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anyarally · 3 years

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Sanders Sides Secret Santa Gift!

@sanderssidesgiftxchange

For: @authorgirl0131 Wish 1: Intruloceit Christmas fluff Wish 2: Sympathetic Deceit whump Wish 3: Logan and Deceit Christmas fluff Ao3 (it’s formatted better on there lol)

Janus, Logan, and Remus Have the Best Christmas Ever

Janus is upset after SvS Redux, so Remus and Logan try to help. Plus Christmas fluff!

We are ethically compromised if we give him a seat at the table

Snake

Liar

Rude

Spiteful

Jealous

Evil

Villain

The Light Sides’ words haunt Janus every night, only getting worse once Virgil leaves. The worst part is… he knows they’re not lying. Every insult, every implication, every rude remark, every single one was true. At least, to those who spoke them it was.

He sits alone in his room every night, Remus usually coming to check on him. Tonight, though, is special. Janus just fought with all the Lights, and told them his name! It was one thing when Remus did it, he’s crazy and unpredictable! When Janus does it… it’s serious.

Remus knocks aggressively on the ornate gold door, “Hey, ‘Anus?! You wanna hang out some? We could decapitate some of Roman’s dumb unicorns in the imagination, I sensed some trespassing earlier!”

Deceit startles on his bed, throwing back the covers (which he really shouldn’t be under this early in the evening) and mumbles just loud enough to hear, “Not tonight, Ree, I’m too tired.”

“Is it because of something they said again? I told them not to get to you, just because we’re different doesn’t mean we’re bad.”

“It doesn’t matter, Remus, just go take care of those unicorns. Maybe tomorrow we can hang out, ok?”

“Oh, um, ok. See you at dinner?”

“I don’t know if I’ll be up to it. Sorry.”

“Alright, let me know if you need anything?”

There was no response. Remus sighed, slumping away to his room.

This went on for weeks. Every day, Janus would come out for breakfast, unhinge his jaw and eat enough for the day, even though he used to eat the same as Remus(in moderation, he refuses to eat eyeballs and pubic hair). Eventually, after about two and a half weeks, Remus had had enough.

When Janus slouched into the kitchen for his daily meal, Remus slammed his hand on the table, “You are coming with me to the imagination!”

“No, Remus. I’m too tired.”

“Nope, nuh-uh, none of that ‘tired’ bullshit, you’ve said that every day for the last month!”

“Re-”

“Nope nope nope! Come with me!” Remus yelled, grabbing Janus’s arm with an unsurprisingly terrifying grin on his face.

Remus dragged Janus to the sickly stone mirror with green ooze globbing out that leads to the imagination, the snake complaining and protesting the whole way.

Once they got there though, none of the things that usually made him happy worked. When Remus had him attack Roman’s unicorns, he only said he didn’t want to make their relationship with the Light Sides even worse. They visited Janus’s giant golden two-headed snake, Eilonwy and Ethelinda, and Janus couldn’t even look her in the eyes(either set of them!). Remus even tried having him watch live musicals by sneaking into Roman’s side of the imagination, but it only reminded him of the movie nights everyone but the Dark Si- now, just Janus were invited too. Remus had stopped going, but still.

After the day spent trying to cheer Janus up in the imagination had no success, Remus decided to bring in the big guns.

The next day, Janus surprisingly didn’t get any visits from Remus. Just one text of a .gif that was weird as hell.

The day after that, however, Janus heard three precise knocks at his door, at precisely 9:00 am. He yelled out, “Remus! Just stop already! I’m fine!” The only response was another precise three knocks at his door at 9:01 am. He only grunted and curled into his heated blanket more, assuming it’s just another one of Remus’s dumb pranks.

After three knocks every minute on the minute for half an hour, Janus caved and opened the door, immediately protesting, “Remus, I swear to Thomas, I-” he stopped dead in his tracks when he looked up and saw who he was objecting to, “Logan?”

“Hello, De- Janus. Remus informed me he was concerned about you, so I have come to see,” Logan pulled out his notecards, “What is up?”

Janus chuckled, pulling the door open wider, “Okay Logan, you can come in.”

Janus puts his hat on as they walk inside, Logan looking around and noticing so much clutter. From what Remus had told him, Janus was a very organized person, almost obsessively so. Plus, the room wasn’t very warm at all, which cannot be good for someone cold-blooded.

When Logan comments on this, Janus simply brushes him off, saying he hasn’t had the time to clean up and his usual heaters would be a fire hazard with the mess.

They sit on some large extravagant armchairs in front of a fireplace, Logan favoring the black one with gold beading while Janus takes the deep yellow one with shiny black beading.

As they sit down, Janus lights the fire with a wave of his hand, trying (and failing) to subtly change his outfit into a clean one from his closet. Logan notices, but decides not to comment.

“So, what did Remus send you for again?”

“Well he didn’t exactly send me, per se, I reached out to him because I hadn’t seen you in a while, he said he would handle it, then he got me when that didn’t work.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yes, of course. I tried to bring it up to the other Light Sides, but they would not listen. Therefore, going to Remus, and consequently, you, was the best option.”

“Wow, uh, thanks, Logan, I really appreciate that. I assumed none of the Light Sides thought about how things would make us feel.”

“Granted, that is a fair assumption,” Logan quieted down, facing Janus’s bookshelves and silently reading the titles he has, mentally comparing it to books he’s read.

Janus wanted to question Logan about that, but decided to try and get to the point gradually instead, saying, “Logan,” said Side looked up at Janus, “I just want you to know that I’m sorry.”

This made Logan pause and think. After about fifteen painfully silent seconds for Janus, Logan started speaking again, “I apologize, but I do not understand. What are you sorry for exactly?”

“For, ya know, the last video.”

Logan stares at Janus.

Janus groans, “You’re really going to make me say it, huh? Okay, I’m sorry for taking your place earlier in the video.”

“Oh. Yes. That.” Logan stops, trying to formulate a response, “It is quite alright, Janus. While I was a bit hurt in the moment, I appreciate you figuratively beating some sense into the others.”

“Are you sure that you’re actually alright, though?”

“I… well, I do wish you had simply told me.” After Janus sends Logan a questioning look, Logan adds, “I know I would’ve been happy to step down and even let you disguise yourself as me, you didn’t need to knock me out. With those two, it’s very… difficult to get them to actually consider things, I know that first hand, so I entirely understand why disguising yourself as me was the most efficient way to get through to them.”

“Oh, I… I’m so sorry Logan, I hadn’t even considered that. I’m just used to expecting a no, I…”

“As stated before, it’s quite alright. Besides, I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

“What do you mean?”

Logan sighs, looking down at his shoes, “I should’ve spoken up sooner. About the Lights’ treatment of you, I mean. They were unnecessarily cruel to you, and I just stood by. I was… scared. I almost spoke up when Virgil hissed at you when you came to get your hat back from Roman, but I don’t know the whole story between you and Virgil, and I didn’t want to impose. Additionally, I…” Logan took a deep breath, doing a round of the 4, 7, 8 exercise Virgil taught them, “I was scared of being left out. I know I’ve said I don’t have feelings, but I was,” Logan chuckles, “deceitful, in that aspect.”

“Logan,” Janus seemed to be on the brink of tears of relief, “thank you so much. That means so much to me, I… hey, uh, would you want to come over for a movie night this Friday? I know movie nights with the Lights are on Saturdays, so…?”

“That sounds delightful,” Logan started to get up, “I will see you then. I apologize, but I must go. Thomas needs me at my best, I sense he’s about to start editing a new video.”

“No worries, Logan, I’ll see ya Friday.”

And so, Logan came over that Friday, and the Friday after that. After weeks of being holed up in his room, Janus started to come out more often, and Remus was very happy to see more of him. Logan started coming over every Friday, and as time went on, he even started coming over more often just to enjoy Remus and Janus’s company. Sometimes, he would visit Remus’s side of the imagination with them, other times, he would exchange books with Janus and discuss them, and eventually, he would even start inviting Janus and Remus over to view the constellations with him as he explained them and showed them the stars with his telescope.

This went on for months, and eventually, the Light Sides noticed. Whenever asked, though, Logan only stated he needed more time to himself. They laid off for a while, but eventually, it got a little suspicious, especially when they started hearing other voices coming from his room.

Finally, Patton decided to investigate. He heard the voices in Logan’s room while getting him for famILY dinner, and leaned up against the door before knocking.

“And here you’ll see MACS 2129-1, often referred to as the ‘Zombie Galaxy,” Logan happily explains.

“Oh fuck yes!” Remus yells, in turn causing a chuckle to emanate from Janus.

Logan chuckles as well, “Fuck yes indeed, Remus,” Patton gasps almost involuntarily but stays quiet enough so no one notices, “This massive, disk-shaped galaxy spins twice as fast as the Milky Way does, but it's still not nearly as active. Hubble observations of the distant galaxy reveal that it hasn't made stars for approximately 10 billion years. MACS 2129-1 is what's known as a ‘dead galaxy,’ since stars no longer form there. Scientists believed that galaxies of this sort had formed by merging with smaller galaxies over time, but MACS 2129-1's stars didn't form from these sorts of explosive mergers; they formed early on, in the disk of the original galaxy. The findings suggest that dead galaxies somehow internally rearrange their structure as they age rather than changing shape because they combine with other galaxies. I, er, I’m sorry I’m babbling, aren’t I?”

Janus shushes Logan, “No, Logan, we’ve been over this,” Janus gently places his hand on Logan’s slowly reddening cheek, “We love to hear you talk, especially about things that make you happy. Isn’t that right, Remus?”

“Hell yeah, Lo! I love hearing you get so excited about stuff, and I love learning about the stars with you, you’re a great teacher!”

By now, Patton had decided he didn’t want to intrude, he was proud of his kiddos. Logan, for reaching out and making more friends, and Janus and Remus for making Logan feel loved in a way that Patton just couldn’t seem to. He leaned back from the door and walked by, deciding to text Logan to let him know about dinner so he could come if he wanted but he didn’t have to cut his time with the Dark Sides short.

Meanwhile, Logan looked down at his phone and sighed.

“What is it, Lo-Lo?” Remus tilted his head so far to the left his head broke off.

As Remus smacked his head back in place, Logan sighed, “Patton says dinner’s about to start. I really should go.”

“You don’t have to, Logan, you know that right?”

“Yes, I’m aware but I haven’t gone all week and I’m concerned the Lights will think I’m not eating at all. I wouldn’t want Patton to get… upset.”

“Okay, okay, we all remember when Patton went all Hop Pop.”

Logan looked at both of them again with a small, but genuine, smile, dropping it as he sank down to the Light Side’s dining room.

Dinner was… awkward, to say the least.

Patton tried to break the ice, “So, Logan, you’ve been spending a lot of time in your room?”

There was a long, long pause.

“Apologies, I now realize that was a question. I assumed it was a statement. Yes, I have been spending a lot of time in my room.”

“May we ask why?” Roman sarcastically asked.

“I find that I’m more productive when I stay in my room.”

“Well, I’ve heard some other voices coming from your room…” Patton hesitantly added.

“What are you insinuating, Patton.” Logan harshly said, not asked, eyes harsh and cold.

“Well, I, uh-”

Virgil gently cut off Patton’s scrambling, “You know that we won’t be mad if you want to hang out with Remus and Janus, right?”

“Right!” Patton started, “We were actually talking about it some earlier, and we’d love to start having them over for famILY meals too!”

Logan raised an eyebrow, “Is Roman on board with this?”

Roman sighed, “I may have some issues with my brother, but a true prince wouldn’t stop other relationships from forming just because he didn’t like the other party. I know Remus, and he won’t hurt you,” he thought back to the shuriken, “well, not permanently at least.”

Logan smiled, the first genuine smile he had shown the Light Sides in months. “I can tell them.”

“Wait, Logan,” Logan looks back at Patton, “Christmas is this Friday, and well I can’t think of a better day to expand our famILY!”

Logan chuckled, “I’ll let them know,” he started to head back to his room but paused and turned to look back at the Lights, “Oh, and I’m staying with them on Christmas Eve. Apologies.”

“No problem, Logan! Thanks for letting us know!”

Once Logan got back to his room, he gave the Dark Sides the news. “Remus, Janus, I have some news.”

Remus popped up from where he was looking at his newest dagger under Logan’s covers, “Oooh? What is it, Wolverine?”

“Patton, and subsequently the other Light Sides, have invited you two and I to a famILY meal on Christmas,” Logan noticed how Janus and Remus’s eyes lit up but ignored it in favor of finishing his announcement, “I have informed them that I will be with you on Christmas Eve.”

Janus smiled, “That’s great! So, you told them about us?” Logan sat at his chess table with Janus, “Well, technically they guessed, but yes. They asked about me spending time in my room, then stated they did not disapprove of our… relationship, I suppose.”

Janus smiled, “That’s great, Lo.”

That Christmas Eve, the trio sat around the fireplace in the Dark Side’s living room. They cuddled together under a Big Hero 6 blanket while watching Die Hard, which they all of course agreed was the best Christmas movie. They had stayed up pretty late, and once the movie was over, Remus started excitedly jumping up and down, “It’s after midnight! It’s officially Christmas!”

Logan sleepily checked his watch, “You are correct, but I do not see how this is currently relevant?”

“Now I can give you guys my presents!”

Remus kept bouncing on the balls of his feet until Janus happily sighed, “Alright, what did you get us?”

Remus squealed, “I’ll show you!” while running to his room.

Janus and Logan chuckled together until Logan spoke up, “I, ahem, got you gifts as well. Would it be adequate for me to go get them?”

“Sure, I actually got some for you guys too. We’ll all go get them and meet back here.”

Logan smiled, nodded, and sank out.

When they all returned, they all had light blushes on their faces. “Who would like to go first? In handing out their presents, that is.” Logan awkwardly asked.

“I do!” Remus excitedly shouted. Logan and Janus were very much not surprised, and they all sat down on the carpet in front of the couch.

Once they were seated, Remus yeeted the presents at their recipients, both of which catching their present with ‘oof’s.

Janus ripped his open to reveal a long black cape with golden lining. He was about to start thanking Remus for the warm fabric when the clasp on it caught his eye. He looked closer, seeing a beautiful silver clasp depicting a snake and eight tentacles wrapping around a unicorn. Not trapping it, it felt more like… hugging. Protecting. He flipped it over to see an engraving, ‘J.L.R.’ “Thank you, Remus! I especially like the clasp, and the warmth and style are both surprisingly practical!”

Logan respectfully undid the poorly done tape and placed the wrapping paper to the side, opening the box to see some soft black and white fabric. When he took it out of the box and unfolded it, he saw it was a new unicorn onesie, this one black with stars instead of white, with a rainbow horn, lining, and wrists. Logan started to tear up, holding it back when he addressed Remus, “Thank you, Remus, this is… perfect.”

Despite how calmly it was stated, Janus and Remus both knew how much something had to mean to Logan for him to call it perfect.

Logan went next, getting Janus a new heated blanket with his yellow two-headed snake logo on it, which he loved. Next, he looked at Remus, “So, I did some research, and I got you something. But before I give it to you, I require confirmation that you will not use this on another side.”

“Ooo! Is it a torture device!?”

“Yes. But you cannot have it until you at least promise me that you will not use this on another side. You can use it on as many of yours or Roman’s unsuspecting imaginary townspeople as you wish, but not. A. Side.”

“Jeez, Wolverine, I promise, okay?! Now gimme.” Remus made grabby hands at Logan.

Logan reached behind his back and emerged with a metal dark grey and green pear-shaped object. He holds it out to Remus and he grabs it, “Remus, this is a Pear of Anguish. The first known account of one is in the 17th century, and it is operated as so,” Logan gently pulls the device back from Remus’s hands and twists the circle at the top, making it pop out into expanding segments, “This simple pear would be placed inside the orifice of a person and then gradually expanded. The kindest use was in a person’s mouth where it would ultimately shatter the skull, causing death. More gruesome is when it was used on parts in the lower half of the body which was rarely fatal, but excruciating.”

Remus giggled at ‘lower half of the body’ “Thank you so much, Logan! I can’t wait to try this out, you’re the best!”

Janus went last, giving Remus a silver tentacle-themed ear cuff, which he enjoyed very much, putting it on right away. Next, he gave Logan a gigantic telescope with stars and math equations all over it, with Logan’s logo big on the side. Logan teared up at the thoughtfulness and hugged Janus tight.

The three ended up spending the whole night and day following snuggling together watching cheesy Christmas romcoms, and drinking hot chocolate.

That evening, on the Light Side of the mindscape, the Lights once again did a Secret Santa. Sadly, Janus and Remus weren’t included since their attendance was decided so late, but Patton made sure to get them each something.

Logan got Roman this year, so he got him a journal full of prompts in which he could write, draw, or brainstorm. Patton got Logan, and he made him a bunch of cupcakes with the Logan’s Berry Crofters Jam, which Logan was eternally thankful for. Roman got Virgil, and he got him a grey weighted blanket which he altered by sewing on purple plaid patches with white thread to match the emo’s hoodie. Virgil was thankful he got Patton, getting him a better gift than before by hand sewing small toys of all of them, sheepishly adding he’d make Remus and Janus too “I guess.” Patton got Remus a stuffed animal of a green octopus with a mustache and he got Janus a stuffed animal of a yellow snake with a bowler hat that had a small heater inside.

Everyone loved their gifts and had a great time, but Logan couldn’t decide what his favorite part of that Christmas was; unwrapping presents with the Dark Sides at midnight or eating Crofters-filled cupcakes with them late Christmas night when all the Light Sides had gone to bed.

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curiosi-tea-writes · 3 years

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Surprise

Pairing: Din Djarin / Cobb Vanth

Modern AU

Summary: Din has never been a fan of surprises, he just doesn't like them. He'd much rather be on the giving side of said surprises, especially when it came to surprise dates with Cobb. But what he didn't know is that sometimes it pays off to have a good surprise.

(Aka, the author wanted to nerd out about space and Din is a perfect outlet. And if you have never been to a space museum before, you should.)

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"Are you gonna tell me where we're going?" Din asked as he turned away from the window to look at Cobb.

Cobb chuckled and reached across the center console and took Din's hand. He interlocked their fingers and brought it up to his lips and gently placed a kiss to his boyfriend's knuckles. Din felt his face warm up as it always did when Cobb repeated the innocent and simple action. He found it terribly unfair that his boyfriend had so much power over him. "Would you please calm down, Darlin'. You're gonna love this."

It wasn't that Din didn't trust Cobb, of course he did. He was just typically the one to make the plans. But this time Cobb was the one to do it. Cobb was the one who asked Peli to baby sit for the day. He was the one who tossed Din's NASA hoodie at him and told him to get ready. He was the one who insisted on driving so Din wouldn't deduce where they were going. Its just that-

"I don't like surprises, Cobb, you know that," he mumbled.

Cobb chuckled and shook his head. "Trust me." He let go of Din's hand as he made a turn into a mostly abandoned parking lot behind a large building. Din couldn't see any sign of where they were. Though, he supposed that was Cobb's plan.

Once the car was parked and turned off Cobb turned happily towards Din. "Are you ready?"

Din chuckled nervously. "I suppose I have to be."

With both of them out of the car, Cobb led him until they were just about to round the corner. "Alright," Cobb spoke as he made Din stop walking. "Close your eyes."

Din's shoulders dropped. "Seriously?"

"Just do what I asked," Cobb pleaded.

"Technically, you didn't ask," he pointed out with a smirk. Cobb glared at him but a smile played on his lips that betrayed his upset look. "Okay, okay, grumpy."

Cobb held tight around Din's waist as he guided him. Din's grip on Cobb's 'free' had was tight as he tried not to stumble, not trusting his blind footing despite being guided. He felt the warm air of inside the build hit his face, a harsh contrast compared to the nippy winter chill outside. Excitement finally began to creep into Din's chest and replaced the anxiety. Din tried not to be sad at the loss of warmth when Cobb stepped away.

"Okay," Cobb stated happily and Din could hear his smile. "Open your eyes."

Adjusting his glasses, the first thing that really caught his eye was the dark ceiling which had small white lights sparkling another darkness. It took no time at all for Din to realize the lights made constellations and his smile grew impossibly bright.

He quickly snapped his gaze to Cobb's who stood beside him smiling anxiously.

A moment later Din was excitedly pulling Cobb to the different rooms. Cobb let his boyfriend read him all the plaques but it wasn't much of a choice, Din always spoke so dramatically when he read things at museums.

They floated from room to room as Din pointed to different parts of the model space ships and told him specifically what each piece and how they worked. Meanwhile, Cobb listened intently, taking in every single word.

"See this gold thing?" Din said quickly as he pulled Cobb across the room they had just entered to another model. When Cobb nodded he squeezed his hand and continued. "Its instructions!"

"Instructions for what?" Cobb tilted his head and took a closer look.

"For a record!" Din was suddenly extremely grateful that they were practically the only people in the museum so he could properly nerd-out. "They wanted to make sure that if there was life out there," he gestured vaguely up towards the sky, "that they'd be able to play the record. This was the case for the records."

"That was smart of them," Cobb stated with a nod and Din pulled him over to a plaque that had pictures of the records and began explaining what was on them. He could listen to Din talk about this kind of this for hours. This date was as much the perfect thing for him as it was for Din. When he talked about space he just got a sparkle in his eyes that nothing else could possibly compare to.

"So do you think there is actually life out there?" Cobb waved his hand, mimicking the action Din had done moments before.

"I mean probably," Din stated as they moved around the room. "I mean, there's so much out there, there must be something else. I'm sure in some galaxy far, far away, there's a whole bunch of planets with life on them. We just haven't found it yet."

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"Did you know-"

'Probably not but you're gonna tell me,' Cobb thought with a chuckle.

They were walking down a long hallway to go to the next room. Din, still holding his boyfriend's hand, was walking slightly in front of him backwards, practically skipping. "-that if the sun’s diameter were eighteen and a half inches long, the diameter of Earth would be roughly that of a bb-bullet?”

Cobb could only laugh and shake his head. "What do you ever plan to do with all this space knowledge you've got up there?" He reached up with his other hand and ruffled his dark mop.

"Tell it all to you, obviously," Din said happily. "I can shut up if you want," his walk slowed a bit as he said it and his smile faltered just slightly.

Cobb squeezed his hand with a smile. "Don't you dare, Darlin'. I want to hear all of it."

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

About two hours later they were walking through the gift shop, Cobb watching as Din adjusted his glasses the way he did when he was focusing. Cobb excused himself for a moment for one last surprise while Din looked at the trinkets.

When he came back, he came up behind Din, placing a hand on his back looking over his shoulder. "Find anything you like?"

Din excitedly showed him a keychain with a plastic Saturn on it with a sweet little smiley face and a stuffed astronaut for Grogu. When he turned to head towards the register, he realized Cobb was holding a bag. "What'd you get?"

Cobb shushed him with a chuckled and waved him off towards the counter.

When Din returned, fumbling with his keys to add his new keychain. Cobb wrapped his arm around his waist and guided his boyfriend over to a bench where they had a clear view of a large screen showing a sideshow of pictures taken by the Hubble telescope.

Once they were comfortable and Din placed his keys back in his pocket, Cobb reached into the bag and pulled out a silver and red package. He laughed as he handed it to Din to inspect.

"Astronaut ice cream?" Din gasped which only made Cobb laugh harder.

"Its neapolitan, its your favorite," Cobb pointed out.

Din took a minute and just smiled at his boyfriend. After a moment he pulled out the second package in the bag and laughed before handing Cobb his freeze-dried peaches.

They sat in mostly silence, Din eating his ice cream sandwich and Cobb eating his peaches. Cobb would break the silence every so often to ask a question about the picture currently on the slideshow and Din would happily answer it.

Cobb took a slice of peach and offered it to Din who simply opened his mouth and let Cobb feed it to him. They both laughed for a month before Din copied the action, giving Cobb a bite if his ice cream.

"What would a peach and ice cream taste like together?" Cobb questioned.

Din gave him a slightly disturbed look. "Not good," he stated simply.

Cobb examined his last peach slice thoughtfully. "You don't think it would taste like peach ice cream?"

"No," Din scoffed. "It would not taste like peach ice cream, Cobb."

Before Din could even think to object, Cobb was grabbing half of the last bite of ice cream sandwich he had in his hand. Ignoring his boyfriend blatant protests and claims that it would not taste good, Cobb stuck the peach bite into the ice cream and popped it into his mouth.

They were both silent for a long moment while Cobb ate the combination. "So?"

Cobb hummed and finished the bite. "Not bad actually."

All Din could do was just shake his head, laugh, and eat his last bite.

Cobb and Din made their way out of the space museum hand in hand and walked happily back to the car. Once they were back inside the car, Din placed a hand on Cobb's wrist before he could put the key in. Looking over to see why Din had stopped him, he was pleasantly surprised by Din sliding his hand against Cobb's cheek, pulling him in for a soft kiss. It didn't last long but when they broke they rested their foreheads together. Din gently ran his tumb against the scar on Cobb's temple and smiled softly.

"You know," Din whispered, not wanting to speak too loud and break the moment. When he paused for a second longer than necessary, Cobb hummed, prompting him to continue. Din chuckled lightly. "I think I might like surprises more than I thought."

With another gentle kiss, they pulled away and headed back.

Cobb's heart ached in the best way possible when he dropped Din off at his apartment. Din with his cute thick black glasses and the stuffed astronaut tucked under his arm for his son, and his nerdy NASA hoodie. All Cobb could think about was how precious he found the other man. And how incredibly lucky he was to have him.

(Sources for fic below.)

“Both Voyager spacecraft carry identical copper disks that are specifically encoded with sound recordings and images from Earth. Each record is inside a protective aluminum jacket. [See picture above.] Symbols on the cover explain the origin of the spacecraft and how to play the record.” -NASA/JPL - Caltech

Assignment done by yours truly in astronomy class. The dot in the center is a bb-bullet representing Earth and the yellow paper (with an 18.5″ diameter) represents the sun.

#marshalorian #dincobb #din x cobb #din djarin #cobb vanth #the mandalorian #star wars #nerd din #Han writes

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in-class-daydreams · 4 years

Text

Blue Star | Oikawa x Reader | Ch.1

- Pairing: Oikawa Tooru x Reader

- Word Count: ~ 3,900

- Genres: Fluff, angst, Ushijima doesn’t know what a meme is

- CW: Mild swearing

- Summary: Sometimes, (Y/N) wonders if it was hard for her father to send her away. To a new prefecture, a new home, a new school. It all just might be worth it when after becoming the (suspiciously knowledgeable) manager of the Aoba Johsai boys’ volleyball club, she meets Oikawa Tooru. Together, they do their best to exorcise demons they thought would never leave. They learn about progress, when to strive for it, and when to accept the realities that cannot be changed.

Chapters: First | Previous | Next

Sweaty and shaking, (Y/N) sat upright in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. The walls were eggshell white, bare, pristine as if they had been untouched. There were no souvenirs or personal belongings anywhere, save for a short pyramid of boxes sitting in the corner.

Stiff, unused sheets wrapped around her, nothing like her beloved bed set back home.

‘Oh, that’s right…” she thought, ‘This is home now.’

Her mind flashed back to the busy day before, where she said goodbye to her mother and had the movers bring only some of her belongings to her new apartment so that the space didn’t completely fill up with unpacked boxes.

After some long, deep breaths, (Y/N) turned her attention to the obnoxious noise her phone was making.

The overly bright device read ‘6:20’.

(Y/N) flopped back down on her bed.

She ran a hand down her face, groaning.

“I don’t really need an education, right? I’m still pretty flexible. I could probably drop out and become a stripper, right, Hubble? The club down the street is always trying to hire new people.”

Across the room, the round orange tabby gazed back at her judgmentally.

The teen rolled her eyes at her pet, “Thanks for the support, Hubs.”

Once in the bathroom after a long struggle to drag herself out of bed, (Y/N) rested her weight against the sink. Gently touching the bags under her eyes, she sighed.

“I’ve looked better,” she said to herself, “Hey! Bad kitty!”

She tried to nudge Hubble off the counter, only for the feline to look at her with a look of even lesser interest than she gave frogs or mice.

Realistically, (Y/N) could lift the cat of the counter herself, but honestly, she didn’t have the energy to do so.

Rather than get dressed for school, she sat down on the edge of the custom made bathtub.

Lips pursed, she said to her cat, “Hey, at least you got to come with me, rather than stay home with mom and dad. That’s good.”

Hubble gave her the facial equivalent of crickets chirping.

Snatching her new uniform from its hook, yanking the brown plaid skirt up her thighs, she grumbled to herself, “First I get exiled to a whole new prefecture, and now I’m talking to my cat, who has also decided to be a dick to me, but this is what I needed, right?” she asked sarcastically, “A ‘change of pace.’”

She tucked in the lilac dress shirt far more aggressively than necessary. Her sigh of relief was cut short when she spotted the cream vest and a blazer that she had to wear.

“Why does this stupid uniform have so many damn layers!” she screamed into the empty apartment.

Soon after, her shoulders sagged in resignation. Expertly lacing up the uniform tie, she sighed for the nth time since she woke up. There was no use fighting it any more. This empty, desolate apartment was her new home. Aoba Johsai was her new school. No amount of anger was going to change that.

She recalled the conversation she had with her childhood friend before she left.

“Wakatoshi said to just keep to myself. That’s easy. I can do that. Of course…” she glanced over to the box pyramid on the other side of her bare apartment.

(Y/N) stalked over, picking up the box on top, securely sealed with red duct tape. A scowl marred her already unpleasant expression.

Desperate to get it out of her sight, she shoved the box unceremoniously into her deep bedroom closet, where it (hopefully) would never bother her again.

“It’s kind of weird to get a transfer student in the middle of second year.”

“Maybe one of her parents got a new job or something.”

“What if she’s a delinquent?”

‘You know, it costs you nothing to mind your own freaking business.’

“All right, class, settle down,” the teacher raised her voice just slightly. “This is (L/N) (Y/N). She’s our new transfer student, and she’ll be the boys’ volleyball club manager this year. Make sure you all treat her well. Please have a seat in front of Iwaizumi-san.”

(Y/N) bowed, “Thank you, Yukino-sensei.”

The woman nodded, “Of course. I hope you enjoy your time here at Aoba Johsai.”

(Y/N) slid into the desk in front of a tan, spiky-haired boy who she recognized from middle school, only now it looked like his biceps were about to bust his uniform sleeves. It took her a second to realize who it was.

“Hajime!”

(Y/N) froze, worried they were no longer on a first-name basis, but the teenager just smiled back at her.

“(Y/N)! How’ve you been?”

“Eh, same old, same old. But it looks like you’re doing great! You’ve gotten so much bulkier since middle school! What have they been feeding you?” she said, causing him to laugh and ruffle her hair.

In fear of Yukino-sensei’s wrath, the class stayed relatively quiet. Though, people were stealing glances at her a noticeable amount. In their defense, they had a valid reason. One of the most intimidating students alive was being extremely friendly to an unknown, unheard transfer student. The stares were annoying, but not distractingly so.

The moment the final bell rang, a cluster of students swarmed (Y/N)’s desk.

“(L/N)-san, why did you transfer?”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“(L/N)-san, how did you get the manager position?”

Ah, the manager position. That one came up a lot. Honestly, she didn’t see why people were so worked up over it.

She couldn’t exactly ignore her classmates, so she responded in as few words as possible, “I had to,” “No,” “I asked for it.” She kept her answers brief, hoping her fellow students would find the lack of response boring rather than alluring.

“(L/N),” Iwaizumi called out.

Her head immediately snapped to where he was standing by the door.

“You’re our new manager, right? Want me to show you where the gym is?” he asked gruffly.

(Y/N) grabbed her school supplies and practically ran over to Iwazumi, who had a tall brunette boy standing behind him.

“I’d appreciate that, thank you.”

On the walk to the gym, Iwaizumi introduced the brunette, Oikawa, to her.

“I was Iwa-chan’s handsomer, much more popular friend, remember?”

Oh, she definitely remembered him. Was she about to tell him that, though? Not a chance. She pretended to think for a moment, then shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Oikawa-san, that doesn’t ring a bell.” She tilted her head, “Besides, Hajime here is a perfect 10, so I don’t know where this ‘handsomer’ business came from.”

While Oikawa stopped in indignation, (Y/N) walked on as Iwaizumi followed, laughing shamelessly.

“It’s not like you remember me, either,” she added.

Oikawa pouted, “That’s not my fault! I was invested in volleyball, not cute girls.”

(Y/N) ignored him and the three of them walked along the school hallway in silence for a while. (Y/N) did her best to keep her mouth shut, but her curiosity got the better of her.

“Hajime? Do you know why the manager position is so important to people around here?” she asked tentatively.

Iwaizumi barked a laugh, “That’s because--”

“-because I’m on the volleyball team! The manager gets to spend time near me, which is something pretty much everyone around here wants,” Oikawa winked and made his signature peace sign.

He grinned charmingly at (Y/N). Iwaizumi facepalmed. (Y/N) stared back blankly.

“Sure,” she deadpanned.

“Huh? You’re the one that asked!” Oikawa protested.

“She didn’t ask for an egotistical answer like that, Crappykawa,” Iwaizumi growled. He turned to (Y/N) once again, “As annoying and stupid as that answer is, he’s not entirely wrong. He’s really popular for some reason.”

“Weird.”

“I know, right?”

“Hey, don’t gang up on me!”

(Y/N) ducked under Oikawa’s arm into the gym, turning slightly to thank him over her shoulder. The first person to greet her was the short, stout Seijoh head coach.

“Well, if it isn’t (L/N) (Y/N). You have no idea how happy I was to hear you’d be transferring to our school,” Coach Irihata gave the teen a small nod. “Though, I wish it were under different circumstances,” he grimaced.

(Y/N) bowed at him respectfully, “You and I both, Coach. I’ll put all my focus into being your team manager from now on.”

The older man laughed, “I don’t doubt that. Let me introduce you to the team.”

He led her to stand at the edge of the court.

“This here is Mizoguchi, the coach. He’s a bit of a hardass.”

“Are you allowed to be saying these things, Coach?”

“Were you planning on reporting me, (L/N)?”

“Touche.”

Coach Mizoguchi had all the boys line up. The two coaches and (Y/N) walked down the line.

“These are our first-years, Kyoutani, Watari, and Yahaba. Our second years, Matsukawa, Hanamaki, Iwaizumi, Oikawa--”

‘They’re an odd group. Not horrible mismatched, but definitely not inherently interwoven like other teams I’ve seen.’

“We’ll be playing quick, 3-on-3 practice matches so (Y/N) can see what you can do.”

Some of the boys looked surprised, others even leaned over and whispered confused words to each other. At the same time, their new manager felt every drop of blood draining out of her face.

(Y/N) leaned in, “Coach, may I speak to you for a moment?” she whispered frantically.

Irihata allowed her to lead him out of earshot.

“I know I’ve asked a lot of you lately, Coach, but if we could call as little attention to me as possible, I would be eternally grateful. I doubt anyone will say anything, but if we could avoid giving them unnecessary hints, that would be ideal.”

He quirked a brow slightly, “(L/N), this is just a small request. You don’t have to grovel every time you ask something of me.”

(Y/N) fiddled with her track jacket, “I know. You’ve just done so much for me already.”

“So much by your standards, very little by mine. All I had to do was put in a good word for you. You secret’s safe with me, (L/N). Do your best as our manager,” he clapped her on the shoulder before gesturing for her to head back to the courts.

By the time practice was over, the players were all dog-tired and drenched in sweat. Despite the fact that her brain had gone numb from the busy analysis, she felt she had gotten a good grasp of the team’s individual and group abilities, having written mini reports in her notebook about all the players, their habits, and how they work together. Each player’s individual page included a few people they worked especially well with, but (Y/N) noticed that everyone worked especially well with Oikawa. He seemed to bring out the most ability and talent in everyone he set for.

It was unfair, really. Such amazing athletic talent, coupled with fluffy brown curls and a sharp jawline, only to be spoiled by a smug, flippant attitude.

Earlier, she’d made the mistake of letting him catch her staring once. The corners of his lips quirked up slightly, causing her to look away quickly.

(Y/N) changed back into her school uniform and locked up the main gym. Shouldering her bag, she noticed the lights on inside one of the smaller gyms.

She stepped inside to see Oikawa practicing his sets against the wall. He’d taken the time to change out of his sweaty practice gear, but he just changed into clean, dry practice gear.

“Oikawa-san?” she called out.

The setter caught the ball and turned his attention to her, “Ah, (Y/N)-chan! Heading home already?”

She nodded, “Yeah. You’re still going to be practicing for a while?”

A look of annoyance flashed across his face before returning to his usual carefree expression.

“Yes, I will be.”

(Y/N) nodded, taking a few steps in to set the master key on the bleachers, “I’m heading home, so please be sure to lock up when you’re finished.”

Had she stayed just a second longer, she’d have seen the slightly dumbfounded, mostly intrigued look on Oikawa’s face.

“Wakatoshi, I’m having the time of my life!”

“That’s an unexpected response, though I’m happy for you,” Ushijima’s slightly pixelated voice came from (Y/N)’s firepods.

“I’ve been keeping to myself enough where no one bothers me, I get to manage the volleyball team, and I’ve had two whole weeks of fucking peace here. All my hopes and dreams have come true.”

“Well, not all of them--”

“Stuff it, Ushijima, I know,” she grumbled.

A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest, “Sorry, sorry. Have you met Oikawa Tooru yet?”

(Y/N) frowned, dodging a group of boys walking down the hall in the opposite direction.

“Yes,” she said in a small voice.

“Why did you say it so quietly?”

“No reason,” she said just as quietly.

“You find him attractive, don’t you?”

“What? Him? But he’s so-- he’s such a flirt! He always has girls hanging around him and he always looks so pleased with himself. Not to mention he’s a genuinely amazing setter and he’s a considerate captain and--”

“So, you do find him attractive?”

“I mean,” (Y/N) huffed, stopping outside the equipment room door, “Yes.”

“More attractive than Semi?”

“I’d say they’re about the same.”

“Wow. That’s a high compliment coming from you.”

“Isn’t it? But-- Oh, I gotta go, Wakatoshi, I need to fill the water cooler.”

“I’ll talk to you tonight.”

“Later!”

(Y/N) was breathing hard as she carried the water cooler from the equipment room to the gym. She wondered if they could get a wagon or some sort of wheels so she didn’t have to pull a muscle just to fill the cooler every practice. Better yet, maybe just let them die of dehydration so she wouldn’t have to move at all.

Sigh.

No, (Y/N), this isn’t that type of school.

Finally making it to the gym, she took a deep breath and shuffled inside. Almost immediately after she set foot in the gym, all of a sudden, the water cooler had slammed back into her, pouring its icy contents all over her and her uniform.

She fell flat on her ass, rubbing the sore spot on her chin where the plastic had knocked into it.

‘Someone around here wants me to relieve them of both their arms,’ she thought.

“Kyoutani!” she heard Mizoguchi yell, “How did your spike end up all the way over there?”

She didn’t get the chance to hear the first-year’s reply before Coach Irihata kneeled in front of her, the boys crowding around the two of them.

‘No, no. Deep breaths, (Y/N). It was just an accident. Breathe in, breathe out. In, then out.”

Taking a final deep breath, she looked up, smiled sweetly and said, “Don’t worry. It’s just a little water.”

Iwaizumi came up behind her and hauled her up by the armpits, “You alright?”

(Y/N) nodded in affirmation.

Oikawa passed her a large - presumably his - Seijoh BVBC sweater. She fully expected him to say something that would get him smacked by Iwaizumi, but was surprised to see him walk away almost immediately.

Stepping out of the locker room, (Y/N) looked up at the dark evening sky.

“It’s already this dark?” she wondered aloud.

“Yep. It’s that time of the year,” came a voice from behind her.

Oikawa stepped out from the boys’ locker room, hair still damp, and aqua t-shirt clinging to his skin slightly from the moisture.

She stared at him.

He tilted his head. “I do take breaks sometimes, you know,” he said as if he’d read her mind.

“Could’ve had me fooled,” she replied, gathering her composure and making her way towards the front gate.

“See you tomorrow, (Y/N)-chan,” he waved her goodbye.

“See you tomorrow.”

Exiting the school gate, they both turned left, ending up walking the same direction anyway. They chuckled awkwardly.

“Never mind, then,” Oikawa smiled.

“I’m getting on the G-train and going down 6 stops. You?”

“G-train, 8 stops,” he gasped, “(Y/N)-chan, we live so close! We can hang out together every day!” he teased.

(Y/N) huffed, turning away so the brunette couldn’t see her smiling, “We already hang out every day, nerd.”

“How hurtful! I can never spend too much time with you, (Y/N)-chan,” he nudged her playfully with his elbow, letting out a small ‘oof’ when she pushed him back.

They got on the G-train, which was mostly empty around this time of night. Their car held them and two other girls from their school, who seemed to pay them little mind, aside from the occasional glances that were typical in Oikawa’s presence.

The brunette stared down his nose at her, “So. Are you ever gonna tell me why our brand new lady manager has an abnormally thorough knowledge of volleyball?” he questioned.

(Y/N) took a seat across from Oikawa. He made himself comfortable opposite her.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Oikawa-san,” she said innocently.

Oikawa leaned forward in his seat.

“I saw your notebook. Your notes are way too detailed for anyone less than an expert. Did you or a family member or a friend or whatever play?”

Her gaze turned downcast. The train car was relatively empty, and he seemed genuine enough for her to softly reply, “I used to.”

There are two specific expressions (Y/N) saw the most of in the months following the incident.

One was less common. It was a thinly-veiled smugness, poorly hidden behind feigned sympathy. It was a look that said, “You got exactly what you deserved.”

The second was much more common, and on the days that made her want to lay in bed all day, seeing that expression plastered all around her like wallpaper just made her want to dig into the earth and make a home for herself there forever.

Pity.

It’s the same look every time. Their eyebrows go up, then furrow, finally slanting down as the realization dawns on them. Their mouth will drop open like they plan to say something, but no words come out because what are they supposed to say?

He must have seen the look of anguish on her face, because his expression morphed through each phase of that second type, word for word.

“You don’t play anymore because you won’t or because you--”

A dark shadow crossed her face, “I’d rather not talk about it.”

Oikawa nodded, “Okay.” His pretty brown eyes rolled up to the ceiling in deep thought. “What’s your favorite cake flavor?”

(Y/N) blinked at him confusedly for a moment, then her expression shifted to one of realization, and she gave him a small smile, the most genuine he’d ever seen her wear since she arrived at Aoba Johsai.

“Red velvet!”

“That’s just chocolate with red food coloring.”

(Y/N) gasped loudly, “You take that back!”

Oikawa raised his hands in defense, “I’m sorry, I only speak facts. Is now a bad time to mention I love pineapple on pizza?”

(Y/N)’s jaw dropped, “Are you serious? Do you even have taste buds, pretty boy?”

The taller male laughed and teasingly batted his lashes, “You think I’m pretty, (Y/N)-chan?”

She rolled her eyes, “I don’t know how to tell you this, Oikawa, but everyone thinks you’re pretty. You literally have a fanclub. They bring you homemade cookies on a regular basis.”

He got up from his seat across from her, only to settle down in the seat beside her. They sat there, shoulders against each other’s. Oikawa Tooru smelled like mint and the breeze on a summer night and a little bit of man sweat, but that’s to be expected coming straight from practice. It was a very distracting few seconds.

“But I don’t care about everyone’s opinion, (Y/N)-chan, I want yours.”

(Y/N)’s cheeks buzzed with heat. Ugh, he’s unfairly cute, isn’t he? But! Even if she would never tell him, she remembered him from middle school. He didn’t remember her. A guy like Oikawa was probably flirting with her because she didn’t fall desperately at his feet. She wasn’t going to be a part of that game. Not now, not ever.

At the sound of her stop, she stood and made her way over to the door. Just forcing the blood in her cheeks down through sheer willpower, she said, “I’ll see you in school tomorrow, Oikawa-san.”

Oikawa leaned back in his seat.

“Hey, (Y/N)? You’re not thinking I’m flirting with you because I’m some tail-chasing fuckboy, right? Because if you are,” he quirked a perfect eyebrow at her, “That’s hardly fair, is it?”

‘What? How did he know??’ she internally screamed, ‘He’s right, though. A lot of girls like him, but it’s not like he has a reputation for sleeping around or anything. Even if he did, that’s not for me to judge.”

(Y/N) braced herself against the open train doors. The cool night air blew into the train from behind her, ruffling her uniform skirt. She groaned.

“That smug face you make when you know you’re right? Yeah, I hate it.”

The setter’s hand came up to rest under his chin, “But you do have an opinion about my face?”

“Goodnight, Oikawa.”

“Text me when you get home!”

“I don’t--”

“Ask Iwa-chan for it! Goodnight, (Y/N)-chan!”

The train doors shut, and Oikawa sent her a wink through the glass doors before it departed. The breeze ruffled (Y/N)’s hair. There she stood, staring at the empty tracks. Rooting through her bag, she yanked her phone out and dialed a number.

“Wakatoshi, I’ve been a dumb hoe.”

“(Y/N), I told you you shouldn’t--”

“I shouldn’t belittle myself, even as a joke, I know, I’m sorry, Wakatoshi.”

She could feel him shaking his head in disapproval, “Right. Now, what’s your issue?”

Fingers fiddling with the hem of the borrowed oversized Seijoh sweatshirt, (Y/N) pressed her phone between her ear and shoulder.

“I accidentally made friends.”

Ushijima sighed on the other end of the line, “(Y/N), when I said to keep to yourself, I did not mean you had to become a total recluse. You may not want to hear this from me, but meeting new friends is a good thing.”

(Y/N) slowly shook her head, “They’re pretty popular, though, and the last thing I wanted since coming here was to call attention to myself.”

“You may have gotten some unwanted attention at your old school, but maybe you can start over at Aoba Johsai. If we want the rewards of being loved, we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.”

“...are you using a meme to give me advice?”

“A what?”

“A meme, Wakatoshi. It’s a joke passed all over the internet. Come on, there’s no way you haven’t seen them, even accidentally.”

“I am unfamiliar with the term. Anyway, I was quoting renowned columnist and cartoonist Tim Kreider. I was trying to make you feel better.”

Though he couldn’t see it, (Y/N) smiled warmly at how hard he was trying to help.

“You did a great job, Wakatoshi. Hey, I just got home, I’ll call you back and we’ll talk all about your day. How’s that?”

“Alright, get inside safely.”

Upon hanging up with Ushijima, (Y/N)’s hand stopped just short of putting her phone away. Perhaps against her better judgement, she reluctantly sent one more text.

[SENT] To: Iwaizumi Hajime-Kun [8:37 pm]

- Admin Mango

#oikawa #oikawa tooru #oikawa tōru #ushijima #Ushijima Wakatoshi #Iwaizumi Hajime #iwaizumi #oikawa x reader #haikyuu!!#haikyu #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios

119 notes · View notes

teacupfulofstarshine · 4 years

Text

every star a multitude

happy birthday, logan sanders!! this fic takes place in my little and broken but still good au! no content warnings for this fic, just pure fluffy goodness! thomas is thirteen, roman is ten, and logan is eight (it’s his eighth birthday!)

read it on ao3!

“Little astronaut! Little astronaut, are you awake?”

Logan rolls over, sleepily blinking and looking up at the person waking him up. “Mmmmngh . . . Dad? What’s happ’nin’?”

“Happy birthday, little astronaut!” Dad says, grinning wide and leaning down to kiss Logan’s head. “You’re eight years old today!”

Logan’s eyes shift to the calendar hanging on his wall, displaying a photo from the Hubble Telescope of a nebula three galaxies over. The day is neatly circled in bright red marker, with the words “BIRTHDAY” printed inside the circle. “It’s my birthday?!” he gasps, sitting up. Dad pats his lap, and Logan crawls into it even though he’s probably juuuust a little too big for that now.

“That’s right, little astronaut! It’s your birthday!” Dad cheers. “That means you can have aaaaaanything you want for breakfast!”

“Crofter’s!”

“Anything that’s an actual breakfast food, Lo.”

Logan pouts. “But I want Crofter’s . . .”

Dad hums, tilting his head to the side. “I’ve been working on a new recipe for muffins filled with jam. Do you think if I baked you some Crofter’s-filled muffins you would eat those for breakfast?”

“Yeah! That sounds amazing!”

“Good, because I already made them! Let’s go get them, okay? Do you want me to carry you?”

Logan considers. “I’m too big to be carried, Dad. I’m eight years old today.”

“You are eight years old today. But I’m super strong, strong enough to lift Thomas! I think I can carry you downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. It’s your birthday, kiddo. Let us spoil you, yeah?”

Logan wants to argue, to prove that he’s a big boy now, but he also really wants to be carried downstairs, so he lifts his arms up. Dad carefully squeezes tightly under his armpits, lifting him up and settling him onto his hip. Logan carefully wraps his legs around Dad’s waist, looping his arms around his neck so that he doesn’t fall. Dad hums what Logan thinks might be the birthday song as they head downstairs.

Roman comes running up to them as they enter the kitchen. “Logan! Happy birthday!”

Dad carefully puts Logan down, and Roman almost tackles him in a hug. “Happy birthday happy birthday happy birthday happy birthday!” Logan squirms underneath his older brother.

“Ro, squishin’ me!”

“Roman, don’t crush your brother on his birthday,” Dad chastises. Roman sits up, grinning and fidgeting apologetically. Logan sits up, putting a hand on his chest and taking a few deep breaths just like Papa taught him to when the noises are too loud and the lights are too bright.

“Sorry, Lo! I just get so excited! It’s your birthday!” Roman stands up and pulls Logan to his feet, hugging him loosely and patting at his head. Logan smiles, letting his brother show him affection. “And Dad made muffins with Crofter’s - oh, was that s’posed to be a birthday secret?”

“No, Ro, he already knew about those.”

Logan settles into the kitchen chair next to Roman, who’s quietly chanting fragments of the “Happy Birthday” song and kicking his legs eagerly. The oven timer beeps after a few minutes, and Dad pulls on the cat-paw oven mitts Logan had gotten him for Christmas. “Muffins are done!”

Something else beeps as Dad sets the muffins on the stovetop and refills the muffin cups. “Is that the coffee maker? Can one of you turn that off for me?”

“I’ve got it, Dad,” Roman says.

Someone else shuffles into the kitchen, rubbing sleepily at their eyes. “Papa!”

“I got th’coffee maker,” he says, pushing the button and pouring himself a cup. He takes a long, slow drag from the mug before turning to kiss Logan’s head. “Happy birthday, buddy.”

“Thank you, Papa!”

“Is Thomas coming to breakfast?”

“Yeah,” his oldest brother says, yawning and pushing his sleep-ruffled curls from his eyes. “I’m here, Lo . . . happy birthday, bud.” Logan grins when Thomas messes up his hair, even though he normally hates that.

“Who wants a muffin?” Dad says, setting a plate on the table. “I think we should give the birthday boy first pick, right? Then presents and surprise trip!”

“Surprise trip?” Logan gasps. He knows the birthday tradition of the family, of course he does, but he still loves the idea of trying to guess where they’re going for his birthday. “Where are we going, Dad?”

“Sorry, kiddo! I can’t tell you anything, it’s supposed to be a surprise!” Dad hands him a muffin, and Logan frowns but shoves it into his mouth anyway. “What do you think?”

“Yummy!” Logan says, eyes wide as he shoves more muffin into his mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, honey, but I’m glad you enjoy them!”

Logan washes down three more Crofter’s muffins with a glass of milk before he’s finally done. “Lo, don’t rush your breakfast!” Dad scolds.

“But I’m done now, Dad! Is it presents time yet?”

“Don’t be greedy, Lo,” Dad says, ruffling his hair. “But yes, it’s time for presents. Go and sit on the sofa with your brothers, okay?” Logan nods, springing up out of his chair so fast that he almost knocks it over.

There’s a stack of presents sitting on the coffee table, all neatly wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper patterned with gold and silver stars. Logan’s fingers twitch to grab one and tear open the wrapping paper, but he knows that Dad and Papa like to be there when he opens his presents. He sits on the couch, tucking his hands under his thighs so that he’s not tempted to grab a package.

Roman and Thomas join him before Papa and Dad do, sitting on either side of their younger brother. “Are you excited?” Thomas asks. “Papa and Dad have a really good surprise planned for you this time!”

“You know what it is?” Logan whines. “No fair!”

“You always know what our birthday surprises are!” Roman says. “Besides, we had to plan our gifts for you! You’re not really mad, are you?”

“Not really, I guess . . .”

Papa and Dad come in from the kitchen, settling onto the loveseat across from their sons. “Okay, Lo. You can open presents now. One at a time, okay?”

Logan eagerly snatches the box off the top of the little pile, carefully sliding his finger under the taped edge of the wrapping. He tears it open to reveal a brand new pair of knitting needles and several balls of soft, dark-blue yarn with glittering silver threads intertwined. “Do you like it?” Dad asks. “The yarn reminded me of the stars in the night sky, so I thought you would like it.”

“I love it!” Logan squeals, kicking his legs eagerly since his hands are full. “Thank you, Dad!”

“Mine next, little astronaut,” Papa says, handing him the box. Logan grunts when it lands in his lap.

“Heavy, Papa!”

“Go ahead and open it, then!”

Logan tears into the box and gasps when he sees the galaxy-patterned blanket. “Is this a weighted blanket?!”

“Yeah,” Virgil says. “I know that you like to be covered in heavy stuff when you’re having a sensory overload, so when I found this space-patterned weighted one I knew you would like it. “Do you? Like it, I mean?”

“I love it! I love it, Papa, thank you so much!”

Logan carefully pushes the blanket off his lap and springs to his feet, running over to hug both of his parents tightly. He feels Papa kiss his forehead and Dad laughs. “We love you, little astronaut.”

“I love you too!”

“You still have presents from your brothers, little astronaut, so why don’t you open them?”

Logan turns back to the table, picking up the package with Roman’s handwriting on it. Inside is a folded piece of paper with multiple drawings of the moon on it. “It’s a chart of the phases of the moon! I made it myself! I know how much you love space . . . do you like it?”

“I do! I’m gonna hang it on my door! Thanks so much, Roman!”

Thomas places his package into Logan’s lap, and he carefully sets the poster down on the table before opening it. Inside is a stuffed sea turtle with a galaxy-patterned shell. The name tag attached to the front flipper reads Celeste. “It had space on it, so I thought of you,” Thomas says. “And it feels like the soft material that you like to rub on your face when you’re having a really bad day, so I thought that you would like it . . .”

“I do!” Logan squeals, eagerly pressing the turtle to his cheek and rubbing against it softly. “It’s so great, Tommy!” He sets the turtle down on the coffee table and throws himself at his brothers, hugging them tightly. “Thank you so much, Tommy, Ro!”

“Happy birthday, Lo!”

“Alright, boys, go and get dressed, okay?” Dad says. “We don’t wanna be late for our special outing, do we?”

“Nope!” Logan squeals.

*~*~*~*~*

“Can I take it off now, Papa?”

Logan scratches at the blindfold tied over his eyes. “No, little astronaut. You can’t do that yet, you’ll spoil the surprise!”

“You’re gonna love it!” Roman says. Logan fiddles with the fidget cube in his hands, eagerly awaiting the reveal of his surprise. The car slows down, slowly rocking backwards and forwards, and Logan begins to bounce. “We’re parking, aren’t we? We’re parking, we’re here, we’re here!”

“That’s right, little astronaut,” Dad coos. “Don’t take off your blindfold yet, okay? We’re gonna walk you to the entrance.”

Logan hears the car door open, feels someone gently take his hand and help him out of the car (probably Papa). They walk through the parking lot, periodically stopping and starting as they avoid the cars. “Step up here, Lo, there’s a curb.”

Finally, finally, they stop. “Close your eyes so we can take off the blindfold, okay Logan?”

“Okay!” Logan squeezes his eyes tightly shut and feels the blindfold slide off his face. “Are you ready, Logan?”

“Ready!”

“Okay! Three, two, one, open your eyes!”

Logan’s eyes fly open, and he gasps as he stares up at the dome-shaped building in front of him. “Is - is this - are we at the planetarium?!”

“Yep!” Dad grins. “We have tickets to the showing at noon, and then we’re gonna spend the day exploring the museum! Are you excited, Lo?”

“It’s perfect, Dad! It’s perfect, it’s perfect, I love it so much!”

Logan can’t stop himself from rocking back and forth eagerly, flapping his hands a little as he stares up at the planetarium. “This is the best present! Thank you so much, thank you thank you thank you!”

Dad ruffles his hair, smiling. “Of course, little astronaut. It’s your special day.”

*~*~*~*~*

They end up seeing the planetarium show about three times in a row before Logan is finally satisfied. When they finally make it to the gift shop at the end of the museum, Papa and Dad buy Logan a spherical lamp that projects the constellations onto his ceiling. That evening, after setting up the lamp and eating Logan’s favorite dinner, they all gather in the living room for a movie. Logan is wearing his unicorn onesie and snuggling underneath his weighted blanket with Celeste.

“What do you want to watch, Logan?” Dad asks, wearing his cat onesie.

“I wanna watch the star documentary!”

“Do we have to?” Roman groans, pulling the hood of his lion onesie up over his head. “I don’t wanna watch more space stuff!”

“It’s Logan’s birthday, Ro,” Papa says, zipping up his bat onesie. “That means that he gets to pick the movie that we watch tonight, and if he wants to watch the star documentary then we’re all going to watch the star documentary.”

“I’m making popcorn!” Thomas calls. Logan smiles as he settles into the couch, surrounded by his family as the documentary starts up and Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s voice fills their living room.

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#starshinewrites #little and broken but still good #moxiety dad!au #logan sanders birthday fic #sanders sides #platonic TLAMP #background romantic moxiety #logan-centric

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everpantherr · 5 years

Text

Loved and lost. Pt 1.

Now before you cry guys everyone assume that Everett did survive the snap but my honest I hope he turned into dust like not a bad thing I want him to be kept good looking for T'challa so they can be together..and be in more marvel movies but this story he stayed behind :'(

Warnings: none

Mentions mpreg,

Official post to wattpad.

Artist: BIM

The story will go on to the characters pov and parts of narrator.

He remembered it was like yesterday when Shuri and okoye told him the breaking news and that the half of the population were gone..

It was two years since the snap happened and it was really hard for Everett because T'challa didn't survived and Everett fell into deep depression even though he had 3 children that are counting him was hard for him he couldn't decide if stay in wakanda to help Shuri the queen and help wakanda expand or go back to the USA and go back to help people who did survive.

He made a decision.

He decided to leave his baby's in wakanda with Shuri and Ramonda it was safe and the best for them while he does help in the America,he wasn't sure when he able to see them again

But it was for the best

He was getting to leave on his plane but he stop and give kisses to his kids

"Dada" his youngest son martin said as he give kiss on his forehead he teared up

"Martin.. I love you so much" he sniffed as T'chara and T'chaka came hubble over and hugged his arms

He kissed them both and rubbed T'chara cheeks

"Just like your father.. T'chara please take of your brothers while I'm gone ok?" T'chara just giggled as Everett smiled

He pick them both up ( he had lessons )

And brought them to there play rooms as he requested a Dora to watch them over

"Tell Shuri to look after them..."

"But consort-"

"I gotta go help back in the America it's safe for them to be here then the city I should be back in a few months..and also I'm no longer royal, my baby's are but now you have queen Shuri so respect that" Everett said as he grab his bag and headed off to America.

Not even a day that he was already crying and missing his kids but he had to stay strong and help the people.

After 3 months he came to wakanda he was hurting because he thought that his children won't recognize him he was done putting the gone list and the survival papers and send them around the world for the people and help the foods and etc it wasn't easy but he did, got it done

"Daddy!" They both scream and pulling him to the ground

"I missed you guys" Everett tears up as he hugs them both and kissing them

"Yeah know colonizer I should beat you up for leaving me to be the mother of YOUR children" she smiles

"But welcome back"

"Your highness thank you I'm sure I'm staying put this time..." There were sadness in that and Shuri knows it

"We are hurting Everett he was my brother"

"It was hard being out there and it's hard being here too.."

"How about take your boys to the field and get some air" she really didn't want to have more emotion as she has hands full already

"Yeah.. alright"

I grab my blanket and took my kids to a open field to watch them wonder and play

I play with martin as he was only a year old and barley can wonder around

It was peacefully and hearing my kids giggle away playing with there toys

But until I heard a deep voice startled me

"Ahh kitten you are alive"

Everett turns and sees M'baku alive and well

"Heh I could say the same thing to you.. how's your tribe are your people safe?"

"I lost so many especially children and familys"

"I'm sorry.."

"I'm sorry about T'challa... you know he did his best out there he loved you very much Everett just know that."

"Thanks M'baku.. I can't just think about the future how I'm going to tell them what's happened to this world and there papa"

"Don't think about that now kitten there still young you have long ways to tell them that"

"Sorry.. your right I'm just stressed.."

"I complete understand I heard you went back to help in America"

" I did.. it was like being in the air force again, God I'm so lost M'baku" Everett croaked and tears were falling down

"Kitten.. listen you are a strong man who you serves your country you help save wakanda and beinging strong to your boys, your just stressed out and need some rest.. if you want you are more welcome to Jabari and rest there since queen Shuri is busy with wakanda and since your... ahem but aside from that Everett I'm more welcome to open doors for you I know if you head to USA Your kids aren't safe."

"I... i-"

"Don't worry about the cold my tribe has made coats for every children and toddlers for the cold, and I have a hut I barely don't use since I'm busy with my tribe but you are more welcome to use.. just think about it it will take things mind off from the world. I'm not forcing or anything it's somthing to think about"

Everett stay silent has M'baku hold little martin

Everett was thinking about this and M'baku was right he wasn't much needed in wakanda anymore he wasn't sure if he should live here with all the stress that Shuri might put him through and back in the America will be worse so Jabari might just what he needed besides the cold though but it could help him and his kids, drop off the world and start a new life

"You know what.. you're right it might start help with a new life and my kids and besides they might love the snow but how I'm i going to get there with 3 kids? Oh I guess my plane could help.. I still have a job."

M'baku smirks

"Pefect saves me less traveling I'll give you a day to pack if that's fine see you then kitten"

M'baku walks off

"Why does he keep calling me kitten?" Everett mumbles as he packs up his kids and head back to the castle and pack up for the night and put his kids to sleep.

During the night Everett put his kids sleep expect martin he was crying and struggling to sleep

"Ssh... ssh..." rocking him back and forth

The door open and it was M'baku again

"Sorry I walked by and headed your little one crying do you need some help?"

"No.. no.. he's just being stubborn that's *yawn* all.."

"You are tired Everett let me i can help him sleep I promise I won't hurt your baby"

Everett was exhausted and he does trust M'baku since he did offered his home to him

"Ok thanks M'baku" he hands over martin

"Don't mention it just have a seat on the couch I have the rest from here"

Everett sat down on the couch and he eventually fell asleep

By the morning

He was woke up to a blanket around him and seeing martin in his crib sleeping Everett checked the time on his wrist watch and it was still early and have lots of time to pack so that's what he did during all morning

It was around the after noon that Everett packed up in the plane and M'baku came up

"Hey M'baku I can't thank you enough for last night "

"Again don't mention it you almost done?"

"Yes just waiting for my kids to wake up"

After heading to Jabari M'baku showed Everett and his kids to the hut where he was staying and it was cozy warm and roomie

He quickly made a little crib to put martin down and unpack while his toddlers are in playing in the snow already with M'baku he went his room and started un pack when he stumble across his wedding photo of him and T'challa he looked at it one more time until he shoved it down in a drawer to not look at it again as he was starting a new life.

"I'll start the fire for you but then I gotta go back to the tower"

I nodded as he starts the fireplace

"Alright the fire has started there's a market few down a hill for dinner but anyways you should be good to go" M'baku said as he was heading out

"M'baku... thank you"

He just nodded and left

"Well kids its time to a new start life" i smile at them

And Everett did what he did he dropped everything from the world expect his work because he not near to close to retirement even though he's living in Jabari for free but he still serves the America

M'baku helps around me and my kids for months now which i appreciate

But lately I started to feel feelings for him I mean He does bring me wine or beer after our tough days together

But that one night I drank because my son's called M'baku Daddy which I choked my food that dinner night and it through M'baku completely off the table too but laugh so hard

We sit on the he couch as the fire was going and the boys are asleep

M'baku had his arms behind me and I wrapped up in blankets

And I know that the fact he does lik- Love me

Am I started to feel the same thing??

"Are we going to talk about what happened?"

"Everett you are the one letting this happened I mean you let me into your house and let me help around what did you expect"

"N- uh... ahem I guess..." i had no words to that

"Do you want them to call you dad?"

"Do you want them to?"

"I don't know.."

"Look.. M'baku I appreciate what you do for me and my boys but.. after all of this and you being around i.. I started to feel about this-" Everett was interrupted by M'baku putting his hand on his mouth

"I can fix that.." he mumbled and he lean in towards Everett and Everett leaned in and they both connected lips

Everett closed his eyes as this happened he haven't felt a kiss for like Ever to be honest he doesn't even remember when was his last kiss from T'challa but he doesn't want to think about that now

Everett and M'baku stopped And pulled back

"Wow.. heh uhem" Everett was nervous and was turning red

"Haha my god Everett your reacting if it was looking your first time kissing!" He laughs quietly

Everett punches him on the arm

"Shut up its been 2 years M'baku!"

And since that night Everett and M'baku started a relationship but it was slow progress for Everett because he wanted to take things slow since he's new life with his sons were going good

But he still had emotions to T'challa but he had to move on

And eventually there love was strong

And after a few months

On the night of traditional winter blue moon festival

M'baku purpose on the blue night in M'baku palace on the deck were it was beautiful

And Everett said yes

They got married and Everett once again was a royal member

By next year Everett had some shocking news..

He was pregnant with M'baku child.

He had a hard time believing this was this a prank?

But it was true and it wasn't a prank

He can't believe it he was so happy did wanted a big family and he was shocked again by his age but he didn't care and when he told his husband he was filled with joy and happiness and he so happy that his child was going to heir to his Thorne

By M'baku's Jabari health care he told that Everett was going to have twins one boy and one girl

They couldn't be happier

By the time he give birth to his new born son M'baku and Everett named him M'Buka after M'baku great grandfather

After his long rest M'baku had to go wakanda for a meeting and Everett was actually nervous to go back because he moved on from T'challa and married M'baku

But M'baku said that it was going to be fine

But oh boy he was wrong

Queen Romada and shuri, okoye were pissed at Everett and M'baku and growling yelling at Everett for leaving T'challa 'so soon' apparently but Nakia was supportive and understand for Everett

By the year went and Everett was at his office when one the deputy agents came barging in unannounced

"Sir! We have some news! People are reappearing again from the snap!"

"Wait what!?" Everett rushed to the scene and he couldn't believe his eyes

"Get everyone and I mean everyone to work and get around fast! And get the avengers!"

"I gotta get back home!"

Everett landed back in Jabari and rushed to M'baku and his boys

"M'baku!? Honey? Kids???"

"Your highness your husband is helping in the tribe as people are coming back. And your kids are safe in the another room"

"Thank you" He said and ran off to find M'baku.

After the whole incident and things settled down

Everett was getting ready to the market for dinner and he put on his wakadian blanket on and had his vase for water when his son martin and T'chara and T'chaka came running up to him

"Daddy!! Daddy!!"

"What's wrong??"

"Some guy wearing a black suit came up to us claiming that we are his kids and we were scared and trys to claim that he knows you but we ran!" T'chaka cried

I froze as I think who it was..

Can't be..

#blackpanther #everpanther #everett ross #t'challa #everett/t'challa #marvel #M'baku #M'baku/Everett

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hovercraft79 · 6 years

Text

Ghost

4th in the Hecate’s Summer Playlist series

Chapterss: 1

Word Count: 15,346 Fandom: The Worst Witch (TV 2017) Rating: Teen Warnings: Some violence and the aftermath, feelings of worthlessness, parental abuse/neglect, feelings of shame about past sexual behavior, injuries. Summary: In the aftermath of the attack at Cackle’s, Hecate is left recuperating at Julie Hubble’s and Pippa makes a surprising discovery that could change everything about her relationship with Hecate.

Notes:

This story continues Hecate’s adventures from weeks 1-3. This time, you really need to have read Circle in the Sand for this one to make sense. The title of this week’s entry comes from an Indigo Girls song.

I’m still using the tropes from the Hackle Summer Challenge, but these stories are definitely Hicsqueak. Also, this installment attempts to fill in some of the blanks from Hecate’s early years and, as we know, her past wasn’t all sunshine and light, in fact, here its rather dark. Please don’t read if you think that will upset you.

I have to apologize to Sparky for this week’s story. Since I was at an AP conference all week, it was supposed to be shorter; instead it turned out to be the longest one yet. She still edited like a champion and any errors still present are due to my own stubbornness.

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

Sunday

Consciousness washed over Hecate like she was coming up out of the water. Her lungs burned like she’d been holding her breath too long. Light and sound seemed muffled. She wasn’t aware of much, only that her side felt like it was both frozen and on fire and that someone – Pippa – was holding her hand and whispering words of comfort near her ear. She tried to turn her head so she could see, but the effort drained her completely and she slipped back towards unconsciousness. She thought she managed to squeeze Pippa’s hand before the darkness pulled her under.

Tuesday

Voices. She could hear voices. She frowned, straining to hear, but afraid to turn her head and open her eyes. Hushed voices - she couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the tone didn’t sound somber. Hecate braved opening her eye a crack. Somehow, even that movement made the wound in her side flare with agony. The infirmary. She was in the infirmary. She didn’t know why she hadn’t recognized the pungent smell of witch hazel.

One of the voices laughed - a soft, musical lilt that she recognized instantly. “Pip,” her voice cracked, and her throat burned like she’d been screaming. The blonde witch turned at once, rushing to Hecate’s bedside, dropping to her knees and gently, so very gently, lacing their fingers together.

“I’m here, darling. I’m here.”

Hecate couldn’t make her eyes focus, but she could hear that Pippa was trying to keep her voice under control. “What…” She was too exhausted to say anything more, but Pippa seemed to understand.

“The firefight, sweetheart, do you remember? We were attacked in Ada’s office?” Pippa waited for Hecate to nod. “You got hit with dark magic. That’s why your side hurts. It was pretty bad stuff. It’s taken some of the Great Wizard’s best mediwitches to counteract the spell. It’s taken a great deal of your own magic as well. You’ll recover though, darling. It’s just going to take some time.”

Hecate nodded, not understanding, exactly, but not having the energy to listen anymore. She could feel the darkness calling to her again, promising the sweet relief of unconsciousness. As she drifted out, a face appeared in her mind. “Dimity?”

“Recovering.” Pippa tucked the blankets more securely around Hecate. The potions mistress was fading fast. “Everyone is fine. You are fine, my love. Sleep now.” She pressed a kiss to Hecate’s forehead and watched her face relax in sleep.

Wednesday

A stabbing pain in her side ripped Hecate out of her sleep. Gasping, she turned to see a blonde head bent over her injury. “Leave it be, Pip,” she panted through gritted teeth.

“Wrong blonde, love,” Julie Hubble grinned up at her. “Glad to see you’re awake.” She continued her ministrations, hands working with business-like efficiency paired with as much gentleness as she could manage. “I know it hurts, but that’s a good sign. Your body is healing.”

Hecate turned her head just enough to take in her surroundings. Turning her head didn’t cause the same pain as before. She was still in the infirmary. The curtain was pulled around her cot, for privacy she supposed, while Julie tended her wound. “Why are you here?”

“Because I told you not to get hurt, you tosser, but you went and did it anyway.” Julie unwrapped a large square of gauze. “This part’s going to hurt, love. Go on and yell or scream or whatever you need to do, Hecate. Ada spelled the curtain to block the sound when it’s closed.”

She did all of those things and more when Julie began cleaning the wound on her side. As quickly as Julie worked, Hecate was still breathless and sweating by the time she finished.

“All right, love, that’s all.” Julie pulled her latex gloves off and smoothed the hair away from Hecate’s forehead. “Just breathe.” She sat with Hecate until her breathing settled and it seemed the bulk of the pain had passed. “You’re going to be fine, Hecate, do you hear me? You are healing.” She squeezed Hecate’s shoulder then stood up and opened the curtain. “Oy, Pentangle! Get over here and do your hand-holding.”

Pippa was at Hecate’s side in an instant. “Hello, darling,” she said, lowering herself into the chair next to the bed. This time Hecate’s hand reached for hers, and Pippa clutched it to her chest, certain that Hecate would be able to feel her heart beating. “You seem more alert today. Would you like some water?” Hecate nodded, so she summoned a cup with a bendy-straw and held it while Hecate drank. “That’s wonderful, Hiccup,” Pippa said once she’d finished and the cup was placed on the bedside table.

Hecate took a moment to observe Pippa as she fussed with the blanket with her free hand. The other hand remained joined with Hecate’s. Dark circles ringed her slightly bloodshot eyes. Her hair needed a wash, and instead one of her trademark pink gowns, Pippa wore a rumpled t-shirt and sweatpants. “Pippa? What’s happening?”

“You remember the firefight in Ada’s office?” Hecate nodded. “We knew they were using dark magic, but it turns out the bastards were using something else, too.” In her anger Pippa didn’t realize she was squeezing Hecate’s hand until she saw her wincing. “Sorry!” She loosened her grip and pressed a quick kiss to Hecate’s knuckles. “It just makes me so angry. The risk!” She shook her head and sucked in a deep, calming breath. “Whatever spells they used weren’t just dark. They added something that made it harder to heal. Every time the mediwitches tried to treat the injury, it caused you so much pain and made the wound worse. You lost consciousness within minutes of the first bit of healing magic. It took four of the Great Wizard’s healers to drive the dark magic out of Dimity, six for you.” Tears welled in her eyes, but Pippa blinked them away and forged ahead. “They’re still trying to figure out exactly how the spell was created. What we do know is that using magic to treat the wounds doesn’t just have no effect, like you’d expect with dark magic, it makes the injury worse. The…burn… on your side is about twice as big as it was Friday night. We finally asked Julie to come and treat you two with ordinary medicine. Thank the Goddess, that seems to be working.”

Hecate closed her eyes, trying to calm the rage that was boiling up inside her chest. Her eyes popped open. She couldn’t feel her magic! “Pippa!” she pulled her hand free and tried to call up anything – a light, a flame, even a spark. Nothing. “My magic!”

Pippa reached out and pulled Hecate’s hands back into her own. “It’s there, darling. You’re just burning through it as fast as it’s regenerating. As you heal, you’ll feel your magic growing again. Dimity already feels hers.”

Hecate nearly cried with relief. Without magic…she couldn’t even imagine surviving without it. Not for the first time she felt a flare of anger at the price Mirabelle Hubble had paid – and Julie Hubble still paid – to reignite a founding stone.

Seeing Hecate’s distress, Pippa pulled her chair even with the bed and eased herself against Hecate until her head rested against Pippa’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Hiccup.”

“You’re here and safe. I’m here and safe, if not sound. Yet. It’s more than okay, Pipsqueak.” She wrinkled her nose. “I think you might need a shower spell, Pip.”

“You aren’t exactly fresh yourself, my love.” She giggled. “We’ll ask Julie about that. I’m afraid to use a shower spell on you. I don’t want it to hurt you.”

“How long is she staying? Is Mildred here?”

“I’m glad you asked about that, Hiccup. We’ve been talking - Ada, Julie and I - and we’d like for you to go to Julie’s for a few days, at least until you get your strength back.”

Hecate opened her mouth to protest, but Pippa raised a hand to cut her off. “Julie is willing to take care of your injury; in fact, she’s quite adamant about it, really. She says she doesn’t want to risk Mildred’s magic mum to anybody else. I rather think she’s actually quite fond of you, even if she won’t admit it.” Here Hecate had to smile. That troublesome, ordinary woman might be a nutter, but she was bit by bit pulling Hecate into her family. “You won’t be there alone. I’ll go with you, and Ada plans to come help out while Julie’s at work, as does Miss Bat. I’m sure Mildred will adore having you around.”

“You aren’t playing fair, Pip.”

“Not in the least. Besides,” Pippa ran her fingertips down Hecate’s arm, tracing slow patterns into her skin. “It’s really the most practical way. It’s easier to have you there and us transfer back and forth than to try and bring Julie and Mildred to the castle every day. Will you do it, Hiccup? For me?”

Hecate sighed; her eyes were getting heavy, and she felt sleep pulling at her. “It’s a good plan. And anything is better than in the infirmary.”

“Thank you, darling. I’ll put together some things for you.” She waited for Hecate to answer, but she was already asleep.

Pippa transferred into Hecate’s private rooms, taking a moment to take it all in without Hiccup’s wary presence, always afraid she was being judged and coming up short. How different it felt from when she’d first been here after the Spelling Bee. Then, the room had been impersonal, almost stark in spite of its comfortable furniture. Oh, the dark, somber furniture was still here, but now it was balanced by Pippa’s efforts to bring color into Hecate’s life. Every bright memory that Pippa had captured during their childhood now hung, large and framed, on the wall. A nubby throw in emerald green was draped across the arm of a chair. Moving to the bedroom, Pippa grinned when she spotted her cross-stitched piece through the open bathroom door. She’d made it by hand, and it was well worth every painful needle stab in her fingers. She could feel herself in Hecate’s rooms now – a real presence in Hecate’s every day life. As it should be, should always have been.

Pippa shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand: Hiccup needed clothes and toiletries packed for her stay with the Hubbles. She vanished the faded flowers she’d sent to Hecate last week, making a mental note to send a smaller arrangement to Julie’s. She summoned Hecate’s toothbrush and other toiletries from the bathroom, wrapping them in a soft towel and placing them on the bed. Next, she rummaged through Hecate’s cupboard until she found her travel bag. Floating it to the bed Pippa searched through Hecate’s wardrobe to find anything loose and comfortable. Unsurprisingly, the selection was slim. Finally, in the way back, Pippa found a pair of drawstring lounge pants and a couple of loose blouses. They joined the bag on the bed. Maybe she’d have more luck in the dresser. She pulled one drawer open, pleased to find neatly folded nightwear. She pulled out a couple of night dresses and a pair of purple pajamas, adding them to the stack of items on the bed. She considered Hecate’s robe, but the stiff fabric and leather looked far too uncomfortable. Who wears a leather robe, anyway? She scanned the items on the bed, checking to see what she’d forgotten.

“Knickers, Pip!” She slapped herself on the forehead. “We surely wouldn’t want to be there when Hiccup finds out she’s got no knickers.” She turned back to the dresser and opened the next drawer. Two for two, she thought, smiling at the tidy rows of functional black underwear. “Well, Hiccup, you’re nothing if not consistent.” She counted out a week’s worth of sets and was just closing the drawer when a flash of color caught her eye – something pink. Without thinking, she swept a stack of camisoles to the side. Pippa’s breath caught in her throat. The pink didn’t belong to any lingerie. It was a letter. It was a whole stack of letters in pink envelopes, tied together with a black ribbon. And they were addressed to her.

With trembling fingers Pippa pulled the stack out of the drawer. There were so many – maybe a couple dozen. She flipped through them with her thumb. They’d obviously been written over a long span of time. The envelopes were all different shades of pink. The ink on the ones at the top of the stack was new and clear, the ones on the bottom were clearly older, envelopes and ink faded with time. Every single one was addressed to Pippa Pentangle. The only differences were the addresses. Pippa’s heart stuttered as she realized that Hecate had always, always known where to find her.

Pippa stumbled to the chair in front of Hecate’s vanity, plopping down gracelessly. She pulled the bottom letter free. Pip’s address was still Amulet’s Academy. She held it reverently. Tear-stained, with frayed edges and greasy smudges, it had clearly been handled many times over the years. Suddenly, Pippa knew: this was what she’d waited thirty years for – the reason Hecate had forsaken her. Pippa didn’t care that it was wrong. She didn’t care that Hecate would surely consider it an invasion of privacy. Her entire life had been upended, almost disastrously so, without explanation. And she was holding that explanation in her hands – she knew it. It’s addressed to me, she thought, knowing full well that it was no justification for what she was about to do.

She almost bottled out when she flipped the envelope over and saw the imprint of a kiss in red lipstick, sealing the envelope closed. She scrubbed the tears out of her eyes and ripped open the flap before she lost her nerve.

June 17, 1985

Dearest Pipsqueak,

I’m sorry, Pip, sorrier than you can ever know. And I know it’s not enough. I could fill a library with the words ‘I’m sorry’ and it still wouldn’t be enough, just like I was never enough. I know you’ve always insisted that I was, and maybe, when all we had to deal with were cruel classmates I might have believed you. But that’s a luxury I can no longer afford – and I can’t allow you to pay the price for me.

I never told anyone how I’ve felt about you these last few years. I could hardly tell you or even admit it to myself. But I love you, Pippa and I always will. That’s why I had to leave. I don’t know how, but somehow Father found out. He never said anything directly, but when I was home last… Oh, Pip, you wouldn’t believe the things he said about witches or wizards who love someone of the same sex. I know he’s never been kind, but the hate and the viciousness of what he said still stuns me. I still can’t understand it; he knew he was talking about me, and he said those things anyway. I’ve never felt like less than I did then. I could have lived with that, though, Pip. After all, what’s one more disappointment added to my ledger? But he started talking about what he would do to anyone who tried to ‘pervert his daughter,’ as he called it. I’ve never been more terrified. He would have hurt you, Pip, ruined you and your family. He would have killed every dream you ever had. I couldn’t let that happen. You deserve so much more than any life you might ever have with me. I’m so sorry.

I hope that someday you can remember our time at Amulet’s fondly. If not, please forget about me. I only want for you to be happy and to know that I love you.

Then, now, and always,

Hiccup

Pippa’s lungs hurt. Her throat hurt. Even her cheeks hurt, raw from the tears that tracked across them for who knew how long. Pippa didn’t like to believe she was the kind of person who could hate, but she hated Hecate’s father. Sweet Hecate, who had only tried to please but had always fallen short in his eyes. Pippa was no fool. She knew that Hiccup’s life had been…hard and lonely. She’d done everything she could to make up for that, and just when it looked like they might finally be free to live their own lives, he’d ripped that chance away. Worse, she thought, he’d forced Hecate to do it herself.

“Pippa?”

Startled out of her wits, Pippa clutched the letter to her chest and looked up to find Ada’s blue eyes gazing down at her, concern etched across her features. “It was taking so long, I thought you might need…” She spotted the stack of pink envelopes. “Oh, dear. I don’t think you were meant to find those.”

Hot anger shot through her. “Are you saying I don’t have the right to know?” Pippa pushed to her feet and brushed past Ada, summoning the rest of the letters to her hands. “I know you know what happened to us. I deserve to know why. After all this time…I deserve to know…” The next thing she knew she was sobbing again, clinging to Ada while the older witch smoothed her hair and whispered comforting nonsense words. Eventually, her breathing settled, and Ada guided her over until she was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I don’t know everything. You know that Hecate is very…private. I only know that she ended your friendship and that she never recovered from it. I’ve surmised, over the years, that her father had something to do with it.”

“He had everything to do with it, Ada.” She stared at the rest of the letters, turning them over in her hands. “What do I do now? I need to know what happened. I – I need to know her.”

“You do know her, dear, better than any of us, I’d say. You know the Hecate underneath all of those layers of self-preservation.” She reached out and pulled the letter from Pippa’s hands. “I understand why you had to read this. I do.”

“But I need to tell Hiccup,” she said, sadly, “and hope she isn’t too angry.”

“You do.” She pulled her bag of lemon drops out of her pocket and held it out. “You’ll feel better,” she said, rattling the bag. She waited until Pippa took one. “Why don’t you let me finish up here, dear. Go talk to her. She will be angry, but, I think knowing that you forgive her will go a long way towards smoothing things over. Assuming you do forgive her?”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Ada. Nothing from her, anyway. I’ll never forgive her father.”

“That makes two of us, dear. That makes two of us.”

Pippa walked to the infirmary, trying to calm down and give herself time to think. The looks on Dimity’s and Julie’s faces told her that she must still look a fright, but she didn’t care. She walked past them without a second look, fingers gripped tightly around the stack of letters. She pulled the curtain around Hecate’s bed, activating the silencing spell, then lowered herself into the chair and waited.

She couldn’t help reaching out and tangling their fingers together. It was enough to make Hecate stir.

“Hic-cup? You’re crying. What’s wrong?” Her eyes searched Pippa’s face, widening in horror when they fell upon the stack of envelopes clutched to her chest. “What are those?” Her breath started coming in gulps. “Where did you get those?”

“I’m sorry, Hiccup, I know you’re upset…”

“YOU HAD NO RIGHT!” She tried to sit up, but the pain forced her back. “Those were private, Pippa.” She tried to pull her hand away, but Pippa gripped it fiercely.

“I know, I know, I know, Hiccup.” Hecate reached for the letters, and Pippa let her have them. “I’ve only read the first one and I know I didn’t have the right, but don’t you see, darling - I had the need. All these years and I never really knew why. I’ve lived for the last thirty years with a…great, gaping, bleeding…Hecate Hardbroom sized hole in me and I never knew why. I couldn’t bear to live without knowing another minute more. I hope you can understand that and not be angry.”

Hecate finally pulled her hand from Pippa’s, using it to cover her eyes, and her tears, while she tried to regain any sort of composure. She sobbed when she felt Pippa’s hand slide tentatively onto her stomach. “I don’t…I couldn’t…I always wanted to tell you, Pipsqueak. “I just…you were safer if I was gone.” She turned to look at Pippa, shifting her hand to grip Pippa’s. I always knew I…weighed you down, like a stone around your neck and…and I thought that maybe I could live with that. But, I couldn’t take the chance that he’d…I couldn’t take that chance with you, no matter how much it hurt.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I know it’s not something you can forgive.”

“You’re right, Hecate.” She reached up and brushed the tear away. “I can never forgive what your father did to us. It’s like he stole our lives from us, Hiccup. But there is nothing you need ask forgiveness for. You were trying to protect me – it was no different than what you did in the firefight. You tried to keep me safe at great personal cost.” Hecate was crying freely now, and Pippa summoned a handkerchief to dry her eyes. “And. You. Have. Never. Been. A. Stone. Around. My. Neck. An anchor when I needed one, perhaps, but always a welcome one.”

“I’ve never deserved you, Pip, but I’m so thankful I’ve had you in my life.”

“Nonsense, Hecate. It doesn’t work that way. It’s not about deserving or not deserving. I love you and you love me, and that’s all there is to it.” She snorted. “At least that’s all there should be to it.”

Hecate’s lips twitched into a rueful grin. “We don’t do things the easy way, do we, Pipsqueak?”

“That makes it all the sweeter, darling.”

The curtain flapped a bit before slowly sliding open. Ada peeked in, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Is everything okay in here?” She looked pointedly at Pippa who nodded. “The transport is ready. As soon as you’re ready, Hecate, we can move you to Ms. Hubble’s flat.” She reached down and squeezed Hecate’s shoulder. “I’m afraid it’s going to be more than a little uncomfortable, but I fear it can’t be helped.” She backed out of the space, closing the curtain behind her.

Pippa sighed. “Are you okay, Hiccup? About the letter?”

Hecate wouldn’t look at her. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I’m glad I know, as painful as it was to read.” She traced a finger up Hecate’s arm until it was resting against the stack of envelopes Hecate still held against her chest. “I’d very much like to read the rest of them, Hiccup…if you trust me to do so.”

Hecate clutched them a little tighter, panic coloring her eyes. “They – they aren’t pretty. I told you about things that…I’m…well, I’m not proud of them.”

“I’ve done things I’m not proud of, either, Hecate. I’d still like to know the you that I missed out on, if you’d let me. I’ll read them right here if that’s what-“

“No! I don’t want to know when…” She closed her eyes and handed the stack to Pippa, feeling the familiar weight of dread settling in her chest.

“Thank you for trusting me with these. With you.” She leaned forward and brushed a stray strand of hair from Hecate’s forehead before placing a quick kiss in its place. “Don’t be afraid, Hiccup. There’s nothing in these that could make me love you one bit less.” She stepped away, calling to the transport witches that they were ready.

Hecate’s lips pressed together in a tight line. “I hope that’s true, Pip,” she whispered as Pippa disappeared behind the curtain.

Thursday

The dark didn’t seem as dark as it had been. Hecate guessed that meant it was morning. Her body still ached. At least it was quiet. She chanced opening her eyes. Definitely daytime. Hecate looked around, squinting. She still wasn’t used to the jarring colors of Mildred’s bedroom. Every item seemed to be a different color. Slowly, Hecate turned her head, hoping to find a glass of water on the bedside table. Instead, she found a small vase filled with fluffy pink peonies. And Mildred Hubble. “Mildred?”

Mildred looked up from her sketchbook, smiling nervously. “Miss Hardbroom?” She set her sketchbook on the floor and leaned closer. “I’m glad you’re awake. I’ve been worried about you.” She started to touch Hecate’s arm, but snatched her hand back, twisting the edge of her hoodie instead.

“Witches are hard to kill, Mildred. Especially when they’re as cantankerous as I.”

“C-cantankerous?”

“Grouchy,” Hecate supplied, winking. Her body ached from being in bed so long. She gritted her teeth and tried to push herself into a seated position. “Help me get…” She couldn’t finish, but Mildred had already jumped to her feet, carefully pulling Hecate forward, letting her lean against her. Once she was up, Mildred stacked up the pillows so she could lean against them. Hecate leaned back, exhaling a slow steam of air as she waited for the pain in her side to pass. “Thank you, Mildred. Are you the only one here?”

She nodded. “Mum’s at work, and Miss Pentangle and Miss Cackle were called to meet with the Great Wizard. I don’t think you were supposed to wake up. I’m to mirror Miss Pentangle right away if you need me to.” She fiddled with the tip of her plait, frowning. Suddenly, she brightened. “Do you want some water?” She snatched up a cup with a straw sticking out of it from the nightstand, sloshing some over the side. Hecate reached for it, but her hand was shaking so badly she clenched her fingers into a fist and pulled it back to her lap. “It’s okay, HB, I can hold it. I promise I won’t spill anymore.” She leaned over and held it out.

Irritated at being so needy, Hecate almost refused, but her thirst won out. She leaned forward and sucked at the straw until the glass was almost empty. “Thank you.” She flopped back against the pillows, slipping down into an uncomfortable slump. She reached out again, hand a bit steadier, and brushed her fingers against the petals of the peonies. “I suppose these are from Miss Pentangle as well?” She asked, mainly to make conversation. She knew damn well who those pink flowers were from, and the warmth of that filled her chest.

Mildred nodded so hard Hecate thought her head would bobble right off. “She left a note with them as well!” She pulled a folded piece of paper out of the arrangement and held it out for Hecate to take. “She said I could read it if you needed me to.” Hecate told her to go ahead then, so Mildred unfolded it and cleared her throat.

My darling Hiccup,

I wanted you to have something lovely to see when you woke. Plus, you’ve been in the same pajamas four days now, so some sweet-smelling flowers can’t hurt.

Xoxoxox Pipsqueak

Mildred made a weird strangling noise and forced her face into a neutral expression.

“You may as well laugh, Mildred,” she said, chuckling softly herself. She took a good whiff of herself. “I don’t think those are quite enough flowers.” She held out a hand trying to feel her power. At first, she couldn’t feel anything, but after a moment she felt the familiar hum of her magic in her blood. It was weak, though, thready where it should be strong. She didn’t have enough for the shower spell. But…she looked at Mildred. Maybe she didn’t need any power for that. It’s not like I’m in any position to be vain or prideful, she thought with no small amount of bitterness. “You know how to do a shower spell, don’t you, Mildred?” The girl nodded. “Good. See if you can cast one, but instead of focusing on yourself, think about pushing it towards me. Can you try that?”

Mildred nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating. She murmured the words of the spell and pushed it towards HB.

Hecate felt the spell hit her like a gust of wind. Too late, she remembered that her injury responded to magic. She braced herself for the fresh burst of pain, pleasantly surprised to find that it never came. Instead, she felt scrubbed clean and much, much better.

“Did it work?” Mildred asked, shyly.

“Very well, Mildred Hubble. Very well, indeed.” She arched an eyebrow at the girl. “You’ve been holding out on me. That was…was it only a shower spell?

Mildred nodded. “I think so. I mean…I hoped it didn’t hurt you, like before with the mediwitches. I wanted it to make you feel better, but all I said were the words to the shower spell.”

Hecate thought about that. Before, when the wound had seemed to feed on the magic, the healers had been actively trying to heal the injury. This time, Mildred’s magic didn’t have anything to do with the injury and, instead of making her feel worse, she seemed to feel much better. She held up a hand and studied it. While it certainly wasn’t steady, she had no doubt she’d be able to drink out of a cup – easily. Even her magic felt steadier. She would definitely need to talk to Pippa and Ada about this strange new development.

“Did I do something wrong, HB?”

“Not at all. In fact, you may have just helped me figure out how to treat this bloo– this troublesome injury.”

Mildred giggled. “You can say ‘bloody,’ HB. I am thirteen now.”

“Right you are.” She pushed herself back up the mattress, pleased that it didn’t really hurt. In fact, her main complaint at the moment was the desperate need to get out of bed. It wouldn’t hurt to go to the bathroom, either, she thought. One good sneeze and she’d need another shower spell. “I think, Mildred, that I’ve had all of lying in bed that I can take. Since you are thirteen, I wondered if you might be interested in watching the next Harry Potter movie? I believe we’re up to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire?”

“Really? You want to watch it with me? Just me?” She started bouncing on her toes.

Hecate couldn’t keep herself from rolling her eyes. “I am talking to you, Mildred Hubble.” She eased herself upright and gingerly lowered one leg to the floor. A slight wave of dizziness hit, and she reached a hand out to grab Mildred’s shoulder.

“Are you sure you should be doing this, HB? I don’t think Mum or Miss Pentangle would like you getting out of bed.”

“That’s why we have to do it before they get back.” She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed in a great lungful of air, willing the dizziness to pass. “Just let me lean on you a little. Please.”

Mildred grabbed her hand and draped Hecate’s arm across her shoulders. “You can lean on me a lot. If you fall, Miss Pentangle will skin us both.”

“Too right.” She put her other foot on the floor and pushed herself up, leaning more heavily on Mildred than she thought she would. Briefly, she thought about asking Mildred to perform another shower spell on her but decided not to press her luck. The room stopped spinning in only a few seconds, and she nodded for Mildred to lead them to the door. “Not too fast.” Mildred led them slowly to the bathroom first, leaving Hecate clutching the counter with a promise that she would be just outside the door. Hecate didn’t care, she just had to go. Once she’d finished taking care of personal matters – and brushing her teeth, because…well, four days…who needed magic to repel an attack when she had her breath? She looked at herself in the mirror. “You look like death itself,” she muttered to her reflection. Of course, the hospital gown top didn’t help. Neither did the wild mess of hair. She reached up to try and smooth it when a sharp pain, like an ice pick jabbing into her shoulder, took her breath away. She’d forgotten about dislocating her shoulder. That must be why she still had the hospital gown on for a top – there was no way she could pull a shirt over her head right now. Sighing, she called Mildred in and asked her if Pippa had brought more than one set of clothes for her, Mildred nodded and hurried off to get a new pair of pajama bottoms and another hospital gown. Pippa could help her with her hair later, she thought, enjoying the flutter in her stomach that accompanied the thought.

Finally, Hecate felt as clean as she could hope to without taking an actual shower. Mildred resumed her place under Hecate’s arm, and they tottered off to the sofa. Hecate was much more exhausted than she expected to be and sank gratefully into the cushions. Mildred pulled the footrest out and pushed the DVD into the player. While it loaded, she popped a bag of microwave popcorn, refilled Hecate’s cup of water and got an orange juice for herself. Lastly, she pulled a fuzzy blanket across them both, settling in just as the opening scene began.

An hour later Pippa and Julie were whispering together and taking pictures of the sight before them: Hecate Hardbroom sound asleep on the sofa while Mildred Hubble slept, snuggled up beside her with her head in her lap and Hecate’s arm curled protectively around her.

“I don’t want to wake them up,” Pippa whispered. She glanced at the clock. “It’s still an hour yet until Ada arrives with Dimity. Let’s leave them be for a bit.”

“You’ve got news from the meeting with the Mr. Big Hat, then?” When Pippa nodded, Julie turned and scanned the tiny living room. “Tidy enough, I suppose. You might need to magic up a few chairs.” Pippa nodded again. “I’ll magic us up some food, then. How many people?”

Pippa counted in her head. “Eight all together.”

“One of everything from the Chinese take-out place, then. I’ll put the order in now, delivery in about two hours?” Again, Pippa nodded.

Thinking about the stack of pink envelopes tucked into her travel bag, Pippa excused herself to Mildred’s bedroom. She tucked herself into the bed, pulling a pillow into her lap, hoping it would smell like Hecate. It did – but not in a good way. With a sigh, she climbed back out of the bed and waved a hand, sending the current linens to the laundry hamper and replacing them with… Pippa cocked her head, trying to make out what – or who – was printed on Mildred’s spare sheets. A skinny sheep? Carrying a…skateboard? She shook her head and climbed back in. Sometimes, she truly did not understand non-magical people.

Pippa summoned the stack of letters, again, pulling the bottom one free. Chronological order seemed best, she decided. She noticed this one felt different, off-balance. She ran her fingers over it and realized that it had something inside besides the letter. She slipped her finger under the flap, smiling again at the bright red lip print. A ring fell into her lap when she pulled out the folded piece of paper. She clapped one hand over her mouth and fished the ring out of the sheets with the other. Reverently, she held it up to the light. A pale, rose-gold band in a matte finish, the ring had a continuous series of constellations etched into its surface, revealing the sparkling finish beneath. She held it at different angles to the light, watching the constellations sparkle like the real thing. She noticed an inscription on the inside and summoned her reading glasses. Pipsqueak and Hiccup, it said on one half, Someday on the other. “Someday was a long time coming, wasn’t it darling?

August 8, 1985

My dearest Pipsqueak,

I leave for Weirdsister tomorrow, and I can’t stop thinking about you and all the plans you had for us. I don’t know that I ever told you that your plans were the stuff of my wildest dreams. They were. More than I ever should have dared to dream, it seems, now. Those plans are why I bought you this ring. I had it done for your graduation present before…well, you know, before I ruined everything. It was meant to be a promise. To you, to myself maybe, that someday we’d be able to do all the things we’d talked about. I know we don’t have a someday anymore, and I know that it’s my fault. I wanted you to have it anyway, if not as a promise for the future, perhaps as a reminder of a happier past. I love you, Pip.

Then, now and always,

Hiccup

Pippa stared at the ring in her hand, reading the inscription and the letter again. “We’ve got our someday back,” she said. She knew that and wanted Hecate to know it as well. She smiled as an idea formed in her head. Telling is never as good as showing, she thought. She slipped the band onto her left-hand ring finger. It was still a promise… and now, perhaps, a placeholder for another sort of ring that might, maybe, someday grace her hand.

She heard a commotion from the living room and hurriedly tucked the letters away. In the living room she greeted Ada and Dimity. The flying teacher was currently trying to navigate across the crowded room on a pair of aluminum crutches. Mildred and Hecate were both awake now, Mildred quickly pushing things out of Dimity’s path until she could flop down on the sofa next to Hecate.

“You’re looking better than last time I saw you, HB.” Dimity gave her knee a gentle thump. “I’m glad. That was some bad business.” She thumped Hecate’s knee again. “Do you know what kind of magic that was? Have you ever heard of something that wouldn’t let you heal?”

Hecate thought back to her days under Mistress Broomhead and the scars trailing down her shoulder. She glanced at Mildred, who was listening intently for her answer. “I’ve…seen it…before. I fear I’ve never been able to work out any counter spells.” She wondered if her father had known how to cast those spells. In her heart she knew that he probably did. “I’m glad you’re recovering.”

“Same here, HB. Cackle’s just isn’t the same without you lurking about. I’m ready for you to come home. I want things to go back to normal.” Hecate looked at her with sad brown eyes. “I know. Wishful thinking.”

At that moment, Miss Bat and Mr. Rowan-Webb materialized in the kitchen, crowding the tiny flat even more. Pippa summoned two more chairs and squeezed them in front of the tv. Mildred pressed against the patio door, unsure of what to do or where to go. Hecate held a hand out to her, drawing her over and tucking her in between Dimity and herself. It was crowded, but Dimity didn’t seem to mind and Mildred looked pleased.

Ada stepped into the circle and cleared her throat. Julie slipped into a seat at the table and started flipping through the pages of Witching Weekly while she waited to hear anything she didn’t already know. Pippa pulled the last chair next to Hecate’s side of the sofa, reaching over the arm and taking Hecate’s hand in hers. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Hecate’s cheeks color and she could feel her stiffen, but Hecate made no move to pull her hand away. Rather, she gripped it even tighter.

“As you know, Miss Pentangle, Miss Drill and I met with the Great Wizard today. I wish I could say the meeting was productive, but I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.” She conjured up a chair and sat down heavily.

“Did you really think you’d get any help from that great git?” Algernon groused. “He’s not sticking his nose in if it doesn’t benefit him.”

“I can’t see how Agatha being set free benefits any of us, Algie,” Miss Bat said, resting a hand on his arm.

“Indeed not, Miss Bat,” Ada agreed. “I’m afraid that he didn’t have any more information than what we’d already gleaned.”

Dimity snorted at that. “He had a bloody bit less, I’d say. He didn’t know a thing that we didn’t tell him.”

“That appears to be true,” Ada agreed, “and we don’t know much ourselves. He is looking for the real Wilbur Birdsong in the hope that he’ll know who potioned him. He’s not had any luck so far.”

“And he won’t have it, love.” Julie held up the paper and moved to show it to Ada. “I don’t know why you people even bother to have a daily. None of you lot seem to read it.” She pointed to an article.

Ada read it over the top of her glasses. “Oh, dear.” She looked around the room. “It seems Mr. Birdsong, the real Mr. Birdsong, was found dead over the weekend. Under suspicious circumstances, it seems. Apparently, he’d been dead for quite some time. That’s why it took so long to work out who it was.”

“You mean he was murdered, Ada?” Hecate looked at Pippa, then at Julie. “Why isn’t that a front-page story? Murder just doesn’t happen in the witching world. The Code forbids it.”

Julie snorted. “Ordinary world laws forbid it too, but it still happens, doesn’t it? Besides, you lot are always dueling and spelling each other. Don’t people get killed?”

“Rarely,” Hecate answered. “Even in a duel it would be almost unheard of – and still accidental. You lose your powers, not your life,” her lips twisted into a rueful smile, “though some would argue it’s much the same thing.”

Ada sighed and slapped her thigh with the paper. “Hecate’s right. Wizards and witches…it’s just not done. It makes me wonder what sort of people are in Agatha’s coven.”

“Aren’t there records of coven members?” Julie asked. “A registry somewhere?”

“I’m afraid not, dear.” Ada pushed herself back to her feet. “I’ll admit this makes me more…receptive…to the Great Wizard’s plan to send security wizards to Cackle’s – and here.”

“Here? In my flat?”

“If we agree. I’ve agreed to allow them at Cackle’s. Only the Great Wizard, and the people in this room, know that Hecate is here, but, Mildred of course…”

“Me?” Mildred straightened suddenly, jarring both Hecate and Dimity. “Why would anyone care about me?”

“You’ve kept Agatha from getting what she wants. You’ve defeated her magic, twice. You stopped Miss Mould from setting her free.” Ada smiled sadly. “I would think that some of her supporters might be quite interested in you, dear.”

Hecate felt Mildred lean into her. Before she could second-guess herself, she wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders.

“Oy!” Julie’s outburst caused everyone to jump. “That Mould woman. She’s not in Agatha’s coven now, is she? But she was.” She looked around at the blank faces. “Would it kill you to watch a mystery on the telly now and then? Bloody witches. She turned her back on Agatha and saved that bloody stone and all you frozen witches, right?” No response. “She knows who the other coven members are. Why don’t we ask her?”

“What makes you think she’d tell us?” Hecate scoffed at the idea.

“She gave up her magic to save Mildred, Hiccup.” Pippa answered, barely louder than a whisper. “Perhaps she would try to save Mildred again.” She shrugged. “It can’t hurt to ask.”

They were interrupted by the doorbell. “That’s dinner,” Julie said. “Millie, why don’t you get out some plates and forks for everyone.”

Ada summoned a credit card and handed it to Julie as she passed. “Certainly this counts as school business, I should think.”

Not about to argue, Julie snagged the card from Ada’s fingers and pulled the door open just as the doorbell rang for the second time. “Keep your knickers on.” The delivery boy handed her bag after bag of food, until the tiny kitchen table was overflowing. Julie tried to hand him the credit card, but he was staring past her into the living room. Turning to look, it didn’t take long for Julie to realize why he was staring.

Hecate, of course, was still wearing the hospital gown, Pippa was wearing a set of Julie’s scrubs – a particularly garish hot pink set with tiny Teletubbies printed on it that she only wore when she had to cover someone’s shift in pediatrics. Gwen and Algie were both in full robes. Only Ada looked vaguely normal. Clearly, she was going to have to make a rule: you come to the flat, you dress like an ordinary person. “We’re having a bit of a fancy dress party,” she told the delivery boy. “It’s not much, but it’s good for a lark.” He took one more look around while she signed the receipt, shrugged his shoulders and left. “All right. Food, then plotting.”

An hour later, most of the food was gone, Gwen and Algie had transferred back to Cackles, and Pippa and Hecate had a plan to visit Miss Mould as soon as Hecate felt up to it. They had decided, for the time being, that they didn’t need a wizard guarding Hecate and Mildred so long as there was always another adult witch, or wizard, in the apartment.

“I’m so full,” Mildred moaned, draping herself across the kitchen table.

“I don’t think you’re meant to have a serving of all twelve dishes,” her mother chided. “Go get your shower; it’s past your bedtime.”

“Mum! It’s summer and I’m thirteen!”

“And we’ve four people staying in this flat right now, so showers have to be scheduled. Go,” she swatted at Mildred’s backside with a cup towel. “And don’t use all the hot water.” Grumbling, Mildred turned to leave.

“Wait!” Pippa held up a bag from the restaurant. “Look what I just found, stuck behind the toaster – fortune cookies!”

“Wonderful!” Ada clapped her hands. “I never feel Chinese take-out is complete if there aren’t fortune cookies.” She held out a hand as Pippa made the rounds, handing each one a cookie.

“Don’t forget the rules!” Pippa said, giggling.

“Absolutely, can’t have fortune cookies without following the rules.”

Hecate looked around, confused. Everyone but Mildred had a mischievous look on their faces. Mildred looked just as puzzled as Hecate felt. “I don’t know these rules. It’s a bland little cookie with a trite message and some lottery numbers stuffed inside. I don’t even usually eat them.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “I swear, Hecate. Were you ever a silly teenager?”

“Not really.”

Julie caught the wistful tone. “Well, love, better late than never, right? So…” she opened her fortune cookie and pulled out the strip of paper. “Everybody takes a turn; they read their fortune out loud and add the words ‘in bed’ at the end of it. It usually winds up being a bit naughty and hilarious.”

“I don’t get it,” Mildred said.

“Good. You don’t need to get it until you’re at least thirty. Now, take your cookie and go shower. Shoo!” Julie waved her towards the bathroom. “The grownups are going to have a bit of fun now.”

With a theatrical sigh, Mildred left the room.

“You know she’s eavesdropping,” Hecate said.

“Of course she is,” Julie answered with a chuckle. “Wouldn’t you be? I’ll go first.” She unfolded her paper and read, in her most dramatic voice: “If you feel you are right, stand firmly by your convictions – in bed.”

“I still don’t get it,” Hecate said in the midst of a chorus of disappointments.

“Well, that wasn’t a very good one.” Julie crumpled her fortune up and threw it at Hecate.

“My turn then,” Dimity announced. “Now is the time to try something new – in bed.” That got a round of laughter. “There you go, Hardbroom. It’s supposed to go like that.”

“I don’t see why you’re so pleased with it,” Hecate smirked. “With your leg I can’t imagine what you could be trying.” That earned her some approving ‘oohs.’

“Maybe you need to work on your imagination,” Dimity countered, egging on her round of ‘oohs.’ “You next, Pentangle.”

“Very well,” Pippa summoned her reading glasses and opened up her cookie. She threw her head back and laughed before she ever even read it. It took a moment before she could continue. “Everyone agrees. You are the best – in bed.” That earned Pippa a whoop-whoop from Dimity.

“It does not!” Julie snatched the paper from Pippa’s hand. “I don’t believe it – that’s what it says.” She shook her head in mock exasperation. “Your turn, Ada.”

“All right.” Ada unwrapped her cookie with great care, building up the tension as everyone waited. At last, she pulled the paper free. “Before trying to please others, think of what makes you happy – in bed.”

“Here, here!” Julie said. “Words to live by.”

Ada sighed. “These days what makes me happy is actually getting to sleep.” She popped half the cookie in her mouth. “Your turn,” she pointed to Hecate, chewing.

Hecate opened the cookie, her still-shaking hands giving her a little bit of trouble. As soon as she read her fortune, she could feel the blush start creeping up her neck and face.

“I think we’ve got a winner there,” Julie announced, rather unhelpfully. “Go on then.”

She refused to look up, eyes focused on her fortune. “Old friends will spark new adventures – in bed.” After a second of stunned silence the rest of the room broke into applause. Hecate tried to throw the fortune away, but Pippa snatched it out of her hands.

“Oh, no, you don’t, Hiccup. I’m keeping this one.” She smiled and winked, and suddenly Hecate felt like it might be okay.

After a few more minutes of banter, Ada and Dimity left for Cackle’s. In the subsequent quiet, Hecate realized how tired she was. She tried to stifle a yawn, but it wound up making her whole body shake instead.

“It’s been a long day, Hiccup. What do you say I try to do something with that hair of yours, and let’s get you to bed.” She stood up and very deliberately held out her left hand to pull Hecate out of the chair. For a moment she wasn’t sure Hecate recognized the ring, but then she froze, staring at Pippa’s hand, finally looking up, eyes bright with tears. “It’s finally someday, Hiccup.” She pulled Hecate to her feet, surprised when Hecate kept going, wrapping her good arm around Pippa and burying her face in her shoulder. “It’s all right, darling. We’re going to be all right this time.”

Friday

Pippa woke up feeling better than she had in a long while. Hecate was whole; she was feeling better thanks to Mildred’s magic – an interesting side effect that they would have to explore. And last night had almost felt like old times. She’d brushed out Hecate’s hair, carefully untangling the long locks and braiding it out of the way. Hecate had relaxed under her touch enough that she’d accepted Pippa’s offer of a backrub when she finally crawled under the covers.

It was early. Julie had an early shift, so she got up and put the coffee on. Enjoying the quiet, Pippa summoned the letters and pulled the next one from the bottom.

December 23, 1987

Dearest Pipsqueak,

I know how gossip travels at Weirdsister, and so I wanted to tell you myself that I won’t be returning next term. Perhaps you’ve already heard, maybe you’ve even heard why. I’ve been lonely here without your friendship, Pip. I know it’s my own fault we aren’t here together, but I’m lonely just the same. I guess I tried to ease that loneliness by finding company with others. I’m sorry, I need to quit trying to hide my behavior in euphemisms. I’ve tried to escape my loneliness by sleeping with whoever was willing to have me. It turns out it’s easy to find a willing partner if you don’t care who it is.

Of course, it got back to Father. He showed up at my dorm room one afternoon and told me it had been brought to his attention that his daughter was a whore. Those were his words, Pip. As much as they hurt, I’m not sure I can argue the point. He’s pulling me out of school and sending me to be tutored privately by a Mistress Broomhead at the Witches’ Training College.

I suppose it’s no less than I deserve for ‘sullying the Hardbroom name’ as he put it. The irony of it all is that those random encounters may have helped me forget the loneliness for a few moments, but I always ended up feeling emptier than before. Always wishing it had been you. Now I’ll be even farther away from you.

Maybe it’s for the best, leaving Weirdsister. Maybe a fresh start is what I need. I’ve certainly made a mess of this one. Something has to change. Every day I feel emptier than the day before and I’m afraid that soon there won’t be anything left of me. Somehow, leaving makes me feel like I’ll miss you even more, though I don’t see how that’s possible. Please be well, and don’t think badly of me when you hear people talk. My behavior had nothing to do with how much I love you.

Then, now, and always,

Hiccup

Pippa stared at the letter on the kitchen table, oblivious to the tears in her eyes or the fact that Julie was watching her from behind her coffee cup. Her fingers itched to burst that letter into flames. She’d never heard a word about Hecate being…promiscuous. She would have called anyone who’d suggested such a thing a liar and probably challenged them to a section seven. She slammed her hand on the table and pushed the letter away. It could have been her, damn it. It should have been her.

“Are you sure that reading those letters is a good idea, love?” Julie asked gently.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Pippa choked back a sob. “They’re all heartbreaking, Julie. Life has used her so badly – and I knew that. But…I didn’t expect to read something that made me feel like I never even knew her, or that could make me think differently about her.”

Julie sat down beside Pippa. “Like what? A Goth phase? She’s still in that. Or do you mean something more serious? Drugs? Alcohol? Sex with a lot of strangers?” Pippa’s pained expression told her she’d hit the nail on the head with that last one. “We’ve all gone through times that make it hard to recognize ourselves. That’s part of growing up. Why would Hecate be any different?” She placed a hand on Pippa’s. “Are you sure you aren’t putting her up on some sort of pedestal that will only fall?”

“I just didn’t think she’d ever…be with someone besides me,” she blushed. “I wasn’t.”

“In thirty years? Ever? Blimey!” Pippa colored, but Julie ignored it. “Look, she’s the same person she was before you read that letter. That’s one of the old letters, yeah? So when are we talking about?”

“College.”

“When she was at her lowest, right? Don’t judge her for what she needed to do to survive, Pippa. It isn’t fair to either one of you.”

“But-“

“No buts.” Julie leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “Tell me, Pippa, how low is your opinion of me?”

“Wh-what? I don’t think badly of you at all!” She put a hand on Julie’s arm. “Why would you even…You’ve been a true friend to me and to Hecate – especially Hecate. You’re one of the best people I know.”

“Even though I’ve got an illegitimate daughter by a man I couldn’t even find once I’d sussed out I was pregnant?” Pippa chewed her lip, thinking of her own dark time and how she coped. “We’ve all got history. So what? The way I see it is this – do you want a future?”

Pippa thought for a moment, twisting the ring on her finger. Then she squared her shoulders and nodded decisively. “Yes. I do. Whatever happened in the past doesn’t matter. She does. Thank you, Julie.”

“That’s what friends are about. Now, I’m headed off to work. Don’t let Millie go off walking the neighbor’s dog. I don’t want her outside by herself while all this craziness is happening.”

Pippa watched her leave. It was almost eight o’clock. Hecate wouldn’t be up for a while yet. She looked at the stack of letters, warier of them now than she had been. She reminded herself that every tiny bit of pain she was feeling, Hiccup had no doubt felt ten times more. And she blamed every bit of that pain on Hecate’s father. She pulled out the next letter. It couldn’t be worse.

March 22, 1989

Dearest Pipsqueak,

I hope this letter finds you well; I’m afraid I am not. I’m living in a hell of my own making, though it’s no less than I deserve. I’ve written you several times since Father placed me with Mistress Broomhead. I even worked up the courage to post one, a birthday card. When I didn’t hear back from you, I assumed that meant you had no interest in rekindling our friendship. I don’t blame you. I’m only writing now because I don’t know what else to do. I’m scared, Pippa. Of Mistress Broomhead. I never thought anyone could be as cruel with their words as Father is, but she is – more so even. Plus, she matches his cruel words with cruel magic. Mistakes are punished, severely. We all bear the scars from it. Even now I have lesions across my back that magic cannot heal. It’s the pain that keeps me awake tonight, gives me the courage to write this letter.

There were five of us when I began, and now there are only three. The missing two just disappeared – there one day and gone the next with no word said. I’m terrified the same will happen to me, literally. I can already feel myself disappearing in a thousand smaller ways. I don’t know what will be left of me when this is over.

I just wanted someone to know what was happening here, in case I disappear altogether. I may deserve my place here, but I don’t think the other girls do. Please don’t think I mean for you to come and save me like you did so often when we were children. I’ve accepted my place here. I’m not even sure why I’m writing. I just wanted there to be a record, I guess. I’m not really sure of anything anymore – only that I still love you.

Then, now and always,

Hiccup

Pippa’s tongue felt too thick and her throat too narrow. How had shy, gentle Hecate survived that? Acid burned in Pippa’s stomach as she remembered her response when she’d heard the news that Hecate Hardbroom had transferred out of Weirdsister to study with Broomhead, whose reputation for harshness was well-known. Serves her right, she’d thought at the time. If only she’d known.

Unable to wait a moment more, Pippa crept into Mildred’s bedroom. Hecate was awake, sitting up, though still disheveled. Crying, Pippa scrambled onto the bed beside her, wrapping her arms around Hecate’s neck and burying her face in her shoulder. “I’m so sorry…so sorry…so sorry…”

Confused, Hecate ignored the pain in her side and shoulder, tracing soothing circles on Pippa’s lower back with one hand, while carding the fingers of the other through her ponytail. “It’s okay, Pip. I’ve got you…whatever it is, it’ll be okay.”

“Y-you never…you never should have…have been with Broomhead,” she choked out between sobs. “I hate her, Hiccup…I hate her so much!” She broke down again, clinging desperately to Hecate.

Pippa’s outrage on her behalf caused a warm feeling to spread through Hecate’s chest – at least until she remembered that Pippa would know why she’d been sent to Broomhead in the first place.

“I hate your father for sending you there,” Pippa said into Hecate’s shoulder.

“You read the letter. You know why he did, Pip.” Those all-too-familiar feelings of worthlessness and shame boiled up inside her, and she tried to pull away. It only made Pippa cling more tightly.

“That’s no excuse, Hiccup! He knew what would happen to you there, and he sent you anyway.”

“But, I…”

Pippa leaned back so she could look Hecate in the eyes. “I don’t care how many witches, or wizards, or ordinaries you slept with to try and survive another day! I survived by keeping anyone else from getting close enough to hurt me and by drinking – everything I could get my hands on. Witches’ Brew, wine, I can’t even tolerate the smell of tequila anymore. I’ve never slept with anyone, Hiccup, did you know that? At least as far as I know, anyway, but I’ve got too many missing hours from too many blackout drunks to say for sure. So what does that make me?” Hecate was staring back at her with wide, tear-filled eyes and her hands clapped over her mouth. “So what if you tried to find some peace under other people? I tried to find mine at the bottom of countless bottles. Which of us do you think was lonelier, I wonder?” She wiped the tears from her eyes and then Hecate’s. “Will you judge yourself harshly for what you did to survive, darling? If so you’ll have to judge me as well.”

“I won’t judge you, Pipsqueak,” she whispered.

“Then perhaps we can forgive ourselves for things we did nearly thirty years ago.” Hecate nodded, and Pippa hugged her again, running her hands along Hecate’s spine. After a moment she raised her head and tapped Hecate’s shoulder. “May I?”

It took Hecate a moment to work out what she meant, but eventually she closed her eyes and nodded.

Pippa scooted around behind her, careful not to jostle her side. She undid the ties on the hospital gown and lowered the shoulders, feeling Hecate’s shiver as she did. The cross-hatch of scars ran from the top edge of her right shoulder, across her scapula and over to her spine, stopping midway down her back. Faded to white, some of them looked like burns while others like welts. It had to be the same sort of dark magic that would leave a similar scar on Hecate’s side.

“They aren’t…attractive…” Hecate whispered, finding herself caring about how they looked for the first time in her life. “You don’t…” She trailed off when she felt Pippa begin to kiss each of the scars, leaving a warm, wet trail all the way down.

“You’re beautiful, Hiccup, every part of you, inside and outside. Even if you don’t think so, you are everything that is beautiful to me – because of, not in spite of – any of the scars.” She slipped her arms around Hecate’s waist from behind, avoiding the wound, and laid her head on her shoulder. Hecate threaded their fingers together and leaned back into the embrace, still marveling at the sight of the ring on Pippa’s finger.

Neither knew how long they stayed there, but they were still there some time later when Ada came in to see if Hecate wanted lunch in the room or out. She chose out, and Pippa crawled off the bed and pulled her to her feet, leaving their hands linked as they shuffled into the kitchen.

After lunch Ada tried another shower spell. It worked, though not as well as Mildred’s had. Feeling better – and braver – Hecate suggested they try healing her shoulder, since that injury hadn’t been made with magic.

“Are you sure, darling?” Hecate nodded. “Very well.” Pippa wrinkled her nose. “How are your healing spells, Ada? I’ll admit I’m a bit nervous here.”

“Generally adequate, but I wonder…” She frowned, picturing the scars on Hecate’s shoulder as well as the new injury on her side. “You said the magic seems similar to what Miss Broomhead used?”

“They both created wounds you couldn’t heal with magic. When one of the girls tried, early on, it made it worse…and painful.” She closed her eyes, trying to block the memories of Lucretia Pinfeather screaming in agony while the rest of them stood by watching, helpless to do anything for her. “It seems to be similar.”

“I wonder then…” Ada tapped her finger against her chin, thinking. “If these are older spells, then perhaps they won’t react as badly to more modern magic?”

Pippa took a step back, the thought of hurting Hecate, even inadvertently, unacceptable. “I can’t. I don’t want to hurt you, Hiccup.”

“You won’t, Pipsqueak.” Hecate took Pippa’s hand and placed it on her shoulder. “I know it’s a risk, but I’m willing to take it. Please, will you at least try?”

Pippa looked at Ada, who nodded, then at Hecate, who nodded again. Blowing out a gust of air, Pippa agreed. She took a slow, steadying breath and moved to Hecate’s side and slipped both hands under the hospital gown, one on each side of her shoulder. At any other time she would be delighted to have this much of Hiccups bare skin under her hands, but right now she was too nervous to even enjoy that properly. One more deep breath and she closed her eyes and began. “Shoulder twist and shoulder pop, take her pain and make it stop!” A warm surge of magic spread from her fingers into Hecate’s shoulder. She braced herself against Hecate’s cries of pain.

They didn’t come. Instead, Pippa heard a great sigh that sounded like relief. She opened her eyes to find Hecate smiling at her; Ada looked pleased as well. Hecate gingerly tested the arm, bringing it forward, backward, up to the side, and finally wrapping it around Pippa’s neck.

“I knew you could do it, Pipsqueak,” she whispered gratefully. She closed her eyes, feeling her own magic, checking her reserves. It was coming back. She could feel it moving steadily through her now, not nearly as strong as it should be, but growing. She squeezed Pippa a little tighter before letting go. “Thank you. Now,” she lifted up the side of the hospital gown, revealing the white bandage floating just above the low-slung waist of her lounge pants. “If one of you would be so kind as to magic the edges of the bandage so it’s waterproof, I’m going to go take a real shower and wash my hair.”

“My pleasure,” Ada said, tracing the edge of the bandage with her finger, releasing a tiny steam of magic to seal the edges. “That should do. I’ll have some tea ready when you get out.”

“Wonderful,” she said walking, still slowly, to the bedroom to gather a change of clothes.

“Let me know if you need help scrubbing any of your bits ‘n’ bobs!” Pippa called after her.

“Cheekiness is unbecoming in a witch, Pipsqueak.”

Ada and Pippa both laughed at that before Ada went about putting together tea. Pippa took a moment to check in on Mildred, who was busy sketching on the patio, before settling herself on the sofa to read another of Hecate’s letters.

July 18, 1993

Dearest Pipsqueak,

As ever, I hope this letter finds you well. For once, I am also well. I wanted to tell you that I’ve accepted a position at Cackle’s Academy! It’s funny, isn’t it, that after all this time you’re still the first person I think of when I have news? Anyway, it’s a junior position teaching potions this year, with the expectation that I take over when the current instructor retires at the end of the spring term. I still don’t know why they chose me. My potions score on my competency exams was ninety-eight percent (thanks to all our time in the labs at Amulet’s, I’m sure), though I’m sure my last name may have played a role. I hate feeling like Father may have played any role in my placement. During the interview the Headmistress, Alma Cackle, said she knew my mother. If I didn’t get the post on my own merits, I’d much rather it be because she had fond memories of mother than anything to do with him.

Do you think I’ll make a good teacher, Pip? Now that I have the job, the idea scares me. What if I turn out to be like Broomhead? Or Father? It was always you who kept me from being too severe. I pray I can do it myself, if not for the girls, for my own self-interest. No matter why Cackle’s hired me, it will be up to me to keep the job.

Maybe we’ll see each other at a teacher’s conference someday. I’d like that. Be well, Pippa. I love you.

Then, now and always,

Hiccup

Pippa looked up at Ada, who was still busying herself with the tea. “Did you know that Hecate thinks you hired her because of her family name? Because of her father?”

Ada snorted as she floated the tea service onto the table. “In spite of her father, rather.” Ada sat down and waited for Pippa to join her at the table. “That misconception of hers has been corrected. At least I’ve done my best to do so.” She poured and passed Pippa a cup, helping herself to another chocolate biscuit as she did.

“Good. I wanted you to know how grateful I am that Hecate found you and Cackle’s. Most people don’t take the time to…understand…her. The home that Cackle’s has been for her…I can’t tell you how pleased I am to know that you’ve been there for her.”

“It has been my honor and privilege, Miss Pentangle.” Pippa smiled and turned to the next letter. Now that Hecate was at Cackle’s, the number of letters decreased dramatically. Pippa hoped they’d be happier as well.

May 7, 1999

Dearest Pipsqueak,

Ada Cackle told me she loved me today, and now I know that I am well and truly lost. It should be so easy to love her back – she’s generous, she’s kind, she’s patient with my numerous faults. It should be so easy, but I can’t. I cannot love her, not in that way, when my heart has belonged to you since I was fifteen years old.

I thought about pretending, just to make her happy. It wouldn’t even be hard since I do care for Ada, very much. But part of me would feel like I was being disloyal to you, foolish as that may be. How long before Ada would feel that? Before my own resentment that she was not you crept in, rotting us from the inside? I could never do that to her.

She said she wanted me to know before her mother appointed her to be Deputy Head, so we would be equals – as if I could ever be Ada Cackle’s equal in anything. I don’t know what will happen now, and it scares me, Pip. I’ve come to think of Cackle’s as the closest thing I’ve had to a home since you, and it pains me to think of losing it as well. I’m trying to accept that, though. Someday, maybe loving someone won’t mean that I’m destined to lose them. Still, I cannot regret loving you, Pipsqueak.

Then, now and always,

Hiccup

Pippa stared at Ada, eyes wide, hands clasped to her chest.

“Ah,” Ada said, slowly lowering her tea to the table. “I gather that letter is from…sometime around 1999?” Pippa checked the date and nodded. “I wondered if there might be a mention of my affections in one of those letters.”

“Ada! All this time you’ve let me…woo her right in front of you. I never would have been that callous if I had known. I’m so sorry, Ada. I don’t know how you can even stand to be in the same room…I never would have held her hand during the meeting last night if I’d known.”

“Then I, for one, am thankful that you didn’t.” Ada smiled at her with a look of patient indulgence. “It was a long time ago, Pippa. And while I certainly had feelings for her, I accepted many years ago they she didn’t have the same feelings for me.”

Pippa shook her head in dismay. “How did you do it? I was never able to manage…”

“Well, for starters, I’d been in love a time or two before Hecate came along, and I’ve been in love a time or two since. She was not my one true love, though I may have hoped she could be at the time.”

“But wasn’t it terribly painful, to see her every day?”

“It was, especially at first. I have to admit that my confession definitely took a toll on our friendship. She closed herself off to me. When she first came to Cackle’s, she would have these terrible nightmares. I heard her one night and I thought she’d forgotten to put a silencing spell around her rooms. But then I heard her a few more times and I knew she was leaving the spells off on purpose so I went in to check on her. That’s how we became friends. Close friends.” Pippa nodded. Hecate had suffered nightmares since they were girls. “After my confession, the silencing spells were never down again. She quit having tea with me in the afternoons. She became more formal – even by Hecate’s standards.”

“What did you do?”

“Well, I was about your age at the time so I was better equipped to handle rejection, better equipped to keep things on a professional level, if that’s what she needed. I was also just taking over as Deputy Head, and I had rather enough to keep busy.” She took another sip of tea. “It also helped that I had someone to talk to who knew exactly what Hecate was going through and could explain why being with me would only bring us both pain – someone who understood what it was like to lose the love of your life and not be able to move on.”

“I wish I knew someone like that,” Pippa mused. “I surely could have used the advice.”

“You do, dear.” Ada smiled as she took another biscuit. “We all think that no one else could ever understand our problems, but that’s almost never true. Think dear, who do you know that might know what it’s like to pine away for a lost love for decades?”

Pippa concentrated a moment before it came to her. Of course, she thought, rolling her eyes. “Gwen Bat. She waited for Algernon far longer than I had to wait for Hiccup, didn’t she?”

“Indeed. She helped me – and Hecate – immensely. It also didn’t hurt that I truly loved Hecate. Her happiness was the most important thing to me, even then. Gwen helped me see that being with me, ultimately, would not make her happy.”

“How did you deal with that?”

“Time. I never stopped loving her, but, in time, that love changed. It transformed itself into a friendship that makes up the very foundation of my life – and hers too, I think.” Pippa nodded in agreement. “She’s my dearest friend, my partner at Cackle’s, the daughter I never had and the sister I’ve always wanted. I would be the most foolish of witches if I were to discard those things in favor of a few sexual encounters.”

“You are a remarkable woman, Ada Cackle. Absolutely remarkable.”

“I know, but still it’s nice to hear,” Ada said, winking at her. “It doesn’t hurt that I’ve walked this earth for a few more seasons, either.” She chuckled to herself. “Speaking of a few more seasons, I’m going to offer you a bit of unsolicited advice, because that’s an old woman’s prerogative. Miss Bat was most helpful to me back then because she knew the road Hecate was traveling. Might I suggest that she might also prove helpful to another couple trying to reconcile after a long estrangement. She and Mr. Rowan-Webb have already navigated some of the road you find yourselves on now, pitfalls and all.”

“That’s good advice. I’ll definitely keep it mind.”

“Keep what in mind?” Hecate said from the doorway. The smile froze on her face as she looked at the letter on the table between Pippa and Ada. “Oh…”

“I was just explaining to Pippa why I am so very, very delighted that you two are finally setting yourselves to rights.” She poured Hecate a cup of tea. “Sit down, dear. You’ve nothing but friends here. I’ll step out and get Mildred.”

Pippa held out her hand to Hecate who took it with only a slight hesitation. She pulled her into the chair and leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “She truly is happy for us, darling. I’m so glad she’s been a part of your life.”

“I wasn’t sure you could…accept that.”

“She’s kept you happy, safe, and whole all these years where I could not. I’m eternally grateful to her for that.” She heard the patio door slide open and leaned back in her chair. “She also suggested we look to Gwen and Algie for advice about…reconnecting.”

Hecate frowned only a second before her expression morphed into a mask of horror. “You don’t mean…she doesn’t want us to ask them about…” She snapped her mouth closed as Mildred sat down in the empty chair.

It took Pippa all of a few seconds to work out what Hecate was thinking, and then she exploded in laughter – howling until her sides ached and tears streamed down her face. Every time she started to pull herself together she’d look at Hecate’s mortified expression and lose it all over again. Ada’s careful study of the salt shaker wasn’t helping. Finally, gasping for breath, she managed to speak. “Merlin’s beard, Hiccup, no…I can’t even imagine asking…I’d sooner die…or stay celibate and wear lime green every day.” She wiped her eyes with a napkin. “She meant figuring out how we still fit together after such a long separation.”

“Oh…”

Mildred looked at the three of them and decided she’d rather go back to sketching on the balcony. “Why are grownups always so weird?”

Saturday

Once again, Pippa was the first one up. She stretched out on the sofa, magicked to be just long enough for Pippa to sleep on it at night. As always, her first thought was of Hiccup, sleeping in Mildred’s bed on the other side of the wall – the cause of her current state of happiness. She’d spent so many years where every waking thought of Hecate brought so much pain, she could hardly process the happiness she felt now whenever the dark witch bubbled up in her heart.

Enjoying the silence and the lazy feeling draped across her, Pippa summoned the stack of letters. There weren’t many left now. Hecate’s improved mental state at Cackle’s had lessened the need, she supposed. She traced her finger over the ever-present lipstick print on the back before breaking the seal.

July 5, 2005

Dearest Pipsqueak,

Father died today. I write those words and I don’t feel anything for him; and yet, even at almost forty years old, I still feel like an orphan. I feel relieved and then I feel guilty for feeling relieved, but nothing for the man himself.

The last few months have been hard. I didn’t expect it to be so difficult to watch him decline. He always seemed so powerful, so strong. At the end he couldn’t even care for his most basic of needs. I never thought that I would have to care for him after he spent his life caring so little for me. While I was back at the manor – I can’t call it home now, that will always be Cackle’s – I found a box of my mother’s things. He told me that he had disposed of everything. A lie? A punishment? I don’t know, but what I would have given to have had these mementos as a girl.

I was sorry to hear that your father passed away last year, Pipsqueak. I sent flowers. I even went to the service – it was beautiful. How I wish that I could have held you in my arms and told you that you would be okay. I wanted to tell you that time really would make that pain bearable, like it did for me when Mother died, like I hope it will someday do for the loss of you. I wanted to do those things, but I was afraid I would be an unwelcome intrusion, so I left early.

I still remember your father’s kindness to me that summer I was allowed to come visit. It was one of the happiest times of my life. I still put flowers on his grave every summer solstice. Be well, Pipsqueak. You remain my one great love.

Then, now and always,

Hiccup

Pippa looked up from the letter to see Hecate hesitating in the doorway. She pushed herself into a seated position and patted the sofa next to her. “The one where your father died,” she said, waving the letter. She waited for Hecate to settle in next to her before covering them both with the blanket and leaning against Hecate’s shoulder. “There’s just two left. Stay with me while I read them?” Hecate nodded and adjusted herself so she could wrap one arm around Pippa’s waist. Pippa turned the envelope over and traced the lipstick print. “You’ve been wearing the same shade of lipstick since you were fifteen years old, Hiccup. Didn’t you ever want to try a different one?”

“You said you liked that one.”

“So I did,” she turned so she could look Hecate in the eyes. “I still do.” She stretched up just enough to place a tiny kiss on Hecate’s lipstick-free mouth. “I like your lips this way, too,” she said as she settled back and opened the letter.

January 19, 2008

Dearest Pipsqueak Headmistress,

Congratulations, Pip! Pentangles Academy! I always knew you would do it – I’m so very proud of you! I remember all those nights at Amulet’s when you would sneak into my room and we would dream about your academy – and now it’s real. I still wish things had been different and we’d been able to build your dream together. No matter now, though. I have my place at Cackle’s, and you’ve made your dream real all on your own.

I did go to the ceremony to mark the laying of your Founding Stone. How magical that day was! I meant to speak to you in person, but there were so many more important people vying for your attention, I didn’t want to be a bother. There was a point, though, where I thought you saw me. I tried to wave, but I must confess that I was too afraid, so much time has passed. I didn’t know if my presence would even be welcome, and I didn’t want to find out that it was not.

I turned forty last week. Two decades under the bridge like so much water and still I love you. Be well, Pipsqueak. I look forward to great things from Pentangle’s Academy.

Then, now and always,

Hiccup

“I did see you that day.” Pippa said, as she folded the letter and placed it back in its envelope. “I tried to get ‘round to you, but there were always people in the way. People who were much less important than you, darling.”

“I would have run, just like I did before. As long as we didn’t meet, I could still hold on to the fantasy that maybe you didn’t hate me. I knew that if I ever met you face to face again, I’d lose even that. It’s why I could never be brave enough to see you again, or send the letters.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Hiccup. Have you read these letters lately? The woman writing them has been brave time and time again. She’s risen above circumstances beyond her control that would have broken other witches.” Pippa opened the last envelope. “You’ve been braver than anyone I’ve ever known, Hecate Hardbroom.” She handed the letter to Hecate. “Will you read this one to me? Please?”

Hecate took the paper in her trembling hand, smoothing it onto her lap just so she could hold it steady. She squeezed Pip a little tighter and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. She didn’t need to be afraid anymore. She knew that. Pippa had read the worst of the letters, the worst of her, and she was still here, snuggled against her. Still choosing her after all this time. She breathed in a steadying breath and started to read.

April 15, 2017

Dearest Pipsqueak,

Today I learned that you will be coming to Cackle’s for the annual Spelling Bee championships. As Deputy Headmistress, let me offer Pentangle’s Academy my heartiest congratulations on reaching the finals. Beyond that, as Hiccup, I hardly know what else to say. The thought of seeing you tomorrow makes me anxious – in both senses of the word. I’m so looking forward to seeing you after all these years my heart is fit to burst. Yet, I must admit that the very thought fills me with such dread. Thirty years is a long time, and I’m afraid of what I’ll see when I finally look into your eyes again. Anger? Hatred? Pain? Nothing? I confess it’s the last one that frightens me the most. I know that fondness or happiness is too much to ask for, but still, it doesn’t keep me from hoping.

I hope we can rekindle some remnant of the friendship we used to have. I don’t think I can live another thirty years with you out of reach. I swear I will do better this time, Pippa, to tell you how I feel, to be honest, to stay. I will be brave this time, even if you can’t love me back the way I have always loved you. Be well, Pipsqueak, until I see you tomorrow.

Then, now and always,

Hiccup

“That certainly was not how that turned out, was it?” Hecate handed the letter back to Pippa. “I was as much myself as I ever have been.”

“I don’t know, Hiccup,” she laced their fingers together, “here we are, just the same. I can’t complain with how things turned out.”

“Mornin’ loves,” Julie mumbled as she shuffled into the kitchen. “You lot are looking well this morning. That future must be looking a bit brighter.”

“Definitely,” Pippa said. “I guess I’d better budge up before Mildred comes in.”

“Suit yourself,” Julie said, starting the coffee maker, “but just so we’re clear: I have no problem with Mildred seeing you two be affectionate or knowing that you are in a relationship. Hecate is a part of her family now, which means you will be part of her family as well, Pip.”

“That would be brilliant, Julie,” Pippa threaded her arm through Hecate’s. “Don’t you think so, Hiccup?” She turned to find Hecate beet red, but smiling.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Julie waved her coffee mug in Hecate’s direction. “If all your snogging on my sofa prompts any more questions about the birds and the bees from Millie? It’s magic mum’s turn to deal with that. Now,” she held out her hand to Pippa, “newspaper please?” With a wave of Pippa’s fingers, the daily edition of The Guardian appeared in Julie’s hand. “I’m going out on the balcony to enjoy my coffee and the daily rag. Snog away, girls.”

Hecate rolled her eyes as Pippa bounced around, looking at her expectantly. “Maybe just a cuddle until we can be sure we won’t have an adolescent audience? I’m not up to giving Mildred Hubble ‘the talk’ this morning.

Saturday proved to be the lazy day that they didn’t know they needed. They ate leftover Chinese take-out, watched two more Harry Potter movies and Pippa taught Mildred how to play chess. Hecate and Julie even managed a short walk so Hecate could get out of the house. That evening, Ada came by to report that Miss Mould was willing to speak with Hecate and Pippa, as soon as Hecate felt well enough to make the trip. Also, Algernon and Dimity had taken to researching the library for any archaic spells that might be used to release Agatha from the picture.

Sunday

Hecate woke as the sun streamed through Mildred’s bedroom window. She missed her dark room at the castle. She stretched slowly, taking stock of both her magic and her pain level. She was pleased to find that her magic almost felt back to normal and her side was only sore, like muscles that had been used too much. She’d ask Julie to check the bandage, maybe she could forgo that and actually wear something besides saggy sweats and t-shirts.

She rolled over and came face to face with a vase bursting with pink hydrangea blooms. Smiling, she reached out and ran her fingers through the blossoms. That’s when she noticed the black envelope leaning against the vase, practically buried under the flowers.

Hecate eased herself up until she was sitting cross-legged on the mattress, the envelope in her shaky hands. Her name was printed in Pippa’s uneven script in sparkly pink ink. She turned it over to find a sparkly pink lipstick kiss on the flap, just as she had done with hers.

June 24, 2018

Dearest Hiccup,

The day you left me at the broomstick display was the second worst day of my life. The worst came much later, when I finally realized that it was my fault all along. I was fifteen years old when I realized I loved you. You were the one I valued above all others. I wasn’t worried about sex or marriage or what anyone else might think. I just knew I wanted to spend my life with you. There was no vision or dream that I had for my future that didn’t have you at its center. But you didn’t know that. My love for you should have been etched as deeply into your soul as it was into my own, but it wasn’t and there is no one to blame for that but me.

I wish I’d realized that then. If I had, perhaps I wouldn’t have had to rebuild my future without you. Perhaps we both wouldn’t have lived the last thirty-odd years fighting this hungry emptiness inside us where the other should have been.

That emptiness is gone now. You’re here with me where you always should have been and I am so, so thankful for that. I’m thankful that those faceless witches from college helped you ease your pain – if only a little. I’m thankful that you found your home at Cackle’s with Ada and that she loved you – and loved you enough to set you free. And I’m so pleased that the memories of one perfect summer day can still bring you joy. Most of all, I’m thankful that our journeys, painful as they may have been, brought us back around to each other.

So here we are, Hiccup, standing together on a blank page, waiting for the rest of our story to be written. My love for you is stronger than it has ever been and I believe with all my heart, that this time we will get our happily-ever-after.

Then, now and always,

Pipsqueak

#hicsqueak #Hecate hardbroom #pippa pentangle #Julie Hubble might be ready for some witches to go home #hecate's summer playlist #ada is still trying to get our girls together

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poppyknitt · 5 years

Text

Heterochromia; Part one

Ringing. Darkness.

The heart monitor next to the bed is beeping.

People are talking. An older woman is sobbing hysterically. Her husband consoling her.

You can’t hear what they’re saying. It’s as though you were submerged in water; you couldn’t make out any words. The last thing you had been able to make out was the doctor informing your mother that you weren’t going to make it much longer. You had no idea how long it had been since then, though.

... So, this was it, huh? Here you were, lying in a hospital bed, trapped inside your dying body, unable to see or move or speak, awaiting the sweet embrace of Lady Death herself. You couldn’t even remember how you wound up in the hospital. You were just... here, albeit not for much longer.

Time passes. Eventually, the doctor has to pull the plug, to keep you from suffering any longer. Had you been able to, you probably would have sighed in relief as you finally slipped from the grasp of the mortal world.

Peace. Quiet.

Was this really what the afterlife was like? Just... nothingness? An endless, empty void of lonely darkness?

... Damn... This was... kind of saddening. To think you’d believed, even for a second, that there might’ve been something out there, for those who had passed to gather in and enjoy their post-life existences, only to discover this..?

A quiet foot hitting the nonexistent ground echoed around you, interrupting your spiraling thoughts.

“... It’s a shame, isn’t it...?” You looked around for the source of the voice, and blinked in surprise, once you found it. It was... a practically monochrome girl, small in size, wearing a black hoodie that held some of the only color on her (its hood and minimal designs were... rainbow? i don’t know, it just looks like someone took a color wheel from a digital art program and pasted its gradient colors onto the hood.) and outlined with white. Her eyes were the only other part of her that had any color, although, you could only see her right one, which had a vibrant amber or gold iris. The other was hidden behind her bangs. You didn’t really need to see it to read her expression, though, seeing as the empty, emotionless look on her face sort of said enough about her. She... almost looked like a drawing, to be honest.

You hesitate for a moment, trying to work up the courage to respond. “... Um... what are you talking about..? Who are you..?”

“... Your passing. It wasn’t supposed to happen. You were not meant to die yet. You had... a great many things, both good and bad, awaiting you in the future.” Her expression never changed once as she spoke, her eyes unblinking and voice as soft as a silk blanket or the downy feathers of a chick, even as she avoided the question of who she was.

“... Why am I here?”

“Because I pulled you here. You may not be able to continue your old life, but you can still make up for that.” She closed her eyes, inhaled quietly, and reopened them. “... Come, follow me.”

She raised a hand, extending it to you, as a an array of multicolored strands of magic appeared around her, darting all over the place and settling into white lines depicting the scene around the two of you.

The dark, void-like world was... almost cavern-like, from the way the white outlines of everything depicted it. But, much like her, there were no colors. It was all just... black, with white lines. (Need I reiterate the “... almost looked like a drawing”?)

You reluctantly accepted her offer, and she helped you up, letting go once you were standing. You brushed yourself off, and she started to lead you away.

Oddly enough, despite the cavernous properties of the landscape, you could see that the ground was grassy, especially around the sparse creeks and ponds, where it grew tallest, and sprouted cattails. There were a few patches of random flowers and a couple of lone daisies here and there, too. A blue butterfly of sorts landed on one, and you smiled a bit, thinking this place might not be so bad.

That didn’t last, though, because some blob of darkness shot up from the ground, consuming the little butterfly where it landed. You yelped, stumbling back, and landing painfully on your back end.

“Don’t worry about that, y/n. It’s too weak to risk attacking you, and it’s not stupid enough to try it while I’m here.” She said, not looking back, even as she stopped in her tracks to let you collect yourself and stand back up.

“What..? What the hell does that mean? What is this place?”

“... This is a place of darkness, power, greed, and horrible outcomes. When a timeline from any universe or collection of universes dies, the final remaining monstrosity- typically the catalyst for its destruction, but at times, a sole survivor of the chaos- is sent here, to fend for its life and refrain from dying. This is a desolate world, one where you cannot survive alone, unless your powers allow you to warp or bend reality to your will, making you one of the most powerful entities here.” She stated blankly, “In this world, you must choose who to trust, and who to kill. However, you must choose as wisely as possible, because you may not have a good way of knowing who wants to help you, who wants to kill you, or who only wants to manipulate you into doing things for them, and get rid of you when they no longer see any use in you.”

“W-What the hell-?! H-How-?! Why-?! How... How do I know I can trust you, then?!” You looked at her in a blind, disbelieving panic, wide-eyed and jaw agape.

“You don’t. You can never truly tell who you can or cannot trust. That’s why you can never let your guard down in this place. That’s why it’s never a good idea to be alone. After all, two people are better at telling who to trust and who not to trust than a lone wanderer.” She paused, “... Besides, I’m one of the strongest here. I have no reason to kill or maim you. To do so would be stupid- counterproductive, even.”

“Uh-huh. How do I trust your word when you haven’t even told me your name?”

“How can I give you a name to call me if I don’t have one?”

You paused, blinking in surprise. “... What?”

Somehow, she still hadn’t broken the lack of emotion in her expression. “I don’t have a name. If I did, I would have given it to you.”

“... How... do you not have a name..? Did.. you parents just... never give you one..?”

“I am a construct. I never had any parents; I am the end result of a timeline that collapsed from a major accident. An amalgamation of a nameless reality warper and a crippled war hero with powers no mortal has been able to witness for themselves and describe properly to another. Things... creatures like me don’t have names, whether or not they deserve them.” This was... a lot to take in.

“... I don’t... How..? What do your friends call you, then..?”

“... They use their own nicknames for me. I never bothered to set one specific name I preferred. Besides, I don’t keep in touch with them anymore... Most of them are long gone, lost to the grasp of Lady Death. The others... are not of this world, and cannot keep in touch, as multiversal communication is no easy feat.”

“... Is there at least one that was most commonly used..?”

She hesitated, her expression flooding with an unreadable emotion, not unlike regret or sorrow of some sort. It was gone as soon as it arrived, though.

“... Chromia.”

You smiled a little, “Chromia, huh? That’s... kind of neat. Where’d they get it from?”

She hesitantly closed her eyes again, pulled her bangs out of her face, and reopened them.

... Oh. That... makes sense, now. Her left eye, the one that was hidden from view, was a vibrant scarlet red. She was heterochromatic.

“... Why hide it..?” You asked warily, confusion and concern mixing in your expression.

“Because many of the more sentient of the violent and cruel entities here can tell a lot of your weaknesses based off of their first impressions of you, which means the more you can conceal about your true personality and appearances, the better chance you have of avoiding loosing a fight to them. They eye is the window to the soul; and in a creature such as myself, it can tell you a lot about the nature of your opponent’s powers and the limits to those powers. My heterochromatic irises, coupled with their strikingly unnatural colorations, show others how strong I am, and what kind of abilities I might have. I learned very quickly that I cannot expect to be able to utilize my full power if the enemy knows how I access it, and what my strengths are.”

“... That doesn’t make any sense, but... alright, I guess..”

“You’ll understand in due time, my friend.” A distant, demonic, yet animal-like screech echoes through the lands, and Chromia briefly falters, her eyes darting to the direction it came from. “Come on! We haven’t any more time to waste. If we stay here much longer, we’re bound to be ambushed by her.”

She grabbed you by the wrist, and continued on, at a much faster walking pace than before.

“Wait-! Who the hell are you talking about..?!”

“Doctor Hubble. A chemist, who, soon after graduating college with her Ph.D., wound up in a major lab accident in her workplace, resulting in demon-like alterations to her appearance. She started experimenting on herself to try and get rid of these changes, but in the end, she just made it worse. The experimentations got to her head, and she went mad, killing everyone she cared for, and eventually, devolving both mentally and physically into a monster that tears through everything it finds without even so much of a thought otherwise.”

You struggled to find a response for the next few minutes, eyes wide in confused terror as you were practically dragged behind her.

“... W-What... What was she like? Before all of that happened, I mean...”

“... Sweet. She was... very gentle and caring, although hyperactive and easy to excite. It... was difficult to watch her tear herself apart on the inside and out for so long, only for her to lock herself away in attempt to contain herself and make sure she fixed what happened.”

“... Did you... know her..?”

“... Sort of. My... predecessors, the hero and the mistake, whom I came from, did, although, it wasn’t the specific Doctor Hubble that resides here. They were good friends, though, the mistake made a promise to kill their Hubble if she ever went off the deep end and started killing people... I’m sure you can guess what happened to their version.”

“... What were your predecessors’ names..?”

She paused again, as she slowed her pace and let go, presumably because you were far enough away from the source of the screech to not have to flee anymore. “... The war hero... her name was Luna Wolfe, and... The other one... didn’t have a name, either, though, she went by Null... They came from different timelines of the same world, brought together by Hubble, during one of the chemist’s many journeys around the multiverse. Null was more of an anti-hero than Luna, given her nature and her past, but they were both good at heart.”

“... what... happened to them..?”

“They messed up. Due to them essentially being slightly different versions of the same person, the timeline wasn’t able to support itself in their last fight, because of an anomaly. The nature of their powers, and the fact that they used them at the same time, caused the timeline to collapse. Or, at least, that’s what I understand from the few pieces I’ve managed to fill in.”

You went quiet, not knowing what else to say as you followed her through the... caverns. God, how many others here had such... horrible pasts? Did they all really have so little good in their lives? Why did all this happen?

After a few minutes of thinking, you shook the quickly spiraling thoughts away, deciding you had enough of the confusing mess your mind had become. Maybe... it’s best to just... not ask.

————————————————————

oh hey look, i’m actually writing something that’s not fan content! man, i haven’t done this since august-

#oc worlds #Heterochromia #chromia #reader-insert #oc stuff #my ocs #original writings #character origins

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lamiaward · 6 years

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Useless Lesbianism at its finest ; or how Hecate Hardbroom really, really cannot tell platonic friendships from decades-old pining

Spoiler alert : Pippa isn’t that much better, honestly.

I don’t own the Worst Witch. Also this takes place before the finale, or the finale and a New Dawn just never happened. My personal headcanon is that there is a special potion for the worst criminals in the WW universe, which strips them from their magic (it’s basically their version of the Death Sentence).

Hecate Hardbroom terrifies even the older years sometimes, using a cultivated image that has taken years and years to build. Nearly everything about her, from her austere dresses to her low drawl is meant to terrify the girls into behaving, into making sure that the accidents are kept down to a manageable level.

Some of the girls are met with her disapproval and anger more than others. Some, like Mildred Hubble or Enid nightshade, are almost used to ( in as much as you get used to it) her barbed comments. Others, like Ethel Hallow, are spared almost the entirety of HB’s anger and disapproval.

Not this time. This time, Hecate isn’t just exasperated or “astounded by the sheer ineptitude”. The girls have never seen her like this, and they all hope they never have to again. It is as if everyone has been struck by a Medusa spell, and their expressions are properly terrified. Even Ethel’s usual arrogance is faltering, although she is too stubborn to actually admit it yet.

“ Miss… Hallow “ Hecate finally says, and several people flinch. Hecate isn’t even raising her voice but her tone is honestly poisonous. Ethel swallows, opens her mouth to say something- and is transferred away before she can say anything. Felicity stares at the spot where her friend used to be.

“Miss -?” Felicity starts to ask in a trembling voice, but miss Hardbroom cuts her off.

“ She is in miss Cackle’s office. I trust you had nothing to do with … this?”

“N-no miss Hardbroom” Felicity manages.

Hecate ignores her, and walks over to Mildred. She is still supported by Maud and Enid, who caught her when she suddenly stumbled and lost consciousness. She looks like she is having a particularly bad fever; her hair is sticking to her face by sweat, her eyes are rolling beneath nearly-closed eyelids and her cheeks are very flushed. There are some spots of lime green potion on her clothes from when she dropped the spoon in her cauldron.

“ The class is dismissed”

Enid and Maud wrench their eyes away from their best friend for a moment. “Miss- “ she doesn’t allow them to finish, but forces herself to take the girl from her friend’s hold and transfers them both into the infirmary. She immediately allows the medi-witch to take Mildred from her as she comes rushing towards them, irritated look rapidly morphing into concern.

“Miss Hardbroom?”

“ We have a situation. Ethel Hallow has put .. – “ she shows the medi-witch the vial she has had in her right hand since Felicity cracked and admitted that Ethel had put something in Mildred’s orange juice, I don’t know what, miss Hardbroom, and that is why Mildred had suddenly become so ill.

“ this in Mildred Hubble’s orange juice” she doesn’t have to say the name, as the potion is instantly recognizable, and any half-competent medi-witch would recognize it from the distinctive colour alone- it looks like melted silver bars.

“ The Vanitate potion” she says, staring at it with plain horror. “ How would that girl even get access to its ingredients, it is only made when- “

“ The Hallows never cared much for the rules” Hecate just says, remembering a moment in her fourth year of witching school where Ursula Hallow had merely raised her eyebrow and laughed when Pippa had spat against her that harming another witch like that was against the Code. There are things stronger than the code, such as real power.

Miss Grace is bending over Mildred, checking her pulse. “How much did she imbibe?”

“ 240 millilitres”

“ Did she- “

“ She seemed to have followed the recipe perfectly”

“ Figures. What is wrong with that girl?”

Hecate would like to think Ethel Hallow would not be a nuisance the way she is now if Mildred Hubble was not at Cackle’s academy, but the truth is that the girl is altogether too much like her mother.

The sound of running, and the door slamming open, cuts off Hecate’s answer. Maud and Enid stumble inside, completely ignoring Hecate’s sharp reprimand and crowding around Mildred’s bed.

“Millie!”

“ Girls. I did not give you permission to barge in here like uncivilized – “

“That’s all right, miss Hardbroom” the medi-witch interrupts, rolling her eyes. She looks at Enid and Maud. “ You can stay, but only if you keep out of the way, all right” Hecate looks at her with horror, and walks over to her, leaning in just enough that she can hear the soft whisper Hecate uses to speak.

“ Considering the…. Situation, is it wise to allow them to stay here?”

“ You have been teaching for decades Hecate Hardbroom, all that will accomplish is these girls destroying my infirmary to get to their friend again” she ignores Hecate’s affronted look, and marches over to a cabinet in the corner. She waves her hand, and takes several vials from it before marching over to a table and putting them down.

As she is measuring ingredients, the door slam open again, and Hecate flinches badly again. Before she can gather her wits enough to think of a scathing remark, it registers who the second person barging in is, and she completely loses her natural gift of pointed barbs when looking into the brown, worried eyes of one Pippa Pentangle.

“Miss… Pentangle” she says, as soon as she has miraculously recovered her ability to speak. She doesn’t mean to sound quite so distant and awkward and well, herself, but old longing makes her usual dusty social abilities worse than ever.

Pippa looks up from her place next to Julie Hubble, and manages a smile at her. Hecate doesn’t catch it, as she is too focused on where the Hubble woman is being awfully familiar, with her hand- the one that isn’t reaching for her daughter- in Pippa’s. With every passing second, she notices more about the two women- about how Julie is leaning slightly against Pippa, how Pippa is not dressed in her usual witching robes, but an old t-shirt with the words “….” , how Pippa’s hair is up in a very messy ponytail and she is not wearing any make-up. Her thoughts are racing, each one more painful than the last and-

A soft touch to her arm makes her jump. When she looks to her right, Pippa is standing to her. A quick glance away reveals that while Hecate was lost in her own thoughts, miss Hubble has walked over to the medi-witch and is talking to her in a hushed voice.

“Are you all right, Hiccup?” Pippa asks carefully.

“I am fine, miss Pentangle” she says stiffly, shoulders drawn tight and failing to focus on her breathing instead of .. whatever she feels observing Pippa and Ms Hubble being so familiar. “ I was unaware that you and Ms Hubble were this familiar” she does not intend to sound almost revolted, she really doesn’t, but decades of forcing herself to keep her foolish, disastrous feeling for Pippa Pentangle at bay has made being disdainful around Pippa almost a reflex.

There is a brief fleeting moment where Pippa’s eyes flash with anger, before she pushes it down. “ I am aware of your opinion on non-magical people, but Julie is a lovely woman and I, for that matter, am able to choose my friends without requiring your permission”

Pippa is staring at her, chin jilted up and that familiar defiant gleam in her eyes that almost makes Hecate smile. She had always been equally fond and exasperated by Pippa’s stubbornness, and there is something painful and at the same time warm in her chest at the thought that Pippa is still so willing to defend her friends.

Pippa finally breaks the eye contact, leaving Hecate’s stomach feeling as though she has mistakenly touched a fresh batch of Aruncus Dioicus. She walks over to Julie again, and Hecate watches as she hugs Julie and tells her something that makes the woman smile very briefly. Hecate looks at the door, wondering if she ought to leave or-

“Miss Hardbroom” Aye calls her name, so she walks over stiffly and looks down at the table littered with flasks, ground flower petals, very old pages that look more like papyrus than paper and potion equipment. The woman nods at the table across, which is nearly empty. “ You do the part that requires the stamping, I will mix the ingredients already”

Hecate merely nods, making everything she needs appear with a simple wave of her hand. She rolls up her sleeves and gets to work, allowing herself to get lost in the repetitive motions, the weighing and measuring of ingredients, the careful cutting of seeds and petals and the collection of the more macabre (although Hecate is so used to it, that she hardly blinks when cutting up frog’s liver) parts.

The sparse, stuttering comments of Mildred’s friends, the answers of the medi-witch to ms. Hubble’s questions, Pippa’s familiar, soft voice- it is all drowned out as she works, tirelessly grinding petals, carefully adding just enough unicorn’s tears, stirring it clockwise thirteen times and heating it all to exactly 73 degrees. By the time she looks up, her table is just as crowded (although more organized) as Aye’s, and her arms are aching slightly.

When she looks around the room, her throat closes unexpectedly. Enid and Maud are huddled around Mildred, sleeping while still holding each other. Enid, usually a sort of whirlwind, is sprawled across the bed and very still. Maud, usually the rational one amongst her friends, mutters nearly feverishly under her breath. Julie is slumped in the chair, nearly asleep but still staring at her daughter with red eyes. Pippa is sitting next to her, sometimes stroking her hair or squeezing her hand.

Hecate stretches awkwardly, freezing when Pippa looks up at her and just stares at her for a moment. There are bags under her brown eyes, but they are still observant, and Hecate shivers in the all-too familiar way. She has been astounded, confused, weary and pained because of Pippa’s focus on her, and the effect of those eyes on her has never really lessened.

She flinches when Aye grabs her arm for a moment, mutters “ you will spell a witch sooner with potions than with empty flattery, or staring, Hecate Hardbroom” and walks away to presumably do something useful as they wait for the potion to be completed. She hesitates for only a moment before quickly walking over to Pippa, and summoning the pepper-up potion she keeps in her nightstand.

“ Here”

Pippa looks at it, then takes it carefully. “ I loathe taking these” she glances at Mildred. “ But I suppose I have little choice, don’t I?”

As she takes careful sips from the potion, Hecate quickly formulates and disregards three different ways to apologize, before swallowing and forcing the words out. “ I should not have judged the relationship between you and Ms Hubble the way I did. It was unprofessional”

Pippa smiles. “ That’s a shoddy excuse of an apology, Hiccup” before Hecate has time to react (rudely, or “unprofessionally”) to it, she shrugs and says “ But I forgive you, and I apologize for my reaction”

“That is hardly necessary. You were merely defending a … friend” Pippa glances sharply at her at the way she speaks the word “friend”, but Hecate can hardly explain that it isn’t (not completely) that Ms Hubble is Ordinary, but the fact that she struggles with Pippa having all these people in her life, people more colourful, more relaxed, more sociable than Hecate could ever be. People so suited to Pippa’s warm personality, and exuberant character. People Hecate could never hope to compete with, never thought she could compete with- exactly the kind of people that Hecate thought would be much more suited to be Pippa’s friend, make her much happier.

Perhaps Pippa doesn’t completely misunderstand (although just the idea that she would know the complete reason, makes Hecate feel like that time her father had discovered she had foregone an hour of studying to stargaze with Pipa) because she just sighs slightly, and hands Hecate the potion back with a smile. “ I have always been rather defensive of my friends”

They’re both standing in almost companionable silence for a while before Pippa asks “ is the girl finally going to be expelled now?”. Hecate is almost surprised by the steel in Pippa’s voice, and all the edges, before she remembers that in their fifth year, someone had made the mistake of making the usual hateful comments towards Hecate in front of Pippa. The same edge had been in Pippa’s voice as she had first punched the girl hard enough to throw her to the ground, and then had loomed over her, words quickly reducing the girl to a terrified, wailing mess. Hecate had mistaken her own breathlessness in that moment for fear or adrenalin but she later discovered there just was something incredibly attractive about Pippa assertive like that.

“ I certainly hope so” Hecate admits

Pippa looks at Mildred again. “Hope isn’t good enough, Hiccup. This is not merely a gross violation of the Code, it is more than that”

“Pippa-“ the breath is knocked out of Hecate when Pippa looks up at her, and there’s tears in her eyes.

“Imagine how you would feel if someone were to attempt to douse the magic in you”

Hecate does not necessarily want to. Perhaps magic is too connected to her father’s expectations, to his strictness, and his refusal to allow her to prioritize anything apart from her magical studies. Perhaps it is too connected to her name’s heritage, to a dozen generations of Hardbroom successes and her father’s mistakes that sullied the Hardbroom name, and made the terror connected with almost too much magical power, too fervent study of the craft, solidify into sheer hatred. But still, magic is something precious to Hecate. It has always been there, has always made the hard time just slightly easier, gave her something else to focus on apart from her mother leaving her and her father’s mistakes. Just the thought of losing it feels as though as frostgiant has reached into her ribcage, and closed a fist around her heart.

“The girl will be expelled” Hecate doesn’t know why the sudden certainty, and the willingness to give up one of her least incompetent students, comes from. “I will personally see to it, Pippa”

Pippa stares at her, but Hecate doesn’t think her expression is one of surprise. “ Then I know it will happen” she smiles, and Hecate can’t regret the rare impulsive promise, because Morgana’s cauldron.

And then she feels like she might actually bless that impulsive decision, because she is hugging Pippa again, and it seems that her body is always starved for that (also very rare). Pippa still smells perfect, the smell of petrichor and a hint of flowers, nothing like the too-heavy scents so many witches favour which Hecate despises. Her arms encircle Hecate perfectly and she is one of the few people whose hugs do not feel stifling.

“ Thank you” she whispers, then slowly pulls back. Before Hecate can feel that loss, her cheeks flush beneath warm lips that press to her cheek for one, two, three seconds and then very slowly leave. She decides not to say anything, less she completely embarrasses herself by – Goddess forbid- stammering.

She clears her throat, nods, and makes up some excuse about needing to talk to Ada. When she has left the room, she realizes her excuse is actually true; she probably does need to talk to Ada. So she transfers herself to her friend’s office, and find her friend with a very unusual stormy expression. Ada usually remains cheery, or at least friendly, under the worst conditions, but today, her expression is nearly enough to make Hecate flinch and transfer away.

She walks over to stand next to Ada, returning her nod, and starts to make tea. As she is adding the ludicrous amount of sugar Ada takes in her tea, the woman breaks the silence. “ I have mirrored her parents. Mister Hallow was the slightly more reasonable of the two”

“ What were their reactions?” Ada doesn’t even smile at Hecate, which tells Hecate how Ada is at least as exhausted as she is.

Ada sighs. “ It is awful of me to say, but I am surprised that with parents like that, young Sybil and Esmeralda turned out the way they did. Ethel is the only child in that family that is anything like the parents”

“unfortunately so, yes” Hecate drawls. Silences between them are hardly ever uncomfortable, Ada being one of the few people that knows Hecate, and doesn’t get offended when she needs silence or makes the usual mistakes she makes when there is any kind of social interaction (professionality has always been something easy, instinctual; anything else is as foreign to Hecate as Ada’s hugs-and-cakes approach to education).

This silence, however, is tense. Hecate knows Ada well enough that the situation is affecting her immensely, and that she requires gentle words or a soft touch. Neither are Hecate’s forte, far from it, but she can try.

She takes a step towards Ada, lays a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “ The girl’s faults are her own, Ada. They are hardly a reflection of your abilities as headmistress, and the fact that we have Mildred.. Hubble running amok hardly improves the situation”

“ You have to stop blaming that girl, Hecate”

“ I am not blaming her, Ada. I am just concerned, surely you have noticed Mildred’s aptitude to attract trouble, and to completely ignore the consequences of her actions “

Ada puts her tea down, and sighs. There is a piece of cheesecake on her desk, but she doesn’t even look at it. “ If I know anything about Ursula Hallow, she will not let this matter go quietly”

“ We cannot allow her actions to remain unpunished again, Ada”

“ I quite agree Hecate, but if we are not very careful, it could mean the end of Cackle’s”.

And Ada is right, of course she is, it is why Ethel has lied and cheated and done far worse and is still enjoying her place at Cackle’s, and Hecate feels her magic protest uncomfortably beneath her skin at the thought of another Hallow getting away with near sociopathic behaviour. But the Hallows have always managed to hide their true nature behind empty pleasantry, have always wielded philanthropy as a weapon and justified their cruelty by attacking the character of their victims. Hecate had once known first-hand just how practised the Hallow family is in taking care of scandals, quietly and with frightening efficiency. Hecate might be one of the most-respected members in her field, but respect does not equal popularity, and unless Ursula would be reckless enough to suddenly challenge her to a duel, it matters nought that Hecate’s magical skills have always been superior.

They sit in the office for a long time, sipping their tea in tense silence.

Pippa is staying, Julie Hubble has moved into the infirmary and wrestling a dragon would’ve been easier than convincing Ada that Enid and Maud could not miss their chanting courses. She hasn’t slept for three days, Mrs Hallow has already threatened (in a very indirect way and with a smile that had Hecate’s skin crawling) her, Ada and virtually every teacher she ran into during her visit. Pippa is staying. She has had to balance grading, lesson plans and aiding Aye with the potion for Mildred, has taken Wide-Awake potion enough times that her supply for two months has been depleted and she has been left alone with Jullie Hubble (and an unconscious Mildred Hubble) not just one, but three excruciating times. Pippa is staying.

She walks into the infirmary, her usual check-up before her class of the day starts, when she stumbles and strong arms quickly catch her.

“Hiccup, are you all right?” Pippa is staying, and her presence is more of a health hazard than the overdose of Wide-Awake potion in some ways, her kind brown eyes more dizzying than sleep deprivation, and her voice still makes Hecate want to –

“ I- yes, fine” she manages to pull herself together, and attempts to escape Pippa’s embrace. Pippa’s arms just tighten around her, and before she knows what is happening or she can talk Pippa out of it( Pippa just rolls her eyes, and ignores her when she tries), she being half-carried away from the infirmary.

“I have classes in fifteen minutes” she protests

“ I already informed Ada you would not be teaching today Hiccup. Honestly, you look like you’ve cast your last spell, the girls will hardly benefit from you working yourself sick. Now sit down, I will make you some tea”

By this time, they had arrived in the room that was Pippa’s for as long as she was staying. Hecate had been here once before, during one of the excruciating moments she had been alone with Julie and the other woman had asked for Pippa and finally given Hecate a reason to hightail out of there. Still, she had never been there long enough to observe the small changes Pippa had made, and she was quietly observing them as she was pushed down gently on a sofa.

Pippa hands her a cup of tea, then returns to the small table next to the window. “ Have you had a proper breakfast today, Hiccup?”

Hecate sniffs. “ Toast and marmalade is perfectly acceptable, thank you”

Pippa smiles “ I haven’t had breakfast yet, so will you eat a bit more even if it is to make me feel less self-conscious?”

Hecate hesitates ; she wasn’t a fan of the sort of breakfast she knew miss Drill partook in, but nods after a look at Pippa’s hopeful expression. “ That would be acceptable”

She is rewarded with a bright smile, and Pippa dashing over to press a quick kiss to her cheek that has her stomach nearly reject her sober breakfast. She hopes the flush she was feeling wasn’t too noticeable, or that Pippa would ascribe it to the temperature (certainly higher than Hecate was used to) of the room.

Before Hecate can truly make a fool of herself, and accidentally hurt Pippa again with one of her barbs, Pippa starts talking again while she prepares breakfast. “ I am aware that using magic for this is less complicated, but the quality is always effected when you do that. And I hardly think it is fair to trouble Cackle’s staff even more, they have been so very kind in letting me stay here, and helping me coordinate my stay with my duties at Pentangle’s”

Hecate swallows a mouthful of tea. “Fortunately, the holidays are almost upon us”

Pippa sighed happily. “ Fortunate indeed. Staying here will be far less complicated as soon as the schoolyear at Pentangle’s has ended”

Hecate attempts to discreetly hide her choking on her tea. “ You.. will be staying – “ she coughs, once “ for the duration of the holidays?”

“Yes, I have already discussed it with Ada. As Mildred will not be able to return home immediately, I offered Julie that I would stay to help her”

“I.. see” Hecate touched her watch with her right hand, but it did not bring the usual calm. Her stomach continued to behave as though a band of especially rambunctious leprechauns was throwing a party in it.

“You know, I truly believe you and Julie could become friends” Pippa turns around and rolls her eyes teasingly as Hecate doesn’t manage to suppress a sneer.

“ I doubt that” she sips her tea, and adds the word to lessen the blow “ Pipsqueak”

“ Julie is very knowledgeable of Ordinary medicine, which is actually similar to the art of potions. And she might be less organized than you Hiccup, but she is still a great deal more organized than I. You will find that she keeps all of Mildred’s early pictures very well organized, for example”

Hecate smirks. “ It hardly takes effort to be more organized than you, Pipsqueak”

Pippa looks like she is going to protest, then laughs. “Well, I can hardly argue differently, as we are standing in my room” they both glance at the chaos ; at the papers in shuffled stacks on Pippa’s desk, the books that appear to have been thrown on her bed and on the ground next to it, the clothes hanging over chairs( Hecate wills her cheeks to return to their original colour when she spots a piece of lingerie next to Pippa’s bed).

“… although in my defence, I have had precious little time to organize this mess” Hecate realizes she has been distracted, distracted enough that she had missed most of what Pippa had said. She touches her watch again.

“ Am I supposed to believe you ever organize?”

“ I’ve told you, there is organization to this chaos. I can find anything I need” Pippa protests.

Hecate just arches her eyebrows slightly, and Pippa rolls her eyes again, walking over with eggs, bacon, toast and even donuts. Hecate stares at the donuts with extra scorn.

“ Pleas explain to me this miraculous system. Why is there an ancient book of runes thrown on your bed, or why are you using a dried flower as a bookmark? I assume that there is a good reason that the clothes you have worn yesterday are thrown over a chair, and that the clothes of the day before that are covering some of the papers you still need to correct, and- “ Hecate’s eyes widen and she splutters when Pippa shoves a donut in her mouth with a very mischievous smile.

“ Eat hiccup, you’re still more bones than flesh”

Hecate finally decides that eating the sugary contraption is superior to choking. But only barely. Pippa chuckles when she catches the way Hecate is glaring at her, and plucks the remaining piece of donut from her hand to practically devour it. And then-

She licks her fingers, slowly and without looking away from Hecate. Who stands abruptly, mutters something disdainful about “donuts for breakfast, honestly” and transfers to her classroom, to do her actual job. Or tries to, because she finds Dimitry there.

“ so you – “ Dimitry cuts herself up and focuses on Hecate as soon as she appears. “ Miss Hardbroom, I thought you had taken ill?”

“ I am fine” even though the room is tilting slightly.

“ You don’t look fine” Dimitry says, casting a quick look over her.

“ I am- “

“ Girls, read the instructions one more time. If I hear something, I will have you all do ten push-ups” and then she has the nerve to grasp Hecate’s arm, and pull her outside the classroom.

“ Miss Drill- “

“Listen, you look like you’re halfway down to Hades already and I have strict instructions from one pink witch to not allow you to talk your way into the classroom “

“ I hardly think that Ada – “

Dimitry grins. “ Nope. Pippa Pentangle has personally told me that if I allow you to teach and further exhaust yourself, I will “see first-hand what a star looks like because she will fling me into space”. She is real terrifying that one, if she wants to be”.

“This is ridiculous, I am fully capable to teach and – “

“ Listen Hecate, I am not going to risk being punched in the face just because you are too stubborn to admit you’ve pushed yourself past your limits”

Hecate rolls her eyes. “ Do not be foolish, miss Pentangle is a professional, who would hardly lower herself to punching you”

“Hm-hm. You really want to bet your cauldron on that?”

Hecate makes to transfer, only to be stopped by a steel grip around her wrist and even more steel voice. “ Don’t you dare, Hecate Hardbroom”

As Hecate freezes and fumbles for something to say, Pippa turns to Dimitry and smiles sweetly. “ Thank you for trying, at least”

Dimitry shrugs. “Sure. Good luck with that one” and then she disappears into Hecate’s classroom with a smile and – what did that motion she made mean?

“Pippa, let me go” Hecate hisses, but it only makes Pippa give her a frankly dangerous smile.

“ No. I am going to transfer us, as you can hardly stand, let alone walk”

“ I am fully capable of walking – “ she tries to do so and suddenly really feels how exhausted she is, and how the transfer, usually something she does effortlessly all day, has made it worse. She stumbles, and falls against Pippa. She still smells almost frustratingly good, and Hecate pretends it is just exhaustion that makes her practically cuddle into Pippa’s shoulder.

She normally dislikes other people transferring her even more intensely than Pippa does, but now she hardly notices, too distracted by the almost intimate embrace they’re sharing. Then there’s the usual tightness in her chest, and she flinches badly before pulling away. Fortunately, Pippa lets her go immediately and allows her to put some distance between them.

“I apologize for transferring you, but- “Pippa approaches her carefully, and only touches her when she notices Hecate’s breathing has evened out almost completely. And still, her touch is so gentle it is almost not there, fingers pressed very carefully to Hecate’s arm to guide her in the direction of Pippa’s bed.

“ This is all completely- “

“ Shush Hiccup. Just rest, Goddess knows you need it”

“Pippa, I am fine. Honestly “ she is trying for her most strict miss Hardbroom voice, but the effect is ruined when she has to suppress a yawn and doesn’t completely succeed. Pippa just shakes her head, and gently pushes Hecate towards the bathroom.

“ Go change, you can borrow one of my nightgowns”

Hecate would protest more, but she truly does not have the energy to argue with Pippa who is convinced she is right. That would be useless endeavour even if she had had a full six hours of sleep, and several invigorating cups of tea. So she allows Pippa to throw a nightgown in her arm, and puh her into the bathroom. She puts it on in a sort of trance, that kind that comes with not having slept for 30 hours and only sparingly before that, and hardly registers Pippa staring at her.

She falls asleep the moment her head touches Pippa’s pillow, her last thought having something to do with how it is so completely Pippa. When she opens her eyes again, the sun has almost disappeared, and she has vague memories of hands cupping her face and soft lips on her. She slowly pushes herself up – and feels her heart stutter before starting to race.

Pippa is standing in front of the window, clad in a simple but lovely nightgown that leaves her shoulders bare. The last rays of sunlight illuminate her, catching in her hair and turning it truly gold. Her feet are bare, and she seems almost frail this way, without her clogs and witching robes. Her hair is down.

“ Goddess” Hecate breaths, and is unable to move for a long while.

Finally, Pippa turns around and smiles at her. She is in a short nightdress, but Hecate doesn’t tear her eyes away from Pippa’s face. That smile is gorgeous, and she gets lost in Pippa’s eyes before she ever flicks her eyes to Pippa’s bare legs or- she stares at that smile again, returning it without thinking.

Pippa practically runs over to her, still smiling at her , and takes her hand. “ Come on Hiccup” she laughs, pointing at the window. Hecate only glances at the window for long enough that she notices the sun has disappeared completely, before she focuses on Pippa’s gorgeous brown eyes again. She willingly moves over to the window, listening to Pippa’s happy chatter

“ Remember how we could see the stars from your room? It was one of the only perks of that dark, small bedroom you were stuck in” Pippa waves her hand, and the part of the wall in front of them disappears. Hecate stops abruptly.

“What are you doing?”

“ The temperature is perfect” she squeezes Hecate’s hand. “ And I always loved laying down on the grass , and hearing you name the stars”

“ You are perfectly capable of naming them as well” Hecate hopes Pippa can still fill in the words, understands she means why would you want me to be here? And not anything else, something that can hurt her. She is aware that her words are often misinterpreted, and she is terrible at explaining herself.

Fortunately, Pippa appears to understand as she just smiles gently and says “I enjoy listening to you do it, come on” and pulls her through the opening she created. Hecate protests some more, but it is mostly for show and Pippa knows it. She summons a blanket wordlessly, and convinces Hecate to lay down it with only minimal complaining. She immediately lay down herself, although whereas Hecate was careful to remain on the blanket, Pippa scooted down so that most of her legs were on the grass.

Hecate freezes when Pippa lays her head down on her chest, turning so that she could throw her legs over Hecate’s. “ Is this okay?”

Hecate swallows. “Yes”

“ All right. Tell me about the stars, Hiccup?”

She stares down at Pippa, nestled comfortably against her as though there isn’t so much separating them. Hecate’s mistake, their choices, their differences, their-

“Stop thinking so hard, Hecate”

“ All right” Hecate answers, and starts to tell her of the stars again. She is somewhat insecure at first, not used to this like she had been when they had been so close. But she quickly familiarizes herself with pointing out the stars, telling their stories, describing the sacred rituals connected to them. They stay outside nearly the entire night, Pippa cuddled against her. Somewhere during the night, the temperature drops drastically and Hecate summons a blanket for Pippa, pretending to be annoyed when Pippa refuses to believe Hecate doesn’t need the warmth as well. She cajoles Hecate into turning on her side as well, and they cuddle together with the blanket wrapped around them. They move from the stars to other topics, potion ingredients, modern and traditional spell-casting, teaching methods, chanting- until their eyelids are drooping and Pippa tugs them both from the comfortable warmth of the blanket, insisting they cast a spell for good health and luck, weaving flowers into Hecate’s hair and thanking the goddess afterwards.

It is not technically necessary to prepare ones clothing or hair for this spell, but Pippa says she has her reasons, and Hecate doesn’t mind enough to complain about it too much. It gives her an excuse to weave flowers into Pippa’s hair at any rate, and hold her hands clasped beneath her own as the sun rises slowly.

She doesn’t stop smiling at random moments for the entire day.

Hecate had forgotten what a good friend Pippa was- or maybe not forgotten, she could never forget anything about Pippa, but the memory had faded slightly at least.

Pippa brings her tea in the morning, and rolls her eyes good-naturedly when Hecate refuses to taste any of the sugary contraptions as well. She transfers potions for Hecate’s stiff muscles that appear in her breaks, and sends her notes so she doesn’t forget to eat. She gathers flowers from the gardens when Mildred is sleeping, or both Julie and her friends are there. She discusses spell theory, potion ingredients, lesson plans and nearly any other topic other people couldn’t keep up with. She laughs at Hecate’s sarcastic comments , and forgives her the moments she says the wrong thing. She holds her hand often, goes for walks when they’re available, suggests outings for when Mildred is fully healed and they both have less on their plates. She dares and teases Hecate, cajoling her into short broom rides and playful competitions. She convinces Hecate to give Julie a chance, and gives her a new friend that way( although Pippa is still needed to mediate sometimes).

Pippa is such a good friend, and Hecate has never been more hopelessly in love with her.

She despises herself for it, but she cannot force herself to pull away again. Not now she is aware it devastated Pippa, and it likely will do so again. So she just tries very hard to minimize her staring, and reminds herself they’re friends and that feeling like that whenever Pippa holds her hand or kisses her cheek or invites her to a picknick or to stargaze or just to walk around and talk for a very long time, she is doing it because she is being friendly. The weeks that pass are simultaneously lovely and tortuous because of it.

Pippa sends her a message on her Maglet, inviting her for dinner that evening and Hecate feels like a giddy teenager when she replies that she will be there. She feels even more foolish when she actually spends time looking for a less austere dress than usual, and magicking her hair so that it is in a waterfall braid, most of her hair loose apart from a centre braid where she magics pink, tiny flowers after a long hesitation. They are supposed to also celebrate the spring properly together after all, and she knows Pippa will braid flowers into her hair either way.

She walks to the spot they have agreed to meet at the exact right time, smiling and then quickly forgetting to walk when she sees Pippa. Her hair is braided as well, and she has cherry blossoms sticking from it. Her dress reaches her ankles, and has a long slit up her right side. There is a carnation pinned to the corset. Hecate is freed from her stupor when Pippa rushes towards her, and embraces her. When she finally pulls back, she kisses Hecate’s cheek before taking her hand and pulling her towards the table. Hecate admires the flowers, charmed to float around them with gentle light, and the expensive-looking table-ware.

“This is my favourite music” she comments

Pippa smiles “I hope you like it?” she gestures at all of it, the flowers, the tableware, the wine (fey berries; also Hecate’s favourite, a guilty pleasure in fact) and peers almost shyly at Hecate.

“ It is absolutely lovely, Pipsqueak “she breaths, taking Pippa’s hand and almost kissing it before she remembers herself and instead squeezes it once.

“That is good to hear”

They have just sat down when Pippa puts her glass down, and inhales deeply. She fidgets nervously, then drums her fingers against the table. If it were anyone else Hecate would find it annoying, but it just reminds her of a young Pippa who could never sit still for long.

“Hiccup? I - “ Pippa’s voice breaks slightly, and Hecate eyes her with concern.

“Pipsqueak?”

“I am just nervous”

Hecate takes her hand again, something that has become such a frequent occurrence between them she doesn’t even pause to think. “ Surely you have prepared these spells countless times before, just because you are at Cackle’s, doesn’t mean- “

“That’s not it”

Hecate frowns. There is something going on this evening, she can tell that much, she just doesn’t know what. “Then what is?”

Pippa sighs, and Hecate grabs her other hand as well when she nearly pushes over her glass with it. They’re properly holding hands now, and Hecate gets briefly distracted by how soft Pippa’s hands are, and how she looks ethereal in the light of the enchanted flowers.

“Pippa?” she carefully pushes, as soon as she has cast off the spell that is just Pippa Pentangle’s special brand of beauty.

Pippa smiles nervously at her. “ What is your type of woman?”

Hecate pulls away abruptly, blinking rapidly. “ What?”

“ Just- humour me” Pippa shrugs. “ Answer the question”

Hecate swallows, trying desperately to avoid answering. The only answer she can think of right now is you, because she has never had a type. It has always been Pippa, and Pippa is unique. She takes a sip of the wine to avoid answering, hoping Pippa does not notice her hands are shaking slightly.

“Why?” she finally asks.

Pippa looks completely frustrated. “ Could you just answer- “

“ Intelligent” Hecate blurts, glancing away from Pippa. “Brilliant, truly. Stubborn, enough so that she does not give in when I have a certain opinion. Empathic, enough that it baffles me”

Pippa bites her lips, nods. “ And?”

“ I suppose she has to be able to understand me, well enough that she does not get hurt when I misread a situation again, or do not know how to react to her or someone else. Someone who does not ignore my flaws, but acknowledges them and helps me become a better witch. Someone who can make me smile, even in the morning” she swallows, glancing at Pippa, and says the last words very lowly, almost hoping she doesn’t hear.

“Someone who loves me as well”

Pippa stares at her, and Hecate jumps in her seat when Pippa suddenly takes her hand and brings them to her lips, kisses them. Hecate feels like she so often does, stumbling in the dark with a vague idea but no real clue about what is happening.

“Why- “

“ I want someone who is brilliant as well, Hiccup. I want someone who is down to earth, but still accepts the way I am not always, without simply going along with everything. I want someone who can be enthusiastic with me, but also acknowledges when I am getting lost in a new idea, and it simply will not work out”

“Pipsquea-“

“ I want someone who is empathic, but nurtures that kindness deep inside her. I want someone who is serious, but will be silly for me. I want someone who is passionate about her work, and genuinely cares about mine. I want someone who wants me for more than my pretty face and- “ she smiles at Hecate “ great body. I want someone I’ve known since I was a teenager, and who is frustratingly oblivious, because she has somehow missed I have been in love with her for decades”

There’s tears in Pippa’s eyes. She might not be the only one. “I want you, Hecate Hardbroom, and I have tried nearly everything to make you see that without scaring you off, but you either are completely oblivious, or really do not wan- “

For once in her life, Hecate is the impulsive one. Before Pippa can finish, Hecate has jumped from her seat and stumbled over to Pippa. She has to bend awkwardly, and a part of her is still screaming at her to stop this immediately, lest she scares Pippa away for good, but she shuts it up by gently taking Pippa’s face between her hands, and brushing her lips over Pippa’s.

Finally. She means to pull back, finish their conversation somehow (Hecate has always been better at actions than words) but Pippa stands up and really kisses her. Starts with small kisses against the corner of her lips, working towards it, before playfully tugging on her bottom lip and finally, finally giving in.

And they will have that talk later, and Hecate will be teased terribly by her girlfriend for missing all the signs but right now, Hecate doesn’t want to talk. She wants to make up for one terrible mistake, a dozen smaller ones, and decades of pining and thinking she could never have Pippa. Her insecurities are still there, deep-rooted and twisted around her heart, but Pippa makes her forget about them completely.

Right now, it is easy to just be Hecate Hardbroom, the luckiest witch in the universe, the one that Pippa loves.

I had orginally planned to also have a focus on Mildred, and how she is (not so) secretly Hecate’s favourite, but I didn’t manage to write that in. I also wanted to add some other things- more of a potential Julie/Hecate friendship ( which Hecate would probably not even admit would be a friendship lol) and Ursula Hallow being the Worst, etc but I am thinking of writing another fic that will have that to make up for it.

#hecate hardbroom #pippa pentangle #hicsqueak #sappy #no seriously wow this is freaking Fluffy wow #might edit later #sorry this is not good but at least I finished something again yay

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sewingcirclesworld · 6 years

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Mistress Hubble and Miss “I’m so magical”

@softestofbrooms HB and Julie pre-relationship get to know you betters? Like just a step or steps from that first meeting to possibly being a ship? ________ First prompt done, I hope you like it! Enjoyed writing this and thinking about continuing the story in the future if I have the time :) ________

The first time they meet Julie can’t help but instantly notice how this woman all dressed in black looks at her. An infuriating smirk on her lips and eyes saying “You don’t belong here” which doesn’t make it easier that she still can’t get her head around the idea that Mildred, her little Mildred, joined a school for witches. “So you’re magic, and all the teachers are magic, and the girls learn…magic?” “I see where Mildred gets her quick wits, Mistress Hubble.” There is something in the way in which this woman pronounces her name, slow, a deliberate tease. “Alright, Misses I’m-so-magical, if you think you’re so much better than me, how about conjuring up some manners?” Although Hecate would never tell anyone, she is secretly impressed that this non-magical woman dares to speak to her like that. It is certainly a refreshing change. Normally people are too scared around her to say anything more than a quick “Yes, Miss Hardbroom!” before disappearing as fast as possible. But not this woman. This woman looks her straight in the eyes and makes it clear that she is a force to be reckoned with, despite being non-magical. Some weeks have passed since the beginning of the school year and the students have a free afternoon with permission to visit their families. “And how is that teacher of yours doing, this Miss…Harshdoom?” “Mum!” Mildred starts laughing and then corrects her mother. “Miss Hardbroom is strict as always, she seems to hate me in particular cause I’m not from a witching family but Enid and Maud help me a lot so it’s okay.” “Well I know how clumsy my little girl can be sometimes.” Julie winks at Mildred who just managed to get flour all over the kitchen table. “Not fair you taking HB’s side! And you asked me to help with the cake!” “I just wanted to spend some time with you on your day off, and you can take the cake with you when you go. Share with your friends, eh? Maybe Miss Hardbroom would also like a piece”, she teases her daughter who seems to freeze even at the thought of offering her teacher some homemade cake. Maybe she should have tried since HB is in a bad mood, worse than usual, and shouts at everybody except at Ethel of course. At first it seems like she just wants to ignore Mildred’s bubbling cauldron but the fear that the girl might blow up the potions lab, again, makes her stop. “And what do you think is this?” “An invisibility potion…Miss?” “Are you asking me or are you stating a fact, Mildred Hubble?” “Definitely an invisibility potion! I think…” Hecate is visibly turning red at the sound of her words. “You think? Didn’t your mother teach you anything about self-confidence? Even if a potion doesn’t turn out like it’s supposed to be, you have to show that you put everything you have into making it and that you are convinced of its success! And now take this mess out of my sight!” When the lesson is over, Mildred is still scrubbing her kettle, trying very hard to erase every speck of pondweed or mashed maggots. She almost climbs into the kettle which is turned sideways and therefore doesn’t notice her teacher’s presence. Hecate has calmed down a bit, now that all the noise is gone, and looks at the girl with something resembling a smile on her lips. “One would imagine you were a bit more confident in yourself with a mother like you have.” “What?” Mildred crawls out of the cauldron and bumps her head in the process. “Did you say something about my mum?” “Oh, only that she seems very self-assured. And I heard her say not to be afraid of that potions woman no matter how scary she might be.” Mildred desperately wishes her mum wouldn’t have walked her back to school yesterday evening, but even more than that she wishes to disappear into the ground. Or turn into a frog. Anything to avoid looking at Miss Hardbroom. “I, uhm, sorry Miss Hardbroom, she didn’t mean to, well, I sometimes talk too much and she must have heard…something wrong?” Now she dares to look up but to her surprise the teacher does not look angry. Is that a smile? But it is a sad smile somehow and Mildred is suddenly not afraid of this woman. Hecate looks at her, just looks, without the usual judgement, and then waves her hand to dismiss the girl. Her friends are still waiting for her outside and instantly fire questions at her. Did she get extra detention? Does she have to clean up after everybody for two weeks? 500 lines, surely! But Mildred just shakes her head and is unusually quiet for the rest of the evening. The second time they meet is on Hallow’s Eve. Miss Cackle has decided to hold a parent-inclusive Halloween party to strengthen the bond between the families and the school. From the moment the invitation arrives, Julie is kind off freaking out about the festivities. “What if I have nothing to talk to the other parents about? What if nobody even wants to talk to a non-magic person? And what should I wear? Do you have a spare cloak or something?” “Mum, it’s gonna be fine”, laughs Mildred. “If HB could see you right now, making such a fuss, you ‘self-assured woman’ you, she’d probably change her mind.” “Change her mind about what? Millie, what do you mean?” Julie’s voice rises a few notes and Mildred realizes she has made a mistake. “Nothing mum, just something HB said. By the way, Maud’s and Enid’s parents can’t wait to meet you so you definitely have to come!” Her mother seems to be a bit calmer, as far as Mildred can see through the mirror. They chat about school stuff and how the neighbour’s dog has escaped again and are about to say goodbye, when Julie suddenly starts to hem and haw. “So, about Miss Hardbroom, did she really say that?” “Well, yeah, she wanted to lecture me that I should behave more like you I guess, more confident. She was kinda nice in that moment, still don’t know why.” “Alright…well, see you Saturday then!” And Julie leaves the room before Mildred can find out why she asked. The girls have spent all day decorating the big hall and the entrance and Miss Cackle has allowed some of the older pupils to help in the kitchen. That is why the food resembles old fingers and bloody eyeballs, and the Witches Brew has been enhanced by a bit more alcohol than intended. Everywhere you go you see girls playing tricks on each other and parents standing in small groups, talking. Mildred takes another look across the room and Enid slaps her on the shoulder. “Hey, your mum’s fine! See, I bet my mum is showing her some embarrassing pictures of my first broomstick lesson now…” “If you say so…” But Mildred smiles. She hadn’t shown her mother how nervous she has been, one freaked out Hubble is enough, but now everything is going really well. Her friends’ parents had warmly welcomed her mother and now they seem to have a good time, chatting and laughing, so Mildred feels comfortable in leaving Julie alone. There is one trick the girls really want to play on Sybil and her friends before the night is over and they haven’t found them yet.It is true, Julie enjoys talking to the Spellbodys and the Nightshades. They are nice people, very different from each other but open-minded and not at all disrespectful towards Julie like some other parents in the room. Nevertheless, she can’t help but sneak a few glances towards the woman in black who is standing almost in the shadows of a corner. She hasn’t moved since Julie started to watch her and nobody approaches her. Hecate looks almost like a statue, a beautiful one admittedly, except when she raises an eyebrow and has to visibly hold herself back when some girls near hear are fooling around with a jumping pumpkin. She seems so detached from the world around her it is no wonder nobody tries to talk to her. She looks lonely. “Excuse me for a bit, I’ll be back later, alright?” Julie gives the others a smile and disappears into the crowd. First she needs some encouragement. She would not admit it, but she also feels intimidated by Miss Hardbroom. Back when the teacher talked to her disrespectfully she answered back almost out of reflex and to defend Mildred, but this is a different situation. She almost downs one cup of Witches Brew and shudders due to the bitter aftertaste. With two new cups in her hands she makes her way across the increasingly filled hall. You got this, Julie. You are confident and never have a problem with making small-talk. Say something intelligent. “Want a cuppa?” Hecate is too surprised that somebody actually came up to her that it takes a few seconds for her to notice the hand holding a steaming cup under her nose. She takes it and looks at the blonde woman standing in front of her. Julie blushes under the intense stare and searches for something better to say when Hecate opens her mouth. “Thank you, mistress Hubble.” “It’s Julie. Well, I don’t know if you do this first-name thing and mistress sounds actually quite nice, but, uhm, anyway, how are you?” Hecate lets a tiny smile escape. This woman is adorable in a way, talking too much and blushing again, and now she is looking at her like she actually wants to have an answer. “I am…I don’t like so much noise, or crowds, so, could be better.” She doesn’t know why she is telling her that. Almost a stranger, also the mother of her problem child Mildred Hubble, and a non-magical person! But her eyes are kind and she is the only one that came to speak to her. “I’m not one for big crowds either”, Julie admits and nibbles on her drink. “Wanna go somewhere more quiet?” Hecate’s eyes widen just a tiny bit but Julie notices and quickly adds: “I didn’t mean it that way, I just, I…oh you know!” It really is cute and the witch is tempted to tease her more, but then she just turns around and opens the door leading to the hallway. “Well, are you coming?”

#the worst witch #hecate hardbroom #julie hubble #mildred hubble #hecate x julie #what is their ship name?#hardbubble #femslash

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ursafilms · 5 years

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Owen Wilson to the Rescue!

A few weeks after Leonard Nimoy Professional Debacle 2.0 ended, Jodie called me.

Jodie: “I take it you’ve gotten over the Leonard Nimoy incident?”

Me: “Which one? And you would be wrong.”

Jodie: “I understand, but you have to make this situation right.”

Me: “And why is that?”

Jodie: “Because I have to provide the voice-over talent now, and I haven’t got anywhere near the contacts you have. You have to do this for me.”

Guilt doesn’t work on me. Usually. But Jodie Marko was and is one of the most hard-working and brilliant people I worked with in San Francisco, despite the fact that she was from Canada. She had done a lot for me and had always been a reliable colleague. Doing something for her is a legitimate ask on her part.

Me: “Any suggestions? Other than Leonard Nimoy?”

Jodie: “Yes. Didn’t you help get Vince Vaughan’s movie, The Internship, onto the Google campus?”

Me: “Yes. His producer, Sandra Smith, is a friend of a friend. I made the introductions, but make no mistake, she did the heavy lifting.”

Jodie: “You always say that, and it’s not true.”

Me: “Sure it is. I have no marketable skills. I don’t actually do anything. I just know lots of people who have marketable skills and actually do things. That’s all. Maybe that’s what producing is. If that’s the case, that is kind of depressing, don’t you think?”

Jodie sighed.

Me: “Okay. Okay. Okay. I’ll stop. What’s your idea?”

Jodie: “Owen Wilson.”

Me: “Let me unpack this for you, you conniving little twerp. You want me to call in a favor from a woman that I know via a friend of mine, to bail out The Stupid Museum People?”

Jodie: “If you’re going to put it that way.”

Me: “How else should I put it? They blew a huge opportunity to work with a man synonymous with science. No knock on Owen, who was lovely to work with on the movie, but Leonard Nimoy was, oh, how can I say this? Perfect?”

Jodie: “I know. But will you talk to Sandra?”

Me: “For you, yes, but I don’t want anyone from The Stupid Museum People involved in the negotiation. This is you and me, and you don’t know I’m doing this. Got it?”

Jodie: “Yes.”

****

Sandra Smith, Vince Vaughan's producer at Wild West Picture Show Productions and a total babe, accommodated my request to submit the script to Owen Wilson, who liked it enough to agree to let his voice be used for the video. In order to record, though, we would have to go to him during the filming of the location work on The Internship.

And, of course, the location where he could do the voice-over? The Marin Headlands. Not hard to get to, but the scheduling issue had to do with Owen being able to carve out an hour to read the script, a five minute snoozer about the birth of the universe.

The deal broke down to Sandra’s assistant, Amy calling me and giving me a couple hours to get over the Headlands with my sound engineer. What time and what day? Anyone’s guess. The production would be there for about a week. I waited. And waited. And waited.

And of course my phone rang the day before I scheduled a trip back to clean out my parent’s house in the over-55 community where my father had spent his last days and from which my mother had recently moved.

Amy: “George, tomorrow afternoon at 3pm is the only day and time that will work for Owen. And even then I’ll have to call you to confirm in the late morning.”

Me: “That’s fine. I’ll call you when I get there with my sound engineer. Would you object to Jodie Marko, my co-producer coming with me?”

Amy: “Not at all. But text me when you arrive. If I get one more phone call.”

Me: “I understand.”

I called Jodie to give her a heads up.

Jodie: “I can go!? Really!?”

She paused.

Jodie: “The director is going to want to go.”

Me: “Is that right? Some corporate video director with a list of credits as long as a nose hair is going to direct Owen Wilson’s reading of some insomnia-curing copy? I don’t think so. You’re lucky I got you in there. Nobody else.”

Jodie: “He’s not going to be happy about this.”

Me: “Oh well, then by all means. I wouldn’t want someone to be unhappy on one of my jobs.”

Jodie: “Point taken.”

Me: “Oh, and I have to change my flight back to New Jersey. The production company is picking up the tab.”

Jodie: “I’ll submit an expense report. Just don’t upgrade yourself.”

Me: “Count on it.”

****

Next day found Jodie, me, and Ted Ver Valen, fab sound recordist, in the crew parking lot of The Internship at the base of the Marin Headlands. Windy. Cold. Overcast. I texted Amy who turned us over to Owen’s personal assistant, a jittery young man who could not have been nicer. He led us to Owen’s trailer, introduced us to his boss, and then left us alone. We set up quickly as Owen sat down in a chair and reviewed the copy once more with Jodie, who just would not shut up.

Jodie: “This is so great. Thank you for doing this. I hear you’re from Texas. I hear your mother is from Texas. That makes sense. You know, both of you being from the same state. That would be odd if you weren’t.”

Me: “Jodie.”

Jodie: “Odd’s not the right word. I’m sure there are people from the same family who live in different states. So, maybe not so odd? I don’t know. How are you? Do you have any questions? I like the script. Do you like it?”

Me: “Jodie.”

She managed to compose herself and Owen read through the script. There’s something about professional actors. Something they’ve got that the next level down of what might be referred to as somewhat talented and very hard working just don’t have. I listened to him read it and knew he had saved the copy.

The script was a safe, corporate attempt at describing the birth of the universe. Had anyone else read it, you’d nod off in about a minute. I listened to the full five minutes of Owen’s read and knew how the universe was born and why.

Owen: “How is that?”

Me: “Only outstanding.”

Owen: “Why don’t I read it through again in pieces. I’ll start and stop every half page or so.”

Jodie: “That’s a really good idea. Don’t you think? Start and stop. Read it in chunks. Is that how they do that in Texas? If so, that’s really smart. Is everyone in Texas really smart? If not, they should be.”

Me: “Jodie.”

Owen read through it again. I still have the memory card with the original recording.

****

Of the many pet peeves I developed regarding the film industry, my favorite is a riff on the “Let no good deed go unpunished.” This particular job for The Stupid Museum People had this in spades. And since it happened towards the tail end of my career, I, obviously didn’t hesitate to call the ungrateful on their various character flaws.

In addition to embarrassing myself during the second failed Leonard Nimoy attempt, not only did I score Owen Wilson to voice the opening video, but I also found more than 30 minutes of finished 3D animation of artists renderings of the universe and its beginnings. I also convinced some Unabomber type time-lapse expert to sell us three shots of his night sky work for the price of one.

To follow are the total number of thank yous I received from the director, who would have to have used hand-puppets for his Birth of the Universe video had it not been for Yours truly:

ZERO.

What did I get? I got the following email when the director received the raw takes of Owen Wilson’s brilliant read.

To: George Young

From: Herr Director

Re: Owen Wilson V.O. for The Birth of the Universe

Hey George;Listened to the Owen Wilson voice-over. I should have been included in the recording since there are different ways I would have had him read certain parts of the script.

Is there a reason I was not scheduled as part of the team?

Herr Director

****

I’d gotten to the age where I waited until I responded to emails such as this. Obviously, in one of her few lapses, Jodie had not called Herr Director to explain to him why we couldn’t cram one more body into Owen Wilson’s trailer. Remember, I was no longer, technically, on the project.

To: Herr Director

From: George Young

Re:Re: Owen Wilson V.O. for The Birth of the Universe

Herr Director;

Why you’re welcome! Glad you liked the tracks, and the scoring of a Hollywood Star for this little POS video. And your continued gratitude for the 3D animation freebies, the recently released Hubble Telescope photography, and the three for the price of one time-lapse photos, is just overwhelming. It makes all the grief I normally get from narcissistic, ungrateful, self-centered jerks fade in oblivion. Good luck with the edit. Given what you have to work with, I’m sure that even a one of those narcissistic, ungrateful, self-centered jerks of a director couldn’t screw it up.

George

****

A few weeks later, after I returned from cleaning out my parent’s house, Jodie called to fill me in on just how much my response had bent Herr Director out of shape.

Me: “A simple thank you would have been nice. The guy writes a substitute for Sominex. Owen throws a 10,000 Volt charge into it, and I’m the bad guy? How does that work?”

Jodie: “He felt left out.”

Me: “That’s because we left him out. This wasn’t the type of situation where we schedule an hour at One Union Recording and put Owen Wilson in a cab. We’re lucky we got him. You’re lucky you got me to get him, because after that Leonard Nimoy fiasco, I should not have done anything to help the project. I did it for you, as you requested.”

Jodie: “I get it. But now I have to listen to him for the rest of the project.”

Me: “Jodie, just do what I do.”

Jodie: “Not a chance. I still have to work with the guy.”

Me: “What if I apologized?”

Jodie noticeably brightened her tone.

Jodie: “You would do that?”

Me: “Sure would. Just as soon as the ungrateful jerk thanks me for turning his unwatchable video into something worthwhile.”

Jodie: “That’s a long way of saying ‘No.’”

Me: “Yes.”

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newstfionline · 7 years

Text

The Ten Most Important Aspects of Reinventing Your Life

James Altucher, LinkedIn Pulse, January 5, 2017

I wanted to write the book that 20 years ago I wish I had read.

That ten years ago I wish I had read.

That five years ago I wish I had read.

That yesterday I wanted to read.

So today I published it. “Reinvent Yourself.”

When I turned 40, a friend of mine threw a birthday dinner for me. He invited all his friends. I knew none of them.

So on my 40th birthday I was basically by myself, with people I didn’t know, doing nothing in my life that I had ever wanted to do for the prior 40 years. I hated my life.

And, as usual, I was going broke, getting divorced, and scared out of my mind.

Anti-depressants didn’t work for me so I gave up on them. Meditation didn’t work. I couldn’t keep my mind from racing all the time.

I had nobody to talk to. Nobody to turn to. I was lonely and scared and wish I had just one person I could love and say, “Help me.”

Why was this happening to me AGAIN? What didn’t I know about reinventing myself so I could finally get “started”?

I had so many passions as a kid. So many dreams of what I could mold my adult life into.

But first…always “but first…” and those firsts turned out to be distant seconds.

“But first I need to make money.” “But first I need a family.” “But first I need this certificate, or goal achieved, or person to like me and validate me.”

Or “But now I’m too old.” Or “Now I failed too much.” Or “Now the world is against me.” Or “I don’t have the right credentials.”

People ask me, “Do you ever get embarrassed revealing so much personal stuff?”

I would be embarrassed if I didn’t reveal personal things in each article.

When I talk to people, I want them to reveal to me also. So who am I to ask a hard question if I don’t come forward and answer them first.

I’ve spent the past six years asking a lot of hard questions. I ask them to the people I meet. To the books I read. To myself.

I’ve reinvented my career 14 times. I’ve gone from barely making ends meet doing things I hated, to loving the work I do now every single day.

After talking to hundreds of people and reading probably 2,000 books trying to figure out how people reinvent their lives to achieve their dreams, I wrote the book I wish I had read in the very beginning.

This is my biggest book. And you don’t have to read it. I’ll summarize right here the basics of what I’ve learned.

First, the world is changing. It’s not a good thing or a bad thing. But your life is going to change with it.

94% of the 15 million jobs created in the past eight years are either part-time or freelance.

The job landscape is changing. Corporatism, which ruled the world for 100 years, is ending.

Technology and necessity have taken each industry, destroyed it, and then created 1,000 new and different ways to succeed in it.

Understanding what is new in the world is the LAST step in reinvention though.

TEN key aspects of Reinvention:

A) Reinvention is a Habit. Every day we are reinventing. A river doesn’t stay still. Every time you step into it, it’s a different river.

You and I are that river. We either move forward or we freeze like ice.

B) The One Takeaway. From every one you meet, learn one thing. You don’t need to learn two. Learn one thing that fascinates you.

You’ll learn and make use of 1000s of things a year. And your set of knowledge will be unique.

Everything I read or listened to or asked or learned, I said, “how does this bring me forward in my own reinvention”. I answered that question and put each item in my book.

C) Meaning. Victor Frankl talks about it in his classic “Man’s Search for Meaning”. Dan Ariely talks about it in his recent book, “Payoff”.

Meaning is the building blocks for motivation.

Spend an hour, spend a day, spend a month--write down the things that give you meaning.

What is the “meaning” that can drive you forward today. That can help you survive the worst circumstances (as both Frankl and Ariely have).

D) Contagious. Everything in life is contagious.

Who you are with, the words you hear and read, the things you see, the things you seek out to learn.

Make sure you are infected with the secret special super man virus that propels you each day to live a better life than the day before.

I was taking to Mike Massimino, who has been into outer space on two missions, including fixing the Hubble telescope.

He told me that among his ten classmates at MIT, four became astronauts. The odds of this are billions to one.

This is not luck. This is how you create luck.

D) Ideas are Currency. Someone asked me earlier today: “How do I reinvent if I am starting with no money.”

Let me tell you something: Almost every time I have ever had to reinvent, I started with nothing.

I get out the waiter’s pad and I start writing ideas. I exercise the idea muscle every day. I become an idea machine. I use those ideas to help other people, to build my network, to write articles that further my sense of meaning.

The person with ideas will meet the person with money when the idea person is going up and the money person is going down.

Ideas have saved me from bankruptcy on five different occasions.

E) What are your five? I write every day. I do something for my podcast every day. I think about investing every day. But there are other things I want to reinvent in.

I think to myself every day: I want to learn to be a better writer today than I was yesterday. I want to be a better podcaster than I was yesterday. And so on.

I used the techniques described here to try and get better at the above three things each day.

And then the next two, which are currently giving meaning to my life, and which drive me forward each day.

I don’t think about ANYTHING ELSE. Otherwise, it’s too scattered.

But, who knows, the sea of the world changes and next year will be a different five. That’s reinvention.

Ultimately, I want to be a better person than I was yesterday.

F) Perseverance. Angela Duckworth, in her excellent book, “Grit” talks about the difference between the high IQ kids and the ones who eventually succeed. It’s not about intelligence. It’s about how they overcome a setback and keep going.

Carol Dweck talks about this in her book, “Mindset”.

Ice Cube talks about this in the movie, “Straight outta Compton”.

Dan Harris talks about this in his book, “10% Happier” when he describes a drug-induced panic attack on live television and how he came back from it.

Tim Ferriss talks about it in “Tools of the Titans” when he describes his one-time feelings of suicide and how he continually bounced back.

Brian Koppelman talks about it when he described to me how he wanted to leave the music business but he had to figure out how to start from scratch in the movie business. “Write what fascinates you” he told me.

But it’s not about writing. Do what fascinates you and no matter how many times you are pushed back by the bullies of life, you will be able to pick up and work your way around them.

The bullies stay stuck and negative. You’ll forget about them and find the shiny objects in life that were so fascinating you couldn’t stop.

G) Do the Unexpected. I watched Pamela Sisson create the cover for my book. She put about 100 books in front of her. I would say, “That looks good” and point at a book.

That would mean she was not going to do it. “It has to be new. It has to be unexpected.”

Magnus Carlsen won the recent World Championship Chess match only by making the moves nobody else would expect.

Pope Francis doesn’t live in the palace in Vatican City. He lives…in a studio apartment down the street. And makes phone calls to random letter writers.

Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol, Elon Musk, kept saying: what has nobody done that I can now do. Elon Musk, up against NASA and every world government, learned from books how to build a spaceship.

The Unexpected is the God of Reinvention. It’s hidden in between the spaces of everywhere. It’s the secret train that goes to the magical school of Hogwarts.

H) Combination Sex. Online Payments + Ebay = PayPal Identity + Social Network = Facebook

Take two things. Take three. Combine them. Now you are the best in the world at the intersection.

I) PLUS, MINUS, EQUAL. Ryan Holiday told me about MMA instructor Frank Shamrock who said everyone needs a Plus, Minus, Equal to learn.

PLUS: Someone to mentor you (real or virtual)

EQUAL: People to challenge you.

MINUS: People to teach. Because teaching solidifies your learning and students have their own unique ways of challenging you.

Every example, 100%, of reinvention I researched had a plus, minus, equal.

J) The Daily Practice. Nobody reinvents while sick in bed, hanging out with people who are no good, not exercising their creativity muscle, and not being positive in the face of almost certain failure.

The daily practice I’ve written about before, but add one thing: get 1% better at each aspect of health each day: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

Compounded, that makes you 3800% better each year. It works.

I’m not done. I’m still reinventing.

I want to do new things this year. I want to be great at things I haven’t even started yet.

Reinvention is scary and hard and wonderful and exciting at the same time.

#reinvention #reinventing yourself #James Altucher

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hovercraft79 · 6 years

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Into the Great Wide Open

2nd in the Hecate’s Summer Playlist Series

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 14,900ish Fandom: The Worst Witch (TV 2017) Rating: General/Teen Warnings: Some mentions of past abuse Summary: Mildred desperately wants to attend a magical mom and me witches weekend – there’s just one problem: Julie Hubble has no magic. So, once again, she calls on her new friend Hecate to fill the gap. With the help of her dearest friend Ada, as well as Julie and a certain very pink witch, Hecate manages, and maybe even gets a better understanding of what makes a family.

Notes:

This story is a bit of a continuation of my story from week 1. It’s helpful, but not necessary, to have read it. As long as you can jump on the idea that Hecate and Julie are good friends, you’re ready to go. The title, of course, comes from the late, great Tom Petty song.

Also, I’m from West Texas. If I’ve used any word or phrase that is distractingly not British, please let me know. I’d rather fix it than have it wrong. Also, many thanks to Sparky, who graciously agreed to edit my works. Any mistakes still present are absolutely my own and remain over her vigorous protest.

Monday

“Mum’s fine, sisters are both fine.” Dimity took a sip of tea. “Me brother’s making me an auntie again, though! Newbie’s due around Winter Solstice.” Dimity had just returned to Cackle’s after a brief visit with her family so she could get ready for Selection Day.

“That’s wonderful!” Ada exclaimed. “Isn’t that wonderful, Hecate?”

“Wonderful.” Hecate knew she was expected to say more so she cast around her brain until she thought of something. “How many nieces or nephews will this make?” She smiled, pleased that she’d managed to come up with a perfectly appropriate question.

“Four! Can you believe it? It’ll be his second, and there’s one each for the sisters.” She turned to Ada. “The oldest one will be ready for Cackle’s before we know it!”

“And we’ll be delighted to have her, won’t we, Hecate?”

“Mmmhm?” she hummed, nodding vaguely. She wished, as she had countless times before, that Ada would not be so determined to include her in conversation. Hecate was perfectly content to sit and listen, and Ada well knew it. “Assuming, of course, that she meets the-” Hecate’s eyes flew open; something in her chest was vibrating wildly. Just as quickly as it began, the vibrating stopped. “What are you-” The vibrations were back, stronger this time. She glared at Dimity, but the younger woman was only looking at her in confused concern – no sign of mischief. She clutched at her chest and suddenly remembered. “Oh!” She raised her hand and a small black rectangle appeared. She glanced at the screen and saw Julie Hubble’s name on the caller ID. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.” She stood and stepped away from the others, frowning.

“HB? You have a cell phone?” Dimity glanced at Ada, who looked equally surprised.

“I don’t live in the 1800s, Dimity.”

“No, you just dress like you do,” the sports witch teased. “Where do you even keep it in those dresses of yours, anyway?” Hecate opened her mouth to replay, but Dimity raised a hand to cut her off. “No, I don’t want to know. How you get your cheap thrills is nobody’s business but yours.” She lifted her teacup in mock salute.

“MISS DRILL!” Hecate’s face flushed crimson. She took a step back towards Dimity, but the younger woman transferred away. A second later Ada’s teacup reappeared on the coffee table. She turned to her Headmistress in exasperation. “Really, Ada! Are you going to let her get away with that sort of… innuendo? It’s highly inappropriate.”

Ada wisely chose not to mention that she’d wondered the same thing. Instead, she simply shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not as though your skirts have pockets, Hecate.” Her deputy’s eyes looked like they would pop out of her face at any second. Time to wind her down, Ada decided. “She was just teasing you, Hecate. It’s what little sisters do.”

“She’s not my sister,” Hecate grumbled, tamping down the tiny flicker of warmth Ada’s words had started growing.

“Are you certain?” Ada smiled reassuringly. “I’ve always considered the staff her at Cackle’s to be my family. Surely you do as well?” She watched some of the tension leave Hecate’s body. “Don’t you need to answer that?”

Hecate glanced down at the forgotten phone in her hand. It had stopped vibrating. “May I?” She gestured to the mirror in Ada’s office, calling up Julie Hubble as soon as Ada nodded permission.

The image of the Hubble living room slowly emerged in the frame. Empty. Hecate switched to the mirror in Julie’s bedroom, but that was also empty. Finally, shifting to Mildred’s room, she found them. Julie was looking at her phone, typing in a message, so she didn’t see Hecate in the mirror. “Julie?” Hecate spoke softly, not wanting to startle her. “Can you hear me?”

Julie looked up and spotted her in the mirror, relief flooding her features. “Hecate! Thank goodness!” She spotted Ada in the background and realized that Hecate was in the Headmistress’s office. “I’m sorry, Miss Hardbroom. I’ve called you at a bad time, haven’t I?” She shifted her attention to Ada. “Well met, Miss Cackle. I’m sorry to interrupt.” Ada waved away her concerns.

“Is there something wrong?” Hecate asked. She hadn’t mentioned to Dimity that it had been only two weeks since Julie Hubble had pressed the phone into her hands, saying something about it coming with her plan and insisting she needed a way to contact Hecate, since Julie obviously couldn’t start a mirror call herself.

Julie nodded. She stepped a bit to the side and gestured to Mildred. “We’ve got a bit of an…issue over here.” Her voice hardened. “We seem to be on the receiving end of a bit of discrimination.” She looked away. “I am, anyway, and it’s hurting Mildred.”

Hecate looked at the girl for the first time. She was lying in bed, facing the wall. She was curled into a tight ball with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Even through the mirror Hecate could see her little shoulders shaking every time she took a breath. “What’s happened?”

Julie glanced at her daughter before turning back to the mirror and whispering, “Living room?” She closed Mildred’s bedroom door and went into the next room, waiting for Hecate to appear. “Have you ever heard of Madame Moonshade’s Magical Mother-Daughter Retreats?”

“I’ve heard of them, yes,” Hecate said, stiffening a bit. They didn’t stir up fond memories.

“Did you ever go to one of them?”

Hecate closed her eyes. “I didn’t have a mother to go with. My mother died before I was old enough to attend.” She opened her eyes, steeling herself against the pitying look she expected to see. Instead, all she found was kindness and sympathy in Julie’s eyes. Just like Mildred, she thought.

“I’ve been to one.” Ada stepped up to the mirror, discreetly patting Hecate’s shoulder. “My mother took Agatha and me when we were thirteen. It was a wonderful weekend and remains one of the few happy memories I have of my sister.” She smiled at the concerned look Hecate was giving her. “Are you planning on taking Mildred?”

“That’s just it,” Julie held the brochure up so they could see it. “Apparently, I’m not allowed.”

Hecate frowned and stepped closer to the mirror. Raising her hand for a transfer, she caught herself just in time. “May I?” Julie nodded, and Hecate flicked her wrist.

An instant later, Julie Hubble popped into Ada’s office. “Oy!” She sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. “I thought you just wanted the pamphlet!”

“Please, Ms. Hubble, have a seat.” Ada patted the back of one of her wing chairs and summoned a cup of tea. “Have some tea and a biscuit.” Julie gratefully accepted the chair and the cup.

Hecate left the mirror channel open in case Mildred came looking for her mother. Taking the brochure, she eased herself into the seat opposite Julie. “What do you mean you aren’t allowed? Why would they send this to you if you weren’t meant to attend?”

“Well, they didn’t send it to me now, did they? They sent it to Mildred, who of course nearly split herself in half wanting to go. When I called to try to register us, I was told, in no uncertain terms, that a Magical Mothers and Daughters Retreat would not be appropriate for me.

“Appropriate,” Hecate growled. How she was beginning to hate the word appropriate. After a lifetime of rigidly adhering to what was considered appropriate, she was finally, finally starting to learn that appropriate did not always equal right. An image of Pippa blossomed in her mind and she wished, for the millionth time, that she’d learned this lesson thirty years ago. “Who are they to decide who is and isn’t appropriate?”

“The people who run the retreat, Hecate.” Julie stared at her cup of tea, then set it down without drinking any. “Is there nothing I can do here? No…magical dispensation or anything? I wouldn’t ask, but Maud’s going and even Enid’s mum is coming back from her tour for it. Apparently, these are a big thing when a witch turns thirteen. And if that weren’t enough, somehow or other that bloody Ethel Hallow’s heard I’m not allowed and has been sending Mildred all sorts of awful notes on that stupid maglet. She’s like a bloody Malfoy going on and on about being a pure-blood.”

“Oh, Ethel would definitely be a Slytherin,” Hecate agreed, pleased that she’d understood the reference. She peeked over at Ada to see her nodding in agreement.

Hecate started as Ada clapped her hands together. “Well, ladies, I can only see one solution if Mildred is going to be able to attend this retreat.” She smiled sadly at Julie. “I’m afraid it’s quite unfair to you, dear.”

Julie shook her head. “She needs someone else to take her. Someone with magic,” she flicked her eyes Hecate’s direction, “that’s why I’m here.”

“Ada…that’s…are you…” Hecate cut herself off with a deep breath. “A slumber party and a few movie nights, with Julie there, I might add, are not the same thing as spending,” she checked the brochure, “four days in the woods with just Mildred and I.” Suddenly, Hecate’s face constricted into a mask of horror and she stared at the brochure in her hand as if it was a severed head. “Bloody hell, is this camping?” The severed head wouldn’t be nearly so bad.

Ada choked back a laugh. “No, Hecate, it’s not camping. Those are cabins, not tents. They have beds, electricity, running water, toilets… You’ll be just fine.” She sighed and transferred the brochure to her own outstretched hand. “We’ll be just fine.”

“W-we?” Hecate looked at Ada, scarcely daring to hope.

“We, Hecate. I shall join you both – a buffer, let’s say. It will help to have someone familiar with the event with you.” Ada smiled brightly. “I told you earlier that I’ve always considered the Cackle’s staff to be a family. We’ll just pretend a bit extra. Besides, it isn’t as though I had a daughter of my own to take and you didn’t have a mother to take you. Perhaps we can think of this as a bit of a gift to ourselves, as well.”

“A gift?” Hecate felt confused.

“Yes, dear,” Ada smiled gently. “I’ve always considered time spent with you a gift.”

Even Hecate knew that arguing after a statement like that would be churlish in the extreme. “I’m sure we’ll have a splendid time,” she mumbled.

“We will, Hecate, you’ll see.” She clapped her hands again. “I have to admit, I’m rather excited about this whole thing. I think I’ll go see what I have to wear.” She turned to Julie. “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, dear.” She moved to the doorway, generally preferring to walk when she could. “Please, feel free to visit as long you’d like.” She paused at the door. “I’m sure you’ll see that Ms. Hubble returns home safely?” Hecate nodded and Ada glided away.

Hecate and Julie sat in silence for several minutes, avoiding eye contact as well as communication. Finally, Hecate sighed. “This isn’t fair you know.”

“I know, Hecate, and I’m sorry. Truly. I didn’t want to ask you for another favor again. The birthday party was a big enough ask as it was.”

Hecate surprised them both by reaching over and placing hand on Julie’s knee. “I mean that it’s unfair to you, Julie Hubble. And unfair to Mildred. You should be taking your daughter to this event. Magic or no, you are still a witch and you are still Mildred’s mother. I feel like an interloper.”

Julie squeezed Hecate’s hand before it was pulled away. “Thank you for that. I wish I could go, too. I wish I could really see this other side to Millie’s life. But I can’t, and I know I can’t. And, unfair as it may be, neither of us can change that. This,” she gestured around Ada’s office, “this is Millie’s world. A magical place I can only visit, never live. I don’t have to like it, but I have to accept it.” She smiled at Hecate over a cup of tea. “It makes me feel better about the whole thing to know she has someone in this world looking out for her, sort of like having a magic mum as well as her ordinary one.”

“I don’t think anyone would describe you as ordinary, at least, not once they’ve gone disco bowling with you.” Julie smiled but looked away quickly. Hecate noticed she was picking at her fingernails – also one of Mildred’s tells when she was nervous. “What’s bothering you?”

Julie hesitated a long moment before blowing a gust of air into her bangs and standing up. “Well, I didn’t really want to bring this up until…at least until after The Goblet of Fire, but since we’re talking about magic mums, it’s occurred to me that Millie really does need some sort of…guardian when she’s not with me. Someone with the legal authority – in the magical world – to…sign forms or make decisions about medical care or even, God forbid, if something were to happen to me. I don’t want her ripped from this world because no one here has legal standing to speak for her.”

“You mean to give someone some sort of agency over her until she comes of age?” Julie looked at her, tight-lipped and tense, waiting for Hecate to work it out for herself. “You mean to give me some sort of agency over her until she comes of age?” The stiff nod told her she’d gotten it right. Hecate blew out a long slow breath and flopped back, uncharacteristically boneless, in her chair.

“I know it’s a giant ask, Hecate. But Pippa and Miss Cackle can help and-”

“I would be honored, Julie Hubble. I meant what I wrote in Mildred’s book. Besides, Ada’s right. What family do I have if not this one that I am making for myself? I’d be proud for Mildred to be a part of that, if only on paper.”

“Not only on paper, Hecate, she needs someone who understands the world that she’s going to live in. Now, before I start to cry…” Julie pointed to the mirror. “Do you see the blue folder there on the kitchen counter?” Hecate nodded. “Can you…” she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers. Hecate transferred the folder at once, holding it out to Julie as soon as it appeared in her hands. “It’s for you. It’s all the paperwork for becoming a sort of guardian. Pippa helped me put it together; she’s done something similar for some students at her school. Will you read through it? And think about what I’m asking. It’s okay if you feel like it’s too much; I won’t be mad, and Millie doesn’t even know about this so it won’t hurt her feelings. You are free to say no, and I will still be your friend.”

Hecate lowered the folder to her lap, feeling both awed and terrified. “I’ll go through it before this weekend.” Movement in the mirror caught her eye. Mildred was wandering into the living room, looking for her mother. “I think it’s time for you to go. Tell Mildred to get packed for our trip.” Julie nodded, and Hecate transferred her away, ending the mirror call as soon as Julie appeared in the living room. The blue folder weighed heavily in her hands.

Thursday

As soon as she’d told Pippa about the retreat, Hecate should have known it would become a thing – which was why she now found herself squeezed into the backseat of Julie Hubble’s car with Pippa while Mildred fidgeted, squished between them. Tight as it was, though, she had to admit it wasn’t all bad. In an effort to make more room, Pippa had draped her right arm across the backseat, over Mildred and behind Hecate, where her fingers were now playing with the wisps of hair that would not stay in her bun, no matter how much she tried to magic them in place. Unable to suppress a shiver, she snuck a glance at Pippa, who simply winked at her and continued playing with her hair.

In true Pippa fashion, as soon as she’d heard that Julie was being excluded she’d decided right then and there that they would have their own camping trip, setting up in a park just outside of the retreat. At first, Hecate had scoffed at the idea of going camping when you didn’t have to, but when Pippa had transferred in wearing a pair of faded jeans, pale pink tank top and a pink plaid flannel shirt… Well, she’d changed her views about camping – with Pippa, at least - quickly enough.

Julie was driving, of course, while Ada sat in the front passenger seat going though the participants packet, asking Mildred about different activities she might be interested in doing. So far, Hecate noted grimly, there didn’t seem to be a single activity Mildred didn’t want to do. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the soothing feel of Pippa’s fingertips and humming along with the vaguely familiar song playing on the radio.

“Oh! Turn it up, turn it up!” Pippa’s fingers jerked away from Hecate’s neck and slapped the headrest of Julie’s seat. “This was one of my favorites! Hands, touching hands,” Pippa reached out and grabbed Hecate’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Reaching out, touching me, touching yooouu!” She poked their linked fingertips into Mildred’s tummy until she giggled. “Do you remember, Hiccup? How we used to dance around your dorm room to this song, singing into our quills like they were microphones?”

Hecate froze as three sets of eyes were suddenly looking at her. Pippa give an apologetic lift to her shoulders, but summoned a quill to her and came in on the chorus, loud and strong. “Sweet Caroline,” she sang, then shoved the quill in front of Hecate, nodding in encouragement.

She glanced around the car before rolling her eyes in defeat. “Bup – bup – bah!” she sang, softly.

“C’mon, Hiccup, you can do more than that – Good times never seemed so good,” Pippa shifted the quill so that it was between Mildred and Hecate. “I’d be inclined…”

“BUP – BUP – BAH!” They shouted.

Pippa beamed. “Wonderful! To believe they never would, but now I…”

Everyone joined in now, certainly more volume than musical skill, even Ada. Perhaps, thought Hecate, this weekend wouldn’t be so bad.

Hecate knows that she is in hell. No, she corrects herself, gazing around their cabin. She is in hell’s broom closet. “W-we are all meant to be staying here? The storeroom of my potions lab is larger than this!” She couldn’t take her eyes off the bed - a bizarre contraption of a bunk bed with a twin bed for the top bunk and a double bed for the bottom. A tiny cupboard for clothes flanked each side of it.

“Now, Hecate, I think it’s quite…cozy.” Ada summoned their bags from the porch and floated them onto the bed. There wasn’t really floorspace to put them. “I suggest we put our clothes away and send the bags to vanishment for the time being.”

“Can I have the top bunk?” Mildred bounced on her toes, all energy and motion now that she was out of the car.

“By all means, dear,” Ada waved her on her way. She bumped into one of the two chairs tucked in front of the fireplace. Ada sighed. It was cozy, but that’s what happened when you were one of the last families to sign up for the event. She shuddered to think about what Hecate would be like if they hadn’t gotten the cabin but were in one of the tents instead. She settled her things in her cupboard as Hecate did the same on her side of the bed, each being careful not to bump their heads on the top bunk. One benefit to working at a non-fee-paying school that relied on donations, they’d at least had to share rooms and beds often enough through the years to be comfortable with each other. Ada looked askance at the very uncharacteristic blue stuffed teddy bear that Hecate leaned against their pillows, but said nothing.

“Look, HB! The table folds out from the wall! And the chairs are attached!” Mildred zoomed through the tiny kitchenette, opening and closing every cabinet door and drawer. It took only a few seconds. From there Mildred flung the door open to what appeared to be a small closet built out of the corner. “It’s the bathroom! It’s so small.” Hecate had wandered over, morbid curiosity getting the better of her. Mildred grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. “We don’t even fit! Look at the shower – it’s in a washtub like the kind Miss Tapioca puts her feet in! Isn’t this going to be cool, Miss Hardbroom?”

“That’s…certainly one word for it, Mildred.” Hecate said, resigning herself to a long weekend of shower spells. A knock at the door gave her all the reason she needed to escape the bathroom, but Ada was already at the door.

“Good afternoon, Hubble family! We’re so delighted you could join the retreat.” A young witch, dressed more like she was going on a safari than standing in the middle of a woods in Great Britain, smiled back at the three of them, clipboard in hand.

“As are we,” Ada checked the nametag pinned to the girl’s khaki top, “Poppy. We’ve just been settling in.”

Hecate’s jaw clenched even as she forced her lips into a smile. One more indignity – they were the Hubble Family this weekend. It was an attempt at anonymity since, in the academic world at least, Hardbroom and Cackle weren’t exactly unknown. Between the two of them, though, Hecate knew it was highly likely that at least one former student would also be in attendance, if not several. Still, she bristled at the loss of her name, even if it was only pretend, even if it was only for the weekend.

Refocusing on the young witch in the doorway, Hecate pulled Mildred out of the bathroom and placed both hands on her shoulders, trying to slow down her bouncing - with limited success. Poppy handed some papers over to Ada and waved at the others before announcing she’d be back in about half an hour to pick up the completed paperwork.

“Come on then, girls,” Ada waved the papers at them, “time to select our activities!” Mildred bounced up again, barely missing both Hecate’s chin and her left foot. “Here you go,” she murmured a spell and poked a finger at one of the chairs, stretching it just enough that Hecate and Mildred could both squeeze in to fit. She handed the papers over to Mildred. “You two choose whatever you’d like, after all, I’ve been here once before.”

Hecate looked over Mildred’s shoulder, trying to predict which activities the girl would choose. She rather expected that if she listed her preferred activities, it would turn out to be just the opposite of Mildred’s list.

Thirty minutes later, Hecate was pleasantly surprised when she looked over their activities. Mildred had surprised her by insisting that each of them take a turn selecting an activity. Friday morning they had a nature walk, chosen by Hecate, then arts and crafts (chosen by Mildred, of course). Somewhat surprisingly, Ada had elected to go swimming in the afternoon. Hecate had also suggested they attend the late-night star gazing party.

Tonight, though, they had no choices to make – a welcome dinner was to be followed by an orientation to the weekend and get-to-know-you games in the dining hall afterwards. The rest of the weekend was filled with set programs interspersed with their own selections. Hecate cast a quick duplicating spell and made three copies of the schedule before they handed the original back to Poppy.

Just before they left for the dining hall, Ada’s maglet chimed. Checking the message, Ada frowned and then looked up at Hecate, still frowning. “Hecate, dear, I’ve just received a rather harried message from Miss Drill. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about a certain Mr. Monkey’s whereabouts, would you?” She glanced meaningfully at the stuffed toy on the bed.

“I’m certain I don’t know what you mean. You can see that is definitely not a monkey.”

The maglet in Ada’s hand chimed again. She read the new message and peered over her glasses at Hecate. “It says here that Mr. Monkey happens to be a blue bear and that he’s a treasured childhood companion. It goes on to say that if Hecate Hardbroom harms one bit of fur on his little body, that Miss Drill will…well,” She handed the maglet over to Hecate with a glance at Mildred, “I’ll let you read the rest yourself, it’s not exactly fit for younger ears.” Mildred huffed in disappointment.

Hecate read the rest of the message, then threw her head back and laughed out loud before handing the maglet back to Ada. “Mildred, I need your assistance. Please fetch Mr. Monkey.” She waved her hands at the miniscule fireplace, and a perfectly laid stack of logs appeared, newspaper stuffed into the crevices. She twisted her fingers and a long fireplace match appeared in her hand.

“Hecate?” Ada sounded truly concerned.

“Remember what you said earlier this week? That little sisters like to tease?” She grinned like a familiar, just ready to pounce on one of the pond frogs. “Big sisters get to tease back.”

Mildred stepped back, clutching Mr. Monkey to her chest. “You, you aren’t going to burn Miss Drill’s toy are you, Miss Hardbroom?”

“Certainly not, Mildred.” She looked over her shoulder at Ada, who was still looking skeptical. “No, Ada, I’m not going to hurt it. We’re just going to…yank Miss Drill’s broomstick a bit.” She held her hand out, and Mildred reluctantly handed him over. “Now, Ada, may Mildred borrow your maglet?” She gave it over as Hecate knelt next to the fireplace, holding Mr. Monkey over the logs with the lit match in front of him, making it look as though he was lighting the fire while standing in the middle of it. “As soon as I’ve faded out, take a picture.” Mildred grinned and nodded, finally understanding the joke. As soon as the picture was taken, Hecate popped back into existence and transferred Mr. Monkey safely back to his spot on the bed. She tapped a quick message, from Mr. Monkey about stress and the need for holiday adventures and then sent it back to Miss Drill. “Thank you, Ada. I may need to borrow you maglet again.” She handed it over to her headmistress. “And you,” she leaned down and whispered, “you must help me find more adventures for Mr. Monkey to have this weekend.”

Later that night, they were back in the cabin, Ada and Hecate tucked into the bottom bunk, Hecate reading while Ada perused the information packet one more time. Mildred sprawled across the top one, drawing in her notebook. Lost in her drawing, Mildred didn’t realize her swinging leg was causing the entire structure to sway.

Hecate most definitely realized it, however. Unable to stand it any longer, she slammed her book closed and reached for Mildred’s offending leg.

“You know, Hecate,” Ada drawled, without looking up from the packet, “I think they’re doing things quite differently than they did when I was here before.” Hecate slowly lowered her hand. “I don’t recall there being quite such an emphasis on outdoorsy-ness.” Ada flipped the packet to the back page. “Oh, I see, it says here that one of the event directors, Veronica Darknight, spent several years in the ordinary world working as a Girl Guide. That explains quite a bit – the camping, the team-building. Oh, Hecate, this should be great fun, don’t you think?”

“Great fun,” she’d agreed, through gritted teeth. “All right, Mildred, lights out,” Hecate poked the bottom of the bunk overhead. “It’s early breakfast for those of us going on the nature walk.” Before she could magic the lights out, Ada elbowed her in the ribs, performing an indecipherable set of hand motions. Hecate shook her head in bewilderment.

After Ada’s second attempt to get Hecate to understand, Ada gave up, rolling her eyes at her Deputy and flinging the blankets out of the way. “Let’s get you tucked in, shall we Mildred?” Ada climbed up to stand on their mattress so she could tuck the covers around the girl, smoothing the hair off her forehead. She reached out a hand and summoned Mr. Monkey from one of the chairs. “Why don’t you see to Miss Drill’s friend for tonight. I’m sure she’d appreciate that someone was looking out for him.”

“Thank you, Miss Cackle, I’ll take good care of him.”

“Good night, Mildred Hubble,” Hecate called from down below.

“Good night, HB. Thanks again for bringing me.” Her voice was already beginning to slur with sleep. Ada fussed with the covers a bit more before clambering back down.

Hands on hips, Ada stared down at Hecate. “You too, I should think.” She transferred Hecate’s book to the cupboard. “Down you go.” Too confused to do anything but comply, Hecate scooted herself down the mattress until she was lying down. Ada crawled in beside her and tucked the covers around her Deputy, just as she’d done with Mildred. “Gran’s privilege,” she winked, smoothing Hecate’s hair as well. “Now, I think you need…” She held out a hand and a lumpy, well-worn zebra appeared, pink and black instead of the usual. “Zelda, isn’t it?” Hecate nodded and clutched the zebra to her chest. Ada pulled the blankets under her chin, transferred her glasses into her own cupboard and turned out the lights.

“How do you even know how to do that? To put her to bed? It didn’t even occur to me.” Hecate whispered.

Ada rolled over so she was facing Hecate. “No one ever really tucked you in when you were a girl, did they?” Hecate’s shake of her head confirmed Ada’s suspicions. “Then it certainly isn’t your fault you didn’t know how to do it. But,” she reached across and gently patted a pale cheek, “now you do. Peaceful dreams, Hecate.”

“Peaceful dreams, Ada.” She squeezed her zebra tightly and wished peaceful dreams to Pippa and Julie, wherever they were.

Friday

Hecate felt like today might turn out to be a very good day indeed. She woke up early, allowing her to savor a quiet cup of tea on their cabin’s tiny porch, watching the sun rise over the hill. She’d enjoyed some privacy in the bathroom, unlike last night when she’d been forced to brush her teeth at the kitchen table because Mildred absolutely, positively could not wait for the toilet. She’d also managed to transfer Zelda safely back to her rooms at Cackle’s because she was not going to explain to Mildred Hubble why she still had the thirty-five-year-old stuffed animal gifted to her by Pippa Pentangle during their third year of school.

The nature walk was also turning out to be most pleasant. Ada was picking flowers for their cabin, though she’d insisted on tucking matching daisies into both Hecate’s and Mildred’s hair, again claiming ‘Gran’s privilege.’ As they walked, Hecate pointed out various plants and flowers along their path and asked Mildred to identify them. She was quite pleased with the number Mildred answered correctly. From up ahead, Miss Darknight cautioned the hikers about a hornet’s nest just off the trail.

“Mildred, please fetch that stick over there,” she pointed, and Mildred hopped across the trail to get it. Hecate summoned Mr. Monkey and took the stick. “Mildred, you keep well back, please. Ada, would you do the honors?”

Ada told herself that she was absolutely not helping Hecate torment Miss Drill. That would be quite unprofessional. She was simply doing her duty for the health and safety of Mildred Hubble by keeping her a safe distance from the hornet’s nest. “Levitation before or after you go invisible?”

“After, I think. Snap it quickly, please Ada, I don’t fancy being a pin cushion.”

“Right, then.” Ada held the maglet at the ready. She glanced at Mildred as they watched Mr. Monkey float up to the hornet’s nest, ready to poke it with his stick. “Needless to say, Miss Hubble, this is not the sort of behavior I expect to see from one of my students at Cackle’s.” She snapped the picture, and Mr. Monkey zoomed to the ground. “I think we’ll caption this one ‘Making New Friends.’”

Hecate reappeared, grimacing. She waved her hand, and Mr. Monkey disappeared. “I hope you got it?” Ada nodded and flipped the maglet around so she could see the picture. “That’s well worth it,” she smiled, holding out a hand with two rapidly swelling welts. “Come along, Mildred, this seems as good a time as any to teach you how to make a poultice to soothe insect stings.”

During arts and crafts, Hecate still felt the day was going well. Mildred’s poultice had worked well enough, and their project – making a family portrait out of found materials – didn’t seem very taxing, especially since Mildred and Ada were doing all the work. Just as Mildred finished gluing a bright red piece of yarn to make HB’s lips, Charity, the arts teacher, stopped by to see it.

“Oh, that’s lovely, Mildred. You’ve done a wonderful job capturing your family. I love how you used dried flowers to make your gran’s sweater.” She pointed at the blonde figure standing next to Mildred. “Who’s that supposed to be?”

“That’s my other mum.” She smoothed down the yellow yarn that she’d used for hair. “She couldn’t come this weekend. That’s why Mi – why my Gran came instead.” Mildred kept working on her portrait, oblivious to Hecate’s frozen posture and saucer-sized eyes.

“I’m sorry to hear that Millie, but isn’t it grand that one of your mums could make it? And your Gran?” Mildred nodded. “And it’s wonderful that your family is so open!”

“It’s the bats, Miss Charity.” Mildred continued working on her portrait, oblivious to Hecate’s sudden state of panic.

“It certainly is.” Charity moved to leave but placed a hand on Hecate’s shoulder as she passed. “Hopefully, next year your wife can join us as well.”

Hecate clutched her pocket watch, trying to work out if her fake daughter, announcing her fake wife to her fake mother, had just outed one very real lesbian to the rest of the room. She closed her eyes as the room started to close in, her breath coming in shorter gasps as it became more and more difficult to breathe.

Two strong hands clamped down on Hecate’s shoulders, grounding her – keeping her from transferring away. “It’s all right, Hecate. It’s all right,” Ada murmured in her ear. “Look around the room. No one is the least bit interested in what kind of family we are or that you might fancy witches instead of wizards. Not them, not Mildred, and most certainly not me.”

Hecate’s eyes darted around the room. Ada was right; everyone else seemed engrossed in their own projects. She managed to slow her breathing and the room slowly expanded back to its normal size. “You aren’t…upset… or…embarrassed?” She waved her hand at the rest of the room.

“How could I be? I love you just as you are, dear. Just as you are. Besides,” she rubbed her hands across Hecate’s back, “it isn’t exactly news to me.”

Mildred had been watching them since Miss Charity walked away. “What��s the matter, HB? Did I say something wrong?” Tears shone in her eyes. “Should I have left mum off the picture?”

Hecate settled herself with a few more deep breaths. “No, Mildred. You didn’t say anything you shouldn’t have. I just…wasn’t expecting to talk about my…preferences.”

“Oh, is that supposed to be a secret?” Mildred scrunched her face up in confusion. “Because I don’t see what the big deal is. What difference does it make anyway, whether you like wizards or witches? Besides, it’s not like I put Miss Pentangle in the picture. Yet.”

Hecate hid her face in her hands, hoping with every fiber of her being that she would simply burst into flames. Ada actually had to walk away because she couldn’t stifle her giggles.

At lunch Mildred finally caught up with Enid and Maud. The girls compared schedules and found that they had swimming together both days as well as the star party and the survival breakfast.

“So, Miss Hard – Hubble…I see you managed to recover from the slumber party.”

“Please, call me Hecate while we’re at the retreat, no need to be so formal here.” And no reason for me to be called Hubble any more than absolutely necessary, she thought. “Apparently I didn’t recover my senses, because here I am at this retreat.”

“Maud told us why you’re here. It’s absolutely ghastly the way they’re treating Julie. You’re very kind to step in again.”

“Not so kind, Miss Spellbody. It’s just that Julie Hubble is particularly persuasive.”

Hecate Hardbroom knows she’s lost at least a year off her life trying to slather three overexcited little witches in enough sunscreen and shade spells for their afternoon swim. “Mildred Hubble, please be still. The pool will still be there five minutes from now. Maud, you have a white streak of sunscreen across your left cheek. Please rub it in so you don’t look like a striped whip toad.” What on earth had possessed Ada to agree to take all three girls to the pool while Enid and Maud’s mothers rested? And where was Ada Cackle anyway? As she thought it, Ada transferred into the changing rooms, already wearing her swimsuit, a cute little one-piece with a flowered bodice and flouncy skirt that hung halfway to her knees. It didn’t look all that different from her usual clothing.

“Surely, they’ve been coated enough, Hecate?” The girls nodded an enthusiastic agreement.

“I refuse to return Mildred back to her mother looking like a boiled crustacean.” Ada raised an eyebrow at her. “But, perhaps you are correct. Go along then girls, ‘Granny Hubble’ will keep an eye on you until I get there.”

Ten minutes later the girls were playing water witch ball when Hecate emerged from the dressing room. “Is that Miss Hardbroom?” Maud gasped, so distracted she didn’t even notice when the ball bounced off her head and into the water. “She looks like a movie star!”

Mildred and Enid turned around in time to see HB standing on the sidewalk, looking for spot to place her towel. She wore a black one-piece suit with a silver buckle at the waist and shirring across the stomach. Over it she had on a white flowing cover-up. A large white sunhat with a black ribbon and oversized black sunglasses completed the look. Her movie star look was only compromised by the rainbow-striped tote bag stuffed with all of the girls clothing that she had slung over her shoulder.

“I hope she put as much sunscreen on herself as she did on us,” Enid said, “I didn’t think anybody could be that pale and still be alive.”

“Be quiet, Enid,” Mildred chided. Miss Cackle swam up beside her. “Did you know HB could look like that?”

“As a matter of fact, Mildred, I did. She’s quite lovely, isn’t she?” Mildred nodded, and Ada leaned down so she could whisper in her ear. “That’s something to remember when we hear certain people gossiping that Miss Hardbroom isn’t glamorous enough for Miss Pentangle.” Especially when one of those people is Hecate herself, Ada thought. “You know girls, if you think Miss Hardbroom looks pretty, it’s perfectly fine to tell her so.” She watched Hecate settling onto her towel with a book in her hand. “However, I think we might need to encourage her to get wet, what do you say? Come with me.”

One at a time each of the girls snuck out of the pool and around behind Hecate, Ada bringing up the rear. Engrossed in her book, Hecate didn’t even notice they were out of the pool, at least not until three little witches cannonballed into the water right in front of her, drenching her and everything around her.

“Girls!” she sputtered, casting a drying spell on her book. “What on earth were you thinking? If I wanted to get - ” She was cut off by Ada’s cannonball, which produced every bit as much splash as the girls had. She wiped the water from her face “Et tu, Ada Cackle? Very well.” She waved her hands and murmured something under her breath. The girls looked at each other as the water level in the pool dropped about three inches until a tidal wave crashed over them, sending all four of them underwater. That earned Hecate a whistle from the guardwitch on duty, but it was worth it.

“Is that how we want to play it, Hecate dear?” Ada twirled her finger in the pool and a tiny waterspout began to grow, getting bigger and bigger the more Ada twirled. “Two can definitely play at this game. Or would you rather just join us in the pool?”

Hecate pretended to think it over before she flicked a surge of magic at Ada’s waterspout causing it to burst in her face, then quickly stripped out of her cover-up and hopped into the pool before Ada could recover. “Happy now?” She purred as she magicked the pins from her hair. She ducked under the water and kicked off the side, gliding smoothly past the girls and coming up just behind Ada, her long hair slicked back behind her. A couple of quick pulls of the breaststroke brought her back to the group.

“You can swim! HB! I didn’t know you could swim!” Mildred bounced in the water even more than she bounced on dry land.

“Certainly I can swim, Mildred Hubble. I was on a broomstick water ski team. They don’t let you do that unless you can swim.”

“Is that the one you were on with Miss Pentangle?”

Hecate’s whole body drew in on itself. “How do you know about that?”

Right away, Mildred knew she’d said something she shouldn’t. She could see Miss Cackle pulling the other girls away to play more water witch ball. “Uh…Miss Pentangle told me about it? At the spelling bee. She brought me Tabby while I was studying the night before the contest. She also brought me a donut, but when I asked how you two knew each other, she ate it…and she told me about the doubles display.”

“What did she say? Was she angry?”

“She just said that you were supposed to do it together, but you didn’t show up and she didn’t know why. She didn’t sound mad or anything like that. Just kind of sad.” Feeling brave, Mildred grabbed Hecate’s hand under the water. “I’m sorry if you didn’t want me to know about that. I haven’t told anybody about it – not even Enid or Maud.”

“Thank you for that, at least. It was not one of my finer moments.”

“But anyway, you’ve sorted it all out now so it doesn’t matter, does it?”

“I think it might always matter to some degree, Mildred, but, yes, we do seem to have moved past it. Learn from my shortcomings, though. Even if it’s difficult, it’s better to talk to your friends than to run away.” Hecate unclenched her free hand, knowing that if she looked she’d find four crescent-shaped indentations in her palm. It was time to put this subject to rest. “Come on then,” she tightened her grip on Mildred’s hand, pulling her through the water as she flopped her up and down. “Let’s go play some witch ball.”

The match was fierce – girls versus the grownups - of course the girls won. Too soon, the guardwitch blew the whistle, and it was time for their group to exit. All five of them crowded around Hecate’s towel, gathering their things. Hecate pulled her hair around front to wring out as much water as she could. As soon as she did, she heard Mildred’s gasp. She knew the cause in an instant – the pale pattern of crosshatched scars that dipped down one shoulder – a faded reminder of Broomhead’s angry, ugly magic.

Merlin’s balls, Hecate cursed to herself, was there no part of her life that would remain unknown to Mildred Hubble? She leaned over and spoke just above a whisper. “Please don’t concern yourself, Mildred, they’re from a long time ago. I hardly even think of them now.”

Mildred continued to look at her, wide-eyed and fearful. “But HB, those look like…” Her expression shifted to an angry indignation, and Hecate’s heart almost broke for it. “Did someone do that to you? Who would do such a thing? How could they?”

“As I said, it was a long time ago, Mildred.” She ran her hand down one of Mildred’s plaits, tugging it gently. “Let’s just say that there are some teachers harsher than I and leave it at that.”

“Like Agatha,” Mildred nodded. “That’s why you expelled me – you knew she’d still be cross with me from the first time we kept her from taking over the school.”

“I needed to keep you safe, Mildred Hubble.” She sniffed and straightened to her full height. “Now, lovely as these trips down memory lane have been for me this afternoon, it’s soon time for dinner and I don’t wish to spend the rest of the day smelling like chlorine. Back to the cabin.”

Dinner turned out to be delicious, once again, a penne pasta with grilled vegetables and Italian sausage. Mildred ate three helpings and asked at least twice if Ada would consider hiring their cook away to work at Cackle’s.

At nine pm sharp they assembled in the clearing behind the dining hall for the star party. By nine-thirty Mildred was asleep with her head in Hecate’s lap, and Ada was struggling to keep her eyes open as well. Surrendering to the inevitable, Hecate transferred them back to the cabin, expertly dropping a still sleeping Mildred onto her bunk. With a few waves of her hand Hecate had Mildred changed into her pajamas and under the blankets snuggled up with Mr. Monkey.

Saturday

Saturday morning proved to be unseasonably cool and blustery and Hecate’s nerves were frazzled before they ever arrived at their survival breakfast. Somehow, no one had managed to set an alarm spell, and it was only thanks to Mildred’s overactive bladder that they were awakened thirty minutes before they were supposed to be there. Nor had it been the most pleasant of awakenings. Climbing down from the top bunk, Mildred had not only dropped Mr. Monkey on Ada but had also somehow managed to step on Hecate.

Even more distressing was the fact that the instructions for the survival breakfast were quite insistent that skirts were inappropriate attire and Hecate had been forced to wear trousers. They weren’t even tailored dress slacks either, but horrible green cargo pants. Ada pointing out that they would probably be very useful for working in the gardens or gathering potions ingredients had not helped at all. To top it off, Hecate could have sworn that she’d heard the click of Ada’s maglet taking a photo at least twice since she’d put them on. She sighed and magicked her hair into its customary bun and Mildred’s into a braid down her back. Plaits were also not allowed.

They’d just managed to transfer to the site as Poppy was calling their name to come pick up their supplies. Mildred rushed up to get them, returning a few moments later with a small cool box and a large, empty commercial-sized food can. Once each family had their box, they were each assigned a fire circle and given the rules – or rule. All they had to do was work together to make breakfast without using any magic. Mildred didn’t seem bothered in the least, but the way Hecate’s left eye was twitching, Ada was worried she might have developed some sort of aneurism.

Mildred tore into the cool box as soon as she set it down in their fire circle. “Let’s see,” she turned the lid over and used it as a spot to lay out their supplies. “We’ve got six eggs, six bacons and six slices of bread.” She pulled out a zip top bag and examined its contents. “This looks like some salt and pepper, maybe some sugar, a little container of milk and…ooh, three matches. We’ll have to be careful with those. There’s also three oranges, some paper towels, three tin cups and three tea bags.”

“All of that has to be cooked,” Hecate drawled. “How are we to do that if we can’t use magic? We don’t even have a cauldron or a…skillet.”

“I believe that’s where the survival part comes in, dear.” Ada gathered their supplies and returned them to the box. “All right, Mildred, since you’ve been camping with your other mum,” she winked at Hecate, who made a very subtle rude gesture back. “What do you think we need to do first?”

“We need to build the fire, so I guess we need to gather some wood. We need all different sizes, mostly thin bits at first.”

“Why don’t I just summon the wood? We aren’t cooking yet.”

“No, HB, they said no magic! That’s like cheating!”

“Just for the wood, Mildred, they won’t even know.” Just as Hecate raised her hand, a great red puff of smoke erupted from Enid and her mum’s fire circle.

“And that’s what happens when you try to use magic, ladies.” Poppy shouted. “That red smoke is one of your breakfast ingredients disappearing into vanishment.”

Mildred reached up and dragged Hecate’s hand back down. “We don’t need magic, HB, honestly. I know what to do.”

Ada nodded in agreement. “Let’s go gather wood, shall we?”

Twenty minutes later, Mildred had laid as perfect a fire as she could and was just striking her first match. “Do either of you want to light it?” Both women declined, eyeing the remaining two matches nervously.

“You go on, dear. You’re probably better at it than we are.” Ada knelt down beside her. “Do I need to block the wind?”

“That would be great, Miss Cackle, at least until I get these grassy bits going.” She pointed to a pile of skinny sticks. “Once this gets going, HB, start adding more twigs, thinnest ones first, just a few at a time.” Hecate nodded and Mildred struck the match. As soon as it flared, Mildred held it under the grass, which caught fire almost immediately. “Now, HB!”

Hecate started sliding the sticks on, just a few at a time, gradually increasing the size of the sticks. Soon, they had a steady fire blazing in the middle of their circle. Even Poppy was pleased.

“Well done, Hubbles! How many matches did it take?”

“Mildred did it in just one, Poppy! Isn’t that something?” Ada beamed at Mildred.

“Congratulations, Mildred! That makes you a member of our One Match Club!” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a button and showed it to Mildred. It had a picture of a match enchanted to flare and burn over and over again, while the words ‘One Match Club’ flashing around the edge. Once Mildred had seen it, Poppy pinned it to the front of the girl’s hoodie.

“Good job, Mildred! Didn’t she do well, Hecate?”

“Yes, she did. It does make me wonder though, Mildred, how it is you can do this so well, but you can’t master a simple laughter potion?”

Mildred shrugged a shoulder. “I guess because my mum actually taught me how to do it. She didn’t just assume I knew how.” She didn’t say it with any sort of malice, or anger, just an honest matter-of-factness that cut Hecate to the bone. At that moment Maud raised her hand to ask what happened if they used all their matches. Mildred picked up their two extra ones. “I’m going to give these to Maud and see if they need any help.”

As soon as she was out of earshot, Ada spoke. “She didn’t mean anything by it, Hecate. You know that.”

“Shouldn’t she though? I know how I can be. You know how I can be. My biggest complaint when you first decided to admit her on a trial basis was that she had no magical background. It’s still her greatest weakness; she just doesn’t know things that I think she should. But she’s been with us two years now. What have I done to help her know things. How many of her scrapes come down to not knowing something the rest of us take for granted, Ada? Yet I’ve still left it largely up to Enid and Maud to fill the gaps.”

“It’s an easy enough fix, Hecate. Perhaps some basic magical facts would do her more good next time she’s in detention than a set of lines.” Hecate nodded.

Mildred bounded back into their fire circle. “You should have seen their fire! It’s no wonder they used up all their matches – Maud was trying to light the big logs first.”

“Well, I’m sure you showed her how to do it properly,” Hecate said. “Now, teach me how to cook on that tin can, I’m starving. It looks like we have all the makings of eggy bread, doesn’t it?”

The rest of the day passed pleasantly enough. They attended some set seminars that mostly focused on healthy beauty tips and positive body image and joined Enid and Maud at the pool. Hecate was relieved to make it through an entire session of swimming without dredging up any more unpleasantness from her past.

Finally, the trio arrived for their last session, Meaningful Meditations with Mothers and Daughters. Charity, their facilitator from arts and crafts, was apparently leading this session as well. Hecate felt her face heating up when she thought about the open discussion of her sexuality – with Ada and Mildred Hubble, no less. She still hadn’t worked out whether her real preferences and fake wife meant she’d been real or fake outed. It made her brain hurt thinking about it.

Charity clapped her hands for attention and summoned a colorful mat for each family, arranging them all into a circle. She had each mother sit cross-legged on the mats, daughters in their laps. Hecate worried that Mildred might not be comfortable enough with her for this and their charade might fall apart, but the girl plopped into her lap happily enough. The few grandmothers present were instructed to kneel behind the mothers, hands reaching over to rest on the girls’ shoulders. Ada muttered something impolite about having the oldest members of the families be on their knees.

“Okay, families, let’s all try to combine our magic. Just close your eyes and feel for the other’s magic.” She walked around the group, offering encouragement and the occasional advice. “We don’t share magic with others very often, so don’t worry if it takes a bit. Sometimes it helps to think of a really powerful memory.”

Hecate frowned in concentration. She’d certainly helped students manipulate their magic before but had never shared it. She hadn’t done that since she was a child, with Pippa. She could feel Ada’s magic, warm and serene, and she could feel her own, prickly and sharp. She could even feel the uneven tumble of Mildred’s magic, but try as she might, she couldn’t manage to bring them all together. They all felt incompatible somehow.

A pale green glow flared around the family to their left as their magic synchronized. They were quickly followed by three other groups, each glowing its own, unique, color. Hecate was beginning to get frustrated, and Mildred was beginning to fidget.

“Try thinking about the day Mildred was born, Miss Hubble. That’s got to be a big memory.”

“I wasn’t there,” Hecate ground out, before she could catch herself.

“Oh. Sorry. Wrong mum, then,” Charity said, slightly flustered. “How about the first time you held her then? Or her first steps?”

Hecate squeezed her eyes closed but not before she’d seen Charity’s puzzled expression – or the looks she was getting from the other mums. She’d seen those looks too many times in her life – the ones that said you’re a freak, you aren’t good enough for this. You don’t belong here. Hecate could feel her breath coming faster and faster. Lights started dancing in her eyes and her blood roared in her ears, blocking out everyone’s words. Worst of all, she could feel her magic raging through her, coiling in her chest like a viper getting ready to strike. “I have to go! I’m sorry…Ada…I need to…” She needed to get away from the crowd of witches before the white-knuckle grip she had on her magic slipped. “Mildred! You have to…GET UP!” When Mildred didn’t move fast enough, Hecate dumped her out of her lap and disappeared with a crack.

“Oh, dear,” Ada said. “That’s not good.” She checked to make sure Mildred was okay, reassured her that sometimes Hecate just did this sort of thing and asked Charity to keep an eye on the girl while she went to check on her daughter. Once that was settled, Ada judged that it had been long enough that she could see about Hecate. She gave Mildred one last wink, raised her hand and vanished.

Ada transferred herself just outside the cabin; she’d followed the trail of Hecate’s magic but didn’t wish to upset her further by appearing out of thin air if Hecate truly wanted to be left alone. She tapped on the door before edging it open just enough to poke her head inside. She spied Hecate sitting on the bed, knees pulled up as she cradled Mr. Monkey to her chest. “May I come in, dear?” When Hecate nodded, Ada stepped into the cabin, slowly taking in the broken table and scorch marks on the floor. With a few quick spells she repaired the damage from Hecate’s errant magic before making her way across the room. She paused at the foot of the bed and held out her hands. She could still feel the static of Hecate’s loose magic in the air.

“How’s Mildred?” Hecate wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Confused, I think? Wondering what she’s done wrong, perhaps, but we can sort that out in a bit. I’d rather sort you out first.”

Hecate barked out a harsh laugh and clutched the toy tighter. “If that were possible, don’t you think we’d have managed by now?”

“May I?” Ada gestured to her side of the bed. Permission granted, she climbed in and sat next to Hecate, close enough that their shoulders were almost – almost – touching. “Do you remember when you first came to Cackle’s? It was a bit of a dark time for you. You would have those terrible night terrors.”

Hecate nodded. “You heard me one night. I’d forgotten to set the silencing spells.”

“Actually, I’d heard you several nights when I’d been on rounds. It took me a few times before I worked up the courage to knock. It occurred to me that one time might be forgetfulness, but by the fourth time…Well, I thought perhaps you didn’t actually forget the spells, rather, you knew you needed help but didn’t know how to ask.”

“You’ve always seen right through me,” Hecate smiled wryly.

“No dear, I’ve simply tried to see you. Do you remember what we used to do back then, when you needed to talk?” Hecate nodded, and Ada lifted her arm, drawing the younger woman against her side, tucking Hecate’s head under her chin. She allowed her Deputy to take a few shuddering breaths and settle in against her. “When you’re ready, would you like to tell me what happened tonight?”

Hecate nodded, gripping her pocket watch tightly. “All that talk about family…I don’t…I’ve never truly had that…It just…it got to be too much. Too many people, too much emotion and magic swirling in the air. I kept looking at all those other women, listening to them talk about the memories of their daughters and I…I felt like such a fraud. The first time I ever held Mildred was tonight, Ada. Mildred deserves… to have someone who’s not so…closed off, who’s not so cold. I can’t even manage to pretend for a weekend without falling apart and ruining things for her - and you. I’m not…this…I’m not enough…I’m just…a fraud” Tears streamed down her face, and she curled herself into Ada, wrapping her arms around her waist, trying not to lose control.

Shocked that Hecate had said so much, Ada gave the woman a moment to calm herself. “Dearest Hecate, you must know that you are the closest thing to a daughter that I will ever have. I could not love you more if I had given birth to you myself.” She felt more than heard Hecate’s sharp intake of breath. “I also like to think that in some small way I have been able to fill a tiny bit of the hole left by your mother. Do I feel like a fraud to you?”

Hecate shook her head. “Never. You’ve only ever been kind to me, Ada. Even when I’ve not deserved it and even when I tried to push you away, you never let me. I love you too, Ada, for what it’s worth, I have loved you since that very first night.”

“It’s worth a great deal to me, Hecate. You are worth a great deal to me. So, can we both agree that we are as much a family as any of those other witches, blood ties be damned?” She felt Hecate nod, hesitantly at first, then with more conviction. Good, she thought, we’re halfway there. “Now, what does it matter if tonight was the first time you’ve ever held Mildred? Are you truly going to sit here, reduced to tears because you’re afraid you’ve somehow failed her and try and convince me that you don’t love her?”

Hecate was quiet for a moment. “No,” she whispered. “I – I do…love her. Great Merlin’s beard, but I love that wretched girl. But, Ada, what if I’m not good enough? We aren’t talking about some potions lesson. Julie wants me to be responsible for her. What if I don’t know what to do and I make a mistake?” Just like tonight, she thought, the unsaid words hanging over them as if she’d spoken them aloud.

Ada gently nudged Hecate up so she could look her in the eye. “Dear, dear Hecate. Sometimes I wish I could set my magic to all those fools who made you believe that if you weren’t perfect you were worthless. You are good enough because you love her, and you will make mistakes because you’re human. And when you do, you’ll right them because you love her and she’ll forgive you because she loves you as well.”

“And because she’s Mildred Hubble,” Hecate said, sniffling still.

“And because she’s Mildred Hubble,” Ada laughed. She summoned a handkerchief and wiped the tears from Hecate’s face, smiling gently. “Shall I go full-on mother-mode and spit on it to get you properly shined up?”

“I’d rather you not, I think.” She took a deep breath and gave Ada one more hug, kissing her on the cheek as she did. “I think I’m ready to go back now. May I?” Ada nodded; in a flash they were back in the circle, sitting on their mat. Hecate looked over to see Mildred across the circle, next to Charity. The rest of the mothers were studiously avoiding making any eye contact.

Charity nudged Mildred, who was drawing in the dirt with a stick and didn’t see them appear. Ada moved back behind Hecate, squeezing her shoulders in encouragement. Hecate said nothing, only held her hand out, beckoning Mildred to come and take it.

Mildred hesitated, trying to work out how HB was feeling, but she couldn’t tell. She shuffled across the circle, taking HB’s outstretched hand once she got there. “I’m sorry for before. I shouldn’t have…”

“Mildred Hubble.” As always, her full name was enough to still Mildred’s lips. “You have nothing to apologize for. Now, please sit down.” Mildred moved to sit down beside her, but Hecate tugged her over until the girl practically fell into her lap. “It’s all right, Mildred.” She tried to reassure the girl, but it didn’t make Mildred any less stiff. Hecate’s insecurities started to creep in again until Ada, dear, sweet Ada, whispered into her ear that she’s doing fine and squeezed her shoulders again. It was enough. It made Hecate feel as though she was enough, even if it was for only these few moments.

Releasing Mildred’s hand, Hecate wrapped her arms around Mildred and pulled her back against her chest. “Listen to me very carefully, Mildred Hubble – none of this was your fault.” Hecate rested her chin on the girl’s shoulder, and spoke, her voice low and soft in Mildred’s ear. “Please do not feel bad or be sorry, because you did nothing wrong. My…difficulties… have always been my own. Your mother has asked me to care for you and nurture you, and I freely admit that I’m not very good at those things. No matter how…no matter how much I love you, I may never be good at those things. Therefore, I must beg your understanding and I’m sure your forgiveness – many times.” She felt Mildred’s arms tighten around hers, and suddenly her heart seemed to be working a bit better. “And when I make mistakes or when I’m cold or do something that hurts your feelings… I hope that you will remember that it is always, only, ever my fault.” Somehow, Hecate must have managed to say the right thing because suddenly Mildred twisted herself around and flung her own arms around Hecate’s neck.

Ada pulled them both into a tight hug, feeling their magic flare and mingle, just like the exercises had tried to make it do. She smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Hecate’s head, feeling as much like a family as any other witch at the retreat.

At last, Charity announced that the program was over and the groups were welcome to make their way to the stone amphitheater in the middle of the campsite so they could begin their last night campfire. There would be s’mores, music and silly skits to finish off the evening.

Hecate leaned into Ada and whispered, “Do you reckon the Girl Guide is in charge of this part?”

“I certainly hope so. It’s been years since I’ve eaten a proper s’more,” Ada said, eyes twinkling.

“Then we’d best be moving along.” Hecate helped Ada to her feet. They started walking towards the amphitheater, but Mildred grabbed Hecate’s sleeve, pulling them to a stop. “What is it, Mildred?”

The girl looked around, making sure none of the other women were in earshot. “We can go back to the cabin, Miss Hardbroom. We don’t have to go to the campfire.”

“Do you not wish to go to the campfire, Mildred?” Ada sounded surprised.

Hecate frowned. “Enid and Maud will be there. Don’t you want to join your friends?”

“I do, but,” Mildred poked at the ground with the toe of her trainer. “It’s just that it’s going to be loud and there’s going to be a lot of people there and I know that sometimes that’s too much for you, and so I thought that…” she trailed off, not certain what she wanted to say and worried that she’d already said too much.

“You thought that you’d spare me all of that because of what happened before.” Mildred shrugged, focused on the dirt she was shifting around with her shoe. “That’s very kind of you, Mildred.” Hecate reached out and lifted Mildred’s chin until their eyes met. “It’s a noble witch indeed that puts another’s needs ahead of her own wishes. But,” she patted the girl’s cheek, “in this instance, as long as I don’t have to have any more feelings, I think I can manage to survive.” She straightened up and held a hand out for Mildred, who happily took it. “Besides, after Ada’s reaction, I’m quite curious to learn about these s’mores Charity was going on about.”

Enid was the first to spot them, waving and shouting as though she hadn’t just seen Mildred at swimming that afternoon. A large bonfire blazed in the middle of the amphitheater, already surrounded by a dozen or more dancing witches. The Spellbodys and Nightshades had magicked up a smaller firepit off to the side, much more suitable for toasting marshmallows and keeping their eyebrows intact.

“Well met…Hubbles,” grinned Maud’s mother.

“Well met, Sisters,” Ada responded, pressing her hand to her forehead. She eyed the marshmallows greedily until Enid’s mother laughingly pressed a toasting fork into her hands. “All right girls, gather ‘round.” The girls stepped closer, and Ada motioned for Hecate to come forward as well. “Who all has had a s’more before?” Everyone’s hand shot up – except Hecate’s. “Oh, dear,” Ada shook her head sadly while Hecate rolled her eyes. “After all these years of Miss Hardbroom teaching you so many wonderful potions, I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to teach her the fine art of making s’mores?”

“Yes, Miss Cackle!” they chorused. Enid grabbed the toasting forks and the marshmallows while Maud snatched up the biscuits and chocolate bars. Mildred grabbed Hecate and led her to the fire. As usual, Maud was ready with instructions.

“First, put the marshmallow on your stick.”

“Wrong!” Enid interrupted. “First put the chocolate on the biscuit so it’s ready for your marshmallow.”

“Well, of course, Enid,” Maud huffed, “that part goes without saying.” Enid and Mildred shared a look and then rolled their eyes. They laid out their s’mores directly on the picnic table. Hecate made a choking sound before magicking paper mats under each stack of biscuits and chocolate.

Ada shook her head. “It’s meant to have a bit of dirt in it, Hecate.”

“Nothing is meant to have a bit of dirt in it, Ada.”

“HB!” Maud beckoned her back to the fire. “Now you’re ready to toast your marshmallow. You have to hold it just so,” she waved her stick, “close enough to the fire that it turns a nice golden brown, but not so close that it catches on fire itself.”

“You could do it that way,” Enid drawled, “if you don’t mind being as old as Miss Bat when it’s ready.” She shoved her marshmallow directly into the fire, pulling it out once it was in flames and waiting for it to be fully consumed. “That’s how you do a proper marshmallow.” She sandwiched it between the chocolate and biscuits and pulled her stick away, taking her first bite of s’more before Maud’s marshmallow had even a hint of color.

“That does seem faster, if you want to eat charcoal.” Hecate looked at Enid skeptically. The girl already had marshmallow smeared from one ear to the other.

This kicked off a spirited debate on the merits of toasting versus charring, pitting friend against friend, mother against daughter. It took an unseemly number of taste tests before they agreed to disagree and moved on to discussing other desserts that could be toasted over the fire.

After a bit, Ada noticed that Hecate had seated herself at the far end of the picnic table, putting as much distance between herself and the rambunctious girls as possible. She excused herself, winking at Mildred’s slightly worried look. Brushing her hands off on her khakis, Ada went and took a seat opposite her potions mistress. “I think it’s safe to say we’ve given them enough sugar that they’ll be bouncing around that bonfire for quite some time.” Even in the shadows Ada could see the tension in Hecate’s shoulders and the way she was rubbing her thumbs against each other in her lap.

“I rather suspect that’s true.” Her lips pulled into a tight smile. “I’m all right, Ada.”

“I know you are, dear.” She reached across the table and squeezed Hecate’s arm. “I also thought that our erstwhile tent campers might appreciate some s’mores as well. I hoped you might be willing to make a delivery?”

Hecate brightened immediately. “You mean take some to Pippa and Julie?” Ada nodded. “Of course, but…” she frowned. “I don’t know where they are.” She waved her arm at the bonfire. “With all this magic around, I don’t think a locator spell will work.” She tried not to look as disappointed as she felt.

Ada smiled and removed the brooch from her sweater. “This is a Twin Pin. I assume you’ve heard of those?” Hecate shook her head no. It was a pewter crescent moon. It felt heavier in her hand than it should. “It’s actually a bit of modern magic, quite clever, really. You see, this is just half of the set. If there’s someone you always want to be able to find, you wear one half and they wear the other. Whenever you want to be with the other person, you simply think about joining the two pieces together and transfer. It works more like a portal so it doesn’t matter how far away the other person is. When you’re ready to come back, just think about where you came from and transfer again.”

“Thank you, Ada.” Hecate pinned the brooch to her own shirt, just over her heart. “I think I will make that s’more delivery after all.” She held out her hands and summoned the two s’mores that Enid and Mildred had just finished putting together. They appeared in her hands, wrapped in silver tinfoil.

“No fair!”

“Hey!

“Sorry, girls! I’ve got an emergency delivery to make!” She imagined the two halves of the pin joining together and blinked out of sight.

She popped into a quiet clearing, no noise save the crackle of a small campfire.

“Hecate!” Pippa squeaked, her voice delighted.

“Shhh. Just give me a minute to enjoy the silence.” She stood, breathing deeply for a count of twenty before opening her eyes. “This is lovely.” The tiny clearing was just perfect. Their tent was tucked into the edge of the woods. Pippa and Julie sat in folding camp chairs by the fire, looking rumpled and comfortable in flannel shirts and sweatpants. “I come bearing gifts: s’mores.”

“That’s what we forgot!” Julie hauled herself out of her chair. “This is why I like her best.” She pulled a bottle from the cooler that her feet had been resting on and topped off the glass in her hand. “You deserve a reward for this. C’mon, Pip, poof her a chair.” She traded Hecate the glass of wine for the s’more.

Hecate accepted the wine gratefully, downing half the glass before lowering herself into the chair that had appeared next to Pippa’s. “Nice pin,” she said, eyeing the pewter star fastened to Pippa’s shirt. She handed over the remaining s’more.

“It is a handy bit of modern magic, isn’t it? Yours looks lovely on you.” She unwrapped her s’more. “Ooh, this one has the burnt bits. Perfect. She nibbled at the corner. “You remembered how I like things that are all dark on the outside, but soft and sweet on the inside.” She grinned and waggled her eyebrows.

Hecate blushed into her wine.

“All right you two, third wheel over here, let’s not forget.” She took a bite of her s’more. “I’ll tell you what’s lovely – these are lovely.” She swallowed another bite. “How’s it going at the retreat, Mother Hubble?”

“It’s been…touch and go, I’d say. Sometimes it’s been easy and even fun, other times, not so much.”

“You’ve just described motherhood, love.”

“Tonight there was a bit of an incident. I lost control, and I upset Mildred.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at Julie.

“What happened, Hiccup?” Pippa reached across the chairs and laced her fingers with Hecate’s.

“We were supposed to be sharing magic and talking about our feelings and… I couldn’t make the magic work and this infant of a facilitator kept trying to make suggestions and Ada had her hands on my shoulder and Mildred was in my lap…”

“Oh, Hiccup. No wonder you had a hard time. That sounds like it would be too much for almost anyone. What did you do?”

She drained the rest of the wine from her glass. “I hyperventilated, dumped Mildred onto the ground and transferred to our cabin – which, I might add, I nearly burned to ashes with my sparkers. You remember what that’s like.” Pippa nodded. Hecate looked nervously at Julie, surprised to find sympathy in the blonde’s eyes. “After a bit Ada came and sorted me out.”

“Ada’s been very good for you, Hiccup. I’m so pleased that you wound up with her at Cackle’s.” She squeezed Hecate’s hand. “And how’s Mildred?”

“We went back to the seminar and I…I put her back in my lap and told her that my problems weren’t her fault and that I was sorry and…anyway, she hugged me so I guess I’m forgiven.” She shrugged at Julie. “Right now, she’s so hopped up on sugar she probably won’t sleep until term begins again.” She pulled her hand free from Pippa and rubbed her temples before continuing. “I am sorry about upsetting her. I don’t know why I thought I could do this. About me being her…magic mum…clearly I’m not capable of it. I can help you find someone better suited…” Her voice failed her, and she scrubbed the tears out of her eyes.

Julie was across the campsite almost as fast as if she’d transferred. Kneeling in front of Hecate, she placed her hands on the arms of the camp chair, careful not to touch her. “There’s only one thing I want to say to you.” She waited until Hecate’s eyes rose to meet hers. “Congratulations, Hecate Hardbroom, it’s a girl.”

“I don’t understand. I yelled at her.” Pippa began rubbing soothing circles on her back, releasing soothing bits of magic into her muscles.

“Yes, you did. After you were frustrated and overwhelmed, then you took care of yourself and then you fixed it. Do you honestly think I’ve never done the same thing? I’ve yelled at Millie. I’ve been short with her, been frustrated and taken those frustrations out on her when she didn’t deserve it. Every mum does that at one point or another. Even me. Even you. The point is, you apologized and fixed it and you both moved on. That is why I absolutely want you to be the one that looks out for Millie in the magical world.” She patted Hecate’s arm and stood up, groaning. “Bloody hell, my knees are not what they used to be.” She crossed back to her chair and picked up a bag. “Now, this third wheel is going to go to the bath house and take a shower. I’ll make plenty of noise on my way back.”

“No need to keep calling yourself the third wheel, Mrs. Hubble,” Hecate sighed. She couldn’t believe she was telling them this. “Not since Mildred made a family portrait featuring both of her mothers.”

“She didn’t!” Julie exclaimed, gleefully laughing at Hecate’s pinched expression. “Are we married then?”

“Apparently so, at least as far as Charity and the rest of the mums in second session arts and crafts are concerned. They want me to make sure my wife can make it next year.”

“Little do they know that you’re married to the magicless black sheep, Mrs. Hubble.” Still laughing, she headed for the lodge. She turned back at the edge of the campsite. “Oy, Hardbroom! I want a proper anniversary present next year.”

They watched her leave down the small trail leading to the facilities. Once she rounded a curve, Pippa cupped Hecate’s cheek. “Are you feeling better, Hiccup? I can still feel your magic being all spikey.”

“It’s better now. The peace and quiet is helping. You’re helping. The wine is helping.” At that, she summoned the bottle over and refilled her and Pippa’s glasses. She leaned forward with a groan as Pippa started rubbing her thumb up the side of her neck, right where her headaches had always started. Did Ada really expect her to come back, she wondered? “You keep doing that, Pipsqueak, and I might not head back.”

“You’ll hear no complaints from me about that, darling. That air mattress is about the same size as our cots from school. Remember when we used to have sleepovers? We can make it work.”

“Hm, except we aren’t the same size as we were in school.” She sat up and rolled her neck and shoulders, feeling a satisfying pop as some of her joints clicked back into place.

“I suppose not,” Pippa said, sighing before taking another bite of her s’more. They sipped their wine in companionable silence, Pippa now tracing random patterns on Hecate’s knee, Hecate more than content to let her do it.

Finally, Hecate couldn’t put it off any longer. “I’m afraid I have to get back to the madness, Pip, much as I’m enjoying being here with you.”

“It is nice, isn’t it? Maybe we could come back here? Just the two of us?”

“I can’t think of anything nicer, Pipsqueak, truly.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Pippa said, suddenly looking a bit nervous. She stood, holding a hand out to help Hecate from her chair. “In fact, I’m so glad that I’d like to do something, if that’s all right with you.” She turned around so she was facing Hecate, only inches away. “I don’t want to frighten you…or make you feel obligated in any way. You don’t have to say or do anything and…well, if it makes you uncomfortable, we don’t ever have to do it again.” She reached up a trembling hand and lightly traced the curve of Hecate’s jaw. “But I think I might die if I don’t do this at least one time.” She leaned forward on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Hecate’s.

It took Hecate a moment to realize what was happening, but then her hand was on Pippa’s waist, crushing the flannel shirt in her fist. Pippa’s lips were gentle and soft, sweet and a little bit sticky from the s’mores. Perfect, she thought.

Too soon Pippa was pulling away, eyes searching hers, filled with hope and longing. Hecate was too overcome to say anything, but she could smile and she did – full and bright and beaming back at Pippa. Suddenly, Hecate found her arms full of Pippa Pentangle, hugging her so tight she struggled to breathe. The fire sparked and flared, but she wasn’t sure if it was caused by her magic or Pip’s.

“Thank you, Hiccup. That was everything I’d been dreaming it would be for the last thirty years.”

Finally, Hecate found her voice. “You would have to do that when I have to go, wouldn’t you?”

Pippa laughed and sobbed at the same time. “I had to do it before I lost my nerve.” She stepped back and smoothed the collar on Hecate’s shirt. “Are you okay? Was that okay?”

“More than okay, Pipsqueak.” She tucked a bit of hair behind Pippa’s ear. “It was perfect. And we won’t wait another thirty years for the next one.”

Hecate popped back to their table, still grinning from ear to ear. “HB!” Mildred jumped up to greet her. “Did you go see my mum? And Miss Pentangle?”

“I did indeed, Mildred Hubble.” She leaned down and booped Mildred on the nose. “Your mother says thank you very much for the s’more.” She turned around to find Ada grinning up at her. “Ada! Here is your pin back.” She reached up to remove the brooch but stopped when Ada started shaking her head.

“That pin was always meant for you, dear. I was merely keeping it until you needed it.” She leaned in so she wouldn’t have to shout. “I take it you had a lovely visit?” Hecate grinned again and nodded. Ada took a whiff of her deputy and shook her head. “I see they have better beverages at their campsite. I should have delivered the s’mores myself.” She reached out and squeezed Hecate’s elbow. “I do hope, my dear, that the next time circumstances are weighing on you heavily, you’ll remember how you are feeling right now. Nothing bad could possibly compare.”

“I’ll try, Ada. I truly will.”

“Good.” She squeezed Hecate’s elbow once more. “Now that you’ve returned, I think old Granny Hubble is going to make her way to bed. I’ll see you two later.”

“Sleep well, Ada. We’ll be along shortly.” Once Ada transferred away, Hecate looked at the table where Mildred sat, watching her. “Where are the other girls, Mildred?”

“Out there,” she pointed to the bonfire. “They’re dancing.”

She looked to the fire where dozens of witches were dancing to what sounded like YMCA by the Village People. In a moment the chorus arrived and Hecate recognized the hand motions. Definitely YMCA. “Why aren’t you out there with them?”

Mildred shrugged. “I don’t really know how to dance, all I can do is play Dance Dance Revolution, but it isn’t really the same.”

“Well Mildred Hubble, tonight is your lucky night.” She dragged Mildred to her feet. “I know I told you earlier that there are things that I am not good at, but, thanks to one very persistent Pippa Pentangle, dancing is not one of them. Come along, Mildred, let’s teach you to dance – last one there has to eat an entire slice of Miss Tapioca’s pickle pie!”

Sunday

Dimity checked the clock again; she knew Hardbroom and Miss Cackle should be back any time and once they were, well, HB better hold on to her hat when she caught up with her. She’d just finished tea with Miss Bat, when she decided to stop by her rooms. When she opened the door, she spotted him, Mr. Monkey, sitting on her sofa, tiny arms posed into an obscene gesture Dimity didn’t even think HB would know.

She rushed to the sofa, scooping him up and inspecting him for damages but found none. “She didn’t hurt you, did she Mr. Monkey? That mean old Miss Hardbroom?” She spotted the maglet on the sofa, ‘Read Me’ written in… Miss Cackle’s handwriting? “Well I’ll be a bat without a belfry, Mr. Monkey, Hardbroom’s turned Miss Cackle to the dark side.”

Dimity tapped the maglet. It opened to the first picture of Mr. Monkey lighting the fireplace in their cabin, followed by him poking a hornet’s net with a stick, sticking out from a kiln, making a macaroni necklace, having extremely inappropriate relations with what appeared to be a taxidermied badger. The pictures went on and on, finally ending with a picture of Mildred Hubble, sound asleep with Mr. Monkey cradled against her chest. “Hardbroom, you old shrew!” She looked back at her stuffed animal. “You had a better bleedin’ holiday than I did!”

#hicsqueak #hecate hardbroom #hecate's summer playlist #pippa pentangle

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