#what voodoo spell happened to us

[verycrazycazy]

Today is one of those days when I wonder how I got from here …

To here ….

In 8 months 🤷🏻‍♀️

[ellecdc]

A Man with a Plan.7

prologue // p1 // p2 // p3 // p4 // p5 // p6 // p7 // p8

Remus Lupin x whimsical!reader - Hogwarts Era (no Voldemort) - Soulmate AU

CW: angst, discussion of Black and Crouch shitty parenting, accidental attempted drowning/belief of drowning -> please note: there are always happy endings here on ellecdc

Amelia Bones didn’t like to think of herself as a particularly stupid girl, but she couldn’t deny she probably looked pretty foolish right now.

She was just about as pathetic as any school-aged girl got over their first crush – which was to say was very pathetic. The worst part of all of it was that she really sort of did this to herself.

She couldn’t deny that Remus had always been very clear that he was interested in nothing more than casual sex; he never invited her to breakfast, he never asked her out on dates, he never even invited her to parties. But that never stopped her from wanting those things.

And for a while, she was able to pretend it was fine.

She was able to pretend that when he didn’t kick her out of bed right away and allowed her to stay the night, that it meant he actually wanted her there. She was able to pretend that when he approached her at a party, it was because she had always been his first choice. She was able to pretend that when he grabbed her and rushed into a broom closet, it was because he just couldn’t stop thinking about her and needed her just as desperately as she needed him.

But she was only fooling herself.

And to add insult to injury, it appeared that Remus wasn’t completely averse to feelings, relationships, or dating; he just didn’t want that with her.

“And have you noticed how sweet he’s been on that freak L/N?” Shirley sneered from Amelia’s left as they all watched Remus smile sweetly at you and pass you a cup of something at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

“You should start offering palm readings, Amelia. Maybe then he’ll find you odd enough to keep around.” Added Silas, earning snickers from the entire friend group.

“Ha ha.” Amelia deadpanned, tossing her half-eaten toast onto the plate in front of her.

The bitter taste followed her around all day after that. She swore she could hear the sounds of Remus and his friends snickering all day, and if she happened to hear your serene voice echoing in the hallways, she knew that chances were that Remus wasn’t too far behind.

Remus was everywhere; and wherever she was able to avoid him – you seemed to show up. As you walked into the library in which Amelia was currently holed up in, she swore she was a thestrals hair away from using her quill to put herself out of her misery.

Amelia was able to see her friends from her current table but had opted to sit on her own in order to focus on the difficult Care of Magical Creatures essay, knowing that sitting with Silas would result in a rowdy game of gobstones in no time – library or not.

“Oi! L/N! What kind of voodoo spell did you cast on Lupin, huh?” Shirley called to the girl, earning her a round of snickers from the friend group. Amelia cringed, noting that you were currently alone and very clearly minding your own business.

“Hello Shirley.” You offered, albeit much less jovially than your usual sunny disposition.

“She asked you a question, freak.” Silas barked aggressively.

“Oh, leave her be.” Coraline chided in faux sympathy. “We all know she doesn’t have the attention span for voodoo practices; she’d need a brain larger than a goldfish for that.”

You looked away from the group who were now all belly laughing at your expense when your eyes met Amelia’s; her gaze already trained on you.

“Hello Amelia.” You said softly with a gentle smile gracing your lips as you approached her table. Amelia regarded you cautiously, though she hated to admit that she found it extremely difficult to feel defensive in your presence.

“Hi Y/N.” Amelia sighed, looking back down to her textbook.

“Have you gotten far on the essay?” You asked kindly, peering over Amelia’s textbook. She really wanted to be vexed at your intrusion in her studies, at her table, in her life, but she found she really couldn’t muster the effort.

“No... I, uhm. I’m finding this quite difficult, honestly. I’ve still got a foot of parchment to go.” She admitted begrudgingly. You hummed in agreement.

“It likely doesn’t help that it requires an understanding of the mating habits of the frost snails, which we haven’t covered in class.”

Amelia’s head snapped up to consider you. “Really?”

You nodded.

“Helga...I thought I had lost the plot! I was certain I had missed something in class to feel this lost.” Amelia admitted looking back down at her parchment feeling slightly elated to know that she at least wasn’t a complete fool in this area of her life.

“You can find everything you need to know on page 246; the rest of your paper should come along nicely.” You offered, smiling kindly at her. Amelia was sort of annoyed at the pleasant feeling that you elicited from her, but again she couldn’t muster up the energy to be particularly vexed.

“Thank you, Y/N. I would have been quite lost without your help.” She relented.

Your smile grew at that as you stood taller, preparing to walk away. “Oh, I’m sure you would have managed just fine Amelia. You’re quite the witch, you know.”

And with that, you floated away.

Amelia supposed that if there was anyone in this school who would be able to convince Remus Lupin to break all of his rules, you’d be a shoo-in.

Amelia decided then that it was actually quite an honour to have ‘lost’ to a witch like you.

Remus felt silly wandering the grounds in search of you. If he was a man of more restraint, he would try harder to control himself; but he decided there was no use in denying Moony, or himself, of you.

Thankfully for your part, you didn’t seem to mind all that much.

Remus’ life had been flipped upside down twice recently: once when he found out about his soulmate bond, and again when he came clean to you about his lycanthropy. He found he felt... freer, safer, grounded if that made any sense at all.

And though his regular anxiety surrounding the full moons seemed to lessen, his anxiety surrounding you seemed to grow each day the closer he got to the full. It was almost as if Moony was convinced he could feel every beat of your heart – it sped up momentarily, something upset you, you’re catching your breath, you’ve fallen asleep – and though Remus felt incredibly disturbed and admittedly creepy to be capable of assessing all of these things from Merlin knows how far away, it brought Moony immense comfort to be able to sense you safe.

He tried not to overwhelm you with his constant presence as Moony (and begrudgingly, himself) would much prefer, but with the full moon approaching, Remus decided it was better for everyone not to fight the urge to be close.

Remus had (quite embarrassingly) searched the entire castle for you to no avail and had even resorted to asking Regulus (who was accompanied by Barty) if he knew where you were.

Barty had scoffed at him. “Figures you wouldn’t be privy to her schedule yet, Lupin.” He sneered, emphasising his last name as if it were a dirty word.

Regulus rolled his eyes at his friend and let out a sigh. “She goes down to the Black Lake every afternoon to bring a gift to the mermaids, Lupin. Now if you don’t mind, I find Barty to be far more pleasant company when he’s not whining about people dressed in red and gold.”

Well, Remus didn’t have to be told twice. Moony was very excited to leave his present company to find ‘MINE!’.

Remus was admittedly not a huge fan of the moniker Moony had chosen for you, but he was very tired of arguing with The Wolf.

As Regulus had promised, Remus finally found you crouched down at the edge of the dock on the Black Lake, tracing shapes into the water’s surface with your hands.

Perfect. Good. Mine. Mine. Mine.

Remus couldn’t exactly disagree with the sentiment.

You were alerted to Remus’ presence by the wooden planks shifting below his feet.

“Hello Remus!” You cheered in that gentle and serene way of yours; Remus couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.

“Hello Y/N, what are you up to?” He asked as he stood above you. You began to squint up at him and Remus quickly shifted over in order to shield your eyes from the sun.

“I’ve been trying to befriend the mermaids.” You explained, returning your gaze down to the water. “Each day I try to bring them trinkets.”

Remus hummed in acknowledgement and crouched down beside you ignoring the burning sensation in his knees. “What kind of trinkets?”

You hummed in thought before you answered. “I think anything shiny works well. Sometimes if I’ve lost the pair to an earring, I’ll bring it to them. Or crystals and gems are nice too.”

“And what do you get for your efforts?”

You turned to consider Remus bemusedly; your brows were furrowed but you were still smiling, nonetheless. “Do you only ever do things for the sake of a potential outcome, Remus?”

Remus figured he ought to feel properly chastised, but he was just too happy to be talking to you in order to do much about it. “I guess so.”

You hummed and assessed his face before turning back to the water. “Do you often feel disappointed?”

“I feel like we’ve already determined that my planning skills are not conducive to success, no?”

You smiled to yourself at that as you continued playing with the water. “It’s true that I’ve set out with a goal to befriend the mermaids. But whether or not they return that friendship, I will have succeeded.”

“Wouldn’t you think that you’d have better luck from in the water?” He queried, causing your lips to purse as you let out a disappointed sound.

“Perhaps; if I knew how to swim, I’d certainly try.”

Moony reared his big old head again at that, and Remus quickly stood and gently helped you stand and pulled you closer to the middle of the dock, away from the edge you’d been inhabiting.

You giggled at him; the first real spontaneous emotion he thinks he had ever heard from you, and it caused Remus’ heart rate to speed up double time.

“You needn’t worry, Remus.” You expressed solemnly. “I’m very careful.”

And for that, he and Moony were glad.

“Where are you headed now?” He asked instead, hoping to begin steering you away from the Lakes edge and towards solid ground.

He could tell by the subtle lift at the corners of your lips that you had caught onto him, but were gracious enough not to call him on it.

“I believe I’m to meet Bartemus and Regulus in the Slytherin dungeons for a bit.” You admitted, causing Remus to wrinkle his nose and Moony to growl in protest.

So many of the words you had used in that sentence were displeasing to Remus, but you were willingly stepping off the dock and walking towards the castle with him, so he didn’t feel he had any right to complain. 

“What are you headed to now?” You asked in turn, catching Remus off guard.

What was he going to do now? The only thing he’d planned on doing was finding you, and he’d done that.

“You know; I’m not sure.” He admitted.

You chuckled at him and began telling him about Barty and Regulus’ plans for the afternoon; and although he was displeased at the content, he was very pleased listening to the sound of your voice.

He hadn’t realised he’d been subconsciously leaning into you or brushing your hand with his until you confidently yet gently took his hand in yours and continued to lament about Barty’s poor study habits without missing a beat.

Remus found himself feeling very lucky to have you as his soulmate.

Remus’ feeling of luck ran out quickly when he found himself stepping down the last stair into the Slytherin dungeon to figuratively hand you off to your friends. 

You must have noticed Remus’ hesitation to let you go when you gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled kindly at him. “Perhaps we can meet in the library after supper? I have a Care of Magical Creatures essay to edit.”

And Remus was certain that was a lie; he was quite sure you were long done that essay, but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“That’d be very nice.” He agreed.

“Alright, alright, Lupin. Move along, would you?” Barty grumbled as he made his way over; Regulus rolled his eyes at his friend and actually offered Remus a somewhat apologetic expression.

“Barty.” You chided lightly with a smile. “Be nice, yeah?”

Barty grumbled petulantly, muttering “that was me being nice.” But he acquiesced to your request in the form of keeping his mouth shut until Remus had ascended the stairs.

True to your word, you approached the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall when you were finished eating with a kind smile on your face.

Unfortunately for poor Moony (Remus), your presence led to questions from James, who, upon hearing you were working on edits for the essay in Care of Magical Creatures, insisted he join (seeing as he hadn’t even started it yet). Of course, not one to ever be left out, Sirius was quick to offer to join.

And since Remus, James, and Sirius were all going to be in the library, Peter figured he may as well tag along. 

Though Remus was feeling rather petulant about the final attendance of your study date, Moony was feeling very chuffed about his whole pack being together.

He forced Moony to lie down and be quiet as he listened to you try to help James with his essay (read: pretty much write it for him). 

Remus was surprised how well you seemed to settle into his group of friends, and in turn, how his friends seemed to settle around you. 

James seemed to be able to sit still for a longer period of time if it was you he was conversing with, Sirius seemed less inclined to argue with everyone about everything, and Peter seemed far more comfortable in asking you follow up questions than he was with anyone else the group had spoken with before.

Unfortunately, things didn’t seem to want to go smoothly for Remus today. 

The sound of your name being called over and over and over again in a hushed tone interrupted your sentence on why the mating cycle of frost snails was dependent on the growth pattern of shrivelfig fruit as Barty came rushing over.

“I’m sorry,” he started breathlessly, surprising the absolute fuck out of Remus. “I forgot to tell you earlier; I got a letter.”

Remus watched as your face turned grave; your expression far more severe than he’d ever seen it before.

“Did you burn it?” You asked darkly.

“Not yet.” Barty admitted.

“Bartemus.” You chided quietly, looking like your heart was breaking a little bit.

“Merlin; do you really need Y/N to check your mail for you, Junior? Couldn’t this wait until later?” Sirius grumbled, never looking up from his own Runes translations he was currently working on.

Remus was surprised he didn’t hear your neck snap with the speed at which you turned your attention away from Barty and back to the table where you glared severely at Sirius.

“Sorry Treasure.” Barty commented quietly, patting your shoulder. “I’ll catch up with you later.” Before he left the library.

Remus felt his heart drop…no…he felt your heart drop as you turned to watch Barty disappear behind the stacks in the library. 

“Sirius Black.” You began quietly, causing all the boys to cringe at the use of his full name. “Tell me; how do you usually feel after receiving a letter from your father?”

You had once again returned your attention back to the black-haired boy, but any of the softness and serenity that the boys were used to seeing when it came to you was nowhere to be found. 

Sirius didn’t seem to have an answer for you as his eyes darted nervously between his friends. 

“Is your father kind? Loving? Understanding? Does he tell you he’s proud of you? That he’s glad to have you as his son? That it’s an honour to share his name with you?”

“No.” Sirius finally said quietly. 

“And who helps you with that?” You asked. “When you had nowhere to go, and no one to turn to; who helped you with that?”

Remus heard Sirius swallow around what was likely a growing lump in his throat. “James.”

“Then call me James, Sirius.” You said emphatically, standing and beginning to pack your things.

“Wait, dove. Where are you going?” Remus started reaching out a tentative hand to rest on your wrist.

You slowed your movements but didn’t stop. “I have a Sirius to comfort, and a fire ritual to perform.” You explained simply. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

And with that, you turned and disappeared into the rows of books.

“Way to go, Pads.” James grumbled as he began organising his half-written parchment. “You managed to upset a perpetually happy person, and now I’ll never finish this essay.” 

“Well how am I supposed to know everything about that crazy bastard?” Sirius finally blurted out defensively. 

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage, brother?” The voice of Regulus Black drawled as he stepped out from behind the stacks. 

“Make it a habit of spying, brother?” Sirius sneered back. “Tell me; was it my conversations you were concerned with, or Juniors?”

Remus watched as Regulus’ jaw tightened minutely as he seemed to consider his next words.

“I’m not telling you this for your own sake, nor for Barty’s. But, if Y/N is important to any of you, there are some things you ought to know.” He started.

Yes. Important. Mine. Important. Moony chanted, sitting at attention.

“You know the fire that was caused by a magical experiment that went wrong a few years ago in Ottery St. Catchpole? That was Y/N’s house. Both her parents died in that fire.”

James’ head reared back as Sirius sucked in an uncomfortable breath. 

“She lives there with an elderly house elf as her only family. The house elf and Barty.”

“Junior lives with Y/N?” Remus asked quickly; too quickly. He was immediately embarrassed.

“Junior lives with Y/N.” Regulus parrotted. “You know, Sirius, the Black’s aren’t the only family who practice Unforgiveables on their children.”

Regulus seemed to allow that to sit in the air for a moment before he continued.

“And you aren’t the only one who needed a friend to run to.”

“I’m sorry, alright?” Sirius admitted, though he couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact with his brother.

“I don’t think you are, Sirius. I think you’re feeling properly chastised, and have no qualms painting Barty as the villain in every story all because of the school colours he happens to wear. You were so upset when our family accused you of being sorted into the wrong house, but you are the one who continues to view houses as wrong.”

Sirius looked up at his brother at that. “I am sorry, Reg. I didn’t know.” He admitted earnestly. 

“I’d thought that maybe…maybe out of everyone, you’d understand him the best… he reminds me a lot of you, you know. Stop - don’t look at me like that.”

“Reggie, I am trying, but you’re pushing your luck here.” Sirius groaned.

“I just wanted to let you know.” Regulus continued, though he seemed to be saying that to Remus. “Y/N is wonderful. And accepting, and understanding, and wholesome, and open minded. But she will protect her own. If Evans has to learn to put up with the lot of you for the sake of Potter, you’re going to have to figure out how to put up with me and Barty, because I can assure you that Barty isn’t going anywhere.”

Hearing Regulus’ message for what it truly was, Remus made a mental note:

Do not come between you and Barty.

You found the weather to be quite refreshing today as you made your way to the edge of the Black Lake. 

You felt poorly for Bartemus; you didn’t understand what the point of Crouch Senior continuing to write to his estranged son was, or what  he sought to accomplish.

Perhaps it was just to upset Barty, which upset you even more.

But, you’d performed the “fire sacrifice” as Barty often called it, and burned some white sage to cleanse the energy after disposing of the horrid letter.

And today was a new day. 

There were hardly any clouds in the sky, the grounds were quiet as most students were still in class whilst you had a free period, and Barty had offered you a family heirloom to offer the mermaids today.

You had no sooner lost sight of the Crouch signet ring as it sank to the depths of the Black Lake when the sun in the sky was blocked from behind you. 

You turned to see the figures of Silas, Shirley, and Coraline from Hufflepuff standing over you.

“I know you said she had a brian the size of a goldfish, Coraline, but it seems she rather wants to be a goldfish.” Shirley commented with a malicious smile.

“Returning home to the Grindylow’s, L/N?” Silas jeered. 

Your mother always told you to ignore the mean words; to smile and stay kind when people got mean. 

“What?” Coraline cooed in faux sympathy. “Kneazle got your tongue?”

“You better start talking, witch, because the way I see it; you’ve hurt one of ours.” Silas barked.

“Hurt?” You asked as you stood up, trying to sift through memories of your recent interactions with Hufflepuffs only to come up empty.

“Don’t play dumb; you totally stole Lupin right out from under Amelia.” Coraline explained.

Your heart fell; you certainly hadn’t meant to do that, you hadn’t even realised they were together. You never meant to hurt Amelia, and you were sure Remus must just hate you for this if it was true. 

“Amelia is twice the witch you are; Lupin deserves better than some ditzy airhead.” Shirley spat at you.

Amelia certainly was a nice witch; she was competent, powerful, and quite pretty. She was normal too, not like you; you were odd, a freak. 

“Why do you think he was spending all that time with Amelia when you two first started talking? He didn’t want you, L/N.” Coraline stressed.

He didn’t want you.

That was perhaps true. He didn’t choose this soulmate bond; and he didn’t choose you.

He had seemed more than disturbed in the beginning.

Perhaps he was only being nice to you now because he was simply no longer resisting the bond.

No one should have to live like that; to live their life out of force and obligation. Not Sirius, not Regulus, not Barty, and certainly not Remus.

“I don’t think you heard me.” Silas said as he took a menacing step towards you, and he punctuated every word with a sharp jab of his finger into your shoulder. “Stay. Away. From Lupin.”

And then he used his whole body to shove you backwards, and you were plummeting into the cold dark water of the Black Lake.

continue to part eight here

taglist: @hanniejji , @y0urm0m12 , @c0nsc10usworld , @aphrcdites , @starsval , @thepunisherfrankcastle , @anuncalledbridge, @unstablereader , @klazina-couch-potato , @cancelledkaley , @ttulipwritezz , @boo8008 , @imobsessedwitholiviarodrigo , @frostooo , @myriadmoons , @aremuslupinsimp , @simars3 , @stargurl99 , @dreamingofts18 , @iwannabeinthesequalmrghostface , @agent-tempest , @xxrougefangxx , @serenadingtigers , @adhxmoony , @hufflepufffangirlqueen , @thebiggestnaturaldisaster , @urmomw4ntsme , @b4tm4nn , @jamieolivia27 , @stqrgirlies-blog , @loving-and-dreaming

[circeyoru]

What if there's a side story of Collection Of Overlords where the hotel crew accidentally made Bambi, specifically from Unwanted Soul HAHAHA

Like, another of one Charlie's random activities that they wanted to know Alastor more, and they kept bugging him so Alastor just thought about telling them about his voodoo stuff

And the Charlie wanted him to show them, and Alastor hesitantly accepted, but then some like, loud crash or something interrupted Alastor's spell that made..

Our little Cursed Cat! Bambi!

HAHAHAH

Everyone was stunned, and Alastor literally panicked when he realized Bambi took a run towards Collector/Reader's room

Cat's are liquid, so Bambi slipped right under the crack of the door making Alastor have a heart attack 😭

But once Alastor slammed the door open and was about to protest, Collector/Reader had already picked up the cursed cat and is petting it

"MY LIEGE-"

"hmm? Oh Alastor, did you know about this adorable kitty? You two resemble alot"

3am thoughts.. THEYRE EATING ME UP

OH OH!!! Cursed Cat Alastor strikes again!! This series' first Cursed Cat Alastor appearance!!!

I'm pretty sure a lot of people already know Alastor's Reader's/your favourite Elite in your collection. Plus Alastor's actively keeping it only belonging to him. And what happens when Cursed Cat Alastor comes along? Well...

In this story, I don't think Alastor's willing to share his power without cause or a good reason, cause you play a role in his vast abilities, so he's not gonna show them off like that. He's trying to mimic your mysteriousness. So in this ask, (1) Alastor's not gonna join Charlie's activities when you're in the hotel, (2) Alastor won't let Charlie learn much of him as he believes you're the only one that should know -cause you own his soul so him too-, and (3) Alastor's not gonna entertain Charlie like that.

So how does Curse Cat Alastor appear?

Let's say, Alastor was performing his duties. He's testing some powers you lend him in order to reconstruct his room to what it was before (remember half of his room was a literal swamp? yeah, that) and then some new features to prove he can handle things. Then Charlie and Vaggie suddenly burst into his room unannounced and he messed up.

Poof! Cursed Cat Alastor is here!!

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Charlie tried apologizing so many times "We didn't knock cause it was urgent." Vaggie somewhat lied They didn't catch the red creature that run through them and out of Alastor's room Alastor sighed, a bit annoyed but kept his composure, "What is it that you need, Charlie?" Vaggie watched the cat run, "Huh, it's going to that guest's room. You know, that one that actually paid."

Remember how it was with Alastor and your powers combined? Yee, Cursed Cat Alastor is literally built to locate you. Not only that, but it shares the same affection Alastor would to you. So? Competition!

Alastor panics and immediately runs after it, he can't risk using his powers cause he didn't want to mess anything up.

Meanwhile, you're in the library, looking through a number of books that float around you. As usual, your eyes remained closed. You sat in a chair without anything near you apart from the floating opened books. Your concentration broken when you heard scratching sounds directly below you. You paused in your reading and leaned over to see what was making that noise.

"Hello, you."

You heard the static meow from the cat that weirdly resembles Alastor way too much. You weren't aware of any hell version of a cat being red or having that kind of smile, not to mention owning and wearing a mini monocle.

"Aren't you cute?"

You reached to pick it up slowly, to test and see if it would claw at you or express defense. If it was a cat, then they don't like to be touched too much. Truly reminds you of Alastor. You noticed it shaking a bit and turned it to the side to see its tail wagging happily and excitedly.

You carefully placed it on your lap, letting it make itself comfortable. It purred loudly with static effects when you started patting its head, then moving down its back. You hummed along and smiled. When you asked if it could understand you, it nodded and purred, its head nudging into your stomach.

"Any owner?"

It hissed loudly, but then its ears drooped down and bowed its head down as if apologizing for its rude actions.

Your smile widened, got to love its personality and the resemblance it had with Alastor. So... "Let's forget your old owner, now, you follow me."

It meowed loudly, sitting at attention as if sensing what you're about to do.

Your fingers snapped and a black collar appeared, "Let's name you Red, you're fur was the first thing I noticed, you see."

The collar was inscribed with the bolded and capitalized name 'RED' with a wave of your finger and placed around its neck. Red purred and hugged you in gratitude.

"My Liege!" The doors burst opened and in rushed Alastor who looked like he fought krakens barehanded. His eyes glared down at Red who was in your wonderful hold. "I apologize for troubling your reading time, but I'll be removing this... thing that has taken up your space."

"Oh, no need. This is my new pet, Red. Red, say hello to Alastor."

Red hissed at Alastor and leaned closer to you.

Alastor emitted deafening static at the creature with his head tilted to the side.

You smile, "Aww, you two are getting aloud already~"

The characters are from {Collection of Overlords} here, you can check it out in MASTERLIST for the works

[1000sunnygo]

Trafalgar D. Water Law: Whats the significance of Water?

Gonna be a long one, you can scroll down to TLDR below.

Many of us know that the spelling of Water in Law's name isn't the actual katakana spelling of the liquid water, ウォーター (Wo-ta-), which follows the classic British pronunciation. Instead, it's a new word ワーテル (Wa-teru), which combining with "Law" (written as "Ro, ロー" in Japanese) makes the correct Japanese spelling for "Waterloo (ワーテルロー)".

Big Mom's hat is named "Napoleon", the irony.

For the sake of separation from water, let's call it "Watel" for now.

It may not be that deep. "Waterloo" could be a simple pun Oda came up with on a whim, but the scene leaves a bit of mystery. Law was abruptly cut off while talking with Baby 5 and Buffalo. And the pun only works in Law's name; it wouldn't work on, say, his sister Lami's name.

Also, for Law to uncover the mystery of his checkered fate, it'd make sense that his character arc is leading to finding the history of his own bloodline.

Trafalgar family happens to be the only family of Ds with an extra hidden name so there's something going on. Unfortunately, Law is the only surviving member of Trafalgar family and he knows nothing about it. Now it's up to him to restore his family's lost knowledge.

Law says "Watel" is 忌み名, a "secret name."

The word 忌み名 (imina) is an uncommon word, Japanese readers needed to do some dictionary digging too. "Imi" (忌み) means abstinence, taboo, religious purification; "na" 名 means name. Imina can be defined as a pure name, or a taboo name.

There's an old Japanese article speculating about Law's name, here's a passage from it:

The term "忌み名" encompasses meanings such as "given name for a person of high status," "title bestowed based on achievements during one's lifetime," and "name used for the deceased person." If Watel is a "忌み名" meaning a "given name for a person of high status," it might trace back to Law's ancestors, possibly connecting to nobility. Therefore, online discussions include speculations like "Were Law's ancestors individuals of considerable status?" or "Could they have been part of the royalty?"

To clarify what it meant with "the name given to a deceased person", I've read some articles about "imina", so let me share what I understood. It's an additional knowledge unrelated to Law's name, I'll explain why afterwards.

Names are often believed to be linked to spirituality, like how you can't exorcise a devil without its name, or use voodoo dolls on a person without knowing their name. In old Japan and China, sometimes two names were given to a person. One is the name that is shared with everyone, other is their taboo name 忌み名 'imina' - that is kept hidden within the family. This name relates to the person's spirituality.

忌み also means pure. As spirit world is linked to deities and gods, and dead body is considered impure. A person would be called in their imina or pure name when the person dies and become a spirit. It was forbidden to call a person using their imina during their lifetime, and to refer to them in their human world name after their death.

The parents gave their children a good 'imina' for their better future. A child with 'imina' has a connection with their spirituality, and by knowing that name, they were believed to have some control over their future.

According to this classic definition, a living person is never called in their imina which is their spirit's name, and it wouldn't be tucked into their real name. For Law to have an 'imina', rather than as his spiritual name, it is implied that his family carried Watel as a secret title that become part of a name over the generations.

From the theories I've read about Law's name, here's a common ground most of them agreed on:

D is a name shared among many people from The Ancient Kingdom, whereas the name Watel specifies a title given to a specific bloodline, for a yet unknown reason.

The theory that D's aren't a single bloodline became more apparent over time, it's now believed to be a codename that was passed down regardless of their ethnicity and family history (ie. Queen Lily who didn't belong to ancient kingdom) - only thing common among them is that they're the enemies of "gods", aka Celestial Dragons.

So who were the Watel? Throwing in my personal theory....

I think Trafalgar family didn't belong to the Ancient Kingdom. Rather, they were affiliates of the Neferteri Family that took the name "D".

There are some similarities between Trafalgar and Neferteri families.

Both of these families are the only D's that kept their names hidden, implying that their ancestors could retain some knowledge of the void century (unlike other Ds who seem to know nothing of D's significance, which means the truth of their bloodline was completely suppressed from being passed down). How could these two families survive the complete purge of knowledge? By never belonging to the ancient kingdom.

Both Neferteri and Trafalgar families are loosely attached to the classic "D" characteristics, to the point you can't immediately associate them to being D's. Rather than bringing a wave of change themselves, they're particularly interested about learning the history. Notably Cobra and Law.

Here's the headcanon territory.

The two families probably had connections in the past through two people: Queen Neferteri Lily and a Trafalgar who we don't know yet.

How were they connected? Couldn't be marriage, as the family names weren't exchanged.

Doctor and Patient, perhaps?

Watel was a title given to the Trafalgar by Queen Lily. That's where the 'title connected to royalty' of imina comes from.

The word Watel (ワーテル) doesn't have a meaning per se, but I can push it a little in meta direction.

The more convincing theory is that it's a wordplay, Watel = War Tale (in japanese it only needs a space in the middle of the word) similar to Raftel = Laugh tale. Probably a title given for the heroic activities of Trafalgars during the war between the Celestials and the Ancient Kingdom.

A less convincing theory is that Watel's close alternative "Water" goes in combination with "Lily" to form Water Lily. We know that Arabasta is based on Egypt, and Water Lily in Egyptian culture has a great significance and connection to sun. Maybe the Queen's gesture of respect was to give a title that would combine with her name.

Reminder that Law's name also has a 'combination pun', Waterloo.

This is the only ancient doctor that has been mentioned in One Piece. Possibly the same doctor - that'd tie up most loose thread together. Too convenient? hasn't stopped Oda until now, has it?

Doctor Trafalgar possessed the power of ope ope no mi and performed many miracle operations, Queen Lily hired them for their skill and talent, giving them a royal title. Both Lily and the doctor took the codename "D" to support the people from Ancient Kingdom who were rebelling against Imu and the Celestials.

Doctor Trafalgar discovered the fruit's potential of performing a perennial youth surgery, an information that was intercepted by Nerona Imu. The doctor was kidnapped and forced to perform the surgery on him, the process taking thier life.

Alternative could be that Watel was the given name of the doctor and Trafalgar family simply carry it as a tribute to them, remembering their connection to a royal family and an inevitable sacrifice.

The fruit returning to the same family, to another Trafalgar who has yet to confront Imu as a D to find the history of their family - would truly affirm that Law's life is "checkered." It'd be poetic for Law to play a key role in Imu's downfall. lHopefully without putting his own life at risk.

Rosinante believed Law is kept alive as if by a divine force. He must have a role to play.

TL;DR

- Law's secret family name Watel is an 'imina', in his own words, which signifies that it's a secret title passed down by his ancestors.

- Similar to Neferteri Family, Trafalgar Family are D's who didn't belong to the ancient kingdom and thus survived the purge of knowledge, able to withhold some knowledge and keep the D in their names hidden over generations.

-The ancestors of both of these families took the codename 'D' like people from ancient kingdom to support their action against Imu, even though they didn't belong to the ancient kingdom themselves.

-Watel was either the royal title or the given name of a Trafalgar who worked under/with Neferteri Lili, and was likely a doctor who possessed and discovered the immortality operation of Ope Ope no mi.

-The said doctor was forced to grant perpetual youth to Imu, dying in the process. Trafalgar family carry 'Watel' in their names as a tribute to the fallen ancestor.

-Law having the same fruit as his fallen ancestor is the truth of his checkered fate. It's possible that he will be involved in taking down Imu.

[almacambiondaughterofsaleos]

If She Didn't Respect Christianity, What Makes You Think She Would Respect Other Religions

I mean she already took a lot of concepts of Christianity (and to some extent Judaism) and butchered them. We Christians were expected to just allow it because it's a so-called colonist religion when ignoring that Christianity has tons of poc who influenced it and it freaking comes from the Middle East. Seriously, just remember the backlash against Asmodeus and Beelzebub being about restraint when they are supposed to be the embodiment of their sins, yet they invoke artistic license. But now it's something like Voodoo people are up in arms, but again this is what happens when you have someone who is nonchalant and ignorant about other people's religions.

Also despite how people are saying only black people practice it, it's been practiced by white people since the 19th century so no it's not closed off to white people especially those who grew up around Louisiana heritage. And the Voodoo and Vodun spelling is a case of evolution itself and many practitioners in the Louisianian sect often use Voodoo. For the Haitian sect, they prefer using Vodoun to differ from one another. While Voodoo is influenced by Catholicism, the use of pagan gods and other stuff makes it considered heretical for mainstream Christian religion. One thing to add most of the depictions of Voodoo is mostly touristy like voodoo dolls are actually the reverse of their purpose which is to actually bless people. So, while for the tourists, Voodoo shops will give out dolls in actual practice they are meant for blessings.

Also evil people can use voodoo, while they don't have a name in Louisiana Voodoo in Haitian Vodom they are called bokors. While Bokors can be good or evil, they do serve the loa with both hands. So yeah, there can be evil voodoo practitioners who can invoke Loa for their own purposes. Also going back to white people and Vodun/Voodoo there are loa in the pantheon which are white like Mademoiselle Charlotte, Madam Brigette (wife of the famous Baron Samedi) , and Dinclinsin (who is often depicted as white colonial slave owner, feared for his temper and cruelty). Seriously, between you and me I wonder how that last asswipe got into the pantheon and why more fiction depicting Voodoo/Vodun doesn't have him as a villain who is willing to work with white supremacists. Again with that in mind it again doesn't mean that the religion is closed off to white people if it has white members of it's pantheon.

So in my opinion, there is some things about voodoo in depiction that I can let slide, but on the other hand I think people do think to research a bit more to better capture it. And I say that for all religions and not just minority religions. Research is good to better understand concepts and not look ignorant. Seriously, I would say how Vivziepop depicts Christianity is more like pop culture version with the added bonus of adding things that goes against the idea of faith like redeeming demons and again having the freaking ideas that the embodiments of sin have any morals. Also I don't think she figured out how other pantheons fit neatly in here because I do think there would be some loa that could fit in heaven, while other loa would fit in hell better. Baka is one of those few evil Loas and he often requires blood sacrifice and he would have fit Alastor more serving. Also Kalfu is also someone that Alastor serves because he does allow evil loa to come in. So again, an evil voodoo practitioner is possible if it depends on which god they serve.

[askyuuandco]

Twst Incorrect Quotes 25!

Ace: I Cast! Deuce: I cast! Grim: No I cast! OB! Y/N: FUCK YOU! D:< OB! Y/N: I'M NOT GOING TO ANNOUNCE MY FUCKING SPELLS ANYMORE! >:( OB!Y/N: Y'ALL WILL FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE WHEN I OBLITERATE THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!!! D:< Ace, Deuce, and Grim: AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! OAO'///

-------------------------------------------- My Yuu: And Now A completely normal trip to the grocery store ---not even a second later--- My Yuu: *surrounded by blot creatures* HOW THE FUCK DID WE GET HERE?! ;A; My Yuu: IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A NORMAL TRIP! My Yuu: WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN?! My Yuu: WE WERE JUST SUPPOSED TO GET BREAD! ;m; *crying* ------------------------------------- Kid! Y/N: *crying eyes out because tripped and scrapped knee* Crewel: Now repeat after me <:> Crewel: I'm big. UvU Toddler! Y/N: I'm big ;m; Crewel: I'm Brave. UvU Toddler! Y/N: I Brave ;m; Crewel: I'm Beautiful Toddler! Y/N: I'm booutifullll ;A;

Crewel: Yes Thank you now give me huggies *giving Y/N a hug* UvU Kids! Y/N: *Hugs back feeling a little bit better* -------------------------------- Sam: A room called the doll room with a room full of dolls in it is mundane. =-= Sam: But a room called a doll room that only has one doll in it...that's fresh /UvU/ Yuu: so explain to me why you shop has that one doll in that room Sam: of that's my voodoo doll Paul say hi Paul Paul: Hello :D Yuu: OMO'/// Hi... -------------------------------------------- Mom! Y/N: Give you Mom hug! >w<

Your Fan Kid: Oh Yeah.. okay. *side hugs* Mom! Y/N: I spent 37 hours squeezing you out of my body and this is what I get?... (ꐦ○_○）✧

Your Fan Kid: Oh I just didn't- OnO'/// Mom! Y/N: Give your mother a hug... (ꐦ○_○) Your Fan Kid: O-Okay O.O'/// *gives a full hug*

Mom! Y/N: ^v^ yay! *hugs back* Twst Boy of your choice: Oh dear =v= ------------------------------------------- Sebek: I fear no army Silver: ...then why are you holding my hand? Sebek: Nngnwa- Your holding my hand <.< Silver: No I'm not >n> Sebek: Yes you are! Silver & Sebek: Let go of my hand! Silver & Sebek: *arguing* Silver Owls: ...*sighs*....Open fire. =-= -------------------------------------- Crowley: The plan is kind of changing so were just gonna take you with us... =v= Yuu: Am I being kidnapped?

Crowley: No no no. <:0 Yuu: can I leave? :D Crowley: No <:) Yuu: o.o ...

[god-blog]

Ok, idea that I'm really excited about

Everyone is always talking abt an in-person temple for pagans but what if instead of a temple-temple, there was a museum-temple?

Hear me out bc I think this would be really cool.

Things the temple-museum would have:

Permanent exhibits including:

Outside land art similar to Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt that line up with the solstices/constellations

Inside sky art for meditating similar to Skyspace by James Turrell (PLS look this one up, it's so pretty. The picture in the article doesn't do it justice)

A wall of prayers/manifestations/affirmations. Visitors write them on a post it or note card and pin it to the wall to make a collaborative exhibition like Post Secret at the Museum of Us

A small gallery with general overviews of popular pagan pantheons: Hellenic, Celtic, etc. This will include artifacts from those time periods either depicting the deities or how people worshiped them

A small gallery with historical witchcraft artifacts. This will include medieval European poppets, Copic love spell manuscripts, Chinese oracle bones, etc.

Rotating temporary exhibits including:

Witch trials from around the world (1400-present, bc they do still happen)

Paleolithic cultures: Venus of Wellendorf, Stonehenge, Cave paintings/music, the Lion-man ivory, etc

Did Christianity Steal From Paganism: yes… no… it’s complicated (basically the overlap between early Christianity and Roman paganism) This will include villa mosaics, sarcophaguses, layouts of early churches, etc

The Rise of Modern Occultism: Hilma af Klint, Carl Jung, surrealism, spiritualism, Wicca, etc

A series of exhibits celebrating closed practices: different indigenous religions, Voodoo, Hoodoo, etc (Very important: these will not be teaching those crafts, just giving them the same public platform/attention as open practices. Key word here is "celebrating." People who practice in those closed communities will be consulted)

How paganism is incorporated into Abrahamic religions: Judaism and paganism, Catholicism and paganism, etc (People who practice in those communities will be consulted)

Modern witchcraft, good or bad? So that would be New Age, the rise of consumerism, witchtok, etc

More in-depth focuses on different pantheons: Celtic, Slavic, Mesopotamian, Hellenic, etc

Historical witchcraft accusations and race: Mary Lewis, the New York City Panic of 1741, Ann Glover, etc

Regular people's (like you!) devotional art. The public will be encouraged to donate/create devotional art pieces. Be that visual media, performance art, video art, music, sculpture, photography, writing, etc. It'll really highlight all the different ways people are worshiping, the diversity in deities being worshiped, and how big our community is

An auditorium. This would be for concerts, festivals/ceremonies that are done inside, and guest speakers. Guest speakers would include academics like Malcolm Gaskill (English historian and author), Katherine Howe (American author), etc. as well as big name practicing witches/pagans.

A garden. I haven’t decided yet what kind but I’m debating between a rooftop garden like the MET, one behind the building but open to visitors, or an atrium like medieval European cloisters/monasteries (bc I love those). The garden would be for meditating, connecting to nature/the gods, feeding pollinators, protecting "creepy" insects like spiders or burrowing bugs (bug hotel?), and potentially -depending on what type of garden it is- housing wild birds in bird houses or bats in bat boxes. Also, it could be a good place for festivals/ceremonies that are done outside, concerts, or general get-togethers like altar piece swaps!

And an altar/worship space. Obviously. It wouldn't be a temple without it. I'm thinking it would be mostly a big empty room with chairs and rugs scattered about and an alcove in one wall for the altar. Inside the alcove will mostly be nonspecific religious objects like candles, nice fabrics, flowers, incense, etc . Visitors will be encouraged to bring their own small personal devotional tools (except candles/incense for fire safety reasons). That way they can pray to, appreciate, and connect to their own gods and the main altar doesn't leave anybody out; the main altar is more for ambience than specific worship.

Giftshop? I'm not sure about this one yet bc it feels wrong to have a gift shop in a temple, but most museums, even small ones, have gift shops. It could have fresh herbs from the garden, candles, and local artists' art like prints, stickers, jewelry, etc. All at a reasonable price ofc (I hate overpriced museum giftshops more than anything else in the world... except overpriced museum tickets)

In terms of funding, museums get more government funding than churches, but they do have to pay taxes churches don't. I was thinking of generally modeling it after the Museum of Us in San Deigo; they let their employees pick the holidays they take off so they can each adhere to their personal religious practice, start paying them at $22 an hour with built in raises each year, and good insurance. They have done an amazing job, way better than any big museum, at collaborating with communities from all over the world to either give back artifacts in their collections or closely work with them to reframe how the artifact is presented/stored. They also don't charge for tickets, memberships, school trips, or basically anything except the giftshop. But that means they rely heavily on donations which may not work as well for a museum that's just starting out. Idk, this is all hypothetical rn.

The pillars the museum-temple would stand on are worship, education, and community.

I feel like teaching people about the history of these practices is super important and isn't smth that everybody bothers to learn or has correct information about. (And I'm a huge history/museum nerd if you can't tell lol)

I'm actually really excited about this lol

[scarlet--wiccan]

Do you think there’s a meaningful distinction between “witches” and other magic users in the marvel universe (beyond, potentially, gender)?

Witch and warlock are obviously treated more or less as gender-swapped synonyms and both have somewhat negative connotations that don’t get associated with people like Dr Strange (afaik), but I feel like there might be more to it, I’m just not sure. Calling Nico or Billy a witch feels more accurate than calling Cleo or Victor a witch, but I can’t figure out if this is grounded in anything besides my own opinion

Yes, actually! We can identify social, cultural, mythical and practical factors distinguishing "witches" from other types of magicians. However, those distinctions are not always clear. As you noted, the word "witch" is often used very broadly to describe any female spellcaster. As a reader, you'll have to rely on context to determine whether the writer is denoting a specific type of magician, or just using gendered language.

Functionally speaking, all forms of magic are basically interchangeable. Most spellcasters have the same powers and abilities, and writers don't always put in the effort to make them feel unique. That doesn't necessarily bother me, so long as they are tailoring the language and imagery to suit each character's background, but that doesn't happen as often as I'd like. Again, you'll just need to use critical thinking to figure out when a lack of distinction is really just a lack of creativity and effort.

With that out of the way, let's break down what we do know about witchcraft, and the history of witches, in the Marvel world!

Social: Witches have historically gathered in covens, settlements and societies, and have even endured literal witch-hunts. In real life, this is not quite the truth, but it Marvel comics, we can say that witches comprise distinct societies which suffer distinct forms of persecution. We also know that many witches belong to a magical lineage, and that these witch families often use a special naming convention to identify themselves with unique colors and symbols, indicating that witches have unique customs and traditions setting them apart.

Cultural: In Marvel comics, all forms of magical or spiritual folk practice are literally real, in the same way that all mythologies and polytheistic religions are literally real-- Asgard is a real place, Thor is a real person, and spells have real power. Witchcraft is typically represented as a form of European folk magic. Other traditions, such as vodou, voodoo, and multiple forms of Indigenous spirituality have also been demonstrated, and are often grouped together, along with witchcraft, under a broad category of "cultural magic." As shown in Midnight Suns, many of these traditions from around the world have a certain shared history, as the Coven at Mount Wundagore included representatives from numerous cultures.

Mythological: "Witchcraft" itself exists as an abstract entity, like Death, Nightmare, or Eternity. She is the source of witchcraft's power, but also a symbolic representation of all witches and the natural balance of magic, and she is sometimes worshipped as a goddess. Witchcraft resides at the heart of the Witches' Road, an Inner Plane uniquely accessible to witches that transcends time and is connected to many of the mythical realms. Witchcraft may also be intrinsically connected to chaos magic-- ancient witches were responsible for binding and harnessing Earth's natural chaos magic; Witchcraft, the entity, is shown consorting with an abstract Chaos entity; and we know that Wundagore and the Darkhold are connected to many cults and covens throughout history.

Practical: Unfortunately, this is the weakest area. For a brief time, Wanda's magical practice borrowed a lot of Wiccan motifs, which was problematic in its own right, but in modern comics, we just don't get to see enough of how witches, specifically, do magic. Most characters who practice some form of traditional magic have a closer connection to natural elements and the spirit world, and they may have particular powers related to their background. Doctor Voodoo is a great example, although the actual depiction of his culture is deeply flawed. Scarlet Witch (2015) introduced certain unique abilities, such as witches' sight; specific mechanics around the cost of magic; and a style of spellcasting that relied on Wanda's knowledge of real-world languages and magical symbols. Billy and Nico also use varying degrees of wordplay, so I like this approach and I would focus on building that into a cohesive magical system if I was a writer.

[realpontchartrain]

Wait you know actual new orleans voodoo??? Learning something new pretty much every time you post is the coolest thing. Fnkfndifn that's sick as fuck. Can't wait to learn even more about you cause you're fascinating as fuck. How are you so cool lol??? And how do you get cooler with everything I fucking learn???

Why the hell isn’t tumblr notifying me of asks/submissions lately… but yes, I do! I come from a family of women who have been voodoo Priestesses/Queens in New Orleans, and I am technically considered a Queen myself because I eventually learned and perfected my craft enough to practice it for others. I believe it was my great-grandmother who was also a Queen, while my mom and grandmother were just Priestesses.

I used to talk about it all the time because Louisiana Voodoo is actually considered a dying religion now (it was practically killed after Katrina and everyone lost their roots and culture with gentrification, and seemingly nobody from our past few generations is teaching their children about it anymore), and I always felt like if I couldn’t do anything else about it, then the least I could do is speak of it and the experiences/knowledge I have of it passed down to me from the women who raised me in it and the ancestors before us.

It’s a very beautiful and sacred religion, as well as a huge part of my upbringing and religious identity, and as I said, subsequently why I decided to lean towards Catholicism again! I haven’t practiced in a while, except for friends of mine who come to me asking for some of my services and such. I’ve definitely got plenty of wild stories to share from it, such as watching my mother and I watching my grandmother get a pig’s throat slit over her while she bathed in its blood for some kind of ritual, probably a love or wealth spell of some sort, and that one bitch who kept fucking with Robbie and I all those years ago because he “rejected” her borderline ass before I cursed her and she, coincidentally or not, killed herself shortly after. And this one chick @lifelovergroupie had me curse who also happened to commit suicide recently. Yeah, now you see why i’m like this, but LMAO.

Anyway, thanks lmao. If there’s anything else you wanna know about this religion or anything about me in general, feel free to ask! Like I said, I always felt compelled to keep Louisiana/New Orleans Voodoo alive for as long as I can help it, and part of that is teaching it to my own children and other people in general (with limits as to prevent appropriation and shit). It’s sad what our culture and religion has become because of greedy white people taking over after Katrina — I swear New Orleans is practically unrecognizable from what I grew up around now — but it’s still beautiful, y’know?

[ariays]

My 'Destined With You' Prediction/Theory

I posted this on MyDramaList and Reddit. Let's me share my theory here as well.

Ya'll I think there's more to the story than we think. Right now it's confusing because we're just seeing and being shown the surface. The show is definitely holding back some details and information on purpose. But I'm pretty sure we'll be diving in deeper next week once the past life's story is introduced and we'll be able to see the mystery being revealed layer by layer. Now that we know the existence of the 'black magic/curse' book, i have a feeling that there's another copy of it out there and someone is holding on to it and using it (the voodoo which Shin Yu and Hong Jo discovered) and its someone who knows the existence and location of the shrine. Apparently that voodoo was used to cut off the ties between two people (which in this case is Hong Jo and Shin Yu). I read this in a Korean community post. I just think there's a reason why Shin Yu seems almost stupidly loyal to Na Yeon. It just doesn't feel right. He doesn't seem to be emotionally in love with her but yet he's being stupidly loyal to her for no reason. Despite being told multiple times that what he's doing is wrong, he always seem to disregard it (as if breaking up is never an option he could consider). Almost feels like there's a unexplainable force that's constantly holding him back when it comes to Na Yeon. He seem to always put her up on this weird pedestal. Him believing that she doesn't have any faults even when its being presented that she's somehow involved in Hong Jo being transferred  (+ even when Hong Jo specifically said that Na Yeon slapped her, he completely dismissed it), finding her to be matchless/incomparable to other women even when he's obviously attracted to another and pushing the attention he received from others whenever they're together towards her to boost up her ego even when the attention was obviously on him and not her. He acts really differently when it comes to her too. He just doesn't act like his usual self, he acts weak when he's with her. Kinda like a puppet. & he was acting this way even before the whole 'love potion' confusion. Also the whole voodoo thing happened after Hong Jo met Na Yeon to tell her everything (about the use of spell) . BUT SUSPICIOUSLY, we didn't get to see her reaction... Now that feels rather on purpose. Why would they leave that out? Hmm. Now I'm really suspicious. What if Na Yeon is the one with a copy? Maybe her family is involved with shamans too. & she used one of the spells to 'seduce' Shin Yu two years ago. Its weird because he just seems so uninterested but felt compelled to tolerate her for some reason. He wanted to break up but couldn't even be firm about it. It just feel weird to me because that's not how he is to everyone else. He's only like that towards her. I feel like it could be an outcome of black magic being used on him. Apparently, from the historical records which we saw Shin Yu googling from the earlier episodes, there a 'Lady Yoon' mentioned that was involved with the death of Aeng Cho(which I believe is Hong Jo's past life). If Na Yeon is not the reincarnation of Lady Yoon then she is most definitely a descendent which would explain how she possibly would have a copy of the black magic book. The question is if it's Na Yeon, how is she able to obtain Hong Jo's PJs? I think the stalker is definitely working for Na Yeon and the stalker is the one that stole Hong Jo's pjs. She may lie that she received the photos from an unknown number but the stalker definitely knows her well enough to be able to, firstly, recognize Shin Yu as her boyfriend, and secondly, knows her phone number in order to send her those photos. Also I'm pretty sure she would know where the Jang family shrine is since she's been with him for 2 years and hangs out with his family. This is just a theory so just take it with a grain of salt.

In my opinion, this theory will also help to make Shin Yu more redeemable. Because as of now, his character is a red flag but notice how he's only becomes a red flag when it involves Na Yeon? What if he was blindsided by black magic and the root cause of it has been Na Yeon all along?

[hells-greatest-performers]

Alastor please calm down! This is not the right way. She is a child who just happens to have too much power and two stubborn dads. Every kid messes up sometimes! They should be allowed to make mistakes, that's how they learn! Sending her away will just teach her that she is unwanted. She turned herself (and accidentily Verena) into an adult BECAUSE she felt like she would be a burden after the babys are born and thought that way she could be helpful. And she tried to fix it but didn't have control over her magic and overdid it. If a child acts out like that, there is always an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Strict discipline is not the answer here! What she needs is someone to listen to how she is feeling about everything that has happened lately. You should figure out how to transform her (and Verena) back and then have a long CALM family talk.

Lucifer: Al we are not sending Calli away for one mistake. She’s a child. She’s learning.

Alastor: *angry and yet upset and starts tearing up* I can’t fix this mistake Lucifer! I failed her.

Lucifer: Al…what’s going on?

Alastor: I know Calliope is smart and inquisitive. She’s so curious and yet so independent all of the time. I wondered if she even liked us…liked me.

Lucifer: Al…

Alastor: She made us forget her Luci…and now this? I’ve been failing her as her parent.

Baby Calliope: *smacks Alastor’s face and smiles at him, clapping her hands*

Lucifer: Al she loves you so much…she wanted to be less of a burden on you so she tried to make herself older. Unlike you, she just isn’t great with her words. You two are a lot alike then you realize.

Alastor: *wipes his tears* Calliope, I don’t know how much of this you can understand right now, but I’m sorry if I made you feel like a burden in any sort of way. I love you so much my little Voodoo Doll. And that will never change.

Baby Calliope: *green magic began to swirl about and shifts Calliope from a 1 year old to a 5 year old.

Calliope: Do you mean it Papa?

Alastor: I do…but you’re still grounded for causing such a mess!

Calliope: *hugs Alastor* Okay Papa.

**the spell was temporary this entire time.

[azlan-snow]

Humble Beginnings(Radiobelle Fanfic)

Chapter Fourteen: Worst Nightmare

(Told from Al’s POV)

A month  and a half has passed since Charlie’s unconsciousness befell her. And we have been busy. I assumed Charlie’s position as hotel manager and co-founder, resulting in busy days, sleepless nights, and never ending complaints. But everyday, I would work in our room, making sure to watch over my beloved. And today was the day she awoke.

“ugh,” Charlie groans, awaking for the first time in a while.

“Charlie!” I rush to her side as she attempts to sit up, and help her as she continues groaning in pain. “Be careful, mon cher.”

“Alastor?”

“Yes, Charlie? I’m right here.”

“What….happened?”

“You were injured severely. I’ve been tending to you since.”

Charlie’s stomach growls loudly, as if it’s begging for food. 

“Are you hungry, beloved?”

“I think so.”

“I’ll get you some food. Wait for me here.” I teleport down to the lobby, grab some pasta Angel made for dinner last night, and return to Charlie searching her body.

“Woman, don’t you know how to keep your clothes on?” 

“Sorry. I just wanted to see.” She slips her shirt back on before I hand her food.

“It feels like I’ve been out for a day or so.”

“A day or so?”

“Yeah.”

“Charlie, you’ve been in a coma for a month and a half.” Dead silence arose from that mere sentence as Charlie stares at me, coldness lying there dormant and withholding in her eyes.”

“Are you telling me that I’ve been unconscious. For. Almost. Two. Months!” Horns sprouting from her head,she began to look furious before coughing manically. As her coughing becomes more like hackling, fear begins to overtake her entirety, and her vision begins to fade. “Charlie! Stay with me!” I hold her steady as her body begins to spasm, slowly becoming more and more rapid. I hold her steady, making sure she doesn’t get injured. As it begins to calm down, the fog over Charlie’s eyes begins to fade. “Are you okay, mon cher?”

“No.” She pouts, frowning in her puppy-like face. Then, a knock on the door.

“Hey Al, we need somma’ ya voodoo type shit down-” Angel pauses, seeing Charlie, awake. “The fuck Al? Why didnt’cha tell us she was awake and kickin’?” Angel walks over to the foot of the bed, motioning for Charlie to come closer. Charlie scoots over towards him and hugs him, Angel wrapping all four of his arms around her. MY heart hurts at such a gesture towards someone that’s not me. Charlie might have been right. I am a possessive lover. But for good reason. 

As Angel and Charlie chatted about what happened in her absence, I watched from her side, making sure she doesn’t spoil her biggest surprise: a new resident. He hasn’t been here long, and clicking with him, as Charlie would say, has been proving to be difficult. The ladies and Angel scare him greatly. Especially Cherri, who came to stay here after Angel convinced her that it would be good for her. Charlie has yet to meet the two, only hearing what Angel says about the explosive woman. “Perhaps I should assist you, Angel.”

“Thanks. I don’t even know what happened.” Angel and I leave Charlie for a short while before we went down to solve our problem: A massive hole in the wall. “They said it was there this morning.”

“Intriguing. It just appeared?”

“Yep.” I cast a spell, trying to find any residual traces and find an explosive residue lying on the outer rim.

“It would appear as if someone threw a bomb at it.” We all look at Cherri, who looks hurt that we’re blaming her.

“It wasn’t me, aight! I was out on the town!”

“Then what could it-” I heard a loud thud, coming from Charlie’s room. “Hold that thought.” I portal to our room and see Charlie: wings out, hooves sticking up, and body,flatly lined up on the floor. 

“Charlie. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she answered, muffling her speech with the floor. I help her up, dusting her off and straightening her up. “What possessed you to leave the bed?”

“I don’t want to be in here, rotting like a corpse.” I laugh at her metaphor of murder before speaking again. 

“Mon cher. You are in no condition to be roaming about, even healed. I highly advise against such a choice.”

“Who died and made you my dad,” she remarks sarcastically, rolling her eyes while doing so.

“Your father tasked me with your care while he dealt with political problems with the rings. Your mother is trying to negotiate with Heaven to assist with your hotel.”

“Really? They’re doing all that?” Charlotte expressed a look of appreciation towards my explanation, meaning I did my job correctly. 

“That doesn’t justify you want to keep me here.”

“Charlotte. I am not going to risk your safety. NOT again.”

“Al. I’m not in danger anymore. I’m safe here. With you.” She takes my hand in hers, squeezing tightly with reassurance.

“Charlotte. What happened that day?” She winced at the question, hoping I wouldn’t ask.

“I was attacked. With angelic weapons.” “And?”

“That’s it.”

“There’s still the question of who, darling.”

“That’s for me to know and for you and everyone to find out when I’m ready to disclose such info.”

“Charlotte. Please. I want to know who hurt you. They deserve punishment worse than I can deliver.”

“Later. Now, I’m going downstairs. And you can’t stop me.” She rushes out of the room with great haste, with me hot on her tail. She greets the stairs with too much speed and nearly falls, my tentacle catching her right before impact. 

“This is exactly why I said you weren’t permitted to leave.”  

“Charlie!” Niffty runs toward her, helping her right herself on the bottom of the stairs, before hugging her tightly on the shin. The others surround her in a large hug, embracing their once lost friend. As they hug, I notice the plethora of gifts, cards and balloons from other rings that have accumulated in a certain corner of the main lobby.  

“Charlie. We gotta surprise fo’ ya’,” Angel pronounces, dragging her over out of the hug.

“This is Cherri, my friend that I was talkin’ to ya about.” Cherri looks at her with her singular eye, grinning greatly.

“Aye mate! Nice to finally meet’cha, Princess.” Charlie looks ecstatic at the new guest as she hugged her. 

“She’s not the only one. This is Ren, Charlie,” Husk grumbles, dragging the boy from behind him. Charlotte’s grin grew even wider as she approached him and extended her hand for him to shake, only to be turned down as he hid behind Husker.

“We talked about this yesterday, kid. You can't be afraid of girls anymore. Or Angel,” Husker explains.

“Even Niffty?”

“Nah, you can be scared of her. Hell, I am.” 

Niffty cackled at his remark before returning her signature toothy grin.

“Ren. Why are you here? Not that I’m not happy you’re here. I’m ecstatic. Just curious about your reason for seeking redemption.

“My sister,” he whispers, barely audible to us. “His sister. She’s in Heaven,” Husk echoes, making sure that Charlie gets the message.

“That’s great! You want to reunite with your family!”

Suddenly, a burst comes through the door, displaying the King and Queen.

“Hello your-” I begin. They rush over to the both of us, take us by the shoulder and embrace us, squeezing tight. 

“You’re awake!” The king turns to me, eyes glowering in frustration. “How long has she been awake?”

“Not long, your Majesty.”

“Any info?”

“None. She refuses to talk about it.”

“Not for long.” 

Lucifer walks towards her, hugs Charlotte, then speaks. 

“Charlotte Morningstar.” She looked up at him, having never heard her full name from him before. 

“You need to tell us what happened. No prancing around the subject. Just the truth. Please.”

“Dad, I-”

“Charlie. The truth. I’m not asking this just because you are my daughter, but because someone crossed a line hurting a member of royalty. So please. Just tell us.”

“We’re your parents, too, Charlie. And your our daughter. Seeing you hurt was devastating. Something like that should not happen.”

“Mom. Everything’s fine. But fine. I’ll tell you.”

“Thank you.”

“If I may, your Majesties, can we take this somewhere more…private?”

“Of course.” I lead us to our room, where we sit Charlie in the bed and us three around it before Charlotte began. 

“I was headed to Cannibal Town to see Al.”  She looks at me, expression softening. “But I never even reached the gates. Some dude grabbed me, stuffed me in a sack and took me somewhere. The voices were constant and ringing. There was smoke everywhere. So much that it hurt to breathe. They stabbed, shot, burned, and slashed until they were finished before releasing me. Next thing I know, waking up in the hotel today.”

“Charlie. I’m not understanding,” Lucifer exclaims, confused. 

“Charlotte, you woke up once before today,” I say, revealing a small known fact. “I did?”

“Indeed. You regained consciousness whilst I tended to your wounds. You mumbled a few words before slipping back.”

“Okay. Anything useful?”

“No, milady.”

“Okay. So what do we do now?”

“Your mother and I are going to figure out who did this.”

“But Dad, don’t you have work to do?”

“I do. But work can wait. You, Charlie, are my top priority. As my daughter, you will always take priority to me more than anything.”

“I know, Dad. And I’m thankful. But it’s not necessary. I can manage on my own. I have this far, I can continue.”

“We know, but we’re still worried. Maybe you should stay in the palace with us. Both of you.” She looks at me, warmth filling her face.

“You have found love, Charlie. I will never intend to separate you from him, so long as he doesn’t hurt you.”

“A gracious offer, your Majesty, but I think we would both prefer to reside here at the hotel. Charlotte believes this is where she belongs.”

“Do not speak on behalf of my Daughter, sinner. Know your place.”

“Don’t talk to my boyfriend like that, Dad. Alastor is telling the truth. I don’t want to go back to the palace.”

“Very well. If that is your decision, we will abide by it.” They get up to leave, wishing Charlie a speedy recovery, but as they leave, the Queen pulled me aside. 

“I need a favor from you, Alastor.”

“Oh? And what might that be, my Queen?”

“To help Charlie heal.” She lays a hand on my head before murmuring something in what I am guessing to be an ancient demonic dialect. A warm glow emits from her hand, tracing a small emblem on the small spot in between my ears and antlers. 

“I have given you a small portion of my healing abilities to assist Charlie. Use it to the best of your abilities. And take this,” she explains, summoning a dial phone, and handing it to me. “If you or Charlotte ever need to reach me, use that, especially about the wretch who hurt her. I do plan on exile and torment if that is suitable. Understood?”

“Of course, My Queen. Safe tidings.”

“To you as well.” She leaves, and I return to Charlie, who wants to see her parents off.

But when Charlie approaches Ren again, the King swooshes her away, and the Queen, grabbing me and taking us both to the palace, where we see Valentino, the Moth Demon, tied up in front of them. I instantaneously become furious and glare at him, malicious intent in my eyes. And so the interrogation begins.

*teehee*

[gender0bender]

On a personal note, as many know (and as I’ve often spoken and written of), I owe a great deal to Assotto. Maybe we all do. As I’ve stated, I was there in the church that day in 1992 at the funeral of Donald Woods. I was one of many attendees from Donald’s activist family. I was one of many who read the program and saw the glaring omission of Donald’s poetry and activist work. The program also stated Donald had died of heart failure. I was one of many who witnessed Assotto speed down the aisle and take over the pulpit mid-service, declaring, “Donald Woods did not die of heart failure; he died of AIDS and he was a proud Black gay man. If you agree with me, stand up.” Half the church stood. Half didn’t. I stood up, as did Donald’s sister, Yvonne. I count that moment as one of a few where my path as an artist was revealed to me.

The second most defining moment in my life happened in 1990, when I attended the “I Am Your Sister Conference” in Boston, a celebration of the work of Audre Lorde. In her first appearance on stage, the self-described warrior poet Audre emerged, spread open the arms of her dashiki, and told a crowded room of followers of her battle with cancer. She said, “I began on this journey as a coward.” Witnessing the courage of Assotto and Audre shaped me as a poet, a person, teacher, performer. I want everyone I encounter to experience that sense of exhilaration and freedom when the truth is told bare-naked, and to feel the power of standing up for their lives at whatever cost.

Recently, I helped lead a Last Address Tribute Walk in Harlem with several organizations and individuals (the walk was originally developed by Alex Fialho). We went to Harlem at my insistence. In tribute, we went to the addresses of Black gay men who died of AIDS. We went to the address of Bert Michael Hunter, who was part of the Black gay writers group Other Countries, of which Assotto was also a charter member. Donald Woods, Colin Robinson, and Essex Hemphill, among others, were members as well. At Hunter’s address, the filmmaker and writer Robert E. Penn and the writer, archivist, and activist Sur Rodney (Sur) spoke of Bert and belonging to Other Countries. Sur recalled a story of running into Assotto in the late eighties, when Assotto urged him to join Other Countries. They said, “Sur, don’t abandon your brothers.” I think that statement encapsulates Assotto and what their convictions were.

The title of this collection, Sacred Spells, very much refers to Assotto’s powerful Haitian ancestry. I was thrilled to learn here that the person born Yves Lubin renamed themself “Assotto,” after a drum used in voodoo, and “Saint” after the great Haitian revolutionary fighter Toussaint Louverture. “Saint” also embodies their queerness, claiming self-ownership as a poet and magician whose language conjures, casts spells, and offers protection and healing. No name could be more fitting.

I know in certain Latinx ceremonies they call the names of the dead and fallen warriors, and the crowd responds “presente,” to mean present.

Assotto’s work speaks to us throughout time.

I imagine in the Black Baptist tradition, where I’m from, Assotto’s name is called out and with all of my heart and conviction I yell back “PRESENT” to say, he is here, always among us.

————

Still An introduction to our Assotto Saint folio by Pamela Sneed                                                       

[girl4music]

CORDY: "Hey, when did we get the statue for the lobby? Oh, it's just you."

ANGEL: "Can we do something about the stain? It just scared off a client. At least I think he was a client. The guy barely said two words before he ran out of here."

CORDY: "Well, you know, some people can be pretty closed mouthed. We've never really talked about everything that happened while I was away."

*Angel, walking away from her*

ANGEL: “You know the gist of it.”

*Cordy following*

CORDY: "Yeah. Sure. I've got loads of gist. But what I don't got is the specifics. Specifically about that little five pointed doodad decorating our lobby and the voodoo that you dood - did over it."

ANGEL: "Cordy!"

CORDY: "I know you don't wanna talk about it, but you don't mess with dark magics and expect to walk away from it like it doesn't matter."

*Angel setting the snow globe down on Wes' desk*

ANGEL: “It doesn't matter. It was a waste of time."

CORDY: "Still. I should probably know what kind of spell it was. You know there is almost always some cosmic price to using primordial powers. There could be repercussions. And you know the one person who could help us with that isn't around anymore."

*Angel stops fiddling with the files on the desk and looks at her, then starts to walk out of the office*

CORDY: "Not going there. I'm just saying. You can run away, avoid talking about this, but you know as well as I do that stuff we do in the past usually comes back to bite us in our respective 'assi' and what you did…"

ANGEL: “Okay. So maybe I wasn't thinking too clearly. I mean, I was drunk for a while. Drunk on my own son's blood, slipped into my food by the good folks at Wolfram and Hart. And my head was a little clouded with rage over a trusted friend stealing my child from me…

*Throws up his hands and drops down to sit on the stairs*

Damn it, Cordelia, you got me talking about this."

*Angel buries his face in his hands*

CORDY: "Probably just needed to vent.

*Cordy goes to sit beside Angel as he raises his head from his hands*

Why didn't you call me?"

ANGEL: "I didn't want to mess up your vacation. I just thought one of us should be happy."

*Angel sighs*

CORDY: "But I could have helped. I could have done something…"

ANGEL: "There is nothing you could have…"

CORDY: "How do you know? What makes you so sure? I've got a hotline to the freaking Powers, buster. I could've gotten a vision, or-or something to warn us. Oh, plus, I've got demon in me now.

*Jumps up and faces Angel*

So, maybe - maybe there is some untapped power that could have helped find Connor before, you know, before…"

*Cordy stops with a sigh*

ANGEL: "You needed to vent?"

CORDY: "I… I should have been here for you."

ANGEL: "You… you were. I mean, you are. You're always…

*Stands up*

Look… look, I'm just - I'm just trying to move on like you told me to. I'm just trying to not be so into my problems, into my head. Just focus on something else for a while. You know?”

*Cordy after a beat*

CORDY: “Sure. Yeah. I… I get that. But next time… you call me."

*Angel nods slightly then walks past her*

ANGEL: “Right.

*Angel stops and turns back*

Oh, there is something you can do for me. Find me a case to work on. Please."

I love love LOVE that they get each other to talk about things that they wouldn’t normally talk about or try to avoid talking about with anyone else. I love that Cordy does not let Angel take the easy and quietest way out. I love that Angel lets Cordelia know her opinions are valid and that she plays a vital role in their whole thing with helping the helpless and take the stage when one of them doesn’t know what to do or say. They’re actually what a relationship - regardless whether it’s romantic or platonic - is supposed to be. People that communicate with each other to bring out information from the other that you wouldn’t get out of them otherwise. That’s what a relationship is all about!

And these two do it so well, so naturally, so satisfyingly. They really represent the relationship dynamic that both deserved to have with someone to make them better characters - better people - than what we initially started out with. The Buffyverse just knows how to handle character representation and development through significant character relationships and interactions. Season 7 of ‘BtVS’ aside from a couple of episodes really suffered when it came to this and it’s why I don’t really like it. But I’m loving what I’m seeing in Season 3 of ‘AtS’ with Cangel. With Cordelia there, Angel can’t fall into his broody sad boy routine. With Angel there, Cordy can’t just care less. They’re more interesting and dynamic characters for what they’re able to bring in and out of each other. THIS is what I watch these character-driven shows for. This is the WHOLE point to it! When this sort of thing is cultivated, the show is effortlessly unbelievable. The writing flows and works organically. You try to force this kind of thing with characters that don’t have any chemistry or any relatable camaraderie and it falls so flat quicker and harder than anything.

I love this. I fucking LOVE this. Everything about this. It doesn’t matter if they’re not romantic - I’d prefer them to be if only to get more of this out of it - but it’s not necessary for it to be so long as all THIS is there.

I’ll say it and I’ll say it right now. I’m a Cangel shipper. I adore what they have together. I adore seeing all of it. And if it turns into a full romance,… I’m so here for it! It may be a cliche but I love the best friends to lovers trope. I love that idiom of true love is friendship on fire. I’ve never been one to go for the whirlwind romances that happen as soon as they lay eyes on each other. It’s always been WORK that makes love so appealing. And Cangel are all about that because they care dearly for one another. You can see immediately that the friendship that they have is out of real honest love. There’s nothing flashy about it. Nothing toxic. Nothing that makes you feel red flags are ascending the way they do with Buffy and Angel or even Buffy and Riley. I just really love what I’m seeing happening with them.

[strayheartless]

lol thanks for entertaining all my witch poly posts. I told u I'd be obsessing over it

how often does the boys magic work? anyone whose "more powerful" than the other?

lol I made a joke earlier with my friend who I was obsessing the post over with. you wrote that Cloud cursed all their bullied and I was like "imagine he's sitting on the floor, voodoo dolls in hand and genesis'curse book and pouting"

HA! Omg yesssss. Cloud having a full lilo and stitch moment where Rude ad Rino comes to see Zack or Sephiroth or something and Rude finds Cloud on the floor with a jar full of spoons with sad faces on them and Clouds only explanation is “my friends need to be punished.”

But to answer your question. It’s a mixed answer. Technically speaking Genesis is the most skilled practitioner. They’ve been practicing this kind of magic for years (since they were 14 maybe) and study is Gens thing. They are not actually a vampire, they just looks like they should be so people assume theyve been practicing for way longer.

But in terms of who has more natural talent? Cloud. Cloud does things he can’t explain all the time and nine times out of ten his spells just kind of work by accident.

They all have their areas though:

For Sephiroth’s it’s physical magic, he uses his body as a conduit so things like yoga and meditation and manifestation are how he casts. He focuses on positive energy most of the time but Seph has learned his body is a powerful instrument and if you hurt his family he’s not afraid to ask the gods of war for their help.

For Angeal it’s cooking. He puts a lot of effort into mixtures and the right ingredients. Usually there are runes and things carved into gourds and pastry. If Angeal offers you food just… just be careful. He puts a lot of passion into his spells and if you choke on the first bite, stop eating.

For Genesis it’s charms and summoning. A lot of things speak to Genesis, and sometimes they don’t always want to hear it. They wear a lot of wards and make the others wear them too. Zacks constantly finding little warding scrolls in his clothes and when he asks about them Gen will say “somethings following you” which is fucking unnerving but Zacks learned Gen is more freaked out then he is a lot of the time.

For Cloud it’s pretty much anything but crystals and physical spells like spell bags and witch bottles are his go to. He tends to work closely with Angeal to grow things and with Gen to plan spells. He’s the newest as it but his sheer natural talent makes almost anything work. Problem with Cloud is he tends to forget to call the corners and cast circles so sometimes his work is a little too much. This has since been rectified by the others containing it.

Zack has a little magic of his own too. It’s called goth witch impulse control. And it works like a charm.

Gens about to set something on fire trying to banish things that bother them? Cheek pets and let them cry.

Angeals planning to poison someone? Gently holds his wrists and explains why that would be bad.

Sephs about to manifest a meteor to crush a work colleague that was rude to Zack? Brush his hair and explain why that’s called massive retaliation and it’s not actually relative to the size of the incident.

Clouds about to inflict terrible revenge on someone who was cruel to him? “Baby what happened? No no we don’t need to do that, put the herbs down just come and talk to me.”

Zack is… truely the most powerful in the house.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Why do you think Claudia's coffin was in Loustat's coffin room in ep7? Some assumed Lestat forced her back there to punish her or keep a close watch but that doesn't seem to fit? Because he wouldn't enjoy the arrangement either, ideally he'd rather be alone with Louis. And there's not much she could get up to in the daylight hrs. My guess is it was for security, OR something happened in Claudia's room (her powers exploded & broke the windows or smth) hence Louis never directly mentioning it.

That is a good question.

Louis calls it paranoia... but he insinuates that it is because of their ... family arrangement at that point, but I personally think there is more to it, and the show gives us several hints as well.

For one, there are the voodoo(?) spell circles in front of their door. That in and by itself is not a trifle, since someone obviously knows or at least suspects what they are, is not afraid to threaten them, and maybe has the means to deal with them, too (we must remember - we are in the same universe as Mayfair Witches after all... and the same city). There is an extra shot of Lestat looking up furiously, after Louis destroys the circle and Claudia picks up the doll... extra shots always mean something, especially in a show like this.

And then there's the scene in the beginning, with the salesman, and the sick man. Lestat obviously has Louis and Claudia under control at that point (by which means we do not get to see, which is in and by itself also quite interesting?! Is he controlling the house/entrances/doors etc telekinetically? Or is it a simple... implied threat... either way, I found it extremely interesting/stifling) - and him noticing that "another" approaches means that he has been scanning the minds of those around their house... constantly. They live in the middle of the city, there's people around all the time. For him to go to those lengths means there is sufficient... worry/reason to do so.

Then, there is the influx of new vampires in the US. In the books there were no others around (since it was 100years earlier), but here... we know of Bruce (and he tells of others), and Lestat tells Claudia he can hear the thoughts of other vampires at great distance. So there are others around. (I personally think he might have "cleaned up" if they got too close, but that is a head canon for that time frame... he does so later with Armand in NOLA, but that just as a side note). And he knows that his family, his fledglings are weak by comparison. Naïve. Even Claudia, maybe especially Claudia, since she thinks this (him, Bruce) is as bad as they come. So he likely listens in on others routinely, too.

I know their situation prior to the attempted killing may seem dire... but I also know Lestat loved Claudia, despite all the problems. To put it (very) simply, they were just too alike not to butt heads.

So I think it is a combination of all these things: a) He wanted them close, for protection. He is one of the strongest vampires around, very likely in the US at least. b) He wanted her as close as possible, because he knew she was planning something. Mind you, he never faults Claudia (later (in the books) at least) for trying to kill him... but of course he was in no mood to make it easy for her either. c) And... I could imagine Louis might want to have her there as well. Maybe in an effort to get them to get along better. Who knows. We know that Louis and Lestat do not mind her presence much for kissing and affection... and they use the bed for sex.

The thing with her powers exploding is also possible. We saw her telekinetic powers lash out in episode 5, it is absolutely possible that she let her rage loose against the... little girl room, which might easily have been the only outlet for her rage she had at that point.

So yeah, I do think it is a bit more complicated than what Louis... tells.