Casey wasn’t that different from his parents. He grew up with their views in mind and seeing Acacia’s fascination he was never loud about it, but he didn’t think all that much about magic. And when he met it outside of his family, it wasn’t in any positive way. People arguing about magic types and who is worth more, commotion in cities, attacks and confrontation in news about another mage scuffle…magic seemed not to bring any good to the table.
Casey was actually planning to give up his own magic altogether, just like his parents. He had it, and he didn’t care. He thought the world would be much better off without it. And he still does.
But Acacia couldn’t give it up. No, his sister had to be obsessed with it so much she became a genius with it.
Then the war broke out, soldiers requiring kids to join and because Acacia was so good, her parents tried to hide her affinity - and the sudden lack of Acacia’s magic in public was suspicious. Acacia was too rumored for her talent, she stood out from the start, so of course the soldiers that came for her didn’t quite believe it.
And when they tried to take him instead, his sister stood up for him and revealed herself and kicked all his plans to give up his own magic out the window with them. So of course, as a good brother, he had to follow her to the army, had to make sure she was okay.
And then the rebellion came, and the hideout came, and other mages came and and and…Casey was stuck with magic defining his life despite his internal aversion to it.
Now Casey isn’t above using magic. He is making the best out of the worst situation, playing with with kids, training to be better with it. He has to hold his own in this magic ruled world.
Then Acacia’s obsession with the myth of 5th magic came, this insanity that no one knew how to prove or disaffirm. Nothing tangible again other than Acacia’s detoriating condtion. This led Casey to really start hating magic altogether.
But he loves people. He sees mages as humans more than anything else, that’s why he has no trouble accepting other types. He is compassionate, loyal and protective. He took little Nicole as his own almost immediatly upon meeting her, and treated her as a little sister ever since. Then Mira came, and Jayden and all the other kids and mages looking for a home and Casey can’t do anything less than be there for them, fight for them, protect them.
The whole war seems like needless insanity to him. He can never understand Acacia and what she stands for in her belief to have magic be an art, but he could never leave her. He is defined by his relationships with the Circle, by how much he cares about his family, which cannot compare to how he resents magic. If anything he resents it even more for what it did to the Rogue Mages, to what it’s forcing people to become.
Casey is always torn between hating magic and his loyalty to the people he loves, but he will always choose his family above everything - and if magic is the way to do it, so be it.
Casey is such a good brother
I’m sure you’ve mentioned this somewhere but I can’t remember, what is the age difference between Acacia and Casey? How old is he in the story? Of course I understand that years have passed between Acacia first being taken to join the army and the rebellion but still, just curious
I really like how Casey is so not bothered about magic. Just kind of wanting to give it up, to wish no one had it because its creating so many problems. It’s such an interesting thing to think when most/all of?? the world has magic, but I do understand his reasons.
And yet, even with his indifference to magic, he doesn’t try to force this view of “never use magic” on anyone at all. So many fantasy stories that include magic always have stigmas of magic where it must be hidden or they exploit the use of magic (and do not get me wrong, I love a good bit of this trope as much as the next - just look at my love for Street Magic ) but I just mean it’s so good to see a subversion to the trope. Where magic is common and accepted in a way. Of course not all of it is accepted otherwise there wouldn’t be a war but you get the idea.
The point is that he doesn’t try to shame people for using magic when it is so destructive and so dividing. He accepts it, he accepts he and his sister have it, it’s a part of his life, and he still uses it from time to time. But he doesn’t try to force others not to use it.
Standing there proudly, every bit herself took Kyler’s breath away. He was sure now - Acacia could never pretend to be something she wasn’t - and he really envied that.
Acacia represents the theme of being true to oneself the most. She is the epitome of this, but at the same time she isn’t irrational. She puts other people and the interests of the hideout in front of herself, she plans and strategies and keeps secrets that would hurt the people she loves. All her life she is fighting all her other desires for the simple wish to live true to herself, the girl that loves magic and art, connection and fun, never meaning to inspire so many people along the way.
His discipline was of range she has never seen before. It was more than desire, more than need, more than love. His willpower was absolute. He could achieve anything he would set his mind to and it scared her and excited her at the same time.
NowKyler represents in many ways the opposite to Acacia. He is defined by his discipline and willpower, by how much he can overcome himself and who he is to adapt to his circumstances, to survive. He sees the truth, doesn’t fight what he can’t change and accepts what doesn’t align with how he sees life. In a way he can see the world the most objectively, because his desires always come last to him. Which is also the cause of most of his grief.
Wes cared easily, felt intensly and shined brightly in his lose canon way. A complete opposite of him, but Kyler found himself drawn to his reckless passion. It was that kind of life he gave up by rationalizing his feelings, the kind of living he never dared to imagine, but sometimes secretly wanted more than anything else.
Consequently he is drawn to people like Wes. Wes seeks freedom, the freedom to care and feel and do whatever he wants. Now he isn’t actually free, because the power he has combined with such intense passionate feelings come with a prize for a spirit like him, but he acts like it. He dares. Challenges the world and life for the rules set on him. In a way he is the most selfish of the trio, since he doesn’t have any scruples, no loved ones to hold him back, no responsibilities he considers. What he doesn’t realize is that giving himself the space to feel so much for everything, he irreversibly binds himself to it. He cares too much, and he can’t escape the impact of that.
I mean you already know how much I love themes of identity and true selves so this is an incredible breakdown of the main trio
Having them all have different uses of their emotions to their advantage. Acacia’s loving caring side being slightly tactical with what information she does and does not share. Kyler’s reluctance to Emote ™ and how this does allow him an objective view of the world. Wes using his passions to get his views across.
Looking at Grayson before was always like looking at a distorted mirror of everything Kyler tried to cut from himself, everything he hid and supressed glaring defiantly at him.
It was different now. It felt like a cetrain…not peace exactly, but maybe truce.
Kyler can’t open up to Grayson the same way he can with Acacia and Wes. Now this isn’t weird at first, when he arrives into the hideout with the mission to kill his brother.
His dynamic with Grayson will become a problem, when Kyler does change, admits to his mistaken views and adapts to a different kind of life the Rogue Mages stand for, but it doesn’t really solve anything between the two.
One thing is Grayson and his misdirected anger and hate at Kyler he used as his fuel for years. I will adress this in another post, since this is a pretty big part of what makes Grayson himself in the 5th Magic universe in comparison to the Street Magic Spinoff version of him, where he doesn’t have anyone in particular to hate.
Kyler has another qualms. In a way it’s easier for him to open up to Wes, whom he doesn’t see as human at first and Acacia that gets under his skin with their mutual respect. Now Acacia and Wes accept him.
But Grayson knew Kyler before all this. They were two innocent boys manufactured as General’s clones, but they had no idea of the war or their role. It was just this big institute with kids that all looked alike, looking for their roles and meaning, but really just exploring, training, having fun. Every clone starts a little boy with a healthy spectrum of emotions.
Kyler had to abondon that in the Heir Trials, cut that part of himself to move on. Because if he acted emotionally, he wouldn’t be able to. Grayson is the epitome of everything Kyler hates about himself, every feeling, passion and anger that Grayson fosters in himself, Kyler lets go.
Grayson survives against the rules though, against what Kyler thinks should be possible with so much emotional baggage. Cutting it off, not feeling is Kyler’s solution and Grayson’s very existence contradicts that.
Accepting Grayson would mean accepting the other way was possible. It would mean Grayson managed, what Kyler didn’t, while knowing Kyler started the same and could have chosen.
Acacia and Wes accept him, seeing him now for who he is. But Grayson saw what he was before, what he could have been and what he decided not to be, and that’s a whole new level of terryfying.
Their entire dynamic is amazing and I love them just the idea that these brothers - who are practically identical (in a genetic sense) but raised differently, with one using their lack of emotion to continue their way in the world, and the other using their anger to do exactly the same thing.
Happy birthday to the wonderful @kosmosian-quills! I wish you a lovely day, lots of health, lots of dreams coming true and lots of words coming your way. Hope you have an amazing year ahead of you. ❤️❤️❤️
Keeping up with the tradition, I have been thinking about Anjelika and Angel after the heartbreaking last fic, where the General makes her mother and the girls ask her to come back, how her identities, past and present crashed into each other. I know Angel in the intro actually has three sides to herself, crown, friend and runaway selves, but this image wasn’t getting of my mind as I went through Anjelika’s tag and what you showed us about her. I hope it’s a at least a bit fitting and that you like it
Drawn by the amazing @enspey thank you so much for the wonderful art. ✨
Awwww thank you so so much!!
This is so amazing I love that art so SO much. Angel being so unassuming, her reflection looking so graceful. The memory of who she once was so overwhelming.
And the art style is so beautiful!
The dark moody background, the reflection bathed in light. The pose she’s in mirrored by her old self. Aaaaah I love it so much!!
Thank you again for this!! And thank you @enspey!!
So our usual artist was unavailable for this gift, BUT I thought I’d treat you to your girl Acacia in a vibrantly colourful style by the amazing @reallyhardydraws! Thank you so much Loren for your hard work!
At first @catharticallysarcastic caught me by the arm and we gushed about her deliciously complex Jameson from No pain, no gain and my Zephyr. It felt like dancing around the room to the songs she put on.
Then I stopped by @ren-c-leyn and her table and tea, where she showed me her OC Night’s drawn and gorgeous intro and cheered everyone up with her Something Neat sunday event, where I could sing some (not nearly enough) praises for @thewalkingnerdx. Did you see her brilliant cowboy drawing or the new moodboard for Red, like Blood? Also the character dynamics in Something Wicked are so worth savouring. Talking with Ivy felt like getting a hug.
Also@kosmosian-quillspostedthis heartbreaking flash fic for At what cost? It’s so angsty and beautiful, it felt like she broke my heart and then pinned it together again.
And then @bloodlessheirbyjacques showed me this picrew I can’t get enough of and we discussed her awesome worldbuilding and MC Astrea, and talking with her was like getting a pat on the cheek.
The same night @sleepyowlwrites took my hand and dragged me to her painting room to offer me this starlit edit for Tears of Iron I was afraid to annoy her about. The edit that magically got the vibe and is so so beautiful I could cry.
What a day, surrounded by friends and creativity and kindness. Feeling very lucky, happy and loved.
<3333333
aww thank you for your kind words friend!!
also i hope you know that your tears on that piece has given me sustenence XDDD
SETTING: The four main territories divided themselves according to how magic is practiced there. Pulsors tame lightning, Aurals display their souls, Sensors immerse themselves in the water flow and Resonants cast their feelings at the wind. However the Mage war between them led to an unexpected consequence - the rise of Phantoms. The once peaceful elemental spirits corrupted into soul-devouring monsters became humanity’s greatest threat as they infect magic, infest areas and spread chaos and hate.
Each mage territory has their own way of dealing with the Phantom threat. Pulsors become hunters to protect. Aurals become artists to forget. Sensors give up magic. Resonants keep transmitting their hearts to the world.
And Shaders find ways to manipulate.
THEMES: identity | self-worth | healing | being true to oneself | relationships | learning from differences | unconditional love | family | pride | obsession | balance | success | understanding | acceptance | tolerance
FEATURING: various magic types | darkness | reincarnation | shapeshifting dragons | elemental spirits | other realms | brothers | childhood friends | lots of hurt/comfort | mutual pinning | power trio | torn between worlds
SYNOPSIS: Returning from captivity by a terroristic group of Shaders after its leader’s defeat, Kyler can finally reassume his role as the oldest son, the Pulsor Knight, and the protector of the human reincarnation of the white dragon spirit himself - his younger shapeshifting brother Wes.
But the cult has a new leader, a master of the forbidden Shadow Craft, targeting shapeshifters in all 4 territories with deliberate Phantom attacks, something never seen before.
Now Kyler has to face demons he didn’t get to bury to protect his not so in control brother with the help of a childhood rival with a penchant for seeing worlds where there shouldn’t be any. What could go wrong, right?
Kyler has always been the perfect son and protector, flawless, powerful and controlled enough to tame the deadliest lightning. He could win against any phantom or mage, but how can he defeat the darkness inside himself?
Wes never managed to live up to expectations, failing someone at every turn - though with his brother at his side tethering him to humanity he felt safe, if not quite whole. But how can he keep the beast at bay, now that the roles are reversed?
Acaciahasturned her absurd talent into a successful profession as a magic scientist at the brink of a revolutionary breakthrough. But what if her love for a world only she can see takes more than she can afford to give?
Water. Wind. Lightning. Soul. To command the sky, you have to contain them all. But the storm has many faces, looming and dark, wild beauty of art. Can you trust the one in your heart?
Since Jacques mentioned picrews to me I thought it was about time I posted the picrews I got for the boys I never got around to. There is commisioned art for the trio, but Hal and Kieran aren’t up there, so here you go
Plus that’s the cool picrew you had for Astrea that I had to do for Skye too, Jacques
Not me thinking about writing fantasy when it’s common knowledge I suck at details and I don’t have time for world building… But I want to write something else so bad now.
You could write character driven fantasy honestly I have little patience for worldbuilding either I live for relationships, I just throw them in a fantasy setting, add some magic and danger and tada. Tears of Iron is pretty much a magical slice of life hurt comfort high urban fantasy mix
What would interest you? You got any no binding ideas running through your head?
Honestly, I’m waiting for that spark to happen and then I’ll be able to tell you what I want I’m gonna throw myself into Pinterest and see if it helps. I just have this restless energy that now with finishing No Pain, No Gain soon, I need something different. The last nearly 10 stories I wrote were all romance and now I want something else
YOU MAKE IT SOUND SO EASY WHEN THE WORLD YOU CREATED IS I start the mildest world building and then I just make it super complicated what would require time for research and then I cornerned myself
I had some idea for a vampire WIP a while back but I don’t feel it now Pinterest it is and lord save anyone if the spark comes
She moved her gaze back to the trees lightly bowing in the wind, Linus moving to put his head onto her lap, she stroked his head lightly. She’d be all right. She had love, love she’d never lose, never get over, love people wrote stories about, love people hoped for in their entire life. She had it and she could never lose it because it was part of who she was. She had love and beyond that, she needed no substitution, no this would make do. No, she’d make do by herself, with her family, her friends, a different kind of love but not any less than anyone else besides Jameson could offer to her. She’d be happy with what she had, she’d be at peace as long as she knew Jameson was all right, she’d be at peace.
No Pain, No Gain
This is an open tag, anyone who would like to, jump on it xx
This looks like a part at the end, like when Jameson is away for that time getting help and Jo has to wait with the possibility he won’t come back to her. Or maybe I’m totally off?
I love that she appreciates the love she already had and how no one can take it away from her. “She had it and she could never lose it because it was part of who she was.” That’s powerful. Wow. We should all be looking back at the beautiful things we had in life like this. Not mourning they have come to an end (or fearing they might) but being happy we had them and that they shaped us in the first place. Beautiful.
You’re right, this is the end! I actually have less than 10 chapters to write and I’m between wanting to hammer it all out in one go and procrastinate until the end of times lol
You just put tears into my eyes by noticing that bit. It’s something that means a lot to me, something I try to remember, too. Sometimes it’s so hard to look at things we lose and see more than the loss, see that we had it. Thank you so much for seeing this ❤️❤️❤️
