#anyway I am happy to answer questions about the deck!

[zippityzap]

Thoughts on Amy Rose’s Fortune Card Deck

My preorder for the official Sonic tarot deck arrived unexpectedly the other day and I’m excited to share my thoughts on it! I believe my copy was sent out earlier than it should’ve, so to make sure no-one who is still waiting on theirs is accidentally spoiled, I’ll be putting all the details below the cut!

First of all, I keep saying this, but the cards and the box are both gorgeous! My only complaint is that the size of the cards makes them difficult to shuffle, but considering I have this issue with every tarot deck I own, I think I might just have small hands. Big cards do allow for the card art to be detailed so you win some you lose some I suppose.

The guidebook is detailed, pretty decent introduction to tarot in my opinion, it explains the major and minor arcana, upright and reversed positions (called hero and dark for this deck), the suits, and even a few suggestions for card spread. And I love how the book is written from Amy’s perspective.

What surprised me is that the guidebook tells you the equivalent tarot card for each major arcana. I was under the impression that they were very purposefully avoiding actually calling these cards tarot, possibly because some parents might get funny about their kid asking for stuff associated with the occult?

But I certainly don’t mind that they did this, it allows me to see that some of their choices for card representation (eg Sonic as the Chariot, Knuckles as the Hermit) are similar to when I made my own Sonic major arcana years ago. Even those that are different from my choices are very interesting! For example, two Gaias as The World is so on-point I am smacking myself for not thinking of it on my own.

There’s also some slightly more obscure references to be found in this deck, I think the deepest cut is this card with the flickies from 3D Blast

We’d already seen the king and queen cards in previews but it was a surprise and a delight for me to see Sage as the page of lightening. She looks so cool there!

In general I think the numerical minor arcana are a good indicator of a deck’s overall quality, because I have seen some decks go the lazy route and make them just the objects laid out like playing card suits. I am very happy to report this is not the case for this deck! All these cards feature cute scenes with chao, flickies, mobini, and wisps!

It does feel a lot more light hearted than most tarot decks, if I am correct in my assumption this one of a chao badly losing a race is equivalent to the Ten of Swords. Definitely a different vibe than a corpse looking like a pincushion.

That said, this one being so sad caught me off guard!

All in all, I think it’s such a fantastic and unique deck. Personally I like tarot decks mostly for their aesthetics rather than for divination, but I’d certainly be curious to try doing a few readings with this deck!

[justtwotired]

Hi!

How are you??

This is like random but I've had this thought on my mind for like a really long time about a oneshot where basically Lloyd x fem reader where they are like lovers to enemies then back to lovers and I was wondering if you could do a oneshot about it with a happy ending if

Ahhhh omg, yes. Love it!!! The moment I read this I immediately started brainstorming and writing ideas and I rarely do that lmao, I love this one a lot, I hope you enjoy!!!

Also, I am so, so, so sorry this took so incredibly long, I’ve been super busy and I hoped to write a lot this summer but my mom is really sick and me and my brother have to take care of her, I made this one shot extra long to make it up to you<3

“Sensei, we have to do something, he’s in pain,” Nya followed after Wu who just left the med bay. Lloyd had come back from a sticky mission where he had been injected with a poison.

The team had no idea what kind of poison it was so they couldn’t find a cure either. Lloyd was in terrible pain and was currently passed out while Zane tried to tend to the physical injuries.

“I’m going to call someone who can help us,” Wu said calmly and Nya frowned, almost running to keep up with her sensei, who, despite his old age, moved rather fast.

“Who are you going to call?” The moment she asked the question, the answer landed, “you’re going to call, (name)- no! She and Lloyd hate each other,” her eyebrows furrowed yet her eyes were wide in panic.

Sensei Wu didn’t answer and kept on walking, making Nya grumble in frustraiton and turn back to the medbay.

——

I was lazily scrolling trough TikTok when my phone started ringing. I hesitated as I saw who it was but picked up anyway.

“Wu?” I said a bit confused.

“(Name), we need you to come to the monastery, it’s Lloyd,” he said and I rolled my eyes, sitting back against the couch, ignoring the fact that he sounded troubled and in a hurry.

“What’s with Lloyd?” I asked, not that I cared, I just wondered why he thought I could be of any help. Not like Lloyd would want me there anyway.

“He’s injured and poisoned, we do not have an antidote and we aren’t sure if he’ll make it trough the night at this point,” Wu explained qucikly, not wasting any time and my stomach sank.

“What? What happened?” I shot up off the couch. “What kind of poison?” I already started walking towards the hallway to grab a jacket, ready to leave.

“Like I said, we aren’t sure, we sent him on a mission and he just came back completely beaten and collapsed, we need you here straight away,” he said and I nodded, quickly stepping into my heels which where the easiest to put on at the moment.

“Yes, alright, I’ll be there in ten,” I promised and hung up. I opened the door an once outside I summoned my elemental dragon.

I held the element of healing, which is probably why Wu called me. I met Lloyd at the tournament of elements and even though I was out rather soon, we became quick friends. I hung out with the team a lot and after the events with Morro, we fell in love.

I think that him asking me to be his girlfriend had been the best day of my life, I had been crushing on him for a long time at that point.

We were together for a long time… until Harumi came around. I found out she was a traitor soon enough, yet when I voiced this to Lloyd, he didn’t believe me.

I remember it quite well.

“Lloyd, I’m telling you, something about her is just off,” I followed him as he wandered onto the deck, a frustrated look on his face.

“You’re being paranoid, Rumi has nothing to do with this whole thing, how could she even?” Lloyd turned around making me stop in my tracks.

“Oh please, Lloyd, it’s so obvious, she’s putting up this whole innocent princess facade and all of you are just falling for it!” I pointed an accusing finger at him. “She’s evil, I can feel it. Besides, I overheard her make a weird phone call earlier today and soon after Zane’s cover mysteriously fell, that cannot be a coincidence!”

“(Name) stop! You’re being unfair! How dare you call her evil accuse her of such things?” He raised his voice making me do a shocked step back. “Rumi has been trough enough and does not need you to be badmouthing her. That phone call could have been anything- god, her home was burned down and her parents died, of course she’s going to be having phone calls, she obviously wants updates!” He threw his hands in the air.

“How can’t you see what’s right in front of you! How fucking gullible are you, Lloyd? She’s manipulating every single one of you!” I yelled and his eyes were filled with rage.

“What is wrong with you!? I don’t even recognise you anymore, a few days ago you where still my happy, excited and kind (name), and now you’re cold, mean and unfair!” His eyes flooded with red and he took a step closer making me take a small step back. “You’re being vile and cruel, god I don’t even recognise you anymore!” My jaw clenched as he yelled at me and my eyes darkened.

“Well maybe I’m not to person you thought I was,” I looked away from him, “and maybe you aren’t the person I thought you where, because the Lloyd I thought I knew would’ve believed me in a heartbeat!” I accused and he let out a humourless, disbelieving laugh.

“Yeah, maybe I’m not who you thought I was,” as he said it, he took another step closer, his eyes dangerously narrowed and his hand went up to point and accusing finger at me.

My body reacted on instinct, flinching and taking a few steps back, I bit my lip to stop it from trembling as I looked at him with tears and fear in my eyes.

He faltered at my reaction, his eyes wide with shock, “love, I-” He started but I cut him off.

“Don’t call me that,” my voice broke, and I softly shook my head. “It’s over Lloyd, we’re done,” I turned around and headed back inside to pack my bags and leave.

He didn’t stop me.

I swallowed away my tears as I landed at the monastery, my dragon disappeared and I hurried inside, immediately heading to the medbay. When I opened the door, I was crashed into a hug by Jay.

“Oh, (Name)! It’s been ages,” he hugged me tightly and I chuckled hugging him back.

“It’s good to see you too Jay,” I patted his hair before we made our way over to the others who where all discussing and send me quick hello’s.

Kai and Cole where arguing over what to do, Zane tried his best to tend to Lloyd, Nya pitched in rather annoyed with Kai and Cole saying they needed to stop arguing and get to a point. Jay was really trying to help but in reality he was just in the way making Zane irritated.

“Alright, everyone except Zane out!” I yelled and silence fell as they looked at me. “You heard me, Zane will explain to me in short and then I can get to work in peace, everyone out now,” I pointed at the door and one by one they started to leave.

I’ve known them for ages, they knew better than to go against me.

“Zane, do you have any idea about the poison in his body and how long it’s been in there?” I turned to the nindroid and we exchanged theories.

I examined Lloyd’s cuts and bruises which had already been tended to pretty good, while Zane explained.

I thanked him and then he aswel left the room. When he was gone, I put my hand on Lloyd’s forehead and it started to glow a faint purple. I closed my eyes and concentrated.

——

An hour later, I had finally found an antidote, injected it and I had taken care of some other bodily injuries.

When I opened the door to find the others, I found them all waiting outside.

“He’s fine,” their faces lit up, “he’ll need assistance for a few days so someone needs to look after him, also I suggest I stay here for a while to make sure we aren’t caught by a surprise, I’ll be gone before he wakes up,” I avoided eye contact at the last part and the tension was high.

“Uhm, (name),” Cole spoke up and I met his brown, kind eyes. I had missed him, he was such a gentle giant, but the moment me and Lloyd broke up, I decided it was best to not contact the others. “We do not really, uh… have the time to take care of Lloyd the coming days,” he broke our eye contact to look at the ground.

“Yeah,” Kai piped up, “we’ve already been busy enough, now that Lloyd can’t do anything for a few days, it’s even worse,” he awkwardly said and my face fell.

“Are you suggesting..?” I trailed off and looked behind me at Lloyd who was now peacefully asleep instead of murmuring, tossing and turning in pain. The sight had broke my heart.

“It would help us out a lot,” Nya said sheepishly and I sighed.

“Fine, I’ll take care of him,” I crossed my arms before stepping out of the doorway. “Now go and see him, he won’t wake up for a few hours so I suggest the lot of you get some sleep soon,” I said before leaving to make myself a cup of tea.

——

Another hour later, I was sat next to Lloyd’s bed in the medbay. Cole had suggested carrying him to his own bed, but I advised against it, I had my tools here in case things went south, it was better if he stayed here for another day or two, depend on how he would be doing.

Besides, I didn’t want him moving to much incase any stitches ripped.

My eyes traced the features of his face, he had come to look a bit older in the year that I hadn’t spoken to him. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t been keeping up with him on the news though. Always watching to see if he was doing alright.

Sometimes I missed us, sometimes I regretted saying all those things that day, even if some of them were true. And god was I petty, the day after our fight I was fantasising about how we would get back together, I had ruined it all with one simple text.

I told you so.

I had unblocked him and blocked him again just to send it after I saw Harumi went to jail. I ruined my dreams where he’d come knocking on my door to apologies that day.

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Lloyd again, he was just as handsome as I remembered. The small scar behind his ear that I had traced with my finger so many times was still there, he still looked as peaceful as he did back then when he slept.

I had the sudden urge to hold his hand. To hold his hand and pretend like nothing ever happened, like we hadn’t broke up a year ago, like he still loved me.

It didn’t matter how much I tried to convince myself I lost feelings for him. I went on dates with other people, tried to erase him out of my mind, I acted as if he wasn’t the best boyfriend I had ever had.

And yet then I looked at him and all the memories came flooding back, the memories of how he talked to me as if I was the most important thing in the world, the memories of how he’d always needed to be touching me in some way because it made him happy, the memories of how I loved him.

Suddenly he stirred and I froze, my eyes locked onto his which were slowly opening. Looking outside I guessed it was almost 2 AM? The others had already gone to sleep per my orders.

Slowly his eyes opened and he groaned, bringing his hands up to rub the sleep away. He tried sitting up but I quickly stopped him.

“Don’t sit up yet, you’ll pass out again,” I warned and rested a hand on his shoulder to lay him back down, he froze at the sound of my voice.

“(Name)?” The sleepy look in his eyes suddenly disappeared as he realised who I was, his eyes filled with something familiar, something I had missed so much. “What are you doing here?” The adoration in his eyes was gone and he narrowed them.

“You were poisoned,” I whispered, “your uncle called, I came as fast as I could,” I explained, avoiding his eyes.

There was a beat of silence as he took in my words.

“And you actually came?” He sounded surprised making me bite the inside of my lip. “Why?”

“He said you weren’t going to make the night,” I tried so hard to keep my voice from breaking but it still did. “I wouldn’t know what I’d do with myself if I found out you died and I could’ve changed that,” I blinked the tears in my eyes away and finally got the courage to look at him.

The adoration was back and I swallowed thickly. “How are you feeling?” I asked quietly and his eyes tracked back to the ceiling, letting out a sigh.

“Tired,” he answered. “Sore,” he added and looked at me, “what did you do?” He asked and I shrugged.

“The first I did was try to take out most of the poison, even though I was late and it already started spreading,” I avoided looking at him, looking out of the window instead. “Then I used the tiny bit I managed to get out to find out what the poison was to be able to find and antidote, lucky for you it was here,” I explained.

“Thank you,” he mumbled and I swallowed thickly.

“Not a problem,” my voice cracked and I mentally cursed myself. He did not need to see me this weak.

“Hey,” I looked up when his hand found mine. “I’m serious, thank you,” he smiled softly and I smiled back, trying to blink away the tears, hoping he didn’t see them.

“You should get some sleep,” I stood up, making him let go of my hand. “I’ll be here for the coming days, seeing that the others are to busy to take care of you,” I headed for the door but stopped at the sound of his voice.

“Can I go to my own room?” He asked and I turned back around.

“No, not today, maybe tomorrow,” I said and he frowned slightly, making me sigh. “In case of anything going wrong, I need you here, where my tools are. Not only that, but you are weak and unable to make it to your bed, you stay here for the night,” I explained and he scrunched up his nose.

“Are you calling me weak?” He looked offended and I rolled my eyes.

“Yes, now sleep,” I left the room without another word, ignoring his offended shout.

———

I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the door before I opened it, letting myself in. “Goodmorning,” I greeted Lloyd who was already sitting up. I put a glass of water on the table next to him. “Did you sleep well?” I asked.

She shook his head and looked at me. “Nope,” he popped the p as he said it. “Sleeping after being poisoned isn’t to comfortable for your information,” he said sassily and I rolled my eyes.

“I can just go now, if you keep that up,” I threatened with a glare and he huffed and looked the other way.

I bit my lip and sighed. “How do you feel?” I questioned.

“Fine I guess, maybe a little ill and my wound hurts a little,” he still avoided looking at me, but I just decided to ignore it.

“I see,” I nodded and contemplated for a moment. “Well, I’ll be back in the afternoon to check up on you then, do you need anything right now?” I asked him and he opened his mouth to say something, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. “Well?” I asked a bit impatient.

He hesitated a bit before speaking. “I guess some company would be nice,” he admitted and my throat ran dry.

“The others are out for missions and your uncle is meditating at the moment, I’ll ask them when they are free,” I quickly said and moved to walk away but he grabbed my wrist.

“You know what I mean, (name).” He looked me in my eyes and I swallowed before taking place on the chair.

“Fine,” I stated, “how do you wanna pass time?” I asked him and he just shrugged meekly.

“Tell me what you’ve been up to,” he looked at me and I bit my lip slightly before I started.

“Nothing much, I continued my job at the cafe and I went back to my tiny apartment, I’m glad I didn’t sell it,” I started.

Before I met Lloyd and the team, my life was just normal, I worked in a cafe in the city and lived in appartement not far from it. When I did meet Lloyd and the others, I quickly found a home at the monastery and barely went back to my apartment anymore. At one point I thought to sell it, but it was the only place to fall back on after the fight, so it’s good I didn’t.

Lloyd nodded and gave me a look that told me to go on. “I uh, I started to study medicine, hoping to still be able to pursue being some sort of doctor,” I revealed making his eyebrows raise.

He knew it’d always been something I wanted to do, I talked about it a lot, yet never really did anything with it, but it turned out that leaving Lloyd and the others gave me a lot of time I didn’t know how to spent.

“Best of your class I suppose?” He asked with a cheeky grin, making me chuckle and nod.

“I am,” I admitted, “but I’ve already got lots of experience after being woken in the middle of the night to patch up some wounds at least once a week for a few years straight,” I gave him a pointed look making him chuckle.

“Yeah, you’re welcome,” he joked and I shook my head with he smile. “How’s Frankie?” He asked me then, causing my smile to grow.

“Yeah, yeah Frankie’s good,” I happily answered before remembering something. “Having some great times though,” I scowled and elaborated at his confused look. “He’s got the neighbours cat pregnant,” I told him with a scoff.

“Of course he did,” Lloyd huffed a laugh, “I’ve seen him eye Meowtra, the little hornbag he is,” he gave me a look as if to go against the statement and I just lightly glared at him.

“Stop,” I warned, but grinned non the less.

Silence fell again, besides what I told my life wasn’t to eventful, and I definitely wasn’t about to tell Lloyd about the dates I went on.

“And you?” I asked eventually. “How have you been?” I of course knew what’s been happening to some extent, I’ve been keeping up with the media.

“A rollercoaster of emotions really,” he answered. “A lot happened when you left, but I assume you know,” he gave me a look causing me to avert my eyes.

We both knew what he was talking about and I knew that with his comment, he was walking about the text I’d send him.

“Things have been good at the monastery though,” he said. “There was some tension in the beginning but it’s almost back to being normal. As good as all sons of Garmadon have been caught, so we aren’t worrying about that anymore, mostly just missions like they where before Sensei went missing,” he explained and I nodded before halting.

“Almost back to being normal?” I asked a bit confused, tilting my head a bit to the side as I looked at him.

He awkwardly averted his gaze and looked the other way as he talked. “Yeah,” he said. “Things are still different with you gone,” he admitted making me freeze as I felt a lot create in my stomach. “Everyone misses you,” he told me and I lightly frowned.

“Everyone?” I asked, he knew what I meant and then looked me right into my eyes.

“Everyone,”

I bit my lip, looking down at the ground, because fuck, of course I missed him too.

“I should visit sometime then,” I still didn’t look at him and pulled my legs up onto the chair, hugging them to my body.

“I think the team would like that,” he smiled and I met his gaze.

There were some beats of silence and I wasn’t sure what to say any further, so I just decided to change the topic.

“Wanna see if we can get you to your room?” I asked and he nodded eagerly.

I left the chair behind as he started to get out of the hospital bed. I was quickly at his side as he tried standing up. He wobbled a bit and put a hand on my shoulder out of reflex.

He gave me an apologetic smile and I light heartedly smiled back.

“C’mon,” I said and put his entire arm around my shoulder to help him walk.

Together we stumbled out of the medbay and I walked him to his room, not even having to wonder where it was, because one year ago, that was my room aswel.

I opened the door and walked him to his bed where he finally got to sit down and rest for a bit.

“Fuck, that poison is nasty stuff,” he said and I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah no shit, it almost killed you,” I pointed out and he gave me a sheepish smile.

I looked around the room to see that nothing had really changed, all the pictures in his room where the same, except for a few, I noticed. Some of them were taken down… the ones I was in.

Only one remained, it was a picture of me and him, both with huge smiles and ice cream cones as we sat in the park.

For the remaining, everything stood in the same place, his desk was a mess as always and the posters were all still hanging in place, even the Sleep Token poster I had added.

While I looked around the room, Lloyd had laid down, legs now under the covers. I had to physically stop myself from automatically joining him in the bed like I had done thousands of times before.

“How are you feeling?” I asked him, glancing over. He turned his head to me from where it rested on his pillow.

“Fine I guess,” he said. “But- I do have a stinging pain on my back,” he admitted. I sighed and walked over.

“Alright, c’mon, sit up,” I gestured to him and he did as told, turning his back to me and sitting with his legs crossed on his bed as he did. “Okay, can you take the shirt off so I can have a look?” I asked while grabbing my phone in case I needed better light.

“Oh?” He said suggestively, causing my cheeks to flush and quickly look over at him.

“Lloyd!” I scolded and he just chuckled before pulling his shirt over his head. He always did that stupid flirting whenever he was injured and I needed to have a look, causing me to ask him to remove clothing. It always made me flustered. And sometimes a little horny.

When I saw his bare back, I saw I did not need a flashlight. A big part of his back was blue, almost purple, while there were some grazes that seemed to have draw light blood.

“Shit, where you slammed against a wall or something?” I asked, trailing the wound with my hand, causing him to shiver.

“Might be, I don’t remember,” he admitted and I shook my head.

“You stay here, I’ll grab you some salve,” I said before leaving the room without any further comment.

I came back within a few minutes and started slowly spreading the cool salve over his back, trying to ignore how his muscles moved under his skin whenever he shifted.

“I’m done,” I told him and put the tube in my back pocket, he turned to face me. He stared at me for a second before absolutely baffling me.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, causing my eyes to slightly widen.

“I- what?” I knotted my eyebrows together in confusion.

“About.. you know, the fight,” he clarified, causing realisation to hit me.

“Lloyd-” I started but he cut me off before I could continue.

“I just needed to say it, I always wanted to, but I was just too much of a coward to do so,” he admitted, making me lightly bite my lip.

“Okay,” I just nodded, what was I supposed to say to this?

“Okay?” He raised and eyebrow at me, causing anger to boil up.

“Yeah, okay, what do you want me to say otherwise, cause I am not gonna apologise!” I pointed an angry finger at him.

“(Name)-”

“No, you were an absolute dick to me while I was just warning you and I was still right in the end!” I yelled, the anger I had felt all that time ago, the anger that I had still felt the entire year deep down, came running back up.

“Yeah, you made that clear,” he huffed, casing me to shoot him a quick glare.

“Yeah, the text was a bit of an asshole move, but it felt good at the time,” I crossed my arms and looked right at him.

“Oh it felt good?” He raised his eyebrows with wide eyes, looking at me in disbelief.

“Yeah, it felt good,” I repeated. “I sure hope you realise how absolutely devastated I was after everything. I was shattered after leaving not only you but the others! Not only that but it was over a stupid fight about that- that stupid, evil, moron of a princess that had all of you eating out of her hand!” I yelled at him and he was stunned into silence.

I bit my lip hard, trying to get rid of the tears in my eyes but they refused and just started streaming down my face, I hid my face in my hands not wanting him to look at my face right now. He seemed horrified at the sight and quickly stood up.

“Hey- hey I’m sorry,” he said again and put his arms around me while I sobbed. “I’m sorry, for everything, not believing you, yelling at you, making you feel unwanted and fuck- I’m sorry for not chasing after you after everything,” he whispered to me as I sobbed.

“You’re an asshole,” I said trough hiccups and he just chuckled.

“I know,” he answered and hugged me tighter. I pulled my hands away from my face and hugged him back, my sobs slowly dying down.

“God- I missed you so much,” I admitted and I felt him tense a bit after my words, causing me to immediately regret them.

“I missed you too,” he said and I sighed, closing my eyes and burying my face in his chest, tears staining his plain grey shirt. “Do you think we could ever go back to normal?” I pulled away slightly to look at me.

“Normal?” I asked him, locking eyes with him.

“You know what I mean,” he mumbled a bit embarrassed making me lightly smile.

“Maybe if you take me out for ice cream when that poison is completely out of your system,” I lightly grinned at him, causing his eyes to light up.

“I can do that,” he grinned, eyes full of joy, before they quickly darted at my lips and then back up. He acted as if it didn’t happen and I scoffed as he took a step backwards.

“Oh for gods sake Lloyd, just kiss me already,” I exclaimed.

He didn’t need to hear it twice as he stepped closer again and leaned down. I put my arms around his neck while his hands came to restnon my hips.

His lips locked against mine and it felt like a weight finally fell of of my shoulders. It was like I had no worries at all as I kissed him again and I think he felt the same.

He pulled away for a second and we stared each other in the eyes, causing me to giggle giddily. He grinned before dipping down to kiss me again.

Bonus:

It’d been a while since Kai had spitter (Name). He’d decided to head to the medbay to check if she and Lloyd hadn’t killed each other, only to find it empty.

Confused he left to check Lloyd’s bedroom, wondering if maybe he had been fine and she had just left without a word, again.

He opened Lloyd’s bedroom door, only to halt at the sight.

In the bed laid two figures, both sound asleep. Lloyd had his arms around (Name) while she was cuddled into his chest.

Kai grinned before closing the door and rushing off to tell the others about what he just found.

[tmntxthings]

Could we please have some head cannons with the rise boys reactions to their best friend/crush laughing and giggling on the phone like a maniac?

Who would be the most jealous and how would they go about it?

Also, i love your work sm. 💜💜💜💜

Jealous Headcanons

author’s note: thank you, hope you enjoy this one as well, sorry for the wait c:

warnings: none to note, unedited

—————————————————————————

Mikey wouldn’t be jealous, though he’d definitely get nosy and ask, “What’s so funny angel??” He’d have a grin on his face just from your laughter. Because duh even if it’s not due to his jokes he likes to see you happy! Dare I even say he would be the least jealous of all his brothers? I think Mikey would instantly be trying to befriend all of your friends just so everyone could hang out together! Though if you ignore his question and just keep on laughing he may get a little butt-hurt. Expect him to start getting closer, and closer to wherever you’re lounging. His eyes twitching with a bit of mania in his grin now, “C’monnn I wanna know too!!” If you’re still keeping quiet and ignoring him then maybe you should get ready for him to jump you completely. In your lap, wanting recognition, “Hellooo I know you hear me!!! Is this a prank?? Am I being recorded???”

Raph is honestly just happy you’re here. The worst you can do to this turtle is be gone too long from his side. Remember he isn’t too keen on being alone. I think he would be like Mikey in that your laughter is infectious and he’d probably be grinning to himself despite not knowing why you’re even laughing. If the phone call goes on forever though he may get a little jealous that you’re here with him yet not really paying much attention. He’ll go grab one of his stuffed teddies for comfort. All the while giving you looks of longing. His snaggle-tooth digging into his lower lip because he doesn’t really want to interrupt your call. But his body language is begging the person on the other end of the call to hang up already!!

Donnie would play off his jealousy with annoyance. You were over in his lab and the incessant giggles were becoming a distraction. He’d huff and throw glares your way, trying to catch your gaze so you would maybe feel a tad guilty for being so obnoxious in his presence! Who was making you laugh so hard anyway?? And he thought he was the funny one! He’d start grumbling and mumbling to himself that maybe you should just go over to this person’s cool lab and listen to all their jokes in person! He’d sulk once you were off the phone, completely denying any form of the word jealousy. “Jealous?! Hah! That’s preposterous does he have a fully decked out turtle tank? Or a genius-built lab? OR-“ the list would go on and on until you sedated him with cuddles and compliments.

Leo would be the most jealous. Why? Because he thinks he’s funnier. Plain and simple. Laughing at even his brothers makes him twinge with a bit of jealousy. So you can just imagine his heated stare from above his Jupiter Jim comic when you answer a phone call from “just a friend” and its been over ten minutes with nonstop laughter. He loves his comics but this one may be a bit crinkled due to his own strength getting the best of him. When your phone call is over he doesn’t know whether to ignore you purposely out of spite, or try to get you to laugh even harder at his own jokes to rebuild his pride. If you told him whatever joke had made you laugh so hard, he’d deny it was funny at all. “That’s funny to you??” He’d sneer. “If you say so!” Leo is p-e- to the t-t-y!

[licorice-tea]

Apricity

Pairing: Sabo x reader

Content: fluff, a little kissing, gender neutral reader, short and sweet <3

Word Count: 0.7k

A/N: just a little something i wrote about sabo! i rlly thought about making it longer, bc usually i write at least 1k words or so even in one shots, but i am happy with it as it is now. i hope you like it too, thanks for reading! :)

Apricity

The warmth of the sun in winter.

Sabo drags you out of bed at the “ass crack of dawn.” Or at least, that’s what you describe the time of day as when you complain about him waking you up so early. You grumble and groan until it’s clear you’re not getting out of this early morning excursion.

“The sun is barely up!” Yet, it still momentarily blinds you with its rays when you walk out onto the deck.

He holds your hand- be it to share warmth or so you don’t turn back, you’re not sure. “It’s about a third of the way to its high point-“ then he turns so he’s walking backwards to face you, “and if the sun is up, we should be too.”

The two of you come to a stop on the starboard deck. “No,” you move one of his hands to your waist, “I should be tucked in bed under my warm covers” then the other, “with my warm boyfriend,” and finally looping your arms around his neck, “and we should both be asleep.”

Sabo smiles and nuzzles his face into your neck. “I’ll keep you warm.” His hair tickles your ear, but you can’t giggle as you’re still trying to be annoyed with him.

“Hmph.” His hands start to rub up and down your sides as the two of you take to swaying in some type of rhythmless dance. “You don’t even like this kind of cold weather.”

“I know.” Sabo finally shows his face again, much to the chagrin of your chilly neck region (and to the pleasure of your eyes.) “But, I do like when it’s cold and I can feel the sun on my face or back.”

His confession is just cheesy and poetic enough to make you smile, albeit softly. “Hm… Like a cat?”

“How dare you! I think I’d be a lion if I were an animal, at the very least.” Sabo says this all very matter-of-factly, causing you to fall into a fit of quiet giggles in his arms. His eyes track your movements- your smile, the way your eyes crinkle, the very sound of your laughter- while wearing a smile of his own.

You quiet yourself again, still grinning brightly, and shrug. “Still a cat.”

He just stares at you for a moment after that, and you think you must have something on your face. “Sabo? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” His blonde hair falls over his eyes as he shakes his head to reassure you. “Everything’s perfect, love.”

Such a simple little pet name, but it still manages to make you blush. You push the hair out of his eyes and end up cupping his face in your hands. Now you’re the one staring, but he doesn’t seem to mind the intent observation. “What was that thing you said about the sun earlier?”

“Hm? That I like how the sun feels in the winter?”

“Yeah.” You place a chaste kiss on his lips. “I think I get what you mean.” It’s freezing outside, and the wind chills every exposed inch of your skin, but none of that seems to matter right now. From the way his smile and his eyes shine; warming you from within, while also squeezing you gently to share his body heat… it’d be impossible to not understand the feeling he describes.

“Good.” Sabo kisses you back, gentle and slow. Like you have all the time in the world- which, you suppose you do. It certainly feels that way when everything is cold; it’s the type of weather where you really just want to stay in bed all day. And yet, here you are outside, entertaining your boyfriend’s desire to feel the sun in winter. “But I like kissing you more, just so you know.”

With the sweetest expression you can muster and a tilt of your head, you ask; “Does that mean we can go back to bed?” Alas, your question is only answered with laughter.

But hey- maybe winter isn’t so bad anyway, when you have the warmth of the sun right in your hands.

[pabit]

Checked my emails this morning: found this delight in my inbox. Forwarded to me from…CT? I guess? The email addresses are just gibberish…fuck. I don't like where this is all going. I don't think Habit will like this either.

j҈̕͢i̵͢͠b̶͜͝w҈͜͝e҉̛͜ư̸͢e҈͢͠b̸̕͜g̸҇͢h҈̢̛g̵̡̛h̴͜͠o̸̢͠-̶̧͠-҉̕͜-̵̨͝3̵҇͢h҈̧͝f̷̧̕a̸̕͢.̵̨̛2̸̢̛2̷̕͢9҉̢҇3̴͜͝@҉͢͡c҈̛͢o҉͜͝m̴̡͝ ➥ FORWARDED

FROM: u̴̸u҈4̶4҉4҉̴@҉g҉f҉̸h̶0҈k̸d҈l҉̶5҉̷.̷̸c̸o̸m̸҉ SUBJECT: d̷e̷l̷̸u̴̸g̸̵e̴_҉̴0҉1҉҈

Hello, C███t████, I hope this email finds you well, if it finds you at all. The following story is a retelling of events based on the personal testimony of Vinny Everyman, accrued over the course of a two hour conversation. I hope you can appreciate the art of the written word as much as I do. Worry not about my own identity — I am merely an old friend, asking that if you are still alive out there…please, heed this tale wisely. [docs version RECOMMENDED]

| THE FOUR DIVIDED

On the eve of the Habit’s arrival to the house displaced in time, we find more darkening matters brewing amongst the sweeping fields and never ending daylight of a different, yet similarly displaced plane — the Eden.

“Hey guys, what’s up?”

Vinny waves a hand in greeting. Here he approaches through one of the many thick fields of tall grass, meeting up alongside his cohorts Jeffrey and Evan, who stands to Jeff’s side.  He smiles, even though neither of his friends smile back.

Evan had made it sound like he and Jeff were just thrilled to be able to sit around and shoot the shit together again, Vinny recalls.  It seemed that everything was fine and I wanted to believe it, but…I knew better than to deny what I had heard earlier in the day. After noticing the audible thud of some odd piece of furniture being tossed about inside from where I sat on the deck of the cabin, I sprung up instantly — and pressed my face to the front door.

Unfortunately, I only managed to catch onto the tail-end of the apparent argument between my two friends taking place within..but I heard enough. From the sound of Jeff’s uncharacteristically loud shouting and Evan’s halfhearted attempts to rebuke him, to the way the uncomfortable tension in the silence that followed that became this unshakable chill down my spine, down to simple fact that I was not meant to be privy to this conversation in the first place…well, I knew it had to be about me.

When the unpleasant silence stretched on for longer than I could trust to be safe, I pulled my nosy ear away from the door and quickly made my leave so as to not be caught listening in. And, not long after I found myself at a picnic table to pretend that I’ve been sitting there all this time, Evan bounded out of the cabin with a similar briskness to his step – making his way over to me to deliver this…illusion of having a normal, friendly reunion to look forwards to.

What a cruel way to ensure I’d actually show up...

As Vinny internally extrapolates upon the building sense of dread leading up to where he stands now in this field… 

…facing two people who apparently would have me get my hopes up before pulling the rug from under me with treachery instead…

…on the outside, he maintains an innocuous naivety in his demeanor.

Of course they aren’t happy to see me, says his darkening ruminations. Vinny smiles anyways. 

“So uh…what’s going on?”

Jeff regards him with an aloof stare, his lips pulled into a line – an unreadable expression that betrays the blistering rage that quickens his pulse as he stands there. It is only after the all too innocent question is asked that Jeff’s fury begins to make itself known on his face.

“You already know the answer to that, don’t you?”

Vin stays quiet in spite of the menacing way Jeff starts walking towards him, knowing anything he says will only incriminate himself. He glances at Evan, noticing his own unusual silence. He has only half a second to recognize the alarm in Evan’s eyes as Jeff takes advantage of his distracted focus in the next moment. Jeff swings his arm, successfully driving a fist into Vinny’s face; his punch thrown with enough force to split the man’s cheek under his bony knuckles. Vin stumbles backwards with a loud yelp, somehow lucky enough to avoid falling to the ground despite his dazed state. When he is able to force his eyes open through the throbbing pain in his skull, he realizes that Jeff is still in hot pursuit.

 Vinny prepares to defend himself this time. 

“You’ll pay for what you did to me,” proclaims his new opponent.

Jeff reels back and swings again. Vin pulls his arms up to cover his face and weaves his body away – just barely making it out of the other’s range. He continues to step back as Jeff presses forwards, like an enraged bull seeing nothing but red. Vinny is thoroughly bewildered.

“What are you talking about, dude?! I thought we were done with this shit!” Vinny says, steadying his footing. He will fight if he really has to, no matter how much he will hate himself to win in the end. Jeff is not much of a fighter, Vin figures, regardless of how much his face hurts at the moment.

“You thought wrong,”  Jeff replies, lowering his voice sinisterly, “like always.”

Vinny risks another look towards Evan, desperately seeking for him to respond in some fashion, useful to him or otherwise. Evan says nothing and only shrinks further away instead, refusing to meet his eyes. It hurts, but there is no time to address it. Sensing his imminent approach, Vinny frantically returns his attention back to Jeff.

“Look, man– I said I’m sorry–!” Vin cries out, the taller man lunging at him once more. Jeff grabs him firmly by the front of his shirt and shoves hard – Vinny digs his heel into the dirt and pushes back. It is then glaringly obvious to him that Jeff is at a disadvantage. As Jeff struggles to maintain his position, his strength easily outmatched, Vinny swiftly knees him in the stomach before he has the chance to realize this fact for himself. Jeff keels over with a strangled sound, falling to his knees in agony.

Vinny shortly appears overhead, his figure looming ominously in the harsh shadow being cast by the sunlight shining from above.

“I don’t want to hurt you. Please, Jeff…just stop this.”

Jeff feverishly retreats away from the other, crawling on all fours, gasping for the air that has just been knocked out of him. 

“All…you have ever done…is hurt me,” he croaks, forcing himself to his feet despite the fiery pain licking at his lower ribs. The adrenaline makes Jeff numb to the flame, “I don’t see why that should suddenly stop now…it’s the only thing you’re any good at.”

Vinny stills himself, processing this absurdly offensive remark for a moment. A million and one ways to react generate in his mind, though he ends up shrugging as if his response requires no thought at all.

 “At least I am good for something though – what about you, Jeff? What are you good at, besides being a pathetic weakling?”

“Oh— there’s the Vincent I know,” says Jeff with an insidious laugh, a hand clutching at his injured stomach, “go on then, get it all off your chest!”

“You are trying to provoke me,” Vinny growls; he hates hearing his full name being said with such condescension. Every muscle in his body tightens like a coil, threatening to burst forth at any moment, “is this really what you fucking want? Just another pointless fight to the death?”

“The point,” Jeff wastes no time to redirect, nudging an elbow into Evan’s side to call him to attention, “is that we are going to throw you out of here. You don’t belong in our Eden – you’re just another monster like the rest.”

Vinny snaps.

“So that’s how it’s gonna be, is it!?” 

He starts rolling up the cuffs of his flannel, preparing himself to sincerely beat the ever-loving shit out of the next thing that breathes in his direction. Vinny trudges forward.

Suddenly, Evan leaps into action as he hastily places himself in between his two friends.

Vinny finds his violent will instantly diminished. He can’t hurt Evan.

“That’s enough, god dammit! Both of you knuckleheads cut it out already! Fuck!” Evan yells with blatant frustration, unwilling to hold his tongue any longer as he addresses Jeff directly, “What the fuck are you doing, jackass?! I never agreed to kicking out our fucking friend!”

Jeff dismisses the disapproving ruckus with an indignant scoff, choosing to ignore the stream of Evan’s colorful curses as he speaks over the man’s head all the same. 

“You haven’t changed at all, Vinny. That’s why I can’t let you stay.”

“Come on dude, you can't be serious right now…” Vin refutes with vigor, “you know you can't win a fight against me on your own, and I believe Evan just fucking said he isn’t gonna help your sorry ass– you can’t do jack shit about me being here! What’s your big plan now, huh?! You’ve got fuckin’ nothing!!”

“I’ve got time,” Jeff asserts with uncanny confidence, hobbling around to face the large hill behind him. The cabin resides just on the other side. 

“I’ll find a way to get rid of you eventually. Let this be your only warning.”

Vinny is too stunned at this chilling rejection to say anything in response, giving Jeff the opportunity to walk off without another word. He stares with wide eyes as Jeff makes his way up the hill within the next few minutes, a knife twisting deeper into his heart once the man completely disappears beyond the horizon.

This isn't how it's supposed to end.

Vin’s lip quivers as he then turns to the only other person left still beside him.

“Well, um…that was– unpleasant…and also very confusing,” Vinny starts to say, his voice trembling. He brings an equally shaky hand up to inspect the cut on his face, hissing through his teeth as he carelessly reignites the wound’s sharp sting. Vinny observes the blood left behind on his fingertips.

Evan appears to be at a loss for words in his own right, his face red and sweaty as he tries to catch his breath. He knows he should respond – though it is hard to want to say anything at all after such an exhausting exchange – resulting in a thoughtless reassurance, empty of any substance.

“Yeah, uh…but it’s gonna be alright, Vin.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Vinny bitterly objects, remembering what had been the first ugly revelation to cut him deeply today.  “You told me he was excited to see me, that we’d come here to hang out just like old times…you wanted me to think everything was perfectly alright earlier,” he explains, anger rising again in his voice, “but you were just fucking setting me up! How dare you tell me it’s alright?”

“For fuck’s sake, I didn’t know he would go this far!” Evan deflects. He lets out an irritated huff of air, refusing the worst of his impulses from taking over, “I just wanted him to talk to you, not wage a fucking war. Not to mention tryin’ to drag my ass into it— shit.”

The words bounce around in Vinny’s skull, eerily familiar to his ears on the way in.

Habit told me to prepare for a war. I guess that wasn’t a lie after all.

Vinny whips his head to the side as his eyes involuntarily well up, wishing to obscure Evan’s view as he wills the tears back into his head. He won’t allow himself to cry, especially not in front of Evan, and especially not because of an intrusive thought about his former captor. Evan can tell that something is wrong as he looks the other over, intently observing the shudder in Vin’s shoulders. He is only a bit too careless with his approach.

“I’m sorry Vinny…I didn’t want this to happen.”

Evan reaches out to Vinny with every intention of comfort, only for him to flinch hard at the sight of the arm coming into view. The brief terror behind tearful eyes as Vinny pulls himself away is unimaginably crushing for Evan to witness. He damns himself internally for committing another inconsiderate blunder.

 Realizing what just happened, Vinny clamors to apologize, “I— I’m sorry— I didn’t mean—“ 

“Don’t be, that was on me,” Evan cuts him off, trying to be casual even though his heart is breaking into tiny little pieces. 

He quickly changes the subject to avoid the awkwardness of the moment, “anyways, uh…it's gonna be alright and I mean that, okay? Jeff can’t make you leave, and well…I’m not gonna let you walk out on us either,” he says, craning his head back to peer hard at the other man, “so don’t even think about it.”

The thought had indeed already occurred to Vinny, and he would have verbalized it too if it weren’t for being so easily caught. He wonders what exactly had given it away, as Evan’s word choice unfortunately reminds him of Habit once more. He attempts to push this uncomfortable intrusion aside but to little success, his discomfort only growing more cumbersome by the second. As his thoughts race along to every dark corner of his imagination, he manages to find the light at the end with a remarkable realization:

Only Habit has come the closest to knowing the real Vincent; at least in my opinion. I had never felt more naked than when he had to live with that parasite after all. If Evan remembers what it was like to have watched those days go by, as the creature puppeteering his body thoroughly stripped me down to my immutable core…then Evan, too, would have the truth for himself all the same.

Evan knows me better than Jeff ever will, Vin decidedly concludes, taking his glasses off to rub the moisture from his eyelashes with the back of his hand. Though he is unsure if he should really feel comforted by this thought, he finds that his body relaxes regardless. With his eyes now dry, he places his spectacles back on his face and offers a small nod.

“I won’t be going anywhere, I promise,” Vin dully reassures; tired though not insincere. He directs his gaze out to the hill ahead, “so um…what are we supposed to do now?”

Evan moves to the other man’s side, studying the rolling horizon with his hands on his hips.

“Ah, well…obviously you should stay away from Jeff, I think he’s made himself pretty clear on that,” he deliberately begins with his answer, “but besides having to avoid him, I think you’re pretty much fine, right? I mean– I doubt he will be able to convince Steph and the doc to take his side, so–”

“So Jeff is just gonna try pushing all of my buttons until either I give up,” Vinny interrupts, dejected at his own insight, “or I kill him.”

“Huh?” Evan is perplexed, “c’mon man, maybe he just needs some time by himself to get his shit together. I’m sure he’ll come around.”

Vinny sighs, “you know that’s not going to happen, Ev. He’s just as stubborn as the rest of us.”

Evan can't argue against such an obvious fact, “Okay, well…I can help you deal with this.”

“I can’t let you do that,” Vinny counters adamantly, refusing to even consider the idea. He squeezes his eyes shut and drops his head between his shoulders, “I won’t let you get hurt because of me again. I fucking can’t let that happen. God dammit—” Vinny wraps his arms around himself and hugs tight, overcome by the heavy reality of the current situation.

“I don’t need your fucking help, okay? Go back to Jeff. Maybe you can teach him how to fight properly; he’ll need all the help he can get.”

 “Screw him!” Striking a bit of a nerve in Evan, he grabs Vinny by the elbow, gripping him firmly but not hard enough to hurt, “I’m on your side!”

Vinny’s eyes fly open at the unexpected touch, though he makes no attempt to escape the other’s grasp, frozen in place. Staring into gray-blue pupils, he discovers that he no longer sees the nightmarish counterpart piloting a stolen skinsuit. He only recognizes Evan, his friend, staring back. 

There are no sides winning this.

Vin yanks his arm out of Evan’s grasp with a long frown, and wordlessly, he stomps away. Evan does not follow after him.

---

[ask] >>

[greetingfromthedead]

11. Jaws

Series: Mermaid!AU Depth of Despair

Pairing: Vash x GN!Reader

Word count: 2.2k

Author's Note: I am happy to announce that Depth of Despair is back to weekly uploads for chapters 11 - 15! I apologize for the long break, but with life being busy and my mental health being what it is, I am incapable of juggling two ongoing series (Apple Blossoms being the other) at the same time and since I really don't want to drop either of them, I have settled on writing 5 chapters of one of them and then switching to the other + break weeks between as necessary. It's not ideal, but I hope yall will put up with me ❤ If there are questions, I am more than happy to answer! ❤

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The voices of the merpeople tangle themselves into the minds of the seamen while they chant commands in a cacophony of haunting melodies. Guns drop to the slippery wooden deck as the sailors become entranced by the mesmerizing sounds. One can barely hear the scratching of nails against wood as the predators claw their way on board. That is until everything falls silent as a grave.

Out of nowhere, a massive black shadow appears under the water's surface. It circles the fishing boat, occasionally coming up enough to breach the still surface with its spines that protrude out from its back. The sirens grin a sharp toothed smile as they watch their meal shiver in fear. The men on the boat are unsure of what to do, their own voices quieting down now that there is nothing to drown out. Vash hears his heartbeat in his ears, blood rushing through his veins as he waits for the attack.

A giant black serpent's tail suddenly slams over the side of the boat, crushing a railing that splinters into pieces. The wet scales glisten, reminding Vash of a dark moonless night. The fishing boat rocks from the impact, a few sirens falling back into the water. The boat starts to keel the other way, a few of Vash's men losing their footing as they all turn just in time to see a black haired man pull themselves over the edge, his body transforming from being covered by massive scales to a human form. He slithers up to the front of the deck, keeping himself upright with the help of a massive trident. He looks imposing where he stands, but his face isn't filled with malice or anger. Vash thinks he might even see something resembling a smile.

"Blondie, it's you again," the serpent speaks, almost playfully.

"Nicholas, wasn't it?" Vash replies, remembering the day you snatched him from his own pier to save him from the man who now seems to toy with the lives of all his men.

"Indeed. And you aren't even drawn to me," he smiles more obviously. "Unlike your crew."

Vash hears more clanks and thuds as his men drop their weapons, their eyes solely focused on the frightening merman in front of them.

"Let them go," Vash commands.

"Why would I let a meal go just like that? Haven't you slipped from my grasp enough times by now?" The merman's voice is cold and menacing, but Vash hears something more in it—a playful note that doesn't seem to belong there. "Why don't we make a bet?"

"You want me to play with the lives of my men?" Vash is in shock, but none of the people around him seem to understand what the conversation is about; they look enamored, captured by the voice of the creature from the deep.

"Didn't you come here for a reason?" Nicholas asks, his gaze sharp as a blade.

Vash's eyes widen in surprise. He shouldn't be shocked that the man before him knows all about your situation, but for some reason he is anyway. It fills his chest with anger and fear. Without even intending to, he takes a long step forward, his hand reaching for the sword on his hip.

"Now now, hear me out first," Nicholas scolds him. "How about we play a game? Do what you came here to do; succeed, and I will allow you, your crew, and… your loot to get out of here alive. Fail, and you will all become fish food."

To emphasize his point, Nicholas flexes the muscles along his long tail that has coiled around the boat, making the planks complain via small cracks and squeaks.

"Why do you do this?" Vash asks, mistrustful of the siren.

"It gets so boring living in hiding all the time. I don't often get the opportunity to play with my food." Nicholas licks his lips. "But don't get me wrong. You are food. You will not succeed. Without your little guardian angel, you will not escape my jaws a third time."

"What are the rules of your game?" Vash asks, forcing himself to be calm in the face of death.

"I grant you your crew, as much as their scrambled brains will allow, and you will get to show me what you're capable of. To give you just a touch of a fighting chance and to make things more entertaining for myself, I will stand down, and so will everyone else who is here. But if you come across any others, they are free to rip your flesh from your bones. Sounds good?"

Vash walks closer, up the stairs to the landing where the siren perches. He stretches out his gloved hand to accept the only line of hope he has to save everyone.

"Alright, I will take those odds," Vash says with as much confidence he can muster up. Failure is not an option.

Nicholas takes Vash's hand, sealing the bet with a firm handshake and a crooked smile on his lips. "I'll be rooting for you, Blondie."

Vash's head swims with everything he just heard. The remarks and comments alluding to facts he did not know. His heart still pounds loudly in his chest as he turns away from the impressive siren to look over his ship and men. He doesn't have time to dwell on anything he just heard. All he is focused on now is to save you, whatever it takes.

The ship rocks as Nicholas slides back into the calm waters. One by one, the other merpeople follow his lead, diving back into their environment. Vash sees numerous shadows lurking beneath the surface, waiting for him to fail. He doesn't quite understand why he was presented with an opportunity to save everybody, but he has nothing to lose. If Nicholas lied, everyone will die. If he fails, everyone will die. So he has one goal and one goal only as he watches his men snap back to reality, getting hold of their own minds and bodies again. Their hands shake in fear, and their eyes are wide with terror as they look around, realizing that they did not dream this.

Vash takes a deep breath, steadying himself before starting to dish out commands and instructions to his disheveled men.

The sun shines through the tree branches, caressing the back of your neck and your cheek as you sit on the edge of the pier. The water laps gently at the wooden planks below you, the sound a soothing rhythm against the backdrop of birdsong. A playful gust of wind ruffles through the linen material of the puffy sleeves of your shirt while you close your eyes and take in the peaceful moment. Your heart leaps with joy as you feel at home.

The rustling of grass alerts you to Vash's presence as he struts down the bank of the river until his footsteps echo hollowly on the wooden dock. You don't turn to look at him, choosing to keep your eyes closed until you feel his warm embrace envelop you. Lazily, you lean your head back to nestle between his shoulder and his neck, causing the flower crown he placed on your head earlier to nearly slip off, catching it just in time before it falls.

"Careful," Vash says with an amused tone, pulling away from you just enough to place a kiss on your cheek before sitting down from his squatted position without letting go of you.

"I am! I would never want to lose it!" You speak with a smile, turning your head to see the soft expression on his handsome face. He leans in, touching the side of his head against your temple, making you face forward again as his hug tightens around you.

His long legs spread out to either side of you, framing you in a protective embrace. You look at your own legs, the pants rolled up to your knees to avoid getting them wet. You lift your feet out from the river, water droplets on your skin catching the sun. Vash settles in, resting his chin on your shoulder as he keeps his head against yours, his contempt sigh tickling your skin. You flex your feet and toes, feeling a cool breeze against your ankles.

"I watered the roses. Just a few more days until they burst into bloom," he murmurs against your skin as he presses his nose more into the suppleness of your cheek.

He keeps his left arm around you, the right one untangling itself from your body to gently run along the length of your arm, his fingers tracing along your elbow and down to your fingertips until he cups your hand in his before lacing his fingers with yours.

"What a beautiful day," you sigh with happiness as you both bask in the warmth of the sun and the joy of each other's company.

The smile lingers on your lips even as the brilliant sunshine gets duller, a veil of clouds obscuring its rays. Even as the crisp air gets murky and dull like mist, it doesn't dampen the joy in your heart. Even as wisps of blood appear, bright red, in front of you before disappearing, Vash's upturned lips and brilliant blue eyes are all that you see.

The growling of the changelings doesn't even register in your mind as they fight each other for a place around you. Their sharp teeth leave marks on your skin as they ravage your body, drinking deep from your veins, but you are too mesmerized by the scene in your head to feel any pain. You are lost in the world of your imagination, completely detached from reality. A reality that is cruel, dark, and hopeless. You feel a sense of peace and freedom in your mind, a place where you can escape from the harshness of the world around you. The only place where you have not been tied down to become a buffet to these creatures who want nothing else but the magic in your veins. Your reality is a merciless nightmare that will never end. Draining you dry will not kill you; ripping the flesh from your bones won't do that either. You are doomed to remain in eternal suffering, but it is a fate you would choose again and again if it meant that Vash is safe.

You are glad that the last moments you spent with him, you got to see him up close. You got the chance to memorize every detail of his face, from the curve of his lips to the angles of the tiny wrinkles around his eyes that show up more when he smiles. You never want to forget a single thing about him; he is always on your mind. Even now your mind conjures him up, swimming closer with a knife between his teeth. The image is so lifelike, so true, it's like you could reach out and touch him if your muscles had a single ounce of strength in them.

Hissing and screeching erupts all around you as the changelings scramble away from a blade that slashes through the water with unnatural speed. A large shadow blocks out the dim light of the distant surface, a silhouette with a sword in their left hand. The blade glints for a moment as it slashes again, making the little changelings scatter in fear. It all feels so real, yet it cannot be true. As Vash's worried face comes to view, you want to close your eyes. It is too good to be true—an impossible scenario that you would rather not have in your head. You don't want to feed into unreasonable hope. He should never come here.

Despite your wishes, you can't look away. Vash's free hand cups your cheek to pull himself closer so he can press his lips to yours. It is hurried and brief, over before your brain can catch up. Bubbles escape his mouth as he breathes in the salty ocean water, and he looks relieved. You keep telling your fuzzy mind that none of this is real. It cannot be. But his touch feels so vivid, so tangible, that you can't help but wonder if it actually is. Hope, that is so dangerous, blooms in your chest. Your mind keeps fleeing from you no matter how hard you try to focus. Moments of almost clarity are quickly replaced by darkness as your thoughts slip away.

Through the fog of your mind and feeling like your body doesn't belong to you, somehow you still feel the binds being cut. No longer do the ropes dig into your flesh as they anchor you to the mass of rocks. Relief wants to wash over you, to knock you out cold, but still you try to convince yourself that whatever is happening, it is not as it seems. Vash couldn't have come to save you. He shouldn't have.

Your body gets dragged into a new restraint; something else locks around your waist as you get pulled away. Through the haze of your eyes, you see the faces of children as they come out from their hiding spots. Their dark eyes narrowing with anger as they hiss in frustration. It feels so real.

← Previous Chapter | Next Chapter →

You can check out the Depth of Despair Masterlist for more info.

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[lost-rxverie]

Hi, I wanted some advice on how to make use of flash cards for subjects like maths and economics..I’ve never really used them before and am not very sure how they work, will be really grateful if you answer❤️

hi!

in my experience flashcards are best when you're focusing on memorization and quick recall. in pretty much any other situation i recommend practice problems (and i'm happy to talk more about that if anyone has questions/wants study tips).

but anyway, let's say you've got something you want to memorize. here's what i like to do for making/using flashcards:

make them yourself! there are often premade flashcard decks out there, but writing or typing them yourself will help you study the material and make sure you're focusing on information specific to your class/goals.

start small - it's easy to get overwhelmed looking at a giant stack of flashcards and trying to learn them all at once is impractical. start out with ~5 cards and go through those until you feel completely comfortable. add a few more the next day, then the next, and soon you'll be done.

review frequently! memorizing a bunch of material is only useful if you can retain it long-term. there are a bunch of articles out there about spaced repetition techniques (and even apps that can help you do it) but you don't have to make it complicated - i'll usually take ~5 minutes a day to shuffle my flashcards and go through the first few that come up. anything i've forgotten i can set aside for extra review.

hope this helps! <33

[lal-ffxiv]

Prompt #29: On Cloud Nine

The elevator ride to the airship landing was short and easy. Asdis ate a light lunch at airship cafe as she waited on the preparations for departure. Then, Asdis saw the way to board the airship.

"Is it too late to walk?" Achlys teased Asdis for nerves in her stomach at the sight of the simple, lengthwise timber. Which could turn over with a tilt in Asdis' opinion, but there weren't any other choices. Debt collectors and their mercenaries have disrupted Asdis daily life in Ul'dah now. 

"Nonsense. I am not turning tail now." Asdis only steps onto the plank before halting again as she looks down to the city below.

"Are we scared of heights?" Asdis could feel the sneering in the words and she wouldn't have it.

"No, I'm not afraid of heights." 

Asdis was simply being cautious. Airships were relatively long standing for some people, but made only a fraction of Asdis's life. A life she was about to risk by stepping on an airship that could plummet from beneath her feet once she boards. It didn't though. The ship was solid and flew away from the city quite gently. 

"Are we happy now?" If Achlys had eyes to roll, Asdis was sure the voidsent would be making such an expression.

"Overall, I'm on cloud nine about these developments." Asdis said waving goodbye to the dwarfed people on the ground. Ah, thinking of goodbyes, Asdis had to wonder about her housemate. "Did I leave the note before departing today?" 

Any answer from Asdis' worse half is interrupted by an airship attendant.

"Are you alright, miss?" The lalafell asks. "It seems you were a bit nervous when you boarded." 

Asdis feels Achlys glee at the questioning, it makes Asdis seethe. 

"Yes. I'm quite alright." 

"Very well. We have seats below deck if you are feeling unwell. The estimated time of arrival to Ishgard is four bells."

Asdis nods at information. 

Once the attendant leaves, Asdis turns an inner eye to Achlys, "I won't speak to you for the rest of the flight. It is your fault that I can not travel long distances via aether." Asdis could feel the voidsent sulk in the corner of her soul, but she'd make true on her punishment anyways.

However, that left Asdis with only herself for company. Looking out at the clouds Asdis could not stop herself from recalling a conversation with Adanirus.

"As a child, and hells still to this day, I wonder what it would be like to ride on top of a dragon. Of course if I shared that thought with anyone they thought me simple or mad."

"Simple, I am not. Mad? That has yet to be proven." Asdis aches to her soul as she mimics his words. Asdis wishes to hear the words in his voice. Even the facsimile from #oo0 cracks and stutters with age though. Asdis settles on twisting the ring on her finger. She will have to find a new jeweler to have it mended soon. Unknowingly, Asdis becomes lost in her thoughts and is startled back into her body by the airship docking. 

"Enjoyed the flight?" Achlys asks to Asdis's realization that she is sitting in the commissary instead of last place she remembered being on the deck. 

"I better have not killed anyone on this ship." Asdis hisses under her breath as people prepare to depart the ship. 

"That would be bad manners." Achlys swears. 

Once off the airship Asdis approaches the aetheryte and finds she is still weakly attuned to the aethernet in the city. Well, it has been a few epochs, so she safely walks to the Forgotten Knight in place of the teleportation.  

"The city seems to be doing very well for itself now." Asdis comments out loud as she takes in the distant view of the new residential district. 

However, Asdis takes room at the Cloud Nine. Which has seen better days since Asdis last stayed there. 

"Hm, well I suppose this room will have to do for the time being. Only until we find proper accommodations of course."

[divinationrose]

The past few days - documenting everything (spirit guides) 🌿

So after what happened, which I wrote the other day, lots of other very confirming things happened in the same evening that I was indeed connecting to spirits.

I ended up just babbling all the happenings to my friend and my sister as I just kind of sat in my armchair dumbfounded, in shock and getting my head around everything that's actually been happening to me all my life and over the past few months and weeks.

I had never connected with my spirit guides before, heck. I didn't even really know anything about spirit guides whatsoever from what I did know I didn't really fully believe in them at all, and until the past month or so even when I've called upon them whilst doing tarot and 'seeing' 20% was still like am I actually riddiculas right now?

the other night (didn't write on here everything else that happened) but anyways the same evening it gets to 3am my sister having talked to her like a mad woman on the phone, told me to take a break from it all, so I laid on the sofa deep into YouTube videos about just meditation and happy stuff for the next hour or three. I was relaxed and then at 3am I heard a rapid flushing im like wtfff?! Turns out my toddlers old potty was going off and on rapidly in his room, it lights up and makes a loud flushing sound when you flush, it was so loud flushing over and over as soon as I got it down from the wardrobe it stopped.

I brought it downstairs it was working normally baring in mind this potty hadn't made a noise by itself ever, and has remained ontop of the wardrobe for the past year. This happened a few hours after of me trying to connect to my spirit guides and getting intense cold going through me a few times and precise answers with the tarot deck during these hours. My dog also started acting very alert and began staring and following things around the room eyes and nose twitching, and ears going up and down, it was very weird, she definitely sensed something there was no doubt, she doesnt normally act that way and she's done this a few times now throughout the past week or two.

Me texting and calling my toddlers father at literally 3 in the flaming morning just incase something had happened with Ethan because it happened in his room with him away (he's absolutely fine sat here rn eating a yoghurt haha) I was worried something had happened and needed to check.

I see now I think it was their way of being like hello, we are here! You aren't turning into a crazy lady, stop doubting what you've literally just experienced!! (because despite all this I'm still like going back and fourth in my head over everything, just not making sense of it all)

Anyways,

I decided to properly connect the next day because there is no doubt in my mind now there are spirit guides 100% I'm asking questions and asking them to shoot out specific cards if the answer is yes, every single question the specific card eirher flung itself out of the deck with force or shot straight up. One after another, after another, after another to a point I was like right I'm definitely connecting with them it was undeniable. The specific card so I would ask for a cup card, wand card, pentacle card, sword card, moon card etcetera and each question I made it a different card. Each time every card shot up or flipped out with so much force it was undeniable, during this I got that intense cold energy feeling through me again, not a little shiver I'm talking intense cold that I've never experienced in my life, kind of like energy passing through me it's an undeniable feeling I can't possibly explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. As I'm doing this im asking different questions. I will write up these answers at some point on here, but some of the answers really surprised me though.

When it was undeniable to me of their existence I asked, have you been here all my life and I've just not realised it? And to shoot a sword card up if that's a yes. The ace of swords flipped up with force (the card has a massive giant swor) This happened over and over and over, every single card I asked for shot up or flung out I also on some questions asked for confirmation and they confirmed each and every one. I ended up bursting out crying at that answer, because I think all this just shocked me to my literal core quite honestly.

I got quite a few answers that I didn't expect and honestly this all really heckin shook me up the past day or so!

I actually felt really super shaky yesterday with everything that had happened processing it all, and met my sister for coffee, but honestly I felt so shaken up and weird I can't even explain, because to me really, this flips everything that I've thought about this kind of stuff from my religious upbringing (jehovas witness, im not anymore) my own beliefs, scepticism, view on the world and people completely upside down. The most important thing though? They told me that they only have my best intentions, and come from a place of love, multiple times. At one point they said I couldn't ask anymore questions right now, and that was fine as honestly it was just an overload of information that I needed to get to grips with tbh.

But yes I honestly don't care whatsoever if people don't believe it. It happened. I experienced it. There isn't a single part of me that doubts it anymore and tbh as open as I am, and despite having I suppose extra senses from being young, I'm still sceptical by nature, and stubborn. Like I was saying to my friend things need to smash me in my face to believe something fully, and later on after that conversation that's when the potty started turning itself on and on over and over again at 3am lmao.

So there we go, I am 100% fully intending to keep developing my abilities and do not have a single doubt anymore whatsoever that there are spirits, we have spirit guides (multiple) like nothing is ever going to sway that again.

[broodwolf221]

happy friday and welcome to DADWC!! A prompt for solas/varric, if it suits: insouciant - casually or smugly indifferent; nonchalant

ahhh this one was fun but tricky! took me a while to figure smth out for it uwu @dadrunkwriting 560 words

Solas entered the main hall, planning to go to the garden, when Varric waved him over instead. After a brief hesitation he joined the dwarf at the table in front of the hearth. “I keep telling everyone that I’m going to beat you one of these days, Chuckles, and you wouldn’t want to make a liar of me, would you?” Varric pushed the parchment he’d been working on aside and pulled out a deck of cards while Solas smirked.

“One cannot make you other than what you are, Master Tethras,” he countered smoothly, watching as Varric dealt out the hand. “If you wish to stop being a liar, there is a simple solution.” Varric paused to hold a hand against his chest in mock injury.

“I am wounded. I never knew you thought so lowly of me.” He grinned as he returned his attention to the cards, Solas picking his up to examine his hand.

“I do not believe acknowledging the reality is the same as thinking ‘lowly’ of you.” He made the first move and Varric frowned at the play. Or perhaps the words.

“A storyteller and a liar are not the same thing, y’know.” Varric sounded distracted now as he focused on his hand before making his own play with a smirk. Solas hummed quietly in approval and Varric’s smirk grew.

“Certainly not,” he agreed, noting the arch of Varric’s brow. “A storyteller is a far more loquacious liar than most.” Now the dwarf snorted and Solas played the next move.

“You’re calling me loquacious? I’m sorry, am I forgetting who waxes poetic about the Fade?” Varric barely considered before making his move, but Solas wasn’t buying it. He always had a good strategy planned.

“I don’t wax poetic,” he pointed out sourly. “I answer questions and explain things in the depth required for understanding.” Varric rolled his eyes and Solas grinned. As always, the rapport was a pleasant distraction. And when he made the next move Varric’s face fell and Solas’ grin widened.

“Shit. Okay.” Varric focused on his hand for a few moments while Solas made a point of settling into the chair, eyes lidded as he watched Varric. “Anyway,” he began as he made his move, Solas frowning as he saw the other man’s play beginning to come to fruition, “I have never in my life heard someone talk about the Fade as much as you do. Much less the way you do. Most men would save that sort of language to describe a lover.”

“Hm,” he managed as he glanced between the table and his hand. “At least I save my poetic descriptions for a place worthy of them. You talk about your crossbow the way most men would talk about a lover.” He made his next move, but he was beginning to think Varric might take this game.

“Bianca? Well, she’s worth it. She likes being flattered.” He laid down his final card and Solas sighed, setting down his hand. “And see? I’m no liar.” Solas flapped a hand at him, although they were both smiling.

“Spare me your crowing, Varric. You won this time, but you won’t always be so lucky.” He got up as Varric began gathering the cards, nodding at the other man before making his way to the garden.

He supposed they’d keep dancing around each other like this.

[voidlingduck]

Making a mini comic for class set in Pamdemonium and thought I’d ramble a bit about the Kings Court gang that the story focuses on!

Kings Court is one of the biggest gangs in Pamdemonium, controlling majority of the territory in Crookstown and looking to expand its reach. It’s headed up by a bastard who calls himself King and has given the rest of his family royal titles in turn.

The rest of the organisation is themed after a deck of playing cards, with Jack being the second in command.

Then there are the Aces, who are the heads of the four divisions or ‘suits’. Spades handles admin and miscellaneous work, Clubs are enforcers, Hearts are the face, and Diamonds deal in intelligence.

And finally, for this introductory post anyway, there is the Jester! Most of kings court operates on a very strict hierarchy, but the Jester exists outside of it. They are a wildcard, filling in for any role that needs doing, but also acting as an internal spy… they only answer to King, no one else has any authority over them, but they lack authority themselves…

There are more characters in the court to share and be developed but this is the core group that set up the structure of things!! I love them dearly and am happy to answer any questions about them ✨

[safyresky]

Sorry for the late hour but here are some questions! For the ask thing!

I could've literally asked for all the questions to be answered but here's just a few. Please and thank u

54 / 40 (for no reason at all 🤫)/ 39 / 16

I am a cretura of the night, Andie! No worries about the late hour EVER lol ;)

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

Oh I like this one! Let me think! Hmm! You know what's fun? Bullet points! And readmores which I will do. uh. now

Cold front hugs! Specifically the mindscape one in Chapter 6, and the pair of them leaning on one another on the way out of the pond @ the Springs in Chapter 23 of CS! Which yes, isn't a hug, but is a cute Cold Front moment

Winter grabbing Blaise's lapels in Chapter 11 while he has a whole ass crisis >:)

The fucking. (breaks window) Blinter: were those our kids? Jack: SCATTER scene lmaooooooo (from Chapter 22 of CS)

The twins doing one of these (see photo below) on the backyard deck stairs before asking Summer to play fire tag with them

^like that, but like. on all fours. with Fino squashing Fiera lmao

Honestly there's so many scenes I'd love to get fanart of/draw/EXPERIENCE but those are the ones that pop into the head IMMEDIATELY! And that's just CS, AH!. The family photo from Jacqueline Dies pt2 would ALSO be a lovely fanart to see! I actually did a shit doodle of it last week just for funsies:

My god it's so LONG. Sorry about that! anyway!

54. What’s your favourite part about the fanfiction writing process? Shoving an OC or two or five into the story and see how it goes >:). that and uploading a draft and reading it through one last time. That's exciting! I love that part! It's time consuming but I LOVE IT. It's like. THE ANTICIPATION

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

I should like. Assign these wips to numbers and start rolling dice about it. Um. OKAY! From smile shot wip "Believing is Seeing"

“Is it Grapes of Wrath?” “Yes! It actually was! Nice guess, Dite.” Dite and Xander lay on his dream cloud, just behind the chimney of Danielle’s house. Jacqueline snoozed still, curled up on Dite’s thigh. The goddess had lain back; her arms were behind her head as she gazed up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by. On the other side of the cloud, Xander lay on his back as well, one leg dangling, the other one bent at the knee as he read a book. “Alright, I got one. Two exes meet up again after a few years; shenanigans ensue, they still both have it bad for each other. Best slow burn I have ever read.” “Persuasion?” “Awh, you got it on the first go!” Xander laughed. “It’s supposed to be a misleading summary, Dite.” “I just really love Persuasion. It’s one of my favourite books! When Wentworth writes that letter? I just. Ugh,” Dite finished with a happy sigh. “It’s good.” There was a grumble between the two Legates; Dite perked up, sitting up gently. “Hi sleepy head,” she said with a grin. Jacqueline sat up, scrunching up her nose. “That was not four hours.” “Almost twelve, actually,” Xander said. “Dream sand may have had a hand in it.” Jacqueline scratched her neck and stretched her shoulders, shaking her freshly thawed hair off her face. “I didn’t melt all over you, did I?” “You did, but I don’t mind! It was just a little damp, no biggie.” “What’s the status?” “Quiet day,” Xander said, flipping his page. “They’ve stayed in for the most part. Left for errands a while ago, not back yet. Danielle’s still feeling hopeful, though.” “And she’s been meaning to text Charlie all day!” Dite said, chipper. “Can we get closer?” Jacqueline asked. “Why’d we move from the window?” “She ran to it right when she woke up and we were almost caught,” Xander said, flipping another page. “You snore.” “The fuck I do.” “You do,” Dite said. “But it’s cute snores! Like um, like every third breath is a snore.” “A honk sho or a mimimi?” “A weird cross between both.” Jacqueline looked thoughtful, then shrugged. “I can vibe with that. Side note, love that we can swear right now. Feels good, feels wholesome,” she said, hopping off of the cloud and onto the roof. “What are you doing?” Xander asked, putting down his book. “Getting closer! This one’s her room?” Xander nodded. “Quiet, though!” “I thought nobody was home?” “Her sister is.” “Alright, I can be quiet,” Jacqueline said, and, with a little hop, disappeared into thin air. “What is she doing?” Xander asked, trying to find her magical aura. Dite peered over the cloud with Xander. She surveyed the roof, then swatted Xander gently. “Right there, look; fast moving trail of frost headed down the drain pipe. She’s being sneaky,” Dite said with a grin. Xander chuckled. “Nice.” In the distance, car doors slammed and chatter met their ears. Danielle and her Mom had gotten back from their errands and were chatting up a storm. “Things are picking up again!” Dite said with an excited squeal. “We’re almost there, Xander!”

The summary of this one: Charlie tells Danielle about what his Dad REALLY does. Trouble in paradise has Dite on ALERT; determined, she hatches a lil plot and drags Jacqueline and Xander along for the ride. It's been fun to write! This trio of Legates is my fave lmao. They get into situations, and it's tripled when Charlie hangs with them!

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

Honestly? Too many! If I had to count, excluding wips, it'd be uh....eight, I think 🤔🤔🤔

My favourite one right now is Diteline Valentine's Day featuring Diteline kiddos! Dite's working and Jacqueline gets the day off. There is a cuddle puddle after Dite leaves for work. The kids ask Jacquie about what Diteline used to do on VDays before kids. Jacquie tells them all about their romance and such and says that every day is VDay with the four of them for her! They decide they wanna do something nice for their moms despite Jacquie's reassurance. Shenanigans ensue!!! Robyn wears a blanket cloak! Eira/Bianca didn't sleep! Joy has been awake for hours bc Valentine's Day! It's a recipe for disaster!

thanks for sending these in 🥰🥰🥰

[blazewatergem]

I have the overwhelming desire to talk about some of my recent Original Writings projects therefore you all shall be receiving ramblings/sales pitch on this post. You have been warned ;D

Bloody Roses: I’ve actually posted a chapter of this on my ao3 already! It’s heavily inspired by the online manwha I read, where the MC is isekai’d into the body of the main villainess, Amaris, a vampire queen. I’ve been joking it’s my spiciest story yet - but, considering me, it’s spicy in the same way pepper is spicy 😂 I’m mostly proudest of how I let myself really enjoy planning and writing for this. Like, I actually have Arcs written out! I think if you enjoy (obviously) monster romance, villain as the MC, and already established polyam relationships, you’ll like this one.

The Stars Above Midnight: Oh, this one. :’D Problem child of the group. The primary basis of it is how a new traveling doctor comes to a town called Midnight, claiming he wants to work there. He’s actually chasing down something his grandfather once saw, and the longer he stays in town - the more eyes are noticing him. This is pretty much my take on supernatural western(very much modern times though) with a lot of planned lingering dread. It’s my way of seeing how well I can do suspense and unease :3 I’m proudest of the scenes I’ve planned out already for this, two of them I am ECSTATIC to share once it’s time. If you like small town mysteries, country folk with secrets, and seeing eyes in the corn fields - this one’s for you!

The Song from Beneath: Funny enough, I refer to this one as The Stars Above Midnight’s “companion piece” despite them not being remotely related. It has a similar start in a private eye/detective coming to a isolated forest town looking for answers, but that’s where it veers off wildly. From missing people to disturbing dreams, this story is what I like to consider my deepest dive into Lovecraft Country. It’s also going to need tags like body horror, occult(but like, the fantasy kind), and of course - Eldritch terrors :D I’m proudest of how much I’m getting out of my standard style with this one. I haven’t really done extreme horror before, let alone Lovecraft Country style! And if things work out, I’m hoping this’ll be my scariest yet. Looking for dark drama, a board with pins and pictures all tied up in string, and a MC who starts to question their very reality? Look no further.

Instinct: My second isekai story on this list! This story is about a woman named Jax, who now takes on the role of “Evil Witch” in the world she’s ended up in. Except, she really isn’t about that life, and has a bone to pick with a lot of the people in this place. What’s the bone about? The kids. This story is mostly my agitation with how some kids in these fantasy stories/manwha get treated. I had a friend(*waves* Hi Sil!) call this a vent piece, and looking at it - she’s pretty right on the target. It will have fun, fluff in it too, but it’s really a bit of a power fantasy for me. I’m proud of this piece because it, it doesn’t have a big storyline or huge plot. It’s just me having fun, and writing what makes me happy. Sure, I do that anyways, but for this one - it’s all hands on deck. If any of this resonates with you, if you want strong “family is what you make it” vibes, or if you just want cute kid characters to coo over, here’s your story.

Help! The Evil Family Likes Me?!: Here we are at Isekai story number three. Heavily inspired by manwha that focus on the MC’s relationships with their new families, I’ve decided to try my hand at it. I’ve decided for this story, I wanted to focus more on familial relationships rather than romantic ones, so I’ve put the work in by plotting out the family and the history of said family HEAVILY. It’s a story about our MC, Evangelina Linwood, learning that while she’s read her share of manwha and knows the typical beats, it’s all different the minute you step into one yourself. With three brothers and a father to juggle, getting used to noble society, and trying to stay out of the main story’s way, she has her hands full. I’m proudest of, again, the work I’ve put into worldbuilding and her family. I believe I can honestly call it, my finest world yet. If you enjoy platonic and familial relationships in the spotlight, ruthlessness in the name of love, and learning to be accepted…well, your story starts here!

Thanks for reading 💜 I hope at least one of these sounds good! :D

[cookinguptales]

Okay so. I am fed, I am watered, I went on a nice walk for my mental and physical health (/nandor) and I managed to find both decks!

Since I dug them both out, I'll give people the opportunity to choose between The Mushroom Hunter's Tarot and The Pulp Tarot tonight.

They're both lovely decks that I really enjoy, so this should be fun.

Anyway, this is how we do things here.

If you'd like a simple three-card reading, please send me an ask that I can answer publicly, ask for a reading, and specify which deck you'd like. If you'd like to be anonymous, that's fine. That said, if you are anonymous, maybe put some emojis or something in your ask so you can tell that it's yours. Then... just be patient. lmao

This used to be a small little fun thing where I'd get just like 4-5 requests, but these days I tend to get more like 20-30. That's fine and fun and I love you all, but that does mean I need to pace myself a bit more so I don't make myself sick. (Chronic illness living, y'all.)

So here are some answers to questions/concerns I've gotten the last few times:

You haven't gotten to me yet. :(

I will! I get a lot of requests these days and I do my best to get through them all. This time I will admit that I'm on more of a time crunch than usual; I will do my best to get through everyone who sends me a request, but if I can't get through them all before my little break ends tomorrow, then I'll do one again in September once I'm home in Philly. Either way, please be patient with me!

It's been a long time since you posted a reading. Are you done?

I'll be done sometime tomorrow, depending on when my parents get home. (I'm visiting California rn.) If there's a big gap between readings, it probably means that I took a break to eat dinner or watch youtube or play Stardew Valley or something. Or I just fell asleep. I have several chronic illnesses, so I need to be careful to pace myself.

Besides, I like to take my time with each reading, so it may take me 20-45 minutes to shuffle, draw, photograph, read, and type up a response anyway. Everyone gets attention tonight, lmao.

Do these cost anything?

No, I don't charge for tarot readings. This is all for fun. If you'd like to do something in return, maybe just pay it forward by doing something nice for someone in your life in the upcoming days. Just something small. If you'd really like to donate to the new tarot deck fund (lmao) I do have a ko-fi. That said, again, really do not feel obligated. I only have this here because people ask.

Are you psychic? Will this tell the future?

No, I'm not psychic. I'm an academic. We're just having fun here.

Can I ask a specific question?

Well, again. I am not psychic and cannot tell the future. If you ask me something like "what will happen if I [x]" or "what should I do with [y]" then I cannot help you. But if you want me to focus my reading on a particular topic or something, I can do my best.

What's the background?

Usually I just use pajamas or a cute skirt or something, whatever has a nice pattern. (Sorry to ruin the magic.) But this time it's a blanket my mother made. :)

I don't know much about tarot. Can you teach me?

I'm happy to answer specific questions, but fully teaching someone about tarot cards, their history, and how to use them would take a while. If there's a lot of desire, maybe I'll make a series of posts or something? But I don't really have time to go through it all tonight!

Can I choose one of your other decks?

Not this time. I'm on vacation, so I don't have that many with me.

"If you're not too busy..." "If you don't mind..." "If there aren't too many requests..." "If it's okay..."

Friends, I do this because I think it's fun. I enjoy doing it. Whoever is reading this right now, you are just as entitled to my time and effort as anyone else in my inbox. You are not taking up any time that I am not freely offering. Please don't put yourself down in your request or act like you're an imposition. I will do this as long as I am having fun, and when I am tired, I will stop. Don't be so down on yourself! We're all having fun here!

I'm not having fun. I don't like tarot/you're cluttering my dash/I don't like your readings/this is dumb.

Well, you're in luck! I'm always careful to tag these so you can block them if you so choose. Please just block "#tarot shenanigans" and have a nice weekend.

okay now you can send me requests

[griim]

Well, she managed to get a chuckle out of him again. Guess she was not that bad at this whole conversation thing, though the longer Gemma sat, Gemma wondered if he was only putting on a show. New York was full of people who knew how to laugh and smile a way in and out of everything, herself included. A big reason why she trusted no one. Better to be stabbed in the back by a stranger than betrayed. Because you can count on the stranger to stab you, but you can not prepare for betrayal. Shifting in her seat, Gemma offered a smile as Matt chuckled, never letting on to what she was thinking.

‘My definition of a bad guy? Buddy, if you wanted to know, it would make everyone in this city a bad person. Every. Single. One. Myself included.’

Sitting in silence, Gemma nodded, “You’ve got a point. That definition can change drastically from person to person.” The woman smiled, “Hell, someone could even say they are doing what they are doing to survive. Right? And would that make them a bad guy? Or just someone adapting to the world around them?” A brow raised as she asked the question. Matt's response could give her insight into how he might react when or if Gemma tells Matt about who she is at night. “See, that is where you are wrong. Everyone gets lucky now and then in a fight. But I appreciate that you have no intention of harming me. It would be upsetting if you did since I did save your ass.” Gemma teased, though something in the words he said made her start to believe that he was hiding something more. But it was not the right time to press. They recently met, and she could do some digging later.

“Well, I kind of pushed all of mine away with decisions I made.” The woman said, sighing and looking down, “I royally fucked up, and I'm paying for it. Which is a reason why I tend to keep people at a distance. Things tend to follow me, you know? Like ghosts or some shit. And when people get close enough. Never mind. Anyways, friends are good and all, but a lot of the time, I do not think I am made for the whole friend thing.” Gemma never grew up with friends or people her age, so it was hard to understand that friends were a support system. Who needed a support system? When she could do it all herself. Albeit not very well, she still managed.

‘God? That’s what you think? If God is so mighty and powerful, why does he let that shit happen? Why could he not let me be happy for one moment?’ Closing her eyes, she needed to remember that people believed in things to help them, and just because she did not believe in anything did not mean she needed to shut him down. Gemma nodded, “Yeah. Everything happens for a reason? I sometimes wonder why the shit happened to me, though all my questions about that typically get no answers. Or, the one time,” the woman scoffed, “I asked a priest, he said, and I quote ‘it’s because the big man in the sky knew I could handle it.’ Which, if you ask me. That is a bullshit answer to my question. I didn’t tell him what happened, but if he knew, I doubt he would have thought that.” Gemma knew she thought it, and if there was a God, he was a sick fuck. “And even if I can't prevent it, I can try my best, can’t I? It’s better to die fighting than on your knees, isn’t it?” This conversation was quite the rollercoaster, one Gemma did not know if she wanted to get off. Matt, unlike others in this city, seemed to try to reason, even if his reasoning was ‘God’. “Unfair? Tell me about it. It seems I got the wrong deck of cards, not just the wrong hand. But guess that means I'm good at poker, huh?”

Shit. Well, she would have to lie to Matt, just a little. Because she had not helped THAT many people to make her ‘good.’ Gemma had a long way to go before she even managed to say she was decent, “Yeah, I guess you could say I have saved a few people. Though, when I say I am not good, I mean in the sense of a hero or villain. I am in some middle ground, I guess. You wouldn’t see me running around in spandex, fighting crime,” the woman smirked. Once again, a small lie. While she was not running around in spandex, Gemma was fighting ‘crime’ in a suit.

“Well, I just know a lot of lawyers are liars and shady people. Most are in it for their paycheck, though you’ve said you don’t do that.” The woman smiled, “So it’s just a surprise to me. And you talk naturally, whereas most lawyers talk to misdirect,” Gemma looks at the table as her fingers play with the glass. “As far as bad stuff, many people can justify anything. Really. If you think about it.” Gemma knew that all too well. It was something she did a lot. “Again, see your take on right and wrong. Or good and bad. I am glad someone sees that. Because sometimes you have to do a little bad to do good. Take war, for example. Sometimes, things go wrong, or people die. And unfortunately, it’s a cost to save a country or a group of people. So knowing that you realize there is an in-between is refreshing.”

‘It also might make if he ever found out about what I did a bit easier to understand.’ Which was a relief.

“I love the shock on your face. It’s funny, like you saw a ghost. But, yeah, I can. I like tech. It has been a hobby of mine since childhood.” And that was as far as she would go about her childhood, no one needed to know more. “Talents? I guess you could call skills talents.” Gemma smiled, “Just give me what you would like it to do, and I can see what I can do. Can’t promise a miracle, but I can give it a shot.”

So a man who is blind likes to fight, or at least train like a fighter sounds like a fun time. Gemma believed that anyone could defend themselves with enough training, and good for him not letting being blind stop him from fighting. “Sounds fun to me, and, hell yeah, it’s a great outlet. Better than beating someone up, right?” The woman laughed, “Except those assholes who deserve it. But yeah, I would not mind tagging along. Been looking for a new place to work out. My old gym is getting closed down.”

“You know, I have a decent amount of money laying around. How about I sponsor you. That is if you guys are a good firm.” Smirking, she sat back in her seat, “It’s better than putting the money in the stock market. That shit is too unstable. Besides, it would probably get you more business that can get you paid in more than fruit baskets or pies. All I ask is I hear about the interesting cases, with the names left out of course.”

[robsth0r]

A Long Lost Friend (Jack Dawson x Female!Reader)

A/N: So this is my first fanfic. My friend actually told me to make it lol. Anyways I hope you enjoy!

Warning: None

Word count: 1785

I am walking along the sidewalk with my two suitcases one in each hand. I am on my way to the big ship I luckily got a ticket for. I am the only one of my family that got a ticket as they were very hard to get. 

My family aren’t rich but aren’t poor either so I didn’t get first class and neither third but second which I am very happy with. It is very exciting just being able to sail with the new and famous ship Titanic.

I have a wide smile on as I walk around the corner to see the big ship. I stop and enjoy the view of the big ship. It is even bigger than I imagined! 

There are a lot of people as well. Many on their way aboard the ship and even more people saying their goodbyes to their friends and family

I run towards the ship to stand in line with all the poor getting checked for things they shall not take onboard the ship. 

One of the security guards comes up to me and looks at me with a dirty look. I suppose it is my clothes as I am wearing some rather male like clothes and girls like me should just wear dresses and skirts and not dirty pants and shirts. He has on a white suit with a matching white breton hat and brown slicked back hair.

“Miss I will need to check your suitcases,” He says, with a bit of a rude tone, towering over me. I hesitate for a moment but give him the suitcases. He opens the first looking into my eyes. He looks through it and picks up a little brown sack. He looks at me again and raises an eyebrow and I stare back at him making him continue. He ties the bow I had made open and takes out a little light blue stone I have spent much time looking at the last year.

“And this may be…?” He asks, looking down at me. “It is an angelite, sir. A crystal,” I answer his question, being curious if he is gonna steal it. He nods, frowning and putting the stone down in the sack slowly. He ties it again and hands me my suitcase again. He checks the other one too and quickly closes it again. “You can go onboard now, miss.”

I walk away in the way of the ramp going from the ground to the ship. As a second class on the ship I am one of the few that get to go with the first class on their ramp. I walk up on the ramp primarily made of metal and wood. In front of me is a rich family, probably first class. I can see it on their fancy dresses and suits and all their luggage. 

The woman furthest away from me has on a bottle green dress and a hat with a print on looking like a weird combination of wood, spruce cones and wihte spots with a dog on a leash. Behind the woman are there a man and woman walking next to each other. I assume they are together but it is hard to tell as they are about 3 meters away.

I don’t think much more about it as I reach the top. One of the servants welcomes me as I get onto the ship. I nod my thanks and quickly go to the deck to be with the rest of the passengers waving. I get to the top and go over to the crowded taffrail. Or I try because as I am on my way over to the rail a guy runs into me.

“I’m sorry ma’am!” The guy says and runs away with his friend. I recognize his voice immediately as my old friend Jack Dawson. I look after him and is about to call after him but it is too late and he is gone.

*Time skip bc I am lazy*

I walk down the hallway of the second class. In the hallway there could be three people walking next to each other at the same time which surprises me a lot. I am one of the first to get down from the deck as I don’t have anyone to wave to. 

On the floor there is a red carpet stretching all the way down the hallway and only about 10 centimeters on each side of the carpet can you see the dark wooden floor. The walls are white and smooth and between each door there is a little lamp hanging on the wall lighting up the corridor. 

I reach my room and unlock the door stepping in. I close the door again, turning around to a very pretty room. There is a twin sized bed in the left corner, a little dressing table next to the bed with a mirror above and a chair, a wardrobe just to the right when you step into the room and a little coffee table made of wood with an armchair. 

I look around the room in awe. I didn’t think it would be this pretty.

I open one of my suitcases seeing the brown sack on top of all my other things. I untie the bow and pours the little stone out in my hand. It is cold and as pretty as the first time I saw it.

“You have beautiful eyes,” Jack says and I look up from the book I was reading. We are sitting in a bar. Actually the place we first met. “Thank you,” I say, closing the book and placing it on the table.

“Yours are too,” I smile.

Jack takes a sip of his beer still looking into my eyes. Jack’s light blue eyes shine in the light of the lamp over us and I feel my heartbeat speed up. I break eye contact and look out of the window to see that it is already dark. I then get an amazing idea and look back at Jack who has turned his look away as well as me.

“Jack, I have an idea!” I say rather loudly. He turns his head to me again and frowns, “What? What’s your idea, Y/n?”

“You’ll see,” I say, smirking. I stand up putting my book in my old hobo style bag and reach out my hand for him to take. He hesitates but takes it still confused. I pull him towards the door hard, making him shriek.

I run towards a little crystal shop I have walked past many times before still holding Jack’s hand. We walk inside and start looking around after something that would match my desires. 

“What are we doing here? You know I don’t have much money,” Jack says sadly. I roll my eyes, continuing to look through all the beautiful stones. 

Then a light blue stone catches my eyes. That’s perfect! Just what I am looking for. ‘Angelite’ the paper before it says. I smile to myself and pick it up holding it up to Jack’s eye comparing them. 

“What are you doing Y/n,” Jack almost whispers, smiling. “Buying this crystal. It looks exactly like your eye,” I say in awe, “Find one that looks like mine!” I say loudly.

Jack's face saddens but he does as I say. He finally finds a E/C crystal and I smile widely but he looks down, “Y/n I don’t have money I’m sorry,” Jack whispers when I am on my way over to the little old woman owning the shop. I laugh a bit, making Jack confused.

“I can pay,” I say smiling. I can see Jack about to refuse so I cut in “I insist.”

Jack nod and I pay. I give Jack the E/C stone and he smiles. “Thank you. I will never forget.”

I smile at the memory but put the stone in the sack again and put it in my pocket.

After unpacking my suitcases I decide that fresh air would be nice. I walk out of my door down the corridor and up a staircase that leads to the deck. On the deck there are very crowded and it takes me some time to fight my way to the taffrail. 

I stop at the rail and lean a bit over to get air. The breeze plays with my H/C H/L hair and I close my eyes. I stand there for some time but eventually open my eyes. 

I look to the side seeing a guy drawing. I look closely at it. It is a little girl and her dad looking over the ocean. I know the artstyle quite well. I then look at the artist of the drawing. 

Jack. Jack Dawson.

I feel my heart sink and I let out a sigh of happiness. That makes Jack’s head turn to look in the direction of the sound. His eyes widen as I sit down and hug him. He lets out a laugh.

“Y/n!” He yells happily. I smile with tears in my eyes. The friend I haven’t seen in 1 year is sitting right next to me.

“I have missed you so much,” I whisper when I hold his shoulders in a tight grip. He smiles as I look into his perfect blue eyes. I then remember the exact thing that is in my pocket.

I quickly find the sack and unties it and takes out the stone. I take it up to his eyes like the time we bought it. 

“You have beautiful eyes,” I sigh as a tear of happiness rolls down my cheek. He finds a dark purple sack from his pocket which I recognize. He takes out the smooth E/C stone taking it to my eyes as well.

“This is the only thing I really own. I could have sold this long ago and gotten the money I needed but I never did,” He admits quietly, admiring the stone, “I could never make myself do it.”

I sit down next to him and we talk about all the things we have experienced while we weren’t together. He tells me about how he won the Titanic tickets in a poker game and his friend Fabrizio who also is on the ship. 

While telling the story his eyes shine so bright making my stomach clench. I have to bite my lip so as not to smile any more. I can feel my happiness grow every second I am with him. Reuning with my long lost friend is just intense, overwhelming happiness.

Being with him has always made me feel safe. I don’t know… maybe we aren’t just friends…