#i'm so glad i brought my tarot cards with me

[pelipper]

The Persona 4 fandom is still going strong! ❤️

I'm so happy I had the chance to cosplay with @sunfloradesu this past weekend at Anime NYC!

[viesanterieures]

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒆

Robert Fischer (Inception) x female Reader

summary: The reader works as an artist who has never had a breakthrough until she decides to paint Robert.

warnings: this is a kinda cute and funny story so… no warnings :)

word count: 2500+

Masterlist

The air was warm as Robert turned into the familiar driveway. It was late October in Sydney, summer was just around the corner and the driveway was full of flowers and other plants. Today was Sunday, one of the few days he had to himself and his friends. During the week, he worked from early morning until late at night, as befits the future CEO of a multi-million dollar empire. Before he had even rung the bell, the door opened and a woman with shoulder-length brown hair pulled him into her arms. "Robert, how nice of you to come. We haven't seen each other in at least two months."

He laughed a little and patted his best friend on the shoulder. "I've had a lot on my mind, I'm sorry, Rebecca." Robert had known her since they were children. They had gone to kindergarten together and Rebecca was two years younger than him. All the friendships of his childhood, youth and university days had not lasted because many people thought he was arrogant, but Rebecca had always been there for him. As a child, as a teenager, as a student, at his wedding... and also at his divorce three years ago.

"How is your father, Robbie?" she wanted to know. Suddenly the smile on his face faded. "It doesn't look so good. He'll probably have to go back into hospital next month for a surgery." Rebecca looked at him compassionately and nodded silently as she took his jacket. "I'm so sorry."

I'm glad I can at least visit you," he quickly changed the subject.

"I'm glad too, Robbie," she said with a bright smile again.

"YN is also here, I hope you don't mind."

"No Becca, that‘s cool," Robert said, following her into the living room.

YN was Rebecca's younger sister and Robert quite liked her. She was one of those people who believed in destiny, the supernatural, spiritual things and tarot cards, which Robert didn't think much of. But she had always been very warm and kind to him and Robert was sure that there wasn't a single bad bone in this woman's body. She was just the way she was. As far as Robert knew, she worked full time in a perfumery and in her free time as an artist, but she remained rather unsuccessful. Her face immediately lit up when she saw him and gave him a friendly wave. She was wearing a pink dress, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, gold earrings and red lipstick. She was really pretty.

"Robert, how nice to see you! I brought some cupcakes, would you like one? They're homemade." She held out a bowl of pink muffins with strawberries and sprinkles to him. Robert gratefully took one and sat down on the couch next to the two women.

"It‘s really good," Robert praised YN's baking skills after taking a bite.

"Thank you, Robert. I baked them at 3 o'clock in the night because I couldn't sleep... It was another full moon. And my moon calender says that I should concentrate more on housework now, especially cooking and baking“.

He tried to hide his surprised expression and took another bite. Rebecca didn't seem confused by the explanation, she knew her sister well enough. Finally, YN slowly bent down towards them. "And do you know what my horoscope said?" Robert and Rebecca shook their heads.

"That I'm going to have my breakthrough this month," she finally said excitedly.

"You mean with your art?" Rebecca wanted to know.

"Yes! I'm going to have a huge success. But I don't know what motif to choose." YN picked at her dress thoughtfully. "A portrait or a landscape... I'm not sure. I need a subject to practise on first. Just to get back into it. I haven't painted for months.

"You've painted me so many times," Rebecca said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "How about you painting Robert?"

YN's face lit up at the words. "That's a wonderful idea! Robert, you have such a beautiful face... Like an angel!"

Robert almost choked on his cupcake. "Please what?"

"Oh come on Robbie, she just wants to practise," Rebecca interjected.

Sighing, he looked into YN's bright eyes and shrugged. "Yes, why not..."

YN cheered immediately and hugged Robert happily. "But I can't sit still for like eight hours," Robert replied quickly.

"You don't have to do that," YN said. "You can come with me to my studio, I'll draw the outlines and a sketch, then I'll take a photo of you to paint the details later. If you like and have the time, we can start right away. It would mean so much to me, Robert, really!" He smiled and nodded again. He just couldn't look away from YN's eyes.

***

"Nice studio," Robert said, breaking the awkward silence. He looked around curiously. YN's studio was a bright room with large windows letting in the daylight. There were easels full of canvases and tubes of paint everywhere and the smell of fresh paint was in the air.

"Robert, I told you not to move," laughed YN, who sat behind a canvas. The two had left for YN's that afternoon. Now the sun was already setting outside and Robert felt as if he had been sitting on the floor in front of her for ages.

"I'll be done with the outlines in a minute."

"Good, because my butt is already hurting," Robert grumbled.

A short moment later, YN put the brush down, clapped her hands and grabbed a camera lying on a chair next to her. "Well, I'm done for today. Let's take the photo quickly."

Robert moved back into position and looked a little tiredly at the camera. A few seconds after YN had taken the picture, he collapsed. "My God, this is more exhausting than I thought."

YN laughed. "I believe you. I've been a model too."

"Can I have a look?" Robert asked curiously, sitting up with a groan.

"Sure, come here." YN turned the canvas a little.

"Oh, this is definitely... Art." If Robert was honest, he couldn't really make out much on the canvas. It looked more like a wild doodle of a man who, with a lot of imagination, could look like him. And for this he had been sitting in an uncomfortable position on the cold floor for almost two hours?

"I'll start working on the details tomorrow. I'll let you know when it's ready."

Robert forced a friendly smile, YN pulled him into a tight hug to say goodbye and he left the house, a little disappointed.

Days and weeks passed without Robert hearing a word from YN. He didn't know how far she'd got with the painting, or if she'd even thrown it away. But then, one Saturday evening, she finally called him to say that she had finished the painting and that he could come and see it tomorrow. Of course Robert couldn't resist the opportunity, as he was actually quite curious to see how the painting would look now, although he had little hope that it would be any better than the last time.

He finally arrived at YN's door at 10am the next morning. She immediately greeted him friendly and offered him a cup of tea, which Robert gratefully accepted.

"Nice of you to come," she said and excitedly pulled him by the sleeve into her studio. "Close your eyes."

Robert did as she asked, although he was a little confused by her instructions. YN carefully led him to the easel in the middle of the room.

"And open your eyes."

Robert looked curiously at the painting in front of him, but then his jaw dropped and he couldn't get a word out.

"I've thrown away the old painting and made a new one. Isn't it gorgeous?"

He couldn't believe his eyes. The painting was insanely beautiful. It must have taken an eternity to work out all the details. He'd never seen so much care in YN's work, who usually painted in a rather chaotic way. Every single strand of Robert's dark hair was painted perfectly and precisely, and you could almost count every single eyelash. But most striking of all were the eyes, which stood out almost ghostly from the rest of the rather dark picture.

"It's so beautiful," he marvelled, running his finger carefully over the dry canvas. "But why am I wearing a sheer white shirt? I wore a normal black shirt that day. And my eyes look almost inhuman."

"Artistic freedom," YN quickly replied. "I wanted you to look a bit ethereal in the painting."

Robert nodded slowly with a raised eyebrow, then smiled again. "It‘s still so beautiful."

"You can have it if you want," YN offered.

He shook his head immediately. "No, no, keep it. It must have been so time-consuming that I don't want to take it away from you. I'm sure it's better off in your studio than in my house. But... promise me you won't sell it, okay?"

She nodded quickly and looked Robert straight in the eye. "No, I won't. I've made another artwork that I'm going to submit to the art competition."

Robert looked at her, confused. "To what?"

"Oh, I haven't told you yet. The art museum is running a competition this month. If I win, my painting will be on display there, isn't that great? Mrs Buchanan from the museum is coming to see the painting tomorrow. She's a good friend of my aunt's."

"That's great. Then I'll be rooting for you to win!"

Eventhough Robert had recently doubted YN's talent, he'd wished her all the best, especially now that he'd seen the beautiful portrait.

"And here it is," she joyfully pulled a cloth from a easel beside her.

"Oh, um... what is it exactly?" Robert asked, a little embarrassed as he couldn't make out more than a few patches of dark green on a grey background.

"The painting is called 'The Fog Forest'. The theme of the competition is 'Between reality and fiction: a journey into imagination'," explained YN. "The green stands for the trees of the forest and the grey is the fog and shadows, where you can easily get lost and dream.

"Oh, um, very nice." Robert forced a smile. "I'm sure Mrs Buchanan will recognise it immediately, also the deeper meaning, unlike me. You know I don't know much about art."

"I know that, Robert. But it's so kind of you to support me," she said softly, taking his hand and squeezing it gently.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go now, I have another appointment. Busy schedule as a future CEO... you know," he replied quickly, then looked at her pretty face and felt his heart beating in his chest.

***

"Becc, when I tell you! I've never seen such a beautiful painting." It was just after half past seven the next evening and Robert was glad to be off work. He stood in his kitchen, his phone wedged between his shoulder and ear as he chopped vegetables into small cubes.

"Are you sure, Robert? I've known YN long enough and she's never painted anything else than a few dots and lines," Rebecca's voice came over the loudspeaker. Robert thoughtfully placed the pieces of vegetable in a pot.

"I've seen it with my own eyes. Maybe she was possessed by the ghost of Leonardo Davinci that night or something." At this moment Robert's doorbell rang. "I have to hang up, Becc, I'm sorry. I'll call you tomorrow again." Confused, Robert wiped his hands on a towel and hurried to the front door. Who the hell was that? As he opened the front door, he saw a familiar face but also an unfamiliar one. In front of him stood YN, as always in one of her summer dresses and her big earrings, and next to her a tall, slim older lady with a tight bun and a blazer, looking at him curiously.

"Hey YN... what are you doing here? And who are you?" Robert wanted to know, frowning in confusion.

"Oh, it's him! I recognise him," the unknown lady said excitedly as she looked at him more closely.

YN tapped nervously with one foot and took a deep breath. "Robert, this is Mrs Buchanan from the art museum, she wants to have you."

"Wait, what? She wants to have me?" Robert laughed confused.

"Not you. The painting of you." The lady quickly clarified. "It's really gorgeous. What a work of art. It perfectly reflects our theme for this month. Between reality and fiction... Almost like a modern version of the Dorian Gray's portrait," she enthused.

Robert's jaw dropped and he looked at YN, stunned. "But... but you submitted a completely different painting to the competition. The one with the forest."

"Oh, please, sir, you couldn't even see any trees, forest or anything in the picture," she replied sharply, and Robert didn't miss YN's sad face. "I saw this masterpiece in the corner of her studio and asked her if she wanted to submit this instead of that… Fog-Forest... thing."

"This is not possible, I‘m sorry," Robert replied firmly.

"Why not?" Mrs Buchanan asked.

"I am a serious businessman, madam, about to take over a company worth millions. What would my employees and clients think of me if they saw the painting of me as an…an…ethereal creature? I have to maintain a certain respectability." Robert bit his lower lip as soon as he said these words. He realised that this was YN's last chance and that she might have to give up her dream of becoming a painter.

"It's okay, Robert“, YN said quietly. "I understand." Forcing a smile, she turned around together with Mrs Buchanan.

For Robert, the world seemed to stand still at that moment. He didn't want YN's dream to be shattered like his own. He had always aspired to become a professional musician and study music, but his father had always stopped him because he wanted him to take over the company one day. Even though Robert didn't even think he was the right person for this huge job.

"Wait, YN." The echo of his voice sounded down the driveway, the two women, who were about to get back into the car, immediately turned around.

"Let‘s do this, YN."

****

"A glass of champagne, sir?" asked an elegantly dressed lady next to him, balancing a small tray in front of her.

"No, thank you, madam. I don't drink alcohol at the moment," Robert declined her offer in a friendly voice.

"And for our winner? On the house, of course," she asked YN, who was standing next to him. She gratefully accepted a glass. The exhibition was in full swing. Many different artists were exhibiting that day, but no artwork attracted as many glances as YN's. Rebecca joined them and patted her sister on the shoulder. "I looked at it again, it really is amazing. How did you do it?"

"I don't even know it myself. It's as if my hands painted it themselves," YN replied, taking a sip from her glass.

"That supports Robert's Davinci theory," Rebecca chuckled.

YN looked at her, confused. "What?"

"Nothing," Rebecca replied quickly, pointing to the glass in her sister's hand. "Hey, where did you get the champagne?" she wanted to know.

"From that lady over there," YN replied with a grin and immediately Rebecca was gone in the crowd.

"I'm so sorry," Robert said quietly. "For what?" she wanted to know in surprise.

"For underestimating you... You and your art... You‘re such a wonderful, strong and unique woman."

YN bit her lip and Robert felt that she was about to cry. "Thank you, Robert." They remained silent as they watched the visitors pass by the artworks.

"So my horoscope was right after all," YN told Robert. "I really had my breakthrough. Do you believe in them now?" she wanted to know.

"Maybe," Robert replied thoughtfully.

"Do you know what else he said besides success?", she asked him.

Robert shook his head and smiled curiously.

"That I will also find love this month," she said quietly, putting her glass down on a small table beside her. "Maybe it was the love I felt for you when I painted that picture that made it so beautiful. Maybe that was the reason for all the success.“

Robert looked into her eyes and gently stroked her soft hair. Finally, he slowly pulled her into his arms and their lips touched immediately.

- 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔

[within-the-water]

Hi! I'd love to hear more about the way in which Poseidon communicated something as specific as godspouse-hood (not necessarily because 'godspouse-hood', what I'm trying to say is I struggle to imagine interpreting something that specific coming through on, say, tarot cards alone! I'm sure it could apply to plenty of things, that post of yours is the first that got me wondering) Do you experience dreams, strong feelings or mental messages? Would love to hear more of your experience on receiving 'wants' or 'messages', if you're comfortable sharing!

Khaire, traveler of the sea! Poseidon communicates in a multitude of ways for me, since I am known to cross reference to be positive. Firstly, I can channel him through writing. No, he did not say "I want you as my wife". That'd be too clear, i'm afraid. However, I felt him get more loving as time went on and nurturing when he has always been ruthless and strict. He still is, actually, but less so now that I am comfortable in my worship. Quick background out of the way, let's get into the ways I communicate with Poseidon because it isn't tarot at all!

Mental Messages

I receive mental messages on straight, cut throat 'i need you to know this' type deal. This is things like, "don't move my candle from there" or, "I want to keep that singular dollar bill >:(". This is the first time I ever even considered it, was a mental message saying "I want this from you," and i'm so anxiety ridden from the godspousal stigma at the time that I personally chose.. not to receive this message. I ignored it. Looking back, i'm not too glad I did.

Extremely Strong Feelings / Sensation of Touch

Extremely strong feelings and touch is the most common way for him to communicate with me. It's usually a hold around the waist, or brushing his hand over my tattoo I have dedicated to him. After a while, he brought it up again as a really.. reaaallly strong feeling that I should check my runes and do a love reading. Which leads us into. . .

Runes !

Runes are my ultimate favorite way to communicate with any deity. Especially, yes or no questions. This is how I found out he wanted me still after months of ignoring it. you know.. a process that goes a little like.. "Am I talking to Poseidon?" all 3 up yes. "Are you looking to godspouse me?" All 3 up yes, no hesitation.

And.. What's crazy? I still didn't believe it. I STILL cross referenced with tarot, and as soon as I picked up the deck The Lovers FLEW out. That, finally, was my deciding action. I reached out to him through channeling, and he gave me the confirmation.

Other ways I communicate with him:

He loves to put on his favorite songs, despite them not being in my normal playlist

Candle reading through his dedicated candle

Dreams

Scrying

I'm sure there are more ways that's leaving my mind, but these are all the top ways, at least, that I communicate with him! The relationship itself is fantastic, and we work well together.

A little note is I want to get another set of runes for him, as my others are dedicated more towards aphrodite <3

[digimon--kaiser]

Very glad you asked user @daikusai-fishing ! But it is not about the unused voice lines, I do not know anything about Naoto's unused voice lines but now i'm interested in them if you want to share that. For the sake of not sparking gladiatorial combat in my notes I am going to be referring to Naoto with they/them pronouns. "Read more" to not clog someone's dash. English is not my first language so if anything's super misspelled or something- sorry..

What I realised was regarding Naoto's dungeon bosses, specifically, those that are not their shadow. Meaning I will be speaking on the Dominating Machine and the Extreme Vessel. I will warn this is a very "the curtains might just be blue" moment, so take everything I say with some grains of salt, or a shaker if you feel so inclined. To make this more palatable because I have no idea how long I'll be talking for, I'll be splitting this up into two segments, one for the Dominating Machine, and another for the Extreme Vessel.

I will note that despite this being Naoto's dungeon, and them both being bosses that I believe to carry a form of significance in their character, neither are of the Fortune Arcana. Which was what sent me spiraling last night in the first place.

The Dominating Machine

A large, hulking action figure brought to life, it scowls at your party with green eyes. Parts of it's exterior are painted red, with silver accenting. On each block-like shoulder, it carries kanji, that spells "Just Righteousness." (? that's my best guess. Take that with some salt as well.) However, beneath the paint, it's truest metal pieces are painted black. It carries it's mask on it's chest. It carries a silver, red-hilted sword in it's left hand.

The Dominating Machine is a shadow of the Justice Arcana, and it seems to represent that well. The Justice trump (or major arcana card) is a card that, outside of the context of Persona, is a card that represents equality. It is the card of balance and wrongs that have been righted. Inverted, of course, it is a card of partiality and favouritism. But also of legal manipulation. While the cards inverted meaning means little here, I do believe it is an interesting card in general. But that's a discussion probably best not held at the moment.

In short, I believe that the Dominating Machine is somewhat of a power fantasy(?), or moreso, a hope that one day the workforce will be fair to Naoto Shirogane as they are. The Dominating Machine is, as it's name implies, is a machine that dominates, but more than that, it's created purpose, as painted on each of it's shoulders, is to be a form of judge or prosecutor, maybe even an executioner of Justice. A being to make things fair. Without Naoto themselves having to try to make any of those changes themselves. They'd rather wait for someone else, for something else to change the system causing them grief.

Of course, that's how I see it and I may be wrong. I do encourage anyone taking the time to read this to form their own opinions on what these symbolise and such.

The Extreme Vessel

A hollow wooden body adorned with silver spikes, from raised boards in it's build, guns, or maybe cannons, sprout out, pointing in every direction. It spins without clear focus. Eyes unseeing through it's yellow mask prepped at the top of the machine, the Roman numerals VII engraved in it's forehead in charred black. Imprinting it with the number of it's given arcana.

As I just mentioned in the above summary of the appearance of this shadow, it's arcana is the 7th of the major, or trump arcana. Better known to more casual Persona fans as The Chariot Arcana. While the games paint a certain picture for this arcana through it's character tropes, for the sake of my analyses (? spiral into madness?) I will be disregarding that to focus on the meaning of the tarot both upright and inverted.

The trump card of the Chariot is a card of regality, in a sort of way. It depicts a man wearing armor in the box of a Chariot beneath a canopy, usually adorned with stars. In one hand, he holds a wand, in the other, he usually places a hand on the chariot itself, two sphinx crouch before the chariot.

The Chariot, outside of how it's outside looks, is a card that preaches that subjugation of others in it's meaning. It is a card that tells that moving forward quickly, without allowing others to stop you, will help you win. It is a card that of which has a meaning associated with spoils of conquest. A card of ambition and will power. When inverted, the card can speak of rebellion, or aimlessness, at times, even telling the subject of the reading that they need help.

This is the shadow that replaces Naoto's shadow boss in their dungeon. A hollow, wooden body at the center of this dungeon. I love this for Naoto. I believe, in a way, it represents Naoto themself while they were in the process of being kidnapped, the events leading up to that moment. A teenager who refused to stop, convinced that they could act as a vessel, a hollow, empty body to be thrown away for the sake of this case. Naoto treats themselves without much care, like bait. Somehow managing to both embody the meaning of the Chariot upright, and reversed.

SoRRY I JUST LIKE NAOTO. i'm probablyy wrong on so many things here take this all with a grain of salt. or a lot of salt I'm not like. the CEO of naoto or anything man

[xjulienbakerx]

I think prompt 02 or 23 would be really cute, also so glad you’re gonna start writing again! :)

Thanks so much for sending in a prompt! I went with #23. Will probably do the cabin one later, too.

Lucky (Julien Baker x Reader RPF)

Julien surprises you by finally asking for a tarot reading. Prompt: a spacious, light-filled meadow.

Word Count: 1,059

Content: no smut, just sapphics reading tarot; lil bit of anxiety from JB

Disclaimer: this fic is inspired by a real person. don't read it if that bothers you. do not repost this fic off platform. do not share it with the person who inspired the character or anyone who knows them.

Prefer AO3? Read it here.

"Will you read my cards?"

You and Julien are resting on your backs on an oversized blanket in the middle of a spacious, light-filled meadow. You've been lying there for hours, enjoying the day and each other. You're currently spaced apart, just the tips of your fingers touching. 

You open your eyes and squint against the sun, suddenly giddy. You turn to Julien with a hand shading your eyes. 

She's staring up at the sky raw despite the sunglasses sitting off to her side. You hate how often she does that. 

"You serious?" 

She smiles but doesn't turn to look at you.

"Yeah, baby, I'm sure. I wanna see what you see."

You bite your lip against a smile and nod. 

"Okay."

You'd both loaded up the back of JB's truck for your day trip. You've always been an over-packer and you wade through several jackets and changes of clothes until your fingers ghost across the only deck you brought along.

It’s your favorite, a gilded tarot deck featuring historical romances. It felt appropriate with how often you were both buried in a book.

You grab the deck along with the leather-bound journal you use to track your own readings. You can't pass up the opportunity to remember everything about reading for Julien. Who knows when she'll let you do it again. 

When you get back to the blanket, Julien is sitting cross-legged with her hands resting on her knees. She visibly swallows and gives you the tiniest smile.

"Ready, baby?" you ask as you sit opposite Julien with the deck and journal between you.

She nods. 

"Ok. Let's just start by breathing together." 

Julien follows your lead, the two of you breathing gently in and out together for a few minutes. When Julien is at ease as she gets, you pull the cards out. Your hands dance over them as you clear them and start shuffling. 

"Got any specific questions?" 

She looks thoughtful.

"Mmm, no. Just wanna see what comes up."

You've never been one for spreads, content to read the cards as they come without boundaries.

You smile to yourself as you draw the cards, still unable to believe she’s trusting you with that unseen part of herself. You pull a few cards from the top of the deck until you feel done.

In front of you is a Five of Cups depicting Orpheus and Eurydice, Judgement represented by Hades and Persephone, and a Seven of Cups featuring Titania and Oberon.

“You’re fretting too much,” you say quietly, looking at the cards as they speak to you.

Julien snorts. “Me? Nah.”

“Yeah you, Baker…mmm. Running the same decision over and over in your head.”

You turn the cards around so that Julien can see them right side up. You walk her through the cards and their meanings to you.

“This story is all about being so in your head that you end up outside of yourself, which sucks on its own. But the thing being warned about here is that there isn’t really a choice that avoids change. I think you’re in a leaping season, gotta make big moves. You’re going to have to grow into an evolved version of yourself no matter which way you want to go. And that’s okay. You’re already you, can’t really do it wrong.”

She stares at you for a beat. “Fuck.”

You preen at her awe. This reading was the first you’d heard about what’s been going through her head lately.

Julien’s a loving, communicative partner but she needs time to process things before she brings them to you. She’s always worried about “making you” do the labor of processing things for her. You’ve told her dozens of times that it’s no bother, that you want to help unburden her even if you can’t fix anything. But time and space are what she needs and you’ve learned not to take it personally.

It’s nice to know you were dead on about whatever quiet battle she’s waging.

Julien gestures at the cards. “May I?”

You nod at her and she grabs each one, staring at the intricate designs and turning them over in her hands. When she gets to the Orpheus and Eurydice one, she lingers.

"Ya know, I used to think he was so stupid but now I get him,” she says. “Like, it’s not about what you think is true, it’s needing to know when it comes to the people you love. I don't think I could be anywhere and not know for sure if you were safe. Asking someone not to love like that is cruel."

You frown.

“Are you worrying about us?”

“No!” she shakes her head vehemently. “No no, not at all.”

She scoots closer and takes your hand, gently rubbing her thumb over the skin as she speaks.

“I just…,” she tucks her hair behind her ears and takes a deep breath. “The last year was so, so amazing but it changed me. I’m different now as an artist and as a person. I don’t want to go back to doing things the way I was before. I don’t…it feels really scary. Like, I can give people what they want from me or I can…experiment. Try new things. But then maybe they’ll be disappointed? I don’t know.”

The sun is beginning its descent for the day, currently covered behind some trees. Julien stares off for a while.

You watch her, struck by how the golden light makes her look like she’s glowing from the inside out.

When she’s ready to speak again, she squeezes your hand.

“I’m just really excited about this all. About you and me moving in together. About the new record. About the new dog…I just don’t want to fuck anything up.”

You shrug. “We’re all fuck ups. But you wanna hear something funny?”

“What?”

“This is literally what the cards were saying. That instead of fretting and worrying about what other people are doing or thinking about you, you just have to focus on what feels right for you. People will always have opinions and you can’t do anything about it. Just focus on making yourself happy. And when you can’t do that, I’ll help you.”

Julien smiles at you, her eyes wide and a bit misty.

“How’d I get so fuckin’ lucky?”

You lean in to give her a quick peck on the lips. “This is what I’m saying!”

icymi, here's a link to the prompt list. I'm trying to write short fics to get back into the writing groove. Send a prompt if you want a JB fic :)

[pardi-real]

Tarot of Destiny / Chapter 7 - Just Being by My Side

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Warning: spoiler to Episode 2 main story, can be avoided by skipping from Boschi's appearance to when his image appears.

[Maginaria, Water Temple]

Guided by Fennesz, I was brought to... a beautiful temple. Decorated with vibrant hues, it exuded a certain solemn ambiance.

> "What is this building...?"

Fennesz: "This is one of the four temples in Maginaria. There are four temples here: water, fire, earth, and wind. All are famous power spots.  Actually, last night... when all the butlers were discussing, Lady Elvira came and told us about this place.  She said that if we visit the four power spots... we might be able to keep the lord away from ominous things."

> “I see"

Though she predicts ominous futures and speaks her mind bluntly, she went out of her way to inform us like that... Maybe she's surprisingly a nice person.

Fennesz: "By the way... There are butlers in each of the four temples.  In this 'Water Temple,' there are us second-floor butlers, so... after conveying our feelings... you'll move to another temple, I believe."

> "Understood."

Fennesz: "Well then... I know it's sudden, but, my lord.  C-Can you listen... to my... feelings?"

> "Of course, Fennesz."

Fennesz: "Thank you very much. Well then, first, my card is...  Uh... The tarot card I drew is ‘The Magician' in ‘reversed position’... It could mean 'weakness' or 'timidity'... It suits me perfectly..."

> "That's not..."

Fennesz: "No, it's alright. It's something I understand myself.  Besides... In the past, I disliked my weakness... blamed someone else for my weakness... tried to deceive others so as not to appear weak…

But... Since I met you... Even when I show my weak or timid side, you always accept me... Y-you said 'it's wonderful' in a casual manner... That seemingly trivial remark... Oh how much it saved me...

At that time... I remember feeling incredibly relieved... 'Ah... I'm glad to be this person's butler.' Since being with you... I've had countless moments where I've felt that way. 

Being with you... I've slowly started to affirm my own being.  I'm timid, but... there's also something good about being timid. Because I'm a cowardly person... I might be able to empathize with those who are in a weak position or have weak hearts... 

Since meeting you... I've begun to think that way. That I can accept myself... is all thanks to you.  …...Thank you very much. I'm glad I met you..."

> "Fennesz..."

Fennesz: ��.................. Phew. I-I said it... I'm glad... All those practices were worth it.  Oh... I just exposed my practice… Haha… But thanks to it, I think I conveyed it well."

> "It came across really well."

Fennesz: "I-Is that so?... That's good to hear...  ……Anyway…... Now that I finish saying everything... I no longer feel nervous… but the words I just said keep repeating in my head instead...  Ugh…! I-I'm suddenly feeling really embarrassed...  S-So then, my lord! I'll call the next butler... I-I'll take my leave for today!"

Clack… clack… clack…

> "Ah, Fennesz..."

~ A few minutes later ~

Boschi: "......Hey, my lord. Fennesz called me and I came here to take over... His face was all red. What in the world did he talk about?"

> "Um..."

Boschi: "No, actually never mind. Forget it. Fennesz's feelings belong only to him and the lord. I shouldn't pry. 

Well... normally, I couldn't care less about fortune-telling... but it makes the lord anxious, so I can't just ignore it. 

The effects of fortune-telling can't be underestimated, especially for those who believe in it. Even me when I was a kid... Grandma's 'ouchie, ouchie, go away' did make me feel better…”

> “So the spell worked”

Boschi: “Yeah. Of course, now I understand it was just superstition…Wait, who cares about my childhood stories anyway. 

Um... I was supposed to reflect on myself by looking at this card. The tarot card I drew is... 'The Emperor' in the ‘upright position’. According to Fennesz... It means 'strong will' or 'gaining victory.' 

What do you think? It's a card that really suits me, right? 

Just kidding. What's 'gaining victory' anyway? I have never... been able to achieve anything on my own. It was the same when Haures got caught in demonization. If you weren't there at that time... I would have been killed by him. I wouldn't have been able to stand by my own will or gain any victory. 

But... I've been able to avoid such a worst-case scenario because you've been by my side... giving me strength.  I don't usually say this, but... I'm quite grateful to you, you know? Even being able to talk and live like this... it's all thanks to you."

> "Boschi..."

Boschi: "......Hmm. I just said what came to mind for now... Is this okay? My lord."

> “Yeah, thank you"

Boschi: "Don't mind it. Personally, I don't mind it that much either. Sometimes it's good to simply speak out what you're thinking...  Well then... I'll call the next person.  Oh, and... My lord."

> "What is it?"

Boschi: "Don't tell anyone what I just said, alright?"

> “Sure” > "I got you"

Boschi: "I see. Well, it goes without saying, huh.  …...Thanks for listening to me. My lord."

Saying so, Boschi headed towards the back of the temple.

Prev | All | Next

[tadpoles-and-daydreams]

Y'know sometimes deity work is just them shaking you by the shoulders going "DUDE JUST CHILL."

CUE THE DEATH MENTIONS/GRIEF TW bc I don't usually post about this so I feel like writing it into the post is important

The past few days, I've been completely unable to... witch. Witching is an action now. I've been struggling to get anything from my deities and guides. Tarot- which I usually can use for consistent yes/no answers- is now only giving me "maybe"s no matter what I ask. I feel like my trust in my deities and in my craft has suddenly plummeted despite having witnessed the most dramatic, flashy gift from them to my mom like a week ago. etc. etc. I tried just using the cards as their meanings and it felt... like I could interpret them but they were definitely not the usual "OH DAMN y'all just gotta say it like it is" energy I'm used to. I started to feel bad, like I'm in some sort of slump for no reason, and just generally was salty because I actively had been trying to start readings up again and now I can't until that blows over.

Then today, as I was making my breakfast, I was just thinking about it and admittedly getting a bit frustrated with myself- and suddenly one of my deities (I think Loki or Hades, I can't get a clear answer rn) just slam dunks a realization into my head like "SIR. SIR. You just had your first father's day since your dad died like two days ago. Don't ya think that mayyybe there's some feelings there, even if you're not actively processing them out in the open? That mayyyyybe you might be subconsciously processing a lot that can't be processed consciously?"

I just stood there like O.O for a second. I know I'm not the greatest at connecting emotional dots, but sometimes I forget that if I'm feeling shitty it probably has a 100% logical reason that I'm just not seeing. They brought a couple other things to mind that I'm dealing with that, while I often forget about them consciously, I currently have every reason to be in a slump about. I really am glad I have my guides there to just plonk thoughts that are distinctly not my own into my head sometimes so I stop questioning why I'm in such a weird mood XD

The point of this post is, really, don't beat yourself up guys. Plz. I mostly post happy lil funny things, but I also value transparency and authenticity. So sometimes I'll end up posting some heavier stuff, especially when I someday get more into working with heavier emotions in my craft, because I think it's important to post it. Maybe it'll make someone feel a little less alone. And, if it doesn't, then this post is just for me and that's okay <3

[cookinguptales]

Thank you so much for the tarot reading you did for me a little while back 💜 i'm sorry it's taken me so long to say that! i do rather think you have prophetic gifts, by the way- it was spookily accurate and helped me a lot 🔮

No problem! I'm glad it was helpful to you!

I do tend to get at least one message like this every time I do a tarot night for my followers, and like... you are totally entitled to that belief! What do I know about psychic phenomena and prophecy anyway? lmao. Maybe I am psychic.

But personally, I believe that tarot has a high likelihood of speaking to us no matter what, if just because the archetypal nature of the cards means that they're dealing with problems that we all struggle with. We all have self-doubt, we all have complicated relationships with money, we all crave love of some kind. We all have trauma in our past and we all want to believe that this time, things could be okay.

One of the reasons I like tarot cards is because they are inanimate objects that we imbue with meaning. They were just playing cards, y'know? We're the ones that gave them power over us, and we did that by filling them with our own stories. We placed a mirror in those cards, and while mirrors can be used for scrying, they can also just be used to take a good hard look at ourselves.

If I say "oh, you've had money troubles in the past," who doesn't that apply to? Maybe I'm thinking about me, when we were homeless for a while when I was a kid. Maybe someone else is thinking about the money they lost to gambling last week. Maybe someone else, someone wildly wealthy, is thinking about a stock market crash that brought their five mansions down to two. Maybe a final person has just never had quite enough to make ends meet. God knows that describes a lot of people.

I like tarot because we can all look at the same spread and see something different. I see a story to tell to the best of my ability, and that's how I do readings. But for the people getting those readings, they're often looking into little mirrors and seeing how they reflect their own personal experiences.

Because, you know, we all see different things in the same mirror! That's how tarot works, I think. Maybe some people are a little better at reading things in that mirror and interpreting what they see there, but we all see something new and different and deeply, deeply personal when we look at those cards.

Love that for us.

[crimsonmoonchildtarot]

Tarot Helped Me Learn How to Combat Anxiety

Let's face it, at some point in everyone's lives, they deal with some level of anxiety whether it stems from a place of stress or trauma. Their anxiety is valid. Acknowledging that the majority of the population struggles with anxiety is key to learning how to cope, manage and heal from it in a healthy manner.

Whilst I cracked an egg straight on the floor, entirely missing the bowl, I had an anxiety meltdown. My anxiety had accumulated throughout the last two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving day. Sadness from missing my family and wishing I could be with them. As well as, the tension of attempting to purchase all the groceries, cook all the food, clean up my tiny apartment, and host was all too overwhelming. Even with assistance. My fiancé truly swept in like a knight in shining armor to help de-escalate my meltdown. He suggested I take a breather for the rest of the day and do some self-care. Once I had collected myself, I turned to tarot as one does. What I gained from my reading allowed me to combat my anxiety disorder and to continue to manage it further. I felt the reading was incredibly valuable and must be shared with people who also struggle with anxiety. I hope that by reading this, if you've made it this far, you gain enlightenment from my reading and can apply it to your lives.

Turning to tarot is like turning to an old friend who knows you inside and out. Or in some cases better than you know yourself. I consult tarot as a form of connection with my spirit guides. To better understand my relationship with anxiety I asked my spirit team, “How does anxiety affect me?”

The answer was so simple yet powerful. The Empress and The Hermit reversed popped out of my deck. They whispered to me softly, Anxiety nurtures negative isolation, allowing it to grow further within the mind. With realization I pulled my top card, Four of Wands reversed. Disharmony. This appeared to be fitting. My bottom card, The Tower. This card revealed by allowing my anxiety to further grow it would inevitably consume me. I think not, I told myself. I'm far more powerful than anxiety.

“How can I change the negative effects of anxiety into something positive for me?” The tarot responded swiftly with the Ace of Wands reversed. This card seemed tricky to discern at first. The Ace of Wands upright speaks to energy, excitement, forward motion. The exact opposite of anxiety. Which leaves you feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and backpedaling. My guides quite literally wanted me to understand and acknowledge I was in the stagnant state of this Ace. This allowed me to see my path, guiding me to make the mental shift from anxious to excited about my newfound realization.

I pressed forward wanting to gain as much possible clarity, “What are some ways I can cope with anxiety?” I heard a whisper in response, “I’m glad you asked.” The tarot came flying out of my deck as if my guides had a list for me.

Four of Pentacles reversed- Do not allow anxiety to impede your progress.

Ace of Cups- Allow your heart and mind to accept and process new, positive emotions. Pause. Breathe. Be present. Fill your cup instead of emptying it.

Temperance- You cannot force healing. Acknowledge the healing process, reflect on it, and give yourself time. Balance is key.

Judgment- One day after reflection and self-evaluation, an epiphany will occur. You've been continually healing and haven't realized your healing progress. Continue to live your life authentically.

Five of Swords- Anxiety is a battle never truly over. It is a loosing battle when you give it authority over your life. Recognize the pain and the lost time it has caused you. Be determined to never give anxiety power over your life. Be determined to never give up.

This pull was immediately profound. It brought comfort and clarity to my situation. Comfort and clarity I needed. Applying the above to my life seems daunting and almost impossible. Easier said than done. But after further reflection, it occurred to me that battling anxiety is about shifting your perspective- applying a positive and determined mindset to counter anxiety. This is where the true battle lies.

With this in mind, I asked my guides, “What is a daily practice I can do to combat Anxiety?” Once again cards flew quickly out of my deck. I flipped a few over and arranged them in a manner I could read.

The World- Choose you. Choose to heal and combat anxiety. Be diligent with your newfound affirmations and practices. Be dedicated to your healing.

Ten of Pentacles- When you feel anxiety bubbling to the surface remind yourself you have a wonderful life ahead of you. Look at the individual you want to be and manifest that person. Ask yourself, “What would that person do amidst anxiety?”

Six of Cups- Reconnect with your inner child. Do things in your life that make your inner child happy. Be creative, loving, and light-hearted.

I pulled my top and bottom card as well. The Ten of Cups and The Lovers. This duo was obvious. Lean on your support system. Your friends, family, and partner will help you through this difficult time. Love always wins. Choose Love.

-Crimson

[bruxadehekate]

your readings are really good! i’m so glad i found your page. i feel a positive and refreshing energy and in a way it’s like it’s lifting me up. that’s what it feels like reading your blog!

i would love another reading if you have time, please and thank you.

recently i was talking to someone who seemed really nice but suddenly they kind of just stopped talking to me. i thought they were just busy but it’s been almost a week now so it looks pretty obvious. yk if “they wanted to they would” but it made me feel really insecure for a bit since a lot of my situations as of late have not been going anywhere and they end up leaving me hanging.

my question is: should i reach out? is it worth it to try to see if Y will respond or should i just softblock them and not waste any more energy on it?

i’m like low key starting to get the feel they do this to people but i’m not sure.

thank you so much again, sorry this is a long ask!

Omg wait first of all thank you so much!! Your message made my whole day, I'm super glad my blog brought you comfort and thank you for being so kind 💜

I chose to make a crossroad spread in order to have a look on your possible paths in this situation. The left card represents the way where you reach out to Y. The right card represents the path where you let Y go and move forward. The middle card, as your situation only has two possible paths, represents an advice.

0 - The Fool

If you choose to reach out to Y, go ahead with ease and tranquility, the Fool might be a leap of faith to make things work out. This card suggests, if you reach out, you will be looking for a new beginning between you two, approach with lightness.

The Fool can also represent that this path may not be very lasting, which is also okay. This card represents more what's funny and spontaneous rather than what's serious and longstanding, and while this path will last, things tend to be joyful.

VII - The Chariot

If you choose to trail the right path, the Chariot represents obstacles being surpassed, it might be referring to the insecurity you mentioned. The most important is to keep moving forward, look forward to bring new things into your life, if it's new friends, go out there and make it happen.

When trailing through the Chariot's path, be careful not to be too immediatist, don't let yourself be frustrated if things take a little longer than you'd like, little breaks are part of the journey.

XII - The Hanged Man

The advice this card brings is about certain sacrifices we do in order to have some things, and to analyze if said sacrifice is worth it or not. The most important is to look around and make the decision that will have your best interesting in mind.

This card represents this stagnation you're feeling, it's not a coincidence that the Hanged Man precedes Death on Tarot, this card sits in stillness and acknowledges the issues only for Death to come and decide: What belongs in the past and what will walk along with us in the future?

I hope you find the light you're looking for and feel in peace with whatever decision you make 🤍

[simpforsix]

first of all, to my fellow emetophobes there is a lot of vomit in this season, especially episode 2. luckily i'm not as bad with it as i used to be, but if you struggle with emetophobia i recommend skipping past the car scene after five says he's going to be sick because it's... a lot.

now,

BIG SPOILERS INCOMING

SERIOUSLY I'M ABOUT TO SPOIL THE WHOLE THING DO NOT CLICK READ MORE IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE WHOLE SEASON

here's the things i liked the most about this season:

-the aesthetic. tua always has it's aesthetics on point so it's no surprise, but i really liked the look of this season.

-the soundtrack. again, an obvious one, but i was jamming to the music the whole time. AND i really liked their use of viktor's apocalypse suite, especially with how it backed the whole final fight. it was a cool return to the first season. they also used one of his orchestra songs for what abigail is playing when they walk in, which was a cool touch. and i loved how the whole season ended with 'i think we're alone now'.

-the sibling bonding. i especially liked the car ride (before the excessive vomiting) because it's exactly like every road trip i've ever had with my sister.

-viktor getting to yell at reggie. that old bitch had it coming.

-the scene with all the fives from alternate timelines was funny, even though i wasn't a fan of five at that point because of what he did with lila. i love whenever there's a bunch of alternate versions of the same character and they give them nicknames like 'drunk five' and 'brisket five'. plus it explains the whole old five from s3.

-klaus was fantastic as always. i'm glad he got to chew out allison and have some of his comic powers, and i loved seeing him do tarot. very relatable that he was pulling cards and then putting them away when he didn't like what he got.

-this is more because of elliot but i LOVED seeing viktor be comfortable in his skin for once. his voice is so deep now, and the fact he's a trans character just living life brought me so much joy.

-luther and diego being a himbo & himbo duo again.

-ben's death. it's not what i was expecting but i liked how it answered why none of them talk about what happened and why reggie would be invested in the plot.

-i like the mechanism of the subway. the subway lines are timelines, and it acts like the portal from s3 (even with the colour references when the subway is travelling).

-diego's reaction to getting his powers back is hilarious. everyone else was having a shit time and he was overjoyed about throwing packages.

-it is very funny to me that sparrow ben is canonically a cryptobro because that it so in character for him.

and now for the things i really didn't like:

-LILA/FIVE. the age gap makes me uncomfy (both ways) but the biggest thing is how is impacts lila's relationship with diego. it just makes both of them unlikable, which considering we've been following five since s1 as a main character is bad. she cheats on diego with HIS BROTHER who was clear about being unattracted to her the previous season and puts his family above all else. five just abandons his principles, lila cheats on her husband, and it's all left unresolved forever.

-klaus being forced into prostitution to pay his debt. absolutely unnecessary and not given the weight it deserved, especially since him getting possessed by a ghost to have sex is definitely sa.

-allison's actions in s3 go pretty much unaddressed. i could understand that with how the family is but the fact she sa'd luther should've been addressed.

-why did ray walk out? they were happily married for years in the 60's, and then he left her for some unknown reason and is only mentioned in a throwaway line by klaus.

-ben's death. yes it's on both lists. this point is because of the plot holes it makes. his ghost is unmarked but reggie shot him in the head, which doesn't make sense considering klaus sees the wounds on ghosts. he's wearing the wrong clothes which is an obvious continuity error since umbrella ben had literally ONE outfit. and he doesn't have any more hatred for reggie than the others as a ghost, which doesn't make sense because obviously his memories weren't impacted. and if he doesn't know because he died immediately, why doesn't he ask klaus about it when he summons him at his funeral? it's just a lot of inconsistencies.

-also, how does the whole 'jennifer incident' work in the sparrow timeline? there's sketches of her on ben's desk, which doesn't make sense if he never opened the container and therefore didn't die.

-not a plot thing, but rather that i found the use of vomit a little excessive in this season. i have emetophobia so others might not have this issue, but i do wish it hadn't been shown as graphically.

-again, i really don't like how unresolved they left lila/diego. they're the only remaining couple, they were married for five years, and it ends with us having no idea where they stand. i also really hate the whole bit where diego thinks lila is cheating (when we know she isn't) but then she DOES cheat. the fact she's bored with suburbia is interesting but left unexplored. these issues should've either been explored earlier or not written in because they aren't dealt with in a satisfying way. i know real life relationships don't often end in a satisfying way, but this is the last episode of a tv show for a three season relationship. it should've been better.

-viktor doesn't play the violin. this has been a grievance of mine for s3 and s4. it's such a major part of his character in s1 (literally helping bring about the apocalypse) and as a musician myself it's such a missed opportunity. musicians live and breathe music, and it just doesn't make sense that viktor, a professional violinist, would stop playing even as a hobby. i got so excited when they played his apocalypse suite and showed his (abigail's) violin, but he never even touched it.

[theminecraftbee]

and finally for If You're Still Taking Ficlet Suggestions For The Theoretical Persona AU, i am always a fan of skizz.

Impulse looks up from bed, where he's been reading. He's not sure what for; it's a book he's already finished. It won't help him... no, it's a book he likes though. He can re-read it. He doesn't need to perfectly optimize every second. He's wasting time being sick after the sleeping - but he's supposed to just be doing things he likes. He likes this book.

But he's read it before. He's wasting time. Maybe his head's still a mess; maybe getting rescued didn't entirely fix that. He's been considering asking Ren to sneak him a book he hasn't read to get that last bit of intelligence anyway, even if he's supposed to be resting, and not thinking about that, he literally just got rescued from a spiral of thinking about that, or more accurately thinking about Bdubs, that he put him into, that, he shouldn't...

"Dippledop! I brought cookies!" says a voice from outside.

"Cookies? Oh man, come in!" Impulse says. It's a distraction from the book.

Skizz is bright-faced for someone Impulse thinks has probably been up for multiple days. As promised, he's brought cookies. They smell absolutely delicious. Given that the main things he's been fed by Tango (doctor by proxy of having healing magic) are things like "soup" and "saltine crackers", he's pretty excited by the cookies.

"How you feelin', buddy?" Skizz asks, tossing the basket on the bed next to Impulse. Impulse reaches in and nearly cries. They're his favorite; they even have the walnuts in them that Skizz normally claims to hate.

"Like I got hit by a truck. Talk about a role reversal; I can feel why you didn't get back on your feet for weeks."

"Yeah, well, don't go rushing it. We didn't patiently spend all that time with me just to rush you, you know," Skizz says.

"I'm not sure I'd describe that as patient," Impulse says.

"Hey! I was plenty patient!" Skizz says indignantly. "Look at you! Wouldn't you also wanna rush it? But nope! Not doing it! I'm putting at least as much love and attention into you as you put into me!"

"...yeah," Impulse says. "Uh, you don't - owe me for that. I've already gotten plenty from - yeah. Besides, at this point I've technically been through worse?"

"Dude," Skizz says.

"You've watched like half of it?" Impulse adds.

"Dude," Skizz says, a bit more emphatically. "Impulse. Dippledop. Light of my life."

Impulse laughs a little incredulously. "Yeah?"

"I never want to think about you going through worse again," Skizz says.

"Oh, shoot," Impulse says. "I get it. It was - well, it was really hard, watching it when it happened to you. When I found you it was just... that hospital, man. I - yeah, I'm sorry. It had to have been hard, whatever was in my maze. The memory's fuzzy. Ren tried to describe it, but..."

"I am so glad your real-world apartment is cleaner," Skizz says. "And I mean it. Seeing you lying there just... still. I never want to... you can't do that to me again, Impulse. You can't. And when I get my hands on Bdubs..."

"Don't worry," mumbles Impulse. "I won't let him do anything that upsets you like that again, okay? I learned that lesson."

"And I'll learn him! I'll -"

There's a pause.

"...Impulse."

Impulse blinks several times at the sudden shift in Skizz's tone. "Yeah?"

The man leans forward and suddenly wraps Impulse into a bear hug. Impulse yelps. "Stop trying to talk about my feelings when I'm here to comfort you," he says.

"I mean, it's fine if you were upset by -"

"Impulse, you spent like, eight months, all of which you were talking about me, and all of them tracking my recovery. And yeah, you had whatever your tarot card thing is that's going on, sure."

Impulse flinches. Every time he remembers everyone knows about that now, he sort of wants to throw up. Given that nausea isn't actually a symptom of recovering from sleeping sickness so much as just extreme fatigue, he suspects that either he has an unusual reaction as a persona user, or... it's just all in his head.

"I don't care. You'd have done it even if there wasn't the weird magic, right?"

Impulse opens his mouth to say something, and then closes it again. He could say something about how, yeah, back at the beginning, sure, but at this point his head had - well, if he hadn't gotten so mixed up, he wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. If there wasn't this ever-present sense that he had to use his time wisely. If...

"Hey. No. Look at me. Buddy."

Skizz steps back from the hug. Impulse looks at him. Skizz's smile is blinding. It really is like the sun, Impulse thinks distantly. Around them, there's a soft glow. There's a flame in Skizz's hand, Impulse realizes. He doesn't know where it came from. He doesn't think Skizz notices.

"You gave so, so much time for me. Let me help you. Let me do this for you. Okay?"

"Okay," Impulse says hoarsely.

"Okay," says Skizz, and he claps his hands around the flame and gaps. "...oh."

"Hey, I know we just had a conversation about me redirecting to talking about you when you don't want to," Impulse says, staring, "but like... is your persona supposed to do that?"

"What? You're the one who's supposed to know!" yelps Skizz. "I mean, not supposed to, dangit, we were just talking about -"

"No, I know what you mean, but no one ever said - dude, it's like a Pokemon or something! Why is it different now? I thought only mine did that!" Impulse says.

"Haha! Not anymore! I'm catching up!" Skizz says, and he reaches across the bed again to try to give Impulse a noogie.

"Hey! Hey! No fair! That's cheating!" Impulse says. "I can barely fight back! I almost died yesterday!"

"Well I've almost died too, so it doesn't count! That just means I can win for once!"

"Cheater! Cheater!"

"All's fair, dippledop!"

Impulse laughs, and Skizz laughs too, and he forgets entirely about the book.

Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou hast established a genuine bond... Thy bond shall be the flame of inspiration that expresses the true beauty in your heart. We bestow upon ye the secrets of the Sun arcana, granting you its ultimate power.

[MAX rank!]

[ailuvyou]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ TXT Taehyun : Personality ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Read disclaimer here. Reading done on 11.03.2022 using Archetype Cards and Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot. If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me by donating!

I have asked for permission to do and post this reading with my oracle deck and the answer is yes.

❝ Archetypes ¡! ❞

Question asked: What archetype fits Taehyun the most?

Cards: Hedonist (rx), Angel, Messiah (rx)

[🐿] :: Hedonist — Pleasure is important to him, whether that is through good food or luxury or doing what he loves, he seeks pleasure in life and he may even do it excessively to the point of endangering his health (which isn't very uncommon when it comes to being a K-Pop idol) and exhausting the people around him. I'm getting that he wants to live life comfortably (main goal) but having luxury is a plus, so with that goal in mind, he gets creative inspiration from it and works hard so that in the future, he can relax.

[🐿] :: Angel — Just like the name suggests, he is like an angel; loving, nurturing, likes to help people in need without expecting anything in return. He may have donated to some charities/organisations without publicising his name. There is some innocence to him and it's apparent by how he acts (meaning those times on camera where he's acting cute and innocent are most likely real and not an act, at least most of the time). He may feel connected to art, music and literature. Angels would like him, he may have many angels guarding/guiding him. However, I do think that maybe sometimes/rarely, he misleads others by acting innocent.

[🐿] :: Messiah — He may be spiritual. I think that his angel archetype goes together with this archetype where he helps people in need but often for his own gain. To be more specific, he may believe that he was brought on this Earth to do something to help humanity which can give him a bit of a saviour complex (the need to help/fix other people so that he feels good about himself). As for whether he is humble or proud, he is both; proud because he's accomplished so much and knows his worth, proud because he can help people in need but also down to earth especially when with normal people.

❝ Positive Qualities ¡! ❞

Question asked: What are Taehyun's positive qualities (in himself)?

Cards: Eight of Swords (clarifier: King of Swords), Queen of Wands, Ten of Cups

[🐿] :: Eight of Swords — The card represents the negatives of the idol lifestyle; he feels trapped, imprisoned, disappointed, his actions being watched and controlled by people other than him, knowing deep down he can leave if he wants to but he doesn't. What makes this a positive quality is that despite all this negativity, he's still able to become an amazing person. Despite having given away control of his life, he doesn't let it get to him and makes the most out of it, becoming successful, intellectual and fair, becoming himself in any way that he can with the limited control he has.

[🐿] :: Queen of Wands — He views himself very well (I'm glad he does). Like the angel archetype, he's very loving and caring especially for the people around him. He's full of (if not bursting with) creative energy and is very passionate in what he does. He gives it his all. I feel like he's grown a lot since he was younger and he's proud and happy of who he is now. He may also have very good intuition.

[🐿] :: Ten of Cups — It seems that he's satisfied with who he is right now and what he has accomplished. He seems very happy, a positive and cheerful person. A lot of times, he may bring positive energy to the people around him, lifting their mood up. This is especially useful during training and hard times. I feel like all he has to do is just exist and his presence would be very comforting. Of course, he's also doing well in terms of career and finance.

❝ Negative Qualities ¡! ❞

Question asked: What are Taehyun's negative qualities (in himself)?

Cards: Death (rx), Queen of Pentacles, King of Wands (clarifier: Three of Pentacles, The Devil)

[🐿] :: Death reversed — He may be resistant to change, oftentimes favouring the old and familiar instead of the new. He could be someone who holds onto the past even when it's time to let go and because of that, he causes his life to be stagnant. Sometimes, it bites him back, giving him problems in the present and the future. He can be prone to worrying and overthinking. He may also be afraid of the unknown (what's gonna happen in the future).

[🐿] :: Queen of Pentacles — Too much is the keyword here; see Hedonist & Messiah. Too much seeking pleasure and too much needing to help people to the point that he forgets about himself and exhausts himself or he gets taken advantage of. He seems very gentle and sensitive, hateful words can hurt him and deep down, he questions why people don't like him (if it's his fault or if he's doing anything wrong). He is like a child in an adult world and I don't mean this in a demeaning way or that he's incapable of taking care of himself or being an adult, it's just that he still has some innocence to him and you would want to protect him but other people would want to advantage of him. In a way, a child forced into the adult world at an early age.

[🐿] :: King of Wands — He may have some control issues. I think because he's very passionate and with the little control he has of himself, he tries to control the group but not extremely, just that he wants his voice to be heard and he wants people to do stuff his way like offering some suggestions on what they should do and becomes a bit pushy about it. Because of that, the energy can get a bit tense but I do think he knows when to back down and respect people well, especially Soobin and his decision.

❝ Passion ¡! ❞

Question asked: What is Taehyun's passion in life?

Cards: Two of Cups, Knight of Swords, Five of Pentacles (rx)

[🐿] :: Two of Cups — Being and working together with the people he loves, having good health, he may look forward to having some romance in his life

[🐿] :: Knight of Swords — Big changes and opportunities coming his way and him taking them, being ambitious, being a bit rebellious (he values freedom)

[🐿] :: Five of Pentacles reversed — Having stable finances and a stable future, spirituality(?)

❝ Values ¡! ❞

Question asked: What are Taehyun's values in life?

Cards: Knight of Cups, Ace of Cups, Ace of Swords

[🐿] :: Knight of Cups — Advancing in life, being fulfilled, living with inspiration, health by taking care of himself and the people around him

[🐿] :: Ace of Cups — Being compassionate towards people, harnessing his creative energy, finding what makes him happy and doing it as a living

[🐿] :: Ace of Swords — Being rational(?), truth, achieving victory/success, having clarity (being able to learn and understand important things)

❝ Goals ¡! ❞

Question asked: What are Taehyun's goals in life?

Cards: Eight of Wands, Six of Swords, Page of Wands + Temperance

[🐿] :: Eight of Wands — To continue as he is now (he wants his career to be successful like right now), he wants some balance and change in his life for the better, he wants to keep being productive (I think if I remember correctly, he did say that he prefers being productive and having things to do than doing nothing)

[🐿] :: Six of Swords — He wants a better outcome in his life/career like in the future, he wishes to have more freedom to express himself, finding solutions to his problems and resolving them, he wants to be secure and safe, he wants to build a better life for him in the future

[🐿] :: Page of Wands + Temperance — He may want to travel and see the world one day, he wants to meet fans all over the world, perform for many people, he wants balance in his life, wants to find his purpose in life too so he may want to explore who he is as a person in the future

❝ Extra notes ¡! ❞

[🐿] :: His energy is very cute and positive! It feels like he's very open about himself and has a positive mindset as well as a positive and welcoming attitude towards people (which makes sense because he is an extrovert).

[🐿] :: He may be a cat person.

[🐿] :: Reading went by extremely smoothly although there was a bit of tension when interpreting King of Wands in the negative qualities section. I'm extremely thankful that I get to do this reading and get to know him a bit more (albeit only through predictions) and I'm thankful that he and his guides/angels are very cooperative, open and welcoming with me.

[cryptid-killjoy]

"Oh."

Bastien made a face. Her initial statement seemed so simple.

"What makes you think there's something wrong with complaining about the challenges of parenthood?"

That was his first question truth be told because he thought it was odd she felt such a need to stand up loving Frankie as if any complaint meant some sort of lack or something to that effect.

"I complain about her all the time. Chip does too. His own I mean. Then we laugh about it. He tells me what his wives say too. It's all in good fun how difficult it can be, but rewarding. You should talk to them more... or Valerie... or Flotsam/Thomas and all them with kids. It's not a big deal. Then you wouldn't feel so bad that everyone goes through that. You could have just said you wanted a babysitter and we could have asked the guys at the church or the fae. Koda used to dance with that cowboy guy's kid, I forget his name, the Uber driver. He might have before he left, Zero would have helped him. I bet they would... or even Piper. Now that Feral is open we could ask all kinds of friends to do that. Just not the doctor alone just in case he gets a hankering itch his doctor vibes can't stop himself from scratching with our daughter. But, we really have had lots of choices. Now people who actually have kids can do it. They'll be the best ones because they're used to it."

He wouldn't even get at all why her mind would think there was about to be harsh judgement here on babysitters unless she meant the Jetsam thing, but she didn't voice that. As of now he was excited with the idea of visiting their friends more to drop off the kid. It was an excuse to see everyone. It wasn't like they were going to hire a stranger. The only reason he hadn't asked himself was because he honestly didn't have anything he wanted to do while in Feral other than whatever Delta had him do and his hoarding for future survival. He worked the dragon's hoard and did his thing. If anything it was the only time since they'd been together they almost functioned like a traditional family unit and they weren't even doing it on purpose. He got up and went to work and came home after a long day of her taking care of the baby and then helped himself all he possibly could. He just didn't actually have a timecard to punch like a regular job. What a world?

He liked hearing fuck Declan and Pierre too. He used to be so confident they were dead wrong and glad they were dead. The more things felt like they were changing the more insecure that confidence became. It got shook just every time he could sense her worry of him about his usage or anything that felt like judgement towards him for any reason. That was the honest truth.

Bastien shook his head. "Remind me. I'm sorry. My head. It's so mixed up sometimes." He remembered tarot cards, but it obviously wasn't as vivid to him as it was to her. He hated his brain sometimes. He could tell it was important to her and it made him feel sick to his stomach that he couldn't remember the details. It gave him a flashback to doctors trying to tell him problems that could get worse with time and he suddenly felt like hitting something. A doctor. The face of the one Esme put him in front of started to flash in his head even though that wasn't the one that spoke on his memory and cognition. His chin jerked to the side to shake it out and focus back on Maddy. He needed to pay attention. Full focus here. Present. Right now.

The moon. The dark. "Yeah. I do kinda remember that." He started to appear prouder by the moment. "I am an expert in that."

He actually laughed a little there about not getting lost. Stars that brought her home. He liked that too. It reminded him of Willem and how he'll forever be looking for a partner to be his candle on the water, his lighthouse.

"I think I forgot to tell you something. I don't know. Did I forget to tell you we don't always have to know where we're going? Because I don't. Sometimes I just wander around. It doesn't mean I'm lost. It doesn't mean I know where I am or even what I'm doing. But, I'm always okay. You never have to worry. It's always cool. We can just wander around together. No biggie. As long as we're together."

He wasn't upset about her rant as she put it in her mind, but he didn't see it that way. It was just expressing how she felt and it was all complimentary to him. Ranting felt like a negative term and how could he take it as bad when all she was really saying was she wanted more of him which meant she cared?

She however was probably right about the next thing she said too. If she was feeling that needy she might not have been coming across that way to him because he'd been feeling judged over small things every other time they got together for some time which had him decompressing after work with Frankie more because she was judgement free. If he stayed in the safety zone he wouldn't poke the mama bear so to speak. Maybe unintentionally keeping the kid distance barrier up was also poking the same bear. He was starting to realize he was going to have to admit to that if he were to have any integrity right now.

"I'm sorry. I should have noticed you needed some down time too. I could have asked for a sitter, but I didn't either because... well... because I get worried I'm going to get questioned about stuff we might argue about it and we'd never do that in front of Frankie. So, it's easier to have her around so nothing controversial comes up. Just in case. Like, I don't know... I see the concern on your face when I use, when I've been out long, or just... stuff along the way that puts me in the kind of mood that would ruin any fun I might have anyway. I know when I'm being judged. Other stuff. Stuff I'm determined to have patience about." He nodded his chin and didn't elaborate and left it at that because that was Bastien. "So maybe I'm asking a question I already knew the answer to? Maybe it didn't change. Maybe I just did? Maybe everything's the same, but my patience is changed, or like getting tired, and I'm not in the mood to exercise it. It's probably my fault and I didn't even know it. Fuck. Everyone has their limits. I guess. I might have a hammer, but my patience isn't as strong as Thor. Maybe a babysitter would help me recharge while I'm waiting. So again, I'm sorry."

Then he tilted his head again quite quizzically after his apology and explanation thereof.

"But why didn't you ask for a babysitter? I explained me. What about you? You sure that's all it is? Just didn't want to admit you can't do it all by yourself or just scared to ask people?"

Maddy had gone to scratch - but her hands never quite made it. She was able to stop herself. To calm herself back down. She was trying to find other outlets for her anxiety that didn’t involve hurting herself at all. After all, she had two very big eyes eyes watching her, learning from her, at all times. Grabbing her knees seemed a much better option.

“I don’t know. You know me, my mind just…” Goes off on it’s own tangents, in a completely different way than Bastien’s did. “To tell you the truth, the whole truth I .. I feel like since we’ve had Frankie, we haven’t really had any time to ourselves, except for when she’s asleep and even then, we have to worry about waking her. I’m not complaining about her, I love her so much, more than I ever thought was possible, it’s just - a babysitter so that we could go out and spend a night together, just you and me, would be .. a relief one of these nights.”

And there it was. The big dirty secret. The thought that made her feel like a horrible mother. It had been ten months - ten months of glorious days of watching her little one grow up so goddamn fast. Too fast. She was already crawling. She was babbling little noises. She was eating baby food, and like her dad, had an adoration for the banana flavors. But it was also ten straight months of the three of them, tired, working together, without much outward support. Never even thought about asking Delta or Frank to babysit, the idea was just a solid red X like a game show. Willem and Figaro - amazing with dolls and animals in turn but, a human baby, Maddy wouldn’t put that on them, no matter how much she loved them as friends. It made her feel like the worst goddamn person in the world to want a break from their daughter, even for one night. The absolute worst.

Not to mention there was also times when Jetsam took over - rare but there - and would just … leave with Bastien’s body.

She was definitely awaiting his judgment on that one. And expecting it to be harsh.

Maybe this was just what they needed. To uncork those pent-up thoughts the way that she used to uncork wine bottles. Just let the honesty flow. It had felt both good and horrible to get her thoughts out, to actually make her lips form the words and let someone else actually hear them. Because he just let out a lot too.

“Fuck Declan, and fuck Pierre,” She said, with more confidence than she had said anything since coming into this country. “They didn’t know me - I didn’t even really know me then, Bastien. I was so … lost. Then you helped give me this name, and .. remember when w got our tarot reading? It’s easy to lose your way in the dark, the moon, that’s one of the cards that came up and you told me that you’re an expert. You’ll never let me get lost.” She remembered that night so vividly. In such detail. Like a movie she’d seen a dozen times. “Well you became the stars that brought me home. Not only that but brought me to .. me. So no, they don’t know a thing about me, and they don’t know what they’re talking about. We have the opposite problem, where I just want .. more of you. More swan boats and carriage rides and .. even though we’re already married, thinking about our future and just being together in every sense of the world. I really do love my life with you. I love our dungeon home and walking through the shacks and bringing you dinner at the belltower because you just want to ring the bells all day. I don’t regret a thing. This isn’t temporary.”

Uncork. Not wine. Champagne. Bursting out all at once.

She almost wanted to apologize for going on a rant like that. She knew she could lose him by talking too much. It was known to happen. But also, she didn’t feel like she should apologize for the feelings that she had right then, the ones that she expressed, so she didn’t.

“I think we are okay, Bastien. I’ve just been … sort of needy and really bad at showing it,” She admitted.

[nn-ee-zz]

I'm in love with your work! The way you handle shapes and lines os so good and inspiring, and as a hobbyist artist it really just makes me wanna get wild with art no matter how nervous I am about my skills. I can't stop sending ppl your stuff too like "AAAA LOOK AT THIS", so I'm really glad you post your art!!

Do you usually go into something like a tarot card or prompt with an idea in mind or do they form over a while with sketching concepts?

Thank you! Having clear shapes is really important to me when it comes to character design, so I'm happy you brought it up. Even happier knowing it makes you feel less constrained about doing your own art. I initially was very hesitant in sharing my characters because I felt like my technical skills were lacking. I still do, but I have come to the realization that the design itself oftentimes makes it up for any drawing flaw. You will never feel truly ready, so go for it now!

Disclaimer, what I’m about to say are not character design rules. Just my personal approach to it

To answer your question; yes. More times than not, the final design is one of the first ideas that sprang up in my brain. It’s an idea like ‘i want to make a knight with fish head armor’. I know the atmosphere I want them to present and I can see them, if I close my eyes, like a blurry outline. However, it’s incomplete. I always know the shape of the ‘focus’ element of the design and only down to sketching/experimenting can I complete the rest. In other therms, I can clearly see a head and then have to design the rest of the body to match. Some designs I complete immediately, others take months (I just ignore them and let them rest before turning to it again).

My impromptu designs come from that. My tarot and any other prompt require a little research before hand, but again, once the atmosphere and what I want to represent is grasped, then the design is good to go.

Having ideas for characters is easy for me. I shamelessly grab my first impulse. I don’t think about what makes sense or what’s popular, I do what I think is cool according to my opinion. I indulge what my teen self would have loved too, nothing is cringe anymore. Designing them is hard. Drawing them is just as hard. I go thro the whole process because I do love sharing my designs with others. You're glad I post my art, and I'm glad there's people like you who encourage it.

Sending the concept art sketches for the emoji angels, as an example of what I mean by sketching/experimenting. The idea of a body made out of eyes was immediate, I struggled to design a headpiece that would match but not overshadow it. 3-heart and tongue halo was also an instant design, to which I only needed to add a body. The other 2 were a struggle of trying to make a design that felt contained (nothing too detailed, too complicated, hard to scult in 3D) but ethereal. Love the messiness of my sketchbook

[yunopouts]

tarot reading - n. yuta

-> nakamoto yuta x reader

-> era! kick it

-> fluff, blurb

-> w: kissing

-> a/n: i wrote this when i was very high... and soft for yuta... don't do drugs do them if you want just be safe :D

“I have arrived.” You stood in the doorway of your boyfriends apartment.

“So you have.” He said smiling as he leaned forward to peck you on the lips.

“Hmm, how was your day?” You hummed, wrapping your arms around his neck. Yuta did the same, except his arms were around your waist, pulling your body closer to his.

“It was good;” he responded, kissing you softly again. “we recorded something for the new album, filmed a dance practice and then went out for lunch with Renjun and Taro.”

“That’s an odd pair.”

“Surprisingly it’s not... other than the fact that they’re housemates, I think Doyoung-ah brought them closer.”

"How nice." you smiled with a closed mouth, kissing him for the third and final time before pulling out of the hug. Taking your hand, he led you inside and continued talking.

"Was the drive thru busy today?" Yuta asked, leading you into the kitchenette.

“It was busy during lunch time, but then it just came in clumps.” You told him as he sat you down on a stool at the island and walked to the fridge. When Yuta handed you a water bottle, you mumbled a thank you.

“How did I get so lucky?” You asked, your cheek resting on your fist, staring at his back.

“What do you mean?” He looked over at you, a brow raised.

"I'm a fast food worker dating an idol." you rolled your eyes at his innocent expression as he leaned his elbows on the counter and stared at you.

"I pulled the lovers card during my tarot reading." your boyfriend wiggled his eyebrows, making you roll yours eyes once more.

"You're so annoying." you scoffed, annoyed scowl turning into a small smile at the ring of his loud laugh.

"Come here weirdo." Yuta walked around the corner of the island and pulled you into his embrace once again. "You're not the lucky one here, I am."

"How so?" you smiled up at him, your chin on his chest.

"I'm dating the sexiest person on earth." you snort at his statement as he squeezed you tighter. "I love you."

"Love you too, sexy man."

"That's a new one."

"Yeah, you like it? I think it's very fitting."

"Me too."

"Glad we're on the same page."