Chapter 2.40 – Rainbowland

Note: drug use/influence

Still no word.

Wyatt thought his mother would be back by now, but he was part-relieved that she wasn’t as he wasn’t exactly following the recipe she’d left for him. Nor the checklist.

It had been a long time since Wyatt had had company, besides his mother, during his store shifts. The last girl who’d worked here, like all those before her, had been a witch and she had left the previous autumn to go to university. There weren’t any other witches currently looking for casual flower shop work, but Sage was extremely resistant to Wyatt’s suggestion to hire a human replacement.

He was so glad she’d eventually found one. Man, he hated listening to old people moan about their creaky joints; especially as he could help them with the right spell and wasn’t allowed to.

It made sense that Sage wanted only witches in the vicinity. Magic was so second nature to her that she sometimes forgot how to ‘mortal’. Plus, there was the whole ‘Wyatt-could-click-his-fingers-the-wrong-way-and-start-another-monsoon’ thing, which they never let him forget, but he didn’t understand why she was so wary of Thor.

The guy was really quiet, kept to himself. He was a bit weird, but Wyatt was used to weird. Most witches were bordering on insanity, after all. It was, like, a defining trait.

Thor was capable of using the catalogue under the counter to identify what he was selling, could use the cash register and the old ladies really liked him. So, after showing him where everything was and giving him a botany book to browse in the quiet spells, Wyatt had spent most of the day in the basement, brewing, only popping up to cover rest breaks and offer drinks.

 “One cup of tea. ‘Whatever’ flavour, as requested. No honey,” Wyatt announced, jolting his new colleague from his seemingly heavy contemplation of a wooden leaf carving.

“Um, thank you,” Thor mumbled.

“You bored yet?” Wyatt asked, but Thor only shrugged in response.

Wyatt handed over one of the mugs he was carrying. “So, Thor. Now you’ve settled in a bit, wanna tell me about yourself?”

Thor bit his lip, shuffled back slightly and shrugged again. “What is there to say?”

“I dunno, you tell me,” Wyatt grinned. “Got any crazy hobbies? Into any weird stuff?” Thor shook his head at both questions, looking into his tea. Wyatt clicked his tongue. “OK… how about music? What music do you like?”

Mother Earth. Was this guy a robot? Wyatt tried again. “Bad habits? Unspent convictions? Cool scars? Anything? Throw me a bone here, dude.”

“No… not really.”

“Do you have any family? Any friends? A girlfriend? A hamster? Ever been to Willow Creek? Ever seen a duck?”

“Right,” Wyatt conceded, taking a sip of his own tea. He wondered if it was simply the repellent making Thor so evasive or whether he really was this boring. Still, only a few more hours to go and then he could send him away and go hang out with fun humans.

Huh. He thought, licking the fruity film from his front teeth, that’s odd. He thought he’d brewed the raspberry infusion, but this was definitely not raspberry. It tasted like… rhubarb?

Wyatt laughed. It must be a side-effect of the repellent. It couldn’t be rhubarb. The only time he’d ever brewed up a rhubarb batch, it was for Hoggy and he’d added shedloads of…

Oh, shit!



Faith had spent the day stubbornly conscious as she’d lain with Seth, on the floor of the cave, watching the multi-coloured blades of light shoot through the seemingly endless darkness. First, subtle flashes captured from the soft moonlight, then the bright, almost retina burning, refraction of sunlight from the plethora of crystal structures embedded in the cave walls.

She had still spent the whole time teasing his interior design skill and calling him a troll, but he could tell she’d enjoyed this, although that could simply be the physical closeness it afforded. Faith certainly had her own interests and expectations and she wasn’t quiet about them.

Her demands grated on his patience, but not as much as his defiance was grating on hers.

Far from falling into a vampiric slumber or heavy daze as most fledglings would during daylight hours, she was only growing more restless as the afternoon came, thwarting his efforts to read her and further grinding his gears. He shrugged her off, ignoring her exaggerated pout, and helped her to her feet. 

“What shall we do tonight?” he asked, watching as her eyes lit up. “Last night was my choice, so in the interest of fairness, tonight should be yours. Do try to think beyond the limits of your undergarments, Faith.”

Faith smirked. “I’m not wearing any ‘undergarments’…”

“What would a typical Friday night entail?” he tried again. “Devil help me if you suggest oral escapades in a toilet cubicle, Fledgling.”

She eyed him warily, no doubt wondering how he knew that information, but she didn’t question it. “If I wasn’t working, which I usually was, on Fridays I’d usually hang out at Mel’s. Or watch a movie and eat pizza at April’s, if her butler could come get us. We might go to the arcade. At some point I would probably bail and go to a bar though.”

“Arcade it is. That should be… interesting.”

“Let’s just go to a bar,” Faith suggested. “There’s one in Willow Creek that was supposed to be a vampire hangout. Now it actually can be.”

“Hurrah,” Seth murmured, sarcastically. “A night of watching you launch yourself at drunken strangers. We’ll go to the arcade. Lesser of two evils.”

“Someone will definitely recognise me and you can hardly go brain-wiping an arcade full of kids,” Faith laughed, pausing to look at Seth’s face, which he realised had slipped past nonchalance into irritation. “Wow, OK, maybe you can. But either way, I don’t have any money and token machines don’t accept ‘oral escapades’ as payment,” Faith scoffed. “Plus, I can’t take you into the arcade wearing that.”

“Ah, the human world. All about money and the correct attire. I can resolve both those issues, with the right prey,” Seth said flippantly. “I’ll take you home first.”

Faith glanced up to where the single shaft of sunlight was still shining through the narrow opening in the roof of the cave. “I can’t go back yet; the sun’s still up. I’ll have burnt to death by the time we reach the boat.”

“Probably,” Seth laughed. “Let’s see.”

“Are you winding me up?” she hissed. “I’m not going outside now! Are you trying to get me killed?”

“Yes and no. Give me your hand.”

“Fuck off!” she spat, pulling her arm away. “I’m not having you carrying me over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes while you run to the boat, either.”

“I won’t. Hand,” he demanded.

Tentatively, Faith allowed him to take her hand and rolled her eyes. “What now?”

“Now you stay silent and look straight at me – nowhere else – until I say. Fledgling,” he growled as she opened her mouth. “Don’t antagonise me.”

He could see her biting the inside of her cheek in her effort not to speak, but she focused on him, as he’d commanded.



“I’ve never found colours so… colourful,” Thor whispered as he spun in slow circle. “The flowers are a kaleidoscope, Wyatt. Holy hell, I think my brain is vomiting in at least eighty shades.” He stamped his feet firmly into the rug beneath him, but his body continued its slow turn. “Standing doesn’t work,” he whispered. “Everything is so different here in Rainbowland.”

“Dude, I’m so sorry,” Wyatt groaned. How was this kid still tripping? It had been hours and he’d had one sip.

Thor wandered around the store, touching things and marvelling at everything. “Pretty. Soft. Ouch, prickly,” he murmured.

Wyatt followed him, shaking his head, anxiously glancing towards the door where his mother could walk in at any minute. “Come on, Thor. Snap out of it or Mum is gonna kill me.”

“Nah, Sage is nice. Nice lady. Lots of green. Green blouse, green eyes, green lips. Do you think her blood is green?”

“Uh, I don’t know. She is very green, though,” Wyatt muttered, wondering again if he could keep an eye on Thor, on the store and mix up a swift antidote at the same time before Sage got back.

“It’s nice. That you have a green mum. I don’t.”

“You don’t have a mum or you don’t have a green mum?” There was probably a spell he could cast to dispel the effects, but what was worse? Sage finding her new employee accidentally tripping his nuts off, or Wyatt being caught deliberately casting?

Thor shook his head and slowly tilted it backwards. “I don’t have anyone. Green or otherwise. Woah! Is that an elk?”

Wyatt didn’t even blink let alone follow Thor’s gaze. “You don’t have anyone?”

“I’ve got Mr. Elk,” Thor said again, laughing. “And you! No one else makes me tea or wants to be around me.” He spread his arms wide as if inviting a hug, but then seemed to change his mind, his arms dropping to his sides. “Y’know Wy. When I first got here, I thought you were repulsive. You had this whole air of vulgarity.”

“Um, thanks,” Wyatt muttered.

“You really stank. I was wondering what the heck was wrong with you. I didn’t want to be in the same room as you.”

“Yeah, it was for the best, apparently.”

“I thought I was gonna be sick but now… not so much.”

Wyatt brightened. “Wait a second. Does this mean you don’t think I’m repulsive anymore?”

Thor blinked. “A little bit? And your shirt is… all the bright! I think I can handle being this close, though,” he took a step closer to demonstrate his point, but then recoiled. “Maybe not. It’s so strange! You’re weirdly off-putting. You are pretty fun though, from a distance. Do you always put mushrooms in the tea?”

“No,” Wyatt groaned. “That was a special blend, for my friend.”

“So, I’m special? Or… woah. I’m your friend? Are you the good kind of friend? Or are you like my other friend; trying to steal my wife.”

Wyatt tilted his head and examined the young guy standing across the store. He was grinning from ear to ear, thoroughly enjoying this lapse of reality but… man. Was this a weird hallucination or what? There was so much under the surface here.

“What are you doing after work, Thor?”

Thor shrugged, his cheerful tone belying his words. “Nothing, probably. Just getting in the way, as per usual. Hey, can I take some of the tea? Then I can go lie in the river behind the house. I bet the water is amazing in Rainbowland. I’ll fill my lungs with it. Liquid damnation,” he said, sweeping his fingertips, brusquely, forwards and back through the alstroemeria, causing a number of blooms to fall.

Wyatt grabbed Thor’s wrist, to stop him inflicting any further damage to the display. The boy blinked in astonishment. “You’re touching me,” he said, surprised.

“Sorry. I know, I’m gross, but don’t destroy the merch, Thor,” Wyatt said, letting go and stepping back. “Look, I can’t just give you the tea if you’re gonna go drown in the river with it,” Wyatt sighed.

“I’m not going to drown.

“You might. Dude, I get it. Life really sucks sometimes. But if you don’t have anything better to do and need a night of escapism, I’m heading to a friend’s house tonight,” Wyatt hesitated, this felt like a bad idea, but Thor really sounded like he needed a buddy. “It’s sort of a party, but a casual one, a nice crowd. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You can come along, if you want?”

“…I can?”



“Marvellous!” Seth exclaimed, joyfully as the fog lifted. “You may look away, Faith. You can even speak, if you have anything worthwhile to say.”

Faith blinked at the increased light levels that were assaulting her eyes, shrugged off the unusual awareness she suddenly had of the density of her form. It took a moment to realise where she was, what had happened.

“This isn’t the cave,” she stated dumbly, looking around the familiar space. “How did we—? How did you—? Fucking hell. You teleported us, didn’t you? You can fucking teleport?! Is there anything you can’t do?”

“We misted,” he clarified. “And there is. But all in good time…”

He scanned over Faith’s form carefully, drinking in every detail as his intense gaze glided from the top of her head, slowly, slowly down to her dirty, bare feet. She shivered. “Appears that it worked effectively this time,” he mused.

“This time?” she asked dreamily, not registering his words at all.

He smirked. “Last few times I practiced with other parties, they re-materialised missing various components. Usually minor; a patch of hair, an item of clothing or perhaps a finger. One lost his head, but that was his own foolish fault for not following my instructions. Ah, humans and their weak composition. Naturally, I was always fine.”

“Are you being fucking serious?” Faith screeched, her brain finally catching up. “You teleport— misted with me even though you knew I might end up missing pieces?! I could have died!”

“Only if you neglected to follow my instructions. The other option was to take you out in the afternoon sun, in that barely-there belt of a garment, which would have been certain death,” he smiled and headed towards the door. “I’ll be back at nightfall, or thereabouts.”

“Where are you going?” Faith asked.

“Where do you think I’m going? Money and an outfit that blends in, that’s what you requested, yes? Besides, I’d hardly be in prime form to humiliate you if I’m fighting the urge to drain everyone at the arcade.”

“Humiliate me?” Faith scoffed. “Oh, you naïve little man. I have the high score on every machine in that place. Besides, now we’re back here you can just borrow one of Caleb’s shirts—”

“Ha! No, I don’t think so.”

Faith pouted. “Well, it’s only a couple of hours until nightfall. Can’t you just wait and then I… I can come with you?”

Seth sighed and turned to face her. “We’ve already had this discussion and concluded that I need to hunt alone.”

“True…” Faith muttered. “But, I mean, I need to feed too before we go, right? So, we might as well save time and go together.”

“… To save time. Interesting.”

“And practical, too. Look at you, you clearly have no sense of style. If I don’t go with you, you’ll only pick some badly-dressed townie to strip. I don’t know what’s worse; the thought of you rocking up in your pirate garb, or you turning up in only pink wellies and a luchador mask.”

“Pink wellington boots and a luchador mask?” he repeated, amused. “I’d be wearing almost as much clothing as you.”

Faith rolled her eyes. “You love my outfits, really. I see the way you stare at my ass when you think I’m not looking.”

“It’s hard not to when it’s so brazenly displayed,” he scoffed. “I concede. I’ll linger until dark and then you’ll be joining me to hunt, both for time-saving purposes and to pick out a suitable outfit. Should be quite the night.”

“Quite the night,” Faith repeated, chewing her lip, suddenly unsure. “In the meantime, maybe I’ll let you help me pick out a suitable outfit…” she winked, reaching around to undo the zipper on her dress.

Seth raised an eyebrow. “Joyous day,” he said drily. “And which all-black, clingy, polyester ensemble will you be donning for my ocular satisfaction this evening?”

“That depends,” Faith purred, trying not to let him know that she was already regretting her decision. “Would you recommend something ‘wipe-clean’?”

“Yes,” he growled. “That might be beneficial.”

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21 thoughts on “Chapter 2.40 – Rainbowland

  1. My first thought is that Wyatt’s mom must be trying to get the authorities to nab Caleb! 😀 . . . At least I think it’s possible..

    Does Wyatt have the clumsy trait? So he’s powerful and clumsy? yiikes what a combo! 😆

    That repulsive potion is really good though. Wyatt could barely get anything about Caleb, but similarly Wyatt’s brew is pretty powerful too? Caleb’s suddenly a waterfall. (This sentence sounds so weird without context haha) So Caleb is going to be in ditzy land until his next feed session. Oooh this is mad. 😆

    Man I wonder if Seth/Lilith’s relationship entailed this much powerplay as Faith/Seth. It doesn’t sound like it the way Lilith talked about it to Chuck. But it still does make me wonder. Nice to see that Faith’s humanity isn’t all that gone yet. Casually killing someone for their fashion sense primarily and blood second is quite an interesting headspace to be in.. 😶 I’m not sure I get the reference to wipe-clean.

    “You are pretty fun from a distance.” ahh.. this chapter has so many golden lines.. And this line is soooo /sigh perfect. And painful now that I’ve taken it out of context. Ouch! I should stop doing this. And Seth, Wyatt and Broof are going to meet together wooo! XD Boy’s night out in the weirdest way yay! That makes me wonder. If Wyatt is 19y.o. in human terms. How old is Broof? And woah. Sandy’s tastes are a full range! 😆

    And I want to see the elk. 😆

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    1. Anything is possible!

      Wyatt has outgoing, goofball, slob and gregarious traits. Wow, if he was clumsy as well that’d be… nope.

      Sage knows her way around a potion and Wyatt knows his way around a good brew, so both are gonna be pretty effective methinks. And poor Caleb’s stuck in the middle, high as a kite. 😆

      Ooh we’ll get more from Seth and Lilith’s relationship dynamic later on, including some actual third person perspectives and some flashbacks which should be fun.

      “I’m not sure I get the reference to wipe-clean.”
      That’s because you have a pure and innocent mind.

      Caleb hasn’t agreed to go to the party and Broof might not even be there if they do, so don’t get too excited yet. 😉 In human years, Broof is older. Here is my witch aging table thingy if you’re interested, which you’re probably not. The concentration of their witchy blood determines how powerful they are and how they age. Sandy’s type was ‘male’, she really was not fussy. I caught her flirting with literally every man at a bar once. Except for Travis who was sitting alone in a corner. 😆

      I panned the camera around when Caleb pointed out the elk, but I couldn’t see it. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Aw I need permission to check out the google doc! Gregarious trait ooooh! Sounds fun!

        A wise person once told me that the purest souls have the darkest mind. So.. since I have a pure mind I must have a dark soul. Guess wipe-clean isn’t dark enough for me to understand (lol ignore me I’m in a weird mood today 😂).

        hype hype hype for next chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s more of an anxious trepidation btw.

        Noo. I was looking forward to the trio’s union. 😆

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Gah, I’m always doing this. Try again.

          Wipe-clean is being interpreted in two ways here. One is dark and one is smut. Either way, you’ll understand what’s going on in a few chapters. Hopefully.

          Ha. Next chapter. Yeah. Fun. 😅

          Liked by 1 person

          1. oh wow I love your witchy chart!

            I was applying it to vamps too and then realised if I did, then the chart would be a decomposition chart since they stopped aging.. so assuming Lilith is a lvl 4 her organs have decomposed 72-ish years rofl. hahaha! 😆 hilarious!

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  2. Oh boy! Wyatt bombards Caleb with questions faster than Caleb can run.
    Now we already know that Caleb does not have a large stock of smart answers, so there is nothing to say that he remains silent.
    Somehow skewed, Wyatt and Caleb have a lot in common. Their penchant for acting before they think and their common resistance to being guided by wiser minds. That puts Sage and Lilith in the same challenge 😆
    It does not surprise me that Wyatt has been the cause of a huge disaster. Like the biggest problem with tea is that it tastes of rhubarb instead of strawberries 🤨
    You’ve found your alter ego Caleb 🤣

    What a Trip! Caleb is in Rainbowland and has lost his last microscopic remnant of sense of reality.
    Wyatt gets flattered that a drunk dude gives him a compliment? I do not know to whom I attribute the greatest loss of self-control 😂
    Now I am anxiously awaiting what is to come. Will Caleb ever get sober or will he follow Wyatt over the rainbow bridge.
    NB: In the Viking mythology, the bridge is called Bifrost and the god of thunder is called Thor. I wonder if there are any references. In that case, we can expect a proper bang 🌩

    The relationship between Faith and Seth is interesting. There are gigantic contrasts between their favorite worlds.
    Seth’s abilities deter and impress Faith. They are like two opposite poles that alternately attract and repel each other. It all depends on how they turn their magnets. Whichever way they turn, there is a great deal of energy between them. 💥
    It will be interesting to see what the next date leads to. I hardly expect so much adventurous purple light, but if the trip really goes to an arcade then I can be completely wrong 🤔

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Like Lilith often told him, “if you can’t say anything normal, shut your mouth, Caleb”

      They do have a lot in common. As well as the points you identify, they both also look terrible in yellow, flowery shirts. 😂

      Quite the trip. The flower shop was already a sensory explosion without any mind-altering substances and now there’s an elk there, too. 😆 Will he ever get sober? That depends. If he follows Wyatt to this ‘casual party’ probably not. Either way, yes, you’ll get a bang soon enough.

      Faith and Seth; their worlds, powers and intentions are totally different but something’s pulling those magnets together. Before they get to the arcade, they have to go and find a well-dressed townie to disrobe and before that they have to wait until night falls. Hopefully nothing happens in the mean time. 😇

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  3. Woops, it’s half a novel again *shrug*

    Wait, Wyatt clicked his fingers and caused a monsoon? Holy cow, no wonder he’s not allowed to cast magic until later in life 😂

    Looks like the repellent is working like a charm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Caleb this disinterested in talking to anybody. “Ever seen a duck?” made me laugh. Wyatt is such a goofball, I love it. Oh no, the drugged rhubarb tea strikes again 🤣 wait, if you drug a vampire, does it gradually leave their system like with humans, or does it stay with them until they drink enough to filter it out? How do vampire systems work? Am curious. We’ll find out before too long either way I bet.

    I loved that expression that Seth made when Faith told him she wasn’t wearing any underwear. He just looked so done. Made me chuckle. And now I’m picturing Seth in the middle of the arcade, buzzing computers and electronic music and flashy lights everywhere, trying to beat some random child at a dance game and failing miserably.
    Huh. So far, their banter this chapter almost sounds like a normal couple having digs at each other. Oooooh, am I actually going to finish a chapter without raging at Seth?
    Nope. Dear lord, Seth, “give me your hand” already has me prickly because there should be a please or a question in there somewhere, but just “hand” like she’s a dog and he’s trying to teach her to give paw on command ticked me right off.

    Oh my gods high-as-a-kite Caleb is hilarious 😂 I didn’t think I would but I absolutely love these two together. They have a surprising amount of things in common, too. Both are kept on a shorter leash than they want and both have that leash for a reason. They’re both young minds in adult bodies. And then there’s the whole “Caleb’s wife is possibly Wyatt’s daughter” thing. That too. Man, it’s all such a mess but I cannot stop laughing at Caleb randomly seeing an elk in the flower shop 😂🤣 All the bright. Oh gods. Dead.

    “Or are you like my other friend; trying to steal my wife.”
    I’m genuinely surprised that Caleb still considers Melinda a friend, seeing how okay he seemed to be with her burning to death on the way to the cabin just to get rid of her. I wonder what he and April talked about when they went up to talk away from Melinda. How big is the chance that he specifically forbade her from going with Mel? Hmm… will find out eventually. Aw man, Caleb and Wyatt to a party. “don’t have to do anything you won’t want to.” What kind of party is this going to be, Wyatt? 😂

    Ooooh, they misted back to the cottage! And geez, Seth, if you’d led with “you might scatter yourself into pieces if you don’t pay attention” she would have understood your random commands without going in on literal blind faith. Then again, Blind Faith is probably what he wants. Easier to give her whatever commands he wants to in the future if he teaches her to obey them without question now. Gah.

    “You can even speak, if you have anything worthwhile to say.”
    Go fall in a hole, Seth. Hard. Oooooh, this line pissed me off more than the dog training did.

    “Pink wellies and a luchador mask ”
    🤣🤣🤣

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    1. A monsoon was one of many things Wyatt did accidentally in his youth.

      The rhubarb tea strikes again! A brew made for Bryatt is gonna pack some punch, too… Effects on vampire may vary, but more on that later.

      Yeah, Seth was done with the filthy talk way back; his face is starting to be as done as the rest of him now. 😆 I would put him on a dance machine if this existed. The arcade is woefully un-arcadey. Are you going to end a chapter without raging at Seth? Probably not, but cherish this moment. AAAND it’s gone. Hand.

      Every pairing with Wyatt is instantly better, even this incredibly messed-up one.

      It’s probably testament to Caleb’s other friendships he’s had in life that he considers Melinda his friend, still. And yet, no mention of Faith… “How big is the chance that he specifically forbade her from going with Mel” We will see. What kind of party? A very colourful one that no elks were harmed in the making of.

      Seth has been misting in and out suddenly all through the story, so thought it was about time I wrote it in properly. Yes, obey without question is what he’s going for. If he told her the risks she might have refused. Or blamed him when she materialised missing a foot.

      Wet weather wrestler edition. #slipperymen

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  4. “Thor was capable of using the catalogue under the counter to identify what he was selling, could use the cash register and the old ladies really liked him.” Well colour me surprised, at least by two out of the three. Semi-capable Caleb?

    That repellent is potent, considering he doesn’t even want to talk to Caleb. And oh boy, if it’s super potent, so will the side effects of it combined with the special tea be, won’t they?

    The lighting in seth’s man cave is glorious. Ha, that’s a lot of grating going on. Let’s hope tese two won’t end up fully grated. Who am I kidding, of course they will. Ooh, a lore tidbit! So most fledglings sleep during the day, while older vampires dont need to, interesting. I wonder why that isn’t the case for Faith. Actually, none of the girls have been doing that much daytime slumber that I know of. Oh, Seth in an arcade? That sounds… interesting 😀

    Oof, so a vampire high sure lasts a long while. Wyatt’s has already subsided, interesting. I wonder how it reacted to the repellent he consumed. Did it negate it’s effects? Or perhaps threw them in the other direction? Caleb does seem significantly more out of it than Wyatt, even though we know Wyatt is likely more used to some mushrooms. Anyway, I’ll ignore the impending catastrophe and enjoy stoned Caleb because he is hilarious. “I don’t have anyone. Green or otherwise.” Aww. Poor Caleb.

    Ok. This party will definitely not end in disaster. Yep.

    Oooh, they can teleport? Or mist, as Seth calls it, but for all intents and purposes it does sound quite a bit like teleporting – definitely not quite the same as Caleb and Mel’s super-running. I wonder, would Faith now, having had Seth’s “instructions” be able to mist on her own, or is she just able to tag along with him?

    Great decision making continues. I wonder what’s her dominant train of thought here; trying to show Seth how supposedly unfazed she is by the prospect of murderings because she is oh so badass, hur hur, or being too worried he will sleep with his prey if she doesn’t come along. Ugh, Faith.

    Aand why do I get a feeling they both mean wildly different things when they talk bout this “wipe-clean” outfit?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Semi-capable when the tasks he’s given are regimented, monotonous and straight-forward, yes.

      Literally don’t know how Wyatt was still standing after a hefty dose of rhubarb and apples. Hardened to the effects of any kind of substance, I think.

      I also think his cave is glorious. Rainbows for everyone this chapter. The girls get low on energy during the day but you’re correct, none of them really sleep. Seth must’ve known some weak ass fledglings previously. Seth might have already been to the arcade this chapter. Not that anyone has seen him do so, yet. 🕵️‍♂️

      Wyatt is very used to mushrooms. Ignore the disaster! All is fine.

      It is pretty much teleporting, but with black smoke. Seth always gotta be MISTerious. Her instructions were ‘shut up and look at me’ so I can’t imagine that’ll work without him, but who knows? She can do fun things with the brain of hers.

      Probably more likely the latter, but she does have an ulterior motive with wanting to go.

      Because they do. You get to see what fluids are actually involved next week. Hurrah. 😐

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  5. I honestly don’t feel like Caleb is in any less danger. At least Moms Green is an elder witch with some sense. Wyatt is likely to lose his shit if he finds out Caleb had done anything bad to his family and from the sounds of it, Wyatt is just itching for an excuse not to be bored. On the other hand, I can see Caleb leading him on a grand adventure. It’s fascinating to watch him be fun, silly, harmless Caleb again. The scene with the tea had me rolling but also thinking: this is how I saw Caleb with blondie too—two dummies who deserved each other. My, how wrong I was.

    Wow, now I read every scene with Faith and Seth and I am cringing. Oh man, the void in her that wants to be filled is so large. And I can see him nudging her, making her think things are her decisions, manipulating her.

    Dang. This story always does this to me: I’m having a grand time and then gradually realize that the room is on fire.

    It’s freaking delightful.

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    1. I don’t imagine Wyatt would be offering tea and casually chatting about music tastes if he knew who Thor really was, no. I’m not sure if ‘grand adventure’ is the right term, but those two are definitely going somewhere.

      “The void in her that wants to be filled is so large” it really is. She so desperately needs to feel wanted and validated and to understand this dark side of herself. I have been reliably informed by another reader that if you read through the story again with the knowledge you have at this point, the Faith/Seth scenes are ‘painful’.

      Can I use those last couple of sentences on my review page? 😆

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  6. Oh, dear. This one is quite something.

    So I expect Sage forgetting how to “mortal” sometimes is both the reason for her not going through the door and her not wanting a human assistant. That´s actually reasonable. Also makes me think, if Sage is this powerful… did she have the same trouble in her youth as both her sons? Is this “high levels of magic that need controlled” thing inheritable?
    Also Wyatt and the rhubarb tea. I mean what the heck? That´s pretty silly of him, risking getting in trouble again like this just because of apparently not paying attention to what he brews. Maybe it was a repellent side-effect? Or maybe it was just him being a goof.

    Seth… well. I think Seth really should get a proper drink. I mean… I´m not imagining it, am I? It sure seems to me like his patience is wearing thinner and thinner. And annoying electronic devices aren´t gonna help. At all. It actually says quite something if he considers /that/ the lesser evil. Hmmm… also, oh wow. I mean, I know Seth tends to disappear but I kinda… >.> I kinda expected bat-form? Heh. Showoff. 😀

    And wait just a minute here. *narrows eyes* Caleb. Exactly how did Caleb recognize what was in that tea, especially given he can´t taste any of it anyway? Caleb… anything you wanna tell us? *whispers* Don´t worry, I won´t tell Lils. 😉

    … … Oh. It sure took me long enough to realize what wipe-clean was supposed to be about. And I mean that somehow, I didn´t get it was just meant to refer to clothes that… you just literally wipe off and they´re okay. XD Dumb moment, there. Once that clicked, the rest is obvious. But then, black is good, isn´t it? Good chances anything red won´t leave a stain at all. 😉

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    1. This is one of my favourite chapters for so many reasons.

      Yep, Sage not thinking to leave through the door is one of her many ‘forgetting how to mortal’ moments. Sage was not quite Wyatt’s level, no, but she and her late husband were both pretty powerful and that has amalgamated in their sons.

      Definitely either him being a goof and not paying enough attention or him being lazy and not labelling his jars. At least he served it to Caleb and not his mother or the High Priestess. 😆

      You’re not imagining it, Seth definitely needs a drink. He said it himself; he’s beastly when he’s thirsty. Yep, let’s hope he gets that drink before they go to an arcade full of screaming kids and beeping machines. Bat form you say. Interesting.

      Caleb couldn’t taste it, Wyatt told him what it was. It’s only polite, right, if you accidentally drug someone to then reassure them that they’re not dying or going mad and it’ll wear off. (Not the voice of experience, lol) My bad, I should’ve clarified that in the text. But yeah, best not tell Lils anyway. 😆

      Ooh, wipe-clean has so many meanings between this pair and the only thing that’s certain is that they’re probably not thinking the same thing. If tonight goes to plan, hopefully nothing will leave any kind of trace. 😉

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      1. Aaaah. The magical bloodline, makes sense. I almost wanna say Wyatt better marry a muggle…

        …When you got secrets to hide, you better label them jars /somehow/. I can totally see Wyatt not doing that, but honestly, man. Do you /wanna/ make the High Priestess mad?

        Ugh, I can sympathize. My current choice might be green iced tea, but even I understand the benefits of a good drink against general and steadily building annoyance. XD

        Heheh, oh, okay then. There I thought Caleb might have eaten something he thought would be poisonous back when… you know. When he was experimenting with the limits of vampire resiliency.

        *snort* Of course they aren´t thinking the same thing. That IS Faith in there and she´s definitely trying very hard to not think about the “possible bloodstains” part of the equation, so…

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        1. The witch dating pool is tiny so he may just have to do that… if he can resist the lovely Globrot sisters, that is.

          Oof, I hear ya. Thirsty Seth is based on me, pre- morning coffee. 😁

          As for the rest of your comment… 🤐 We’ll find out how Faith really feels about the bloodstains soon enough.

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          1. Ooof, I don´t know about that. Those witchy girls somehow make me think they aren´t exactly weak themselves and if Wyatt has trouble growing up… I can´t exactly imagine him turning into a responsible father, either. That, and they had seemed rather untrustworthy. Which may have only been by association, but… still.

            *zips mouth in response to /both/ further points* 😉

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