#pillar four: some kind of elaborate long con

[cinemaocd]

Can't talk right now I'm busy constructing a scaffolding of rationalization around Mark Rylance's friendship with Johnny Depp...

[mikauzoran]

Lukadrien: Among the Wild Things: Chapter Twelve

Read it on AO3: Among the Wild Things: Chapter Twelve: Belonging

The setting sun shimmered in through the stained-glass windows of the cathedral, making the space glow scarlet, tangerine, ocher, and sacred blue: a sea of coloured light that took Luka’s breath away.

The organ music started up, echoing powerfully like thunder throughout the church, cuing Luka to start his procession down the aisle to meet Adrien at the altar.

He tried to focus entirely on his mate and ignore the gathered crowd of hundreds gawking at him in judgment. He could hear the whispers going around, attendees informing those seated near them that not only was the young king marrying a man, but that that man was a fairy on top of it.

It only served as a stark reminder of how different the mortal realm was from the world of the fae. Sure, people hadn’t been happy about Luka bringing a human home and treating him like an official mate, but most people had shrugged it off and gotten over it. Some people still avoided Adrien, but most had come to accept him as a member of the community.

Luka wasn’t optimistic of his chances of receiving similar treatment from Adrien’s subjects.

He accepted that there was nothing he could do to change their minds but keep his chin up and forge ahead, treating them all with grace, kindness, and respect when he did interact with them. Maybe with time he would gain their trust and affection, but…it seemed like such an uphill battle.

So Luka fixed his gaze on Adrien and how handsome he looked in the clothes Marinette had designed and created with such care. He kept his focus on doing credit to his mate, carrying himself with poise and a quiet dignity. He straightened his spine and squared his shoulders and held his head high, pretending that he was a fit companion for a young ruler.

Doubt had been creeping in over the last twenty-four hours as he realized how little he’d understood of Adrien’s world and what his life had been like before he’d thrown his lot in with Luka and left the mortal realm behind.

Adrien had fit so easily into Luka’s world, quickly becoming an entrenched part of the Couffaines’ lives. Luka didn’t think he could do the same in the human realm. He could fit in with Adrien’s friends and get along with Nathalie, but Luka couldn’t see himself sitting on a throne beside Adrien and helping him to rule. Luka had never had a head for politics, and he wasn’t a people person. He did best when left alone to make music. He couldn’t see himself being of much use to Adrien here.

But then Luka reached the end of the aisle, and Adrien took Luka’s hands in his own, giving Luka a radiant smile, eyes sparkling with barely-contained adoration…and Luka remembered that Adrien didn’t necessarily belong here either.

Adrien had learned to act the part over the years so that he could slip, chameleon-like through society, an imposter wearing an elaborate disguise. Adrien didn’t really fit in either, and he was counting on Luka’s love and support to get him through this long-con intact.

That was something Luka excelled at. Comfort and love were two things he was uniquely equipped to give Adrien. Luka may not feel like he brought anything else to this partnership, but of that he could be certain. He could be Adrien’s pillar of support, and that would have to be enough.

The ceremony progressed exactly as Nathalie had described to Luka over half a dozen times.

He paid attention, took his cues from Adrien, and generally tried not to embarrass his mate in front of the hundreds of subjects watching with eagle eyes for any slipup or perceived deficiency.

The time for the vows came, and Adrien and Luka both recited the standard rhetoric about loving and honoring one another for all the days of their lives, in sickness and in health.

The words were quaint, and Luka wondered if they meant anything to Adrien. He hadn’t included them in their abbreviated wedding ceremony, so it was possible that Adrien wasn’t terribly attached to them.

Luka liked the line about cherishing one another; though, he wasn’t such a fan of the “till death do us part”. It was too painful to think about the end of everything when it felt like they’d only just begun their happiness together.

He didn’t want to think of the endless years that lay ahead of him without Adrien. He knew he had the option of renouncing his powers and becoming human, but he wanted to save that as a last resort. Adrien had proven that he didn’t need Luka to protect him, but Luka still wanted to be able to fight and win battles for Adrien if the need ever arose. If he gave up his powers, he’d be defenseless, incapable of protecting himself, let alone Adrien.

Once they’d recited the standard human vows, they repeated the oath they had sworn together half a year ago on their second wedding night:

“I pledge myself to you, to be your partner in all things, to be your support and your shelter, to forever be on your side, never to trick or deceive you, and to respect and love you always, in this life and the next.”

Those words instilled in Luka more hope than the “till death do us part” rubbish in the first set of vows.

Humans could be so uncreative and dull, their minds too small to conceive of continued fidelity in the hereafter.

Luka didn’t want to be released from his bond with Adrien when Adrien’s life ended. Luka wanted something concrete he could hold onto across lifetimes. The thought of his link to Adrien being severed horrified him, so he was glad of the familiar oaths being there to reassure him.

They exchanged rings, said I do, and kissed reservedly so as not to offend anyone’s sensibilities.

Then, it was time for the coronation.

Really, it was just a bunch of pomp and blustering.

Luka and Adrien dutifully submitted to it, and soon crowns were placed upon their heads, and they were announced King and Prince Consort.

Luka felt ridiculous standing there in a church whose windows shone like jewels, wearing a crown and the fine clothes Marinette had made for him by toiling well through the night, as people started at him, cheering politely because they were afraid of what Luka could do to them, afraid that Adrien might prove himself to be King Gabriel’s son after all.

Adrien, though, looked ravishing. The crown suited him, and he knew how to stand and hold himself so that the expensive clothes looked natural.

Luka focused on that instead of how out of place he felt.

 “I think Alya’s having more fun than I am,” Adrien whispered several hours into the feast at which he could eat nothing.

Luka looked to where the fox spirit was dragging poor Nino around the dance floor so that she could get an eyeful of all the lavish outfits worn by the most influential people of the realm and overhear their conversations.

“Yes, she is definitely having the time of her life,” Luka snickered, smiling as Alya tugged on Nino’s arm and pointed at a couple dancing nearby.

Nino quickly batted down her hand and patiently explained that pointing was rude.

Alya instead indicated the dancing couple with an exaggerated jerk of her head and repeated her demand.

With a fond smile, Nino carefully positioned Alya’s hands, one on his shoulder and one clasped in his own, and slowly showed her the basic steps of a slow dance.

Luka’s grin widened as he remembered that night many months ago when he and Adrien had ducked into a clearing at another wedding feast held in their honor to do the same thing.

“Come on,” Adrien prodded gently, getting to his feet and holding out his hand for Luka. “Let’s go dance.”

Luka quirked an eyebrow. “Are you sure you won’t be missed?”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “No one really cares this late into the evening. I’ve greeted and thanked and schmoozed with everyone I was supposed to. No one’s going to die if I take a break from looking regal to dance with my incredibly attractive husband.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Luka snickered, taking Adrien’s hand and following him out onto the dancefloor.

They floated gracefully around the floor, switching back and forth from song to song who was leading.

Adrien taught Luka to waltz, and they had many a laugh as they nearly tripped over one another several times before they were able to sync up and move in tandem.

Many guests stared at them—some in disgust, some only in curiosity. A small number of people who had been ambivalent about their ruler taking a fae man for a spouse saw how normal and, in fact, adorable Luka and Adrien were together and decided in favor of the couple.

Some watched them together and saw only vile debauchery.

The thrice newlyweds didn’t much notice. They were too busy taking delight in one another.

As the night wore on and the party died down, Adrien and Luka slipped off to the Queen’s chambers, no longer worrying about scandalizing the servants.

 Luka quickly learned that Adrien was bad at estimates.

He’d told Luka that he anticipated staying in the mortal realm no more than a few weeks until he could peacefully turn power over to someone who actually wanted the job. One month into their stay at the castle, it didn’t feel like they were any closer to going home than when they’d started.

It turned out that King Gabriel had been letting things slip in the months after Adrien’s disappearance. The entire kingdom was a mess, teetering on the brink of financial ruin, and the peasants were this close to staging an uprising.

It turned out, being king was a fulltime job…and Adrien didn’t entirely hate it. In fact, he was actually pretty good at it.

It was just the place that was no good for him. He didn’t fit in any better now that he was king than he had as a prince. People loved him, but they didn’t really get him, and they couldn’t see him as their equal.

Being king was lonely, and he desperately missed his life among the fae.

 “I want to go home,” Adrien whimpered as he slid into bed, curling up with Luka after yet another hard day.

“Hang in there,” Luka encouraged, squeezing Adrien tight and making the whickering sounds that often calmed his mate. “You’re doing such a good job, and the kingdom is almost back up on its feet. Things will be stable soon, and then we can throw our crowns at Nathalie or someone and run.”

Luka wasn’t entirely convinced that he was telling Adrien the truth about the state of the kingdom, but he knew at least that that was what Adrien needed to hear.

Adrien hummed distractedly. “…I’ve been thinking.”

“Yeah?” Luka propped himself up on an elbow to look down at his husband.

“I don’t think handing the kingdom over to another monarch is the solution my people need,” Adrien began to explain.

Luka drew in a sharp breath. “Are you…thinking about staying on? …Permanently?”

“No. Hell no,” Adrien snorted, his nose scrunching up in disgust like it did when he accidentally consumed human food. “I may eventually try for some kind of clan leader position within the fae community, but there’s no way I’m going to keep being king here. I can’t do it. I want to go home.”

“Okay,” Luka agreed softly, trying to follow Adrien’s plan. “So…if staying on as king isn’t the right answer and handing the reigns over to another monarch isn’t the right answer…what are you proposing we do?”

Adrien took a deep breath to steady himself before tentatively announcing his crazy scheme. “I want to dissolve the monarchy and set up some kind of democracy for my people so they can elect representatives to help them govern themselves.”

Luka’s eyes went wide. “That’s…very radical of you.”

Adrien nodded shamefacedly. “It’s completely insane, but I think it’s the right move for everyone.” He studied Luka’s eyes with a pleading intensity. “Will you help me start a revolution?”

“Look at me like that, and I’ll help you with anything,” Luka assured, leaning in for a bolstering kiss. “I support you in everything,” he assured. “We’re a team.”

“Thank you,” Adrien whispered, green eyes glowing like lanterns in the dark, guiding the way home.

 As expected, it took a lot of time and effort to tear down a monarchy and replace it with a functioning governmental body.

They brought in Anarka to consult, and Nathalie was elbows deep in the project from the very beginning, eager to throw herself into the work.

Adrien would definitely be voting for Nathalie for Prime Minister.

He pulled in trusted advisors from the most unexpected places to aid him in his scheme, upsetting the local nobility and making Bourgeois, Raincomprix, and Damocles hem and haw.

Adrien sought the guidance of Sabine Cheng who had always had a good head for business on her shoulders.

Xavier Ramier was intimately concerned with the environment and humans’ impact on local wildlife, so Adrien brough him on as well.

Adrien’s childhood friend Chloé was unexpectedly good at marketing and getting the information out to the public, so she was recruited and, in turn, inspired her father to be more helpful going forward as well.

Marianne Lenoir, Caline Bustier, Amina Lahiffe, Sabrina Raincomprix, and both Kagami and Tomoe Tsurugi were also invaluable allies.

It took a little over half a year, but the team worked tirelessly, and there were elections where many civic-minded citizens as well as many members of Adrien’s team won seats in the new Parliament.

The legislature met, passed laws, and successfully began to govern, finally making Adrien feel like he could return home with no regrets or sense of guilt.

His job was done.

 He exchanged temporary goodbyes with his friends, promising to come back to visit once a month.

“But, if you ever need anything, feel free to send Alya for me whenever,” he offered.

The fox spirit had been spending increasingly more time at the palace over the months, mostly only returning to the enchanted forest to sleep and go get the fairy food to deliver to Adrien.

Adrien had a feeling she’d be marrying Nino and settling in at the castle permanently any week now.

“You especially, Madame Prime Minister,” he chuckled, wrapping Nathalie in a warm embrace.

She did what, for her, passed as a smile and returned the hug.

After bidding everyone farewell, Adrien and Luka made their way back to the forest, back home.

The water felt deliciously cool and refreshing on their skin as they submerged themselves after months of feeling dehydrated.

“I feel like I can finally breath again,” Adrien chuckled, swimming into a backflip.

Luka grinned, dissolving into water before reforming as a handsome stallion to rival even Plagg.

“It’s nice to be back in my element,” Luka admitted wearily. “Come along, Little Prince. Hop on.”

Adrien mounted, wrapping his arms securely around Luka’s neck as the kelpie carried them home to the sunken ship at the bottom of Anarka’s lake.

Rose and Anarka pounced upon them as soon as they were through the door, fussing especially over Adrien.

“Why do I feel like he’s the favourite?” Luka pretended to pout, going to embrace Juleka while the other two were busy with his mate.

“It’s because you’ve been home periodically, so they didn’t have as much of a chance to miss you too much,” Juleka explained with a fond snicker as she watched Rose sob over Adrien. “They haven’t seen him at all.”

“Luuuuuuuuc!!!” Rose wailed, throwing herself at her brother-in-law.

Anarka took a step back and smiled, enjoying the spectacle.

Juleka abandoned her brother to Rose’s mercy, steeled herself, and then finally allowed herself to meet Adrien’s gaze.

He smiled hesitantly, awkwardly raising a hand in greeting. “Hi, Juleka. It’s been a long time. I hope you’ve been well?”

With an indignant glare, she socked Adrien in the arm and then pulled him into a crushing hug, muttering, “You’re such an infuriating little cupcake. How dare you make me miss you.”

Adrien pulled Juleka in closer, burying his face in her shoulder as he tried not to cry at finally winning her acceptance.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Jerk,” she accused, giving him a teasing squeeze. “This was all a part of your heinous scheme to make me like you.”

“You caught me,” Adrien laughed through tears.

“…No one makes that potato soup as well as you do,” she grumbled. “I know Rose was the one who taught you in the first place, but…hers isn’t as good.”

Adrien pulled back with a grin, eager to please. “Do you want me to make it for dinner tonight?”

Juleka averted her gaze with an indifferent shrug, still playing coy. “I mean, you can if you want. I don’t care.”

“Please,” Rose snickered, having no qualms about ratting out her wife. “Juju’s been whining about that soup for months. I’ve stopped making it for her because she always gets really sulky when I do because it reminds her of you.”

“Aww. That’s really sweet,” Adrien cooed, pulling Juleka back into his arms for another hug.

“I’ve clearly made a mistake,” Juleka muttered sullenly. “I’m not sweet.”

“You’re adorable,” Luka teased, gently pulling Adrien away. “He can make you soup later. For now, I think Dri and I need some rest. It’s been a long eternity,” he informed, tugging Adrien towards their bedroom.

 Adrien did a bellyflop onto the bed and rolled around happily, overjoyed to be back on his own mattress. “How I’ve missed this,” he giggled.

“Move over,” Luka snickered, dropping a kiss to the back of Adrien’s neck.

“No,” Adrien pouted, burying his face in his estranged pillow. “This is my spot. You get the other side of the bed. Has it really been so long that you’ve forgotten?”

Luka lovingly rolled his eyes and crawled over Adrien, settling into his own customary spot.

Adrien rolled over and curled up beside Luka, resting his head on Luka’s chest with a sigh of contentment.

“You doing okay?” Luka inquired, giving Adrien’s hair a soft nuzzle. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired…tired but good,” Adrien assured, eyes starting to grow heavy as the exhaustion of the past six months caught up with him all at once. “Finally at peace now that there’s nothing left from my past to come find me.”

Luka hummed in understanding.

“I tried not to let myself worry too much before, but it did hang over my head sometimes, how I’d abandoned my family, my friends, my kingdom,” Adrien confessed. “I feel a lot lighter now.”

“Good,” Luka whispered, pressing a trail of tiny kisses from the top of Adrien’s head down the side of his face. “I’m glad. That means we can just focus on being happy from now on.”

“Yeah,” Adrien breathed thoughtfully, lifting his head to meet Luka’s gaze. “Thank you. I know I’ve said it again and again, and I know you’ve said that you’re more than happy to stay by my side and support me through anything, but…I just want you to know how much you mean to me, how much easier my life is just by having you in it. I really do appreciate you.”

“Hush,” Luka chuckled affectionately, reaching up to stroke Adrien’s face. “I’m glad you never take me for granted, but…we are one. Your problems are my problems. I will always be at your side so that we can face whatever comes our way together.”

“Until death do us part?” Adrien whispered, lacing his fingers through Luka’s.

Luka shook his head. “In this life and the next.”

“I’ve always liked that part,” Adrien laughed, leaning in to press his lips to his husband’s. “I can’t think of a better way to spend eternity than with you.”

The

      End

 Epilogue:

Adrien keeps aging naturally until he’s in about his mid-thirties. He doesn’t really notice that he’s stopped aging until his fifties when he notices Marinette and Nino starting to slow down a little while Adrien still has plenty of energy and not a grey hair on his head.

Also, over the years, he starts developing more empathic abilities. His environment subtly reacts to his emotions, and he can read others’ emotions fairly easily and even manipulate them if he chooses.

Luka and Adrien live happily together for about two hundred years before Adrien finally passes away. Luka is completely bereft for a couple decades, but his family keeps him going.

The Couffaines adapt to modern life and pass themselves off as mortals as humanity encroaches ever more on the wild spaces and forgets about the fair folk. Eventually, they get a pirate ship and dock it on the Seine near the Pont de Grenelle by the Eiffel Tower.

One day, the Couffaines hold a concert for the local music festival and receive a shock when strangers with oddly familiar faces attend.

One blonde boy with a birthmark on his shoulder that looks like a bitemark trips while boarding the ship, and Luka helps him up. Luka Couffaine meets Adrien Agreste, and it’s love at first sight all over again.

Challenge to the Reader: Someone go write Luka and reincarnated Adrien’s meeting on the Liberty. I’m just imagining Adrien being all like “Do I…know you?” and Luka freaking out, trying not to scare Adrien away. XD

[tipsycad147]

Is Practicing The Craft Secretly Right For You?

Avery Hart

Do you practice witchcraft out in the open or are you more secretive? Perhaps you’re partially open with your craft and only certain friends and family know about your spiritual life. Or maybe you’re not yet sure where you fit in this dichotomy!

It can be a difficult decision to be open or not about your practice with the people in your life. While a lucky few have friends and family who are accepting and supportive about their choices, many people have reservations when it comes to witchcraft. The people around you might think that your craft is a weird phase, an attempt to be edgy, or just plain fantasy. Worse still, incredibly religious friends and family can make life extremely uncomfortable if they find out. How is a new witch supposed to navigate these murky waters?

If you’re stuck in this situation and feeling really conflicted about what to do, know that you’re not alone. I’ve been practising for my entire life and I’m about as open about my practice as a witch can be (hello entire internet!) but even I feel apprehensive about telling new people about my spiritual life and beliefs.

It’s tempting to give everyone a blanket feel-good sentiment like “you shouldn’t care about what other people think about your practice!” but these ideas aren’t practical. As uncomfortable as it is, there are people in your life who have direct influence over your quality of life. Parents, spouses, friends, bosses, coworkers, maintaining harmonious relationships with these people can make your life significantly easier and it may not be worth your peace of mind to rock that boat. Blanket statements simply won’t do in this situation so today I’m going to break down the pros and cons of each side of this argument so that you can get a better idea of which approach might suit you best.

Pros & Cons Of Practising Openly

Practising openly is always touted as the preferable option in this debate but that's not necessarily the case! While there are some unique benefits that come with this choice, that doesn’t mean that it’s right for everyone. Just because other people feel like being open about your craft is the ideal way to be, does not mean it’s going to be right for you. Between being open about your craft or keeping it a secret, neither is inherently better. There is only what is right for you and your life.

The benefits of practising openly largely come in the form of community. When you’re open about your craft, other people can connect you with other witches that they know, you’re free to pursue witchy meetups, and you can have witchy friends without worrying about being outed. This is a powerful benefit! Many people underestimate how wonderful community can be for a spiritual practice and while there are certainly plenty of witches who are happy being solo, many of us thrive in a community setting.

There’s also the benefit of not having to censor yourself. When everyone knows that you’re a witch, you can mention it casually in conversation without worrying that you’re about to blow your cover. This allows for peace of mind for those with accepting friends and family.

The last big benefit of practising openly is the ability to have your craft out in the open, literally. Altars, crystals, tarot cards, and personal symbols can be kept out in the open and be used to decorate your living space without worry that they’ll spawn unwanted questions. This can allow your altars and spell materials to be far more elaborate and beautiful. When you can collect, curate, and enjoy your materials all the time, you develop a personal style and preferences that helps you tailor your witchy decor and tools to your tastes without having to worry about whether or not it can all be stowed in a shoebox under your bed afterward.

Being open about your craft isn’t all sunshine and rainbows though. Putting yourself out there can cause a whole host of problems if you’re not careful. As we all know, there’s a strong religious presence in many parts of the world that can make practising openly not only uncomfortable but for some people quite dangerous! If there is someone in your life who has a good deal of power over you that you think might use this information to your detriment, you should keep that information to yourself! It’s not worth risking your safety and wellbeing.

Dangerous people aside, there’s still a great deal of damage to be done by people who are simply dismissive, condescending, or rude about your practice. A large number of people think witchcraft is a joke. And while you absolutely should not let these peoples opinions deter you from doing what feels right to you, you don’t have to open yourself up to unnecessary criticism and grief simply because someone isn’t likely to be dangerous. Some witches are mentally fortified enough for these kinds of comments to slide right off but witches as a whole are a sensitive bunch. That’s part of why we find witchcraft! I would just about bet that many of us are far more likely to be hurt by unkind or thoughtless words and you do not have to tolerate or invite this kind of behavior by being out if you find it distressing.

Pros & Cons Of Practising Secretly

Secret witches get a lot of flak and I think it’s about time we lay the idea that being secret is somehow lesser to rest. Keeping your craft close to you and private has many benefits, not the least of which is that it’s incredibly traditional! In Mastering Witchcraft, Paul Huson discusses the four pillars of witchcraft and along with will, belief, and imagination, secrecy is the fourth pillar. Secrecy is embedded in our culture in many ways, from the traditions that spawned grimoires, to the keeping of secret witches names. Keeping your craft secret can add power to your working simply by merit of nobody knowing that you’re working magic! If your working is secret, then nobody will know to counter your spells.

Secrecy affords witches a kind of freedom in the craft that can be hard to achieve any other way. When you keep your craft to yourself, you never have to answer questions, explain your beliefs, or reassure someone again that you’re not going to curse them. You never have other witches telling you how you should or shouldn’t practice, nobody will morally police your magic, and you can pursue exactly what interests you without other witches, friends, or family members expressing their opinions about how you live your life. This can free your mind to explore the intricacies of the craft that feels most genuine to you and that is a wonderful expression of personal power!

Secrecy also means safety. In a world that is often violently opposed to all forms of otherness, it can be a relief to not have to worry about whether or not your life will be turned on its head because the wrong person found out about your craft. If you’re careful about keeping your materials and your practices covert, you can practice right under even the most intolerant noses without any danger to yourself. This often requires you to amend your craft to look more mundane, or even to require few to no tools but safety is well worth the effort it takes to learn these kinds of magic.

Of course, secrecy also comes with a sense of loneliness for many people. When nobody knows of your craft, you lose all potential outlets to discuss and get feedback on your magic. It can be very uncomfortable feeling so different from the people around you while still pretending to be otherwise. This disparity between reality and the personality you’re projecting to the world can be damaging in the long term if it’s not a way of living that comes naturally to you.

When you’re secretive, you may miss out on many of the things that originally draw people to the craft. The witchy aesthetic becomes harder to achieve without arousing suspicion, you can’t keep books about witchcraft out in the open, and sacred or magical symbols will largely need to be kept under wraps unless they can be disguised as artwork that might be found in the average house.

Which way is right for you?

Deciding which approach is right for you and your life is going to be unique to your own life. No two people will ever find themselves in the same life and nobody can weigh the pros and cons against your personal situation better than you. Keep in mind that you are not required to be open about your craft with everyone. It may suit you best to tell a few trusted friends but keep your craft from the rest of the people in your life. This is entirely ok! You are not obligated to divulge every aspect of your self to anybody.

The one hard and fast rule I would encourage every witch to abide by is this: Never, ever put yourself in danger because you want to be open about your craft. It is not worth your safety! If you cannot practice openly without your physical safety, your food security, your housing situation, or your job being put into jeopardy then DON’T. Keep your craft secret and yourself safe above all else.

This post is aimed at witches who are over 18 but I’d like to take a moment to address those minors who may find their way here. You should know that in the US at least, it is not legal for anybody to teach spiritual material to a minor without parental consent. This sucks, I know, but if you’re in a situation where your parents or guardians would object to you practising the craft then you should not practice. Wait and hold onto your interest in the craft until you come of age and can make such decisions without endangering yourself or those who would help you learn. Minors face uniquely difficult circumstances in this realm since they are often entirely dependent on their guardians and legally underprivileged. Please, do not place yourself in a situation that will put your safety and wellbeing at risk. The craft will still be here when you’re old enough to make such decisions on your own!

https://thetravelingwitch.com/blog/2018/6/26/is-practicing-the-craft-secretly-right-for-you