A/N: Hi again! I just wanted to prove that there are absolutely zero rules to when I upload. You guys waited literally months for an update before, so why not give you two in one week? I actually just got hit with inspiration and I've been so happy reading all of the new reviews and story follows, I figured why not. Besides, it's going to be crowded in my house for the next few weeks so I might as well get it out while I can.
I'm very close with my sister's family and they're going through a lot right now. I have a six year old nephew and a two year old nephew, both on the autism spectrum. The six year old has a lot of trouble in school (he's too smart, bless him. He knows 5 (!) alphabets, the solar system, like 60 countries and their flags, Pangea, etc. and he gets bored in class so he causes tantrums until he gets to leave school) and the two year old has a heart condition which has set him back a lot (he's finally standing on his own so here's hoping he'll learn to walk before his next heart surgery!)
My sister had to have her gall bladder removed today because clearly they don't have enough going on. My family thankfully takes it in stride at this point. I get a lot of Asteria's practical "what now?" attitude from all the crap my family has been through over the years. Anyway they'll be moving in over the next two weeks while she recovers so that I can help since she won't be able to do any heavy lifting. We'll see how much chaos ensues. They're going to be moving in over the summer anyway so we'll consider it a test run.
Anyway, on to the reviews. The amount within the first literal 24 hours floored me. Thank you all for not giving up on me and my impractical updating patterns! And as always, welcome to all my new readers. I'm thankful for all of you.
Cyan-Snake: Of course! Thanks for sticking around.
Jillian2232115: Haha absolutely! I always feel awkward diving right into the story, but I feel like all of my preamble is boring. Hopefully you tried that recipe!
eeeeaud: I'm so happy, hopefully the double update makes it 10xs better! I debated for so long on what the appropriate reaction for the reveal was before just going with my gut. The interaction between Alice and Cynthia was really important to me, too. I wanted to make sure it was genuine. I want the connection between Alice and Asteria to feel genuine, not just like a plot point, and Cynthia's interaction is very integral to that. Also, yeah. I love using Asteria's "normal" friends as a welcome break from the supernatural and as a way to keep that lightheartedness running through the story.
Littlecosma001: Aw, thank you! Honestly, I was trying to make Bella seem a little annoying with it. I always try to focus on where a character is coming from, and with Bella I focused on her practicality in the face of Renee's whimsical spirit. I always figured her mom would be the type to make half-promises, and Bella would learn to pick up on the truth between the lies, which is why she's so good at it. I am happy I can finally play on the Asteria/Alice connection some more. While I'm sure Bella is gonna feel some type of way about the whole thing, I think her natural empathy for Asteria's situation will eventually shine through.
seraphina987: Thank you! I'm so excited for where it will bring us in the story next.
ZileRacer: I'm so glad we finally got the cat out of the bag. Also, I don't know if it's technically a spoiler because I don't know how it will fit in the story, but for anyone who reads these notes before the chapter, here you go. This is my own personal headcanon for how witches work. There's two ways to be a witch: either by blood, passed down through a family line (as a genetic trait that sometimes skips family members) or by soul, meaning that you were a witch in a past life and your spirit remembers the magic. Alice was a witch by blood, and since that blood has run it's course through her veins she has no residual magic aside from her psychic abilities. (She mixed a bunch herbs to protect Natalie's house after Asteria had been attacked in the parking lot, but it had no magical ability to it until Asteria 'blessed it' with her own willpower, loopy though she was. Magic is a fickle thing. It's energy with intent and technically Alice doesn't have the ability to tap into that energy anymore.)
ShaeeahS: I love their back and forth! Asteria was always an only child so it's fun to give her that chance for sibling interaction finally.
Stoic's Dream: I'm always amazed people can read it start to finish all the way again! Sometimes I need to refresh myself to continue writing and there's just so much. It's always fun to see who people think Asteria should end up with, but I won't give it away quite just yet. ;)
JoyfulSky67: I always like to point out every now and then that Asteria worries for nothing, it keeps her human. I'm always very appreciative of Asteria's specific sass, I think it lends a lot to this new version of the story and where they end up. The original idea was to see how different things can get with someone like her involved, so I'm glad you're enjoying the ride!
fandomsbrokeme: Thank you! Hope the wait was a little less than you anticipated!
FriendlyNeighborhoodHufflepuff: Honestly it's not lame at all. I have a bad habit of writing late at night, which wouldn't be awful except that I write based off of emotion. That's why I put so much emphasis on song choice, because I use it to set the specific tone and get me in a certain headspace. When I wrote chapter 17 (my personal favorite) where Asteria first finds the entity breaking into her house, I was so keyed up I didn't sleep until like 5 in the morning. Your struggles are valid! Also I'm glad you're enjoying this twist on the story. I've always felt like Twilight needed something a little more.
Sin Ouroboros: Thank you! Hope it came faster than you expected!
Born7: Thanks! It's not the easiest story to binge read at this length!
And now, today's song of the day, which absolutely gives a different feel to the song:
Post Malone's 'Circles', performed by Of Monsters and Men
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"Dude," Asteria said in an annoyed tone. "What the hell?"
Edward gave her a warning look. "I was only trying to help. I saw Mike Newton helping her to the nurse's office and he looked likely to drop her. I assumed that would be bad."
Asteria sighed. "Listen, whatever your prerogative is, I just want her to be safe. I'm not setting you two up for some stupid Romeo/Juliet scenario, I just want to keep her out of all the hocus pocus nonsense."
"I respect that," Edward said. "I'm not intending on telling her anything."
"Good, keep it that way," Asteria said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a shark movie marathon to complete."
"Oh," Alice said, catching her face before it could pull into a frown. "That sounds like fun. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow night then?"
"I would love back to back sleepovers," Asteria said. "With Bella becoming the entire cast of Scooby Doo, I want to be as far away as possible until it dies down."
"When do you think that will be," Rosalie mused.
"Probably sometime after pigs fly," Asteria said with an eye roll. "See you guys tomorrow!"
Natalie's house was as fun as always. Her parents were home, which meant a return to the basement. They hadn't set foot in it since the Ouija board incident. Everyone carefully avoided bringing it up and left the lights on, which amused Asteria greatly. Currently they were working on college applications; getting the group to do it together was the only way to make it less boring.
"So, how are things with your cousin," Rachael asked her.
"It's fine, why," Asteria asked.
"I just noticed you two aren't really talking to each other much at school," Rachael said.
"Getting on each other's nerves yet," Matt asked.
"Yes, actually," Asteria said. "She won't stay out of my business and since I won't tell her, she's giving me the silent treatment."
"Ah, sweet sibling rivalry," Damien said. "I'm so glad someone else has to put up with it for once."
Asteria stuck her tongue out at him. "Whatever. I'm just glad to be out of the house for the weekend."
"Camp Natalie, here for all your R&R needs," Natalie said cheerfully as she brought several boxes of pizza downstairs. "And by that I mean carbs, booze, and cheesy movies. Now hurry up and finish your applications so we can start the movie."
"I feel like I'm just throwing spaghetti at the wall and waiting to see what sticks," Asteria said as she finished another application.
"You don't have any plan in mind," Rachael asked.
Asteria sighed. "I don't really know what I want to do for the rest of literally forever, so I can't really be sure about college either. I was going to try to stick around this area though." She'd rather shoot herself in the foot than go back to Wisconsin, and it was nice to be closer to her friends and family.
"I'm going somewhere in Seattle," Natalie said. "My aunt and uncle own a couple of apartment complexes and they already said that I could stay there rent free as long as my grades are good."
"Nice," Damien said. "I applied to a few places in Seattle with good Marketing programs."
"I'm probably just going to Port Angeles," Matt said. "They have a decent mechanics program and I won't have to move out and find a place."
The room grew quiet for a second and Asteria realized that after the year ended they would all most likely go in separate directions. She hadn't known them for that long, but the thought still made her sad. Growing up sucked.
"Alright," Natalie announced. "That's enough. No more adulting. It's time to have some fun."
The night fell exactly as promised. Asteria was comfortably bundled up on the sofa after eating too much pizza and enjoying a drink or two. They laughed their way through two awful movies before falling asleep in various positions across the room. Asteria marked out her place on the sofa early on and was asleep before the second movie ended.
Asteria was in the woods again. Disoriented, she looked around before noticing the gown she was wearing from her previous dream. She no longer carried the pile of bones, instead the white horse waited patiently next to her. Unlike last time, Asteria felt completely under control of her body.
Taking a deep breath, she swung herself onto the horse with a little difficulty and spurred it forward. Thankfully the horse seemed to know what to do and moved into a sprint along the wooded path. The wolves' howls echoed around them in the night as they kept pace out of sight in the trees.
The clouds above them parted to reveal a full moon shining down on them and the horse skidded to a stop in the middle of a clearing. Nervously Asteria pulled the bow from behind her back and nocked an arrow, praying she would magically be able to use it with no experience. Her body moved reflexively and fluidly, as if muscle memory moved her.
Across the clearing a figure entered from between the shadows of the trees, followed by two more. As the moonlight hit them a faint sparkling gleam came from the skin. It should have been too far away to tell, but Asteria could still make out the blood red of their eyes. The man in the center grinned, his teeth glinting in the light of the moon. He looked eerily familiar, although Asteria could not place him.
With a fierceness Asteria didn't know she was capable of, she pulled back on the string and then released the arrow with a primal yell. It soared across the clearing and erupted into flames before striking the man dead in his chest. His figure was silent as it was engulfed in flames. Asteria moved to draw another arrow before-
Asteria jumped off the couch like it was on fire and fell as the sudden movement made her dizzy. She was confused where she was before a tired Natalie muttered, "are you okay?"
Taking a few deep breaths, Asteria remembered her night: Natalie's house, bad movies, pizza, falling asleep in the basement. "I'm fine, I think I'm just a little sick."
"Do you need help," Natalie asked as she sat up.
Asteria shook her head as she moved to the bathroom. "I'll be okay. Go back to sleep."
She barely made it to the bathroom before she threw up. Asteria sat in a crumpled mess on the floor for a few moments before going back and lying on the sofa. Sleep was a lost cause by that point, but if you're going to fall apart you might as well do it comfortably.
The vampire in her dream looked so familiar, but Asteria struggled to figure out why. He didn't look remotely similar to any of the Cullens, and the red eyes were a dead giveaway that she hadn't met him before anyway. She was sure she'd have remembered him right away anyway; he looked like an Abercrombie and Fitch model, completely shirtless and long blond hair tied back in an obnoxious hipster ponytail.
Shaking her head, Asteria resolved to figure it out tomorrow…well, later that day. A quick look at her phone showed that it was around four in the morning. She idly scrolled through her phone for a while before trying to shut her eyes for a bit.
Rachael pounced on her somewhere around nine. "Wake up, sleeping beauty!"
Asteria groaned and sat up, surprised that she had found sleep again. At least it was dreamless. "Alright, alright, get off of me."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, she threw up last night," Natalie said.
"You only had two drinks," Rachael said. "Don't tell me you're a lightweight now!"
"Actually I think it was all of the pizza," Asteria lied. "I ate way too much."
"Well, hopefully you made room," Natalie said cheerfully. "We're going to the diner for breakfast."
"Why the hell am I friends with morning people," Asteria asked as she flopped back down on the couch.
"Because you love us so," Rachael said. "Now get dressed."
It was a little after eleven before Asteria made it back to Charlie's. She quickly threw a load of laundry in the wash and started cleaning the living room. The sooner she got her chores over with, the sooner she could be out of there. The thought made her feel a little bad, considering how close her and Charlie had gotten, but she didn't want to risk another conflict with Bella.
"Wow, kiddo, straight to chores today," Charlie asked as he came down the stairs.
"Uh, yeah," Asteria said awkwardly. "I was kind of hoping to spend the night at the Cullen's house tonight so I wanted to get everything done."
"Two nights in a row," Charlie asked. "Don't you think you should stay home a night or two?"
"Yeah, but Alice was really hoping we could hang out tonight, and I think Rosalie wanted to watch a movie with us," Asteria said.
"Why don't you have them over here instead," Charlie asked. Asteria caught Bella coming down the stairs from the corner of her eye.
"It's easier to just go over there," Asteria said. "They have a spare bed for me, and I think Esme and Carlisle enjoy having me over too."
Charlie nodded. "Fine, fine. Just remember this isn't a bus station. You can't just pass through when you want."
"Sure thing, Charlie," Asteria smiled.
"Maybe you can have Alice and Rosalie over for dinner sometime," Charlie said. "I don't see your friends that often."
Bella raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't mind cooking for everyone."
"Yeah, I'll ask them about it," Asteria said with a glance at Bella. "You haven't seen the rest of my friends in a while though. Maybe I can put together a game night for everyone here, if that's okay with you Charlie?"
"Sounds fine to me. Not too wild though, okay," Charlie asked.
"I don't know about that," Asteria grinned. "Have you ever seen me play Clue?"
Charlie shook his head and put his coat on. "Well, I'm going over to Harry's. Let me know wherever you are later. And be safe."
"Sure thing, Charlie," Asteria said. "Have fun! Make good choices."
Asteria resumed picking up the living room and tried her best to ignore Bella. It lasted exactly twenty seven seconds.
"So, game night," Bella asked.
"It seemed like a fun idea," Asteria shrugged.
"You could always do a murder mystery," Bella said. "That usually works for a large group."
"Have you done a lot of them," Asteria asked while wiping down the coffee table. She wasn't sure why Bella was suddenly so chatty, but she didn't like it.
"I've done a couple before," Bella said. "They're pretty fun. You can usually find a lot of different themes too: roaring twenties, wild west…vampires."
Ah, there it was. Asteria tried to keep a neutral expression as she straightened up. "Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into it."
Bella nodded, but the action seemed false. "Let me know if you need any help with it then," she said as she went back upstairs.
Well, fuck, Asteria thought. After that she practically sprinted through her chores to get out of the house faster. She toyed with the idea of telling the Cullens, but didn't know if Bella was actually on to them or not. It was probably better to let it go and try to steer Bella out of her snooping.
On the drive to the Cullen's house, Asteria came up with several different ideas for a spell to deflect Bella into a different path but was worried about the side effects. It would be just her luck to accidentally give Bella amnesia instead. Besides, she had no precedent for a spell like that and didn't know where exactly to start.
"Are you serious about the game night idea, because I have a lot of ideas," Alice said as soon as Asteria climbed out of the Camaro. "First of all, it needs to be an even playing field so I suggest making another fancy charm for myself, not that I would ever intentionally cheat, and one for Edward. If you want him there, that is. I'm not sure if it's better for him to be present or not, actually. I think a murder mystery sounds exciting, though! I've always wanted-,"
"Hello, Alice," Asteria interrupted with a small grin as she moved to pull her bags out of the trunk. Alice had them in her tiny hands before Asteria could blink.
"Yes, hello," Alice said with a graceful roll of her eyes. "Now about this murder mystery, what sort were you thinking of?"
"I don't really know," Asteria said as they walked in the house.
"Oh, please, can I pick it out," Alice asked.
"I feel like this shouldn't have to be said, but you can't pick out an elaborate costume for everyone to wear, even if you provide it yourself," Asteria said.
Alice's grin deflated slightly before she defended herself. "And why not? What's a murder mystery without the props and theatrics?"
"Okay, you know what, can we just make it Clue themed," Asteria asked.
"That's so boring," Alice objected. "A murder mystery based off of a murder mystery?"
"Alice," Esme called in warning before giving Asteria a warm hug. "How are you, dear?"
"I'm good, thanks Esme," Asteria said with a smile. "And how have things been here?"
"Oh, it's been lovely. I'll have to show you the updated plans for the garden," Esme replied. "I made a separate little patch just for you."
"You really didn't have to do that," Asteria said.
"Nonsense, you're family," Esme said warmly.
"Speaking of all things witchy," Asteria started. "I brought along Cynthia's tarot cards."
"Tarot cards," Rosalie asked with raised eyebrows as she flitted down the stairs. "What could you possibly need those for?"
"They don't predict the future," Asteria said before Rosalie could object again. "They do help give advice and insight, though."
"What do you need advice on," Alice asked.
"I just want to practice," Asteria said. Which was technically true; she needed to practice and get used to them. The chance to dig into the meaning of her dream was just a coincidence.
Several minutes later Asteria was all settled in and had moved to the dining room to practice. The living room was too full of onlookers for her liking. If she was going to screw it up, she preferred to do it somewhere Emmett wouldn't have a running commentary.
Taking a deep breath, Asteria held the old cards between her hands and focused on her dreams. She decided to follow a simple six card spiral spread that Cynthia wrote in the book of shadows. Shuffling until she felt satisfied, she cut the deck and dealt out the six cards.
If she focused enough, she could ignore Alice watching her from across the table. Only if she focused hard, though. Sighing, Asteria flipped the first card over and then looked up the Fool in the little vintage pocketbook that came with the deck. She repeated the process over and over until she flipped the third card, Death.
"Surely that can't be a good sign," Alice said with a frown.
"The Death card doesn't mean 'death'," Asteria explained as she flipped to the correct page to get the wording right. "'This card marks a powerful change to a new state of consciousness affecting both heart and soul, and can herald in a powerful transformation.' Basically, it means one door closes and another door opens, just on a more theatrical level."
"What did you ask the cards anyway," Alice asked.
"Um," Asteria said. "What to wear tomorrow?"
"And the answer was death," Alice said skeptically, not buying it for a second.
"…it's a really dramatic wardrobe change," Asteria replied, choosing to flip the next card instead of continuing the conversation.
"What's that one supposed to be," Alice asked.
"It's the Six of Cups," Asteria said as she flipped to the right page. "It represents nostalgia, the inner child, and memories." Asteria continued flipping over cards and narrating aloud so she wouldn't have to hear Alice ask. "The Knight of Swords, which represents honesty, ambition, determination, critical thinking, and impulsiveness…and the Chariot, which is willpower, control, success, action and determination."
"So, what does it all mean," Alice asked as she motioned across the table. "What did you really ask?"
"I asked about that dream that I had in the forest," Asteria said carefully. "According to the cards, I'm at the start of a new journey and need to trust my heart as my 'true spirit' awakens. I'm going to transform as some sort of 'Higher Teaching', and get rid of old memories and naivety. I need to work on being more grounded with my ambitions and determination, and eventually I will have enough control and willpower to do whatever I'm supposed to."
"You mean whatever calling the dream was talking about," Alice asked.
"Yeah, exactly," Asteria said while successfully leaving out the part where she had the dream again last night. Under that context…it sounded like she was going to follow in Brigid's footsteps and go full on Blade and barbeque some vamps. It didn't seem worth working Alice up over a fever dream and half-assed tarot reading. "I remembered Cynthia saying I should ask the cards about it, so I thought it would be interesting to practice with."
"Are tarot readings normally so…overwhelmingly grand," Jasper asked as he came into the room to stand by Alice's side.
"Ah, come on, guys," Asteria said. "Lighten up. I'm not even sure I did it right. That's what practice is for." With that she scooped up the cards and shuffled them back into the deck. "Now, who wants a reading from a highly esteemed psychic?"
Emmett's booming laugh carried him into the room. "I'd like to see some real talent."
Alice looked majorly offended. "Excuse me?"
"He's just riling you up," Jasper said as he kissed her forehead. "I'll beat him in that wrestling match later for you."
"Asteria, tell me I'm going to win," Emmett said as he pointed at the cards.
"Oh, I can't tell you that, but I can give you advice on how to win," Asteria said as she randomly pulled a card from the deck. "The Hanged Man. It represents…patience, sacrifice, and surrender. Sorry, pal."
A collective laugh carried them through the afternoon and into the evening. Esme insisted on making a wonderful pasta dish for her, and then they wandered outside to watch Emmett and Jasper's wrestling match. Jasper won without contest, making Asteria's half formed reading technically true.
The next morning Alice insisted on going to Seattle to shop. Rolling her eyes, Asteria finished her breakfast and went along with her and Jasper. Aside from feeding her overflowing closet, it appeared Alice had another motive. They ended up parked outside the little holistic shop.
"Ah, no. Come on," Asteria groaned.
"It wouldn't hurt to go in and look around again, now that you're a little more adept," Alice said.
"Are you sure about that, because I really think it might hurt," Asteria complained, but followed her into the store anyway. At least she dodged the wind chimes this time before she could get tangled up again.
Jasper grinned as he motioned for Asteria to step ahead of him. "After you."
Asteria sent him a dirty look as she walked past. "You're an enabler, you know." She ignored his chuckle and continued down the rows of books towards the front of the shop.
"Welcome to- oh, it's you again," the younger girl, Delia, said. "Negative Energy Girl. How did your cleansing go?"
"Uh, it went fine," Asteria answered awkwardly. "And just call me Asteria. Negative Energy Girl sounds like an off brand superhero."
"So what are you looking for this time," Delia asked.
"We're just browsing," Alice replied. "Unless there's anything you think might catch our eye."
"We did just get a bunch of new crystals in," Delia responded while leading them over to the corner of the store. "Maybe you'll find one that speaks to you."
"No offense, but uh, how does one go about having rocks speak to them," Asteria asked in a tone that was only slightly sarcastic. Alice elbowed her anyway.
Delia laughed good-naturedly. "I know, it sounds like nonsense at first. You haven't used crystals a lot, have you?"
"Not a whole bunch," Asteria replied. "The ones that I have are hand-me-downs."
"Nice," Delia said brightly. "Well, theoretically you can pick up a crystal, close your eyes, and focus on its energy to find one that resonates well with you. Any quartz crystal is going to have the same base properties, but individual chunks may have different vibes that work with you better."
"Sounds an awful lot like 'the wand chooses the wizard'," Asteria said. "Or is that too cliché?"
Delia grinned. "Gotta avoid those copyrights. Give it a try."
Asteria gave a skeptical look to Delia, and then one to Alice after she nodded impatiently to the crystals. Sighing, she picked up a black and pinkish red speckled stone and closed her eyes. She tried to focus on the stone in her hand but it just felt like nonsense. She grabbed another stone, this one teal, and tried again. After a few seconds she gave up on it.
"I'm convinced you're pulling my leg," Asteria told Delia.
"It might take some practice," Delia said. "Although everyone practices their craft a little different, maybe this isn't the right way for you. Do your crystals at home usually work for you?"
"Uh," Asteria thought, still trying to figure out how Delia had turned into an I.T. specialist for magic rocks. She remembered the ring she charmed to glow when evil was around. "Yeah, I guess."
"Don't sweat it, you probably just need some practice," Delia said as the chime went off up front. She excused herself to go greet the new customer.
"You barely tried," Alice whined. "Give it another chance."
"Okay, I need to point out how ridiculous this is," Asteria said. "This is not a normal thing people do."
"I hate to break it to you, but you're not all that normal," Alice stage whispered.
"Stop pressuring her," Jasper told Alice with an amused expression. "This is her craft, let her decide how to practice it."
Alice stuck out her tongue at him before grabbing his hand and tugging him along. "Fine, we'll go browse books again. Asteria, I'll leave you to it. Don't leave the store."
"Thanks grandma," Asteria responded. "Hey, if I'm extra good can I get a happy meal for lunch?"
Alice snickered. "What makes you think you've been good enough to earn a happy meal?"
Jasper nodded at Asteria with a grin when Alice had her back to him. "I still saw that," she told him as they walked away.
Asteria shook her head at their antics as they left before trying her luck again. After a certain point boredom took her and she almost gave up before trying a chunk of amethyst. Closing her eyes, Asteria tried to focus on the cool stone between her hands and any energy it might have. To her surprise, she felt a small vibration from the stone, almost like a small electrical current. "Shit," Asteria gasped as she dropped it back on the table.
"What happened," Alice asked her in an instant. She had apparently heard her swear from across the store.
"I guess this is mine now," Asteria said as she picked up the amethyst again. She held it like it was a hissing cat that might claw her.
"Try not to get too excited over it," Jasper said.
"I'm over the moon," Asteria deadpanned.
"I was referring to Alice," Jasper said.
Alice stuck out her tongue at him. "Oh, hush. Did you want to look at anything else?"
"I'm good," Asteria said. "Now about that happy meal…"
