Maidens of the Fall, Arc 6, Zodiacal Light, Chapter 6
Chapter transforms in a whirlwind of sparkles and lace, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, fighting monsters by moonlight beneath guileless skies.
https://hungryshedgerow.net/maidens-of-the-fall-zodiacal-light-6-6/
Password is: bucolic
An epub version of the chapter is also attached, as always!
Arc 6 roars onward once again, but is it with anger, or the light of revelation? Read on and find out! Octavia is certainly doing so (finding out, not reading, she's not got a lot of time for the latter lately, has she?) and we are all along for the ride. So is Scarlet. She can't get off Octavia's wild ride just yet, even if she wanted to. Ahem.
As for the rest of this wild ride ... I'm not certain! The next chapter might be the final one of the arc, but behind the scenes I'm only 1/3 of the way into it so far, and I'm still not certain. We might be going to 6.8. I am, as always, at the mercy of half a dozen magical girls (a condition which I'm sure Octavia empathizes with). So! On a more serious note, I do realise that this has ended up as one of the longer arcs of the story so far, but I certainly don't regret that, I think it's been working pretty well, even if there's one or two pacing hiccups(???). Scarlet Edge and the nature of her changing relationship with Octavia really needed the focus, as well as giving us some juicy insights on how the 'other side' lives. Which is not quite over yet!
I do hope you enjoy this chapter, dear readers, just as much as I have enjoyed writing it! Onward we go!
Comments (16)
Great chapter! The vibes in the forest were perfect! I was really confused for a moment about how Octavia was touching Scarlet's shoulder with her right hand. I was like, why she would reach all the way across her body like that? Then I was like, oh right British car haha! Also, I advocate for you extending this arc so we get a chapter 6.9, purely for the funny number jokes!
Thank you! Very glad you enjoyed the chapter! I had a great deal of fun writing the forest part; it's my own natural environment (though perhaps not so primordial as in the chapter, sadly), so it's always a great setting to explore for me, a lot of fun. And ah, yes! British cars, the other side of the road, Octavia's right hand is just naturally the one to use in that situation. As for 6.9 ... I wish, lol. I don't think I could stretch things out that far, though! Right now, it looks like 6.8 will probably happen!
Leave it to England to colonize even Faerie! (I know it's actually the Dreamlands, not the Fae, but that was the feeling I got, which I suppose isn't terribly surprising for part of the West Country taken over by the Dream)
Ohohohoho! Perhaps Faerie is another name for the Dream? Perhaps there is no difference, no distinction. Maybe this is simply another expression of the great and formless dream on the other side of the wall.
Curiouser and curiouser. Also I cannot even *imagine* how horny you'd have to be to submit so quickly to someone like that, gosh dang
Mysterious things begin to open! And ahem, quite; it seems like Scarlet Edge has been waiting for somebody like Octavia her whole life, she was primed for this.
I love that Occy’s like “I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs so long as it involves women consensually kissing each other” 🤣
Haha, yeah! She's probably got a pretty strong sense of consent and whatnot, considering her experiences with Willow. But as long as everybody's into it, she is powered by yuri.
Injured, half dead, and running from the law. But will Octavia stop flirting and teasing Scarlet? Oh hell na! She got a taste, and now she wants some more~!
Flirting with Scarlet is what gives her the power to keep going! Turns out that yuri is the best source of energy for magical girls after all.
Girl I read this way too fast 😔
Oh dear! Welcome to being all caught up! I do wish I could write even faster, I cannot wait to publish even more story!
“As for the rest of this wild ride ... I'm not certain! The next chapter might be the final one of the arc,” Doubt.
lmao yeah. Ahem. It's probably gonna be going to 6.8, I'm leaving myself more than enough room for that to happen. I kinda have a track record with this kind of thing by now!
Chappie!! 😁Favourite story time! I'm happy for this arc to go on however long it is, I'm loving this! Well! That went about as well as it could with her acting as if she believed Octavia, even if she is prevented metaphysically from truly believing her. Also Scarlet when Octavia straight up accepts her 😳 wut? 😂 Scarlet got so close to believing a few times there! Silly dream wall! But going forward they shoooould be safe at least. Also rationalising it by believing Octavia and then there must be some conspiracy that convinced her is cute as hell. I love how much they are trusting each other and being vulnerable. Also Scarlet hearing about who knows and the Zoogs 😂😂😂 she was straight up boggling at the idea hahaha. Threaded all throughout this chapter is Scarlet putting off and somewhat despairing about what will happen next, after their immediate circumstances. She's really unsure and grasing at what she can. And it makes a lot of sense, I'm worried for her, but it seems like Octavia is doing a good job at grounding her for now. And she is even entertaining emergency jumping Octavia to the moon, though I hope it doesn't come to that unless Nerys can supplant her dream god asap, in which chase it might be an okay scenario. Also Octavia saying it's for her sake she wants Scarlet out and her reaction 🥹 it's definitely taking Scarlet some time to understand there is someone who wants good for her and cares about her now, and actually her, not the false image of her. Though things have been rather and hectic and rushed so of course it is taking time to click. That car Vroom Vroom moment was so cute! I loved that so much Also mysterious war and castle wooded area!! The mysteries and later continue, who are these other factions or people or creatures that exist? And perhaps this dream overlap that isn't quite an overlap will help Octavia recover more girl juice? And what a mashup of a castle! Would Heather be morbidly curious or horrified at it? 😂 Now who exactly is this collaborator? Oooo Scarlet is bringing her back as her girl 😏😂 let's hope this goes well after all these ups and downs!
Thank you so much! I'm really glad you've been enjoying this chapter and this whole arc so far! Mmhmm! Despite the metaphysical block, Octavia has found a clever way around the problem, even if it's very provisional, for now. And yes! She totally accepts Scarlet, history and all. Which Scarlet was perhaps not prepared for. Trust and vulnerability doesn't come easily to either of these two, but they're trying it on for the first time, and it fits better than they guessed. Mm, Scarlet seems very afraid for the future. She's taken some huge risks in saving Octavia, and her whole life might be about to fall apart. This little 'quest' might be the only thing propelling her forward right now. Haha, vroom vroom indeed! Perhaps Scarlet and Octavia have something in common there, a love of machines? Maybe! A big mystery in this castle, indeed. Not what Octavia was expecting, is it? As for Heather, I think she would be horrified at this, it's an offense against proper castles! Ohohoho, who is the collaborator? Good question. Who would Scarlet trust so much?