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maladaptive-day-dreams · 2 years

Note

why good day and hello!

lovely to be acquainted with the talented writer behind some of the lovely examples I've read! I do hope you're starting the day swell ♡

as we jump into the spooky season, i was kinda curious of the concept of vampire!eddie forming a sweet bond with a shy!hunter reader; perhaps in due time it opens the both up more and blossom into some special?

I am SO sorry this took so long😅life got hella busy and this got 3k words longer than intended🫣

Unlikely Friends

vamp!eddie x gn!shy!vamp hunter!reader, angst & fluff, 4.7k words

CW: blood/mention of blood, new vampire hunter reader, talk of duty, verbal teasing, sweet moments, parental disowning, Steve being a bit of a dick, worried Dustin

You’re new to the whole “vampire hunter” thing. Your dad sprung it on you last month on your 20th birthday and you started training the next day.

You still don’t know how you got here though—wandering through the dark forest of Hawkins Indiana with only a stake gun and some vervain shots.

“You got this kid, you’ll do great,” your dad had said as he gave you the weapons and gently pushed you towards the woods.

That seemed far fetched considering you could barely deal with the sight of blood in anatomy class when you dissected frogs or at the doctors office after you fainted that day when they had to take blood to check you out.

But here you are, stake gun in hand, eyes wide open and searching, ears alert, heart racing. Each of your steps are calculated. Remembering that your dad mentioned there was a sighting at a bonfire by the Harrington’s place that was the first place you headed. As you closed in on the Harrington house, the hairs on the back of your neck stood up and you spun around to catch a flash…of a leather jacket?

Without thinking you aimed and fired a stake at the blur that ran in front of you, sharpened wood barreling through the air only to splinter into pieces as it made contact with a tree ten feet in front of you.

“Not even gonna buy me dinner before you try and kill me?”

The voice was soft but powerful, not menacing like your father made vampires out to be. “Ruthless, fucking blood suckers. Monsters,” he’d say.

You hesitantly step back, your back meeting a tree trunk after a few steps. You close your eyes and breathe deeply trying to still your racing heart.

“Sweetheart, your heartbeat is racing. Are you excited to see me?” The voice teased again.

You didn’t respond, squeezing your eyes shut tighter in the hopes that when you opened them you’d be at home and not still in the woods. A shiver ran up your spine and your eyes shot open to see a man before you.

His eyes are a deep, chocolate brown with specks of amber. His dark hair falls in loose and frizzy waves just past his shoulders. A breeze picks up his scent of cigarettes, dewy moss and something salty but sweet. And as your eyes search his face, his plump lips curl up into a toothy smile that bares his fangs for you to see.

Your breath catches and you squeeze your eyes shut again, turning your head to the side. His hot breath hits your now exposed neck and you hear him inhale deeply.

“Fuck, darling. You smell good.”

You whimper, “please let me go home. I just want to go home.”

At that, you feel the vampire’s presence leave you. Opening your eyes to empty woods again you run all the way home, doing your best not to trip on any tree roots. ____

It’s been three days since your encounter in the woods. You try and acclimate into your new environment by walking the new mall in town—apparently the last one caught fire. You pop into a few stores and soon find yourself at the ice cream shop in the food court.

“Hello! Welcome to Scoops Ahoy, what can I get a sweet newcomer like you?” A kind-eyed brown haired man asks. You look between him and his female coworker before checking what flavors they have.

“Can I get a single scoop of Buttered Pecan in a cup please?”

“Anything for you darling,” he says with a smile.

You watch him work, his name tag catching the light, Steve. Looking to his coworker you see her name tag reads Robin. According to your dad’s notes a guy named Steve and girl named Robin were at the Harrington house when the vampire was last seen. As Steve finishes getting your scoop and brings it to the register you catch a flash of skin on his wrist where his sweatband rose. He pushed it back down quickly but you swore you saw fang marks.

“How much?” You ask.

“On the house today for the newbie in town,” Steve smiles.

“Oh,” you will your cheeks not to heat but alas, they do and now you’re blushing at a stranger. “Thank you.”

You take your ice cream and make your way to a table to finish it, staying close enough to hear Robin and Steve’s conversation.

“Ah another loss for King Steve.”

“Shut it Robin. What are we going to do about Eddie? He took from me last time—a lot honestly, I almost passed out—and none of the kids are free to help us. He can’t hunt animals for shit and there’s no way for us to like steal any, so what do we do? He’s gonna starve if we don’t do something.”

“I don’t know Steve. We’ll figure something out, we always do.”

Eddie. The name rolls around in your head. Could that be the name of the vampire that spared you? Could he be different? No, he took blood from his friend. But Steve said kids? He has to be different for there to be kids involved right? But with everything Dad has taught me, he can’t be different. Can he? ______

Dad had the radio scanner going last night and he caught a walkie talkie transmission between Steve a kid named Dustin—probably one of the ones Steve said was out of town a few days ago. So here you are getting dropped off at the same trailhead Dad let you out at last Saturday. Stake gun in hand plus something else in your satchel that your dad doesn’t need to know about.

You walk slowly into the tree line, heart beating rapidly like usual. Once you’ve made it into the thick of the woods your eyes move from your surroundings to your feet so you don’t trip on anything.

“Are you nervous, darling?” A familiar voice asks.

Your breath hitches and you stop dead in your tracks.

“Is that why you’re looking down?”

You close your eyes and focus on steadying your breathing.

“Awe, c’mon sweetheart, I hate one-sided conversations.”

You still didn’t move, eyes still closed, heart hammering in your chest. But when you hear his footsteps circle you and feel a hand run across your stomach and around your back, you drop your head and plead. “Please, I’m sorry, my father is making me do this, look for you. I don’t want to, Eddie.”

His steps stop when you utter his name.

“Eddie?” You slowly lift your head and open your eyes to find another empty forest before you. You breathe slowly and unpack your satchel. You put out your two water bottles, one filled with the rabbits blood from the three rabbits you trapped early last week for Dad’s rabbit stew and the other with deers blood from the buck your dad shot two days ago that’s currently curing for venison jerky. You had labeled the bottles crudely with a sharpie—trying your best not to pass out from the sight of blood—before shoving them into your satchel and covering them with a jacket. You also left the note, settled between the two bottles on the fallen tree a few feet away from you.

Hi Eddie , (I hope you’re who Steve was talking about on Wednesday, if not sorry for misnaming you).

I’m (Y/N) (Y/L/N). My father is a vampire hunter from Louisiana and he brought us up here when he first heard about the “animal attacks” that happened after the “earthquake.” He kinda sprung it on me. I didn’t even know vampires were a thing until my 20th birthday a week and a half ago when he forced me to start training.

I promise I don’t want to do this. I don’t even want to be here, but he’s all I’ve got left and it’s my “duty” as a (Y/L/N). There’s deer and rabbit blood in the bottles for you, so you can give Steve a break until Dustin and the other kids come back in to town.

I’m sorry, (Y/N)

______

It’s become a Saturday night tradition for Dad to drop you at the edge of the woods. So as you make your way past the trailhead and into the trees, hearing the car drive off behind you, you close your eyes and breathe. Your satchel is heavier this time so the walk to the fallen tree takes a bit more out of you. By the time you get to the tree and sit down, your breathing heavy and your heartbeat is high.

“Comfortable enough to sit down now huh?” Eddie says.

You don’t respond, still nervous in the presence of a vampire. This time he walks slowly to you, instead of running like a flash of wind.

“You gonna actually talk to me this time, (Y/N)?”

You swallow, “you read the letter?”

“Yeah and the blood actually lasted me a little while,” he says coming to sit on the rock across from you. “Thanks for that.”

You smile at him.

“You don’t talk much do you?” He laughs.

A blush rises to your cheeks, “sorry.”

“It’s alright sweetheart, I don’t mind doing all the talking.”

You unpack your satchel in front of him. This time pulling out three bottles of blood for him, on top of a new shirt and a fresh pair of socks.

“Damn, you really know how to take care of a guy.”

You laugh as you toss him the shirt and socks. “I got you a hair tie too,” this time you get up and walk over to him to give it to him.

He looks up at you from where he sits on the rock and smiles. Eyes glinting in the moonlight and fangs bared. You’re not afraid this time, instead you look at him with curiosity.

“Might wanna take a picture darling, it’ll last longer,” he smirks as he takes the scrunchie from you and ties back his hair.

You shyly lower your eyes and step back, turning your back towards him as you retreat to your perch on the fallen tree. You don’t hear him move but you feel his body beside you moments after you reach the tree.

“Fuck, Jesus,” you say, hand over your heart.

“Sorry,” he laughs, hand reaching up to rub at his neck. “Still trying to get used to the speed.”

“It’s okay,” reaching towards the bottles you hand them to him one-by-one. “There’s rabbit in this one but it might be a bit old, dad made stew again earlier this week. And these two are wild turkey, they have a lot more blood than you’d think.”

“Thank you, (Y/N). Really. Steve was thankful too when I saw him last.”

“You’re welcome,” you sit back down on the tree and pull out a sandwich from your pack. “Do you mind if I-?”

“If you eat? So long as you don’t mind if I drink,” he laughs lightly.

You shake your head no, “I don’t mind.”

So you sit in silence, having your meals in the woods together. Both of you thankful for the company. ______

You look forward to Saturdays now. Dad thinks it’s because you’re enjoying the hunt but really it’s because you’re enjoying your weekly midnight dinners with Eddie. You’re going on four months of knowing Eddie and helping him. Two Saturdays ago you let Eddie tell Steve who was getting him blood, and this Saturday Steve, Robin and Dustin have come to meet you.

You get to the fallen tree first, perching criss-cross applesauce atop it. And shortly before you finish unpacking your and Eddie’s dinners, someone closes their hands around your eyes.

“Hmm, I wonder who that could be,” you laugh. “Eddie, quit teasing!”

Eddie’s laugh bellows behind you as he takes his hands off your eyes and hugs you around the waist from behind. You lean your head up to look at him and match the smile on his face with one of your own.

“Well I’ll be damned, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Eddie hug someone other than the kids or Uncle Wayne,” a familiar feminine voice comes from behind Eddie. Robin, Steve and Dustin were trailing behind Eddie who probably sprinted to get to you before they could ruin the surprise.

Eddie lets go of your waist and hops onto the tree beside you, sitting down and going for a bottle of blood.

“Eddie hold on I didn’t tell you what it is this week,” you laugh trying to grab the bottle from him. Steve leans agains a tree across from the log you and Eddie are sitting on while Robin and Dustin sit on the rock beside him.

“What if I wanted to guess this week?”

“There’s not much for us to hunt in Indiana so it would be an easy guess,” you laugh.

“Well, your dad makes rabbit stew like every week so I know one of these is rabbit.” He looks to you and you nod in confirmation.

“It won’t be stale this week, we went hunting on Thursday so everything is only two days old.”

“I’m sorry did you just say blood can go stale?” Dustin asks.

“I mean, not necessarily ‘stale’ but it gets more clotted the longer it sits out and I don’t want my dad asking questions so I can’t keep these in the fridge at home.”

“Oh right, yeah, your vampire hunter dad,” Steve scoffs. “Can we really trust them Eddie?”

You look down at your hands at Steve’s comment and Eddie notices. His hand comes to rest on your shaking knee.“Shut it, Harrington,” he bites.

“I’m just saying. Their dad is a vampire hunter, they’re literally only here to kill you. Why are we blindly trusting them? Just because they decided not to kill him yet and to feed him instead?”

“Steve,” Robin whispers.

“Don’t, Robin, you know I’m right.”

“C’mon man,” Dustin breathes.

“They could just be trying to get on Eddie’s good side so it’s easier for them to stab him in the back. They could be slowly poisoning him with the blood they bring! You guys know I’m right. We can’t trust a hunter,” Steve spits that last part at you with so much venom in his voice.

Your breathing grows heavier with Steve’s verbal assault and you feel tears prick at your eyes. Eddie can hear your heartbeat and he starts to get angry.

“Really, Steve? You decide to do this now? A week after they trusted me enough to let me tell you it was them keeping me alive? A week after they agreed to meet you guys? Right now?” Eddie doesn’t yell it but you can feel the anger radiating off of him as he sits beside you.

“Don’t,” you whisper. “Don’t fight about me being here. I-I’ll just go.” You pack up your satchel with your uneaten sandwich and get off the tree you sat on. “I brought you an extra blanket since it’s getting colder earlier. I know you probably have some already, but-“

“(Y/N), you don’t have to go,” Eddie says, his voice laced with sadness and…something else?

You shake your head and grab your bag, “it’s okay, Eds.”

You give him a soft smile and start the trek back to your house. ______

Next Saturday evening, you find Dad in the kitchen.

“I’m not feeling too well, can we skip this week?”

“Sure thing, everything alright?”

“Yeah I think I went too hard in training this week,” you give him a weak smile. “A day or two of rest should be fine. I should be good to go back out next week.”

You didn’t tell Eddie you wouldn’t be there.

He waited until sunrise for you.

The next Saturday was the same.

Eddie still waited.

The next Tuesday your dad left to get some supplies so you were home alone. Around lunch time there was a knock on the door. Hesitantly, you looked through the peep hole only to find Dustin nervously shifting from foot to foot outside your door.

“(Y/N),” he says drawing out the last part of your name. “Please open up, please. It’s Eddie, he’s not doing well.”

Your heart breaks, and so does your resolve. You open the door and silently welcome Dustin in.

“Fuck, okay okay (Y/N) this is Code Red. Eddie hasn’t eaten in two weeks. He can’t hunt to save his life and he won’t take from me, Steve, or Robin. He’s not doing well. He’s weak and slow and you can tell the lack of blood is really really bad for him, you have to do something.”

“Vampires will start to decay after 3 weeks of no blood. After 4 they’ll be petrified, after 6 they turn to ash.”

“Not helping, (Y/N), please, please talk to him.”

You finally look at the boy standing in your living room. His eyes are tired, he looks worried, and helpless. “I don’t know what this has to do with me.”

“Are you serious? You have got to be joking. Eddie is in love with you. That night we met you I could see it, Robin could see it, Steve could see it—which is why he was a serious asshole to you,” Dustin pauses and looks at your confused face. “He misses you. That’s why he won’t eat. He thinks you hate him. He doesn’t want to be someone you hate.”

“I-“

“Just, promise me you’ll meet him this Saturday. Please?” He pleads, hands outstretched, eyes wide and begging.

You nod, “okay. But you have to go now, my dad will be home soon.”

The same afternoon, in the woods:

Dad made a pit stop at the trailhead to see if he could catch sight of the vampire. What he didn’t think he’d find was a folded piece of paper with his kids name on it on a fallen tree. He was confused, so he opened it.

Hey (Y/N), I’m sorry about all that shit Steve said. Really, truly, so sorry. You and our midnight dinners mean a lot to me. Your company (and the blood you bring me) are honestly the only things keeping me around right now.

I’ve waited here, for you, for the last two Saturdays. I even waited on both Sundays just in case it was a mistake that you didn’t show.

I don’t know if you’ll ever meet up with me again, but I hope you do. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.

I miss you With love,

I’m sorry, Eddie

Dad stuffed the letter in his coat pocket and headed back to the car. A plan forming in his mind. He knows how to catch the disgusting vampire that convinced his precious child to turn their back on their duty as a (Y/L/N). ______

The following Saturday, you're dropped at the start of the trailhead and wave to your dad as he started the drive home. You start the trek to your spot slowly, trying to give yourself time to work up any courage you might need today.

But then something happened, and you hear a familiar voice but this time it screams.

Your body moves before you can tell it to, running as fast as you can to Eddie. You get to your spot and find him leaning against the tree you usually sit on, a stake in his left side and one in the side of his knee.

“(Y/N),” he smiled through tears as you fall to your knees beside him. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Stop, stop Eddie. It’s okay, there’s nothing to be sorry for.” Your hands hover over his wounds.

“(Y/N),” another familiar voice beckons. “Get away from the vampire, (Y/N).”

You turn and meet your dad’s gaze. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“Dad, no. He’s different. He-“

“(Y/N)!” He yells. “Don’t dishonor us like this. You have a duty to your family. To your history.”

Eddie places his hand on yours on the ground beside him. You tear your eyes from your dad to find Eddie’s.

“It’s okay, (Y/N). You’re okay.”

“Eds,” you say tears in your eyes.

“Step away, (Y/N).”

You squeeze Eddie’s hand. “This is gonna hurt Eds okay? But I need to take these out so you can start healing.”

“Okay,” Eddie winces as your hands find the stake in his knee.

“(Y/N), stop,” Dad orders. You remove the stake in Eddie's knee and look back to Dad, stake gun raised to Eddie’s chest. You stand and place yourself between Eddie and Dad.

“Get out of the way.”

“No.”

“Your going to throw away your history for a monster? That’s not how I raised you!” “No, Dad, it’s not. You raised me to be kind. Innocent until proven guilty. Eddie is not guilty. Eddie is innocent. He’s pure, and kind, and funny, and cares for those he loves. He’s not like the vampires you learned about in your childhood. He didn’t ask to become this, he wasn’t turned. He went to hell and came back. He went into the Upside Down, died in a parallel universe and he was resurrected by a supernatural being to destroy Hawkins. But he didn’t. He came back to his friends, he found his way back to the light. He. Is. Good.”

You hoped the story Dustin and Robin told you in at Scoops Ahoy on Thursday was true. Hoped that Dad would see that Eddie wasn’t inherently evil. That vampires could be good. You thought you had reached him when he lowered his stake gun.

“Are you really that far gone?” He asks, exasperated. “Did he compel you that well? Convince you so easily?”

“Dad, no-“

“Quiet,” he bites.

“Excuse me,” Dustin says from the left of you. “Hi, sorry.”

Dustin, Steve and Robin had their hands up as they walked closer to you all. You looked over and met Dustin’s eyes, mouthing I’m sorry to him.

“Everything they said is true,” Steve speaks next. “Eddie wasn’t turned by another vampire, we didn’t even know there were other vampires until you and (Y/N) came to town.”

“Yeah,” Robin chimed in. “Eddie was possessed by this evil guy named Vecna who killed like four of our friends. Vecna pulled a Frankenstein and changed Eddie before using him to try and get to us. But he was able to fight it. He’s good, we promise he’s good.”

“(Y/N)?” Eddie whispered behind you. You turned around and dropped to your knees between his legs.

“Hey, hey, look at me Eds,” you put both hands on his cheeks to lift his head. “You’re gonna be okay, are you healing?”

You look beside you to the wound on his knee that should be healed, only for it not to be. “Dustin, Dustin, were you able to get rabbit blood?” You ask frantically, looking over to him.

He nods no, hands still raised towards Dad.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” you mutter under your breath. “Hold on, Eds. Hold on. You don’t get to leave me just yet.”

You stand and face Dad. “You, you are going to leave.”

He stares at you. “How dare you.”

“How dare you. Holding a weapon at a three people you don’t know over a man you don’t know. I know Eddie. I know he’s good. What happened to trust, huh? You wanted me to trust you when you told me we came from a line of vampire hunters. To trust you to train me. To trust you to keep me safe. Where is your trust in me? Do you not think I’m skilled enough to know when an enemy is lying? When an enemy is an enemy? Eddie isn’t the enemy, Dad. Eddie is good. Please listen to me. Trust me."

Dad points his stake gun back at Eddie.

“DAD,” you yell, hot tears falling down your cheeks. “You can’t. I love him.”

That has the stake gun pointing to the ground. “You can’t.”

“I can. I do.”

Dad spits at the ground by your feet and you flinch. “You,” he pauses to look in your eyes. “Are no child of mine. You leave Hawkins, he dies.” He states pointing to Eddie.

“Dad,” you cry. “Pleas-“

“I have no children,” he states, turning and leaving you to tend to Eddie.

You choke back sobs as you kneel between Eddie’s legs again. “Eddie, Eddie look at me please.”

He doesn’t move. “Eddie?” You say frantically. “Eddie please, please don’t do this.”

You yank the second stake from his side and put your hands on either side of his neck to hold his head up.

“Eddie,” you cry. Blinking back tears you reach into your boot and pull out a small knife.

“Whoa, whoa whoa, (Y/N), what are you doing?” Steve asks as he, Robin and Dustin rush over to you and Eddie.

“He needs blood,” you say, steeling your nerves as you drag the blade across your palm. You bite your lip at the pain and lift your hand to rest on Eddie’s lips. “Please,” you beg in a low voice. “Please, Eddie. Please.”

“It’s working,” Dustin whispers. “His knee, his side, they’re healing.”

You breathe out a sad laugh, hand still resting on Eddie’s lips. His hands move, one coming to rest on your hip, the other on your wrist to push your bloodied hand away from him.

“No, no, no, Eddie. You need blood,” you say, pushing your hand closer to him.

“(Y/N), hold on,” he croaks from a dry throat. He looks to the other three, “can you guys give us a few minutes?”

“Oh, uh yeah,” Robin says nudging Steve and Dustin as they get up to walk towards Harrington’s house. “We’ll be at Harrington’s when you’re done!” She calls behind them.

“Eddie, please, drink.”

“Alright sweetheart, alright,” he chuckles, then winces. “I just wanted some privacy, sharing blood is a bit on the intimate side for me.”

“But Steve?”

“Yeah I never drank from his wrist, I would just bite him and then he would let it go into a cup or a bowl or something and then I’d give him my blood the same way to heal him up.”

“Oh, I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he smiles. “You didn’t know and I don’t think I’d be here if you hadn’t thought fast like that.” The hand that was on your waist, reaches up to your neck. “Thank you, darling. Thank you.”

You smile and offer him your palm again. This time he takes it willingly, lapping at the gash and drinking until you tap on his cheek that you need a break. Your head was fuzzy and your hand throbbed. As was something in your chest—a feeling, a warmth.

Eddie wiped his lips with the back of his hand before biting his wrist and reaching it towards you. You hesitantly take it and lift it to your lips, drinking a small amount, you both watch as your bleeding hand stitches back together after a few moments.

You look at each other, both of you feeling a bit more for the other than when you started these midnight dinners.

Eddie’s hand finds your waist again, and the other finds your neck. “Can I kiss you, (Y/N)?”

“Yes,” you breathe. Eddie drags you closer to him, his lips gently pressing against yours in a chaste kiss. He pulls back and nuzzles into your neck, inhaling. “Fuck, the first day we met I thought you'd taste as good as you smell. Didn't think I'd ever learn if I was right, but Jesus H. Christ you do. ”

You tense slightly at the comment. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll shut up,” he murmurs into your neck, dropping a kiss to your pulse point. “So,” Eddie pulls himself from your neck and smirks. “You love me, huh?”

You laugh and stand up, holding out your healed hand to him. “You’re not going to let me forget that will you?”

“I don’t want you to forget that, ever, because I love you. And it would be weird if it was one sided after everything,” he says accepting your hand to help him stand.

“That would be a bit awkward," you laugh. "Good thing it’s not one sided.”

“Good thing, indeed,” he smiles back at you.

"Have you noticed I'm a lot better around blood now?" You ask as you head towards the Harrington house.

"I did," Eddie laughs.

"That's all because of you Eds, all because of you," you smile.

159 notes · View notes

destielstuffandthings · 4 years

Text

Fire And Feathers

I can’t stop writing this so here, have chapter two! Ready for some snarky shrunken heads and a failed meet-cute?

Summary: Castiel is a clumsy witch with a famous bloodline who never seems to get a spell right. Dean is an unattached familiar who stumbles his way through life seeking a purpose.

Pairing: Castiel Novak/Dean Winchester

Characters: Dean Winchester (young and present age), Castiel Novak (young and present age), Sam Winchester (witch), Gabriel (witch), Mary Winchester (mentioned), Charlie Bradbury (familiar)

Tags: @cateyes315 @omrj007

If you’d like to be tagged in this please let me know!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Castiel scrubbed his knuckles over the growing stubble on his cheek as he frowned at the bubbling pot. He pulled off a sprig of lavender and tossed it into the cauldron. A wisp of smoke poofed out and curled into the air.

“I think it needs more bruisewort. What do you think?” He looked up past the drying herbs hanging from the ceiling to his only companions.

“Don’t ask me.”

“Mrrff! Nrrrm grmml ffrrn!”

“Are you ever going to unsew his mouth?”

Castiel sighed and reached for a small knife. He ducked under a small bundle of yarrow and reached up, lightly grabbing a very angry looking brown shrunken head. He turned the head towards his face and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you going to play nice with the others?” The head rolled its eyes then blinked twice. “Good. Hold still.” He lifted the knife to it’s mouth and gently cut away the yellow twine holding the heads mouth shut. Once free, the head opened it’s mouth wide, stretching it’s jaw.

“It’s about time. I thought I was going to suffocate!” the head shouted.

“Balder, you don’t even have lungs,” Castiel groaned.

“You better not try to bite Flox again.”

“Oh would you shut up, Pital!”

“Stop!” All of you, or so help me--” Castiel braced himself against his rickety altar, digging his toes into the soft dirt. He looked to the potion that was now a syrupy goo and sighed. “Thirty years old and I still can’t make a healing potion.”

The creak of his door pulled him from his wallowing.

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” Castiel sighed.

“On what, Cassie? The wall of moss you call a door?” Gabriel walked up behind his brother and whistled through his teeth.

“What’s uh---what’re we trying to make here?” he asked, pulling the spoon from the pot and watching the potion ooze off.

“Healing potion,” Flox called out.

“I thought you got that one down years ago?” Gabriel asked, leaning in to sniff the goo and regretting it immediately.

“I did. This one,” Castiel gestured towards the pot, “was for my hive. The queen is injured and keeps fighting off the drones who come too close.”

Gabriel dropped the spoon and stared at his brother. “It’s for a bee? A bee, Castiel?”

Castiel grabbed the pot and walked over to his makeshift sink, pouring the contents down the drain.

“Did you need something, Gabriel, or did you come here purely to annoy me?”

Gabriel squinted and poked Balder in the cheek. “I was on my way to the markets. I thought my little bro might want to get out of the house--well, hut--and get some fresh air.”

“You do need more Vervain,” Pital chimed in.

“And Poppy,” Flox offered.

“Looks like I’m going with you,” Castiel sighed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dean let his fingers sink into the coyotes pelt. He hated this part of the market, but humans loved their rugs and scarves made of fur.

“Poor guy,” Dean murmured. He patted it once more before moving on to a stand with dried meats hanging from the awning.

“Fine selection of goods today,” he merchant said from behind the booth, gesturing towards his items.

“Yeah, I can see that. You have any rabbit?” he asked, poking at a string of venison strips.

The merchant smiled, his brown teeth making Dean grimace. “How much ya needin’?”

“Just enough to get me through the afternoon.” He looked in his brothers direction, seeing him look carefully through a wicker basket full of feathers. His arms were already piled full of burlap bags stuffed with books and spell ingredients. “Gonna be a long one.”

The merchant sliced Dean off a generous chunk of jerky and skewered it onto a stick. “Five silver pieces,” he said expectantly.

“Five! That’s robbery!” Dean scoffed.

The merchant waved the dried rabbit back and forth in front of Dean.

“Three. And these.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two shiny brown feathers with black streaks.

The merchant scoffed and waved Dean away. “What am I going to do with bird feathers. Get out of here, I have actual paying customers.”

“They’re feathers from a red tail hawk. A familiar’s, actually. But if you aren’t interested...” Dean started stuffing them back into his pocket.

“No, no-no, wait.” The merchant raised his hands. “Let me see.” Dean grinned and handed them over and watched as the merchant delicately ran his fingers through them. “Fine. Here,” he handed out the rabbit as Dean dropped three coins on top of the feathers.

“Nice doin’ business with ya,” Dean said before biting off a chunk of the jerky. He walked towards his brother and bumped him with his shoulder. “Want some?” he asked, waving the meat in Sam’s face.

“Gross, Dean. No.” His eyebrows shot up. “Hey, how’d you even pay for that? I thought you only had five coin?”

“I bribed the merchant with my feathers,” Dean said around his meat, his cheeks sticking out like a chipmunk.

“Dean,” Sam sighed, “you know they lose their power if they aren’t given to your witch. They’re useless otherwise.”

“Yeah well he didn’t know that now did he?”

Sam shook his head as they walked to the next tent and inspected small glass bottles. “Hey, have you seen Charlie? She shifted and ran off about ten minutes ago.”

“Nope, been to busy scamming an idiot,” Dean laughed.

“Do you think you could---” Sam lifted his chin and nodded his head up towards the sky.

Dean groaned and shoved his meat stick against his brothers chest. “Fine. There better be some of that left when I get back.” Dean rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath. Crouching slightly, he jumped into the air as his arms were replaced by wings. His legs shrunk down to scaley feet with razor sharp talons. Shifting mid air was something Dean was always immensely proud of, it was the one good thing he could do as a familiar. He soared above the market, his eyes tracking everything and anything that looked remotely like Charlie in her cat form. He let himself glide for a minute, letting the wind drift him over the livestock section and sure enough, there was Charlie. She was in the cow’s pen lapping a bowl of milk two little kids put down for her.

Found her, live stock pen, he thought to Sam. Gonna stay up for a bit and stretch my wings.

He let himself glide around the whole market and watched people come and go. There was a strange electricity in the air today. Maybe there was a storm coming, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Dean felt himself being pulled towards an herbs tent which was odd, because he never had the use for them. He watched as a blond haired merchant handed a man bunches of yellow flowers and bulbous pods on long stalks. He lowered himself so he was flying just above the tent.

“If you’re making healing potions, might I suggest Echinacea? It’s good for colds, infections and even wounds.” The merchant offered Castiel a small pouch.

“Thank you, yes I will take some. Do you also have Valerian root?” Castiel rummaged around in the glass bowls while Gabriel tapped his foot impatiently.

“Cassie come on,” he whined. “We’ve been here forever and I’m bored.” He looked up to the sky and blew out a deep breath.

“You’re the one who wanted me to ‘get out of the hut’. Deal with it.” Castiel let his fingers sink into a bowl of dried Evening Primrose but stopped when he felt a chill run up his spine. He whipped around and faced his brother.

“What was that?” he gasped.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “What was what?”

“You didn’t feel that?” Castiel turned around in a circle, his eyes darting in every direction. A small gust of wind, barely enough to rustle the dried herbs nearly knocked Castiel to the ground. He bent over, grasping his knees and sucking in deep breaths.

“Castiel, what’s going on? What are you feeling?” Gabriel hovered over his brother and held onto his shoulder.

“I don’t know,” Castiel winced. “It feels like I’m being---aarg.” He cried out as he stood up straight as an arrow, his head tipped back to the sky. “Feels like I’m being pulled---”

Castiel dropped his wares and his arms instinctively shot out just in time for a large red tailed hawk to fall awkwardly into his arms.

#dean winchester #castiel #witch!castiel #familiar!dean #witch!sam #witch!gabriel #familiar!charlie #spells gone wrong #pining #humor #strangers to friends to lovers #magic #kissing #failing powers #hawk!Dean #My writing

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thesilverwitch · 7 years

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THE CLASSICAL ELEMENTS IN WICCA

Elements—they are the building blocks of the entire universe. No, I’m not talking about the scientific elements, such as is found on the periodic chart. Sure, they are the building blocks for the physical universe. But I’m referring to the spiritual or classical Elements—they are the metaphysical building blocks.

Mention of Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Aether (Spirit) are something Wiccans will come across time and again. Regardless of how big or small a role the Elements play in your personal spiritual path, they’re something you should learn to understand.

BIG “E”AND LITTLE “e”

Sometimes I write ‘Element’, and sometimes ‘elements’. Sometimes I capitalize Air (Earth, Fire, etc.), and sometimes I don’t. There’s actually a reason for it.

Remember the Periodic Table of the Elements from chemistry class? There are 118 known elements and all matter breaks down to these most basic components. When speaking of scientific elements, I use the little “e”.

In ancient Greece, the concept of the Elements (the classical/spiritual ones) was born. They did not have the technology to see atoms and molecules, so they thought everything was made up of some combination of Air, Earth, Fire, Water and Aether.

Fast forward a couple dozen centuries-- now we know that air, earth, fire, water and aether are compounds-- a mixture of smaller elements on the periodic table. For example, water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen.

This is the reason for the distinction. The Elements (capital E) refer to the spiritual/classical Elements of our religion—those forces that we honor. The elements (lowercase e) refers to the actual scientific elements on the periodic table.

THERE’S MORE TO ELEMENTS THAN COMPOUNDS

We all know the Elements are Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Aether. Sometimes people confuse this with earth, air, fire, water and ether. Note my use of capitalization here, because it's very significant.

The Elements—Air, Earth, Fire, and Water—are not the same thing as wind, dirt, flames, and H20. These compounds are meaningful representations of the Elements of course, but the compounds themselves are not Elements. The Elements (capital 'E') are so much more than the compounds for which they are named.

THE ELEMENTAL CONNECTION

The Elements represent all things, and connect all things. Look at the diagram above; you can see the vertical axis contains the masculine Elements (Air and Fire). The horizontal Axis contains the feminine Elements (Water and Earth). The circle is where the Elements meet, as if at a crossroads. The circle surrounds and connects the four Elements, just as Aether (Spirit) is the unifying and balancing factor that runs through everything in the universe—the soul, the divine, it’s what gives life and meaning to all things.Notice how they are equivalent in length and well balanced. When you go around the circle, you get the polarity alternating the masculine and feminine Elements, the projective and receptive, the positive and negative: Kind of like an electric charge (energy!).You might even envision it as a compass, with each Element at one of the cardinal directions. You can even set up the primary altar tools as in some traditions in that same format: the athame is a symbol of Air, the pentacle a symbol of Earth, the wand a symbol of Fire, and the cup a symbol of Water.

CORRESPONDENCES—JUST THE START

Notice in the diagram above in the innermost circle we have our compass and our male/female axis. Beyond that we have correspondences to the directions, time of day, time of the year/season, the sabbats—even the life cycle itself. You get a taste right there at how the Elements correspond to everything; and everything corresponds to one or more of the Elements.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, really, as Elements also correspond to zodiac signs, tarot cards, runes, herbs, gemstones, deities, personality traits, occupations, body functions, activities, etc....the cycles and connections are endless.

IN RELATION TO THE PENTAGRAM

Each pentagram point represents an element. This is why the pentacle is the ultimate symbol of balance—each equal point, all intertwined with each other—balance is a key tenet in Wicca. Wiccans usually wear a pentacle point-up. We move from the point at top (Aether) the intangible, to the semi-intangible realm (Fire and Air) to the tangible realm (Water and Earth). I say usually because some Wiccan trads also occasionally use the pentagram point down. When the pentagram is point up, it stands for Spirit (Aether) ascending over matter. When it’s point down, it represents Spirit descending into matter. As you can see, the Elements are a rich, diverse, and complex system of symbols and energies that effect our world, our minds, and our spiritual practices. Take advantage of their potential by learning to work in harmony with them.

THE ELEMENTS IN DEPTH

Please keep in mind that correspondences can vary from tradition to tradition, from person to person. Though there are more similarities than differences, never take any list of Elemental correspondences as written law.

THE ELEMENT OF AIR:

(Figure above shows alchemical symbol for Air)

Gender: Masculine

Charge: Positive

Energy: Active

Qualities: abstract; ethereal

Aspects: analytical thought; rational mind; travel; communication

AIR ATTRIBUTES:

Positive: witty, intelligent, communicative, inquisitive, inventive, literary, social, idealist, clarity of thought, rational, technical, scientific, logical

Negative: aloof, cold, dispassionate, eccentric, scattered, unfocused, ambivalent, indecisive, deceptive, untrustworthy.

AIR ALIGNED WITH:

Day of the Week: Wednesday

Direction: North

Locations: Mountain tops, sky, clouds

Sabbats: Samhain, Yule

Time of day: Night

Time of Life: Death through Rebirth

Time of the year: Winter

Wind: Boreas

Witch’s Pyramid: To Know

AIR RULING OVER:

Body parts: brains, nervous system, lungs

Bodily functions: breathing, thinking, speaking, singing, coughing, whistling, belching, flatulating

Colors: yellow, white, sky blue, midnight blue, shades of gray

Incense: sandalwood, storax, mastic

Instruments: woodwinds, bagpipes

Careers: accounting, acting, advertising, executive, astronaut, computer programmer or technician, con artist, gambling, judge, lawyer, mathematician, public speaker, sales, most kinds of sciences, singing, teaching, writing.

Sense: Smell

AIR CORRESPONDING TO:

Herbs: Acacia, almond, anise, benzoin, bergamot, bistort, bittersweet, borage, bromeliad, broom, caraway, chicory, citron, clover, dandelion, elecampane, endive, eyebright, fenugreek, goat’s rue, hazel, hops, houseleek, lavender, lily, linden, mace, male fern, maple, marjoram, mastic, meadowsweet, mint, mistletoe, palm, papyrus, parsley, pine, pistachio, rice, sage, saffron, slippery elm, wormwood

Metals: mercury, aluminum

Minerals & Gems: agates, aventurine, amethyst, jasper, mica, pumice

Runes: ANSUZ, RAIDO, EIWAZ, ALGIZ, TIR, MANNAZ

Tarot: Suit of swords, knights, The Fool, The Magician, The Lovers, The Hermit, Hanged Man, Justice, The Star

Wiccan tools: knives (athame, bolline)/swords, censer, incense

Zodiac: Gemini: (mutable); Libra (cardinal); Aquarius (fixed)

AIR ASSOCIATED WITH:

Animals: birds, flying insects, spiders, bats, foxes, primates

Elemental Beings: Sylphs, fairies, djinn

Gods: Allah, Amergin, Anu, Apollo, Ascepius, Baal, Buddha, Ganesha, Hermes, Jupiter, Mercury, Odin, Thoth, Tyr, Uranus, YHWH, Zeus

Goddesses: Arachne, Arianrhod, Athena, Ishtar, Juno, Ma’at, Minerva, Mnemosyne, Morrigan, Muses, Mt, Neith, Nike, Nuit, Sarasvati

Mythical Creatures: Gryphons, Harpies, Hippogrifs, Pegasus, Sphinx

INVOKING AND BANISHING AIR

THE ELEMENT OF EARTH

(Figure above shows alchemical symbol for Earth)

Gender: female

Charge: negative (-)

Energy: passive

Qualities: physical matter; solid; heavy; cold

Aspects: tangible world; fertility; growth; productivity

EARTH ATTRIBUTES:

Positive: ambitious, dependable, diligent, earthy, industrious, practical, pragmatic, reliable, responsible, stable, steady, thorough

Negative: critical, dull, inhibited, materialistic, obstinate, possessive, slow, stubborn, unforgiving

EARTH ALIGNED WITH:

Day of the Week: Thursday, Saturday

Direction: East

Locations: caverns, plains, canyons, the underworld

Sabbats: Imbolc, Ostara

Time of day: Morning

Time of Life: Youth

Time of the year: Spring

Wind: Euros

Witch’s Pyramid: To Will

EARTH RULING OVER:

Body parts: physical self, bones

Bodily functions: eating, defecation

Colors: green, brown, black, earth tones

Incense: patchouli, musk

Instruments: drums, percussion

Occupations: armed forces, banking and finances, carpentry, construction, child care, cooking and food service, clerical and administrative work, dancing, gardening, house keeping/home making, hunting, janitors, jewelers, mechanics, stone masons, wood workers.

Sense: touch

EARTH CORRESPONDING TO:

Herbs: alfalfa, barley, corn, cotton, cypress, fern, fumitory, honeysuckle, magnolia, mugwort, oats, peas, oleander, patchouli, potato primrose, quince, rhubarb, rye, sagebrush, sorrel, tulip, vervain, vetivert, wheat

Metals: lead

Minerals & gems: green agates, moss agates, alum, green calcite, coal, emerald, jasper, jet, salt, malachite, olivine, peridot, black tourmaline, green tourmaline, turquoise

Runes: URUZ, GIFU, BEORK, ING, OTHAL, JERA

Tarot: Suit of Pentacles (coins), Paiges, Empress, Heirophant, Wheel of Fortune, The Devil, The World

Wiccan tools: Pentacle, consecrated salt

Zodiac: Taurus (fixed); Virgo (mutable); Capricorn (cardinal)

EARTH ASSOCIATED WITH:

Animals: most mammals (few exceptions: big cats and horses/Fire; primates and foxes/Air; aquatic mammals/Water); most insects without wings (exception: fire ants/fire); earthworms.

Elemental Beings: Gnomes, elves, leprechauns

Gods: Adonis, Anubis, Cernunnos, Dagda, Dionysus, Green Man, Hades, Herne, Janus, Osiris, Pan, Pluto

Goddesses: Anu, Cerridewen, Ceres, Demeter, Gaia, Fauna, Frigga,Hecate, Nepthys, Ostara, Persephone, Prithivi, Rhea

Mythical Creatures: big foot, chupacabra, giants, jackalope, unicorn, werewolves, wraiths

THE ELEMENT OF FIRE

(Figure above shows alchemical symbol for Fire)

Gender: Masculine

Charge: Positive

Energy: Active

Qualities: energetic; transformative; purifying

Aspects: passion; will; courage

FIRE ATTRIBUTES:

Positive: action-oriented, courageous, eager, enthusiastic, exciting, impulsive, independent, optimistic, quick, spontaneous, tenacious, vivacious

Negative: angry, abrupt, consuming, domineering, egocentric, excessive, hot-tempered, impatient, overbearing, overwhelming

FIRE ALIGNED WITH:

Day of the Week: Sunday, Tuesday

Direction: South

Locations: deserts, volcanoes

Sabbats: Beltane, Litha

Time of day: Midday (true noon)

Time of Life: young adulthood

Time of the year: Summer

Wind: Notus

Witch’s Pyramid: To Dare

FIRE RULING OVER:

Body parts: genitals, heart, intestines, liver, stomach

Bodily functions: digestion, sex, metabolism, regurgitation, smoking

Colors: red, orange, gold

Incense: cinnamon, dragon’s blood

Instruments: brass instruments

Occupations: alchemists, assassins, athletes, electricians, firefighters, fire dancers, lion tamers, martial artists, nuclear physicists, pyro technicians, smiths, warriors, welders

FIRE CORRESPONDING TO:

Herbs: allspice, basil, bloodroot, cactus, carnation, bay, capsicum, cinnamon, clove, cinquefoil, copal, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, dragon’s blood, fennel, flax, frankincense, galangal, ginger, ginseng, High John the Conqueror, holly, hyssop, juniper, lime, marigold, nutmeg, orange, pennyroyal, pomegranate, rosemary, saffron, sunflower, St. John’s wort, tobacco, Venus flytrap

Metals: gold, brass, steel, iron

Minerals: red agates, amber, apache tear, asbestos, bloodstone, carnelian, citrine, quartz, obsidian, onyx, sand, rhodochrosite, tiger‘s eye, tourmaline, zircon

Runes: Fehu, Thurisaz, Kenaz, Nied, Sigel, Dagaz

Tarot: Suit of Wands; all kings; the Emperor; Strength; Temperance; the Tower; the Sun; Judgement

Wiccan tools: wand; staff; candles; any fires

Zodiac: Aries(cardinal); Leo (fixed); Sagittarius (mutable)

FIRE ASSOCIATED WITH:

Animals: lions, felines, fireflies, glow worms, horses, rams, lizards, fire ants

Elemental Beings: salamanders

Gods: Annu, Ares, Balor, Baldor, Belanos, Frey, Hephaestus, Horus, Loki, Lucifer, Lugh, Marduk, Mars, Ra, Set, Shiva, Sol, Thor, Vulcan

Goddesses: Amerterasu, Amat, Atlanta, Bast, Brigit, Eris, Freya, Hestia, Kali, Lilith, Nemisis, Pele, Selket, Shatki, Sunna, Vesta

Mythical Creatures: chimeras, dragons, phoenix

INVOKING AND BANISHING FIRE

THE ELEMENT OF WATER

(Figure above shows alchemical symbol for Water)

Gender: Feminine

Charge: Negative (-)

Energy: Passive

Qualities: receptive, fluid, creative

Aspects: formless, deep, cleansing

WATER ATTRIBUTES:

Positive: beautiful, compassionate, creative, deep, flexible, intuitive, mysterious, resourceful, receptive, sensitive, sensual, understanding

Negative: ambivalent, complex, deceptive, emotional, moody, over-sensitive, passive-aggressive, selfish, vain, wishy-washy

WATER ALIGNED WITH:

Day of the Week: Monday, Friday

Direction: West

Locations: any body of water, seashore/beaches

Sabbats: Lughnasadh, Mabon

Time of day: Twilight/Sunset

Time of Life: maturity

Time of the year: Autumn

Wind: Zepher

Witch’s Pyramid: To be silent

WATER RULING OVER:

Body parts: bodily fluids—blood, saliva, semen, urine, etc.; the womb

Bodily functions: drinking, lactating, menstruating, perspiring, secretion, urination

Colors: blue, silver, aquamarine

Incense: cypress, lotus, myrrh

Instruments: string instruments

Occupations: bartender, brewer, cosmetologist, pet, dishwasher, diver, dowser, fishing, hematologists, ice skaters, laundry workers, life guards, marine biologists, naval careers, oceanographers, painters, psychics, sailors, swimmers, surfers

Sense: Taste

WATER CORRESPONDING TO:

Herbs: African violet, apple, avocado, belladonna, blackberry, boneset, cabbage, cardamom, catnip, chamomile, chickweed, dittany of Crete, daisy, cucumber, daffodil, gardina, heather, hibiscus, jasmine, myrrh, poppy, rose, sandalwood, thyme, valerian, vanilla, willow, yarrow

Metals: silver

Minerals: blue lace agate, aquamarine, azurite, beryl, coral, geodes, jade, lapis lazuli, moonstone, pearl, sapphire, sodolite, tourmaline

Runes: Wunjo, Ehwaz, Hagall, Isa, Phedro, Lagaz

Tarot: Suit of Cups; all Queens; High Priestess; Death; The Moon; The Chariot

Wiccan tools: cup; cauldron; bowls

Zodiac: Cancer (cardinal); Scorpio (fixed); Picses (mutable)

WATER ASSOCIATED WITH:

Animals: fish, scorpions, serpents, waterfowl, water mammals, creatures who dwell/live in water

Elemental Beings: Undines

Gods: Aegir, Charon, Cthulhu, Nun, Dagon, Eros, Hurican, Lyr, Neptune, Nereus, Oceanus, Poseidon, Triton

Goddesses: Amphitrite, Aphrodite, Astarte, Heket, Isis, Kwan Yin, Lady of the Lake, Mary, Melusine, Psyche, Styx, Tefnut, Thetis, Venus

Mythical Creatures: hippocampus, kraken, leviathan, merfolk, nerids, selkies, sirens, waterhorse, any sea monsters

INVOKING AND BANISHING WATER

FINDING YOUR ELEMENT IN WICCA

A lot of young Wiccans are eager to find their elements. I don’t mean to burst any bubbles, but traditionally in Wicca there is no such thing. Yes, you read that right. I know that’s not a popular opinion these days because the idea has gained recent popularity, but please follow my reasoning before you dismiss it.

It should be understood, as explained earlier, Elements Earth, Air, Fire, Water are not the same thing as dirt, oxygen, flames and H20. The Spiritual Elements – capital “E” – together make up everything in life. For Example, the Element of Water (capitalized) is not just the stuff that pours out of your faucets or fills your pool. Water is H20, and H20 is the most pure symbol of the Element, but the Element of Water is so much more than that. It’s also intuition, it’s string instruments, it’s silver jewelry, it’s fish, it’s the moon, it’s being wishy-washy, it’s being nurturing, it’s both compassion and depression, it’s drowning, it’s the sunset hour, it’s peeing and drooling. The Element of Water is infused in every aspect of life, and this is so with the other three as well.

Second, the very notion that someone is “an Element” would contradict a key tenet of Wicca—which is to find balance in all things. If you were one Element, you would be an incredibly imbalanced person. If you lean that heavily toward one Element, it would mean you need less of it, and you need more of the other three.

Some would argue, saying something like: But my astrological sign is (fill in the blank), making my Element (fill in the blank)! Yes, I know—astrological signs fall under the Elements as well. Just because your astrological element’s influence is Water doesn’t mean Water is your only Element. For one thing, your Sun sign is not your only astrological sign (you also have a Moon sign, an Ascending sign, and all those houses in your chart with different planets).

Water touches everyone’s life in many ways, as do all the Elements. One of the ways it influences you is through your Sun sign; that doesn't make it your one and only Element.

But I have an affinity for (fill in the blank) because (fill in the blank)! The word “affinity” simply means you like something. I have an affinity for chocolate, that doesn’t make me the element of chocolate (though—it might be fun).

Once you’ve gotten the idea in your head that you have a special element, it’s a little hard to shake. I know that I have a special connection with each of the elements and balance is key, but I can’t help but feel drawn to Air. Why is this? Air correlates with my Zodiac sign, Libra, as well as the signs Aquarius and Gemini. The Law of Correspondence would suggest that Air is associated with the personality types of these signs. Yes, Air broadly represents my personality type but it does not make it my only element (or predominant element) and it does not make myself Air. Air is my challenger, the element that constantly influences me to reach out to the other elements to find balance. Always remember, balance is key.

CONTROLLING ELEMENTS

The idea of controlling Elements in Wicca is another misconception. I’m not going to argue here whether it’s even possible to control fire or water or air with your mind—and I don’t even know how someone would go about controlling earth (other than gardening or making mud pies). Even if this was possible, this would fall under the category of psychic abilities. While a Wiccan might believe in this stuff, or attempt to perform these tasks, it does not make doing these things part of our religion.

I do have to note here, the idea of "controlling elements" seems to me an incredible waste of time and energy. Let’s assume here for a second people who claim they have these powers can actually do what they say they do. They cause a flame to flicker or a little feather to bounce around or water to ripple at will. That’s all fine and good, but I ask… what is the spiritual lesson and benefit in this?

The amount of practice and effort that goes into what amounts to little more than a neat trick to show off with at parties is ridiculous. How does it actually help someone’s spiritual journey to waste an hour or two a day for months to learn how to make the candle flame bob up and down? It seems to me there is no actual spiritual benefit from being able to do these things—it’s just something you can use to impress yourself and your friends, like juggling 3 oranges or finding someone’s card in a deck.

Allow me to repeat myself, because I feel it’s a very important point that many Wiccans miss: the Element of Fire is not just flames, the Element of Water is not H20, and so on. Controlling a flame with your mind (even if you could) is not the same thing controlling the Element of Fire. You’re just controlling a bit of fire (small “f”). Controlling H20 is not controlling the Element of Water; it’s controlling water (small “w”). And so on.

REALLY CONTROLLING THE ELEMENTS IN WICCA

In Wicca, controlling the Elements isn’t about making candle flames dance or creating gusts of wind with your mind. Controlling the Elements is about finding self-control and balance within yourself and your life.

You want to control the Element of Fire? Don’t play with candle flames—learn how to control your temper. Learn how to nurture your passions and channel them productively. Work on expressing yourself artistically.

You want to Control the Element of Water? Don’t play with running faucets to see if you can make the flow shift an inch over—learn how to master your emotions. Learn how to be more compassionate and understanding. Learn how to listen to and interpret your intuition. Learn how control your mood swings.

You want to Control the Element of Air? Study, learn, and apply your knowledge to life. Practice speaking, help yourself learn to think more carefully about what comes out of your mouth and express yourself more effectively. Don’t allow yourself to give into cynical attitudes. Cultivate wisdom.

You want to Control the Element of Earth? Have courage, and do the things that need to be done in your life-- even the hard stuff. Be strong and steadfast—but try to work on not being so stubborn and closed off to anything new. Be practical and pragmatic, put the work and time into developing useful skills.

Learn to work with Elemental Energies—not by playing with one, single physical manifestations of each Element, but by learning to open yourself to them and all they mean. Think about what they symbolize in ritual, what aspects of life they correspond to, and how you can better utilize that understanding to improve yourself internally. Find Elemental balance.

FINDING TRUE BALANCE

While it's true that a certain Element can be dominant in your life (either for your whole life, or for certain periods of it), that doesn't make you "an Element," and it doesn't mean you are intrinsically tied to it, like it or not. It doesn't mean it should be your focus, either in your life or in your spiritual practices (again, it could indicate your need to bring better Elemental balance). Further, it doesn't imply supernatural connection to or power over the Element.

I know a lot of people who came to Wicca more recently and started with books and websites that tout the “find your element” concept, and it’s very hard to think of things differently when you get used to them. Some will even get defensive when such ideas are challenged. I also know some people like the idea of having supernatural mastery over nature, and this very idea is what drew them to alternative religions in the first place. I understand that learning to control your temper is not as exciting and flashy a representation of Fire to some people as making a candle flame do flickering tricks. “You can’t tell me what to believe!” some might cry. And I’m not telling you what to believe. You can believe what you want.

I’m presenting a perspective that I feel needs to be heard, and that some may find more useful. I believe the ideas about the Elements presented here makes real sense within the context of the Wiccan religion, as well as in life. It may contradict a lot of the more feel-good, fanciful ideas you come across, and if that makes you angry, feel free to ignore anything I have to say on the topic.

However, if you were looking for something a little deeper than parlor tricks and games, if you were looking for a spiritual path to actually impact your life, your personal growth and your spiritual development, I hope this lesser known perspective on the topic will help you along.

TRADITIONAL WICCAN ELEMENT CHANT:

“Earth my body, Water my blood, Air my breath and Fire my Spirit”

Sources: WiccanSage and Golden Dawn by Israel Regardy

3K notes · View notes

lilbreck · 7 years

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Here have some Elijabeth porn

I wrote this in one sitting and am not looking over it because I do not write smut and if i read it over i will end up not sending this. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Apologies for any errors as again, written over the past five hours with no review.

The late afternoon sun slanted across the old Mikaelson property as Liz pulled up to the drive, dust trailing her police-issue Ford. The property’s caretaker had called in a report of a suspicious character around the edges of the back of the property, and Liz had jumped to take the call. If the disturbance had anything to do with the original family, she’d rather it be her that found it out than some poor officer who knew nothing of the supernatural.

The house loomed over her almost menacingly as she circled it, heading towards the property line, and she wondered at the horrors its occupants had wreaked. Regardless of her daughter’s feelings - and oh what a pill to swallow that relationship had been - she refused to believe that the Mikaelsons were anything but bad news.

Anyways, the report was probably nothing, an animal. Despite the supernatural presence, nine times out of ten disturbances were based on the sleepy town’s proximity to hundreds of acres of forest. Still, her hand stayed near her hip where her .357 caliber rested in its holster, her vervain mace in a small pocket next to it.

She paused and studied the treeline as she rounded the back of the house, noting the dip down towards the forest as the land dropped off. If there was someone back there, she’d have to get closer to spot them. She walked forward, eyes training across the landscape for any movement. Despite the winter’s chill a bead of sweat trailed from her temples and she cursed inwardly for letting an absent family’s legacy get to her. Get it together, Liz.

She crested the drop and scanned again, heading into the forest. She’d been back here a few times after caroline had told her about the caves dotting Mystic Falls’ landscape, but hadn’t found any secret supernatural cave prisons with ancient spells woven through them. And god, wasn’t that ridiculous? Sometimes she wondered if she should just move to Fiji and forget about all the craziness with vampires, her daughter excepted.

Lost in her thoughts but still alert, she scooted over a ridge of stone as the forest descended into a low valley. At the other end of the town lay the falls, here the ridge was dense with greenery and she found herself detangling branches damp from last night’s storm in order to push through. There wasn’t a clear path, but the forest reclaimed and closed in behind her, and if there was something back here she’d have to go a bit deeper to find -

Her foot slipped on a damp patch of moss that clung to the foot of an oak tree and she began sliding, her ankle twisting as she landed on her side, sliding down the mix of damp earth and greenery that paved the sharp incline. She reached her hands out, trying to grab at anything, but the roots of the nearby plants were too weak to hold her weight. She was gaining speed and slipped over hte edge of the next ridge, freefalling for a moment in the air before landing with unruly limbs on a patch of tall grass. She squinted as the sun stabbed her in the eye, a break in the western canopy, and took a deep breath.

And felt herself plummet.

The earth had been loose on top of the spreading roots of a river birch, and she fell, sliding down the roots before freefalling and landing with a splash and a disturbingly jarring clack of her teeth.

“Unnnghhgh.” It was about all she could manage as she rolled out of the pool that may have saved her life and lay damp and shivering, assessing her injuries, the sun still filtering down in a cruel taunt several feet above her. Ok, I don’t think anything’s broken, the pain’s too bad in my ankle to be anything but a sprain. My hip feels bruised and I’ll want to be careful with my ribs. She pulled herself to sitting, heaving deep gasping breaths from the pain and the shock of the fall, and tried to calm her breathing using the yoga technique from that class Caroline had made her take.

She took a look at her surroundings as she let her belly expand in deep breaths in through the nose out through the mouth. It was a narrow cavern, the stone walls damp and the air chill and musty, the roots of the tree weaving across the ceiling where the dirt still lay packed. The roots stopped abruptly at the curve of the stone that rose up to meet it, natural stone bubbled and ridged and glimmering in the fading light with minerals. Shit it’s getting dark. She reached to her belt and pulled out her radio, pressing the button and hearing a dull click. She tried again - no lights, nothing. It had been freshly charged when she had left her vehicle, so something must have happened in the fall. She slid her hand inside her coat and grabbed her phone, sending up a prayer to find the screen intact. She pressed her thumb to the pad. Nothing. She held down the power button, thinking she might’ve turned it off earlier. Nada.

Well, shit.

She clambered to standing, only having to duck slightly as she moved across the room parallel to the water that split the cavern in two. She flicked her led flashlight on at least that was working and headed further into the cave, the sound of her footfalls echoing alongside a slow steady drip coming from further in the cave. How far does this go back? She wondered, ducking a root that acted as a door jamb separating this cavern from the next. She swept her light back and forth, her pulse suddenly skyrocketing. Someone was in here, she was sure of it. She reached a hand down to her holster and peeled the snap free as quietly as she could. Whoever was here would have seen her already from the light, but they didn’t need to know she was armed.

“I suggest you leave the gun in its holster,” a clipped voice issued from right next to her ear and she couldn’t hold back the sharp intake of breath even as she drew the weapon and swung around, cold metal meeting a hard chest. She trailed her flashlight up a suit jacket, the loose knot of an undone tie. Elijah Mikaelson

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

“I’d ask you the same, sheriff. It is my family’s property, after all.” Elijah gently pushed the barrel of the gun down and she thought for a second before re-holstering it. Even if she’d loaded her wooden bullets, they wouldn’t be much help against an Original, and the ricochet in this space may well kill her.

“The caretaker called in a report, mentioned he’d thought he saw someone messing around the property line.”

She caught Elijah’s smile in the sliver of light from her flashlight. “Ah yes, Samuel has been with our family for years. A good employee.”

Liz was struck by the absurdity of this strangely civil conversation in these surroundings and shook her head with a laugh. “Yes, well, I’ll definitely make sure he’s awarded the Neighborhood Watch award but for now, can you help me get out of this cave? Or for that matter, what are you doing down here?”

His response was a gentle hand at her elbow and a murmured, “I’ll explain in a moment, if you’ll follow me.”

Liz curled her hand around his bicep, surprised by the hard muscle beneath her palm. Elijah’s suits were clearly deceptive. He led her confidently, weaving through the cave with a solicitous air, and Liz had to calm her fight or flight instinct from being led deep into a cave by a known predator. She thought of the woefully inadequate police handbook, and even the Mystic Falls Council couldn’t really offer adequate advice in this situation. She had to trust in Elijah’s sense of honor, which she knew from Caroline and her friends was deeply ingrained. If there was a trustworthy Mikaelson, Elijah was the closest thing to it.

Light flickered ahead as they turned down a small tunnel that narrowed before opening up into a small room, alit with candles. The shadows danced on the walls, and Liz thought she could see some kind of marking on the walls. She turned her head to look up at Elijah and he gave her a small grin, letting go of her elbow as she moved forward, her hand reaching out to touch the wall. Part of the wall was grooved deep with etchings in a language indecipherable to her. She traced the letters and looked back again at Elijah, wonderingly.

“Old Norse,” he said with a smile. “from my homestead.”

“When you were alive? Did you -” she cut off, the question clear.

“No, this was done by witches. It’s a,” Elijah glanced away, almost awkwardly, “marriage cave. The witches would come and imbue the caves here with spells to ensure a fruitful wedding night.”

Liz had to fight her grin down at his embarrassment. Never thought I’d find a vampire endearing. “So are you saying that I might be standing in the exact place Vikings boned a thousand years ago?” She flashed a wicked grin, eager to embarrass him further, but was surprised when his eyes drifted to her lips. Was he-?

Elijah coughed to hide his own smile, noting her confused reaction. He’d been impressed with Sheriff Forbes when his family had lived in, or perhaps terrorized, Mystic Falls. She clearly had a good head on her shoulders, and her instincts were top notch. He rubbed his chest absently where her gun had pressed. “And here is where we come to a dilemma,” he said, gesturing for her to sit on the outcropping of stone that had been smoothed by human hands centuries ago.

“Part of the spellwork on the cave was to keep the bride and groom inside, and any detractors of the marriage out, for a full week. Forcing post-marital confinement helped ensure propagation of the Viking line. “

“You’re so serious about what basically amounts to the ancient equivalent of the marriage suite,” Liz said, laughing before her face sobered. “Wait, are you saying we’re trapped in here?”

He looked at her apologetically. “I’ve been here five days. We’ve got two more to go.”

“No no no no no way,” Liz stammered, flicking back on her flashlight and heading back the way they’d come to the larger cavern. Her ankle throbbed as she made her way back to where a faint sliver of moonlight shone through the hole she’d fallen through. She heard Elijah behind her. “Could you boost me up?” She heard him sigh, but felt his hands circle her waist before lifted her, and she grabbed a root and pulled herself up, making her way up towards the hole. She was within reach and snaked an arm over the - thunk - her hand flattened against an invisible wall. She pushed at it, testing its boundaries. Solid.

It was her turn to sigh as she gingerly let herself down, the adrenaline rush fading and the throb of her ankle beating in time with her heart. Elijah seemed to notice and rose up to meet her, gently cradling her in his arms as he lowered her to the ground.

“You’re hurt,” he said quietly and studied her a moment before biting into his wrist and lifting it to her mouth.

“Oh no, no i can’t,” Liz responded, shaking her head violently, and Elijah’s face softened at her clear discomfort with the idea of drinking blood.

“Well then, you leave me no choice,” he said, sweeping her into his arms and carrying her back towards the candlelit cavern, her voice an echoing whoop.

She was breathless from the quick journey and from laughing at the rush of it, being sped through the cavern held in his strong arms and did he really need to let her down with his arm still holding her close so she slid down every muscled inch of him? Wait, why was she complaining?

Wait number 2, was she seriously getting turned on by Elijah Mikaelson?

She backed up a few steps, searching for a distraction and avoiding his gaze. “Why are you in here in the first place? If you knew?”

He sat down on the stone bench, gathering his words before he replied. “I didn’t. I was turned before I was married, I didn’t know this was where the marriage caves lay. I just knew -” he paused and looked up sharply at her, studying her face in the flickering shadows, before nodding as if to himself. “I’m here for a grimoire page, missing from my mother’s spellbook all these years. I tracked it back to this cave, and in my haste to attain it, I ignored the sting of magic as I entered.”

Liz gave a half-smile in acknowledgment. “Well I for one am glad you did. I don’t know what I’d do here for seven full days.” She looked up in alarm. “Wait, are you - are you hungry? Do you need -” she trailed off, sweeping a nervous hand across her offered wrist.

His estimation of Liz Forbes went up yet again.

“I’ll be fine. I don’t need sustenance as much as a younger vampire. But what about you?” Elijah asked, sniffing delicately. “Ahh, protein bars. An officer is always prepared, yes?”

She smiled at him and he was surprised by the warmth in his chest. “Yeah, I’ll be ok. Seems like there’s plenty of water here too.” She pulled out her phone again, looking forlornly at it. “Seems like Viking spells beat modern technology too.”

“A witch is a thing to be feared,” Elijah responded darkly, and Liz shrugged off the strange instinct to apologize at the turn in his mood. She searched for something to say.

“Did - did you want to be married, when you were a child?”

His eyes snapped up at her and narrowed, and by now Liz noted it as Elijah’s signature way of focusing on something that interested him. Score 1 for Liz distraction

“I was…engaged when we were turned by the blood of my fiancee,” he replied. Score -1 for Liz distraction. “My family didn’t know, Tatia and I were to elope. But I discovered she was sleeping with my brother and the rage consumed me for many years.”

“I’m sorry, I keep seeming to bring up painful things,” Liz said, the pain in her ankle finally prompting her to sit. She turned to face him, her eyes soft, and laid a hand on his shoulder, giving a small squeeze.

“Life is full of pain, Mz Forbes, but also moments of joy,” Elijah said, his voice gentle. His eyes cut to hers. “Of connection.” The unspoken passed between them as they held each other’s gazes, and Liz thought of how she had misjudged this vampire, and she wondered how many more. She broke his gaze by closing her eyes, her brow furrowed.

“What is it,” Elijah said softly, and there was something so sweetly sincere in that well-mannered tone that Liz just broke, a small sob escaping her as she thought of Caroline, of how she had almost killed her own daughter, and she was babbling and crying and his arms encircled her and she buried her face in what she recognized through her tears as a very fancy suit. His broad palm swept through her hair in calming repetition and she pulled away with a watery smile.

“Sorry to mess up your suit.”

He grinned, “I think the cave ruined it well before your tears, Mz Forbes.” His expression turned serious. “You can’t blame yourself for reacting to natural predators in the most sensible way possible.”

“But she’s my daughter,” Liz said, shaking her head. “Regardless of council training or instinct, I should have fought harder.” Her expression was fierce and he nodded in acquiescence.

“Maybe you should have,” she looked up, surprised, and he cocked his head to the side as he continued. “But what good is regret? And what does it matter now?”

Liz was again struck by the surrealness of the encounter and laughed. “I’m sitting in an ancient cave taking parental advice from a thousand-year-old vampire and could this get any stranger?”

Elijah surprised her with a laugh of his own, his eyes once again glued to the curve of her smile. “I could think of a few ways.” Wait, wait. Wait.

Was Elijah flirting with her? Holy crap.

Liz narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you sure you don’t need to eat?”

His eyes darkened and traced the line of her neck. “Would you be willing to let me feed from you, Elizabeth?”

She licked her lips as an acknowledgment and he moved closer, pulling her up on his lap so that she rested on a strong thigh, her legs stretched across the rest of his lap. He cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes, searching for something in their depths, giving her a last chance to turn back.

“It’s ok,” she said in the softest of exhales. “I want it,” she continued, her heart pumping with the thrill of it. His fangs lowered and his eyes turned impossibly dark and what was she doing and why was it so hot and his fangs sliced into the thin skin of her neck and oh my god.

Liz had attended one of those sex toy parties an embarrassing total of once, and that had been quite enough. She just couldn’t get into the group swooning over male strippers and public discussion of dildos, not to mention shrugging off the sympathetic looks the housewives of Mystic Falls sent her way when they thought she wasn’t looking. Gossip scandal of the year, her husband left her for a man, didn’t you hear? Poor thing. I heard she caught them in bed together, can you imagine?

So yeah, it had been a while, but that hadn’t really been an issue for her, to be completely honest. Until now. As his mouth suctioned her neck and his arm banded across her back, pulling her close. She was more turned on than she had been in forever, it felt like, and she almost laughed aloud as her libido took over her brain with the singular thought - Carpe…whatever dick is in Latin.

Elijah’s eyes snapped open as her hand brushed up the front of his trousers and the metal of his belt buckle clinked with its undoing. He pulled away from her neck with a slow lick of blood and met her eyes, his own still bearing marks of his monster’s visage, the black veins streaks down his face. She stared confidently back at him, almost challenging, and his lips tipped up in a smile before a soft, almost surprised sound fell from his lips as she slid his zipper down.

They could both feel it, this hovering on the edge of choice - the air almost tangible in its thickness. His eyes opened again to stare at her, his jaw tight and his lower lip almost pursed, tension held in a tight coil. She held his gaze, slowly licking her lips and giving him another squeeze and that was it.

She found herself on her back, her sheriff’s jacket padded behind her head and her legs lifted as he stripped away her uniform pants before shoving them beneath her hips along with his suit coat. Liz almost laughed at the courteousness of the gesture, so very him and such a contrast to the image of a vampire. He’ll suck your blood and your clit and the laugh bubbled up and escaped.

“Forgive me, but I don’t believe I’m in on the joke,” he said, confusion in his eyes, and she shook her head in dismissal, sitting up and reaching her arms down to pull him up her body.

“Ignore me. Well, ignore that,” she said with another huff of laughter, cradling his face and kissing him. She could feel his lips relax underneath hers, and she sucked his lower lip into her mouth and bit down gently. The hand that reached up to firmly grasp the back of her head was its own reward, and the kiss deepened quickly, the weight of him firmly on top of her as he lowered her back towards the ground.

His hand slid across her sheriff’s badge and she felt his lips curve in a smile before he pulled away, soft kisses a path down her throat, her shirt pulling open as the buttons popped. Elijah was a man of contrasts in bed, she thought, before her brain left her entirely. Oh my god how could I forget?

His hand pushed up her breast as he teased it with his tongue, slow, languid licks and the barest touch of her nipple. She arched against him, pressing her chest forward to seek more and he pulled back because he was apparently the devil and the noise she made would have embarrassed her twenty years ago.

But not now. There wasn’t really time for propriety, only time for the thick weight of him between her legs. She bent her knees, clasping her ankles behind his back and he laughed against her breasts, the cool rush of air

“There’s no rush, Liz. We have all night, and I intend to pleasure you until the spell is released.”

“I’m not 20 anymore, Elijah. As wonderful as that seems I don’t know if -” her words cut off as he finally finally closed his mouth around a nipple and sucked and she could feel the prick of his fangs as a testament to his own arousal. “Do it,” she gasped, forcing a hand between them to slip between her legs and he moaned and bit down, his tongue still playing with her nipple as his fangs pierced her skin. The sensation was almost unbearable and her hands almost slipped from the wetness on her clit and she groaned out his name, shortened in her pleasure to ‘Lijah.

He pulled away and she breathed an internal sigh of relief, she was so oversensitive that touch was almost too much, but the reprieve was just for him to free his erection and soon she found herself impaled on his thick cock.

She was beyond wet, but it had been years and the stretch of him was considerable. His teeth flashed in the low light of the cave and she knew he was fucking with her while he fucked her and she clenched around him, grinning her own grin as his smile dropped and he groaned. Round one to Liz. He pulled out slowly, regaining control, and began a measured pace, the only thing betraying his passion the grip he held on her hips, his hands spread across her ass and fingers squeezing. She’d be embarrassed by the flesh that poked through if it had been twenty years ago.

But not now. There wasn’t really any room for worry when his cock was spreading her wide and she just wanted him to go faster. She made a small frustrated noise and he smiled again, meeting her eyes before looking down to where they joined. Liz pulled herself up to her elbows and watched with him, slanting her hand across her chest to play with her nipples as she watched his slick cock pump in and out. He let out a small groan at the sight of her touching herself and picked up the pace. Just what she wanted. The rock scraped her back as the cloth of his suit shifted with the motions but she couldn’t find it in herself to care as he added a twist to at the end of his thrusts, hitting her deep inside. He balanced on an arm and reached between them, rubbing her clit in tandem with his thrusts, and her voice spiraled up and out as she came, her vision going white for a moment, stark in the darkness of the cave. She felt Elijah push back her legs, and he slammed into her, crying out his own release as her fading orgasm had her contracting around his cock.

They really just did that.

“We really just did that.”

“Yes, Mz. Forbes, we did. And that certainly won’t be the last time, marriage cave or not.”

#birthday fic for me #other people write #submission #smutty smut smut #elijabeth

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