baby BFFs 💕

Ahhhh and we're back to being friends again! I know Teddy and Josie will be relieved that Austin isn't moping about the house anymore now that he has his bestie again 🥺 Thanks for reading! 💕

“I’ll ask my Grandpa,” she declared. “He won’t mind.” “‘Kay! Well… Wanna come over for dinner?” Austin asked. An evening on the ranch seemed doable, at least. ”Momma bought me some new Voidcritter cards we can play with.” “Duh,” she giggled. “I’ll be there.”

“You should come with me one day!” “Can I? M’not… like you. I can’t do spells or nothin’.” Elle hesitated. They spent so much time together, she hadn’t considered that maybe he wouldn’t be able to share that part of her life, that all he would see of the realm was the knowledge she returned with.

Elle lit up with glee as she described The Magic Realm: the violet skies, the shimmering waterfalls, duelling spellcasters from all branches of magic gathering together to hone their skills. “It sounds amazin’,” Austin breathed, his eyes wide with awe as he pictured it. “I wish I could see it.”

“I could do it this time! I’ve been practising really hard, and I got my wand, and I go to the realm for lessons–” “What’s the realm?” Austin cut in. Anything to distract her from planning to throw him from a great height in an attempt to make him float.

“It did work!” Austin cried, snapping Elle out of her brooding. “I felt it! Like somethin’ caught me, right before I hit the ground!” “𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺?!” she squealed. “You’re sure? Perhaps I should try it again–” “I don’t wanna fall out of another tree, Elle”

Austin could think of a million things he wanted to know, each question in his mind fighting to be the first thing he asked, until none of them won. He gazed silently, waiting for Elle to tell him more. “M’sorry that it didn’t work,” she mumbled, staring at the cast on his arm through watery eyes.

“You think so?!” He nodded. “I didn’t get to see ‘em very well, y’know, ‘cos I was fallin’ really fast, but I thought they were nice… What were you tryin’ t’do?” “I was tryin’ to save you.”

“Why would I think that? You’re not the one with 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴 comin’ out your hands,” she scoffed, still not able to shake the feeling that her powers made her different, something other, and he’d find her too strange to be friends with now that he knew the truth. “I liked ‘em. They were… pretty.”

Elle’s second confession was far more shocking than the first. Wild, confident, fearless Elle, worried about what Austin thought of her? It was so absurd, he couldn’t help but giggle. “Don’t laugh!” “Sorry! I jus’... I thought you thought I was weird, an’ that’s why you weren’t talkin’ to me.”

“I thought…” Austin began, all of his worries about what Elle thought of him racing through his head, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell her. “Why’d you lie to me?” “Cos,” she shrugged, trying so hard to seem indifferent, though the worry in her eyes betrayed her. “You prolly think I’m a freak.”

“I… I told DanDan about the sparkles, but they won’t say anythin’!” he vowed. “They promised, an’ I didn’t know for sure, not really. Are you mad?” “No,” Elle said, without hesitation. She believed he would keep her secret safe. “So we’re friends again?” “Best friends.”

“You’re not s’posed to know,” she fretted. “You can’t tell anyone, ‘kay? Not even Autumn.” “Why would I tell her?” he puzzled, the idea of telling his twin anything the furthest thing from his mind. “I won’t tell anyone… else.” “𝘌𝘭𝘴𝘦?!”

“We’re called spellcasters, not witches,” she confessed, slapping a hand over her mouth as soon as the words came out, as if she was trying to catch them and put them back before Austin heard. “𝘐 𝘒𝘕𝘌𝘞 𝘐𝘛!” he yelped as Elle frantically tried to shush him. “I knew I wasn’t seein’ things!”

Elle wandered away to find a quiet corner of the playground, not stopping to check if Austin was following her, though she was sure he would. Was she really going to admit the truth? It went against everything her Grandpa had taught her, but surely he’d understand?

She’d tried to make conversation with the other kids in their class, but it wasn’t the same. Austin was 𝘧𝘶𝘯. A little quiet, and she still didn’t understand his fixation on bugs, but he liked to run and play, and she loved going to his ranch. More importantly, she trusted him. “Come with me.”

Eventually, he’d sensed that something was wrong. That for reasons he didn’t fully understand Elle was avoiding him, and he’d stopped trying. It had been lonely, and she’d missed him; there was no denying that, but it was safer this way.

It was the first time they’d truly spoken since Elle had visited him in the hospital. He’d tried, especially in the first few days he’d been back at school, but she’d gone out of her way to dodge him at recess, and made excuses on the couple of occasions he’d tried to invite her over to his house.

“I don’t care if you’re a witch.” The creaking chains of the swing screeched to a halt as Elle scuffed her feet along the ground, trying desperately to slow down to avoid kicking the boy who had suddenly stepped into her path. “I think it’s kinda cool,” he muttered, fixing his eyes on his shoes.

It's time for Aussie to be brave 🥺 Hazelwood Legacy update coming tonight!

new pose pack out now, free for everyone 🌧️☔ www.patreon.com/posts/puddle...

That's all from me tonight! Thank you for reading! I think baby Austin is gonna have to be brave if he wants to save his friendship with Elle 🥺 Let's hope he can find the confidence to talk to her about it!

“Aussie,” Dani sighed. “You’re not boring. I’m pretty sure you’re the coolest kid I know.” “I am?!” “Yup, and I bet Elle thinks so too. She’s probably scared. Maybe she thinks you don’t wanna be her friend if she can do magic.” “But I do!” “I know you do, kid. You jus’ gotta tell her.”

Austin tried to brush away the tears still streaming down his cheeks, feeling calmer now that he’d finally opened up. “Momma might not let Elle come over no more if she… If I’m right. Don’t matter anyways. She don’t wanna be my friend. She prolly thinks I’m borin’ ‘cos I can’t do spells like her.”

“You do?” he whimpered. “Uh-huh. I really do.” There was no way for Dani to know if he was telling the truth, but it didn’t matter. If it bothered him this much, it obviously felt real to him. “Why didn’t you tell your Momma? She’s worried ‘bout you.”

“I saw it, DanDan,” he sniffled. “Big purple sparkles comin’ from her hands.” Dani pulled him closer as sniffles turned to tears, and tears turned to sobs; the stress of the secret he’d been keeping hidden finally bubbling to the surface. “I believe you, Aussie.”

“She did magic on me when I fell out of the tree,” he continued, stumbling over his words in his rush to reveal what had been bothering him for weeks. “I asked her ‘bout it and she said I was seein’ things, an’ now she thinks I’m weird an’ stupid, an’ she don’t wanna play with me at lunch no more.”

“Elle’s a witch.” “Elle’s a– 𝘏𝘶𝘩?!” Relief flooded through them as they realised he hadn’t been talking about Amelia, but it was quickly replaced with total confusion. “Who’s Elle?!” “My friend. I think she is anyways. She can do spells, like in 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳.”

“What did you see, Aus?” Dani demanded, the intensity in their voice startling the young boy. “I… Nothin’. It don’t matter–” “It 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 matter. You need to tell me–” they paused, steadying themself. This wasn’t the way to get an answer. “You haven’t done anythin’ wrong, ‘kay? I won’t tell anyone.”

Dani sucked in a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady their racing heart. If Austin had somehow discovered the truth about their wife, they had to know. The thought that he might have already started discussing it at school flashed through their mind, as a cold sweat began to bead on their spine.

There was no way Austin could know that, however. As a group, the friends had decided not to tell any of the children about Amelia’s… condition. Not until they could be sure they were old enough to keep her secret, and understood the consequences of people finding out.

Dani’s mouth was suddenly dry as Austin looked up at them expectantly, waiting for a reply that Dani wasn’t able to come up with. Their gaze flicked to where Amelia stood, oblivious, bouncing a delighted, squealing James. Dani knew for a fact that magic was very real.

“Why would you ask that, Aus?” Dani quizzed, and Austin shrugged again, concerned enough to ask, but still unwilling to explain himself. “There’s gotta be a reason–” “I saw somethin’,” he whispered. “At leas’… I think I did. I don’t think I was s’posed to.”

Of all the things Dani had expected to be the cause of his sullen state, magic hadn’t even crossed their mind, and they couldn’t understand why he’d ask such a thing. Had he seen a movie or read a book that had scared him? Perhaps he was having nightmares, and his quietness was actually exhaustion.

They sat in silence as Dani waited for an answer, listening to the laughter and happy conversation of the rest of the guests as their voices carried on the wind. Austin chewed at his bottom lip, his face scrunched with worry, until, finally, he blurted, “Is magic real?”

Josie hadn’t been able to get a clear answer from him, and wondered if he was still shaken by his accident. Teddy’s attempts at getting his son to open up about what was on his mind had gone even worse, and so Austin’s recent attitude was still a mystery to everyone.

“Is that the only reason?” Dani pried. They already knew it wasn’t, and had been waiting for a chance to speak to Austin alone all day. He’d been quiet since his fall, Josie had said, quickly returning to the shy, withdrawn boy he’d been before he started school.

“At least you’re honest,” they chuckled, settling down next to him. “I’ll make ‘em next time. Why aren’t you with the others?” An eye roll and a vague wave of his broken arm was the only response Austin offered. He really 𝘸𝘢𝘴 in a terrible mood.

“How were the cookies?” He didn’t need to look up to see whose voice had jolted him out of his moping. Dani hadn’t been much interested in the newest Pendleton either. A grumpy Austin seemed like better company. “Alright,” he muttered, shrugging gloomily. “The peanut butter ones were better.”

Only Austin wasn’t enjoying his present. With his arm still in a cast, holding onto the handlebars was difficult and frustrating. He’d quickly given up, choosing instead to sulk alone on the patio whilst the adults were distracted by baby James.

Visits from the outrageously wealthy San Myshuno couple were rare and, when they happened, usually came with excessive but welcome gifts for the kids. This time, Blake and Livi had arrived with new bikes for everyone, something which the children were already putting to good use.

James Pendleton giggled in his father’s arms as the fall breeze ruffled through his baby soft curls. Only a few months old, it was his first visit to Chestnut Ridge to meet his extended family, and he’d spent the afternoon being passed around, snuggled and cooed over by everyone.

Sundays at Riverstone were rarely peaceful affairs, and that day was no exception as friends and family congregated for lunch cooked by Teddy. It was nothing out of the ordinary; weekends often meant the ranch was flooded with guests, but on this occasion, there was a brand new face at the table.

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Screaming again, because it's a bug since Lovestruck, as you may know, since august 1st 2024... and it's still not fixed. Currently the 2nd highest bug in the bug reports list that is 'under investigation' ... so screaming once again, PLEASE UPVOTE THIS TOPIC!

unbothered spare life looks good on them 🖤

very normal about him

Oh Autumn is DEFINITELY getting this one 😅