#lugh hopper

[kathrynalicemc]

Legends of The Empyrean: A children’s adventure novel series written by Julio Aquila

I made these literally in February and had a whole list and was planning to make more for other fun myths and locations but it’s been so long that I literally don’t remember them and have no ambition so I thought I would post these 😂 Recent asks have gotten me into an Empyrean mood. @carewyncromwell

[carewyncromwell]

5,6,20 and 21?

5. Does MC sleep with a stuffed toy?

No. Carewyn honestly grew out of sleeping with stuffed animals rather early -- she stopped at the age of three, not long after Jacob first went off to school. She was much more prone to tucking her Paddington bear into its own tiny "bed" on the windowsill under a spare scarf rather than hugging it herself as she fell off to sleep.

6. Sandwiches or soup?

Carewyn loves soup in the wintertime. Her mum Lane was especially prone to making up a pot of Scotch Broth on cold nights, and Carewyn ends up learning more vegetarian-friendly soup recipes after becoming legal partners with Orion.

20. Who's your MC's non-NPC bestie? Any other MC?

Well, for one, Jules Farrier @cursebreakerfarrier is Carewyn's honorary Slytherin Sister! She could see no one better suited to be Bill's other half. Carewyn also befriends fellow Slytherin Night Rhea @night-rhea through Quidditch friendlies and Ravenclaw Cato Reese @catohphm through baking in the kitchens and both Sarahi Silvers @dat-silvers-girl and Wendy Gordon @drinkyoursoupbitch post-Hogwarts. Carewyn's brother Jacob also becomes close with Sarahi's brother Jacob and Ellie Hopper's family @thatravenpuffwitch, especially her grandfather, Lugh Hopper.

21. Does MC prefer Muggle or Wizard Music?

Ugh, Carewyn would HATE being asked this -- because yes, although she has more favorite Muggle bands than wizard ones, that's largely because the Wizarding World's music scene is so much smaller and less diverse, compared to the Muggle World's! She adores the Weird Sisters and deeply appreciates the talent of artists like Celestina Warbeck, Lorcan D'Eath, and Spellb🔮und, and yet she also loves the Eurythmics, Elton John, Queen, KISS, AC/DC, David Bowie, Carly Simon, and so many others. She hates the thought of having to choose, because if the Wizarding World's music scene could just open themselves up more to different influences the way the Muggle music world has, she thinks they could be just as great.

HPHM Ask!

[carewyncromwell]

“I wasn't looking for this, but now you're in my way.”

x~x~x~x

featuring Darian Zain @kathrynalicemc (yes, this is almost entirely for her and me, so sue me 😜) and referencing the crew of the Empyrean @thatravenpuffwitch @sirfluffig @oneirataxia-girl

x~x~x~x

In the 1930′s, the Wizarding World was in turmoil. With the rise of the Dark wizard Grindelwald, many lived in fear of what another Great War -- this time one waged with magic -- could look like. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that many sought an escape from those fears -- and one of those things that provided such an escape were the tales circulated of Jules Aquila, his crew, and their ship, the Empyrean. 

The Empyrean was a ship that British wizard Jules Aquila had stolen from a Muggle museum back in the 1920′s and enchanted to fly, so that he and his associates could take flight across the world. And sure enough, the Empyrean had known its fair share of adventures, questing for the likes of long-lost magical sights like Atlantis and Dolorous Guard. However much the magical governments of the world gave the flying ship a very critical side eye for flirting so frequently with breaking the Statute of Secrecy, most mainstream wizards and witches were enchanted by the rebellion, adventure, and romance encapsulated in the crew’s lifestyle. 

Although Jules Aquila was and would inevitably always be the most famous of the Empyrean’s crew as captain, however, that didn’t mean that other crew members didn’t get their fair share of glory. Aquila’s best mate and quartermaster Kath Alton was purportedly one of the most talented magical engineers on Earth, while his first mate, Desiree Lestrange, had been a well-regarded Cursebreaker for le Banque Decristaux before abandoning her cushy position and lifestyle to set sale with the sky Captain. There were also much more interesting, but less provable rumors circulated -- those of Aquila having recruited a wanted thief to his crew in exchange for keeping him from getting arrested; those of Aquila having stolen his beloved pet occamy from the infamous French magical gangster Claude Macnair; even those of a certain crewmate with large, eagle-like wings sprouting out from his back like some mythical angel. Some stories claimed the winged crewmate was a wanted man, though others still -- even more wild -- claimed he was descended from royalty, or even a Djinn. 

One story Darian Zain hoped would never be passed around him, though, was the time that he flew right into the window of a Muggle airplane. 

The Empyrean had been traveling up the far-eastern coastline of the Americas, on its way up toward Greenland. Desiree had determined that there might be some magical Viking settlements in the area, and Jules was eager to investigate. On the way, though, the crew decided that they’d have to stock up for a journey so far north, not just in the essentials like food and water, but more importantly, of warm blankets and clothing. Most of their crewmembers weren’t used to such cold temperatures, after all -- especially not Darian, who grew up in a much hotter desert climate. So, in preparation, Desiree and Lugh had gone to the wizarding village of Gravesville, right in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, so as to fetch some of the magical supplies needed, while Kath and Felix went into the “Muggle” side of town to pick up the more mundane kind. Once the others had purchased everything they needed, Darian then played “carrier pigeon” and flew it all back to the Empyrean. 

Many people in Darian’s place might’ve been a little resentful of having to play the role of an owl just because he had wings -- but the runaway prince honestly was eager to help. After nearly an entire life of being locked up indoors with nothing to do, it was fun to get out and actually do something. And it was kind of cool, to be needed for once. He’d become rather fond of his crewmates, over the years, and being given any kind of responsibility made Darian feel included in a way he hadn’t really known at home, when his father the King kept him so cloistered away from everyone else. Lugh, Kath, and Felix had taught Darian a lot about weapons, ships, record players, magic tricks, and lockpicks -- heck, even Jules had taught him how to navigate using the stars, if he ever got lost. And even though the ship’s resident taskmaster Desiree always gave him a lot of chores to do, Darian knew that was just because of her own strong work ethic. From what Darian gathered, he’d also reminded Desiree of her younger brother upon first meeting, due to how privileged their upbringings had been...and frankly, after having met the spoiled, pigheaded, self-absorbed blood purist that was Marius Lestrange, Darian hated the thought of ever being the least bit like him. 

At least Desi should have enough to make a good meal, once we’ve all gotten back to the ship, Darian thought to himself with a smile. Maybe she might even make some naan, if I make really good time?

This thought cheered him up significantly. Desiree had first learned how to make naan while they were traveling through Iran, and she’d taken to baking some as a treat sometimes, whenever Darian’s work had impressed her. The fresh bread always made him think of home. 

The satchel on Darian’s back was heavy. He moved to adjust it, only to have to fumble a bit to keep it from opening and its contents from spilling.

“Whoop -- !”

He shifted the satchel around in his arms, latching it back together a bit more tightly as he flew. 

“There we go,” he mumbled with a smile, as he tossed the satchel back over his shoulder. “Now then...back to it -- ”

WHAM.

Because Darian hadn’t been looking where he was flying, he didn’t see the thing whose airspace he was entering until it was far too late. 

His head pounding with pain, Darian tried to orient himself, even as it felt like his world was spinning. 

He’d hit something -- what had he hit? A wall? A wall of glass?

Blinking rapidly even as colorful stars winked in front of his eyes, he could feel the thing he’d collided with shifting downward. There was something moving behind the wall of glass -- was that a person?

Darian flapped his wings, trying to fly back a bit so he could get a better look. Unfortunately when he did, he found his right wing was having trouble straightening out.

“Ow -- ow -- !”

Pain pulsed through his wing as he flapped it. He tried to lean more on the other to support him, but when he did, he could feel the satchel sliding over again. In trying to catch it, he lost his balance, and suddenly he was falling right through the air. 

“WHOA!”

Darian lashed his arms out, securing the satchel of supplies close to his chest so they wouldn’t fall out. He tried to flap his wings, thinking to slow himself down -- but his right wing was throbbing in pain -- he must’ve sprained it --

Blinking rapidly, Darian tried to focus. The ground was coming up fast -- way too fast -- !

He lashed an arm out desperately, his eyes focusing blearily on the ground even as his head pounded with pain. 

“Come on -- ” he choked. “Come on -- stop falling, stop falling -- stop, stop, stop, STOP -- !”

A burst of air abruptly puffed out of his hand. It wasn’t enough to stop Darian from falling, but it did partially counteract the pull of gravity, blasting him ever-so-slightly upward again. As fate would have it, it was just enough to hoist him up onto the wing of the weird, red-painted metal thing that had dived down to try to catch him. 

Darian looked up, startled.

I’ve seen one of these! he realized, recalling a picture in a book he’d read a piece of over Desiree’s shoulder one day. It's one of those...‘aeroplanes!’

Through the hard glass window, Darian could see a pilot dressed in a brown leather hat and coat and thick goggles, who gave him an encouraging smile. 

“Hang on!” the pilot shouted over the sound of the plane’s propeller. His voice was husky and laced with a strong Boston accent, but his lips were upturned in a rather handsome smile. “I’ll go in for a landin’!”

Stunned and still nursing a throbbing headache, Darian did what he was told, clinging onto the edge of the wing for dear life. The plane glided down much more smoothly than he’d expected, and within moments, with a light bump, they’d collided with the ground. The pilot then parked the plane safely on a hanger set up in the open field. 

Darian carefully eased himself up onto the edge of the wing, stretching out his right wing as best he could. 

“Ow...”

He winced, only managing to spread it half the way out before the pain stopped him. Yep -- definitely a sprain. 

The plane window opened upward, and the pilot hoisted himself up and out of the cockpit onto the lower wing just below Darian. 

“Uh...hey!” he called up. “You all right up there?”

Darian straightened up abruptly. 

“Yeah!” he answered at once, almost on impulse. 

I will be, anyway, he thought more sheepishly. Once I can brew myself some Wiggenweld Potion, back on the ship...

Darian’s stomach sank. 

The Empyrean. How was he going to get back up to the ship, if he couldn’t even fly? He hadn’t even thought to bring any healing potions with him, just in case something happened...

The pilot’s handsome smile broadened a bit as he slipped off his goggles. His beetle-black eyes were long-lashed and sparkling. 

“That’s a relief. You hit my window pretty hard...I thought for a minute I might’ve killed you...”

Darian laughed. “And I thought for a minute I was going to die, until you caught me! Thanks for that!”

“No problem,” said the pilot brightly. “I mean, heck -- s’not like I coulda just let you fall, could I?”

He paused. His dark eyes ran over Darian’s face, along his shoulder to up at his right wing. 

“...Are...are those real?” he breathed after a moment. He seemed enchanted. 

Darian blinked. Oh, right -- for a split second, he’d almost forgotten that his wings were anything strange. But hey, was that surprising? His wings were a bit weird to wizards, let alone to a Muggle like this pilot was -- or at least, he figured it must be weird: he’d never talked to a real Muggle before...

This thought was like a two-by-four to Darian’s head.

A Muggle. He’d been seen by a Muggle -- a Muggle was staring right at him, at his wings -- !

“No!” 

Darian choked out the word like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He quickly tried to fold his wings, even as his right one spasmed with pain. 

“No, no, they’re -- uh -- mechanical!” he lied quickly. “Like your aeroplane! Lots of gears and metal, underneath all the feathers!” 

He laughed weakly as he tried once again to fold his wings over his shoulders like a cape, holding his right one in both hands to try to mitigate the pain pulsing through it. 

The pilot blinked slowly at him, his expression becoming much more amused. “...Really?”

“Yeah!” said Darian, his mouth spread into a very nervous smile. “They’re completely normal! Just like me -- normal and Muggle as can be -- ”

Wait -- Muggles don’t call themselves Muggles, do they -- do they use No-Maj -- ?!

“ -- I-I mean...just a normal mug, you know -- that’s me. Heh...”

His voice sounded pathetic in his own ears. He had to sound like a complete idiot! 

Rather than looking suspicious, however, the pilot only seemed to smile broader and more sincerely than ever. He seemed almost charmed. 

“Well...any normal mug I reckon would be a bit shaken, fallin’ outta the air like that,” he said. He extended a gloved hand to Darian. “Here -- lemme help you down.”

Darian blinked, a bit confused. Then, hesitantly, he accepted the hand. It was smaller than his, but the pilot held his hand securely as he helped Darian down onto the lower wing, before they both climbed back down to the ground. The pilot was the exact same height as Darian. 

The embodiment of tall, dark and handsome, the prince thought amusedly, reminded of Kath sarcastically using the same term for him, when the crew of the Empyrean had to go undercover at a masquerade party and a bunch of the ladies had abruptly all started flirting with Darian. 

Once they’d made it back to solid ground, the pilot took off his helmet at last. A wave of beautiful, long black hair swirled out, cascading around the pilot’s face like ocean water.

Darian blinked in slight surprise. Seemed he’d been saved by a tall, dark handsome female pilot. 

Cool. 

Several more planes flew over their heads. The pilot watched them, her dark eyes narrowing a bit. 

“Here,” she said lowly. “Best hide those away, ‘fore anyone else sees...”

She leaned over the edge of her plane and took out a blanket from inside the cockpit, wrapping it quickly around Darian’s folded wings on his shoulders. 

“Oh, uh -- thanks,” said Darian sheepishly. 

The blanket was small enough that he’d have to keep his wings completely folded, to hide them under it. He glanced over his shoulder at the planes soaring overhead.

“...Who are they?”

“The other cadets,” said the pilot as she put down her helmet on the wing and worked to tie up her hair into a messy bun. “They’re all pretty swell, honestly, but that don’t mean they pro’lly wouldn’t flip a bit, seeing your... ‘mechanics.’” She shot another furtive look skyward. “Best be gettin’ on.”

Picking her helmet again and tucking it under her arm, she then gave Darian a smile. 

“Are you hungry?” 

Darian was startled. “Huh?”

“Well, I did knock yeh plum outta the sky,” she said good-naturedly. “Reckon I really should apologize proper for that. My car’s just ‘round the corner from the hanger, we can always drive out and grab a bite. Then maybe I can drop you somewheres, so you can make your way home...”

Darian rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as she started to walk across the field and he followed along close behind. “Well, uh...that might be a bit hard, I mean...I’m not really from around here...my crew and I are just passing through...”

“Could one of your buddies come and pick you up somewheres?” asked the pilot in concern. 

Darian considered this. Truthfully, all he really needed to get airborne was a healing potion...or just the ingredients for one -- he could more than brew it himself. And even if he obviously couldn’t brew anything in front of his new Muggle friend (this thought made Darian feel a bit giddy despite himself -- he’d made friends with a real-life Muggle!! Not just that, but a fly girl!!), he could probably manage it somewhere a bit more magical...like Gravesville! 

“...Well, there’s a place in Philadelphia...my friends were shopping there, just a little while ago. I could meet them there.” 

Gravesville would have owls, right? Darian thought to himself. 

The pilot smiled. “In Philly? No sweat! That’s just over the river from Camden...I can drop you off there, after we eat.”

Darian’s face lit up. “Great!”

They reached the pilot’s car. Darian for a minute couldn’t help but just walk around it, entranced. It was a bright and shiny ruby red, with a lightweight black roof propped up by metal rods, and it had two spare wheels mounted to either side of its nose, almost like decoration. 

“You like her?” asked the pilot. 

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Darian. “Her, I mean...”

He was reminded of how Jules always called the Empyrean a “she” -- he’d said that all ships were called that. 

I wonder if all vehicles are ‘she’s?’ Darian wondered to himself. 

He beamed at the pilot. “She’s beautiful!” 

The pilot couldn’t bite back a proud smile as she flushed a dark red. 

“Old Apple’s kinda old-fashioned -- I got her second-hand,” she explained bashfully. “But I was able to fix her up some, ‘round my studies.” 

She opened up the passenger door, extending a hand to invite Darian in. Once he sat down inside the car and had put his bulging satchel gently down on the floor, she darted around the other side and began to unfold the car’s top and stow it away. It seemed clunky to do -- the top made a lot of weird noises when it was tamped down, and Raye had to twist and smack parts of it just to compress it, but she did it with such little fuss that it seemed like an inconvenience she was very used to. 

“I just realized -- I haven’t introduced myself!” said the pilot with a sheepish smile. “The name’s Raye -- Raye Davies. Short for Rachel -- but really, just Raye will do.”

Darian beamed. “Pleased to meet you, Raye! Darian Zain -- that’s what most everyone calls me.” 

Raye cocked an eyebrow at him as she smiled. “‘Most everyone?’ Well then, I guess I’ll follow suit.”

Climbing in herself and closing the door, she put the key in the ignition and turned on the car, making it rumble to life under Darian. The noise and movement startled the prince, but only to the extent that it made his tanned face light up with excitement -- a reaction that made Raye’s face seem to glow that bit brighter too. 

“Now, then...hm...” Raye mumbled thoughtfully. “Reckon we can’t be strollin’ on in to any diners: you’d look weird, bein’ all wrapped up in a blanket. And some joints ‘round here can be right rotten to ‘out-of-towners’...”

Her black eyes then lit up with a thought. 

“Ever been to the park-in theater, up in Pennsauken Township?” she asked.

Darian blinked. “No.”

Raye's face lit up. “Oh, it’s the berries! They just opened it a couple months ago...but the dames there just come right up to your car, take your order, and then bring it on back to you, so you don’t miss any of the movie...”

Darian racked his brains. He’d heard of movies -- the Empyrean’s ship doctor sometimes talked about one of his friends who made those for a living...what was his name, ‘Fawcett’...?

“Sure, they don’t play anythin’ that great and the sound quality’s kinda bum,” Raye rambled on a bit more awkwardly. “But well, folks don’t really get outta their cars there, so no one’ll pro’lly look at you funny if you’re wrapped up in a blanket. And even if it’s cheap, their food’s still pretty jake. Whaddya say?”

For all of Raye’s insecurity about the place, Darian seemed perfectly undaunted. The idea of such a new experience excited him to no end, so when she asked his opinion, he answered both immediately and brightly. 

“Sounds like fun!” 

Raye beamed, visibly relieved. 

Once she was sure Darian was holding on securely, Raye put the car in drive and stepped on the accelerator, driving off down the road with speed. 

Darian had to grab the blanket around his wings before it flew off with one hand and hold onto the bottom of the car’s window frame with the other, but the speed still made his heart race and his chin-length dark hair flap in the wind. He couldn’t stop himself from giving a loud “WOO!” over the air loudly rattling in his ears. 

~*~

Raye drove Darian up to Pennsauken Township, into the quirky new park-in theater. The vendors there sold lots of candy, popcorn, and chips, alongside all the soda pop, ice cream, and hot dogs. Raye had offered to treat Darian, which turned out to be a big mistake, since Darian immediately went hog-wild and bought absolutely everything available.

“Guess I’ll be havin’ beans for the next week,” Raye muttered to herself as she handed over her hard-won earnings to the vendor.

She found she couldn’t be too upset, though, seeing how excited Darian was when the vendor handed him the full contents of her tray. Even the pretty woman giving Darian a sassy wink only seemed to make Raye smile grow amusedly, particularly when the winged young man brightly accepted the assortment of snacks, completely oblivious to the woman’s overtures. 

“Wow,” Darian said excitedly. “Look at them all! There’s so many...”

Raye’s black eyes sparkled a bit when they squinted. “Yeah, there’s a lot more selection, closer to the bigger cities. Easier to ship and store stuff in bulk here...”

Darian considered this. “...I guess that makes sense...”

He’d had dessert almost every day, when he’d still been at home -- it wasn’t as common that he got to have it on board the Empyrean, since they were so on-the-go. The rareness of it hadn’t really disappointed Darian, though -- if anything, it made those sweet treats that bit more special, not to have them every day. Plus he’d gotten to try a lot of different sweets than he’d never had previously, and most of them were great! Except for meringues -- Darian was still baffled that chalky-tasting stuff was somehow considered edible.

He curiously rifled through the different colorful wrappers, reading them one by one. Babe Ruths, Twizzlers, Twinkies, Fritos, Lay’s Potato Chips, Tootsie Rolls, Goobers, Milk Duds, Ritz crackers...

“I’ve never had anything like this before,” he admitted. 

Candied fruits and dates were much more par the course, where Darian was from. In fact, Jules and Kath had only just given both him and Desiree a crash course in commercial magical sweets like Sugar Quills, though Darian took to them much better than Desiree did. 

Darian looked up at Raye eagerly. “Which one should I try first?”

Raye considered this. 

“...Well, d’you like chocolate?” she asked after a moment. 

“Yeah,” said Darian. “I’ve had Cauldro -- I mean, chocolate cakes before...they’re great!”

If Raye had heard his slip-up, she paid it no mind. Instead she merely smiled.

“Maybe a Tastykake would be good, then!”

She took out a tiny cupcake with chocolate wrapped in plastic, taking it out and handing it to Darian. He took a bite, and was startled when along with the chocolate cake, he tasted a sweet buttercream filling.

“Mmm!” he said. He licked his lips of it quickly so he wouldn’t make a mess and beamed at Raye. “This is delicious!”

Raye grinned seeing how happily Darian devoured the cake. He then proceeded to pick out another similar-looking yellow pastry in a wrapper labeled “Twinkies” and unwrapped it. When he bit into it, he was once again delighted when it was full of creamy filling.

“Mmmm!” 

Raye laughed. “You like it?”

“Mm’yeah!” Darian said with his mouth full. He then quickly swallowed, wiping his mouth bashfully. “I mean, yeah!”

Raye only laughed harder, which made Darian laugh too. 

“Here,” said Raye, her face a bit brighter than before as she reached into Darian’s pile and snagged a small handful of unlabeled wrapped brown candy squares, “try the caramels next -- those are my favorite.”

The caramels were indeed pretty tasty. Darian enjoyed how chewy they and the candies called “Tootsie Rolls” were. He also really liked the Mallocups, Raisinets, potato chips, and popsicles. He was fine with just one bite of the black licorice -- he ended up washing it down with some Coca Cola, which was probably his favorite thing of the entire night. He’d never had anything so bubbly before, nor anything that simultaneously tickled his tongue and nose so much, and when it made him belch more loudly than he ever had in his life, both he and Raye couldn’t stop laughing. It even prompted Raye to -- upon several people in other cars shooting Darian disgusted looks -- gulp down quite a lot of soda herself, just so she could belch just as loudly. It ended up being hilarious accompaniment to the cheesy monster movie playing over their heads on the projector screen. 

When the movie was finally over and they’d had their fill of all the food they’d ordered, it was already night. Raye put on a fedora, wool coat, and gloves for warmth, and then she drove Darian over the Delaware River into Philadelphia. 

Darian directed her to the street corner around which lay the wall that obscured the magical borough of Gravesville and asked her to drop him off there. When Raye parked at the street corner, though, she suddenly looked incredibly unsure. Her shoulders had become very tense. 

“Are...you gonna be all right from here?” she asked hesitantly. 

Darian gave her a reassuring smile. “Oh, sure! I know where I’m going.”

Once he was in a more magical environment, he could heal himself without anyone paying him any mind...

He glanced down at the blanket around his shoulders.

“Oh! Here...”

The exiled prince made as if to take it off, but Raye quickly threw out a hand to grab his and stop him from taking it off.

“Don’t!” she said quickly. 

Darian blinked. Raye flushed a bit as she withdrew her hand.

“It’s just...folks will see you,” she mumbled self-consciously. She glanced around at the various passerby anxiously. 

“Well, yeah,” said Darian with a frown. “But you said it’d look weird, if I was walking around with a blanket on. And you need it back, don’t you?”

“I can get another one,” Raye said very quickly and dismissively. 

She kept looking around, almost shrinking a bit against the steering wheel. It was almost like this neighborhood made her nervous, for some reason...

“Are you all right?” Darian asked, concerned. 

Raye forced a smile. “Well, sure -- just...just don’ come down here that much...”

She tried to brush off her nerves, putting on a slightly braver expression.

“...Just...go ahead and keep covered, ‘til you’re back with your crew. Reckon they’d be able to protect you from anyone who might give you grief for your...mechanics.”

Her eyes flitted down to Darian’s folded wings obscured by the blanket around his shoulders. Darian glanced down at her blanket around his shoulders and then back up at her, offering her a slightly gentler smile. 

“You didn’t give me any grief for them,” he pointed out. He smiled a bit sheepishly. “I thought you might actually -- I’m sure you’ve probably never seen a flying man before...”

Raye smiled self-consciously as her eyes fell down to her steering wheel. 

“I’ve seen weirder,” she said dismissively.

Not letting Darian press her further, she changed the subject, forcing her smile that bit more.

“Well, um...it was nice meetin’ you, Darian Zain,” she said formally. “Best of luck gettin’ back to your crew.”

“...Thank you...”

Darian felt himself deflating a bit despite himself. Guess this really was the end of this weird little adventure, wasn’t it...?

Picking up the satchel up off the car floor, he hoisted it up over his shoulder again and put on a braver, more sincere smile. 

“...Raye? I know I just said it, but...thank you. I haven’t really ever been able to go out and just have fun with people that much, and...well, this day was one of the best I’ve ever had, in my whole life.”

He grinned.

“I had a lot of fun! The ride-in was great, and Apple’s a beautiful car -- and you’re a pretty swell friend. So thank you.”

Raye blinked, taken aback by the winged man’s sincerity. Then her black eyes grew a little smaller, sparkling with a bit more fondness.

“...You’re welcome.”

She paused.

“...Hey, um...if you ever end up ‘round here again, you can always look me up, near Camden Airfield. I’m there most days, and just about all the pilots there know me -- even the ones who don’t think lady-folks should be flyin’ planes,” she added with a wryer smile. Her confidence then faltered a bit as she rambled on, “We could always go for a drive somewhere else...we could go to Newark and visit a brewery -- maybe even go to Steel Pier, if there’s time...”

Darian’s grin spread so wide, it nearly took up his whole face.

“Yeah!” he said, thrilled. “I’d like that!” 

Raye’s face flushed happily as she beamed. 

“Great,” she said, her voice a bit breathy despite herself. Her black eyes crinkled up to make room for the big smile on her face. “Well, um...see you ‘round, Darian.”

His face still bright with his big grin, Darian waved with his hand not holding his satchel. 

“Bye, Raye!” 

And with this, he departed around the corner, right up to the enchanted wall leading to Gravesville. Tapping the three left-most bricks with his knuckles, and then kicking the lowest right with his foot, the wall suddenly became as translucent as mist, and Darian slid right on through. 

~*~

As fate would have it, Desiree and Lugh had gone back to Gravesville to look for Darian, after he didn’t return to the Empyrean. Desiree scolded Darian in both English and French for worrying them, and Darian was very apologetic, not just to Desiree, but to the others when they all returned to the ship. Kath ended chewing Darian out even more than Desiree did, especially after Darian told them about the new friend he’d made.

“You seriously just climbed into a complete stranger’s car and drove away with her?” said Kath, flabbergasted. “It’s a bloody miracle that you haven’t gotten yourself killed, with how blindly trusting you are...”

 “She waz only a Muggle, Mon Ami Alton,” said Desiree lightly. “I doubt she would’ve been able to ‘urt Monsieur Zain zat much, even if she tried...but even zo.”

“Don’t underestimate Muggles, your Worship,” Lugh reminded Desiree. “They can be just as helpful or dangerous as any of us.”

“Well, fortunately, it sounds like this one was helpful!” Jules said optimistically. “So we can be thankful for that, at least...”

He smiled at Darian. “Just be more careful next time, all right? Felix, Kath and Desi were all really worried about you.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Felix and Kath shot back in nearly perfect unison. It made Lugh, Darian, and Jules all burst out laughing and made Desiree fail to bite back a smile. 

“I will,” said Darian, smiling slightly as Jules’s pet occamy Zephyr flew up to nuzzle his shoulder affectionately with his beak. 

Definitely should make sure I have some healing potions on me, when I travel alone, he thought to himself. 

~*~

After Darian had left the street corner, Raye stayed parked off to the side for about a half-hour, just in case he reemerged needing more help. It was just as she was about to head out that she caught sight of a familiar face rounding the corner with several other people -- that of a dashing dark-haired man with a pointed chin and nose and sparkling black eyes, dressed in an unusually flowing suit not unlike robes. 

At the sight of Raye, the man stopped mid-walk, staring at her. His eyes were very critical. Raye met his gaze head-on, but her attitude was not hostile or even confrontational -- on the contrary: her posture seemed to shrink a bit against her steering wheel again, even as she stood her ground and stared at him. 

The people around the man glanced over at where he was looking, curious. Muttering something to them under his breath, the man quickly steered them away, shooting another cold look back at Raye as he went. 

Raye looked down at her own hands on Apple’s steering wheel, sighing quietly through her nose. 

It was so much less uncomfortable when the MACUSA was still back in New York City, rather than in Philadelphia...

 At least Seph showed his face after Darian left, Raye thought to herself uncomfortably. 

She didn’t even want to think of how many questions Darian might have, if he’d figured out she had the same last name as the new Head of the Federal Bureau of Covert Vigilance and No-Maj Obliviation...nor how much grief Joseph would give her, for entertaining a clueless foreign wizard with a set of giant wings he couldn’t even hide from Muggle view...

With a cringe, Raye shifted the gears of her car and, with one last look over in the direction of where she knew Gravesville was hidden, she drove off, back over the Delaware River into Camden, New Jersey. 

[carewyncromwell]

Hi guys! This is my response to a writing prompt set for me by my good friend @drinkyoursoupbitch, where she gave me an instrumental track from the Harry Potter films and I had to write a ficlet from my MC’s perspective using that track as inspiration. My track was “Lily’s Theme” from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...so yeah, bring on the angst. Referenced in this along with several canon characters are the deaths of Lugh Hopper, who belongs to @thatravenpuffwitch​, and Jack Roberts, who belongs to @samshogwarts​.

TW: Canon Character Death, Grief 

Hope you all enjoy... 🖤

x~x~x~x

Carewyn Cromwell did not fight in the conflict that would become known as the Battle of Hogwarts. She was instead maintaining the Ministry, leading it and its remaining loyal employees in an effort to protect its offices from any Death Eaters that might attempt to re-enter and to capture and incapacitate as many of them as possible. Her efforts were later credited by Kingsley Shacklebolt for being the main reason why the remnants of Voldemort’s Army had nowhere left to fall back to, after the Battle of Hogwarts was over. 

When Carewyn arrived at Hogwarts to find Percy -- who, as Junior Undersecretary, was next in line to fill in for the role of Minister until an election could be held -- the violence and devastation had ended. At least, in the physical realm. On the inside...

Where was her breath, as she approached the abandoned gate of the school? The two boar statues crowning the pillars were wrecked, and beyond it...was this the courtyard? No...surely it couldn’t be. This place meant for casual studying, for lunch breaks and get-togethers with friends...surely this cracked, broken battlefield couldn’t be that place...

Every guarded, measured step Carewyn took inside was too loud in her ears. It was if her heels were made of steel and the ground itself was made of glass covered in cracks -- set to collapse completely out from under her, if she stepped the wrong way...

How could the air feel so heavy upon one’s shoulders? How could it taste so stale? 

Carewyn felt a shudder run through her as she tried in vain to shake off whatever horrible shadow had draped itself over her. The silence was deafening -- echoing endlessly to the point that one felt nauseous and dizzy as the sound rotated in one’s ear and then through one’s chest and stomach...

As she entered the castle, though, that was when she felt it. A wave -- monstrous in size and yet colder than the seas of the Arctic -- crashed over her. For a moment, Carewyn was submerged in it, unable to breathe, as the most agonizing pain, sorrow, and grief washed over her, all at once. A hundred screams -- a hundred hearts breaking -- a hundred cries of anguish, all one after another, overwhelmed her sight, her ears...even her soul itself. 

“Colin?! Colin?!”

“NO! No, no, no, NO!”

“It’s my fault -- it’s all my fault -- ”

“It should’ve been me! She was protecting me -- ”

“Fred -- Fred -- ”

“NO! NO, NOT MY CHILD! NOT MY CHILD!”

“He saved us. He saved us all...”

“It can’t be! It just can’t be!”

“They have a baby at home -- a little baby boy -- ” 

“NO! NOOOO!”

Carewyn's legs buckled, almost making her collapse. She somehow managed to grab onto and lean against the wall, even while unable to see, hear, or think. She was having trouble even just breathing.

Legilimency was in Carewyn’s blood. Her brother Jacob had it too. Their grandfather, Charles Cromwell, had such powerful Legilimency that he could read people’s minds without even looking at them. Carewyn’s own abilities had definitely become more sensitive while working as a lawyer for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but this was a whole other level. Clearly everyone’s thoughts and feelings were just so loud that Carewyn couldn’t shut them out of her mind, even if she tried.

“Fred -- Fred -- ”

So many voices cried that name -- so many familiar voices. It made Carewyn’s heart clench in horror.

No -- no, not Fred -- not Fred!

But it was. One of those voices, crying out in more silent, panging agony than all of the rest...was George Weasley.

Carewyn could feel moisture in her eyes and knew she must be crying. She blindly brought a hand up to wipe them away, blinking over and over as she tried again to see through the barrage of grief-stricken feelings around her.

No -- no -- 

“No! No -- no!”

Chiara. That voice was Chiara...and accompanying it, images of herself with Remus -- with Tonks -- pictures of Remus and Tonks’ new baby --

“They have a son -- they have a son, it’s not fair -- !”

Carewyn felt like she was being strangled.

Not Lupin -- not Tonks -- 

She stumbled over her own feet trying to stagger back, only just barely able to catch herself. 

Fred. Lupin. Tonks. Losing them -- losing them, after Cedric -- after Mad-Eye,  Amelia Bones, Dobby...

Carewyn’s eyes ran blindly over the ruined hallway beyond, not even seeing it but trying desperately to regain control. It was too much -- it was just too much...

“All my fault -- all my fault -- ”

Jacob...? 

Carewyn subconsciously tried to grab onto her brother’s mind, just as an anchor. 

God, he was in agony. Like he likewise couldn’t see or hear anything, and yet couldn’t stop screaming into the void himself, with how much spent rage, exhaustion, and grief ripped through him...

“Jack -- not Jack too -- please -- ”

The image of Lugh Hopper falling over and over again among a sea of emerald green blinded Carewyn. 

“He was a hero. He died a hero. But he shouldn’t have had to! He had a family -- he’d had a family -- !”

Carewyn’s tears were streaming down her face, but she tried to focus just on her brother’s thoughts.

Jacob -- Jacob -- 

She felt his thoughts flinch, clearly in response to her trying to reach out to him. Then his pain seemed to well up like fresh tears, spilling out of her eyes...both inside and out...

“Pip -- Carewyn -- ”

All at once Carewyn felt herself being grabbed, pulled full-on into a suffocating embrace. It was such a strong grip, holding her up and clutching at her short red hair as the arms’ owner cradled her like a child.

“Pip,” a choked, relieved voice murmured in her ear.  

Carewyn blinked through the tears streaming freely from her eyes, over and over again, trying to clear away the images of body after body lying in a row embedded in each one. Finally, at long last, through the overwhelming flood of pain assaulting her from all sides, Carewyn could see the pale, haunted, tear-stained face of Jacob Cromwell. 

Carewyn felt her legs lose whatever feeble bits of strength they had and she fell apart like a doll, clinging onto her older brother with both hands and burying her face in his shirt. 

When Carewyn Cromwell cried, it was quiet and choked...but the tears that ran down her face were those of a hundred combatants, all grieving a hundred broken hearts and a hundred lost futures.

[carewyncromwell]

Incorrect Quotes featuring the crew of the Empyrean,

Jules Aquila, Darian Zain @kathrynalicemc, Kath Alton @oneirataxia-girl, Felix Witt @sirfluffig, Lugh Hopper @thatravenpuffwitch, and Desiree Lestrange @carewyncromwell

~~~

~~~

~~~

[carewyncromwell]

🖊 Do you have anything for Desiree and her fellow crewmates?

*eyes @kathrynalicemc, @magical-retales, @sirfluffig, and @thatravenpuffwitch and waggles her eyebrows*

🖊 Desiree Lestrange

Desiree is a rather level and soft-spoken sort who doesn't get particularly animated when it comes to expressing her emotions, especially in comparison to her much more amiable and less emotionally dysfunctional counterpart, Jules. Despite this, though, one thing all of her friends on the crew of the Empyrean soon learn is that although she doesn't get particularly loud, Desiree can turn into an absolutely innocent, gleeful child when it comes to learning something new. And fortunately, it really doesn't have to be something particularly profound or academic -- just something she hadn't known previously or didn't know much about. Jules figured this out about Desiree the very first time they met when he mentioned his interest in Astronomy and Desiree -- who up until that point had treated him with nothing but formality and impatience -- proceeded to pepper him with questions the way an eager student would with their professor during a particularly interesting lecture. Kath discovered this when they first showed her how to fix the crew's record player and "Little Miss Perfect" proceeded to ask Kath to help her take the whole thing apart so she could put it back together to see how each piece fit into the greater whole. Felix learned it when he once pulled a coin "out of Desiree's ear," only for Desiree to track down an entire book of magic tricks herself so she could learn more about how such illusions were done. Lugh figured it out when Desiree saw him fire a Muggle pistol once and then sought him out the next day, several books in hand about gun safety and construction, to ask him to show her how to shoot one herself. Even Darian learned this about Desiree when after their chores one day, she asked Darian to sit with her on deck and held out one of his wings so she could compare it to the wing skeleton illustrations in a book she was reading on different bird species of the world.

Send me a “🖊+an OC,“ and I will talk about that OC!

[carewyncromwell]

 “Zat was a false transfer, wasn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“Ze trick you did, to throw off ze Inspector. When she forced you to empty your pockets, you secretly transferred ze key zhey wanted out of your hand, revealing only ze coins. Zat left ze inspector to zhink ze flash of silver her men had seen you holding was just a coin, razher zhan ze key.”

“...Richtig. Did that heavyweight book you stole back in London actually tell you all that?”

“(sniffs) About false transfers, oui. But I did not steal it -- it was from a library. Library books are meant to be borrowed. I shall return it, when next I return to London.”

“(smirks) You not keeping a book? Das ist ein Das Blaue vom Himmel versprechen.” 

“Sie sind der Dieb auf diesem Schiff, Monsieur Witt, nicht ich.”

“Das stimmt. ...Here. You’d better hold onto this. We’re going to need it, if we’re going to find Dolorous Guard. If our Captain wants to do it, though, he’ll have to hurry. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the French Ministry is suddenly so interested in it.” 

“Me eizher. Ze protective magics on it are supposed to be as strong now as zhey were when Merlin walked ze Earth. Some say zat ze Curse initially placed on ze keep was on pier with Morgana’s own black magic.”

“(nods) Right. So process of elimination -- either the Ministry wants to see if they can recreate those shields to protect themselves from Grindelwald...”

“...Or ze Ministry has already been infiltrated by zhose who wish to give zat knowledge to Grindelwald himself.” 

“You really think Jules will want to involve himself in all that?”

“Bien sûr, non. But Dolorous Guard is not just a haven of black magics. It is ze resting place of Lancelot Dulac -- ze most famous knight in both magical and Non-Magique history...ze right-hand man of King Arthur himself. Ze treasures one could find -- ze untapped knowledge and adventure wrapped in such a quest...zat is what Monsieur Aquila will always put most value in. And I know Monsieur Zain, Monsieur Hopper, and Mon Ami Alton will approve of hampering Grindelwald’s agenda.”

“And you?”

“I have concerns. Much as you do, I suspect.”

“Freilich. You and I both know what diese Ficker are like, when they don’t get their way. ...But I reckon our concerns will be overruled at any rate, so all we can do is just be faster and smarter than the other people chasing after our prize.”

“And we will be. For we already are.”

x~x~x~x

Featuring Felix Witt @sirfluffig and referencing Kath Alton @magical-retales, Lugh Hopper @thatravenpuffwitch, Darian Zain and Jules Aquila @kathrynalicemc​

Another fun friendship scene I had in my head and wanted to write out, this time for our resident Slytherin and honorary “Ravenclaw” on the Empyrean! Any of my German-speaking friends, I really hope I didn’t butcher your language -- please forgive and/or correct ANY of this that’s wrong, I really tried!! 😖 But yeah, I see these two being the resident pragmatists, even if everyone on the Empyrean are kind of escapists in their own way, and both Felix and Desi would definitely be able to tell which direction the wind is blowing when it comes from Grindelwald -- if nothing else, then because they’re from blood purist families who either passively or actively support Grindelwald’s ideology and actions. Plus the idea of these two becoming close confidantes despite their contrasting personalities just makes me happy. 💙

[carewyncromwell]

Catching the other before they fall + any ship you want?

Aaaaany ship? 😈

31. Catching the other before they fall // Juliree

Featuring Kath Alton @magical-retales, Lugh Hopper @thatravenpuffwitch, Felix Witt @sirfluffig, and Darian Zain @kathrynalicemc​

Jules Aquila had always been the sort to get in over his head, when it came to his adventures. Usually he could pull himself out of it, and when he couldn’t, his best friend Kath was usually there to save his arse. Yet it seemed that Jules only got more and more reckless and fearless with every new person he “adopted” into the Empyrean’s crew. And moreover, it also seemed that the person who ended up saving Jules’s arse the most now was his new First Mate, Desiree Lestrange. 

One particularly adventurous day ended in Jules getting separated from the Empyrean altogether and getting captured by a group of Grindelwald sympathizers in the French countryside, led by Desiree’s younger brother Marius. When Jules refused to give up Desiree’s or his ship’s location, the group set about trying to force the answer out of him...only for the ship itself, steered by Lugh, to make an appearance to swoop into Jules’s rescue. 

Once Zephyr and Darian had effectively fended off Marius and his lackeys, Felix helped Jules with breaking open his enchanted chains and the two hurried on back to the ship, even as the wizards on the ground attacked it. The men ran so as to get a running start, meaning to jump on board just as the ship was taking off again into the air -- but unfortunately, the attacks were difficult to dodge, and they only just barely managed to seize hold of the railing. 

Kath ended up catching Felix in both arms when he threw himself at the railing, but Jules was struggling to hold on. Kath struggled to try to pull Felix onboard as fast as they could so as to get to their best friend, but it was no use -- Jules lost his grip, and with a cry, he fell right off the ship -- 

In an instant, a line of white rope streaked through the air, looping itself around Jules’s waist like a lifeline. 

Jules gave another startled outburst when he abruptly faltered in mid-air, dangling precariously for a moment back and forth like a man hanging at the gallows. Then he felt himself very slowly being pulled up. 

He looked up, and his expression brightened when he saw whose wand was on the other end of the line. 

"Desi.”

Desiree pulled up with all of her strength on her wand while also desperately reaching out over the railing with her free hand.

“Captain -- ” she cried, her voice oddly strained. 

Jules flung out his hand to seize hers. Desiree clung onto him for dear life, her eyes locked on the Empyrean’s captain with a kind of desperation he’d rarely seen on her face.

“Je te tiens,” she choked so quickly and quietly, Jules almost had trouble making it all out. “Je te tiens, Captain -- je ne te lâcherai jamais -- ”

She pulled and pulled with all the strength she could, until finally Darian flew up behind Jules and seized under his shoulders so as to help lift him and Felix and Kath were able to help Desiree pull Jules back onboard. 

As soon as everyone was safely back on the flying pirate ship, Zephyr the occamy swept through the air, shrinking down five sizes so that he was the perfect size to nuzzle against his “daddy’s” chin like an affectionate house cat. 

“Hey, buddy,” Jules said weakly. 

His voice was still rather hoarse, after all the screams the Cruciatus Curse had wrenched out of his throat, but it didn’t keep him from smiling fully as he looked around at his crew. 

“...Thanks, you guys,” he murmured. His eyes lingered on Desiree’s face as she finally, very slowly withdrew her hand from his. “You really came at a good time...”

“Yeah? No shit,” Kath cut him off at once. Clearly they weren’t fooled at all by Jules’s sunny disposition. In the mechanic’s defense, though, Jules had received a few visible injuries along with the invisible kind -- one of his eyes was almost swollen shut. 

Desiree managed to keep Kath from tearing into Jules anymore by very firmly cutting in. 

“Monsieur Zain, take ze Captain below, to hiz cabin. He will need rest and treatment, as well as somezhing to eat.”

“So I handle the treatment, you handle the food,” Darian said lightly. “Got it, boss.”

The ribbing was tinged with an odd amount of seriousness, though, as he actually physically picked Jules up right off his feet and flew him across the deck.

“Wha -- hey!” said Jules, very startled. Zephyr was swirling in cheerful, artistic lines around him and Darian as they went. “You don’t have to -- I’m fine! Really!”

“Save your breath, Jules,” Felix said very dryly.  

“None of us are stupid enough to believe that,” said Lugh in an equally cool voice. He shot Jules an oddly reproachful look from his spot at the helm. “Now lie down in your cabin and let your squeeze feed you before you hurt yourself even more.”

Jules flushed darkly. “Lugh, we’ve been over this -- Desi and I are not -- ”

But nobody was really in the mood to pay him much mind. Even Desiree herself had perfectly ignored the entire exchange, as she’d immediately set about conjuring up some illusionary shields so as to better obscure their escape and ordering Felix and Kath around to set the sails while Lugh steered them southward. 

Affectionate Moments Prompt!