes on whatever new plant I come across that interests me.

List of 52 crystals to study Definitely skipping. I don't use crystals enough to make a deep dive worth it. I already did my research on the ones I own, and currently have no plans to collect crystals for magical purposes. May or may not replace this with a random topic deep dive.

Grimoire

Naming the Book

I already do name my magical tools, even my journals! In my personal craft, names hold immense power, so the act of naming is itself some sort of consecration and empowering ritual. Considering their importance, I will be keeping these names private.

Outline/Index Pages

My arcane logbook has one, as it's the only one that will actually benefit a lot from it. The rest of my notebooks (including the pile) run mainly on tabs.

Definitions

Ritual Any action or set of actions with a symbolic, cultural, and/or emotional significance typically done on specified events.

Spell An act of magic done to achieve a specified purpose, usually to enact a change in the world according to the caster's will through symbolic gestures.

Personal Practice

Spell Writing

A spell is itself a tool that creates another tool specific to a predefined purpose. My approach to writing spells is very similar to problem-solving in general, and is very loose.

Identify a problem and its causes. If there's currently no direct problem, then I find a goal to achieve.

Identify the best or most feasible method to achieve the goal.

Survey available resources. Adjust goal and method if needed.

I don't adhere to a particular format, but in general, a spell for me consists of:

A source of energy or power

A way to color, filter, alter, move, or interact in any way with that power

An anchor or a physical vessel for the spell

Some examples of a power would be myself, a fire, physical movement (dance, wind, song), spirits, the materials themselves, celestial influence, cultural significance, and emotion. Interacting with that power may utilize divination, spirit communication, prayer, visualization techniques, meditation techniques, physical gestures, tools such as wands and knives, and so on. The anchor is not required, but it's useful for maintaining and dismantling spells, and I personally just like creating something physical for the spell to hold on to.

Common Tools

Paper, to hold names, words, sigils, and even material and immaterial influences. A blank canvas full of potential.

Any writing tool. A regular writing pen or pencil works, but brush and dip pens are great for working with specialized, magical inks. Toothpicks for writing on candles, cotton buds for harsher liquids such as alcohol and oil, chalk for most non-paper surfaces. Even a finger would do. A tool of creation and direction.

A tarot deck, sometimes a normal deck of playing cards, both a divination and a spell tool.

Candles - white tealights, mostly - to carry light or flame, act as a power, be a source of wax, or be a way to suffuse scent. Scented candles especially are reserved for offerings.

A tea cup, to hold water - and metaphorically 'hold' things that the hands can't. Cups are good for small things that don't need much heating. For anything that needs to be hotter than boiling water, I use the pot. Pair with a strainer to filter out unwanted things. Lidded containers for storage.

Washi tape, which makes hiding magic in plain sight easier.

Scissors for snipping plants, paper, thread, and connections.

Miniature, pen-sized broom used for quick cleansings and asperging.

Music, both to mask the sounds of spell casting and to define a space away from the mundane.

I should experiment with things like bookmarks and keys, and the tea plant stave I have currently just standing around the living room.

Calendar

The solstices mark very significant events in my life, so I like to honor those dates yearly.

Equinoxes mark a subtle but notable shift in the day cycles, so while they have no symbolic or cultural significance at the moment, I just like to track them.

Epagomenal days, ie the last 5 days of the year. Calculating when exactly they land is tricky so I just synchronized it with the usual calendar.

New years - lunar and Gregorian.

Fruiting and flowering seasons of mango, rambutan, kalachuchi (frangipani), and the cotton tree. Mostly because they're common in the area, but also because seeing them fruit and bloom gives me a lot of joy.

I'd like to add more specific dates, but they have more to do with local weather changes, which have lately been weird because of climate change.

Altar Design & Workspace

I do not have a set altar or workspace! If I need to perform a spell, I do it on the spot, using whatever flat surface is available if it is needed. Usually, that flat space is either a desk table or the dining table.a

What I do have is a spread in a notebook (one that opens flat) decorated and dedicated to specific deities, and I use that to better communicate with them every now and then.

Introspection: Personal Practices

(Keeping this one in my journal)

[kentnaturaltribrid]

Elements page, it’s complicated but it’s got everything that I was trying to put on there. Couldn’t fit something after the outer-layer.

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Spellbound

Written for the @steddiemicrofic challenge, September 2023 edition. 

Prompt: charm, 548 words

Rated: G

CW: none

It's not Eddie’s fault.

Magic's almost extinct, everyone knows that. Even in families that still possess it, it's waning with each generation. 

Sure, Granny could brew a love potion before breakfast and had an evil eye that made the neighbors quake. Wayne makes teas against different ailments, has this knack for finding the right ingredients. 

Eddie though? Nothing magical left in him. 

Okay, there was that incident in middle school where he told Hagan to eat dirt, and later, he face-planted off his bike and cracked two teeth. Everyone thought Eddie was behind it. Hilarious, 'cause he wasn't. 

He'd know if he was, right? 

Sure, he's incorporated it into his Freak persona. It's nice when the apes at the top of high school hierarchy think their drug dealer will jinx their asses for complaining about his prices. 

It's all working out rather well for him. 

Which is why he's surprised to find Steve Harrington, the King himself, sitting awkwardly on the picnic bench behind the school one afternoon, looking so pretty in his desolation Eddie wants to cradle and console him.

Even more so when he produces his trusty lunchbox and Steve shakes his head.

"I'm not here for that." His voice is low, gold-flecked eyes darting this way and that. "I was hoping you could … help me with something else." 

*

"So, how does this work?" Steve asks, carefully handing over a lock of dark hair. "You'll turn it into an amulet for me to wear? Make her fall back in love with me?" 

"A charm," Eddie corrects. "I can't guarantee it'll work, though. I can't summon feelings that aren't there, just… amplify those that still exist." 

Steve nods and licks his lips, pink and full and shiny in the afternoon light. Eddie's heart flutters, just a bit.

"They do. Nancy's the love of my life … I just need her to remember." 

Eddie swallows. This doesn't feel like anything he should get involved in. It never ends well, meddling with matters of the heart, Granny always said. Then again, Granny was magic, and Eddie's just a fraud. 

He takes the lock of hair and Steve’s money. 

*

He doesn’t know why he goes through all the effort - waits until Wayne is gone, then digs out Granny's grimoire. Maybe it's the memory of Steve’s eyes, so sad and full of that desperation to be loved. 

It's stupid, he thinks, while he lights the incense and lays out the materials on his desk - a piece of fabric, some string, herbs and stones, the strand of hair. 

Nancy isn't right for Steve, he thinks, while he reads out the incantations. He could do so much better. 

Someone who sees him for the sweet, vulnerable soul that he really is, he thinks, while he adds the stones and herbs to the pouch. Someone who'll shelter him, make sure he's never hurt or lonely again. 

His hand hovers over the lock of hair. His eyes flick to the scissors in the pencil holder. 

It doesn't matter, he thinks, as he stuffs the charm into his pocket, sweeps Nancy's hair to the floor. It only works if there's feelings to begin with, and it's not like he's even magic. 

So everything that happens from here really isn't his fault. 

[flyawaybird444]

[11:11] make a wish

✩•̩̩͙*I see forever in your eyes*•̩̩͙✩

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

{Description} Stray Kids with a spiritual S/O

This was just a ✨shower thought✨ i had earlier, and I figured it was the perfect thing to kickstart my blog or whatevs 🤷🏻‍♀️

{Warnings} None? Maybe religious themes? Tarot reading?

——— ⁺⋆ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ⋆⁺ ———

When you first brought Hyunjin home, he spent a long time looking through all your crystals. He was interested to learn what they were, but he didn’t really care about the spiritual properties. Our boy just likes pretty things ok TT

Even years later he still loves going into crystal shops and apothecaries to see the handmade jewelry and other trinkets. He 100% thinks it’s so cottagecore. He takes candid polaroids of you while you’re meditating or walking around your favorite metaphysical shop because he thinks you’re so beautiful when you’re in your happy place, and your devotion to it is attractive to him. Hyunjin really likes candle spells because he says they’re romantic. He asked you once as a joke if you put a love spell on him and you said yes. He didn’t realize you were kidding at first and had to contemplate his life for a second.

Han is always happy to talk about the things you love. He likes the surface level stuff like crystals and meditation/manifesting, and even some spell work, but do not show this man any type of divination because he will be terrified. You once pulled out your pendulum to ask it a question, and as soon as it started swinging he was ready to call a priest. He’d probably take a lot of convincing to let you read his tarot cards. He has a lot of anxiety about the future as it is, and he also doesn’t understand how a deck of cards could possibly know him that well.

Supportive boyfriend award goes to Felix on this one. He wants to know anything and everything, will ask to look at your grimoire, wants you to read his tarot cards literally all the time.

“Y/N, I don’t know what i wanna eat for dinner, can you ask your cards what i should have?”

“I- Lix that’s not how that works”

He absolutely love’s apothecaries and metaphysical shops because he says they feel happy inside. You ignited such a love for incense in him, when you guys go out he always smells like smokey vanilla and it’s great.

Chan Is an old soul. If he hasn’t already delved into spirituality himself, he’s the most likely to become spiritual when he starts dating you. He’s very respectful and mature about it, and knows not to touch anything on your altar. Chan also loves to meditate with you in the mornings. You told him once that you felt a connection with the moon, and since then he always sends you photos of the moon when it looks pretty. 110% he wants to get high with you and talk about your ideas on the afterlife and the multiverse. Tarot readings help ease his mind when making tough decisions, so every now and then, the two of you will sit down with a glass of wine and do a reading.

Changbin doesn’t believe in it at first. He thinks tarot readings and divination is an act, and he’s definitely the type to ask the typical “well how do you explain __” questions. Then the day you gave him a really detailed tarot reading and the situation played out exactly as the cards said it would the following week, he started to realize it was very real. He’s really interested in divination because it challenges his logical brain. He likes looking at the forged weapons at your local metaphysical supply shop, and is secretly dying to play with the Tibetan singing bowls.

For Minho, he likes candle spells, but not for the same reason hyunjin likes them. He thinks they feel powerful when you do them, and that’s the thing he likes most about your practice. Wants to learn about hexing. He likes the comfort in your protection spells, and he thinks money and luck spells are really cool. He once watched you do a money spell and then find a $100 bill in your coat pocket, and he was sold immediately. Tries to manifest really random things into happening like finding stray cats to pet when he goes on walks.

Seungmin is so attentive with you, and he’s supportive boyfriend number three out of the group. He’ll ask you questions all timidly because he doesn’t wanna accidentally offend you or sound dumb when he doesn’t know something. He also frequently brings home cool rocks he finds for you because he knows you like them. Seungmin likes that you’re grounded and connected to the earth, and really loves going on nature walks to forage with you.

Jeongin is confused. But he’s also easily impressed by everything you do. The first time he sees you open a circle before doing a spell, he’s so hype.

“WOW NOONA THAT IS SO COOL, but also what is it?”

He acts like you’re doing a magic trick when you’re reading his cards. Will literally give you a round of applause when something you say resonates with him. He’s also the type to want to touch and play with literally everything in the apothecary. Once, he accidentally put his candy wrapper on your altar without thinking and was paranoid for like a month after.

[AN: Hi, if you like this ily and you should send me requests for more. Mwa 💋]

[so-long-soldier-writes]

His for Eternity

kai parker x reader | requested 

summary: alaric steals a gemini grimoire, summoning you and kai back to mystic falls. trying to get it back proves to be a challenge with a risk kai’s not willing to take. | heretic!kai x witch!reader

tags: hurt / comfort, smut, violence / blood, blood drinking, kidnapping / minor torture, eventual smut, blowjobs, vaginal sex, dom!kai but also soft!kai

word count: ~8.2k (lmao whoops)

a/n: I’m not sure if this is yandere enough, bc come to find I struggle with writing yandere for some reason. also, i am so sorry it took me forever to write & edit. but it was very fun to write :) i hope this finds the person who requested it, and i hope you like it!

“I don’t like being back here,” you mutter to your boyfriend, whilst stealing a fry off his plate. “We’re supposed to be on the run from these people, not strolling back into their town.”

“I know, but I just need that book back, and then we’ll be out before they even know we were here,” he whispers. 

You glance around the room, unconvinced. 

“I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you, princess.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. You’re the one that Damon wants dead.”

“Let him try. In case he forgot, I’m a heretic now.”

“Trust me when I said he’s probably thought of a way around that,” you sigh. “Kai, is it really that important? I can’t live without you.”

“It’s not that it’s important, but it’s the fact that Alaric is the one that stole it. The only reasons he would go all the way to Portland just to steal one of my father’s grimoires is if he’s trying to bring Jo back, or if those twins survived somehow. I can’t have him stealing centuries worth of Gemini knowledge that could possibly take me down.”

You hate it, but know he’s right. Kai is the leader of a nearly extinct coven, but he is still the leader. If Alaric has access to any of the grimoires, he could do some serious damage. 

“Okay. I understand. What do you need me to do?”

He pops a fry into his mouth. “Sit tight and let me do all the dangerous stuff.”

“Kai.”

His teeth clench. He hates putting you in harm’s way. 

“Fine. If you could do a locator’s spell on the book. That would help.”

“Okay,” you give a small smile, “let’s go find this missing grimoire, shall we?”

Cloaked under a simple spell, the two of you make your way back to the motel just outside of town where you planned to stay for the duration of this trip. Kai hated the idea of staying in a motel, but you knew it would be the least conspicuous place to be in case anyone caught wind of your return.

Ever since the night of the wedding - aka the night of Jo’s death, aka the night Kai turned, aka the night Elena was cursed - the two of you have been on the run. It was a horrible day for you, having to watch the sister of the man you loved get married, while he was rotting away in another prison world. But then, right before her vows, he came back. In the blink of an eye, the wedding was turned upside down. Gentle cries turned to begs for mercy, but of course, none received it. They didn’t deserve it. You smiled as the members of the Gemini Coven died off one-by-one. You remember spitting in Joshua’s face when he pleaded for his life. 

Right after, you watched your boyfriend drink his father’s own blood to become immortal. You kissed him hard, then, and felt the blood of his enemies seep from his suit to your dress, seemingly binding you for eternity. The last thing Joshua saw were his two greatest regrets coming back together as one. There was nothing he could do to stop you. 

But despite Kai’s success in killing his coven, he almost died in the process. Well, almost died twice. He did die on purpose once to turn himself into a heretic - a species you didn’t know existed until Kai came back to life, craving blood. (When he initially stabbed himself, you let out a blood curdling scream that turned heads towards you. You had never felt more relieved than when he woke up, and he apologized profusely for scaring you.) Though after Damon learned of his payback curse on Elena, the older vampire almost took him out for good. A blood boiling spell muttered from your lips gave Kai just enough time to escape the man, and the two of you bolted from the massive crime scene. 

Since then, you and Kai have been exploring together. Damon nor Bonnie ever came after you, and they instead stayed in Mystic Falls, for reasons you don’t know, nor care to know. Alaric, on the other hand, is the one stirring the pot. And now, his actions have consequences, because Kai is back and determined to take what rightfully belongs to him. 

“Got a location.”

Your boyfriend finally stops pacing the room to look at the map. “I’m going.”

“Wait, Kai! Shouldn’t we, like, have a plan or something?”

“I do. Break in, take it, sneak out. He’ll never know.”

“Unless he’s there, wherever this is, right now.”

Kai hesitates. 

“Let me be a distraction.”

“No.”

“Let me cause a distraction.”

He stares at you. 

“What other options are there? None. I’ll just juju up something outside of the location and he’ll wonder what it is, giving you a little bit of time. He won’t even see me, just a cloud of dust.”

“Can you do that from here?”

“Well no, I have to be somewhat in the proximity.”

“Then no.”

“You’re not doing this without me. I’ll cloak myself.”

“And if you get distracted, you’ll be out in the open for anyone to see.”

“I won’t get distracted.”

“Princess,” he gives you a look that already tells you you’re not winning this argument, “you’re staying.”

“Then you better come back. Unharmed.”

“I promise. Just a quick in and out.”

“Be back in an hour or I will come looking for you.”

“Two.”

“No.”

“Fine. One hour. Don’t leave this room.”

“Be safe, Kai.”

◇◇◇◇

In one hour, he does come back. But not as he promised. 

Kai takes a deep breath before unlocking the motel door. He knows you’ll immediately sense something went wrong, even though the gash on his forehead has healed. Besides, he didn’t even get the stupid grimoire. 

“It’s me, princess,” he announces as he opens the door. 

You hurry over to him quickly. “Did everything go alright? Did you get the book?” You pause, noticing the signs: sweat beading on his forehead, a racing pulse. “Kai, what happened?”

“I didn’t get the book.”

“What. Happened?”

“The book is in Ric’s house,” he says slowly. “Unfortunately, so was Ric.” You sigh, full of worry, but he’s not finished. “And so was Damon.”

“You ran into Damon?!”

“And Bonnie.”

“Kai! Baby, you told me you wouldn’t get hurt! This shouldn’t’ve happened! Now they’re gonna come for you, angrier than ever. We should’ve never come back; we should’ve just-”

“I know, I know. Y/N, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for putting you in harm’s way, I’m sorry for-”

“Never mind that, are you hurt? Did they get to you, or just…?”

He hesitated for too long and you know that’s a yes.

“Where?”

“Damon plus a lamp, which he threw at my head. Then Bonnie held me down with magic when I was down and he decided his fist was a better weapon. Luckily something distracted us all long enough for me to escape.”

You take his head in your hands gently, kissing the spot where he got hit. It’s completely healed, yet you can tell exactly where it happened. 

“But as shitty as this is, I did learn something useful.”

“What?”

“The twins survived.”

“What?! Jo’s? How?”

“I have no idea, but in the midst of my screaming and their yelling, I heard a baby cry.”

“So what now? Are you gonna…”

“I don’t know. But something tells me Ric stole that book because those kids are producing magic that he doesn’t know how to control.” Kai then laughs, “you should’ve seen the look on their faces when that happened. I swear the blood drained from Ric’s face, it was priceless!” 

You try to laugh, but you’re too worried about the situation. Kai senses this and gives you a kiss on your cheek. 

“I’m okay, princess. It’s going to be okay. I should’ve listened to you about the plan.” 

“Just… can we stay here for the rest of the night?”

The clock reads seven. 

“I-,” he looks at your face, and knows he can’t say ‘no’ to it. Besides, he gave you a hell of a scare earlier and you deserve the comfort. “Alright.” His heart flutters when a huge smile takes over your face. You make grabby hands towards him, coaxing him to come next to you on the bed. 

“Thank you,” you mutter, successfully getting him to cuddle with you. You bury your face in his chest, arms wrapped around his waist, and a leg hooked with one of his. He couldn’t escape your grasp even if he wanted to. 

“I love you, princess.” He melts into your hold, eyes fluttering with exhaustion. 

“I love you, too.”

◇◇◇◇

“So Kai is back,” Damon slouches onto the couch, sighing deeply. 

“And back with a vengeance,” Ric sits opposite of him.

“Yeah, and he found out about the twins.”

“I know… there was nothing I could do, Bonnie. I’m cursing myself by the minute.”

“Do you think his girlfriend is here, too?”

“Definitely. He probably made her stay wherever they’re hiding out.”

“Unless she ditched him like a smart person would.”

“You didn’t see them at the wedding, Bon,” Damon, who witnessed the whole thing, sighs, “she would do anything for him.”

“What do you think made him come back?”

“That might be my fault,” Ric admits, raising a hand. 

“What did you do?”

“I may have gone to Portland and stolen a grimoire.”

“You did what?!” The witch stares at him. 

“I’m raising two Gemini twins without any living, sane, relatives, and I have no idea what I’m doing! I want to be prepared for when they start producing magic.”

“So you stole a grimoire from one of the most powerful covens in history?!”

“They’re all dead! What are they gonna do with them?!”

“Dead or not, Kai is still their leader. He can sense when a grimoire leaves its resting place. You put your daughters and all of us in danger.”

“I didn’t know that! Maybe if my Gemini born wife was still alive, I would. Oh wait, Kai killed her!”

“Alright, enough of the yelling,” Damon shushes, “we’ve already woken up Ric’s kids with it once.” He smirks in a way that’s playful, yet everyone knows it’s a jab.

“Man, if you don’t shut the fuck up, I will-”

“Where did you put the grimoire, Alaric? Maybe if we give it back, he will leave.”

“No! I’m using it. Kai doesn’t need it, he’s not raising kids. I-”

“It’s his family’s property.”

“And he hated his family.”

“But it’s still a powerful book that can be used as a weapon. So hatred aside, he will fight to get it back.”

“I-”

“If you don’t return it, you’re putting yourself, your daughters, Caroline’s, ours, the whole of Mystic Falls' lives in danger. He will kill anyone to stay in power, was the wedding not enough proof of that?! If you have a book that teaches you to raise Geminis, they will live long enough to see their twenty-second birthdays, and take his place. If you want your kids to survive, give that grimoire back right now and figure it out yourself.”

“Bonnie, I can’t have two magical kids running around the town untaught.”

“You’re making a huge mistake.”

“Hold on,” Damon interrupts again, “I have a plan. What if we just kill Kai?”

“He’s a heretic now. He can’t be killed.”

“Please, we said the same thing about the originals. There’s always something that’ll kill ‘em. Kai’s a normal vampire, just stake him in the heart. Done.”

“He’s a heretic, Damon,” Bonnie reiterates, “he’s got the advantage of magic.”

“Then we’ll kill Y/N.”

“She’s immortal. And a witch.”

“Something’s got to kill her.”

“Not something that we know of.”

“Then we’ll hurt her. Scare Kai out of Mystic Falls. She will only be freed once he promises to leave.”

“That sounds like playing with fire, Damon.”

“And yet, it’s our best plan.” He looks at Ric, then Bonnie. 

“Whatever, I’m in. Bonnie?”

The witch thinks about it. She doesn’t like the idea of hurting a female witch - she should be trying to make an ally out of you. 

“C’mon, Bonnie,” Damon urges, “he cursed Elena. Killed Jo. She stood by and let it all this happen. She’s just as guilty. Deserves every bit of this.”

“Okay. I’m in.”

◇◇◇◇

“‘Kay, we need a new plan for getting that grimoire back,” you say, grabbing a pen and a piece of paper.  Kai watches you from the edge of the bed in admiration.  “And since people know we’re here, it has to be good.”

“I’m still against any plan that could put you in harm’s way.”

“I know. Which is why I can cloak myself and draw out Ric, while you sneak back into his house. Similar to my first plan, but this one also involves a second distraction. Happening in the square, I’m going to spell up something gnarly that will for sure keep Bamon’s attention long enough for you to get in and get out.”

“Bamon?”

“It’s so much easier than saying ‘Bonnie and Damon’.”

He grins. “And you’ll be sure they won’t see you?”

“As long as everything goes according to plan, yes.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“I’ll bring a vervain grenade and toss it at them?” You suggest. 

“Not good enough, Y/N.”

“I’ll think of something. I promise.”

He sighs unhappily. “I’ll be fast.”

“I know you will.”

Unfortunately, the trio think of something, too. Unbeknownst to you, Bonnie’s done a locator spell, and is tracking your exact location. You successfully set up your traps before she finished it, but they know you’re in the town’s square. Kai is cloaked, so they don’t see him, and Bonnie can’t track two people at once, but they have a sneaking suspicion about where he is. They must act fast if they are to exact their revenge. 

Despite it still being the earlier hours of the morning, there’s a number of people in the square. Runners, mostly, and a few couples sipping coffee. Big enough of a crowd to cause a panic if something were to scare them. You mutter a fire spell onto the fountain, taking extra energy to put the two opposing elements into combat. People start to gasp and stare as the fire engulfs it, yet the water doesn’t give. In a matter of seconds, a child’s scream sets off the rest of her company. 

Once it causes a big enough scene, you duck from your hidden position and make off to Ric’s house. Even if Damon doesn’t care about the townspeople, some riled up screams will have him at least checking out what happened. And then Bonnie will get involved, probably talking about the situation with Caroline, so you expect to have at least a minute to distract Ric. 

Your plan for Ric is to conjure up a faceless shadow-y figure. You make it move and wave at him with your own body, cloaked from sight. Whether or not he thinks it’s a threat, he’ll at least be confused enough to take a closer look.

As soon as he sees it, he rushes towards it, shouting for it to stay away from his kids. Not the reaction you really expected, but one you’ll gladly take. You stand still, but step back when he starts getting close. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Kai sneak into his house behind him. 

But then everything goes wrong. 

The next time you step back, you bump into something large. You furrow your eyebrows and try again, a little to the left, but the wall is still there. You didn’t think you had moved that far; you were standing in the middle of the street. Alaric comes closer to you - too close - and you have to breathe deeply to not panic. Then, you feel magic fighting against your own. Distracted by Ric, you feel yourself weakened against your will. Ric’s grimace turns to a smirk when he realizes it’s just you behind the shadow. As fast as you can, you try to conjure up something new, but then a pair of hands grab your shoulders. 

“Yeah, no more of that. Good try though.” Damon. Dammit. “Where’s Kai?”

You say nothing. 

“Let’s try that again. Where is Kai?”

You stand as still as a statue, giving nothing, saying nothing. 

“Alright, we’ll find him ourselves. Bonnie?”

Immediately, the witch binds your wrists with a spell. You could have fought her off, but you were taken off guard. Ric then throws a bag over your head, before Damon slings you over his shoulder and races off. 

The sound of the back door slamming alerts Ric and Bonnie, and then dash into his house without a second thought. Ric nearly trips up the stairs to check on his kids, while Bonnie searches for where Ric said he hid the Gemini grimoire. One sighs in relief while the other is filled with dread. 

“The girls are okay,” says the relieved one. 

“The book is gone,” she says at the same time. 

For a second, they just stand there, evaluating how bad their mistake was to let Kai get a hold of the book again. As much as Bonnie just wanted to give it back, now he’s going to want revenge on Ric for taking it in the first place. And as soon as he realizes they’ve kidnapped his girl, too, she can tell things are only going to get uglier. 

“Okay, well, the important thing is that the girls are safe.”

Ric nods, “god, but what if he saw them? What if they saw him?”

“I don’t know, but he didn’t hurt them, so that’s all that matters.”

“I need that book back. I need to know how to raise them as Jo would’ve wanted me to. As her coven would’ve.”

“You mean raising them to kill each other in twenty years?”

“Not that,” Ric grimaces, “but training them to control their magic.”

Bonnie understands, but she also knows if Ric had that book any longer, the twins would not have survived today’s encounter with Kai. She decides not to say this, though, and focuses on the new bigger issue. “We need to find Damon. Kai will be after him soon.”

◇◇◇◇

Kai reaches the tree lining where you said you’d be. When you’re not there, he panics immediately. He rushes around the area, calls for you, but has no luck. Something went wrong, like he knew it would. Someone hurt you. Or worse, someone is currently hurting you. Anxiety bubbles in his stomach, threatening to make him sick. He curses, hitting himself repeatedly, and as hard as he can.

Suddenly, he feels your soft hand on his face, stroking his cheek. Shhh, you whisper, you’re okay.

He looks up, but you’re not there. Anger turns to sadness. Tears form in the corners of his eyes, spilling quickly. Even in your absence, you’re there for him. You never let him hurt himself. 

But now someone’s hurting you. And he’s going to make them pay. 

◇◇◇◇

It’s like a flip switches in his brain. You’ve softened him, made him vulnerable to emotions, unafraid to let himself feel. But the minute you’re gone - worse, in danger - the flip turns on and he recognizes his old behavior is out to play. What kept him alive; what sacrificed his sanity for survival. 

He wastes no time getting back to the hotel to do a locator’s spell. Sure, your kidnapper (Damon, probably) has you cloaked somehow, but his coven had ways around tricks like that. In fact, when he was trapped in 1994, he was there with all of the coven’s old grimoires, and could finally read them. You would let him siphon and help him practice the magic he was never taught. Then, in 2013, when the two of you were running from Mystic Falls, you stopped at his old house. All the grimoires you couldn’t access before, Kai now could as the leader. You did the same as you did in the prison world, now learning even more powerful spells. (The two of you would joke that Joshua Parker was yelling up at you from hell whenever you’d let him siphon. The whole reason he sent you to Kai’s prison world when you showed sympathy for the boy is so that he’d hunt you down for your magic and siphon you to death, over and over. Never did he expect the two of you to fall in love and become more powerful than he could ever imagine.)

The memory makes him smile, but also fuels his rage. He needs to find you. Kai spills a small vial of your blood to track you. You both have one of each others’ in case of emergency. A revelation spell and a locator spell at the same time is tough magic, but he is more than capable. It takes longer than he’d like; the revelation spell eats away at the captor’s magic so that a location can be found. If the captor senses their spell weakening, they can fight it. Kai can sense Bonnie’s attempts, but she is no match for an angry, sociopathic, powerful, coven leader who’s looking for the only person he’s ever loved. His eyes darken when the blood moves across the paper, signaling the spot where you’re being kept. He tucks a knife into his boot strap, just in case, before heading out with a vengeance. 

“Kai broke the cloaking spell. I don’t know how, but he’ll be here soon, I’m guessing.”

“How on earth could he have done that?” Damon throws his hands up, “I’ve barely gotten to do anything with her.”

“His magic is strong. He must know a spell that I don’t.”

“Coven spell, no doubt. If only you were part of the less useful coven, we’d be in the clear.”

“Let’s not ruin our half-working team-up with your bitchy comments. And don’t forget who’s saved your ass more times than you could probably count,” Bonnie snarks back. 

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry. Now, can we go back to torturing Y/N for all the shit she let happen to Elena? If Kai’s getting here soon, I need to get in a couple more punches.”

“Fine. I’ll be down in a second.”

Damon retreats to the dungeons immediately, while Bonnie texts Ric to make sure he’s at home. Last thing they need is for Kai to have a second chance at those twins because their father is feeling bloodthirsty. When he responds, she goes down to give you her own two cents. 

◇◇◇◇

It’s not long after that Kai reaches the Salvatore Boarding House. His stomach churns at the sight of it. He tests the entryway, but walks in with no give, letting him explore the seemingly uninhabited house. That, or they’re hiding somewhere. If the Salvatore house has a secret basement, Kai’s about to find out. He treads lightly, not wanting to let anyone know he’s there, and listening for anything that might be you. It’s eerie. There’s no screaming, no yelling, and no fighting. Almost like you’re gone. Like they found a way to… no, he can’t think like that. You’re alive. You’re just saving your strength. You’re immortal; they can’t kill you. Kai repeats this over and over in his head. Then, when he listens harder, he finally picks something up. The faintest rustling of chains far below catch his ear. He stiffens, then races around the top floor to find the basement door. 

At the sound of a vampire up ahead, Damon goes to confront it. His jaw tenses when he’s faced with Kai once more. 

“You,” he spits. 

“That all you can come up with, Damon? I thought in two years, you’d be able to come up with something better.”

“You’re not the one doing the talking here, I am.”

“Great. Good for you. Where’s Y/N?”

The man only smirks. 

“If you hurt her, I swear I’ll fucking kill you.”

“What’s this? Kai Parker showing affection? Nah. You said it yourself - you’re not capable of feeling those emotions.” Before Kai can answer, he continues. “Me, on the other hand, I am. And you’ve put my girlfriend in a coma and I can’t see her. So you’ll never see Y/N again if you don’t-”

“What? Bring her back? I already told you I can’t.”

“Leave.”

“What?”

“Leave town if you ever want to see her again. I never, ever want you in Mystic Falls again.”

“I’m not going anywhere without her.”

“Fine. Leave, and in two days’ time, I’ll drop her off outside the town border. You can come get her there and fuck off to wherever you want.”

“You’ve got to be crazy if you think I’d leave her with you. Where is she?”

“Somewhere safe.”

“Yeah, I doubt that.”

A new voice enters the room, “just promise you’ll leave, Kai. We’ll give her to you now if you promise you’ll never come back.”

“You guys act like I even want to be here. I don’t. We only came back because Alaric stole my family’s property. If your idiot friend had a couple more brain cells, none of this wouldn’t’ve happened.”

“Like I’m supposed to believe that. You were just bored,” Damon strikes back. 

“Actually, I was enjoying my time away from you people. And I didn’t want Y/N anywhere near you guys, either. But she wouldn’t let me come back alone, and I needed that book.” Kai shrugs. “Well, I’ve got the book. Give me my girl, and I will never bother you again.”

“Y’know what’s funny?”

Kai sighs with a roll of the eyes, not wanting to know, but knowing Damon will tell him anyway. 

“I want my girl, too. Yet you’ve put her in a magical coma.”

“Just my revenge for you crossing me. Which, by the way, I thought would be enough of a lesson for you to not do it again, Clearly, I’ve been mistaken.” He cocks his head. “Does BonBon here need a magical nap, too? Or maybe one of those twins that seem to have survived?”

“Do not touch those girls!” Bonnie snaps, taking a step forward. 

“Ooh, I’ve hit a nerve! Yeah, um, that could totally happen. Or I could just kill them. Children are weak. They can barely defend themselves. Trust me, I would know.” The woman is fuming, which is only encouraging Kai. “Especially now that I’m a heretic. They wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Alright, enough! Just get out.”

“I’ll be on my way shortly. Point me to your secret dungeon, will you?”

With the twins’ lives on the line, Damon knows he shouldn’t push Kai any further. Ric would never forgive him if something happened to them. Which is saying something, because Ric has forgiven Damon repeatedly for his shitty actions. However, that doesn’t mean Damon can’t taunt Kai about the shit he’s put you through in the span of just a couple hours. 

“I’ll bring you to her, but I understand if you’d want to leave her behind. She isn’t very pretty anymore.”

The threat has Kai’s heart racing. His comedic chat with the pair is officially over, and he’s now dead set on getting you out of wherever he’s keeping you. He’s down the stairs and yelling for you as soon as Damon opens the basement door. “Y/N? Are you down here?”

Another small rattle of chains is heard in the darkness. He flips on a light, and finally sees you at the end of the hallway. 

“Oh my god.” He races towards you, choking back a sob at your mangled state. Your hands, bound in chains above your head. Your exposed neck, bleeding from a bite wound, with blood seeping down your shirt. Your hair is matted and eyes are heavy. It takes you a second to recognize him. 

At first, you flinch, thinking the person beside you is your captor. “Don’t,” you mutter. 

Kai’s heart shatters. “It’s me, princess.”

Instantly, your demeanor changes. Your head lifts so you can look him in the eyes. “Kai?”

He puts his hands on your face. “Yes, baby, I’m here. I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.” He leans in to give you a quick kiss, but then pulls away to break the chains holding you still.

You reach for him the minute your hands are free, and immediately begin to sob. “You found me,” you repeat over and over, “how did you find me?”

“Couple spells. I’m sorry they took so long. Fuck, here, sit up.” 

As soon as you do, he bites his wrist and feeds you his blood. You drink willingly and feel yourself already starting to heal. 

“Awww, how touching. Kai’s learned how to show love.”

“Damon, get the hell out of here,” the man warns, already pissed. 

“This is my house. You get out.”

“She needs a moment to heal first. Since you hurt her!” 

The switch is turning back off, you can see it in Kai’s eyes. Not his humanity switch - he doesn’t even need that one - but something much more dangerous. 

“Kai,” you start to warn, just wanting to leave. 

Damon eggs him on, “oh please, it was deserved. Actually, she deserved a lot more, considering how she’s defended you through all the fucked up shit you’ve done.”

“Just let us go, Damon. We won’t come back,” you try to argue. 

“Yeah, that’s the plan. Except, I like my original plan over Bonnie’s. Kai, you leave, and in two days’ time, I’ll deliver her back to you. Because I haven’t quite gotten my revenge, and I need to take my anger out on someone.”

“There’s no way in hell that that’s happening.”

“Then I could just lock you both up. That would work.”

“You’re not getting either of us,” he insists. He throws one of your arms around his shoulders and begins to guide you out the door. You stumble a little from the way your heels were slightly off the ground in the way you were bound. 

Damon blocks the door. “Nice try.”

“Get out of the way, Damon.”

“Fine. Your funeral.”

Kai’s not sure what he means, but he doesn’t really care. He helps you up the stairs and towards the door. 

Unfortunately, the main exit is blocked by three huge men. When Kai makes an attempt to get close, they hiss at him, veins in their face turning purple. 

“Oh yeah. Like my little surprise?”

“What is this?” Kai asks through clenched teeth.

“Just an extra challenge for you to fight your way through. See, you could leave without her, and not have to fight three massive vampires compelled to kill you, or you could die at their hands trying to save a girl. Imagine that,” Damon snorts. Kai then realizes Bonnie has joined his side. “Big Bad Malachai Parker dies in the Salvatore house in an attempt to save a girl. That would be quite the headline, I can see it already.”

“What happened to the days you used to kill for sport?” Bonnie pipes up. 

“I would never hurt her, you idiots should know that by now. We’ve been through hell together. She would never abandon me, and I sure as hell won’t abandon her.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember your love story. Five years in the prison world together because she just had to piss off Joshua Parker. Was it worth it, Y/N? Talking back to his dear old daddy and getting stuck in the same hell? Because I wouldn’t be surprised if you secretly hate Kai for all the shit he’s pulled.”

Despite your abused state, you manage to straighten your posture to look him in the eye. “It was worth every second, Damon. I love Kai, and I would do it again and again to be with him.”

“That’s some blind devotion, I’d say.”

“Well what’s the difference between us and you and Elena? You both are a complete menace to the world, and yet continue to think your relationship is more valuable than anyone else’s life. I’d think you would agree with me, Bonnie.”

The girl hesitates to answer. Damon snaps, “don’t listen to her bullshit, Bonnie. She knows what to say to make you doubt yourself. Remember the wedding. Remember Elena. Your best friend, comatose, in a coffin. You’ll never see her again.” He smirks as he sees his manipulation working. “Go ahead, BonBon, show her she’s no match for your power. Do it for Elena. Do it for revenge.”

Revenge is the only word she needed to hear to suddenly fire a spell at you. It hits you square in the chest, knocking you off balance. Kai loses his grip on your shoulder at the unexpected move, and in that moment, Damon grabs you. His teeth threaten your neck on the side he’s not yet bitten. Any more blood loss and you might end up in a temporary coma. 

Kai’s eyes darken in pure rage and he shoots his own spell at Bonnie. It stuns her only for a second, but it’s long enough for him to push Damon off of you. You stumble out of the way as they tussle on the ground, both throwing punches like young boys rather than vampires. The method keeps Kai on top, though, more used to fighting this way. In one of his punches, Damon grabs his arm and bites down, but your boyfriend has become blind to pain and doesn’t even react. He pulls a knife from his bootstrap and doesn’t hesitate to plunge it into the man’s stomach. Damon releases a guttural scream of pain, seemingly waking Bonnie from a trance.

When she regains her bearings, she positions a spell to shoot at you. “Phasmatos I-”

Kai leaps up at the first syllable and attacks her. A punch hard enough to blacken the eye lands on her face. He then gains control of her head, locking it in his arm, while exposing her neck. “One more word,” he breathes heavily, out of breath, “and you’re dead.” He nips her skin, drawing a small bit of blood as a warning. 

“Kai,” Damon groans from the floor. “Don’t touch her.”

“You fucking hurt my girl. I told you not to do that.”

Under his grip, Bonnie sweats in fear. She holds back a whine.

Across from him, you hold onto the bookshelf to keep yourself on your feet. “Kai, don’t,” you mutter, coughing. 

He looks up at you, expressionless. “If I don’t hurt them, they’ll hurt you again.”

You look at Damon, rolling on the floor in pain. “I think they’ve learned their lesson this time. C’mon, baby, we have a chance to escape.”

“Princess, they need to pay for what they did to you.”

“And they are. Kai, you’ve beaten them. Beaten them at their own game. They thought they could take me from you? Wrong. Thought they could convince you to leave me? Wrong. Thought they could overpower us? Also wrong. We’re two of the strongest beings on this earth; they’re like ants compared to us. So let’s show them they can’t stop us, can’t control us, and get the fuck out of here. Let them wallow in their misery that you beat them not once, not twice, but three times. And let them think about how you protected me the entire time, despite whatever they think about me, or you, or our love. How’s that sound?”

Kai’s softened by your words, but his grip on Bonnie doesn’t let up. You smile at him, encouraging him to leave with you. Then, with a deep breath, he drops the witch to the ground and races towards the vampires guarding the door. Adrenaline rushes through him, making him able to kill them one-by-one with almost no fight. Their attempts to defend themselves are feeble and pointless. He strikes at their bodies, feeds on their blood, and throws them to the floor. 

When the last is bleeding out on the Salvatores’ expensive carpet, he finally looks up. Your boyfriend’s covered in blood and his eyes are black with rage, but you feel no fear. Instead, you rush towards him and collapse in his arms. The blood from his clothes drenches your own, and you smile at the parallel. 

“Kai,” you mutter.

“Yes, princess?”

“It’s just like the wedding. You, fighting for us. Me, so, so proud of you. Us, bound together in blood.” You pull away to kiss him deeply. “I love you so fucking much.”

“I love you, too, baby. Let me get you to safety, okay?”

You nod and let him pick you up bridal style. The last thing you see before he races off is the entryway, decorated in blood and fallen bodies. You lock eyes with both Bonnie and Damon, their faces full of anger and defeat. A smirk forms on your lips, and then you’re gone. 

◇◇◇◇

It’s nearly two days later that you wake up, your body exhausted from everything that happened. Your capabilities as an immortal witch unfortunately don’t include vampire-quick healing, so after Damon’s tricks and torture, you needed time to recover. 

Kai’s right there beside you, though, when you do open your eyes. He’s perched on a chair, watching you intently, with his knee bouncing at a rapid pace. The moment you come to your senses, he leans forward to cup your face in his hands. 

“Princess? How are you feeling?”

It takes you a second to reply, but after a yawn, you smile up at him. “Good. Nap was much needed. How long was I out?”

“Almost two days.”

“What?! Are we still in Mystic Falls? Has anyone come looking for us?”

“Shhh, it’s okay. Take a deep breath. Yes, we’re still here, but no, no one’s come. We’re safe.”

You listen to him and calm down a little, but your mind is still racing. “But isn’t Ric going to come for you? Or Damon? Or-?”

“No, baby, I think you scared them off,” he smirks, “reminding them that we’re two of the most powerful beings? That letting them live is a mercy? They won’t be bothering us anytime soon.”

“Well it’s the truth,” you relax, “you could’ve easily killed them, Kai. I’m proud of you that you didn’t.”

“I would have if you didn’t convince me otherwise,” he admits. 

“Don’t beat yourself up for it. I can see your improvements.”

The words are touching to him. So badly does he want to be good for you; more in control of his rage and less likely to make choices without thinking about them. You started encouraging the healthy behavior when you started dating, and have helped him with it ever since. The wedding was an exception of rightful anger, though. The Mystic Falls’ gang’s betrayal was severe, and you couldn’t blame your boyfriend for his outburst. But in smaller situations where a better option is available, Kai’s learning to take it instead of the more vicious route. 

“I, um, I was worried there for a second, Y/N.” You sit up straighter on the bed to give him your full attention. He licks his lips before continuing. “When I got to the house, it was completely silent. I was afraid they’d… I don’t know, found a way to, y’know… or hurt you so badly that you couldn’t get out, or escape, or…” 

“Hey, hey, baby, come here,” taking his hand, you guide him into the bed. He curls up beside you, head on your chest. “There’s no amount of hurt they could’ve done to me that you wouldn’t’ve been able to undo. Like I told them, they only got us because they caught me by surprise. But when it comes down to it, we will always win.” You run a hand through his hair and feel him relax. “This is why it was so quiet, Kai. I knew you’d find me, and I knew you’d give ‘em hell. Was just saving my strength so I could help in the end. That’s all.”

He presses a feather-light kiss to the exposed part of your chest. “Thank you for believing in me.”

“I always will. I trust you with my life, because I am yours.” Despite your boop on his nose, you hope to rile him up with the words. 

A moment later, he shifts. “Say that again.”

“I am yours, Kai.”

He swallows audibly hard. For a second, it’s silent, and you wonder what’s going through his head. Right when you open your mouth to speak, he jumps up to straddle your waist. 

“Hi,” you say, surprised. You can’t hold back the giggle, nor the blush, at seeing him on top of you. 

“Hi, princess.” Lips attach to your collarbone, kissing along it. A fluttering feeling begs for more and you dig your hands into his hair. He picks up on your needs immediately. Hands grip your sides as he starts to suck the skin until it’s purple. You buck your hips up into his, rolling your eyes in pleasure when he lets out a moan. Finally then does he kiss your lips. With a hunger, he kisses you deeply. He bites your lower lip and tastes the blood produced from it. 

“Kai!” You giggle.

He smiles down at you, a drop of your blood on his mouth. You swipe your finger along it, then let him suck it off. The fluttering grows, and your heart is thumping out of your chest. 

“I need you, Kai.”

He teases, “what was that?”

“I said I need you.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over your giggling, baby girl. What did you say?”

“Malachai! I need you to fuck me!”

His eyes darken and jaw tenses. You know you got to him. Whether it was the full name or the language you used, you’re not sure, but there’s no going back now. 

You breathe deeply as he moves his hand from your waist to your mouth, maintaining eye contact the whole time. He slips two fingers past your lips and nods for you to suck, then dips his fingers below your panties, finding your clit. Your eyes roll back in your head at the feeling, and you buck your hips again for more. 

“Who do you belong to, princess?”

“You.”

“Good girl.”

In one fell swoop, he uses his vampire speed to undress you. 

“C-can I?” You stutter, grabbing at his shirt. 

He nods. You waste no time pulling it over his head, then fumbling with his belt. Kai lets you shrug his pants down as far as you can, before he kicks them off himself and sends them to the floor. You make a grab for his visible bulge next, but miss as he sinks his body down onto yours, grinding into your leg. A quiet moan soon becomes vulgarly loud when he licks a stripe up from your navel to your breasts. In a frenzy to hold onto something, your hands find his hair again, fingers digging deep. He teases your nipples with his tongue, always loving the way they bounce. He does this every time you have sex, but you’re not complaining. His mouth upon your soft skin is a heavenly feeling. It relaxes both of you. 

But this isn’t the time for relaxing. You need him to fuck you. 

After a minute, you take charge. You suddenly flip him over so you’re on top, then waste no time stripping him of his boxers. As soon as he realizes what’s happening, Kai tries to fight. He tries to gain control again, but fails when you grab his cock in your hands. You spit on it and watch his head fall back on the pillow. Your victory is cut short when he sees the smirk on your lips. 

“I thought I owned you, princess.”

“I thought you did, too. But it was pretty easy to take over,” you challenge. 

“You’re playing with fire.”

“Come on, put me in my place, then.” 

You put your mouth on him the second he tries to sit up. 

“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath. 

Kai is rendered unable to fight you with your mouth around his cock. You start at the tip, teasing and sucking the slit, before taking him a little deeper each try. With one hand, you’re holding him down, while the other tugs on his balls. Used to his size, you only gag the first time that you take him fully. He moans every time your tongue runs along the thick vein on his underside, or whenever his head hits the back of your throat. 

It isn’t long before you can tell he’s close. Small tears escape the sides of his eyes and he’s a blubbering, begging mess. You debate making him wait to cum - making him fuck you first - but then his cock twitches and you know he’s not going to last that long. Besides, he’s a heretic. He’ll be hard again in two minutes tops. 

You pull off just for a minute. “Cum for me, Kai.” Then go right back to it, humming to send him over the edge. 

The vibration moves through him at the exact time he releases, shooting down your throat. He pants heavily when he’s finished, and you can’t help but to lean forward and kiss him. 

“I’m the only one that’ll ever get to fuck you,” you whisper against his lips. “Because I’m yours. Now show me how you feel about that, hm?”

Kai doesn’t know if he’s ever been more turned on in his life. He flips you onto your back immediately and holds you down by your shoulders. His tip teases your entrance, hardening again already. 

“I’m the only one that’s ever gonna fuck you, too. You’re mine. No one can look at you. No one can touch you. You’re all mine.” He slips into you without warning, making your eyes roll back in your head. “I’m never gonna let anyone hurt you again. Never gonna be away from me. You’re not gonna be two seconds out of my sight.” He’s pounding into you, finding a rhythm quickly. “Fuck, Y/N. I fucking love you.” Every emotion is seemingly pouring out of him, and you let him say what he needs to say. You love it, and love that he’s finding an outlet in you in this moment. “You’re so fucking sexy under me, and on top, and the other day, fighting for me without hesitation. Putting them in their places, and then letting them live with the fact that they lost. And you’re so hot when you’re covered in their blood. When your eyes are dark with rage. Everything you do is hot.” 

Underneath you, the hotel bed is shaking. Kai puts his arm under your neck, stabilizing you in the off-chance it breaks. His other hand finds your clit again, rubbing how he knows you like it. You can feel him deep inside, and even see a bulge in your stomach. He takes a break in his praise, leaving the only noises to be obscene sounds of sex. 

“I love you, Y/N,” he repeats, getting sloppy. His kisses are wet and messy all over your face. He’s close again, and you are too.

“I love you, too. Kai,” you moan out, “I fucking love you. I belong to you, and I always will.”

Kai repositions his body to try and gain back control. Being close to the edge seems to give his cock a mind of its own. In the midst of this, he hits a spot that sends pleasure throughout your body. A loud moan escapes your parted lips. He’s quick to press a kiss to them, silencing you. 

“I’m the only one that gets to hear you moan,” his breath hits your face at the proximity. You’re so close. “Cum for me, princess.”

That’s all you need to lose control. Your body shakes throughout your orgasm, and you would’ve moaned again if he weren’t kissing you. Your hands grip his shoulders, the sheets, his hair, anything that you can grab in the moment. They finally land on his waist, and you sigh heavily at the feeling of his soft skin under your fingers. 

Kai cums a second later, groaning into your mouth. He keeps his cock buried inside you as he fills you up, preventing any of it from spilling. Sweat beads at his forehead. He won’t be able to keep himself upright for much longer. As soon as he finishes, he collapses beside you, panting heavily. 

You feel his cum leaking out of you, and can’t help but to swipe a fingerful into your mouth. His eyes are on you the whole time, offering you a lopsided smile. 

“You’re perfect,” he praises. 

“I love you, Kai.”

“I love you.” He turns to you. Effects of his high are still there, but you can tell his mood has changed to something softer. “You’re mine, Y/N, but you’re also your own person. Like you taught me, people are something we love, not own.”

If it’s even possible for you to fall more in love with him, you just did. “I know. But it’s why we love each other so much that we belong to each other.”

He kisses you again, completely satiated. “Princess?”

“Mhm?”

“We’ve got each other. We’ve got this stupid Gemini book. What do you say we get the fuck out of Mystic Falls for good?”

“I’d like that very much. I’ll go anywhere with you, love.”

[interdimensionalpancakes]

frieren: the power of bonds through the ages

I love how peaceful this show feels. There's no shouting, there's no inner monologue during battle scenes. it's quiet, peaceful, mature and introspective.

This is easily the best show I've seen in a while.

frieren is all about bonds through a perspective of someone immortal. On the outside, being immortal doesn't warrant change, but this show challenges that notion, with frieren changing her views on life through her bonds with others. At first, she's an apathetic figure who only knows life as a recluse or battling demons, but through the love of her friends in the hero party/ her new friends Fern/ Stark, she is able to grow emotionally, seeking a life that is filled with adventure beyond her slow paced life beforehand.

Her journey to understand the fragility of life compared to her immortal and long life is why I think it's the best anime of spring 2024. So many people in her life left her tokens as a symbol of enduring and endearing love so she would never forget her humanity in her lengthy life:

himmel: he created statues of him everywhere they went so she won't forget that she was loved/ so she wouldn't be lonely when he's gone and that he loved her beyond death. He knew he couldn't be with her for a fraction of her life, since a 100 years for her is like a month of something, but the statues outlived him and it was a way for him to be with her if she ever felt lonely. Sad that he never believed that he left a lasting impact on her though, when he basically shaped the person she is today. T-T

heiter/ eisen: founded pupils to accompany frieren now that they are too old to go on adventures with her.

flamme: left her a last token to talk to the dead, knowing that one day she would come to terms with the relationships she forged in life and give her a second chance to talk to the dead something she couldn't say when they were alive.

In a way, they never left the living. Even if they're all gone, Frieren will never forget about them and their impact on her.

The feels are strong with this show. I don't even mind waiting two years for the next season if it means the next season will have the same animation and writing caliber.

P.S. demons in this show are the antithesis of frieren who struggles to express typical human affection gestures, demon words are empty, survivalistic and not sincere. Whereas Frieren is always sincere, seeks for the best outcome that will save the most lives and are full of heart for the people around her.

Even if she has a solitary personality, she ended up forming strong bonds with the people around her because she truly seeks nothing from life than the simple pleasures like finding grimoires and the adventures. That's why all of her memories are hardly action packed, they're memories of the simple, quiet moments talking to her friends, watching meteor shows and stuff. And that's how life should be: simple and spent with the people you love.

[earthlightwitch]

🎃WITCH-TOBER💐

hey witches (or whatever term you prefer!)! the spookiest season is fast approaching, and so i wanted to put together a little list of something witchy you can do for each day of our favourite month! majority are low key, and feel free to do all, some or none of the activities - whatever suits you best, this is just a fun way to introduce witchcraft into your month.

do a tarot/oracle/rune/etc spread for the month of october (i’ll post a “new month spread” very soon!)

write out your goals for the month - witchy and not. maybe you want to try journaling more frequently, meditation, going for walks, drinking more water or cooking some meals at home!

write about a new topic in your grimoire/BoS - this could be a topic you’ve been interested in for a while or something totally left field. you never stop learning as a witch!

try learning about your ancestors. this can be hard for many (difficult family relations, not knowing biological families, the like), however if you can find a family name that’s always a great place to start!

spend time in nature/connecting to nature spirits. going and talking to the trees is so incredibly beneficial, especially if you need to talk about something you feel you can’t open up to a person about. the trees, the ocean, the forest and the mountains are always happy to listen to us

create a new candle - sounds hard, but it’s a lot easier than you think! i love making seasonal candles by taking a store bought, plain candle, then dressing it with oil and some herbs. bonus points for using herbs associated with fall/spring (depending on where you live!)

do a manifestation spell with the waxing moon! this can be as elaborate as a full ritual, or as simple as writing your manifestations on a bay leaf/piece of paper and burning it.

witch-ify your beverages! adding intention into your coffee, tea, water or any other drink you prefer is super effective witchcraft! you can also add things to your drink, such as honey for attraction, cinnamon for abundance, or sugar for sweetness (taste wise too)!

i’m really big on cooking seasonally, so if you can, try and cook or bake (even just throw together some things into a sandwich!) using some seasonal ingredients (i.e, pumpkins, root vegetables, stuff like that) in a meal today

happy full moon! don’t forget to cleanse and recharge your crystals, decks, and of course, yourself today. maybe put out some water to creat some moon water!

refresh your altar if you have one - maybe give it a good wipe down with some moon water (or just normal water!), cleanse it and redecorate it however you like

create a new sigil today, either creating one of your own design or using an online generator (like this one!) for prosperity, abundance, protection, whatever you like! use in your craft however it suits you

do some shadow work - i recently posted a 30 days of shadow work challenge, so you could try a prompt from that list or any you find!

try giving an offering to a deity, ancestor or spirit you work with or are wanting to connect to. this can be as simple as offering a portion of your food to them, or an entire ritual dedicated to them - whatever works best for you!

look into your astrology! if you’ve never looked at your chart before, there are lots of different websites that can do it such as this one, and they’ll give you a pretty in-depth dissection of your chart!

cleanse your space - either with a smoke method, sound, a spray, or visualisation!

try doing some mindful movement - this can also work as a meditative practice! this includes walking, yoga, running, or weight training. set your intention first, then see how you go!

find out some local lore of the town you live in! it’s often a lot more interesting than you think. i also love to learn about local native plants in my area that i can then use in my craft!

refresh any wards your have set up if you have them, or if you don’t, now is a great time to set one up! they can be very simple or complex depending on the method you choose, and there are several great posts on here about them!

as the moon wanes (gets smaller!), now is the perfect time to do some releasing. write anything you want to let go of - people, things, attachments, etc. - on a piece of paper and burn it or otherwise dispose of it

read a new witchy book - don’t sleep on your local libraries! there’s also plenty of pdf books about witchcraft topics online if you can’t get your hands on

make a spell jar! this kind of magick is super fun, relatively simple, and can be done quickly with items you already have. any jar is suitable, such as the jar from your pasta sauce, not just the aesthetic ones you see on tiktok! add your ingredients along with your intent, seal with wax from a candle and set it wherever suits the intention.

practice some grounding. place your bare feet on some soil or grass, or even hold some soil if you don’t have access to natural ground today. visualise roots growing from the centre of the earth towards you, and from the centre of you towards the earth. see them intertwine and let mother earth ease your physical, spiritual, and mental struggles, pain or heavy emotions

visit a cemetery if you have one close by. you don’t need to go to one holding someone you know, it’s still just as meaningful to visit a new one you’ve never been to (a post soon coming on what to do when visiting a graveyard!)

put together a witchy playlist! this can be for your walk or to start your day, to listen whilst you practice/divine, or just to play to help you feel a bit better. if you don’t want to make your own, you can always just listen to one someone else has curated!

make a cleansing scrub - all you really need is some salt (medium-ground works well for scrubs!), any oil of your choosing, and some herbs if you choose. make sure anything you add is body safe!!! set your intention whilst using and allow the scrub to cleanse away any spiritual “dirt” you’ve accumulated

enchant a piece of jewellery! can be a ring, a necklace, bracelet, a pair of earrings, or even bobby pins used in your hair

write a gratitude list. get specific and write as many individual things as you can!

reflect on the goals you wrote down at the start of the month. have you achieved them? why/why not? is there something you achieved that you didn’t write down that you’re proud of?

do some protection magick. the spirit/earthly worlds are growing closer now, so some extra protection can never hurt!

happy Samhain/Beltane/Halloween! the veil is thin today, so now is the perfect time to reach out to spirits (safely of course!) and try a (potentially new) form of divination!

i hope this gives you some ideas for witchy things to do this month! just as a reminder, your craft is so personal to you, please don’t let me or anyone else ever tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing in your craft (unless you’re taking from closed practices - DONT DO THAT). never feel bad for not having the energy or not being able to partake in a certain activity. you are always a witch, no matter how you practice.

love always, taylah. 🤍

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

Bonus Prompt - Seasonal Magic

Okay everyone, with the changing of the seasons and an eclipse on the way, let’s take a look at the different seasons and how they influence our practices. If you feel so inclined, make a page for each individual season, or if you can fit all you’re going to put on the page on a single page, just do one.

What does each individual season mean to you on a personal level? What does each one represent?

Do the seasons influence the kind of magic you can/ do perform?

Do you have certain rituals that only happen in each season?

What associations does each season have? Animals, tools, plants, feelings, everything!

What months/ days encompass these seasons?

How do the transitional periods between the seasons influence you and your practice? When are the transitional periods? What marks the transitions between them?

What kinds of activities do you do, both magical and mundane, that pertain to each season and how do these influence your perception of each season?

Are there myths, legends or deities that you associate with each season?

Any information you can find about the seasons, anything you feel or know about the seasons, add it to your grimoire, your repository of knowledge!

Good luck and happy crafting!

-Mod Hazel

[thehazeldruid]

2024 Grimoire Challenge

The 2024 Grimoire Challenge blog has been made! I’m still working on finalizing it. And will begin posting a few things on there over the next couple months. With the prep work posts beginning in December!

Give it a follow @2024-grimoire-challenge

[jasper-pagan-witch]

2024 Grimoire Challenge Review - January Week 1

Well, I had to wait until Wednesday to get out of the house and get a binder and some paper for my challenge grimoire this year, so I basically speedran all of the December prep and the first week of January, because I will never learn and never improve on this habit of mine.

Keeping in line with other grimoires I've used in the past (such as the Epsilon Ledger and the Delta Book of Tarot Spreads), this red binder has been named the Eta Binder. I wrote down my proper name (let's go, trans mages!), tacked @2024-grimoire-challenge onto it to remind myself that that's what we're doing, and gave it a date of working. Since I started on Wednesday, that's 1/3/2024 (because I'm an American) to an unknown end date.

I had to scramble to come up with a list of 52 plants and stones to work on. I just went through the list of herbs and teas offered by my local ("local" being half an hour away) spice shop and capped it off with some Missouri flowers. For the stones, I just flipped through Judy Hall's Crystal Bible (somehow both a really good and really bad reference book) back and forth a bunch of times until I had a list of crystals I hadn't already done dives about.

As for my magical study ideas, I mostly just threw shit down that I've been interested in or have just gotten interested in. I gave each deity I worship their own bulletpoint and also split up the specific areas of pop culture magic I'm digging more into. I made sure there was a blend of comfortable old stuff, brand new stuff that I'm not sure of, and things that are generally outside of my purview.

Through the power of "work had too many 3-ring binder dividers", I have split my binder into seven sections - 1 is Plants, 2 is Stones, 3 is Work-Related Notes, 4 is Spells Designed (if I complete any, they'll be moved into my spell binder that also houses all of my correspondence lists), 5 if Journal, 6 is currently blank, and 7 is Empty Pages.

Then I finally got started on the actual projects. For the plant and crystal prompts this week, I used an integer generator online to choose two numbers randomly and received caraway (aka Carum carvi) and muscovite (aka KAl2(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2), so I used my normal research process for the two. It was actually pretty fun, if you ignore the fact that my hand hurt so much because it ended up being 4 pages (well, 2 pages but front and back) EACH of information drawn from books and digital sources that I was all but copying word for word.

As for the Work-Related Notes, that's where I've saved things like my Definitions page, Spellwriting 101 (in my practice), and a page about my Common Tools.

I will admit that I skipped the year outline, mostly because the passing of the year means near nothing in my craft. I don't celebrate any particular "magical holidays", I don't work by the moon cycle, I'm definitely not Wiccan and thus don't celebrate the Wheel of the Year, seasons just mean whether or not I have to wear a coat, and I don't care about matching particular workings to days of the week. I'm starting to think I'm just a deeply boring person, upon reflection.

Then we get to the Work Spaces / Altars page, and oh boy! I don't actually do...workings at my altars, so they're probably better described as shrines. I have my Primary Work Space (my wooden desk, the metal microwave stand I've stolen from somewhere, and the tiny red bookshelf under the microwave stand) that is an absolute MESS at every given point that holds whatever the fuck I'm working on, regardless of what project it is. I have a Thoughtform & Spirit Shelf (which is actually a partial shelf) in my big red bookshelf that holds the anchors for my thoughtforms but also my PokeFamiliar. I have five altars around my room that are currently holding seven deities, a candle for an eighth deity, the Lokifam, three spirits, the Unknown Benefactor, the symbol of an animal spirit I want to reach out to at some point this year, and Jasper's Casper (an adorable little ghost that my coworker and her daughter crocheted for me to celebrate the first anniversary of me working at the library).

Shit's a bit cramped in here!

And today, I'm writing about my Personal Practices that have made it into my craft. I'm actually working on this now, but I paused to write up this summary. It's pretty neat to think about all the stuff I've done that I still do.

Results: My hand hurts and my head is throbbing, but c'est la vie. This is a really fun challenge, and I hope it goes all the way through 2024, unlike when I tried to do the 2023 challenge and the host of that one vanished into the aether.

[markedbyfireandash]

2024 Grimoire Challenge: January Week 2

Not sharing the other prompts simply because they're too personal.

Journal: Magic

This diagram from my journals probably has the best explanation of what magic is to me, without having to go and write a whole dissertation about it.

Journal: What Is a Witch?

A witch is a person who practices witchcraft and is identified, either by their community or by themselves, as a witch.

In current times, we recognize that the term has been historically used to persecute and ostracize people for their social status, gender, religion, mental health, and even knowledge and wealth, and thus place importance on self-identification. We do not call a person a witch unless they have chosen to call themselves one. This is a title that not only still invites danger and ostracization, but fulfills a specific cultural role.

However, I don't want to ignore the social and historical aspect of being a witch. It is a term applied to a person a community wants to other and dehumanize, but also a term used for someone who is already in some way marked as different from their community, yet still fulfills a particular role. More importantly, the things considered as 'witchcraft' can vary from culture to culture, and from community to community. Often, it is whatever is considered 'transgressive' and defiant of social norms and values. Baneful magic is witchcraft, because the survival and well-being of an individual is the well-being of the whole community. Consorting with wild, unknown spirits is witchcraft, because the dominant religion in the area only allows interaction with their own spirits. And so on and so forth.

In a more woo style: a witch is someone who exists at the edges of normative worldviews, at the intersection between known and unknown, who flits between both yet lives in neither.

(Goetic Common Sense by Frater Acher has a description of witch, the goes, that really resonated with me.)

Journal: Why Are You a Witch?

Desperation and a hungering for power, agency, and control. I was a lone, guttering flame, and when it found me I learned that what I thought was the sky had only been a ceiling of stone.

To be direct - did witchcraft out of desperation. Continued doing witchcraft because it's fun, interesting, and very fulfilling.

[n1ghtm4r3-p01s0n]

What Video Games I think Jigsaw and the Apprentices would play

Adam - Grand Theft Auto series. He regularly plays GTA Online with Amanda (he is better skilled at driving and Amanda is more skilled at shooting). Sometimes he convinces Lawrence to join. Adam switches between Michael and Franklin when in story mode the most. Adam likes using mods, ReShade and taking far too many screenshots.

Lawrence - Animal Crossing: New Horizons. After a tough day at work and knowing what John does, I doubt Lawrence is big into violent video games. Even then, video games aren't his thing. He only picked up AC:NH cause he likes the cozy vibes. Sometimes, when Diana misses him, he visits her island and they hang out together.

Amanda - DOOM Eternal and the Hitman series. This is the reason she's a sharp shooter in GTA. She loves DOOM and Hitman cause you get to shoot up bad guys to awesome music while bettering the world. Also, she loves doing wacky challenges with the Hitman games (kill everyone while wearing a clown suit also her only weapon is a giant tuna fish).

Lynn - Nintendogs and Cats for the 3DS. She got it originally for Corbette but became infatuated with it herself. It's part of the reason she really wants to get a pet. She got Amanda a 3DS and forced her to make a Mii so that when Lynn takes her virtual pet for a walk she sometimes stumbles into Amanda.

Peter - Hitman series, Metal Gear series and Detective Grimoire series. Peter has always loved media about detectives and stealth and shit. Where Amanda is silly with Hitman, Peter is dead serious. Metal Gear was the series he played as a kid, and Detective Grimoire was just a random flash game he found one day and became shocked to learn it had its own series of video games.

Mark - Party Hard, Dead by Daylight, GTA 5 and Outlast. Mark likes games where he plays as a killer, much to everyone else's concern. He plays mainly as Trevor in GTA 5. He mains Leatherface in Dead by Daylight. He mains them both cause they are both "berserk psychos with crazy weapons".

John - Pokemon, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and The Sims. John doesn't like violent video games. Period. In Pokemon, he usually sticks to Pokemon that look like cats and dogs. His favourite AC villager is Sprinkles, and he cries whenever one of his Sims dies.

Jill - Like Lawrence, she's not a big video game person. However, Corbette and Diana have both convinced her to play games with them. As their adoptive grandma, she obliges. She prefers stuff like Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Wii Sports Resort. Just cause it's nice, chill and casual.

BONUS: THE KIDS

Diana - Love Nikki, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Untitled Goose Game. She likes being creative and causing chaos. Her favourite AC villager is Sable. She loves dressing Nikki up into fantasy princesses (but has also done like rockstar criminals). She likes Untitled Goose Game cause "look at the silly goose".

Corbette - Star Stable, Littlest Pet Shop (DS), Zoo Tycoon, Planet Zoo, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pokemon etc. She really loves animals. Ever since her brother's death, she collects plushies and it was what spawned her love of animals and creatures. She has also played Nintendogs and Cats (3DS) and Breath of the Wild.

[fernthewhimsical]

Original Content Masterpost

A masterpost for all original content (I could find) here on this blog. Some of it is old and doesn't really apply to my path anymore, so please be aware of the dates. In no particular order.

Magic and Spells: Enchanted Spoon rack Burnable Spellboxes Spell Sugars How I made Spellcandles LED Spellcandles I LED Spellcandles II Full Moon Powder See the Truth Poppet Spell Binding and Banishing Jar Pride Witchcraft WarWitch Spellbottle Pendant Imbolc Creativity Spell Litha Spell Samhain Remembrance Sigil Samhain Remembrance Spell Stones for the Cosmic Witch Elemental Bottles Reclaiming Sigil Strength Bindrunes Daily Practice with Sigils

Text Posts: Gender in Witchcraft, pt. 1 Gender in Witchcraft, pt. 2 Write your Witchcraft WYW original questions Travel Altar Challenge MTG cards as oracle deck Birthday Magic Fiction as Shadow work The magic of fabrics

Witch Tips: You’re allowed to have pretty things House Candle Holders Enchant your Keys Snow Globe Home Cleansing Spell Recipe Cards Moonwater Washi Tape Candles Baby Blessing (reply) Save your Apple Seeds

Poetry: Stars Moon phases Nehalennia Find Me, Sister (Baduhenna) Wings

Art Grimoire: Moon phases Moons of the Year Star Stuff Perpetual Wheel of the Year the Festivals Elements Make your Mark Altered Cover My Grimoires

Art: Queer Witch Witchy Self Portrait Botanical BOS cover Travel altar miniature Travel altar miniature 2 Altar Hearth Prayer Beads Sleep Spelljar Magic Mirrors Mini Moonstone Runes Imbolc Greeting Card Autumn and Pronoun Pins Galaxy Drum Labyrinth Travel Altar

Deity: Sources of Dutch deities masterpost Fern’s Introduction to Nehalennia Fern’s Introduction to Cernunnos Fern’s Introduction to Baduhenna Fern’s Introduction to Liyesa Deity Bindrunes Nehalennia Candle Shrine Nehalennia Wood Statue Nehalennia Mood Board Baduhenna: Valkyrie or Dutch Morrigan? Offering Bowl Restoration Baduhenna Mood Board Baduhenna Drawing Cernuna? Liyesa Mood Board Stardew Valley Shrines Cozy Grove Nehalennia Shrine Nemetona and Sacred Space Nemetona Mood Board Elen of the Ways Art Page Arcanua, Dutch deity of magic and the dawn? Journey through the Gods (personal) Dutch Deity Oracle Cards

Personal Practice: (mostly photos) Temple Room (wip) Bedside Altar Spooky Story Time! 2019 Wicker Wolf Shell Collection Litha Altar Self Care Altar Ancestor Altar (reply) Old Altar pic Old Altar tour Leiden Botanical Gardens

[Updated Feb 11th 2023)]