MAӘIƆ IИƆAЯИATƎ.

⋆ MAӘIƆ IИƆAЯИATƎ.

[atannaz]

MAYBE BACKWARDS IS MY NATIVE TONGUE. independent, very private writing blog for ZATANNA ZATARA, based solely on the YOUNG JUSTICE - SERIES &. MY OWN PORTRAYAL + HEADCANONS.

spell put on you by : deax, ( 25, she / her ) other blogs: @sarastuss main &. @bllakcat

⁰¹. carrd. ⁰². studies. ⁰³. board. ⁰⁴. playlist. ⁰⁵. visage. ⁰⁶. isms.

[atannaz]

i've disabled zee's carrd for the time being! i might re - make it or do only a post version, since zee is a very private/low-activity muse for me.

[perichat]

Zatanna Zatara in Young Justice: Phantoms  

[proditeur]

"—i felt magic so i came to have a look, to make sure that none of my people were involved.

"... and i really am a fan."

his confession is so swift and unexpected that it gives him a momentary pause; and, a rare sight in his features, a brief look of surprise. he doesn't know why he didn't expect it — regulus does know of zatanna, after all — but he will decide later on whether or not he was capable of countering it, if he tried. perhaps he really is starstruck, or too curious for his own good.

a young child in a blue apron skirt, chasing white rabbits.

regulus' head rocks gently back and laughter replaces his bewildered expression; but it's not fake. an uncommon-for-him bark of genuine amusement, with his shoulders rumbling and his knees bending, and one hand delicately placed at his chest, "that was clever! and very smartly-done. but i didn't really lie. and i don't mean any harm — you can have that one for free. i think you owe me an autograph, now."

[atannaz]

HANDS LAND ON HER HIPS, : SOMETHING AKIN TO SMUG SMIRK CURLS THE YOUNG MAGICIAN'S LIPS, whilst a single brow raises to create a finishing touch to the look! the answer pulled out with magic, answers demanded, &. delivered. it is silence that controls the atmosphere for a little while, as zatanna keeps her attention upon him, giving a moment for what happened to sink in ; all the while she too gathers the answer received. ( his people huh? ) ... SHE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, TRUTH BE TOLD, but she does not expect a sound of earnest laughter to echo into the night. it is her turn to look slightly bewildered. ❝ why thank you, ❞ yes, she is still smug about it. but far from professional, she had to present herself upon this stage, after all ; LEGACY RESTS UPON HER SHOULDERS. hands fall to her sides, &. expression shifts to something more serious from the brief amusement that followed his comments, ❝ what did you mean by your people? ❞ she'll consider the autograph later.

[azarathianleft]

it’s not like her to crumble in front of others,    not because her exterior is tough or hardened,    but because she carries her misery so achingly,    her prayers to be left alone are heard.    all her life she’s operated believing she will never be understood,    the burden of her power,    the condemnation of loneliness.    after her exile,    she harbored only hope for a guiding hand,    a rotten one,    that made her feel colder and more alone.    every cloud,    every fluttering bird,    reminds her of the azarathian valleys,    the abandoning eyes of her mother,    the diligence,    yet untender nature of her mentor.    she wonders if she was ever guided at all,    and if she’s wishing for dead dreams.    

but the abyss of her melancholia seems paralyzed the moment she feels,    her eyes hidden on her knees,    a familiar and comforting rustling of books.    head lifted and she looks incredulous for a second too long.    while her head is empty of anything but  laments,    something compels her to stand by zatanna’s side,    an elemental force in her soul, a caring inspiration.    her lips part much earlier than her words come,    and while her eyes have smudged with kajal,    she’s not crying.    she quiets her mind,    accepts the universe as is.    follows her lead in the slow ritual of organizing a bookcase,    forgetting the ways either of them could eviscerate a mess in the swiftness of a palm or spell.   

‘ it is my fault,    i did not deal with it in time.    ’ she breathes against a book’s cover,    extending it to zatanna to put in the correct section.    ‘ it was not… they did not say it was a real cult.    ’

[atannaz]

WHITE FABRIC ADORES SLENDER FINGERS, : THEY WRAP AROUND ANOTHER COVER, its pages opened among the chaos that came before. whilst the mistress of magic does this, a response comes ; &. hearing it, movements halt. if only for a second or two. ... THEY ARE NOT THE SAME, BUT THEY ARE ALIKE. she continues again, whilst an answer of her own brews atop her tongue. so long, she wondered if she could ever carry the mantle ; not an doubt of her skills, but a doubt towards filling a role one dearest to her carried before ... the feeling of it being somehow wrong. ' he would be proud ' she has heard, &. that she hopes, wants to believe ; IT FELT FINAL. replacing a role, replacing the one closest affiliated with the mystical arts. becoming the one with unmatched skills in every aspect of magic.

BUT THIS MOMENT SHARED CONFIRMS SOMETHING, : MAKES SOMETHING BLOOM. a realization. it was for people like raven herself is ; lost, carrying the burden of intense power &. knowledge of it to be filled, that it is vital she accepts the role. SHE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE HER FATHER TO TEACH HER THE WAYS OF ARCANE, MUCH OF IT ALL RAVEN HAD TO ENDURE ALONE, or taught by harsher ways. ... so, finally comes the moment zatanna breaks the silence again. ❝ you are being too harsh on yourself, ❞ comment birthed by experience. she turns her head, &. lips curl if only an inch in reassurance, a silent thanks, as she takes the book extended to her, &. soon, places it in the correct section. ❝ i understand, the way it feels. ❞ she voices the truth of experience, though does not disclose on a singular moment. ... ❝ there is no telling what would have been the right actions to take. those rarely exists. ❞ WORDS MIRROR FROM THE PAST. had she initially not sacrificed herself to the helmet, had she done nothing ... would that have been correct? could they have combined the two worlds that were parted? would families ever been whole everywhere else?

[folkpoetold]

artemis isn't sure she'll ever get used to that. how zatanna can conjure the impossible with only words. such pretty words, her hazy mind thinks. there's nothing for her to do but accept the aid, clenching her teeth to bite back groans of pain, as zatanna takes care of her. trying not to get nervous about how quickly red starts to stain the fresh bandages at her side. you've been through worse, she reminds herself. she knows the signs and symptoms of when to worry. it's bad, but artemis isn't in danger just yet. a small comfort.

❝ nice place. ❞ a lame attempt at a joke. she's been here too many times to count, but not enough recently. not when she was falling so deeply into the black hole that encompassed her life. not when she isolated herself in a bid to recover. she'd barely seen anyone outside of her mother and her therapist, though excepts had been made for her very best friend. the one with the most beautiful blue eyes that hurt to see filled with concern. she adjusts herself on the couch, huffs passing her lips as she finds an angle to lay that's comfortable. a hard feat. zatanna's question only earns a nod as she lifts her hands from the injury. they're stained red, but thankfully not all of it fresh. ❝ so, what's the diagnosis, doc? ❞

[atannaz]

SHE KNOWS HER, : OF COURSE SHE DOES. years that have woven them together, the way the two friends have been through each others thick &. thin, ... there is no reversing that. not even with magic, at least she wants to think so. ( says a lot, with all of her knowledge of it. ) a glance exchanged in artemis' direction, one who has seen this apartment many times before, ... yet, zatanna does not refuse to play into it. because of course she doesn't. ❝ thanks. not many people are brought back here, you know. ❞ she dares to tease back, though velvety voice is much softer this time, but the playful hint exists within smile that is also filled with concern. with confirmation, she begins to unwrap the bandages, already parts soaked through with crimson. it ached to see this. NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES INJURIES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, part of the danger of the job ; it still always aches.

SHE LOOKS AT THE WOUND, : &. WORDS LACED WITH MAGIC HAD SUMMONED A FIRST AID KIT TO HER SIDE. she is no healer by any means, save for the little experience that comes from treating own bruises, be it with magic or by hand. but for artemis? she gives her all, ... perhaps even more that she has given herself. MOMENTS SPENT CLEANING THE CUT, ... &. she can't hide a slight frown from appearing upon her lips as she does this. perhaps artemis notices, because her voice soon echoes in zatanna's apartment. a gentle, amused huff at her comment ; though quick to fade, as she looks at the wound still. ❝ you'll live, ❞ THIS, SHE VOWS. humor present in the comment, but concern remains in her eyes, &. now, their gaze focuses on steel greys. ❝ but, you are going to need a lot of bed rest, alright? ❞ while it can sound like a plea, it is a demand. ❝ i am able to treat this, but it doesn't mean recovery time is not needed. ❞

[proditeur]

the corners of his mouth are quivering—he's trying to hide a smile. he is the mischievous feline caught on the high cabinet, pawing at the expensive baubles and porcelain. but the consequences for him would be far worse than a housecat breaking something lovely. she's a justice leagueling, with more support behind her than he could ever hope to boast.

"—lie?" he puffs out with a laugh, "why would i lie?" he was not entirely honest, of course, but there was more truth in it than there appears. regulus didn't intend on sticking his nose into civil business today, but faced with a choice between the earthquake and a fresh pastry... his curiosity lead him here.

"you're—i recognize you, actually! i'm a big fan. unless you're an impersonator, in which case you really do look the part. but trying to find the source of that earthquake is very... on-brand. may i get an autograph?"

[atannaz]

THE LOOK THAT DECORATES YOUNG FEATURES DOES NOT CHANGE, : GLIMMER IN CRYSTAL BLUES IS UNWAVERING. he conceals something, this much was obvious. but the amount of it, the details of it all ... that was yet to be uncovered. &. one did not need to convince the magician further. while he speaks of recognizing her ; in other words, deflects ... the spell already brews atop her tongue. ( it is slightly amusing however, that she has to give credit for. ) the slight smirk that tugs the corners of her lips mixes with the raise of a brow, &. arms folded over her chest. PANDERING WOULD NOT GET ONE FAR WITH HER. ... ❝ trulb tuo eht hturth! ❞ to blurt out the truth is the command made, &. the spell is casted ; something that sinks its' teeth into ones being, &. it is like a siren's song, impossible to refuse when heard.

[atannaz]

thinking about one (1) mistress of magic ✨

[praesparo]

                    sleek silver & red spandex paces around their main hub of their base, arms folded as his cowl hangs loosely behind his head. their team was forever shifting & evolving, whether old members moved on or new members shared their ambitions. wally had to accept this way of life & value the time he could still spend with those surrounding him. in this scenario, it meant teasing the renowned sorceress about her magic. a topic wally was almost clueless about. he smirked, tilting his head at her answer to his initial question. ❝ oh - of course.  ❞ he waves his hand off, nonchalantly accepting her answer with feigned ignorance. ❝ but seriously, can you actually pull out bunnies from hats? surely that's a thing, right?  ❞

[atannaz]

THIS IS SOMETHING SHE IS RAISED INTO, : SPEAKING BACKWARDS HER NATIVE TONGUE! magic a constant presence of her life, something that flowed in her veins like blood did. there is no erasing that. ... so, needless to say ; it was always interesting to introduce someone to her way of life, something that has been all she knows! ❝ what kind of magician do you take me for? ❞ the question spoken in a light - hearted tease, BY THE VELVETY VOICE OF THE YOUNG WOMAN. ❝ nommus a tah! ❞ &. a magician hat appears upon her hand, between the grip of her index &. middle - finger, plus her thumb. ... for the next trick, sorceress' words not needed ; this trick embedded into her long before. her other hand reaches into the hat, &. out of it, she pulls a white rabbit, small enough to fit into her gentle grip. ❝ ta - da, ❞ SHOWING OFF? PERHAPS A LITTLE. ... but in truth, it is part of a friendly banter, something zatanna has come to treasure. ( she could not claim to have friends outside this group. ) ❝ i've been helping my dad on the stage for years now, i'm bound to have learned that by now. ❞ she speaks before kneeling, letting the white rabbit loose.

[atannaz]

zee is much more private &. slow - activity muse, but man, i adore everything i have going on here 🖤

[ohisms]

✱˚｡⋆ ↪ 𝐔𝐍𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇 . ( a collection of lyric - based prompts based on hozier's album . adjust phrasing as necessary . )

i'm holding my world together with a bootstring .

i would do it again if i could hold you for a minute .

my life was a storm since i was born , how could i fear any hurricane ?

heaven is not fit to house a love like you and i .

i miss when we did not need much .

we didn't get it right , but we did our best .

when people say that something is forever , either way it ends .

i have never known a silence like the one fallen here .

there's money to be made , whatever is still to come .

i don't want to be anything like this at all .

there are some things that nobody teaches you .

we can celebrate the good that we've done .

if there was anyone to get through this life with their heart in tact , they didn't do it right .

all i needed was someone .

you only feel it when it's lost .

the awful things we do to make our heads feel quiet .

you may never know your fortune .

so far from home to have a stranger call you 'darling' .

i'm a butchered tongue still singing here above the ground .

if i was a riptide , i wouldn't take you out .

knowing that everything ends won't change our plan .

i feel lighter than i have in so much time .

i don't know how the feeling ended .

i know we want this to go easy by being somebody's fault .

how could i fall when i am lifted by every word you say to me ?

if i said that this was drowning , you'd tell me i'm walking on water .

who wants to live forever , babe ?

old and young are welcome to the meal .

how can something be so much heavier but so much less than what it seems ?

we had nowhere to go and every desire to go there .

if i fall , i only pray , don't fall away from me .

all our weight is just a burden offered to us by the world .

getting through still has a cost .

so much of our life is just carving through the dark .

after this i'm never gonna be the same .

some part of me must have died the first time you called me 'baby' .

are there limits to emptiness ?

i wish i was the sunlight , just sitting on the mississippi .

if you need to , darling , lean your weight onto me .

you can't buy this fineness .

some part of me must have come alive the first time you called me 'baby' .

the future's so bright it's burning .

i would do anything just to run away .

i heard once , it's the comforts that make us feel numb .

darkness always finds you , either way .

i know being reckless and young isn't how the damage gets done .

i haven't felt it since then .

i do not have wings , love , and i never will .

one time we would want for nothing , we knew what our love was worth .

i think i'll take my whiskey neat .

i'd still be surprised i could find you , in any life .

i don't need to know where we begin and end .

my name always hits my ears as such an awful sound .

i'm taking no orders , i'm gonna be nobody's soldier .

living the dream , benzos and gasoline .

i wish i could go along , don't get me wrong .

do you think i'd give up ?

i'm infinitely suffering , but fighting it off like all creation .

if you're drunk on life , babe , that's great .

what good would it be on the far side of things ?

i aim low , i aim true and to the ground is where i go .

i wouldn't sell the world , i would hold on for all its worth .

choose between being a butcher and a pauper .

i feel as useful as dirt .

it's the sound of it that brings me here .

when was the last time ?

i want to fade away with you .

whatever keeps you around , it keeps you around .

funny how true colors shine in darkness and secrecy .

when i was younger , i used to guess if there were limits to emptiness .

you know i'm good on my own .

one bright morning changes all things .

i'm sick to my skin , watching the news again .

how could you think i'd scare so easily ?

now that it's done , there's not one thing i would change .

would all things god allows remain above ground ?

i'd walk so far just to take the injury of finally knowing you .

you treat your mouth like it's heaven's gate .

could this be how every day begins ?

i can scarce believe what i'm believing in .

whatever you choose , you lose in the long run .

your reflection can't offer a word to the bliss of not knowing yourself .

the goal i was aiming for was the wrong one .

you're too sweet for me .

your heart , love , has such darkness .

let the sun only shine on me through a falling sky .

i don't wanna choose between being a salesman and a soldier .

how do you sleep so well ?

i wouldn't sell the world for all the gold and sterling .

the street is for the laughter of young women and men .

you can keep a dream in your mind only to find out it's the hope that's killing you .

each time i'm shocked by the light .

july is still coming , just knowing that gets me through .

maybe i have yet to venture out and see the places i dream about .

no closer could i be to god .

what you live in , it finds a way to live in you .

i want to be so far away from sight and mind .

you know the distance made no difference to me .

i thought you were like an angel to me .

i'd move so fast that i'd outpace the dawn .

all my love and terror balanced there between those two eyes .

i'm still glad i met you .

that moment i knew , i had no choice but to love you .

[atannaz]

i am not crying, you are

[folkpoetold]

artemis takes a seat beside zatanna, a caring hand placed on her shoulder. it's hard, losing a parent. not knowing if the last time spent together would be the final. it had hurt when her mom went to prison, when she had been forced to endure her father's training for a little under a decade. at least her mother had written, had promised to come back when she was free. she had given artemis hope. she can't imagine what it must be like to not have that. ❝ well, if living with the happy couple ever gets too much you can always come stay with me. ❞ a gentle squeeze of her shoulder. lips turning upwards in a tender smile. what a duo they had already become in such a short amount of time. her best and dearest friend. artemis only wants to be there for her. to help in any way she can. ❝ never had a sleepover before. mom would be thrilled. ❞

[atannaz]

WHILE FEATURES APPEAR SERENE,, : CRYSTAL BLUES REFLECT THE TURMOIL WITHIN. that even magic can not undo, not unless she were to cast a blindfold over her eyes. ( &. make it all the more visible, ironically. ) &. besides, zatanna did not have to hide from artemis ; where part of her wanted to, to curl into herself &. remain unseen ... bigger part of her didn't want to be alone. NOT ANYMORE, when she had gotten her fill of alone - time. now she wants to drown her thoughts. ... the tender smile like a soothing palm to her heart, &. she mimics it, ❝ thanks artemis, ❞ there is slight strain to velvety voice, &. the weight of it all makes even the slight smile fade. A BRIEF PAUSE, desperate to steer the conversation, &. genuine realization comes. ❝ wait, ... you've never had a sleepover before? ❞ comes the hesitant question ; hesitant to approach a more light - hearted conversation even when it is needed, but genuine surprise takes more control.

[azarathianleft]

this isn't the end …remember. / >:) it is time

‘ i am afraid of that.    i wish it were,    ’ the night went as it always did,    the horrid showcase of the demon’s capricious soul.    the situation had been managed,    the people had been saved and all was well.    but raven’s heart grows restless by the second,    huddled by the carnage of an old library,    used for some senseless seance in hopes to unshackle ancient evils.    raven couldn’t understand why.    power,    glory,    it all grows boring and stupid in her overwhelmed heart,    exposed to the wickedness of magic now descending into a dark place,    where she’s less an empath and more a pain - eater,    where she’s not humanity's savior but its ruler.    of course,    those terrible ideas are shunned immediately by her more reasonable spirits soon enough,    but not before she shuns away from the world.    

it's worse than her senior ( both as a hero, and as a magic user ) is here. anyone else she can con away from her miserable figure, but she fears zatanna might understand her more than she's comfortable with.

her head hides behind hands,    dark kajal rivers steeping through her fingers,    staining her blue gloves,    succumbing to the shadows of her coat.    she talks,    without expectation,    whispered echoes,    everyone else is gone.    she is but a ghost in the room.    perhaps that is what she should become,    anyway.    ‘ i t never stops.    i wish this… evil within me were just that.    evil.    but in the same breath i have hope for a better existence,    i have risk for a worse one.     ’ her gaze is never lifted,    she further sinks into herself,    by the desecrated history section,    plagued by the scent of ceremonial ashes and iron.    ‘ i am sorry,    @atannaz,    this is not your burden.    you did well.    thank you for helping me tonight.    i will tidy the place on my own.    i do not need your help.    ’

[atannaz]

RATHER FAMILIAR SIGHT, : NOT BECAUSE SHE HAS SEEN THIS WITH RAVEN, but because once, it was within the reflection. zatanna had first been against this ; what raven contains is powerful, demonic. ( many pages turned of these abilities, many lessons echo with her father's voice. ) ... but concerns were casted aside, true nature blossoming through, like a single flower manages to do through the creaks upon concrete. A ROLE BESTOWED, NO, TAKEN ; for she is the one who can contain it, but she is also someone who understands.

CRYSTAL BLUES ARE UPON THE CLOAKED FIGURE, : SHE WITNESSES HOW IT SHIELDS, but never seemingly enough for raven, not at the moment at least. ... sympathy glimmers, though otherwise at first her expression remains neutral. every word that reaches her, it sparks memories further ; while zatanna's feet have not worn the same shoes, ( rare could bear to carry what raven does ) there is that understanding, which further makes it clearer ... SHE WANTS TO GUIDE RAVEN. then comes a shake of her head, dark locks swaying ever so slightly along the motion. ❝ you don't need it, ❞ velvety smooth voice echoes, but defiance already shows in the way she steps further in. ❝ but i will do so regardless. ❞ corners of her lips tugged upwards, if only ever so slightly. eye - contact kept for another moment, before she kneels, picking up few books from the ground to the grip of gloved hands. SHE COULD JUST USE A SPELL, so why doesn't she? zatanna is aware raven might ask this question herself, something that leads to an all the more clearer answer. the mentor seeks time with her student.

[atannaz]

i look like a toddler when i write zatanna casting magic, squinting at my screen &. trying to make sure i do it right sbsuyshbgh

[proditeur]

"..."

he could feel her before he heard her—like a little tug in his fingertips, that semi-sentient nature of magic that whispers to his nerves and raises alarm when presented with danger. but there is no alarm here... it's curiosity—like his magic is lifting its nose in the air and taking in the scent of an unfamiliar, benevolent power.

regulus has mastered his reactions enough not to let it show, but when he turns towards the voice and sees zatanna standing there he feels suddenly as though he's been caught doing something wrong.

"lost," he lies, lifting a shoulder up towards his ear, "i've never been to this part of town. i was rerouted—by the earthquake." the very strange, unnatural quake that he'd come to investigate. "i suppose i look suspicious."

[atannaz]

REASONS GIVEN, : REASONS NOT BELIEVED. it is the young magician look that exposes as much ; a raised brow, arms crossed over her chest. this tug far too familiar, she could never mistake the call of magic. ❝ uh huh, ❞ there is a hint of sass embedded to zatanna's tone, the musing made in doubt! ( not out of malice, but suspicion is there. ) ... THOUGH IT COULD BE POSSIBLE, with what had gone down here. yet her instincts are stronger, &. they haven't failed her yet. crystal blues do look - over once more, but he is not familiar, not his face at least. no - one she can recognize her father having talked of by looks alone, but there was magic to him, that was for certain. ... ❝ well, i wouldn't have said that, unless you had tried to lie. ❞ there it is again ; the sass spoken with velvety smooth tune. ❝ how about you we try the truth this time? ❞ A BOLD DEMAND MADE, but again, not with malice. she does not hide her identity, the magician is who she is without any mask. she wonders why he conceals his own skills, when they emit so strongly from within.

[atannaz]

reverse meme call! 🔮 like this post &. i will go through your prompt tag. multis specify what muse you want the asks for &. also, if you have preference for s1 zee or s2 &. beyond zee!