#i love the idea of helping baby tarot readers find their feet!

[devilat-thedoor]

Hands to Yourself

Hi loves🤍🤍

It’s currently 1:30am. I have been fighting to get this finished between my work schedule and life. It's barely proofread and shorter than I wanted it to be, but I can say that I’m quite content with how it turned out! I think I may keep the storyline going into a few more parts, but please let me know what you all think. I appreciate the feedback more than anything. Love you, babies💖

Word Count: 5.3K

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x f!Reader

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI. Alcohol consumption, Swearing, dom!Jake (that deserves a warning, right?), Oral (M!receiving), slight spit kink, f!reader x f!OC being flirty and touchy. i think that's it for now.

The music drifted through the room quietly while you finished getting dressed. Your hair fell in loose waves down your back as you untucked it from the neck of the pale pink crop top you pulled on. The blue bell bottoms you wore flowed down over your feet, drowning them in the denim. It had been so long since you’d taken a night off to go out and have fun. Jake had been busy with the boys, finalizing everything for their upcoming tour, so you took the opportunity to pick up extra shifts, to keep yourself busy. But when Jake crawled into bed last night, he offered the idea of going out for drinks tonight to unwind. All three of his brothers would be there. “It’ll be fun, you’ve been throwing yourself into work, you deserve a good night out, love.” He persuaded, his voice soft and sweet. He didn’t need to persuade though, you already knew you were going to agree.

Checking your lip gloss in the bathroom mirror, you called out, “Jake, can you come here for a sec?” He was standing in the bathroom doorway within a moment, his eyes raking over your legs, hugged so nicely by the jeans. You smiled to yourself, noticing the slight gape to his mouth, happy that they chose a casual bar for the night. “Can you help with my necklace?” You asked, handing him the chain that held a gold Wheel of Fortune tarot pendant. Your good luck charm. He waited for you to gather your locks into a hold before locking the chain around your neck, leaning in to press a kiss to your shoulder before pulling away.

His rough hands snaked around your front, pulling your back flush against his chest as he looked over your reflection in the mirror. His chin rested on your shoulder and you brought your hand up to cup his face. “I almost don’t want to go out anymore…” He trailed off, fingers teasing the waistband of your pants, “We could just stay in bed, they wouldn’t miss us.” His lips met your neck, enticing you to accept his proposition; and you would have had you not so badly needed time out of the house.

Your hands grabbed his, peeling them from your body, “We’ll have all day tomorrow to spend in bed.” You turned to face him and let your lips land on his in a soft peck. He pouted his lip when you pulled back to look at him, “Lover, I need a drink or two… or ten.” You smiled at him, batting your eyelashes until he returned the smile and broke away from you with an exaggerated huff. You followed him out of the bathroom, grabbing your jacket as you made your way to the front door to slip your shoes on.

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Jake held the door open, ushering you inside the bustling bar room. It was a busy night, people moved in all directions, crowding the stools around the bar and the tables scattering the area. Some 70s or 80s music played through the speakers, you couldn’t quite make it out as your ears adjusted to the multitude of voices echoing throughout the room. The smell of cigarette smoke drifted through your nostrils, your eyes wandering over the crowd to find an empty table. Jake’s hand landed on the small of your back, forcing your attention to him as he pointed across the space to the pool tables, nestled in the back corner. You followed his finger to see the boys, waving you both over. A small smile curled at your lips, thankful that Danny had brought his girlfriend, Odessa. You absolutely adored her and were more than happy to have another woman there to keep you company while the guys were bullshitting.

As you began your walk towards them, Jake pulled at your hand, halting you. When you turned to face him, he leaned in, half shouting, “I’m gonna go open a tab, you want a gin martini?” He questioned, knowing your typical drink of choice. Your smile forced your eyes to crinkle, but before you could respond, he added, “Dry, of course.” His eyebrow raised with a smirk to his lip. Nodding your head, you pecked his cheek before moving towards the others at the pool table as he made his way to the bar.

Josh greeted you first when you stepped up to the table, wrapping you in a tight hug. “Y/N, it’s been ages!” He placed a kiss on both cheeks in his over-the-top, Joshy way. “You look absolutely radiant tonight!”

You couldn’t help but mirror his face-splitting grin. Just then, Odessa came up behind you, yanking you into her embrace. Her long, dusty red hair fell in a curtain around you. “Babe, you look so hot, what the fuck?!” She beamed, holding you at arms length to look you over. You took the time to admire how good she looked as well. She wore an oversized, faded black, vintage Fleetwood Mac t-shirt as a dress. It was riddled with tiny rips all over and she fastened a tan belt to cinch the waist and carve out her petite figure, pairing it with matching cowboy boots.

She was incredibly pretty, her red hair a stark contrast against Danny’s almost black hair as he came up beside her. “Dess, are you kidding me?” You held her hand above her head, forcing her into a spin, “you’re so fine! You need to take me thrifting with you one of these days. You always find the best stuff.”

Odessa gave you a toothy grin as you leaned in to Danny’s side, giving him a half hug. “Well if you weren’t working so much, we would be able to make plans…” She raised her eyebrows, giving an accusatory look. You put your hands up in defense, but before you could say anything, she piped up again, “OOOOH! Hang on, I need to introduce you to Sage!” She squealed before turning and rushing to the booth tucked in the corner behind the pool table. Your eyes followed her, catching sight of Sam, his back to you, leaning against the pool table, having a conversation with who you could only assume was Sage. Odessa hooked her arm around the other woman’s, dragging her in your direction. “Y/N, this is my best friend, Sage. Sage, this is Y/N, Jake’s lovely lady.” Odessa giggled and you could tell she was already a few drinks deep.

You smiled, reaching out to awkwardly shake Sage’s hand. She returned the gesture, before Odessa distracted her with light conversation, giving you the time to study her. She stood about 5’9”, her ashy brown hair hung straight, reaching the middle of her back. A light dusting of freckles, sprinkled over her nose and naturally blushed cheeks, making the green of her eyes pop beneath the low bar lighting. She was wearing a black, lacy bodysuit, paired with a short, red suede skirt that hugged her hips in a way that kept your attention for a moment too long.

Suddenly Jake was at your side, his voice snapping you from your thoughts, “Come back to earth, love.” He held your drink out to you as he sipped his beer. All you could do was meet him with a questioning look as you took the glass, hoping your face wasn’t too red. He chuckled quietly, “You just looked a little spaced out… You better not be thinking about work.” His hand found its place at the small of your back, leaning into you, and he left a kiss on your cheek, “Let loose tonight, babe. You deserve it.” He whispered before walking off to join his brothers at the pool table.

You decided to take your boyfriend’s advice and ‘let loose.’ But you may have overdid it a bit. You’d be cursing yourself with regret tomorrow, but when Odessa sent Danny and Sam to the bar for a few rounds of shots, you couldn’t help yourself. After about two hours in the bar, you’d scrapped the gin martinis after your second glass and opted for tequila sodas, per Josh’s suggestion, and whatever shots everyone was buying. You knew better than to mix your liquors, but you could’ve sworn everything was going great until Sammy had the bright idea for everyone to shoot a round of jagerbombs. That was when everything went downhill, though you wouldn’t reap those consequences until tomorrow.

The alcohol had your body buzzing. Danny and Odessa had left, calling their night early. Sage stayed, and you had hit it off pretty well with her, making friendly conversation, sharing jokes and finding mutual interests. She really was beautiful and funny and you found yourself enjoying her company quite a bit. It was a little after 11pm when the jukebox kicked on, Van Halen booming through the overhead speakers. You gasped, jumping up from the booth, nearly tripping on your own feet, “Jake, I wanna dance!” You practically fell into his arms, words slurring ever so slightly. “Come dance with me, pleeeease…” you drew out the plea, attempting to give him puppy dog eyes.

He straightened you to a standing position, laughing softly, “We’re in the middle of a game, but as soon as it’s over-” You cut him off, blowing raspberries in his face as you turned on your heel.

You leaned your elbows on the table, looking at Sage with glazed eyes, “You wanna dance?” The question came out flirtier than you intended, but she must not have noticed or wasn’t bothered by it. She grabbed your hand, standing from her seat and yanked you towards the crowded floor. The place was filled with middle aged men, eyeing the two of you as you swayed with the rhythm of the music. A few older women sat at the bar, giving you dirty looks, but you didn’t notice. The opening notes of ‘Feels Like The First Time’ rang out and it stirred something in you. You and Sage were pressed against each other, a mess of sweat and flowing hair and grinding hips. Her arms snaked around your neck as yours found her hips, pulling one another in tighter. As your bodies writhed together, you caught sight of Jake, his jaw clenched. He didn’t notice you watching him from over Sage’s shoulder, as he adjusted his dick in his jeans, looking around him to see if anybody else saw him do so. You caught your lip between your teeth, abruptly aware of the wetness pooling in your underwear.

Sage broke away from you, sweeping her hair from her forehead, as the song came to an end. “I’m gonna grab another round, be right back.” She half yelled over the music, allowing her fingers to graze your arm as she moved past you, towards the bar. You watched as she went, hips swaying with some intent. Of what, you weren’t sure. When you caught yourself staring, you shook your head, hoping to shake away the thoughts, before returning to your booth.

Jake stood, leaned against the pool table while Josh racked the balls and carried on an animated conversation with Sam. “Hi, lover.” You wrapped your arms around Jake’s torso, pressing your chest into him. You could feel his semi-hard erection in his jeans, causing you to add a little pressure with a roll of your hips. His hands shot up to grab your waist as he choked down a groan. You gave a sly smile, looking to see if his brothers were paying any attention, and dropped your hand to palm his length through the fabric, giving a light squeeze.

He gripped your wrist and forced it to your side, “Watch yourself.” It came out as a warning, but in your inebriated state, you didn’t pay it any mind and rolled your hips into him again. His arms wrapped around you then, locking you tight against him. He leaned down, lips brushing your ear as he whispered, “You practically fuck Sage on the dancefloor and then you want to come over here and try it with me?” He clicked his tongue, a low chuckle escaping his throat at the quiet gasp that fell from your lips. This man had you wrapped around his finger and he knew it. “I think you need to learn how to keep your hands to yourself, love.” You felt his teeth nip your ear lobe and then there was nothing. Jake had let go of you, moving to pick up his cue and start the game.

Sage returned to the table with a tray of tequila shots. She handed you a small glass and you accepted it with a lazy smile. “Lime?” She offered, holding the slice up to you. Your eyes flicked to Jake as he stood, watching your every move. You don’t know why you did it, maybe his words from a moment ago had spurred you on, but you couldn’t stop yourself if you wanted to. You tipped the glass back, gulping down the burning liquid, and then moved forward, wrapping your lips around the lime wedge in Sage’s hand, sucking the juice from it while it sat in her fingers. She just stared at you. You couldn’t tell if she was mesmerized or shocked. Maybe both. But when you pulled away, she dropped the wedge onto the tray sitting on the table and reached to wipe the juice that dripped down your chin, her thumb grazing over your lip so softly. The world felt like it stopped, everything moving in slow motion.

“You guys gonna kiss or what?” Sam spoke from the opposite side of the pool table, breaking the tension. Josh smacked his arm and mumbled something under his breath. Jake had his eyes on you still, a slight incline to his lip, as he tipped the bottle of beer to his mouth. You couldn’t pull your eyes from his, standing frozen in place. You felt your skin heat under his stare and finally excused yourself to the bathroom. Flashes of Jake’s face plagued your thoughts. What was that expression? Anger? No… It was almost playful, challenging you. But what exactly was the challenge?

Taking a few minutes in front of the filthy mirror, you attempted to compose yourself. But as you reached for the door handle to exit the restroom, it was as though every drop of liquor you had consumed ravaged your body at once. You took your time stumbling back to the table. Your feet carried you without much help from your brain, driving your body into various people along the way. The muttered apologies falling from your lips were met with side eyes and angered frowns. When you made it back to the booth, you saw the long, chestnut brown hair and slid in next to him, resting your head on his shoulder. He smelled so good, you nestled your nose against his neck, breathing him in. His scent forced your lids to flutter closed. Even after his warning to keep your hands to yourself, you just couldn’t. You let your hand land on his knee, slowly dragging your fingertips up his thigh. Weird. Wasn’t Jake wearing jeans… The thought left your mind quicker than it entered and you allowed your hand to drift further, now hovering over the bulge, prominent in his right pant leg. Your lips found the pulse point in his neck, leaving a kiss, before nipping at his jaw while your fingers lazily danced over his covered length. Just as a strangled groan crept up his throat, a pair of hands grabbed your waist, hauling you up and out of the booth.

You whipped around in confusion, your eyes landing on Jake. Wait no. That doesn’t make sense. How… "Jake, how did you-” You gawked at him, unable to finish your question. Slowly, your head turned back towards the booth that you had just been yanked from and fell upon the figure tucked in the back of it. There sat Sammy, his long, chestnut brown hair acting as a shield to cover the bright red blush overtaking his features. “Oh shit…” Were the only words to leave your lips before everything went black.

Your consciousness came back in blips, only allowing the smallest bits of memory to stick in your mind. Jake half carrying you out of the bar. “M’gonna be sick…” You murmured. He held your hair back with one hand and used the other to keep you steady. You’re not sure how long you spent emptying the contents of your stomach in the parking lot before it all went black again. Suddenly you were in the car, pulling into the driveway of you and Jake’s shared home. Then nothing. The last thing your conscious mind picked up was your boyfriend, rubbing calming circles on your back while you sat in bed, swallowing down the glass of water he’d given you.

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The morning sun glimmered across your eyelids, warming your face in the air conditioned room. You opened your eyes, acclimating to the bright streaks filtering through the window. Your limbs stretched out, and a soft hum vibrated from your throat as your muscles began to loosen.

Rolling over to find Jake, he was laying awake, scrolling through Instagram. “Good morning, beautiful.” He gave you a soft smile. You returned the smile and reached out to snuggle against him, but he pulled away, slipping out of the bed. Seeing your furrowed brow, he simply nodded his head toward the door, “I’m gonna take a shower.” He was padding out of the bedroom before you could argue.

The dull throb in your head was a lot more mild than it should’ve been, given the fact that you drank way more than intended last night. Dragging your body from the mattress, in search of ibuprofen, you made your way to the bathroom. Jake had left the door open, as if to invite you in. Stepping into the steam filled room, you went straight for the medicine cabinet, dumping four of the pills into your hand and tossing them in your mouth. You filled the cup that sat on the sink and swallowed the pills down, chugging the water to chase them. Placing the cup back on the counter, you picked up your toothbrush and turned to face the shower, mindlessly brushing your teeth. You could see Jake through the frosted glass of the doors, rinsing his hair beneath the stream, his fingers combing through his ends. Spitting the foam from your mouth, you put the toothbrush back in the holder and pulled your oversized sleep shirt over your head. You stepped closer to the shower, shedding your panties before pulling the door open. Jake rubbed the water from his eyes, turning to look at you. His eyes raked over your naked form and you felt a chill run through your blood at his hooded gaze, goosebumps prickling your arms. When he finally met your eyes, you could’ve sworn you saw a smirk on his lips. “Can I join you?” Your voice came out quietly. He did say anything, just turned to rinse the remaining conditioner from his hair. You took that as an open invitation and stepped in, closing the door. But as you reached to pull Jake towards you, he caught your wrist, dropping it to your side. “Baby, what’s wrong?” You questioned, the confusion evident on your face.

Jake moved back, pushing the shower door open and stepping out. “Nothing, love. I’m just finished up, you go ahead and shower.” He grabbed his towel from the rack and wrapped it around his waist, leaving you alone, for the second time this morning, without another word.

You stood there, dumbfounded, for a moment. Why is he acting like this? Without even cleansing yourself, you turned the knobs, shutting the water off. Ripping a towel down from the rack, you stormed into your bedroom as you pulled the towel around your chest, securing it. Jake stood in front of his dresser, his own towel discarded on the bed. He was gliding deodorant on, when you entered the room. “Jake, are you mad at me or something?” Your voice echoed through the space, coming out louder than you meant.

“No, I’m not mad at you, Y/N.” He didn’t bother to look at you as he chuckled.

Moving towards him, you reached out to grab his arm and turn him to face you. But when your fingers hit his skin, he jerked away as though your touch burned him. “What the fuck, Jake?” You raised your voice, not allowing him the chance to answer, “Why won’t you let me touch you? What did I do?” Your pleading expression was met with his calm demeanor.

He took a slow step forward, eyes boring into you, and kept his tone even, “I told you that you needed a lesson in keeping your hands to yourself.” His fingers grazed your cheek as he tucked your hair behind your ear, “And after the shit you pulled last night…” He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, his hand moving to yank the towel from your body. “I think it’s time you learned.” The towel crumpled at your feet and Jake ran his index finger from your throat, down the space between your breasts, stopping just below your belly button and leaving a blazing hot trail in its wake. “What do you think, love?” His breath was warm, fanning over your face as he spoke.

The wetness that pooled between your legs was undeniable, causing you to squirm under his stare. “Whatever you want, Jake. I’ll do anything.” You whispered, aching to wrap your body around him.

He smiled at your response, cupping your cheek for a moment before his demeanor shifted. His eyes darkened, “Kneel.” He commanded. You obliged almost instantly, dropping to your knees, noticing that he was lazily pumping his growing erection. Your tongue darted out to wet your lips. His hand stopped, falling to his side and you made a move to replace his hand with your own. “No hands.” He scolded, causing you to drop them into your lap. “I’ll tie them behind your back if I have to. Be good.” He waited for you to nod in understanding.

“I’ll be good, baby. Promise.” You knew how pathetic you sounded but you just wanted his hands on you. Wanted to taste him, feel him. You needed it and weren’t afraid to beg for it. “Please, baby…”

Satisfied with your plea and promise, his right hand weaved into your hair as you looked up to meet his eyes from where you rested on your knees below him. He brought his left hand to your chin, “You’re breathtaking.” he half-whispered, running his thumb over your plump bottom lip. “You know that, right?” You responded by allowing your tongue to roll out and flick over the rough pad of his thumb. Your gaze flicked from his face to his cock, resting at eye level with you. He was impossibly hard, every intricate vein visible and you ached to trace along them all with your tongue.

As if reading your mind, he tipped your chin up, forcing your eyes back to his. “You want it?” He questioned, a smirk playing on his lips as you nodded eagerly. His left hand dropped, “Then take it.” He nudged the back of your head toward him, right hand still tangled in your locks.

With your mouth practically watering, your focus went back to his cock. leaning forward, you pressed your lips to the head. but as you opened your mouth to take him in, his grip tightened on your hair, holding you back. Your brow furrowed, eyes searching his, silently questioning him, but his face only held a barely there, smug smile as he eyed you. Your attention returned to his length before you lunged forward, with more force this time, your lips just closing around the tip before he yanked you back, holding you in place. “Jake please…” You whined in frustration, the taste of his salty precum on the tip of your tongue from the short contact.

“I think you can do better than that, sweet girl.” he simply chuckled as he bent down to meet you face to face, that devilish smirk creeping across his features. “You want it so bad…work harder for it.” He spat the last part in a condescending whisper.

You continued to fight against his grasp, inching closer. His fist loosened, giving you a bit of slack which allowed your mouth to just barely wrap around the head of his length. Then he pulled you back again, your scalp beginning to ache from the tension. You were growing more impatient by the second and Jake knew that. “Y’gonna give up already, love?”

You wanted to slap the arrogant expression from his face when suddenly, a lightbulb flicked on in your head. No hands. You shifted your body, ass resting on the backs of your legs as you brought your hands behind your back, clasping them together. Looking up at him again, you kept direct eye contact, opening your mouth and letting your tongue hang out, leaving your throat open and relaxed for him.

Jake let out a sigh as he leaned down, “That’s my good girl.” He smiled, massaging his hand over your stinging scalp. Before he straightened to stand, he let a string spit fall from his mouth onto your awaiting tongue. Your body shuddered at the lewd action. Just as his spit began to drip from your tongue, he took his middle and ring finger and scooped the bead of saliva, forcing it into your mouth. His palm rested on your chin as his fingers slid deeper into your mouth. Your lips closed around his fingers, a gag threatening its way up. Jake could sense it and added pressure to the back of your tongue. “Relax your throat, Y/N.” He ordered. You closed your eyes, focusing on the taste of his skin, and allowed yourself to swallow around him. He hummed at the feeling, “Open up.” He pulled his hand away, tapping your cheek.

You complied, opening wide for him. He stepped forward, gathering your hair in his fist again, and taking the base of his cock in the other hand. You watched down the bridge of your nose as he pushed the tip past your lips. Your tongue flicked over the underside as he pushed further, a faint ‘fuck’ escaping his mouth. When he finally tapped the back of your throat he stilled, letting his head hang, his breath leaving in short huffs. You relaxed your throat the best you could, trying not to move out of fear that he’d pull away. You attempted to swallow the saliva pooling on your tongue, causing Jake’s hips to buck forward. His lips curled up into that evil smirk as he pulled your head back, slipping out of your mouth before driving back in with intent. He kept a steady pace, dragging your head back and forth by your hair.

When your eyes began to water, he pulled out for a moment, admiring the state you were in. Hair in tangles, face red and tear stained, lips and chin glistening with spit, chest heaving and mouth agape with heavy breaths. “You’re doing so well, pretty baby.” His touch was gentle as he praised you, cupping your cheeks. Before you could react, his hands grasped your head and drove his dick back into your mouth, more forceful this time. Your eyes squeezed shut, trying to choke him down. His hips bucked relentlessly, fucking into your throat at a pace you could barely keep up with. Your hands ached to grab at him, to just feel his skin under your touch. But you held them back, opting to dig your nails into your own palms.

The spit was dripping from your mouth, coating your chin and neck and dripping onto your breasts. His cock twitched against your tongue and a violent gag roared from your throat. Jake groaned at the sound. He was close. Your jaw was starting to ache, but Jake’s thrusts were becoming sloppy. You timed his next thrust; When his tip made contact with the back of your mouth, you slipped your tongue out and flicked it over his balls. “Holy fuuuuck…” His eyes found yours as his mouth hung open. “Do it again.” It almost sounded like a plea leaving his lips. He drew out slowly before diving back in and you repeated the same gesture. His lids fluttered closed and his grip on your hair was almost painful as he buried himself in your throat. The short patch of hair at the base of his cock brushed the tip of your nose. A chorus of strangled moans and curses fell from his mouth as his climax overtook his body. The first string of his release hit you, forcing another gag to rip from your esophagus as you swallowed it. You hollowed your cheeks, gently bobbing your head to coax him back down to earth and he welcomed it. His hands rubbed over your scalp, a shudder rolling through his body.

When he finally softened, you let him fall from your lips. Jake moved to sit on the edge of the bed, allowing his breathing to calm. You sat watching him, you didn’t dare move until he held his out to you. “Come here, love.” It wasn’t a command, more of an offering. You stood, your legs shaking from being tucked beneath you, and slipped your hand into his. He pulled you down onto his lap, holding you close and placing a kiss to your lips. “Are you okay?” The question was laced with concern. He picked up the towel that sat behind him and wiped your neck and chest off.

You couldn’t hold back your smile as you watched him clean you up with the softest touch. “I’m okay, lover.” Your fingers trailed up his chest and over his shoulders before wrapping around his back. “But I don’t think I understood the lesson.” You giggled at his playful eyeroll, his hands coming to rest on your hips. “Maybe we can go over it again later?” He couldn’t stop the grin that cracked across his face at your inquiry.

He pulled you in for another kiss, nipping at your bottom lip before pulling away. “Let’s talk about it over breakfast.” He stood up, placing you on your feet. “You need some food in your stomach before you get sick.” Jake pulled a t-shirt from his dresser, tossing it to you.

“Okay, but I want waffles.” You pulled the shirt over your head before moving to your dresser to grab a pair of underwear. “And maybe you can fill me in on what exactly I did last night that was sooo bad.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” He asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

“Uhhhhh…” You stared at the ceiling, trying to think back to the last memory you had of the night. “I remember asking you to dance with me, but you wouldn’t leave the pool table.” You stated matter-of-factly.

He smirked, “But you still got to dance…” He trailed off, waiting for you to finish his thought.

You thought harder, flashes of Sage’s body grinding with yours, creeping into your mind. “Oh. With Sage…” You searched for more pieces of lost memory, but came up short. “I can’t remember anything past that.” You raked your hand through your hair as you looked back at Jake.

He smiled to himself before strolling out of the room. He called from the hallway, “I’ll fill in the blanks while we cook. But I don’t think Sam’s gonna be around for a while.” Jake’s laugh echoed through the house.

“Wait, what happened to Sammy?”

READ PT 2

[illfoandillfie]

Hi!! So I took a small class tonight about tarot cards and I’m SO EXCITED to start! Do you have any advice for somebody just starting out?

oh thats so cool, i’m excited for you! what sort of stuff did the class cover?

I’ve got 4 main points of advice but i’ve broken them down into smaller sections based on what i’ve used and what i’ve seen others talk about. Take what you feel works, ignore what you think won’t help or what sounds dumb or whatever. There are so many ways to approach tarot and what worked for me won’t necessarily work for you so test things out and play around with it. If you have any more questions about things i haven’t covered or if you want me to elaborate on anything or link some more resources please let me know!

Tip 1: Get a deck.

obvious place to start but having the cards is an easy first step lmao. there are also apps available if you can’t get a physical copy but being able to shuffle a physical decks will probably help you connect to it better. 

I recommend something based on the Rider Waite Smith imagery because so much of the images inform the meanings of the cards and will help you learn - there are tonnes of different RWS decks out there, This one is quite bright, This one is a bit more muted in colour, This one has redone the art so it’s in the art nouveau style while keeping the RWS images, This one has modernised it so it’s not just white men on most of the cards

If you want some more suggestions for good decks for beginners I recommend watching THIS video or looking around youtube. Tarot readers/cardslingers/whatever you want to call them like showing off their collections. There are so many videos of people talking about which decks they own and showing off what the cards look like (even i made one lmao) so it’s a great way to get an idea of what a deck looks like and the size of the cards or even the weight of the cardstock they’re made with, even if you can’t physically touch them.

But the easiest way is to find a deck in your local bookstore and see how it feels for you. You want something you enjoy looking at, and that resonates for you because you’ll be able to connect with it easier

After that you can branch out if you want. Some readers only have one deck that they do everything with, others collect decks like people collect coins. Personally I like using different decks for different questions but a solid RWS deck will work for anything so if that’s all you feel you need then that’s cool too. 

Tip 2: Start a Tarot Journal

this is what i did when i started. I bought a cheap notebook from the newsagency on my way to work and I dedicated 2 pages to every card. I titled them and then wrote down what the little white books that came with the decks i had said about each card as well as made notes on what imagery/symbolism was on each card. As I’ve learnt more I’ve added to these pages, observances i’ve made about when the cards are likely to appear, things i’ve seen other readers comment on (like someone i follow refers to the 5 of cups (i think) as the unrequited love card), relations to astrology, anything interesting i’ve read about the cards that i didn’t already have written down.

At the back end of the notebook I write down results for interviews i do with new decks

and i also have a section for particular spreads i like after all of the individual card pages but there are so many things you can write about in tarot journals.

i’ve seen some people do a daily card draw in the morning and write what the card could be referring to and then at the end of the day they write about what happened and how it related to the cards

I’ve seen others that try to relate song lyrics or movie quotes to each card to help them remember what the card means.

if you look for ideas on google or youtube i’m sure you’ll find examples of what people do with tarot journals. 

Tip 3: Seek out info from other readers

One way to do this is books. There are so many book out there, especially for beginners, that talk about advice for reading cards, ways to help you learn the meanings, spreads that come in handy, etc. I read a book called Kitchen Table Tarot by Melissa Cynova when i was first learning and found it really helpful. But there are heaps of others out there too. Most bookstores will have a “new age” section so browse around and see if theres something you like the look of. Same goes for libraries. Or places like audible if you like audio books. 

Podcasts are also a thing. I don’t have any specific recommendations but i’ve come across references to witchy podcasts so I’m sure there’d be something tarot specific out there.

Youtube is also brilliant. I love watching pick a card reading videos. It’s a really easy way to see how other readers interpret cards, what sort of systems they use. I like Siren Tarot and Charmed Intuition Tarot. They both read very differently. Siren uses multiple tarot decks in rows to figure out the story. Charmed is more likely to combine her tarot cards with oracle cards and she reads charms as well and sometimes uses a pendulum. 

There’s also a witchy community on tumblr as well, so have a look around, maybe follow some people or lurk in tags. 

Tip 4: Practice.

Read for yourself, asking different questions. Love life, career, friendship, family relationships, goals you have, whatever comes to mind. Do daily/weekly/monthly readings for yourself. Get a feel for how the cards operate. Start with one card, learn how to interpret it, what it might mean in relation to your question. Then add another couple of cards, see how the meaning gets clarified by what appears around it. Make notes as you go. This is where a journal comes in handy because if you write down what cards come up and what happens on those days you can start seeing patterns and that helps you understand the cards better next time they come up.

Read for others too. People you trust that you feel won’t make fun of you learning tarot or won’t talk shit about it. Close friends, family. Or, if you don’t have anyone irl, do what I did and let people ask for readings online. Start a specific blog for it if you want. It’s good if you know them irl because you can easily ask them how things turned out, see if you were on the money or if your interpretation was off then you can go back to what was drawn for them and see how it connects, if it does at all. 

Don’t be afraid to read cards with the guidebook in your hand. That’s what they’re there for, to help you understand the cards. You can often get a sense of the card, if it’s positive or negative and what its meaning is, by looking at the imagery but use the books for as long as you need!

Create your own rituals around your cards. Some guides will tell you to sleep with your deck under your pillow or beside your bed so you can connect with it as you sleep, some will tell you to cleanse your deck in sunshine or moonlight or with smoke from a candle or by placing a specific type of crystal on top of it. Figure out what works for you. Cleansing can come in handy, especially if you do something that’s emotionally heavy, being able to clear that energy from your deck will give you better results in the next reading but if letting your deck sit in the moonlight sounds kinda crazy to you don’t do it. Personally, when i’m getting ready to do readings I light a candle and make a cup of tea or coffee. I’ll knock on the deck to wake it up and maybe pass it over the top of the candle if I feel like it. It’s about making a space you feel comfortable in. 

Don’t read when you’re emotionally compromised. If you’re completely distressed and having the worst week of your life your results aren’t going to be as clear or accurate as if you’re in a more stable frame of mind. It’s why a lot of people like to meditate for a bit before they do readings. It lets them centre themselves and focus their energy on the cards. 

Don’t be afraid of your intuition. If you draw a card and a phrase pops into your mind, include it in your reading. If you see something on the card, even if it’s a small image, and you feel like it’s important, mention it or note it down or whatever. It might seem like it comes from out of nowhere but it’s your intuition picking up on something small you might not even realise you’ve noticed. 

[holyfool-arcana]

The Holy Fool: Chapter 1

What the Waters Giveth

Word Count: 1.7k Warnings: Mentions of infant death, murder, and infidelity Rating: M Description: An Arcana AU set in a Vesuvia that is half-noir and half-fantasy.

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✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ

When Liuyin Mei nearly kicks down the door to the shop at dawn, Asra Alnazar immediately sensed, deep in the dregs of his instinct, that something foul was afoot.

For one, they were dressed, not in the high-collared and pale blue blouse that at this point was customary of them, but rather, in clean, simple linen, a pale figure outlined by the light of early morning. They were wearing white-- funereal colors, though on Liuyin, the veil and robes made them look like one of the immortals or angels or gods that lived atop the snowy mountains, aloof from worldly troubles.

For another count, it was dawn, when Liuyin was a habitually bad sleeper and a chronically late riser, and every moment before the sun was in the midst of the sky that they spent awake, they also spent cursing and looking like an alley cat rescued from the rains.

“Asra,” the white-garbed sorcerer had said, and in that space between sleeping and waking that he was surfacing from, the sound of his voice in their accent made his heart leap into his throat and stick there for a beat, two beats, before the rhythm reestablished itself in the wake of the tension held in those two syllables.

“You need to come down to the docks with me,” they’d said instead-- and turned to walk out the door entirely-- detained only by Asra, who’d reached out, clutching at the wide hem of their sleeve and feeling the fabric texture beneath his fingertips, magic rising to meet it-- magic seeped with death and decay, smelling faintly of that incense Liuyin sometimes burned.

“Have you eaten yet?” He’d asked, a question wholly unnecessary, a token of his concern nonetheless.

Liuyin shakes their head, and he’d nearly offered to take them to the bakery, before he recalled the urgency in their voice. “Let’s go.”

He’d tugged on a shawl and stumbled out into the streets in the early morning mists blanketing the town, distorting everything into a fanciful version of itself. Meanwhile, Liuyin forged on ahead, floating almost like a ghost in white.

For a moment, his heart was struck by a hidden foreboding, redoubling his pace and walking closer to his companion, letting the warmth radiating from their figure and the bitter-sweet scent of herbs reassure him.

As they paced down the street, only their breathing and the sounds of their shoes against cobblestone and the rustle of fabric to accompany them, Liuyin spoke up.

“My aunt received a client last night. Very wealthy, with stress on discretion being of utmost importance,” they’d reported.

“What services?” Asra couldn’t help but ask, but seeing Liuyin in their current garb, he had a good clue as to the nature of the house call.

For divinations, charms, and funeral rites, visit Liya Zheng and Associate’s today!

Namely, Aunt Liya and Liuyin ran a business that did some work on the side in blessing, cleansing, cursing, or otherwise invoking the spirits for their clients. Of course, this expanded into burial rites, especially for those matters that were more tinged in scandal-- a jealous lover shooting someone’s husband, a bastard daughter who’d been offed by the stepmother, the such. Said rituals were meant to prevent the deceased from coming back to haunt the wrongdoers.

(“That seems terribly corrupt,” Asra had declared, making a face.

Liuyin laughed. “No more than politics is. And it brings in better money, too.”)

Liuyin threw him a sidelong look that indicated the fact he ought to already have an idea. “Someone died. A child or baby, I believe, from the size of the coffin. Either that or there wasn’t enough of them left to bury-- we were tasked with banishing any traces of resentment or lingering malevolence it might have had on its person. I’m assuming a rather abrupt death, and the secrecy of it makes me suspect foul play in some form or another.”

“But you’ve no leads?” Asra asks, raising a brow. That was unlike Liuyin, who could suss things out with unerring accuracy akin to a bloodhound, as his own master, Old Fox, had once mentioned.

Liuyin shook their head. “I didn’t have the chance to-- someone stole the coffin before I could.” Their face took on a grim set, like one of the marble statues of the Scourgelander family.

“Then,” he drawled, the key points coalescing into a simplified timeline in his mind, “I suppose they recovered the body at the docks, then, if we’re headed in that direction?”

Liuyin let out an involuntary shudder, and Asra made to tug off his shawl and drape it around their shoulders instead-- before they’d given a tiny jerk of their head to reject this help. “They recovered more than that.”

The briny scent of the sea air was clearer now as they made their way down the empty streets of Goldgrave. “How many?”

“Not a body, just an arm,” Liuyin corrected. “A metal prosthetic.”

Involuntarily, Asra felt his eyes widen, thinking back on a visit to his offices three nights prior, the sharp scent of lavender lingering, the amused, wine-dark eyes and the silhouette of an elegant figure. “Do you think it might be…?”

Liuyin’s answering glance was grim. “Extremely possible. Who else around these parts has a metal prosthetic?”

✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ

Three days prior

Old Fox had gone travelling again, Asra noted with half a spark of annoyance after he’d returned from another house call-- someone wanted him to look into their husband, having gotten suspicious of his hours kept in the commerce district, and he’d taken one glance around the man’s study before he’d informed the lady of the house that Lord Sforza was having an affair.

It was really, nearly tragically obvious, and he didn’t even need to pull the tarot deck from his pocket to confirm this suspicion. The clashing notes of perfume were not a smoking gun, it was a crater on fire that someone had fired a cannon at.

Sometimes, he lamented the fact that his business had evolved from “Asra Alnazar, Magician and Diviner” to “Asra Alnazar, reader of tarots for bored nobles and finder of unfaithful spouses and eloped heirs”.

At least, as Liuyin had quipped, it brought in good money.

He’d slung his shawl over the coatstand by the door, and his satchel on top of it, then pauses when a figure rises from the chaise in the corner. “Asra Alnazar, I presume?” a silky voice accompanied the movement.

“Who’s asking?” Asra calls, a bit hesitantly, given the unanticipated nature of this visitor.

The woman inclines her head towards him as he snaps his fingers, illuminating the shop with a few dim lamps and allowing him to see the elegant planes of her face, furrowed with worry. “Nadia Satrinava.”

“Young Miss Satrinava,” Asra had bowed by reflex, in a gesture of courtesy.

The youngest daughter of city councilwoman, Secretary Nasrin Satrinava, their family was as wealthy and powerful as they came-- of her six sisters, all were exceptionals-- one was their mother’s aide, one was an ambassador, one was a silent film actress, one was a naval lieutenant, one a philanthropist, another a doctor, the list went on and on… 

They were a veritable political dynasty that had their hands in every aspect of the public affairs in the city, how could one not know about them?

Speaking of which--

“Miss Satrinava, what brings you here today?” Asra asks as he rounds a counter and takes a seat in the chair opposite Nadia. “Is it not the day of your engagement party?”

And then there was Nadia, the youngest of seven, a journalist who, till recently, had been more or less out of the public eye, all of it thrown out the window when an engagement was announced in the Vesuvian Star, the premiere morning news of the city.

Nadia Satrinava, the youngest daughter of councilwoman Nasrin Satrinava, was to marry Count Lucio Morgasson.

As soon as the news broke, the rumor mill positively churned, from speculations of a passionate young love, to more outlandish rumors such as political alliances and scandalous accusations of premarital pregnancies. Asra was too polite to inquire into any of them, but the look on Nadia’s face spoke volumes.

“It is,” the woman confirmed hesitantly, almost diplomatically, before she scrunched her nose and curled her lip in something akin to distaste. “At least, till we couldn’t find my darling fiancee in time for his speech. You see, we’re pretending nothing is amiss-- my mother claims that if it were to come out the Count’s vanished, the ensuing panic cannot be a good thing. I left the party discretely to find you. My driver is parked in a secluded front a few stores down.”

Something in the intonation with which she’d said fiancee made him inclined to think it wasn’t an arrangement of love.

“Have you gone to check his residence? Or any of his usual haunts?” Asra asks. The Count’s reputation as a carousing hedonist was well-known throughout the city, another reason why the sudden engagement was so surprising to so many people.

“His servants said he’s left two days ago, and hasn’t returned since…” Nadia says, pauses, and then frowns deeply. “And all his companions with whom he usually revels with were all present at the party…”

“Is it possible he’s merely gotten cold feet over the betrothal with the engagement party drawing so near?” Asra prompted delicately. “A case of a runaway groom-to-be?”

“I’ve learned over the years to never ignore my intuition,” Nadia replies with a good deal of confidence. “And it’s telling me something is very wrong, Magician.” 

Asra worries his lower lip in between his teeth absently as the woman stands, the folds of her velvet gown rippling out-- indeed, it looked as though she did come directly from her engagement party, or at least, there was no time to change before coming here.

“I’m willing to pay handsomely for your services and discretion, of course. Name the price and it will be yours. Think on it, Magician,” she’d said, draping a houndstooth jacket over her shoulders. “I leave the decision in your hands.”

With that, she departed into the night on a lavender breeze.

[20smthngrp-blog]

                                     ( JUNG HOSEOK, 23 )

Name: Jung Hoseok Date of Birth: 1994/09/24 Occupation: Part-time Photography assistant/Part-time arcade attendant

SPARKNOTES:

i. for the past ten years hoseok has kept a journal he has tried to update every single day (he’s properly missed a few here and there but it’s okay) about what he did that day and often pastes pictures in the book. he’s bought the same brand of diary for consistency’s sake this entire time now to see how he’s changed as he grows.

ii. he had a fairly normal childhood. hoseok is relatively close with his family who have stayed down in gwangju and often visits them during the holidays. he originally moved up to seoul for his higher education and stayed post-graduation for a better (more exciting) life in the city.

iii. the majority of his closet consists of black sweats and hoodies. actually he doesn’t have that many pieces in his wardrobe if we’re being honest. hoseok always looks like you caught him on laundry day. you can always see him in socks and his (ugly) nike slides, rain, sleet, or snow. often he also sports a sucker in the corner of his mouth.

iv. during 2017, hoseok became a fan of the chill underground themed hip-hop and r&b playlists on youtube and always has them playing low in the background when he’s at home so he never feels lonely in his apartment.

v. his apartment is a small one room on top of itaewon berith tattoo parlor. he has a poster of jiyoung from bolbbalgan4 above his bed that clashes with the rest the room, but he loves her and hopes to see her in concert some day.

vi. he’s super into self improvement books. hoseok is under the impression “why waste time living your life without confidence and self-love.” many people find him to be a good stable person to get advice from. all around the boy is a relatively positive person and is thankful for what he has.

vii. hoseok’s favorite drink is aloe juice. the entire side drawer of his fridge is dedicated to his aloe juice bottles he’s picked up from the convenience store. you’d think he’d just buy it in bulk, yet he just hasn’t.

viii. his given birth name actually was jung hojoon. right after he graduated high school, hoseok’s mother took him to a tarot card reader who told him in order to flourish and fly high in adulthood, he should change his name to something fresh and told him hoseok was a better fit for his new start.

ix. the boy is an all around confident person but does have a complex about his knees, so he just…never shows them. shorts are the devil.

x. he just recently graduated from hongik university and was an industrial design major. he has no idea where to go from here with his life and for now is just seeing where the wind will take him. so long as he can pay his bills and party here and there, the kid is pretty okay.

FREEFORM:

february 2017

the walls had been closing in for a long time now, but he had never noticed.

hoseok had been with sarang for the past two years, now going on three. it seemed like all they had been doing nowadays was fight. she’d follow him no matter where he went, whether it was a simple life down in gwangju, or even attend the same university as hoseok in hongdae, the young girl wanted to go where her boyfriend went.

hoseok didn’t have a lot of problems with this at first. he had big dreams for himself and for his life and the fact his love was always ride or die by his side was great, that was until actual adulthood started to encroach. “we live together i know…but my parents are still wanting to know when we’re going to get married.” it seems the frequency of these types of comments were growing by the day. it used to be twice a year, but now..now hoseok swears it has to be four times a day. by no means was the boy against marriage, but he’s barely twenty-two, what’s the rush?

morning: “baby…we have plenty of time yeah? what, are you wanting to get married tomorrow? n..n– that wasn’t a literal question..i can barely cook for myself, don’t have a proper job, no full functioning place. we have time sarang-ah.. i love you. trust me..”

afternoon: “baby..”, he laughs trying to break past his girlfriend’s poutiness, “we already talked about this yeah? ya boy is still a waddling idiot. i don’t even have a proper paycheck, how could i take care of you…i know it means a lot to you and your parents..we have time though okay?”

before dinner:  “sarang…….sweetheart….i feel like you’re not even hearing me..”

after dinner: “why do you want to get married so bad……”

it gets worse by the day until sarang can feel hoseok’s usual sweet tone turn more and more stern. there was only so much arm twisting she could do until it was going to break.

she had a life she had planned out and dreamt about for herself. sarang was a country girl, with country dreams of living a life just how she saw her mother grow up. get married young, raise a big family, that was a happy life. she had expectations, she had things she felt she was entitled to. didn’t she deserve a happy life?

now or never; an ultimatum.

“if you aren’t ready to marry me right now, you never will want to hoseok..”, she threatens.

surely that wasn’t the case, but sarang wasn’t willing to hear it. it was the first time she actually fully said it. the thing she had been dancing around for so long. hoseok wasn’t ready…and he wasn’t quite sure why was this happening in the first place.

“you had your fun didn’t you?! we finished school, you got to go up and enjoy some college life in seoul. you got to have your good time, hoseok. it’s time to start a family.”

what was she even talking about, the man was still a baby. at one point in secret hoseok had gone to the ring store to just glance around to humor the idea, but every single thing about it felt wrong. it just wasn’t in him right now.

never good at expressing his emotions fully, so he just sits there, eyes welling up behind his bangs. it may have been the first time sarang had brought that much out of him.

“you deserve everything you want for your life sarang-ah..i swear to god i’ve always given my best to you…..i’m sorry…i….i can’t..just not right now….”

she leaves him, six months later finds a man who is on her page. they’re going to get married in the spring.

it takes hoseok the majority of the year to cope with the loss and grief.

his tight friend group help him get back on his feet and for that he is fully indebted.