#i've been a garden witch since i was very small! (:

[aesethewitch]

When I was a kid, we moved into a house that had a huge lilac tree out front. It was mostly rotten, and it needed to be taken down before it fell. It took a while, but eventually, it was gone.

Mostly. A couple years later, little lilac babies popped out of the ground in its place. My mom was determined to get rid of them, because she'd planted a beautiful flower garden there, and the lilac trees would overshadow and kill the whole garden. I insisted on saving at least a few saplings. She said fine, but I had to dig them out and put them in pots myself.

So, I did. I spent days digging little lilac bushes out of the ground and putting them into pots. Some couldn't be saved, but some could. When all was said and done, I had five brand-new lilac saplings. Seven or eight years old, and it was my absolute pride and joy.

Three died due to sun scorching, severe drought that no amount of watering could save, and perhaps just being moved from their place in the ground. But two survived, and I was awfully proud of them! I'd go out and talk to them every single day. I watered them by hand and made sure they were fertilized properly. I learned all about their favored environments, and I was determined to make sure they lived.

One of my mom's friends saw what I was doing with the lilacs. She asked if she could have one to put in her backyard, and I agreed on the condition that she take very, very good care of it.

It's now fucking enormous. I'm talking ten feet tall and bursting with beautiful purple flowers every spring. My mom still gets updates each year as they start to bloom, which she forwards to me. And all I can think is, "That's my friend! Thriving some twenty years on, there it is."

The other tree nearly died, too. It lived in a pot for far, far too long. I wanted to plant it somewhere in my parents' yard, but my mom was reluctant. Eventually, we agreed to put it in the far back garden. It grew okay for many years, despite the shade, but in all these years, it's never bloomed.

Last year, the massive tree casting massive shadows over the lilac and the garden cracked in half and fell. It tumbled into the garden, crushing part of the nearby shed and destroying a few plants beneath it.

It missed my lilac by inches.

The clean-up is long done. The rest of the tree has been cut down, and my lilac has full sunlight for the first time in fifteen years. It won't bloom this year, I know. But it's got new shoots up. It's taller than ever. I spent half an hour a few weeks ago praising it for surviving all this time, dreaming about its future and telling it how I believe it'll become the tall beauty it's always been meant to be.

I think next year, I'll see flowers.

[faresong]

eve of the sun.

(spoiler) musings on my design choices below <3

✦ CLAIRE ELFORD —

Oh, my girl... I love her so much. I changed up her design slightly to draw in a gold tone due to my adjustment of her neck accessory: instead, it is part of a earring she was gifted by her grandmother that then broke. Though she doesn't remember why she had it, nor why it was only one of a set, she still holds a lot of sentimental value to it and couldn't bear to throw it out or sell its pieces, instead transforming it into a necklace.

I also gave her boots which, despite their look, are customized to better track up the mountain. These are her personal hiking boots! Additionally, since she lives up there, she has gotten into a few scuffles. While she's learned to hold herself well, there have been times she gets a bit overzealous—and the scar on her face is one of those cases. A nasty rock she was trying to remove had split her lip open and completely dragged down her shoulder before she could hit the floor and regain her standing. Nothing too dramatic, she'd say, but it reminds her to be careful... sometimes :P

Of course, because she's canonically the strongest of the group, I gave her more obvious muscles and fat to pad it out. As I've stated before with her living situation, eating is important to help her keep her strength up—and is also just something she enjoys! There are so many lovely recipes to try out, and before they died, she had loved bringing down ingredients of something new for her adoptive parents to try. They were all fresh, too, from her garden.

Here, despite the timeline regarding typical real-life immigration, I've portrayed her as mixed Indian/Portuguese. Her mother and grandmother were simply Indian immigrants, with Claire as the fourth-generation (Lady Dorothy had taught her Hindi, but with years without practice... she's lost much of it). Unfortunately for them, this was an additional motivator in the main town to persecute them sooner rather than later despite their people settling on the outskirts of Levine's ruling.

✦ SIRIUS GIBSON —

Onto Mr. "Bah!" now... As I've already mentioned, his moon earring is part of a set with Claire as a gift from Lady Dorothy. It was a gift in her hopes of bringing the two closer together.

Now, whether or not that worked out fully, Sirius feels he owes nearly everything to Lady Dorothy. Not only to provide him housing after his parents' demise, but tend to his leg injury wrought from when he'd been nearly crushed in the crowd. Everyone had pushed forward to see the alleged witches' deaths and hadn't cared when he'd fallen—Dorothy was there just in time to act as a barrier of sorts before they'd broken his ankle... but she still ended up crafting a small cane for his use.

As he grew up, however... the cane became more difficult to use. He was taller, and thus he began using Lady Dorothy'd old cane for himself. Whereas she had only needed it for balance, Sirius uses it to offset the pain/pressure on his left leg. Neither cane is pictured here, but it is still a crucial part of how his past pains continue to affect his present life—in a very literal way, albeit.

Due to how cold he tends to run within the mansion, he wears many layers. I've simplified his outfit to simply be: dress shirt, vest, pelerine. The last one is cut from the same cloth as Lady Dorothy's cloak (hence the slight star motif shared in both of their cloaks) and was initially a proper 'cloak' tailored for his younger self, though he still cannot let go of it.

I've added more prominent red to his design to tie in the ruby crest, as well as represent his resentment toward most others. In a literal sense, 'seeing red'—the reasons behind him becoming a demon clear. Unlike Claire who stands for nobility, Sirius cannot allow himself or Lady Dorothy that disgrace of leniency.

One last note: Sirius is portrayed as mixed Bengali/Portuguese. His great-grandparents had been one of the first Portuguese immigrants, with his grandfather brought over as a contracted engineer to figure out the water supply line for this area. He had never been given the chance to learn Bangla, as his mother didn't speak it... but Lady Dorothy had taken time to teach both Sirius and Claire Hindi, and he still reads some of the few books the Elfords had brought over. It's made him feel closer to the family, and he takes great care in trying to refine his language... even if it's difficult without another to practice with. (...I like to imagine, post-Sirius Conclusion, he teaches Claire again. It's only right.)

[miss-starlet]

♡ SKZ Finding Out You Are A Witch ♡

Summary: Maknae line finds out you are a witch, but there is a little twist!

Note: I actually wanted this out before Halloween, but life had other plans haha. Hyung line coming soon!

Warning: Mention of magic, Mention of other magical creatures, A cat familiar in Jeongin's part, Seungmin calls the reader his girlfriend in his part, while reader in Jeongin's part refers to themselves as his girlfriend.

♡Jisung♡

Jisung had his suspicions after dating you for a few months. Everything from you snapping your fingers that turned off the lights to your mysterious moonlit garden activities had raised questions. Plus, you were just too perfect. So, he decided to confide in the only supernatural person he knew.

"I'm telling you, Seungmin, I think, no I KNOW my girlfriend isn't human."

Seungmin, slightly exasperated, responded, "Gather some evidence, until then, I can't help you." He waved Jisung away, clearly too tired to deal with him.

Listening to Seungmin's advice for once in his life, Jisung was going to find out what you were. He followed the worn out cobblestone path to your cottage, hoping to find you there at home. He knocked on your door, and you welcomed him inside.

"What brings you here, baby?" you asked.

"I need to see something," Jisung replied, heading to the kitchen, grabbing a glass, and filling it with water.Jisung had two theories in mind, either you were a witch or a mermaid, since he'd never seen you near water. Not wanting to risk you melting if you are a witch, he cautiously poured a small amount of water on your hand.

You didn't react as expected, so he sighed in defeat, slumping onto the couch. "You know witches don't actually melt when you pour water on them, right? You should have learned that in magic class."

"Haha, very funny," Jisung replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Did my boyfriend fail Supernatural 101?" you teased, pretending to gasp dramatically before falling on the couch next to him.He looked at you, and suddenly, everything fell into place.

You were a witch.

"Sungie, you knew all along, didn't you? If I could tell you were a supernatural creature, then you should have known too."

"Wait, you thought I was like you?" Jisung's eyes widened in shocked.

"Well not a witch, but y'know... a vampire" He shook his head. "A demon then?"

"Nope! 100 percent human!"

"Oh lord, I'm dating a human." You mumbled to yourself.

"So you went to hogwarts?" He said, smiling big.

"No baby, I didn't."

"Can you teach me?" He asked just as excitedly.

♡Felix♡

You were in the midst of sorting your ancient spell books when Felix unexpectedly arrived. Startled, you quickly tried to stash the items away, but Felix caught a glimpse of an open page in one of the books - a page filled with ancient symbols. He stayed quiet letting you think he didn't see anything.

However, once he got home, Felix's curiosity (more like nervousness), led him to research what the scary book was. After numerous Google searches, it led him to an old, almost rundown bookstore nestled in a forgotten corner of the city. Felix described the symbols, and the owner of the shop gave him a dusty spell book-all centered around the creatures of the sea.

He quickly made his way back to your apartment to confront you. After all you both made a promise not to lie or keep secerts from each other.

He gave you the book and asked "What... what is all this?"

You were surprised and hesitated, searching for the right words. "Felix, I should have told you-" you began, your voice trembling.

"Are you... a witch?"

"Yes, I am, but that's not why you're here, right? You're upset because I've been found out."

Felix's confusion only deepened. "What?"

"Look, Felix, I know your secret too. I know you're a mermaid. The book had spells on how to protect you." Felix's eyes widened at your unexpected confession.

He struggled to find the words, clearly caught off guard. "A mermaid? But that's..."

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." You said softly, sitting the book down on the coffee table.

"I'm not a mermaid."

"What?! Your love for the sea? Your extreme knowledge? Your beauty? It just made sense." You trail off.

"Well I do have a degree in Marine Science."

Realization dawned on you, mixing with a tinge of embarrassment. "So, the things I thought were signs of being a mermaid were just... your love for the ocean and your expertise in marine life?"

"Don't forget my extreme beauty," Felix said teasingly.

"Are you upset that I didn't tell you? About me being a witch and everything?"

Felix shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. " Of course not angel. But my sleep would've been much better without stumbling upon all that scary stuff in my research trying to figure it out."

♡Seungmin♡

You were quite nervous to talk to your boyfriend. You were entirely convinced that he already knew about your status as a witch, just as you were absolutely certain that Seungmin was a warlock.

The reason you were nervous was because what if he didn't? What if he perceived you as just another human? Would it alter anything in your relationship? But you were going to get past your fears, and ask him tonight.

"I have everything for the movie night!" Seungmin excitedly announces, strutting inside your room with a grin on his face.

"Min? Do you know that i am a witch?" You ask softly, voice shaky.

"Do you think I didn't know?" he asks, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"No, no- I knew, but do you have a problem with it?"

"Y/n, I have converted my apartment to your needs. Do you think I use all them herbs lined on my wall to cook? If I had a problem with you being a witch then I wouldn't."

"It's...It's not yours for your own practice?" He shook his head. "Where's your own stuff?"

"What do you mean? Why would I have my own magical stuff?" He asked curiously.

"You not a warlock? I was so sure..." You said somewhat disappointed.

"You thought I was?" Seungmin hands pointed to his self "A warlock?" He laughed before looking dead serious.

"Wow, my witch girlfriend is upset that I'm human?" He says teasingly.

You grinned mischievously, eyes twinkling. "Maybe I just expected a little magic in my boyfriend," you teased back.

"But who needs spells when I've got you?" You added playfully, pulling him closer. "Let's make our own kind of magic, shall we?"

Both of your laughter echoed through the room, before you pull him into a sweet kiss.

♡Jeongin♡

Jeongin arrived home earlier than usual, as he stepped inside, he caught you in deep conversation with your cat, Dickson.

"What are you talking about, Dickson?" You mumbled, "You are being unreasonable to the evidence." Dickson meows back like he is answering you.

"Jeongin is definitely a werewolf; it just makes sense."

Jeongin's mouth hung slightly agape. First thing first you thought he was a werewolf? Second, you were chatting with your cat as though it could provide answers. Well, the cat did meow in response, but it was still a curious sight.

"Y/n."

"Oh, Innie, you scared me. I didn't hear you come in."

"Why on earth are you talking to Dickson like it's a person?"

"Well..." You smiled sheepishly, not really knowing what to say. You were not too sure if your boyfriend understood that witches could talk to their familars or not.

Dickson, simply stared at Jeongin, seemingly unimpressed with the 'werewolf' infront of him. Jeongin noticed Dickson's gaze, and offer his hand for the cat to sniff before petting him. Dickson let out a disinterested meow, before jumping out of your hands and heading out of the room.

"Does he not like me?"

"Baby, I have something to ask you."

"If it's what you were asking Dickson, i'm not a werewolf, love," he reassured, grabbing your hand gently "Why on earth would you think that?"

You glanced at him, embarrassment clear as day on your face. "I've seen you do things that made me wonder sometimes, especially with how you handle the full moon," you admitted, trying to justify your suspensions. "I might have jumped to conclusions. Sorry," you said, feeling a bit foolish.

Jeongin wrapped an arm around you, drawing you close. He leaned in, planting a soft kiss on your forehead. "No worries y/n. Besides magical creatures don't exist. "

"Did you forget that your lovely girlfriend exists?" Jeongin pulls away from you slightly, looking confused. "You don't know?" You asked, and he shooked his head.

"Well I guess one more cat to let out the bag, I'm a witch."

"Do you sacrifice children?" Was first question that tumbles out of Jeongin's mouth. He didn't mean to say that, but it slipped out.

You pull away slightly this time, face showing a mix of confusion and annoyance. "No Jeongin, no I do not."

Jeongin felt a little silly and started to laugh. " I'm sorry, i don't even know why i asked that. It's just this whole thing is kinda weird. " Seeing the look on your face, made him feel terrible. " But, I still love you."

"Love you too." You said relieved, and slightly amused by the whole exchange.

[angelellipsis-devilofdots]

a long list of songs that remind me of the witcher

okay i started this way too late at night when i was in a witcher mood so here we go, here's a deadass masterlist of some of the songs that remind me of the witcher (some might be a stretch but WHO CARES, not me)

[ SPOILERS AHEAD !! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED ]

ciri

nobody by the crane wives because of her and mistle

little astronaut by aku p

rose by the oh hellos mainly because of the lines "wars are raising for her" but also some other parts, this one is a stretch

take me to war by the crane wives reminds me vaguely of her during the voleth meir possession, but just her in general

run baby run by the rigs

welly boots by the amazing devil can't fully explain why, it just feels right

soldier, poet, king by the oh hellos she's the king, of course

hard times by ethel cain

eat you alive by the oh hellos

jaskier / dandelion

blossoms by the amazing devil season 2 character arc

the old witch sleep and the good man grace by the amazing devil season 2 character arc again

soldier, poet, king by the oh hellos the poet, for obvious reasons

dandelion by gabbie hanna

dear fellow traveler by sea wolf don't know why. it just seems like the kind of situation he'd get into

rule #35 - microphone by fish in a birdcage kind of reminds me of his plot in blood origin? i didn't like that show either i just love him

little lion man by mumford & sons reminds me of season 3 when he has to tell geralt that "ciri" was taken by nilfgaard

rule #2 - moonlight by fish in a birdcage just him being a golden retriever when he hyperfixates on a person

geralt

blood upon the snow by hozier and bear mccreary

soldier, poet, king by the oh hellos as the soldier

the wolf by the crane wives

yennefer

as good a reason by paris paloma

tongues & teeth by the crane wives i don't know it's just? her?? can't articulate it but it's her

burn your village by kiki rockwell well well, if it isn't the embodiment of yennefer of vengerberg

pray by the amazing devil

pretty little things by the crane wives

the horror and the wild by the amazing devil

yenralt

the angel of small death and the codeine scene by hozier

i want to live by borislav slavov

wild blue yonder by the amazing devil

danse macabre by the oh hellos i know it's instrumental but. hear me out. it reminds me of the melange

like real people do by hozier

radskier

rule #7 - angel tango by fish in a birdcage

caesar by the oh hellos (i have zero reasoning other than i've always imagined the song to an animatic of literally any kind of gay betrayal i DONT KNOW WHY its not at all relevant to the song)

no light, no light by florence + the machine

i want to live by borislav slavov

the garden by the crane wives

yennefer and ciri

arsonist's lullabye by hozier

burn your village by kiki rockwell but under different reasoning this time, so hear me out - "i am the vengeful daughter of the witch." In this essay I will

geralt and ciri

everybody wants to rule the world by lorde - or tears for fears since it's the original of course, i just feel like the lorde version is more fitting for the dark & dramatic tone of the witcher

rule #9 - child of the stars by fish in a birdcage

space song by beach house i think just because of the lines "it will take a while to make you smile" and "were you ever lost? was she ever found?" once again, a stretch

jaskier and ciri

inkpot gods by the amazing devil in the sense of their adorable uncle/niece dynamic (i interpret this song in a familial way in most contexts). it could also very well be a geralt and ciri song

that's all i can think of at the moment. i tried to look for geraskier but i couldn't find anything yet. reblog with songs that remind you of the witcher and i'll add them, this list will be updated as i think of more

[shirefantasies]

Am I too late to join in on matchups? If so please just ignore this ask and know that I'm sorry

I'd like a male ship please. I'm an autistic girl with adhd and a couple chronic illnesses like joint pain especially in my hands and dyspraxia so I'm super clumsy. I'm 4' 10" tall with long wavy auburn hair, glasses, pale skin that's covered in freckles and moles and a petite figure. I'm very friendly and bubbly but I can also be kinda asocial and don't actively seek out interaction much. I enjoy writing, drawing (recently I've been getting really into MS Paint art), video games, reading, hiking and researching things that interest me. I'm very intelligent and also witty, I'm actually pretty good at making people laugh! I work as a librarian and am hoping to become a linguist someday too. Thanks!

"Hey sweetie, here's my additions for my matchup description! Thanks so much for taking the time to do all these ships, you're a true saint. I hope these don't conflict with the draft you have set up already

🪆 I’m both very level-headed and very stubborn, and I can also be quite fierce and even argumentative but that’s fairly rare. I just don’t tend to back down easily, and I’m a very resilient person

🪆 I can be a bit of a homebody, especially since I’m disabled, and I get very attached to wherever I happen to be living. I like having a garden whenever possible too, even if it's an indoor one.

🪆 I’m very friendly and sweet, but I also like messing with people a little. This is especially fun because I have unusual interests like botanical poisons or the science of decomposition. I can tend to be pretty morbid without even realizing it. That being said, my friendly side is no facade and I genuinely love taking care of people.

🪆 I especially love cooking for people and trying to recipes for others

🪆 I enjoy working out but am still very skinny. It’s actually funny how my large arms contrast with my Disney Princess-esque waist

🪆 I like to take relationships very very slowly and develop a solid friendship before considering dating someone, so I really don't want someone who takes things too fast. I'm also not a fan of overly flirty people, even if they're completely loyal to me I just get turned off by over the top displays of affection. 

🪆 I have legendary pain tolerance and tend to laugh off injuries more than anything

🪆 I’m addicted to buying new books, particularly on witchcraft and botany

🪆 I know a LOT about different types of spirits and deities, especially as a witch. I could go on and on about spirit lore for hours

Thanks, have a great day!"

Not too late at all! & I was really early on in it so this is fine! I can kind of work to combine them in fact 😁 They just take a long time lmao 😅 hope it’s ok I went LoTR because your man is…

Frodo!

You aren't used to being approached while you work; quite the contrary, in fact, many passersby almost seem to treat you like you don't exist at all when you appear in the peripheries of their vision hunched over your books and scrolls. Which, admittedly, is suitable to you as your work is quite consuming. Quenya translations do not come without focus, after all. So when a voice sounds at your back, your clumsy side emerges as you startle, almost overturning your ink pot before a small, pale hand darts out to catch and right it. “My apologies,” you hear from behind you, “I was just curious what form of Elvish that was.”

Turning around, you see a hobbit, dark-haired and blue-eyed and shyly smiling at you. He is clad in a white shirt and brown pants and something about the navy vest he wears gives him a studious air. You smile. “Quenya, very old. In fact this book,” you motion over the tome you’ve been comparing against the ancient scroll, “is a chronicle of the witches of old. Quick different from anything we see these days.” A mixture of teasing and apprehension crossed the hobbit’s visage. “And what are you doing with a book like that?” “Looking for a way to raise my undead army,” you tease back, leaning forward toward him in your chair. At that, both of you laugh and exchange introductions. His name is Frodo and it would seem his uncle is quite a student of languages as well, teaching Frodo newer, more practical forms of Elvish and studying some Khuzdul himself. In fact, he is only there outside the Shire to have an old book of his uncle’s appraised.

You can’t help the wave of distraction that overtakes you after you offer your own skills, though; adjusting your spectacles and pushing your chair back, you cannot resist asking Frodo about his Shire. He pulls back a chair of his own, taking up a spot at your side with a smile you can only describe as lovestruck. Stubborn as you can be, you give no fight to the derailment of your work as Frodo speaks of rolling green hills, warm hearths and sunny gardens and flowers hung upon fences. You understand his expression completely, a sigh escaping your own lips at his vividly gorgeous words. "We may know little of your witchcraft or translations in the Shire, but it's home. The greatest home I could ask for." He had you at sunny gardens. "I would love to see it," you reply, setting your quill down. "He isn't always fond of guests," Frodo chuckles, folding his arms on the table, "but I think someone with your knowledge and spirit would quite amuse him. Come and visit us. I will have Uncle Bilbo convinced by the time you get there." "Oh, he needs convincing, does he?" "Perhaps you could put a spell of some sort on him."

The older hobbit you quickly learn is Frodo’s uncle Bilbo still looks surprised by your presence at his nephew’s side, but he gets a glitter in his eyes you expect to be quite characteristic once you bring up your meeting with Frodo. You end up talking to Bilbo as much as his nephew at dinner, in fact, sharing many glances with the proudly smiling Frodo as you hear the most amazing tales of dwarf-song and dragon fire and even time spent alongside Lord Elrond himself in the great homely house. Bilbo chuckles at the way your eyes light up, your questions about the magic woven around Rivendell and how different it is from the small spells you’ve attempted. That certainly gets the old hobbit’s eyebrows shooting up! At the end of it, you agree with Frodo’s assessment of the Shire’s warm hearths and have continued invitations to see your friends.

And that is definitely how you see it for quite some time, after all you work with Bilbo as much as you run around the Shire woods with Frodo, dodging his cousins plucking up mushrooms and trading botany facts and tips with Samwise, Bag End’s gardener, while Frodo looks on with the smile you’ve grown to love. Suspicion that he is just teasing you rises one day when he looks at you fondly, half-asking, half making a statement to you. "You really have fallen for the Shire, haven't you?" Of course you have. The hobbits admire your strength, at least for the most part- those that poke at you about big folk disturbing the peace or the Bagginses stirring things up again risk your comebacks, after all, the bite of your wit tearing perfectly back against the bore of their lives and personalities. Every time you swivel from such interactions, there is Frodo and that fond smile that suddenly you aren't so sure how to respond to. You don't know what to do when he takes your hand to show you something or catches you when your feet slip out from under you, hands about your waist. You don't mind, especially given Frodo's knowledge that your hands get achy and cold and somehow his find them right as it sets in, and beside that he was nothing but a gentleman to you. That in and of itself seems to be the sudden source of your hysteria right up to the moment Frodo rises onto his tiptoes and presses his lips ever so gently to yours. He's told you again and again over your compared translation notes, over twisting little charms and flower crowns together, over even blood and bandages and your laughter over the way your dear hobbit frets while you feel next to nothing.

You are lucky in the gift of Frodo as you frequently tell him, as you make known when you take his arm on a hike and share in that fond smile he gives you. Frodo is a gentle soul, affectionate but not so overt in his advance as to deter you. To put it bluntly, Frodo is not a sexual person, so the nature of your relationship as it is and the love you share in your spent time are plenty to satisfy him. Forever you have someone to bring you tea and a kiss to the crown of your auburn head as you pore over documents, someone to bake for and an uncle who laughs heartily at every insistence of yours that he needs to take you to Rivendell to study their wards, throwing in the Lonely Mountain for good measure. Between the three of you, Bag End fills with books in no time, but you certainly cannot complain when some of them are quite ancient indeed, teasing challenges by your favorite hobbits, one of whom sees himself in you and the other who simply sees the beauty in you while you work. Even if sometimes you work a little too hard and he has to help you back into your now-shared hobbit hole to rest your back after a little too long sketching, weeding, and planting in the garden you are beautiful, shining with sweat and dabbed with proof of your connection to the earth. You certainly are the best thing Frodo has brought home on an errand.

Taglist: @lokilover476 @fuckyoumakeart @mossthebogwitch @ibabblealot @kilibaggins @stormchaser819 @pirate-lord-of-narnia @datglutengoblin @letmelickyoureyeballs | Reply/Ask/Message to join 🥰

[infiniteseriesofhalfways]

Thank you @jonsaremembers for the tag! I don't know who to tag that might want to do this, so if you want to and you haven't been tagged, consider this me tagging you!

Gonna preface and say that I'm an audiobook person through and through, so most of these I probably listened to in the last couple of years.

Last book I read: I listened to the audiobook for Funny Story by Emily Henry, and like most of her books I had a great time and also cried a couple times.

A book I recommend: Lot by Bryan Washington. It's heavy in a lot of ways, but I'm a big fan of his writing style and the way he skips around between different perspectives and pieces of a community narrative. Aja's storyline in particular has lived in my head since the moment I read it.

Book I couldn't put down: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna. I loved this book so so much. It was fun, and sweet, and (to me) a perfect example of magical realism. I am not a fantasy/magic person really, (although I've been trying to branch out in the last year or so) but this was Magic for people who don't read Magic. It was so wonderful and now that I'm thinking about it again, it's probably going to be my next reread.

Book I've read twice: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. I'm kind of cheating because this is also very much a recommendation, but I've read it twice so it goes here. Again, I'm not big into sci-fi books, but the Wayfarers series? I'm so in love. Even if you're not a sci-fi person, I would give it a shot because I think she explains everything in such a way that it's easy to get into.

A book on my TBR: The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G Henry. I got it when I was determined to make myself like fantasy and I thought it sounded fascinating, and now whenever I open my kindle library I see it and tell myself I'm going to start it. And then I find another romance and say next time. Maybe this will actually get me to sit down and Read It.

A book I have put down: Less by Andrew Sean Greer. I'm sorry. I've tried so many times. I get a hundred pages in and I just do not care. The premise is so up my alley and on paper I should love it, but I don't. I still have it so maybe one day the stars will align and I'll actually get through it, but man. Not any time soon.

A book on my wish list: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. I listened to the audiobook about a year ago, and ever since I've wanted to get a physical copy to reread. The way she wrote about grief has stuck with me for so long, partly for what I was going through at the time.

A favorite book from childhood: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I know I was in elementary school, and I remember checking it out of the library multiple times, in multiple grades, and from the public library over summer. I was always searching for the feeling it gave me, but nothing measured up except the book itself.

A book I would give a friend: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister. I actually gave a copy to my sister last Christmas. It's such an interesting concept for a story, and I got soooo invested I knew she would too.

A book poetry or lyrics I own: Lazarus Rises (amongst Other Things) by Berklie Novak-Stolz ( @icaruspendragon here on tumblr) I truly do no have adequate words to describe my experience reading their poetry. I've never read anything that so accurately describes my own grief.

A non-fiction book I own: Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch. I am fascinated by linguistics and also the internet in general. I've started this a few times but I have to be in the right mindset for non fiction, but I really think once I Sit Down And Read It I will love it.

Currently reading: I'm almost done with the audiobook for How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang. I don't know what I expected going in, but I've really enjoyed it thus far.

Planning on reading next: I just went through my TBR to find what speaks to me most, and I think I'm gonna listen to Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby. I've read two other books of his (Razorblade Tears & My Darkest Prayer) both of which I really enjoyed, so I should be into this as well.

[diangelofan]

Inevitable

Happy belated birthday, Ginny Weasley! (this was supposed to be a small cute Linny drabble and it became the longest one-shot I've ever written lol).

---------------

Everyone was surprised when the girls told them the news. Ginny’s family thought she was going through a mid-life crisis before realizing that, even though they just went through a war, she’s still just seventeen, thank you very much. Now that a month has passed, Ginny recalls with amusement the reaction that, at the time, filled her with nerves. “I am dating Luna Lovegood.”, stated clearly Ginnerva Weasley: “We have been dating for quite some time and thought you should know”. Her boisterous twin brothers, Fred and George, were, of course, the first to react with a series of exclamations. “Luna Lovegood, what a gal!”, exclaimed Fred “Yeah, covered up for us a couple of times-”, interjected George “You know, when we were escaping Filch after setting some dungbombs in his office-” “Show us a secret passage, that witch-” “Said something about an infestation of tambles-” “Nargles”, muttered Ginny smiling, but her brothers were to busy narrating how her wonderful girlfriend had aided them with their Great Escape from Filch (a feat worthy of capital letters).

“I think it started with an n not an t”, said George, his loud voice overshadowing Ginny’s. “Whatever it was, she said its strong smell led her to the passage-” “Though I don’t remember there being any stink at all-” “Quite the secret passage that one-” “Sad we didn’t find it ourselves before-” “Yeah, specially with how extremely useful it became…” Fred and George could have probably kept on talking for eternity to come, as they often did when pranking and mischief was involved (Ginny knew it through first-hand experience: they had been her teachers in the important art of misbehaving as a small impressionable child), if it hadn’t been for Ron’s loud shout. Oh, it seemed his brother had finally recovered from his shock. This is going to be interesting, she thought. “YOU ARE DATING LOONY LOVEGOOD”, exclaimed Ron, with the emotional range of a teaspoon that Hermione so often annoyed her by grumbling about (honestly how those two were not yet a couple remained a mystery to Ginny…). Thankfully, her mother was soon to reprimand his behaviour (if only she had acted similarly when she came out…, oh, well, that was a story for another day): “RONALD WEASLEY! Don’t you dare speak ill of the neighbours! The Lovegoods have always been really kind to us, though a bit eccentric at times… You know, you used to play as a kid with Luna Lovegood yourself, until you decided “girls had cooties”… bet you don’t think that now, do you?” After her mother had succeeded at rendering Ronald Weasley speechless, as well as making him as red as his hair (or her hair, or just the Weasley’s hair in general), Ginny looked expectantly at the four remaining members of her big family. Her father was the first to take the word. “Well… as your mother said, honey, the Lovegoods are good people. If you are happy with Luna, then I am very happy for you, Gin.” Arthur bestowed her only daughter a kind smile, “I am sure the rest of the family shares the sentiment.” “Yeah, Ginny. We are happy as long as you are.” stated her oldest brother Bill, quickly followed by Charlie: “Yeah, I have never talked to the Lovegoods, aside from the occasional visit mom made me do to ask for a certain plant or ingredient… they had a huge garden, that family… Anyways, what I was trying to say is that you know best. We love you, little sis.” Percy was the last to speak. He had remained silent since even before her sister’s proclamation and Ginny would be lying to say she wasn’t nervous about what he would think. Even though he had been very supportive when she came out (the most supportive one, actually, though it was no surprise given him and Oliver Wood), she had heard him comment on Luna’s “weird” behaviour more times than she would have liked during his time as a prefect. “Well… I certainly would have never thought to date someone that… outgoing… but I guess your personalities must match each other alright. I am happy for you, Ginny.” muttered Percy in a quiet voice, almost as if talking to himself, but Ginny was able to hear him alright. The youngest of the Weasley children smiled. It could have gone better, there was no denying that, but things were always a bit of a spectacle at the Burrow, specially when the whole family was around. It certainly hadn’t been as bad as her coming out and now she could invite Luna and her father to Christmas dinner without worries. She was aware that everyone who knew Luna and her separately would probably be extremely surprised by their coupling. Nevertheless, for her and her girlfriend it had felt everything but surprising (it would have been a happy surprise had there been any). Anyone who would have dared peek on the private moments the two girls spent alone together would agree with her. As shocking as it had been for outsiders that they were now a couple, for the two of them it had just seemed inevitable.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna was something out of this world. Ginny knew that. Everyone knew that. However, she meant it in a completely different way that she knew most of her classmates meant it. Luna Lovegood was just so unique and wonderful. The way she could stay optimistic, having such a positive outlook of the world despite its grievances and the darkness that often haunted its residents. Her things got stolen and, instead of breaking down crying, she turned finding them into a game. She just never gave up trying to live her best life, which Ginny found to be one of her most beautiful qualities. There was an aura that surrounded her (just as mystical as the creatures she talk so fondly about), almost like a halo, marking her as one of heaven’s lost creatures (okay, maybe she was exaggerating, but Ginny was a girl who had an amazing girlfriend and was utterly in love, so sue her). She was to be protected at all costs (even though, obviously Luna could protect herself with no problems). She, on the other hand, was another completely different matter. Ginny could be considered optimistic (after all, one doesn’t win the Quidditch Cup or survive a war without a sense of perseverance and optimism), but she was strong-willed instead of soft in her approach. She didn’t mince her words or turn away when people picked of them (not the anyone dared to do it anymore; people knew not to get on the wrong side of her winning Bat Bogey Hexes). She often had problems expressing her feelings and talking in a way that lets her walls down (probably due to living in a huge family, as the only girl with a bunch of older brothers), as Luna often did very well. Luna, saw the world as a place feel and enjoy with wonder and passion, while Ginny was passionate about how wonderfully rotten the world could be. They may not be similar at first glance, but that was what may them so good together. They resemble each other in the things that really matter: their values, goals and desires. True, they may have disagreements sometimes regarding certain opinions (such as Luna thinking wolves are naturally harmless; they are not) and actions (aka Ginny staying up until midnight practicing drills at the Quidditch Pitch, which she herself might admit was a bit excessive, but Gryffindor did win the Cup so whose to say…), but they always came together at the end and when they did, it was something truly magical. They were two opposite forces, like magnets or whatever that muggle ‘scientie’ **thingy was that her Dad had been ranting to her about during Easter dinner. Maybe that was the reason they worked so well together. “Opposite forces attract each other”, or something, her father had said. Yeah, that was it. That’s why, for Luna and Ginny, falling in love and getting together hadn’t seem a surprise at all as it had been for outsiders. It had just seemed inevitable.

[saltqueer]

Ask Game Answers

Last song: The Dogs of Rotterdam by The Barons of Tang

Colour: yeah agreed, deep rich greens are great

Media: Yeah fatt is great, go read the manga for dungeon meshi it's so damn good. Go watch Scavenger's Reign. Read The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison. These are more recs than what I'm currently enjoying ah well.

Flavour: Sweet

I've forgotten the rest so have new questions.

What kind of animal are you picking/stuck with as a familiar if you became a witch?

Do you have a garden? How does it grow?

If you got shrunk down teeny tiny and became a teeny tiny cowboy, what bug are your riding off into the teeny tiny sunset?

Do you have any good hats?

What can you do that most people cant?

witch familiar: i don't have a pet right now, i think i would go for the classic cat. i like big fluffy grey ones

garden: yes! there are two vegetable garden plots here. the growing environment is very different from where i grew up, so there's still a lot of learning to do.

there's a couple peach trees that do well, im excited to make pickled green peaches in a couple months! i think this year they'll all be dill or spicy dill. they went really fast, and the other batch i made still has barely gotten touched. there's also a goji berry bush that's very productive. last year i had to stop picking bc i was getting overwhelmed with processing them. we just used the last of them this week, in a ham and bean soup, so I'll be a little more diligent about picking them next year. there's also a couple apple trees, but they do super poorly. i think they have some kind of blight? but idk. they are really small and never put out many leaves. and like two apples max. there's also a pear tree, last year the pears it made were all tiny? OH and chestnut trees. usually the squirrels get to them all first, but last year might've been a mast year, if chinese chestnuts do that?? we had a ton of extras. unfortunately we didn't eat them fast enough, and they're gross and dry now. if it happens again ill make sure we give more of them away

we usually grow lots of tomatoes and basil that do super well. there's also peas, but the rabbits get to them despite our best efforts, so they don't produce a whole lot. we're trying to figure out onions, but i think the soil needs to be softer before they'll be able to do well. its very clay-y. and my dad keeps planting garlic in the spring, even though you're supposed to plant it in the fall. so it never makes it. and my mom keeps planting lettuce, even though it never gets more than a couple leaves and they're always bitter. i think its a waste of time and spacd, especially since she doesn't ever change anything about how she grows it?? just goes oh well that was disappointing. guess I'll do the same thing next year. and it's not like people can't grow lettuce here for some reason, the community farm that food not bombs works with grown BEAUTIFUL heads of lettuce. im also biased here btwn my mom and my dad and their plants they won't change husbandry for bc i like garlic and think it's worth it to make a simple change, but i don't think it's possible to make lettuce taste good. we also usually grow carrots, last year the first planting got too hot and turned bitter, but the second round of them were totally sweet and delicious!! last year we used the second plot to grow buckwheat and it did really badly, we barely got back as many groats as we planted. but it was so fun to watch it grow. there's also a small herb mound that has sage and thyme growing on it. they do well, but my mom never uses them ????? she says its too much bother to leave the kitchen and go get them. i want her to plant rosemary there too, but i haven't managed to get it to happen. we also have an aloe that we keep indoors. i want it to get really big so the leaves are worth it to process for food, but my mom wants it to stay tiiiny. and that's plants!

tiny cowboy: i had to think really hard about this one. probably some sort of weevil? they look cool as hell

hats: OH BOY DO I. i have three hats that are very cool cause i made them! i also have hats that i made but aren't cool, so im not just being egotistical fbfjsjsnan

first up, this stocking cap!

its made of cheap polyester yarn, but the colors are super fun. its also a little too big bc i didn't bother with a gauge swatch, but its pretty much fine

second up, this balaclava!

its made of wool yarn that i handspun with my drop spindles. i picked the colors after sangfielle. and i knitted it, obviously. i wear it to work every day, since i commute on my bike and work outside. i don't usually lay it out like this, so its cool to see how it's stretched out and shaped itself with age (look up #sangfiyarn if you want to see what it looked like originally!)

and, finally, this hat!!

i wore it last night but i can't find it now :/ it'll reappear soon tho for sure. not only is it totally gorgeous, i had to reverse engineer the pattern from peoples process pics on ravelry!! the designer is totally uncontactable. i spent like two months trying to get in touch with her so i could give her $6 for it but nothing came of it. also, the technique this uses creates a wonderful double thick layer of fabric, so its super warm. the yarn is hand dyed, i got it off etsy from a lady who lives in colorado and dyes yarn inspired by colors in nature around her. the green really does feel like a pine forest

special abilities: math. hand spinning yarn. reverse engineer a complicated crochet pattern from pictures. look out my window and see the woods. embroidery? i can do the back of your throat french R. i ride a bike 16 miles every day (e-bike, im not that good at biking anymore). i can truthfully say i've lived in 6 us states. i know how to make twine out of stinging nettle fiber, but im not very good at it. i can say i rode my bike 100 miles in a day twice as a kid, and 50 miles in a day a few times. ive also gone over 50mph on a bike. i used to own a bike frame that was one of 11 or so in the world, but i lost it when i was homeless. does writing in cursive count as something most people can't do nowadays? i know how to dye yarn with goldenrod. i can weave, a little bit sort of. i understand how to construct a fire for optimal cooking something on a stick. i know that the best fire cooking on a stick happens over coals, not over flames (ive spent so much time carefully building bonfires with flames areas and coals areas and then watching people cook hot dogs and marshmallows over the flames 😭😭😭 and then they're like ugh the outside of my hotdog is burnt and the inside is still cold. bro the coals are RIGHT THERE)

[tealeafgrimm]

Fulfilled Duties

Sirius Black x Reader Words: 618 Summary: The Potters' annual Winter Ball is coming up and as good friends it is your duty to attend. The only problem: you hate big crowds. A/N: This is a very short OS. I don't know when I will be able to write something longer again. I'm strating my first real shot in October and I'm moving within the next couple of weeks, so I can't promise anything. The request I've gotten will be done at some point though.

"Do I really have to come with you Sirius? You know how much I hate these gatherings. I don't even know half the people that are going to attend." With a whiny voice and wide eyes, you looked at your boyfriend. He just smiled encouragingly at you.

"We don't have to stay there all evening. But you know the Potters are like my family and I know it would mean a lot to them if we were there. Just two or three hours and then we can go again, okay?" Knowing that all the begging in the world wouldn't change your situation, you nodded.

Unlike many other pureblood families, the Potters didn't often host events. That made the annual Winter Ball, which the family hosted, that much more important. All the notable families, businessmen, wizards and witches of high repute would be present at this celebration.

You were not to be misunderstood. You loved the Potters. James was like a brother to you and you didn't know how many times you had asked Euphemia Potter for advice when it came to Sirius. And Fleamont Potter had also become a second father figure to you. But all that didn't change the fact that you simply didn't like big crowds and events.

Those who knew you well would describe you as more outgoing and loud. But if you didn't know people, you were quickly overwhelmed in social situations. The more people you were around, the more anxious you felt and you often found it difficult to sort out your thoughts and feelings.

For Sirius' sake, and because you more than respected the Potters, you'd pull yourself together for a few hours.

~~~

Even though it was freezing cold outside, you felt like you were trapped in a sauna. The air in the spacious ballroom was warm and stuffy, and you felt like the air you were breathing in never reached your lungs.

Your grip on Sirius' arm tightened and you tried to concentrate on him. Mentally, you had long since left the party. You had been here for two and a half hours already. People kept coming up to you to make small talk. You left most of it to Sirius and only nodded or made a few sounds when you were specifically addressed.

"I'm going out on the balcony for a bit, I need some fresh air," you whispered to Sirius and made your way towards the windows.

As soon as you had left the room and stepped out into the cold evening air, you felt like you were finally getting some breath. The sounds of the party going on were muffled by the windows and the silence around you enclosed you.

You took a few deep breaths, closed your eyes and propped yourself up against the parapet of the balcony.

You didn't know how long you had been standing outside. You didn't want to go back inside. You had no more energy. You were not made for such occasions, you got anxiety and fear just thinking about it.

Still looking into the garden, you could hear the door open and close behind you and a short time later a jacket was placed around your shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise how long we'd been here."

Sirius wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you close. You buried your face in his neck, the familiar scent of his colognes instantly calming you.

"Do you think we've been here long enough? I don't know if I can take another old man telling me his entire life story," you murmured, your face still buried.

"I think we've done our duty," Sirius laughed and took your hand to walk you home.

[elminx]

About Elminx

Hello Tumbles,

I'm Elminx, aka the Pesto Mystic - you can call me Elmin, Min, or Minx. She/her or They/Them pronouns, please. I live in Southern New England and practice folk-based cottage-styled witchcraft. I've been studying witchcraft and astrology since 1996. This blog will primarily cover these two topics and how they interrelate with one another.

Don't let the flower crown fool you - I'm very into vulture culture.

I primarily work with items that I find in my natural environment - I keep a small witch garden and practice safe wild harvesting. I also actively tend to a local Catholic Cemetery. I walk both in the shadows and in the light.

Depending on your viewpoint, you can call my alignment: Taurus/Aries/Taurus, Sun and Venus dominant, Mercurial, Polya, Kinky, or Queer. Mix those in any way that you wish, or don't. I strongly support trans rights and believe that "witch" is a gender-neutral term.

My Rules of Engagement:

Any words that I share here can be copied down and used freely so long it is for your personal use. If you wish to quote me in any other capacity, please contact me first for permission. My photography is marked with my watermark for a reason - it is not for your use. It is heavily magically warded against stealing (not directed specifically at the Tumblr community but I'm a photographer by trade and people on the internet are assholes) - do not save. I sell copies of my photography, including files that you can print for your personal use - if you wish to use my art, please message me and we can talk.

If you are an asshole, I am going to block you. Full stop.

Supporting Me

You can support me in multiple ways. I have a Ko-Fi account where you can tip me once, order an astrology commission, buy some art, or sign up to become a monthly supporter of this page.

Astrology Commissions

I write Natal Birth Reports, Synastry, and monthly Transit Reports.

A Natal Birth Report looks at the time, date, and place where you were born and interprets the varying aspects of your base personality - your life blueprint. This will help you to understand yourself and my Energy Updates better.

Synastry reports compare two natal birth charts together to look at the strengths and weaknesses of their pairing. This does not have to mean romantically, some of the most powerful synastries are between parents and children.

A Transit Report compares your Natal Birth Chart to the upcoming monthly transits. All Transit Reports received after the 15th of the month will apply to the following month (after May 15 will get you a July report, not June) because they take time to write.

I offer discounts on Transit Reports if you purchase for 3 or 12 months at a time.

If you are looking for the monthly astrology report, you can search my page for the Month+Year (For instance May 2022). If you're feeling really inspired, you can go through my entire Astrology tag.

2024 Astrology and Numerology Overview

[lycheesmods]

So I've seen a couple people doing this ranking thing with Sims 4 packs and I thought I'd make one in terms of witchy gameplay, especially since some of those packs can be so useful for a fun pagan gameplay even if that's not what they're advertised for.

So I'm going to highlight my reasons for ranking the packs as above below the cut.

[Quick breakdown TL/DR, witchy-wise you got:

The litteral Seasons, Meditation Day, Witches, Outdoor Potions, Necromancy Stuff, Ocean Living with Ancestors, MOAR Familiars, Discover The Fae Cult, Eco Candlemaking, Spiritual Forest Escape, Spooky pUmPKIns, The Greek Well Garden, Get a Coven, Backyard Birds and Tumbled Adventure.

+Vampires, Country Kitchen, and Laundry Day. for a e s t h e t i c s.]

Essential:

Seasons : I'm sorry if you're pagan or a witch you need seasons in your name, literally. It adds the 4 seasons, snow, dead leaves, and on top of that it adds fully customizable Holidays, meaning you can make your own sabbaths or esbaths celebrations to put on the calendar. It also features gnomes that spawn and wait for the appropriate offering, give them the right thing and they will gift you seeds, otherwise they will be angry. They are linked to spring and are very much akin to the fae. Oh and of course, this is the best pack for gardening.

Spa Day: With that name it seems weird to put it so high but listen: Meditation, incense, and the wellness skill (developed with meditation and yoga). I use meditation as a way to have "circle" time in game (and there are meditation stool cc for that purpose!). It is for me essentially, the "ritual" interaction.

-

Needed per taste / path:

Realm of Magic: I almost put that one up in essentials but only a fraction can be used in a realistic way, and I'm talking about potions. The main reason this is not in essential is because you could choose either this pack or Outdoor Retreat for the "potion" feature. Anyways: this is the actual witch pack, including spells and potions in cauldron and a bunch of cool plants for gardening (and if you feel fancy you can fly on a broom). It also comes with familiars that can boost your confidence when you summon them.

Outdoor Retreat: This pack is the absolute best for more realistic potion-making but has less interesting options than Realm of Magic. Herbalism remedies they are called, though some are to help with stress and sadness or fertilizer (which can be used as a way to bless your plants). You have to collect a variety of wild herbs and bugs in order to mix your brews or you can keep the bugs as pets! How fun.

Paranormal Stuff: This newer addition to the sims is a blessing for any necromancer out there. Séances, which can be done with a séance table with a crystal ball or with a chalk circle on the ground, allow you to communicate with the dead, to appease the spirits (which can help calming and reducing ghostly activity in haunted houses), and to do a ghostly ritual which will make you a ghost for a few hours (which I like to imagine as astral travel). It features not only special interaction with basegame ghosts but also spectres, a new form of spirit which are more simple in personality and that can be appease with offerings or otherwise talked to.

Island Living: This pack is known to add a beachy world with mermaids and boats, but is also hides a very pagan tradition with the trait "child of the island" which has been called "shaman" by some, it makes your sim care about the island, its pollution state, the community events and feel a connection to the ancestors, which are spirits you can meet for wisdom. There is a drink called 'Kava', which is made in a special bowl and can be a nice thing to use as a special sabbath drink or offering. You can also collect seashells!

-

Got that ONE good feature:

Cats and Dogs: As the name states, it introduces Cats & Dogs and if you have Realm of Magic, your pets can be bound to you as familiars!

Discover University: As a university witch you can join the secret society which have meetings around a mushroom circle just off campus where they hang out in cloacks with the sprites and give them offerings on a stone altar for good luck and positive moods. Basically there are fae witches in University and you can be one.

Eco Lifestyle: Candlemaking! You can make your own candles! They like melt and stuff! Also for anyone interested in environment gameplay this is the pack with pollution and working as a neighbourhood to make the earth greener!

Snowy Escape: Actually this one got a few good pagan things. You can go hiking! Take a meditative walk in the woods, be inspired by nature, or walk up to the mountain shrine to make a wish and/or give an offering. You can also encounter various kinds of forest spirits on your walks and have multiple kind of interactions with them.

Spooky Stuff: Pumpkins! This pack comes with pumpkin carving and I use it every in-game Samhain.

-

Fun extra / could be useful

Romantic Garden Stuff: This one comes with a wishing well, give it various amounts of money (the bigger amount boost your chances of the wish coming true) and make a wish amongst the various options the game give you. Aesthetically this may be interesting for Hellenic witches who like the ancient greek vibes.

Get Together: The club system is useful for everyone and can definitly be used to make a coven.

Backyard Stuff: It comes with birdfeeders! And also windchimes and lemonade.

Jungle Adventure: This one almost went lower, but I do often use polished crystals on my altars. In basegame you have these relatively big crystal chunks but with the archeology table in jungle adventure you can polish them into smaller oval shapes, basically you can make tumbled crystals.

-

Just for Aesthetics

Vampires: For those of you who like the goth side of "witchy" aesthetic the Vampire pack will be good for you. One word: candlebra.

Country Kitchen Kit: My kitchen witches with country farm dreams will love the look of this small kit!

Laundry Day: Another one for some rustic fun. Don't like the washing machines? You can wash your clothes by hand! This is great with the off-the-grid lots that come with Island Living.

-

For the rest of the packs I couldn't think of a single witchy / pagan use to them.

~lolnyny

[witchycuillere]

Into the spell creation process

I sure hear a lot of witches are more comfortable using spells that already exist, potentially tweaking them if they don't have all the required ingredients; at least when they are starting. And I'm wondering if it might be somewhat intimidating to some of them to start crafting their own spells, so I thought I'd share with you my process when I created my last spell, if it might help somebody. ---

During this new moon period, I was very much down and had been working on my limiting beliefs: thought this was an excellent application for a spell.

Here are my notes on the process, slightly edited for clarity.

I have a list of limiting beliefs I wanna get rid of, and the beliefs I wanna replace them with. They are all on one sheet, but I decide dealing with them one by one will be more efficient, since that will be easier for me to fully integrate one new belief at a time and keep my focus.

Old belief --> burn and disperse the ashes as a symbol of getting rid of it. Then wash my hands and eyes to finish getting rid of it, and cleansing me from it.

As a mirror process, I could then on my hands and eyes apply a "paste" of the new beliefs "dissolved" or imbued into my milk (I still produce milk, so this is a great representation of birth and food as in "this feeds my soul and helps me be reborn into this belief").

Also, I wanna do the spell in my basement, as a representation of my own subconscious.

I found a snail shell today while gardening, intend to use it in my craft. It's the perfect occasion, it is a way of seizing an opportunity, I'll use for protection, to ensure the limiting beliefs don't come back.

If I gather the ashes in the cauldron, water them down a little and then add the snail shell powdered to keep it all away as I dispose of it down the drain? (not very cool for the drain, but could work)

At this point I thought I was settled on the burning part of the spell, but then, as I went for my mortar and pestle to crush the snail shell, I realized it was still "occupied" by a week-old rest of tahini I had made. Was about to through it away and then realised it would be a much better element to use this instead of watering down the ashes. This way I could use it as earth, and it would symbolize that even though I get rid of the beliefs, they have had an influence on my life and I've grown from it. As a reminder that I can still learn and grow from the past they influenced. I'll then dispose of this in compost, instead of down the drain.

Dissolving the papers is way too complicated, I'm just gonna have them imbue something. I'd like a smaller container for this part, with the contents more accessible, I have a small blue cup that will be perfect.

I can roll the beliefs before I use them. I can also symbolise the difference with how I roll them: with the blank side out for the limiting beliefs and with the belief out for the new ones, so I can "read them" / "see them more clearly" during the spell. note : the old ones are already crossed through on my list.

Because of the snail shell I included in the earth component for limiting beliefs, I am reminded of the white snail shell I have lying around. I decide to add it in the second part of the spell. I think it'll look really nice with the milk in the blue cup and the little papers lying around it. I decide it represents a new beginning and also because of the way it's constituted, the constant building and growing we go through. So it will be imbued with all of the strength of the new beliefs, and it can be a pretty reminder.

I also think at this point that I will cleanse my tools and since there are two separate parts in this spell, I could do the cleansing separately for the tools of each part. I hesitate with sound cleansing, incense or sage. I decide on sage since it's from my garden and it reminds me of the earth component I included in the spell.

Since I wanna deal with the beliefs set by set, I cut my whole sheet into the sets (the limiting one and the new one together), and then cut them together and pre-cut the separation. This enables me to keep them together up until the last moment and have no difficulty separating them when needed.

I think this is quite nice as a spell and decide to write down the steps. Here's what I wrote :

Gather all the tools, cleanse, light the candle & set up the space

For each set of beliefs:

Separate it, focus as rolling the limiting one. burn it. add some of the "earth".

wash my hands and eyes with water

Roll the new belief. put it in the blue cup. add some milk.

Then add the powdered snail shell to the cauldron to set the beliefs with this mixture and keep the beliefs in there

Add the white snail shell in the blue cup. focus (sing? incantation?). wash my hands and eyes (+3rd) with the imbued milk That concludes the spell. Get rid of cauldron content in the compost, get rid of content of blue cup in the same spot, after having cleansed it? White snail shell can be kept & used as a reminder !

From there I feel like I'm ready to cast the spell.

As I cleanse my tools, I realise I forgot to separate them in two sets to cleanse separately.

As I prepare, I decide to add the white shell in the blue cup as part of the set up and put some milk in there too.

During the spell, I decide that during the second part, as I focus on the imbuing milk, I say out loud the new beliefs. Also, as I massage the milk onto my eyelids, hands and forehead, I decide to also massage my lips and add an incantation : "Such are my new beliefs. I know them to be true, I act by them, I talk by them, I live by them."

Here are my notes from after the spell (in addition to noting down what I've just told you, of course):

Sometimes forgot to wash with water after the old belief, added during the spell to wash also the forehead / 3d eye.

Some of my first burnt belief fell into the candle :/ Decided to fold those instead of rolling them for better burning.

I only had the fire-handling tweezer so used that to mix the earth, but it would be nicer to have a another tool, maybe made of wood

---

I hope this gives you an insight into how the process of creating a spell can go and maybe helped you being less intimidated by it. I'll probably be writing down the spell properly in another post. Let me know if you'd be interested in that.

[ariparri]

This drawing was inspired by a story my friend cursedautumn wrote for me as her part of our usual story for art trade.

It's been so long since I've drawn something in this style, I was scared I was going to give up half way through the entire thing. But nope, I was quite ambitious and pulled through 9 hours to finish this piece!

Look at that! It's absolutely beautiful 😭 I can stare at this and be so damn proud of it all day!

Speaking of the story, you can read it here under the cut. Flowers may be my absolute favorite from autumn's stories, but this was just too cute. I just adore the father/daughter dynamic Veruca and Elroy have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His Princess

"Alrighty, I'm leaving." Wilhelmina kissed Elroy on the cheek and took the bag. “I'll be there in the evening, don't wait for me early. I left a list of products that Vera needs to be fed. Are you sure you can handle it?"

"You underestimate me," Elroy growled, jokingly offended. "Veruca will be fine, I'm a fully capable father, Wil. Go and have a good rest, you'll see when you come back, the house will shine, and the child will have the tenth dream." Wilhelmina smiled dryly and rolled her eyes. "You're the same as always. Well, I'm off."

With that, she opened the door and went out. Elroy watched her go for a while until she disappeared behind the fence, then closed the door and took a deep breath. Elroy McQuaid was a father of two children, but, frankly, he had already forgotten what it was like to stay all day with a small child. Coby had grown up a long time ago, now he was at Hogwarts (where, by the way, he recently received an indignant letter from Minerva McGonagall about his son's behavior), and little Veruca did not want to sit still and quickly came up with entertainment for herself: she rolled away from her father, turning over from her back to her stomach, then, on the contrary, crawled up to him and began pulling his hair or stubble. Elroy didn't mind, but he couldn't let his daughter roll around on the floor all day and pinch him! He had to think of something to do. So he picked up Veruca in his arms and spoke,  "What should we do? We're going to play with toys, aren't we, baby?"

"Yes!" Veruca said glibly. She didn't know how to speak yet, but she already knew words like "yes", "not", "ma", "pa" and "Co-i" (that is, Coby). Elroy was infinitely proud of his daughter; Wilhelmina took it much more calmly and even laughed at his constant delight. Elroy was slightly offended: "How can you, Wil? She talks great for her age!", but there were no big quarrels because of this, and he understood that his wife showed love for her daughter in a slightly different way.

As soon as she was in her room, Veruca clung tightly to a wooden box filled to the brim with toys. There were dolls, plush toys, a plastic tea set, with which the baby sometimes gently beat her older brother, several suits with bat wings and many other means of entertainment. Elroy watched in silence as she turned over the wooden box, and sighed to himself: later he would have to take a long and painstaking time to clean up the mess that his daughter had made. But he obediently waited until all the contents of the box were on the floor, and smiled, "Come on, Vera, choose what we will play."

Veruca thought for a while and a soft bat colored so bright it was slowly eating out Elroy's eyes. This bat was given to the McQuaid family by friends a few years ago, and at first Coby played with it, and then it was taken away from him by his younger sister. Veruca took it out at every opportunity and forced the first family member she met to entertain her, holding her in their hands and "butting" the girl with a toy. Elroy didn't have much choice right now. He asked, "Are we going to play this?"

"Yes!" Veruca nodded. She had the same light green eyes as Elroy, like clear, transparent water.

"All right," he agreed. "I'll butt you. Come on…" Suddenly, he quickly grabbed the toy and began to gently poke his daughter in the face. Veruca burst into a ringing childish laugh, trying to grab a bat, and randomly waved her plump hands in the air. Elroy poked the toy first on her cheek, then in her stomach, then in her shoulder, and she laughed and made futile attempts to outwit dad and catch her pet. At that moment, Veruca strangely reminded Elroy of a young Wilhelmina, just as cheerful, laughing happily, not yet so strict and upset by the behavior of her growing son. Actually, Veruca was much more like her father, but there was already something about her that made her obviously the daughter of Wilhelmina McQuaid.

After playing with the bat, Veruca lost interest in it and took up a book of fairy tales written by the bard Beadle. Of course, it was still too early for her to read them, but the bright pictures on the glossy paper attracted the eye, and the baby ran her finger along the pages with genuine interest, looking questioningly at Elroy, as if asking what was depicted here. Most of all, she was interested in pictures of beautiful queens, princesses and sorceresses, women with long hair, dressed in dresses, robes and heavy jewelry. The girl especially liked the drawing of Morgan Le Fay, a tall red-haired woman with light green eyes, in a white dress. Veruca poked at it with her finger and hooted. 

"This, baby, is Morgan Le Fay. She was a very outstanding sorceress, healer and fortune-teller. The sorcerers bewitched people, Vera, they are also wizards, it's just that their magic was different. And Morgan was both a sorceress and a witch. It's complicated, isn't it?" Elroy explained, to which Veruca frowned and turned away, indicating that she was not interested in this topic. She always did this when she did not understand what was being said to her, but she did not want to show her ignorance — it hurts her pride so much!

And even though Veruca was still a very little girl, she had pride. This pleased Elroy: if self-confidence and healthy pride are inherent in a person from childhood, nothing will knock them out of there. So let his daughter be proud. It was better to have pride than not to have it, his sister had once told him, and Elroy completely agreed with her.

Suddenly, his daughter turned over on her stomach and, starting to turn over slowly, rolled in the opposite direction from him. Elroy was so surprised that he didn't even understand what was happening, and he stared at Veruсa with his mouth open for a few seconds, and then he realized that the typical willfulness of the McQuaids had awakened in her, and she decided to try to move herself. Attempts to "escape" have occurred before, but Wilhelmina, with the air of a connoisseur, assured that this is normal and there is no need to interfere with the child's self-development.

"Veruca!" Elroy called out to his daughter.

"Ah!" she answered him and giggled, once again turning over on her stomach. "Vera," the man said more quietly. "Where are you going?" Veruca smiled with an almost toothless mouth and giggled louder. Elroy sighed loudly and got to his feet to put the mischievous girl back in her place.

Suddenly, Veruca reached out with a tiny hand and grabbed the leg of a chair. She tensed, slightly lifting the body and pulling her legs under her.

And then she began to get up — in the literal sense, to get to her feet, holding tightly to the leg of the chair, as if for a handrail, and finally straightened up and stood up, swaying slightly. Elroy froze in mute amazement, joy and disbelief, watching his little daughter, his princess, stand on her feet for the first time, and was afraid to even sigh and break the great moment. This feeling was even brighter than what he had experienced when Coby first got on his feet, much, much brighter, although Elroy did not want to admit it to himself.

It seems that Veruca was afraid of her own independence and the next second fell on the carpet and began to cry. Elroy was at his daughter's side in the blink of an eye and hastily picked her up in his arms, saying affectionately:

"Don't cry, Vera, don't cry, my princess, everything will be fine, you're a good girl. Look, you got up for the first time today, can you imagine?" and he kissed the top of her head, stroking her back. Veruca's crying wasn't caused by pain or anything worse, it's just that she hardly expected such sharp physical progress from herself.

So he patiently calmed her down until the girl stopped crying and wearily buried her face in her father's shirt.

"Do you want to sleep?" Elroy asked gently. "Let's go sit outside. It started raining there, we'll swing in the chair, listen to the weather…"

They did just that. Elroy went out onto the terrace. There he sat down in a wicker rocking chair with Veruca in his arms and was quiet; a summer downpour was really rustling on the green street and in the garden. The storm swelled over the McQuaid estate, rallying in the sky in a dense purple wall, ready to crack and burst into lightning. But while there were no loud noises, Elroy held the sleeping Veruca, wrapped in a plump purple blanket with a bat's face, in his arms and looked at the blooming garden. There was an unusual calmness in his soul, although, in general, there was no cause for alarm; nevertheless, such satisfaction in his soul had not been for a long time-maybe because he was the father of two children, the eldest of whom was now supplying his school with problems, and the youngest was still very small and helpless, like a porcelain doll. They had to look after both of them, and it was difficult for him and Wilhelmina. Very difficult.

Elroy kissed the top of Veruca's head as she dozed off. No, he was grateful to his wife, Providence, and himself a million times for his daughter, because since his youth his dream was to have a daughter, his little princess, just like from fairy tales. As a child, he saw how carefully his father treats his sister, and just dreamed of doing the same.

And now he had Veruca.

His little girl.

His princess.

Elroy wrapped his daughter more tightly in the blanket and began to doze a little himself. The storm did not break out with thunder and lightning, only the rain began to rustle more loudly, and somewhere on the horizon a rainbow began to appear, as if the sky was watching the father and daughter and letting a bright ray through the summer rainy haze.

The rainbow was flaring up. Elroy and Veruca were sleeping peacefully.

[spookybias]

pairing: park sunghoon x gender neutral! reader

genre: slice of life ─ fluff

synopsis: coming up with halloween costumes is harder than you and sunghoon thought.

warning: a very brief description of dolls hanging by their throats.

word count: 1.5k

note: for @enhypenwriters 7 days of fright. i don’t think there’s trick or treating in south korea, but this is just for kicks. also, i kind of cringed while writing this LMAO.

THE SHOP SMELLED LIKE PUMPKIN SPICE AND COLD LEAVES, CANDY CORN AND BLACK CATS IN GARDENS; both the scents of four days till Halloween. Fake skeletons climbed the store walls, and creepy dolls -blood stains and scratches spotted on their porcelain bodies- hung from the ceiling by the string wrapped around their necks. Much cuter and playful knick-knacks littered the display tables throughout the store.

“Do you two already know what kind of costume you’re looking for?” Sunoo asked. It had been his idea to visit the shop on a hunt for last minute costumes, for a last minute planned trick or treat outing.

“Something unique. I don’t want us to be dressed like any of you guys or have a common option,” You responded.

“Something simple,” Sunghoon stated. He had been particularly cranky about last minute shopping, as he was one who preferred to get things out of the way before a big event. Sunghoon would do anything for you, though, and that included suffering through something he despised the most.

“Ni-Ki, let’s go as scarecrows,” Jungwon suggested. He tossed a straw hat Ni-Ki’s way.

Sunoo snatched the hat before Ni-Ki could grab hold of it. “No, Ni-Ki is going as a vampire with me.”

“You always hog Ni-Ki,” Jungwon complained.

“That’s because I’m a good hyung who helps him flat iron his hair” Sunoo replied, rolling his eyes. “What do you have to offer?”

“Just pick something all three of you can go as together.” You grabbed Sunghoon’s wrist and dragged him passed a display table with smiling jack-o-lanterns and fake tombstones, and into an aisle of capes and robes.

The lanky boy leaned against a clothing wrack of animal printed tops, trying his best not to sigh in irritation. “Any specific idea on what you want to dress as? I’m down for whatever you want.”

“So if I said let’s dress up as fairytale princesses, you’d be okay with that?” You joked.

Sunghoon chuckled. He thought to himself. If you oh so desperately wanted to go as princesses, he might just do it. Your happiness was his top priority, which proved just how whipped Sunghoon was for you. But you didn’t need to know that. “Okay, maybe I wouldn’t dress up as just anything you choose.”

“That’s better.” You gave him a mischievous smile, rubbing your hands together as if you had just come up with a devious plan. “I can’t be trusted with that much power.” You headed off further into the aisle.

Sunghoon gazed from behind. He loved your playful attitude. It never failed at making his heart flutter, and there was never a dull moment. Although he found last minute shopping to be quite frustrating, he knew that with your pure heart and gold soul, he would at least be entertained.

And maybe a bit flustered.

Your sudden interest in the trick or treat outing did leave him puzzled, though. When he asked you if you had plans, you had simply stated that you didn’t, and wanted to have a movie night with him.

You sauntered through the shop, bags of chocolate candies and witch hats being the most apparent items, before a red cloak caught your eye.

“Sunghoon, do you wanna-” You turned around to find that your boyfriend was no longer behind you. “Sunghoon, where are you?” You had been so absorbed in the store’s decorative contents that you had lost your boyfriend in the sea of costumes and collectibles.

“Can’t we just go as ghosts?” Sunghoon groaned, appearing in front of you with a white sheet over his tall body. He had hoped to pop out and scare you, but he didn’t seem to have the energy to put it in the effort. The boy flailed his arms under the blanket in what was supposed to mimic a ghost’s eerie floating. “Boo. Spooky." Sunghoon reached out to you.

You snorted, looking him up and down. "This is the lamest costume I've ever seen. We should put a little more effort, don't ya think?" With an playful smile and an eye roll, you continued through the aisle.

“It’s not like we’re going to a costume contest, doll,” Sunghoon said as he pulled the blanket off and rolled it up in a ball. He tossed it over his shoulder unaware of the maknae that had been tailing him since the two of you parted ways.

Sunoo scoffed. “Hyung!”

“I know it’s just a little Halloween party, but I want this year’s Halloween to be really, really fun.” You sighed in annoyance. You weren’t feeling irritated by Sunghoon, but instead by the idea that you might have been getting too far ahead of yourself.

This was the first Halloween you would be spending as Sunghoon’s significant other, and it would be your first time hanging out with your boyfriend and his brothers as a whole group.

Earlier in the day while hanging out at the boys’ dorm, the maknaes had questioned what you and Sunghoon would be doing for Halloween, and when you had replied with, “Nothing, just watching some scary movies” they invited you to come along with them trick or treating, announcing that staying in would be dull. You were instantly reminded that you were kind of lazy when it came to socializing. A small thought creeped out from the back of your mind. What if Sunghoon thought that movie night was a lame idea? You just wanted to prove to everyone that you were fun and free-spirited. You feared that Sunghoon’s friends would deem you as Sunghoon’s boring lover, or just as someone who never wanted to do anything.

Sunghoon grabbed your hand and gently pulled you back. “It will be fun. I promise the others and I aren’t as boring as you might think.”

“It’s not you guys who I’m worried about is boring.” You rolled your eyes again.

“Then who?” Sunghoon was inexperienced in relationships, so there was no doubt that he wouldn’t get what was bothering you unless you told him yourself.

“I don’t want the other guys to think that I’m boring.” You felt your face get hot. The two of you were still new at being a couple, and so telling Sunghoon this made you feel embarrassed.

“Ah, you’re not.” Sunghoon turned you so that you could face each other. “Why would you think that?”

“I guess ‘cause my idea of fun is staying indoors all the time.” You lowered your head. Your boyfriend was quite close, and your face just kept getting warmer.

“You’re not boring, ____.” Sunoo stepped in. “Sunghoon-hyung is the boring one. Look at his shoes.”

Sunghoon awkwardly coughed. “Sunoo, can you at least pretend to be doing something other than tuning into our private conversation?”

Sunoo rolled his eyes dramatically and sauntered off.

Sunghoon cupped your face. “Look, we’re both still new at this relationship thing, so I actually don’t mind when you choose to hang out at the dorm or at your house. We should take things slowly and move out of our comfort zone at a steady pace. We don’t have to go trick or treating with those clowns if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to.” You nodded your head, determined. I do prefer to stay home and watch scary movies with just us. But like you said, we’re both still new at this relationship thing. I think this is the push that we need.” Your mood eased up, and you smiled brightly at your boyfriend. “Plus, I think it’s too late to back out now since we’re already in a shop filled with Halloween stuff, and that ghost costume is calling my name.”

Sunghoon looked at you with a faint blush on his cheeks, while you looked around in amusement. He turned you to face him once again, and leaned down, pecking your lips. It was only a second long, but the notion didn’t go unnoticed.

“Why are you guys kissing in the store?” Ni-Ki’s eyebrows furrowed at having witnessed the short kiss shared between you and his hyung.

“You’re too young to understand.” You stuck your tongue out at the youngster and ruffled his blonde hair.

“So I guess we’re all going as ghosts then.” Ni-Ki looked around.

“I thought you were matching with Jungwon and Sunoo?”

“Well-” Ni-Ki said began to say, turning to face the other end of the aisle where two familiar voices could be heard.

At that moment, Sunoo came around the corner of the aisle, Jungwon in tow.

“Jungwon, you are insufferable!”

“I’m not putting a unicorn horn on my forehead!”

Sunoo instantly turned around to the other maknae and snapped, “It’s called an alicorn.”

“Doesn’t matter what it’s called, I’m not wearing it!”

“Well I’m not wearing a straw hat. Scarecrows aren’t cute or attractive.”

“So, we’re all going as ghosts then?” You turned around to see Sunghoon once again covered by the white sheet, arms raised to mimic a ghost’s spooky stance.

“I guess there wasn’t any point coming here,” Ni-Ki spoke up. “We already have white sheets at home.”

[nad-zeta]

heyooo, it's ya boi again. hope all is well for you and that you're taking care of yourself? finding a way to work-out when there's no gym, i suppose? 😉😘 so, i've been spammed with masamune so here i am, requesting for our one-eyed dragon. i am in need of hugs and comfort, so how about something smol and simple with mc who has had a bad day or is extremely tired and looks up at masamune with sad eyes saying that she wants smooches and affection? throw that fluff at me 🥰🙌🏻

Hey there love!!! Thanks so much for the request <3<3 Hehe yeah I've been running around my garden lol ^o^ Hope you enjoy it dear! and i hope you are keeping safe and well 

Headcanon; Masamune comforting mc after a bad day

You were having the worst day imaginable!

One of the local daimyo’s daughter was visiting Azuchi. She came under the pretence of just a friendly visit, but EVERYONE knew she was just there to bag herself a powerful husband.

Unfortunately for you, her sights were set on your very own lover

This girl had been causing problems for you since the moment she arrived. 

She arrived wearing the most beautiful dress and the most expensive accessories to match. When you greeted her at the gates with the other warlords, you couldn’t help but laugh at Masamune, who joked about her being dressed up like some fake doll

You greeted her, hoping that she would be a secretly nice person behind all that uptight glitz and glamour…. BUT NOPE…… she is horrible 

In front of the warlords, she was a meek little lamb, but in private, she was an evil witch plotting your death no doubt.

She would whisper threats and insults in your ears when no one was looking, and before you could even reply with a witty comeback of your own, she would run to Hideyoshi and cling to him

On top of all that she was interfering with your work, she would trample with muddy shoes on your freshly cleaned floor, she would accidentally spill drinks on your freshly washed and dried linin, and she would treat you like a personal slave

You were starting to get tired and pissed off, the final straw was during a banquet

Not only did she say that you were just some filthy maid that didn’t belong at such an extravagant banquet, but she also spent the whole night trying to get Masamune’s attention. 

Honestly, you weren’t a petty person like her so, you were quietly sipping on some sake and chatting with Nobunaga

When you suddenly felt a cold sensation down your spine. This girl had “accidentally spilt her drink on you”. 

THAT’S IT 

You stood up and gave her a piece of your mind calling her out for everything. The room was quiet, and all eyes were on you. After dissing her for 10 minutes non-stop, you turned to Nobunaga “I’m going to take some time off until she leaves cause if I have to spend just one more moment in her presence I am going to lose it”. You then turned heel and stormed off

#worst week of your life

You dove into the futon and hid under your fluffy blankie

Masamune saw the whole scene unfold and was now on the hunt to find and comfort his precious little lass

He walked into your shared room and saw you sitting on the futon, eyes red with unshed tears and hands shaking in anger

He walked over to you and gathered you in his strong muscular arms

“I’m here kitten”, He gave you a small kiss on the forehead and looked you in the eyes “What has made my little lass so upset.”

You explained everything that has been happening over the past few days. Masamune silently listened while gently rubbing your back and dropping a few occasional kisses on your hair, forehead and cheeks as you explained.

He nibbled on your ear while whispering “You know I love you and only you, and nothing will ever change that”. When you took too long to answer, he simply started peppering your face and neck with playful kisses while his hand started tickling your sides. 

“Looks like I will just have to show you how much I love you and bring that cute smile back on you face”. The little tiger cub saw the two of you having fun and decides to join in

Now you have two troublesome tigers trying to cheer you up

You couldn’t help but break out in laughter “Okay, okay, stop Masa….haha…mercy.. mercy.”

He stopped and stared down at that beautiful smile that had now formed on your lips.

You looked up at Masamune with the biggest puppy dog eyes, and he knew exactly what to do. 

He leaned down and kissed you. It started off soft and gentle but soon turned into a more wild passionate kiss.

He kissed every inch of your exposed skin 

Finally, all your troubles, frustration and anger had washed away.

Masamune pulled you on top of him so that your head was now comfortably resting on his chest. 

He kissed the top of your head and hugged you tightly in a warm embrace.

Slow affectionate fingertips traced the curves of your body

He nuzzled into your hair and left a few more kisses

The little tiger cub snuggled up beside the two of you cuties and gave you one last lick to remind you of his affection

Masa spent the rest of the evening whispering sweet nothings in your ears and soothingly rubbing your back until you fell asleep

Needless to say, the next day the daimyo’s daughter left to go back home, No one messes with the precious princess of the Oda forces

Hope you enjoyed it, dear! 

[temporary-dysphoria]

Hi! This might come across as rude or uninformed, so if it does I'm Really sorry, but how does one become (or at least learn more about becoming) a witch/druid? Most of the information I've been able to collect is very dependent on having Things (i.e, candles, herbs, etc) and memorizing what they mean, but I don't have any of those, especially since I’d have to practice in secret. And there seem to be a lot of different ways to practice, but there’s just so much that finding (1/2)

a starting point and working from there has been really hard. Sorry to bother you, I’m just really curious and it seems like you have some experience? (2/2) Hi Nonny!

It’s not rude at all to ask for clarification :) I myself am first and foremost a Druid (I’ve been initiated and I’ve undertaken some of the studies to be affiliated with a Druidic Order) and I’m a practising Witch on the side. In my case - Druidry is my spiritual path, and witchcraft is a craft that I practice. 

When you first start looking into these kinds of paths it’s very overwhelming. There’s so much content. But the important thing to remember is that it’s a journey, not a straight line to a destination. 

You can start small - I started researching Wicca and general pagan paths when I was still living with my parents and for years the only craft-specific things I owned were a hag-stone and a collection of Folklore books. I found the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids around that time as well and I knew that this was the path that called to me, but I had to wait until I’d moved out of home and was paying my own bills before I made the financial move to affiliate myself with them, and get properly initiated. 

Read as much as you can if you have to practice in secret. This will be a good foundation for later on. Research is key, and is something you’ll never run away from. The better the sources, the better your practice. Research things that call to you - if you’re interested in hedge witchcraft, find sources on spirit work. If you’re interested in getting to know a particular set of deities, find their folklore and bury yourself in it (provided it’s not a closed religion obviously). 

Things like green witchery are by far the easiest (IMO) to practice secretly in plain sight, because it’s a lot easier to explain a sudden interest in gardening (and there’s rock solid evidence for planting by the moon cycle) and cooking than there is in say - complex rituals. You can buy/borrow green witch books under the guise of researching your garden, and there’s nothing more rewarding than eating food you’ve coaxed from the ground with your own two hands. As a bonus, you also get to become attuned to your particular area of the Earth, especially if you enjoy things like foraging for edible weeds. You’ll be building up your grimoire of knowledge without even realising it!

There’s a good debate for whether or not you need “things” or “intent” more when it comes to rituals. In my own practice, I’ve found there’s definitely things you can’t go without when you want to cast specific spells or undertake specific rituals BUT in saying that, for most things, especially when you’re starting out - a small altar kit will be more than enough for you to be able to focus your energies. There’s plenty of tutorials out there for for pocket altars (a quick google search got me heaps of images), and if you’re closeted, then it’s yet another thing that’s easy to hide. 

It can be overwhelming to start with - but you’re not on a time limit, you’re on a long journey. Pick an interest area and start reading. If you get a few books in and realise it’s not for you, branch out into something new.

Hopefully this answers some of your questions, but if you have any more, feel absolutely free to drop me a line. :)