Little Ole me

Cover art for Wildlife in North Carolina, March 1957. Watercolor by Bob Dance.

Small Mauritian flying fox

With that, all ten layers of shield were gone. Only the outermost Angel’s Embrace and her flickering domain remained. Mandrake was now using her body to take the hit. The golden wings baked under heat so intense it bent light. The pure white feathers yellowed and curled. The sacred angelic form now looked like it was about to be melted down by the light of destruction. The breath of death brushed her cheek. Already running on empty, her consciousness was slapped back into a faraway past...

“Well~ but you just haven’t grasped the trick yet. Mandrake, listen closely...” Her teacher’s voice turned serious. “If one day I’m not with you, and you face a terrifying enemy, and you must block their attack no matter what—then remember, when you’re almost out of strength, hold your last breath. Never give up!” “Think of yourself as a wall facing a flood. Giving up is like cracking that wall. One crack, and the enemy’s attack will seep in and destroy you from inside.” “Unless the attack ends or is blocked, even if you die holding it in—you must not falter. If you fear or retreat, your heart leaks. So charge forward no matter what.” “Every time you’re about to break, remember what you told me. To protect your dreams. Behind you are countless dreams waiting to come true. You are the last shield for those fragile dreams!” “Ahhhhhhhh!” The girl’s hoarse roar burned. Her blood boiled, her heart became a blazing furnace, every drop of power wrung out, and massive strength surged from her divine heart. Under the stunned eyes of the four Witches, wrapped in golden angel wings, the girl crushed the Death Star light, shattering the Magic Mirror. The violet light dissipated… But drained by the power of destruction, she could no longer hold on. The angelic shadow behind her vanished too. Her broken body fell, and her Wine-Red Eyes slowly closed, looking to the sky. Her bloodless lips moved with great effort—just enough for one final sentence. “I’m counting on you… Xiao Man...”

😭😭😭😭

😭😭😭😭

girl, no...

She picked up the fading girl in a princess-carry, clutching her tightly. Behind her, the Styx boiled. Nine reddish-brown tendrils erupted with apocalyptic might. If the soul-burning flame couldn’t be extinguished, then forget trying to put it out. The previous sealing experience taught her something else: sealing could lock a person’s state at that exact moment. She couldn’t save the dumbass now, but that didn’t mean she never would. If she could just keep her alive—then maybe, someday... [Sealing Magic • Nine Pillars of Suppression] Nine reddish-brown tendrils shot up like sky-piercing columns, encircling Mandrake. They spiraled inward, cocooning her flickering form in a seal. Witch Mandrake closed her eyes. Inside the seal, the flames stopped spreading, though they didn’t go out. Mandrake’s soul was too weak—there was still a chance she could dissipate even while sealed. She raised her hands, and the black waters of the Styx boiled over. This mysterious domain of the mental space was now fully under her control. She poured all her magical energy into the seal. The seal served as an excellent filter, allowing the energy to be absorbed more easily. But even then—it wasn’t enough! That much energy still wasn’t enough. She needed more. To nourish her, to sustain Mandrake’s state. If she didn’t have enough of her own... then she’d just take it from outside! And wouldn’t you know, a few sources were right there.

it's time for Witch Mandrake to go Sicko Mode

lighting candles in jack o'lanterns (to keep away the fairies)

roasting s'mores on bonfires (to keep away the fairies)

bobbing for apples, fortunetelling, ouija boards, and other assorted divination rituals (to forewarn those doomed to be kidnapped by fairies)

haunted houses (to preach against the dangers that lurk across the veil in the otherworld, home of the fairies)

community effort to stuff kids full of candy (that if whisked away (by the fairies) they might resist the temptation (of strange fae foods) long enough to escape)

during Samhain (pronounced sow-win), a liminal festival, the boundary between here and the Otherworld gets fucked with, so you best watch yourself by celebrating with:

fire. lots of fire. cleansing and protective fire. communal bonfires, fires inside jack-o-lanterns, torch fire, need-fires summoned ritualistically, lots of fire. it's getting cold and dark out, fire makes a lot of sense right now. oh and hey you know what goes well with fire aka loves to be warm and roasted?

food. lots of food. gotta appease the spirits with food and drink. gotta ward away bad luck (hunger, starvation) in the coming winter by keeping everyone fed. feed everyone! feed the spirits. feed the kids. feed the people going door-to-door. feed the people going door-to-door in case they're spirits. which brings us to:

disguises. every decent festival needs disguises. costumes. whatever. put on a mask or disguise and go door-to-door to receive food and coins (guising). dress up in costumes and perform folk plays (mumming), perhaps taking the opportunity to warn about otherworldly dangers. and hey! if impersonating the spirits of the dead means spooks can't recognize you and whisk you away? so much the better

divination. lots of divination. involving fire, and apples, and nuts (and sometimes stones and bones). yes, this is where apple bobbing comes in! (with origins dating back to roman times.) interestingly divination at Samhain wasn't just to foretell death and misfortune (let's guess which of us won't survive the winter!) but also focused on luck and marriage (who will i marry! how many children will i have! will i be rich! will i be happy!)

also i'm so serious, keep away from the mounds, the (burial) mounds are portals to the Otherworld, those portals are especially open at Samhain, keep away from the motherfucking (fairy) mounds.