Wiccans

[wiccxnisms]

[ ✩ ]  ° •  closed starter for  »  @sharpestbow

Billy spotted Kate almost immediately. It wasn't difficult. Some people naturally blended into a crowd. Kate had somehow mastered the opposite. A smile spread across his face as he made his way through the guests, stopping beside her with a glass of sparkling cider in one hand. "I've been looking for you."

There wasn't any urgency behind the words. If anything, they sounded relieved. "I've spent the last twenty minutes making polite conversation with strangers, and while everyone's been lovely, I desperately need someone I can be weird around." He took a sip from his drink before looking out toward the dance floor. "So far I've learned three people's favorite flowers, been invited to join a gardening club, and accidentally let someone convince me I should take ballroom dancing lessons."

His attention shifted back to Kate, the smile never really leaving his face. "Please tell me you've gotten yourself into something considerably more entertaining." He tilted his head toward the dance floor where another song had just begun. "Also... completely unrelated question." A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "If I somehow get talked into dancing tonight, and it goes catastrophically wrong..." He paused just long enough for the smile to widen. "You're still going to be my friend afterward, right?

[wiccxnisms]

[ ✩ ]  ° •  open starter for  »  everyone

Billy couldn't remember the last time he'd been to a ball. Maybe never. The music drifted through the gardens beneath strings of glowing lanterns, couples danced beneath the stars, and everywhere he looked people were laughing, talking, or simply enjoying the warm summer evening. It was the kind of event that reminded him why he liked Elias so much. For all its mysteries and impossible magic, it was still a city full of people who knew how to celebrate.

He'd been meaning to ask someone where they found the courage to dance in front of this many people. He hadn't worked that part out yet. Instead, Billy had settled for wandering between the refreshments and the dance floor with a glass of sparkling cider in one hand, happily people-watching. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as another couple spun past.

"I've decided," he announced to no one in particular, "that whoever invented dancing definitely had significantly more confidence than I do." He laughed softly to himself before taking another sip from his drink.

[wiccxnisms]

𝐵𝒾𝓁𝓁𝓎 - 𝒮𝓊𝓂𝓂𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝑜𝓁𝓈𝓉𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝐵𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒜𝓉𝓉𝒾𝓇𝑒

[mutantism]

tommy had agreed to come to the bookstore with billy in an attempt to get to know him better, there was a part of him that was doing it because he should — but he was mostly just intrigued to know more about him. he’d never had a brother before, or even anyone who had felt like a brother-figure, and the newness of it all intimidated him even if he’d never admit it.

tommy could see where this was going the moment billy began to struggle with the books, looking at the scene unfold from his position leaning against a nearby wall, arms crossed. he considered, as the books began to fall, that he should probably help him out. luckily for him, billy had it handled before he could even move forward. “do you — oh, no. you’ve got it.” there’s an impressed expression as tommy steps back, a light hearted chuckle following. “i’m not sure when i’ll get used to all that.”

“not to like rush you, but what exactly are we looking for here? i feel like it’s been a week since we stepped foot through that door.”

[wiccxnisms]

Billy laughed as he carefully slid the last book back onto the shelf. "Okay, in my defense, the books attacked me first." He glanced over at Tommy with a grin that came easily these days. Spending time together still felt new, and Billy was trying very hard not to force anything. They didn't have years of shared memories to fall back on. They had the present, and Billy was perfectly happy building from there. "I promise I'm not always this dramatic." His eyes wandered back to the shelves, though noticeably with a little more purpose now. "I was looking for a couple of books on dimensional theory. There are a few authors I've been meaning to read, but somebody apparently decided to shelve them where only professional basketball players can reach them."

Tommy's question earned another smile. "I know, I know. Bookstores are dangerous for me." Billy slipped his hands into the pockets of his hoodie as they started walking down the aisle together. "I come in looking for one thing and then I remember another book I've been meaning to read, and then I see something interesting, and suddenly I've been standing in the history section for forty-five minutes wondering whether I really need a six-hundred-page book about magical architecture."

He looked over at Tommy again. "Thanks for coming with me, by the way. I know bookstores probably aren't your first choice for an afternoon." Billy wasn't oblivious. He knew Tommy was still figuring things out, and the fact that he'd agreed to spend time together meant more than Billy probably let on. "I figured we'd grab the books, maybe get something to eat afterward." The corner of his mouth lifted into an easy smile. "Unless you've got somewhere you'd rather be. I'm not trying to trap you in here while I accidentally adopt half the fantasy section."

His curiosity got the better of him then. "So what kind of places do you actually like?" he asked. "I realized I've spent the last twenty minutes talking about books, and I don't actually know what you'd pick if you got to choose where we went."

[sylviexue]

sylvie had never been a bookish person. she liked reading of course, she loved hearing her dad tell her stories. she'd grown up giggling at the silly voices he'd make whenever he read her a tale. sylvie cared for her studies growing up. when her dad remarried, when he passed away, reading became harder for her to do. not impossible, she still had a whole castle full of books. her step mother kept her isolated, kept her busy with chores. sylvie worked more so she didn't have as much free time. it made sense that she naturally didn't have as much time to read. the tutors that she had before, stopped showing up. she had to finish her schooling on her own—and suddenly there was a shift in her whole world. sylvie understood why now, after all those years of being confused about her life and her step mother's annoyance at her.

reading and research might not have been her forte when she was living at home, but now it was essential. of course, sylvie knew that she was never going to find a "how to defeat your evil step mother" book in the bookstore, she figured she might at least find something... helpful? how had she even gotten to elias in the first place. were there just portals all over the place? there were questions that she had no idea where to even start looking for. there were plenty of people that seemed to know more than she did and she was thankful for it. however, sylvie wanted all the information before she came up with a plan.

going to the bookstore was not on her plan for today, but there was something that drew her inside. the princess browsed the shelves, not exactly sure what she was looking for. she found herself looking at titles of books about subjects she'd never heard about. wars that she didn't know about, places that she'd never visited before. it was so interesting. she rounded the corner just as a bunch of books slid off the shelf and the other occupant in the aisle stopped them from falling. "magic," she breathed, blinking a couple of times in awe.

"you know what you're looking for?" because she didn't know what she was looking for. she looked at the other with curiosity. "do you know something about portals to other realms?" she probably should stop asking people that.

[wiccxnisms]

Billy looked up from the stack of books in his arms, following Sylvie's gaze to the faint traces of crimson magic that had already faded from the air. "Oh." A sheepish smile spread across his face. "Yeah... I guess that was a little more dramatic than climbing a ladder." He laughed softly, adjusting the books against his chest before her question caught him off guard. "Portals to other realms?" His eyebrows lifted with genuine curiosity.

"Actually... yes."

There wasn't any hesitation in his answer. It wasn't exactly an everyday question, but in Elias it barely cracked the top ten. "I know a little." He shifted one of the books under his arm before continuing. "Not everything, obviously, but enough to know they exist. Elias is kind of... unique. People end up here from all sorts of worlds for all sorts of reasons, and from what I've learned, there isn't always a clear pattern."

His attention drifted toward the shelf beside them before returning to Sylvie. "Were you brought here through one?" There wasn't any suspicion in his voice. Just interest. "I only ask because that's usually how these conversations start." The corner of his mouth twitched into an easy smile. "I'm Billy, by the way."

He balanced the books in one arm long enough to offer her his hand. "And judging by your question, I'm guessing you're either very new to Elias... or you've been here a while and nobody's given you a straight answer yet." Billy understood that feeling better than most. Magic had a habit of creating more questions than answers, and sometimes the best thing you could do was find someone willing to compare notes.

[1nquirer]

would it be wrong for agnes to laugh a bit at what happened? not necessarily because the situation was embarrassing, but because of how dramatic the whole thing played out. she didn't realise that she had been anticipating what would happen next with bated breath. but she would take the anxiety of watching something mundane like this, compared to the anxiety of dangerous and mysterious things happening in elias.

"are you alright, though?" agnes asked empathetically. however, she held up a finger, indicating for the other person to wait. she went to the next aisle and spotted the step ladder and dragged it over.

gingerly, she walked over and placed the item in front of the man. "this might make things easier for you."

she took a moment to take stock on the book he had been holding. "what book are you looking for specifically?" she questioned. "i don't work here, so i won't be able to help, but i'm curious. indulge me?"

[wiccxnisms]

Billy looked from the neatly placed step ladder to Agnes before laughing softly. "See? That was a much better solution than my approach." He glanced up at the shelf where the books had almost staged their dramatic escape. "My instinct was apparently to use magic instead of admitting I couldn't reach something."

"I am alright, though. Thank you." His smile was warm as he started gathering the last couple of books into his arms. "My dignity took a small hit, but I think it'll recover." With the ladder now in place, retrieving the book was significantly less eventful. Billy climbed up a couple of steps, slid the correct book from the shelf, and immediately noticed the one he'd originally grabbed had, in fact, been the wrong title. He climbed back down, balancing the books comfortably before glancing at the cover in his hand. "It's a history book." He turned it just enough for her to see the title. "Well... technically it's about magical civilizations, but whoever wrote the title clearly thought 'history' sounded less intimidating."

The corners of his mouth lifted into another smile. His curiosity got the better of him then, as it usually did. "What about you?" Billy asked. "You don't strike me as someone who wanders into a bookstore by accident. Were you looking for something specific, or are you one of those people who can somehow leave with a book they didn't know they wanted?"

[waltrp]

Billy Kaplan ✦ Wiccan ✦ Lorenzo Zurzolo ✦ Marvel

KILL THE CHAOS, FIND THE BALANCE

CURRENT AGE: twenty six

SPECIES: human/re-incarnated soul of a demon

OCCUPATION: hero

AVAILABILITY: open

AROUND WE GO, BILLY KAPLAN

Billy Kaplan never expected to be special. His life in the suburbs had been as average as they come, two loving parents, decent grades, a normal school routine. That all changed when it happened. Sparks. Energy. Magic. Whatever it was, it cracked open a reality he didn’t know existed. A reality where he wasn't just different, he was powerful. The discovery that neither of his adoptive parents had magical lineage raised more questions than answers. Research, and a little bit of cosmic luck, eventually led Billy to uncover a wild truth: he was the reincarnated soul of one of Wanda Maximoff’s lost twins. The Scarlet Witch had created her twins from a demon's soul. That made him her son, in every way that mattered. And somewhere out there was his other half. Driven by instinct and the ache of something missing, Billy found Tommy, the other soul. With help from Eli and Kate, Billy broke Tommy out of a government detention facility for "gifted" teens. From that moment on, they were inseparable: not just brothers, but a team. Billy’s magical potential, especially once he began training in Elias under Arcane Hollow mages, was nearly limitless, though difficult to control at times. He learned that his powers were deeply tied to emotion and language, with spells often taking shape through his own words, repeated like mantras. His skill earned him a spot on the Young Avengers, where he quickly became Eli’s right hand. Relocating to Avengers Academy in Elias was an easy decision. The team was together, he could further his magical training in Arcane Hollow, and maybe, just maybe, figure out how to avoid becoming the ticking time bomb some people feared he might be. Billy is kind, loyal, and surprisingly funny when the moment calls for it. But there’s always that voice in the back of his mind asking if he’s doing enough, or if one wrong spell could make him too much. Between being the Scarlet Witch’s son, a brother to Tommy, a boyfriend to Teddy, and Eli’s second-in-command; he carries more than most people know. But Wiccan doesn't back down from responsibility. He shapes the world around him through sheer will, and believes that, if he says it enough, it might just be true.

CONNECTIONS LOADING...

teddy altman, kate bishop, tommy shepherd, eli bishop, america chavez

[wiccxnisms]

[ ✩ ]  ° •  open starter for  »  everyone

There was something oddly comforting about bookstores. Billy had never been able to explain why. Maybe it was because they were one of the few places where everyone seemed to exist at their own pace. Nobody expected you to rush. You could wander for hours, pick up ten different books without buying one, or accidentally disappear into an aisle because a title caught your attention.

Which was exactly what had happened. He stood balanced on the bottom shelf, stretching just enough to reach a book that had somehow ended up shoved onto the very top shelf. Whoever organized this section clearly had more faith in the average person's height than Billy did. "Almost..." His fingertips brushed the spine. "So close..." The book shifted. Then three more shifted with it. Billy's eyes widened. "Oh, that's definitely not how gravity was supposed to work." Before he could catch them, an entire row of books slid free from the shelf. They tumbled toward him in what felt like dramatic slow motion, and instinct took over before he had time to think.

A flicker of navy magic shimmered around the stack, stopping the books inches above the floor. Billy blinked up at them. "...Okay, that was probably more dramatic than just letting them fall." A sheepish smile crossed his face as he carefully guided the books back into his arms instead. "I promise I wasn't trying to redecorate." He laughed quietly to himself, turning just in time to notice someone standing at the end of the aisle who had almost certainly witnessed the entire thing.

"On the bright side," Billy said with an apologetic grin, "at least I proved the books can fly." He glanced down at the title he'd nearly caused an avalanche retrieving and sighed. "And, naturally, it wasn't even the right one."

[killcityfuckmachine]

waiting for witch’s road issue 5 baybee