#also archie

[sz-hv]

WAS THAT A TAPE RECORDER?????? AS IN THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES?????? A MAGNUS ARCHIVES TAPE RECORDER???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[jabbers-wild-world]

A Little Spark of Magic

It was dark, and just a bit chilly as the small, black-haired child made his way across the house, dragging a tattered rag doll in the shape of a cat along with him. It didn’t take much for the tiny little boy to wiggle open the door, but it was a bit more effort now to climb into his parents’ bed. Especially considering he refused to let go of his cat doll. Ashes, he called it, since it was black like soot, and had a faint smell of exactly that. Possibly from too much time near the fireplace. Eventually though, he made it atop the bed, crawling and wiggling his way in between the sleeping forms of a man and woman, their hair equally as dark as their son’s, and it was she who stirred first.

“Hisirdoux? What is it, love?”

“Mm..” His father grunted and groaned softly, slowly rousing himself enough to look at the tiny, three-year-old boy now nestled between them.

“Something wrong, son?”

“‘s a bogie..” His mother feigned a gasp of concern, glancing at her husband.

“A bogie? That’s never good.”

“Fearsome things they are.” The man sat up, carefully lifting his son in his arms now. “Come, Hisirdoux, let me show you the best way to fight these monsters off.” The boy snuggled close against his father’s chest, small hands gently grasping the front of the man’s nightshirt, as he was carried back to his own bedroom. Gently, his father placed him down on the bed, and stood firmly before him.

“Now. Tell me where this monster is hiding.” The boy pointed toward a rather large chest in the far corner, one he himself often liked to climb inside to play in. His father gave a smirk, shaking out his hands and pulling up his sleeves, before- Ah, yes. A wizard’s staff summoned to him, the sunstone gleaming atop it.

“Never shall any bogie threaten this house, this family, this son and heir to the Casperan name!” His staff touched the ground, a heavy thunk, and a shimmer of magic whirling around the adult wizard and the chest as well. Now, there was of course no such thing as a bogie, but he’d conjured up some effective sounds and made the chest rattle a bit, before an illusory shadow creature darted from the chest and vanished into the night.

“Begone, foul creature! And never again enter these walls!” Little Hisirdoux stared in awe at the golden magic his father held, before he climbed off his bed again to run and hug his leg.

“‘s gone ‘way! ‘s gone ‘way, Papa!” The man smiled broadly, his long face broken open with a gleaming charm as he lifted the boy in his arms, holding him up to the ceiling and then back against his chest.

“Yes, my Hisirdoux! My brave son, the bogie is gone! I will always protect you, my boy.” His forehead pushed so gently against his son’s, he whispered ever so softly now. “No matter what.. I will always protect you..” Hisirdoux nuzzled against his father, tiny fingers finding their way to grasp at his dark beard, tugging only briefly.

“Love you, Papa..”

“I-” It was sharp, abrupt, breaking the quiet moment between father and son as attention was suddenly yanked toward a knock at the front door. A glance passed between the two of them, but before any words could be spoken.

“Jacquar Casperan! Open this door!” The knocks fell heavier this time, the voice demanding. “Open this bloody door!” Quickly, his wife appeared from down the hall as well.

“Jac, we can’t them in.”

“We can’t avoid them either. Marilena, take Hisirdoux and go. I’m the one they’re here for.”

“I won’t!”

“Mari, take our son and get somewhere safe! Above all else, he must be protected. His magic is too great, and they won’t show him mercy.” He was rushed, pushing the child into his mother’s arms as he turned for the door. She didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to abandon her husband, but she held her son close. Cradling him and holding him so tight her hands shook, she backed away, turning for the rear door, but-

“Jac, they’ve surrounded the house!”

“Find somewhere, I won’t let them take you or our son!” It was hurting her to leave, he could see it in her eyes, but Hisirdoux was their priority. He’d just begun to show his first sparks of magic, more powerful than had yet been seen in a boy his age before, and they couldn’t let that bright spark be snuffed out so soon. Marilena moved quickly, shifting aside loose floorboards before she carefully lowered her son into the crawl space beneath the house.

“Stay quiet, little Doux. Stay quiet, and don’t move until all is safe.” She whispered. “I will come for you when all is clear.” A kiss to his head, a lingering grasp of his hand.. And then she replaced the boards, hiding him away before she returned to her husband’s side, just as the front door swung open..

Beneath the floor, the little boy shivered and did his best to keep still and silent. He was terrified, unable to keep back a brief whimper of fear as the sounds of fighting erupted from above him. Flashes of magic, gold and silver, and the sounds of shouting men, his mother’s scream, his father’s anger.. and he clung desperately to Ashes, staring fearfully up at the floorboards, at the faint cracks of light that shone through, and.. It felt like it lasted forever, heavy thuds and wild shouting, and then.. Silence. The fighting had ended, but still his mother had not returned for him. Footsteps now long since left the home.. and silence.. Still he waited, shivering and cold, for his mother’s return. An eternity of nothing, or at least it felt that way, and slowly, the boy pushed the floorboards aside.

“Mama..? Papa..?” No one to be seen, and slowly he ventured further out of the crawl space. “Mama..?” Footsteps nearby, heavy.. clunking footsteps and-

“Oy! Over here!” Terrified, the child scrambled back, as more footsteps came running, another man showing his face alongside the first.

“No one said the Casperans had a whelp.”

“So? He’s just like his parents, I’d wager. Grab him.” A third man behind the other two, watching the frightened child before them.

“Sir? He’s just a boy. Just a little thing.”

“Grab him, and we’ll sort it later. You know the laws.”

“But, sir-”

“I said, do it!” Two men now moved towards him, hands outstretched to grab hold of him, but-

“No!” A bright flash of blue, the men stumbling back just a moment, and the little wizard made a run for it. More men appeared in the doorway, and they made to grab for him, but he dodged them too! Running for his life now, and- one man caught hold of Ashes, grabbing the doll by the arm, and- Rrriiip!! Now missing one arm, Ashes remained in the boy’s possessions, and he ran away into the night.. and into the snow.. The men shouted after him, and to each other, but he didn’t stop, couldn’t stop! Into the forest, through the trees, and- he tripped! Falling into the snow, he struggled to get back up as- Something hissed behind him now, and Hisirdoux could only cry, turning to face what seemed to be a small black dragon.

“Watch it!”

“I- I- ‘m sorry, but- but I gotta run!”

“Run? Why?”

“Bad men! Bad men came an’ they wanna hurt me!” The little dragon blinked, pushing up a pair of large glasses on his nose. This child was scared, sobbing and crying and clinging desperately to a ripped toy, and... Oh, now he heard the men shouting.

“Find the whelp! He can’t be far!” The dragon frowned, not liking the sound of that one bit. A whelp? That was a rude thing to call a human child. He wasn’t really full grown at all either, and still very young himself, though.. perhaps a bit older than this frightened child, and- A sniff. Was he- This boy was magic! A tiny wizard! Those men were chasing a wizard child?!

“What about your mum and dad?”

“They’re gone! I think th’ bad men made ‘em go ‘way!” A pause, another glance toward the shouting men.. Before he nudged his head against the child. He’d already decided for himself that he’d become a familiar, a wizard’s associate. And now.. This boy needed him.

“Come on. I know a place they won’t find you.” Carefully, he nudged the boy onto his back. He may not have been too big, but he was big enough to carry a little child, and now- Just as two men in armor came up the hill, the young dragon took off at a run with his new wizard companion riding upon his back, and behind them, he could hear the men cursing.

“Blast it! He’s got help!” Running. Running, dodging and leaping over fallen logs and under bushes, past stone and bush until- They ducked into a cave, the dragon letting the boy off his back and gently curling around him instead.

“It’s safe here.. I would know.” Hisirdoux was quiet, still hugging Ashes to his chest like a lifeline, before- he dropped the toy, instead wrapping his arms around the dragon instead, crying into his fur.

“‘m scared..”

“I know.. I’ll stay with you.”

“You will?”

“Always and forever. You have a name?”

“Hisar- His- Hiseer- His’rido- Um..”

“Maybe something else they call you?”

“Mama called me ‘little Doux’..”

“Doux.. How ‘bout we call you Douxie?” The boy nodded, sniffling but smiling a little as he wiped away some tears.

“‘kay. An’.. what do we call you?”

“Archibald.”

“Mm. Too stuffy.”

“Too stuffy? Look at you, Mister Can’t Even Say His Own Name! At least I can say mine.”

“Archie.” The dragon’s ears perked up a bit, and the child’s hands now gently entangled themselves in his fur, petting him and holding him close.

“Archie?”

“Mm. I like it betterer.”

“You mean, better.”

“Mm.”

“Well, Douxie. If you want to call me that, I guess I like it too.”

[fodlandrearburh]

Okay I started watching Riverdale and Jughead has absolutely NO business being that hot 

[sillyandquiteawkward]

you know what isn't fair? that tabitha isnt real and my boyfriend

[paintingburghers]

find az 2k14

[thefirefromthesun]

MY HEART IS POUNDING I LEGIT CAN'T TAKE THIS WE ARE 53.3 SECONDS AWAY FROM ATLANTIS COME ON