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dduane · 4 months

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From the Writing Advice dep't: A complicated ask, a serial answer (part 1)

Every now and then I get an ask in the box that's complex enough that it has to be taken apart and answered in pieces. Also, sometimes I get queries in that are painful enough (in varying ways) that I elect not to attribute them when answering. This one is both.

I read the ask (and reread it, and rereread it, four or five or six times after it came in, and a bunch more times while I was on my back this week being sick), and gradually came to realize that for it to be properly handled I had no choice but to break it into pieces for best management.

There are three main strands to the issues this ask brings up: motivation, growth as a writer, and coping with or succeeding despite the current state of the publishing industry.

So let's dig in. Here's the first part of the ask:

I know there's no One True Path, but I'm struggling with this, and I'm sure others are too, so I'll just ask it. I want to make a career out of writing, but with shrinking attention spans and so much content to mindlessly consume, how do you keep the motivation to write? My friends get mad at me for getting discouraged when not even they read my writing. They get mad and say, "write for yourself, not for the validation!"

Welp. (sigh)

First of all, I think your friends are absolutely right. But we'll come back to that.

You have to understand that as far as the Search for Motivation goes, I'm probably Spiders DD, the outlier who seriously should not have been counted. I have been motivated to write stuff pretty much nonstop since I was eight, and did my first novel in crayon in a school notebook. (It was one of the thick notebooks. The ones with the black and white marbled covers. Most of you who come of US schools know the kind.)

So I'm really the wrong person to be asking about this, especially since it's now nearly the Year of our (Wood!) Dragon 4722, which would make me nearly, uh, six Years of the Dragon old. And being of such age, and a career midlist genre writer, I have the same source of motivation as the vast majority of my similarly-aged colleagues: the need to write or starve. (There's an Irish saying perfectly descriptive of my situation: "Too old to dig ditches and too scared to rob banks." That's my situation exactly. There's nothing left for me to do but to write.) :)

...Anyway, it's kind of amazing how that kind of motivation'll focus your intention, and help you keep it in place, once you're been working with it for a while.

At the beginning of a career, though, things can look a lot different as you start getting a handle on exactly what it is you like to write and why you like writing it. And having another job to keep you afloat while you find your way is seriously a very good idea if you can manage it.

It sounds very much to me as if you're still in the early "finding your way" stages. This is a place that a lot of writers pass through, so don't be concerned. It's rare for sudden perfect motivation-to-write to crystallize out of nothing. And never forget, the word itself is based on old Latin roots for movement, and provokes the question, "Yeah, okay, but which way?" Movement without intended direction tends to turn into a lot of unfocused flailing, which looks good on Kermit, but not so much on the rest of us.

(inserting a cut here, because honestly, this is gonna go on a bit)

So you need to sit down and start asking questions—and answering them—so you can draw some kind of map. "I want to make a career out of writing"? Fine. What kind of writing? Fiction? Nonfiction? If fiction, what kind? What do you like to read? Why? Is that something you'd like to write? Why? Why not? If there's something else you'd rather be writing—what else? And why?

The more you ask the questions and answer them—"Keep asking the next question," Ted Sturgeon never used to stop saying—and the further along your investigations get, the more likely you are (as you get close to the answers that matter) to start getting the itch to write something, something in particular. This process may take a while, and the itch may take a good while to manifest. Don't be alarmed by that. The old saying is that the fire from Heaven won't descend until you've built the altar for it. And it may take a while piling the rocks up into the right shape. Don't hurry. If this is something you intend to spend a lifetime on, make sure the foundations are sound. The time taken will be worth it.

And BTW, do you intend that kind of length of commitment? If you're not sure, that's fine. But there's no one else to ask at this point who can give you meaningful answers. This is the time to get into it. Work out what "having a career in writing" looks like for you. Then start investigating to see whether your conception has any foundation in reality as a kind of lifestyle you actually have decent odds on achieving. (Again, I'm an outlier here. I'd been writing for pleasure for a long time before I had the good fortune to befriend an actual career writer, examine his habits [and those of other writers in the LA area] at close range, and realize that this line-of-work choice was actually something that could be successfully pulled off by mere mortals.) After investigation, this is a call that only you can make.

But anyway. Once you've started experiencing the kind of motivation that comes of increased certainty about what you want to do and why, you'll find you're way less concerned about sourcing or supporting it externally. It tends to fuel itself. (As once it does descend, the fire from Heaven is tenacious stuff: more Greek than otherwise.)

But also: trying to designate outsourced exterior stimulants for motivation is a bad idea. The reason's simple: one day you'll need them and they won't be there. Conditions will have changed, or the outside-of-you sources into the hands of which you've resigned your motivational agency may not be available for one reason or another, temporarily or permanently... and then where are you? The concept's a nonstarter. If your motivation's acting up, you need to be looking inward, not outward, for ways to kickstart it. This is one of the most personal parts of the writing process. You need to own it.

(And yeah, even career writers' motivation slips sometimes: annoying career things happen, cyclic lows cut in at a bad time, you name it. Most of us work out ways to jar the motivation back into correct operation when it acts up. But for such corrections to work you must first know what it's like to generate or mine yours yourself... and you're still working on that. The methods you find to generate motivation toward doing the Work will also assist you in diagnosing it when it goes south, and putting it right again.)

Also: (sighing) Please let your friends off the hook as regards reading your material, and feedback. Your motivation to write should not be dependent on their feedback, and it's not a good idea to try to make friends feel responsible for keeping you on the creative track. Chief among reasons for this: they may not feel themselves up to the task of giving you the writing support you're apparently asking them for—possibly because they simply don't feel competent to. (This is where we could get into how I had to stop @petermorwood from rewriting his third novel for the third time due to conflicting notes from friends... but let's leave that for later.) At best you're possibly making your friends deeply uncomfortable. At worst, the pressure may damage the friendships.

Tl:dr; our friends may love us dearly, but that doesn't make them competent editors. If you're online, so are many writers' groups who'll welcome a new member who needs advice. Wait till you've got more data and clarity on your motivational issues, and then start shopping around for assistance that seems friendly and trustworthy.

And finally (for the moment), about other people's attention spans:

It'd be good if you can start training yourself away from the habit of worrying about those. For one thing, there's absolutely nothing you can do about them. You might as well worry about the 11-year sunspot cycle. The attention-span issue is just one more distraction from things you should usefully be thinking about. But also: A lot of what we hear about that situation strikes me as fearmongering (as, IIRC, it was supposed to cause the downfall of western civilization around the time I started writing for Scooby-Doo).

If you look around, you'll see that loads of people are willing to spend HUGE amounts of their attention on stuff they love. (I mean, have you been on AO3 lately? And we're just talking about free stuff, there. Lots of other people will do the same for traditionally published work, given the chance and the money.) Your job is to get on with writing, start putting what you're doing out there where people will have a chance to fall in love with it, and then deal with the consequences.

More of this next time. (And please bear with me, as I'm still not up to best operating speed after the last week's illness. I'll get to everything else you sent me, I promise.)

HTH!

#writing advice #masked ask #is that a term?#it is now #motivation in writing #motivational issues

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yuurei20 · 4 months

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Lesson voice lines: Original Game and EN Comparisons

Original Ace: (about Crowley) How long is he gonna be here EN Ace: How long's this gonna take?

Original Ace: (about Crowley) Ugh, he's still here. EN Ace: Ugh. Are we still doing this?

Original Trey: What are you going to do for lunch? EN Trey: What should I have for lunch?

Original Cater: There is a lunch I want to recommend to you! EN Cater: I know JUST what to eat for lunch.

Original Cater: Do muscles go viral? EN Cater: Am I swole?

Original Cater: Shall I fill you in sometime? EN Cater: I'll fill you in this time.

Original Leona: Let's take a break. EN Leona: When's lunch?

Original Ruggie: I don't like autocrats. EN Ruggie: Booo, autocrats.

Jack uses the word "苦手" about Crewel, which can be difficult to translate into English.

Jack's in-class voice line became "Professor Crewel's a toughie," but another way to phrase it is "Professor Crewel rubs me the wrong way," i.e., they just don't get along.

Malleus uses the same word to describe a smell that he doesn't like, and when Jack uses it again in another voice line it is phrased as, "I have a hard time dealin' with him."

Original Azul: And now, the sturgeon... EN Azul: A dash of beluga, and...

This is a reference to the Japanese-language dub of "The Little Mermaid: "come winds of the Caspian Sea" was changed to "Sturgeon of the Caspian Sea," connecting back to Jade and Floyd's sturgeon-scale earrings (as explained by Jade himself in his first birthday vignette).

This was likely changed to "beluga" to connect to the "Beluga Sevruga" line from "Poor Unfortunate Souls," as there is no sturgeon for the English game to reference in the original, English-language song.

Original Rook: I could reach out and touch the etoile. EN Rook: I could reach out and touch the soleil.

There is an ongoing mistranslation of Epel: as we learn in Book 5, he is only being forced to adhere to Vil's rules until he is strong enough to win against Vil in a fight.

This is referenced in several of Epel's lines where he talks about beating Vil but on EN all of Epel's references to wanting to win against his housewarden have been changed to wanting to win against Crowley, instead.

(I was pretty sure it was just an oversight, but it is consistent enough that I wonder if it isn't intentional?)

Original Epel: I wonder what the Housewarden would do EN Epel: What would the headmage do?

Original Epel: I can beat the Housewarden at this EN Epel: Can I beat the Headmage now?

Original Idia: Life is... EN Idia: I wonder where...

Idia's line is very difficult to translate into English...it is similar to wondering about what life itself is, like souls and emotions (different from the concept of "ghosts").

Lilia, Silver, Sebek and Idia himself all have lines about eternal life during their alchemy classes so it makes sense in-context, and was changed to "I wonder where..." on EN. (Maybe stopping short of "I wonder where souls come from"?)

Original Silver: It smells like rotten eggs... EN Silver: That egg smelled rotten

(Several characters comment on unpleasant smells during alchemy lessons and Silver's original line is just comparing the smell to rotten eggs; he is not saying that a literal egg is involved.)

Original Grim: Is that the name of a food? EN Grim: I'm just gonna daydream about food...

#twstdialogue #twisted wonderland

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boxheadpaint · 4 months

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YEAH STURGEON LETS GO STURGEON LETS GO STRUGEON YEAHHHH STURGEON YEAHHHH STURGEON BABY STURGEON WOOOO STURGEON YEAH BABY STURGEON WAHOOOO STURGEONNYEAHHHH GET A HOMERUN WOOO STURGEON YEAAAAAA STUGEON YEAH

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dragon-ascent · 10 months

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Zhongli plays Animal Crossing - some headcanons.

★彡modern au of course, Zhongli is silly

Lending Zhongli your Animal Crossing copy was honestly one of the best decisions ever made, honestly:

“So, am I to help these animals cross the road?"

"You don't, my love."

"Then why is it titled 'Animal Crossing?'"

He's pleasantly surprised when he finds out he needs to build an island paradise for a bunch of furry friends, as he calls them. He already has a few ideas in mind, he says.

He names his island "Liyuef"... he meant to put Liyue but didn't know how to backspace.

Zhongli...dear, sweet Zhongli treats all of his villagers like real people. When he accidentally bonks one on the head with his net, he gets SO sad. "Oh, please pardon me, Sprinkle...I did not mean to...oh! I did it again. It was not my intention, I assure you, miss Sprinkle. Please do not be angry..."

He also gets sad when a villager asks to move out, but he accepts it with grace. "Who am I to deny their wishes?" he'd say, as he lets his beloved Wolfgang go.

"Zhongli, they're literally fictional..."

Gulliver is an interesting character to him. "This bird washed up on my island...he'd been drinking, no doubt. He reminds me of a certain bard." And when Gulliver gifts him something after he locates all his phone parts, Zhongli says "Ah, thank you Barbatos...I mean Gulliver."

And when Redd visits, he doesn't even need an online art guide...he knows real from fake because he's just that knowledgeable about art. That sly fox's got nothing on this old man.

Zhongli also eagerly listens to everything Blathers has to say, fascinated by all the wildlife that can be caught around the island. Sometimes at dinner he'd relay these facts to you. "Darling, today the owl friend told me that sturgeons can.."

Zhongli’s used to having other people pay for his stuff. So when he finds out he needs to pay off his loans, bridges and stairs by himself, he’s a little put off, but works hard to accumulate enough bells to pay everything off himself.

Speaking of bells…man has NO fiscal responsibility at. All. He buys out the shop and boutique on a regular basis even if he has no need for what they’re selling, simply because “Ah, but the little raccoon children have worked hard to procure these items for me, so it is only fair that I thank them, yes?”

TERRAFORMING is his absolute favourite thing to do! He likes to make random chunks of land all over Liyuef because they remind him of how he can harness Geo energy :)

And honestly, he has such an eye for design and detail. Liyuef is soon well-adorned with beautiful pathways, tastefully-placed monuments and flowers, and an artfully arranged neighbourhood, almost reminiscent of the real-life Liyue it was meant to mimic. “Darling, miss Isabelle has given my land a rating of five stars!”

Soon, Liyuef becomes a thriving paradise, and he's happy :) he thanks you for showing him the crossing of the animals <3

#zhongli #sini writes #genshin impact #zhongli x reader #genshin #genshin x reader #zhongli x you #fluff #animal crossing

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teejaystumbles · 26 days

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Idea/Ask for Mermay?

I love the line: "A bird may love a fish but where would they live?" With mermaid/dreamling twist?

Thanks! :)

this made me go feral over the idea of harpy!Dream and merman Hob! I wrote this in about two-three hours and it's not edited or anything but I hope you like it even if the question where they would live is not answered 😅

I may write more for them/expand on this scene or draw them, but it won't be today.

Anyway Happy Mermay everybody! Let's gooooooo!

Dream sees the glint of scales under the waves and veers in its direction. With a smirk he drops down, claws outstretched-

When he realises his mistake it is too late. He cannot break his descent without risking dropping into the sea. His claws glance off the coppery scales, leaving long sharp scratches behind. A long copper coloured fishtail rises from the water and slaps at him, missing Dream's right wing only by a few centimetres. He hastily pulls himself up into the air again with a heavy flap of his wings and stares down in disbelief.

A dark-haired man's head rises from the waves and yells at him, "Oi, mate, watch it! I'm not a fucking sturgeon!"

A merman! Dream has heard of such creatures before but he has never seen one in his life. Admittedly, he has not been around these shores for long. He cocks his head, curious. The merman frowns and shouts, "Hey, I've never seen you around here before. Aren't harpies usually living in the South? Where it's warmer?"

Dream scoffs and flaps his wings again to stay in the air.

"If you want to interrogate me, perhaps you can accompany me to a place where I can rest my wings. I'm not a seagull, I can't just land on the water."

The merman stares at him open-mouthed, a perplexed look on his face. Dream frowns. Has he not used the correct language? But then the merman nods and flaps his tail. There's a blush on his cheeks and he pulls at the fin on the side of his head where an ear would be.

"Yeah, sorry, 'course. Follow me. It's not far, there's a rock close by."

Dream had seen the rock earlier and nods before steering towards it. The merman ducks back into the water and with a flash of his brown-golden fin he is off, faster than Dream expected. He follows, pondering his decision. What is he doing, seeking conversation with this being? He is not usually one for social interaction. He came here to be alone.

Hob notices the shadow above and thinks it’s just a gull flying overhead. He doesn’t look up, there’s no flying predator large enough for a merman to worry about. When suddenly a sharp line of pain is scored into his flesh he thrashes his tail on instinct, trying to knock the attacker down. What the fuck?

He surfaces quickly and looks up. There’s a giant bird flying above him, flapping its black wings to gain some height and distance from Hob’s fin. Except it’s not a bird. It’s a man with bird wings! A harpy, his memory supplies.

Angry and shocked, he shouts the first thing that comes to mind: "Oi, mate, watch it! I'm not a fucking sturgeon!"

He feels stupid straight afterwards, talking to a stranger like that, what if the harpy can’t even understand him?

Hob has heard about harpies. They don’t live in these colder climates, though, or at least that’s what he’s been told. They stick to the Mediterranean, being sensitive to cold. Shows how much there is to learn still. Hob loves to learn new things.

The bird man cocks his head as if considering Hob’s words. He shouts again, testing if the creature can understand him, "Hey, I've never seen you around here before. Aren't harpies usually living in the South? Where it's warmer?"

The harpy scoffs, a very human sound and says, "If you want to interrogate me, perhaps you can accompany me to a place where I can rest my wings. I'm not a seagull, I can't just land on the water."

Hob gapes at the man. So he can understand him! The harpy’s voice is deep and carries far without being raised. Hob stares at the harpy’s sharp face, his plush lips pouting at him. He narrows his piercing blue eyes at Hob and Hob hastily jerks himself out of his stupor. Embarrassed, he pulls his ear fin.

"Yeah, sorry, 'course. Follow me. It's not far, there's a rock close by."

The creature nods and Hob dives, swimming towards the rocks a few hundred metres away. They are close to the shore and there are plenty of cliffs and rocks nearby.

Hob reaches the rock first and watches the harpy approach. The being lands gracefully, its sharp black claws gripping the rock for support. It has black wings instead of arms and the feathers shimmer purple and blue in the sunlight. Its legs are also densely feathered, plumage covering its body up to the hips. The man’s torso is white, his face human and beautiful with a shock of unruly black hair framing his sharp cheeks and falling over his brows. Hob knows he’s staring but the harpy is the most stunning thing he has ever seen. Dangerous and beautiful, all sharp claws and bones and feathers that look both sharp enough to cut and so soft that Hob desperately wants to touch them to find out how they feel. He restlessly jerks his tail and hisses when he feels the sting of the wound the harpy gave him. He had completely forgotten about it. He lifts his body to the surface to inspect the wound. It’s not that bad, just a shallow scratch. The harpy shifts restlessly behind him.

“I apologise for my error. Do you require medical assistance?”

The harpy’s deep and dulcet voice rolls over Hob like a wave of warm water and he sighs, temporarily forgetting that he has been asked a question. He stares back up at the bird man, lost in a fuzzy haze.

“Are you alright?” the being’s inquiring voice draws him back to reality. Hob blinks and then frowns. He ducks a bit deeper into the water, eyeing the other warily.

“Sorry, I…I’m fine, it’s just a scratch. But tell me,” he says, deciding that it’s better to set things straight right away, “are you a siren? Your voice, it’s…it’s messing with my head.”

Dream’s back stiffens when the merman asks him if he’s a siren. Has he been involuntarily charming the other? He curses himself and carefully focuses on stopping any latent magic from entering his voice when he answers, “I apologise. Again. I was not aware I was doing it. It’s been a long time since I…talked to anyone.”

The merman raises an eyebrow but seems mollified and ready to listen, rather than just swimming off. He seems to be a very curious person, too curious for his own good. Dream sighs and shuffles his wings nervously.

“There is indeed a siren in my family line. Some of her magic has been passed down…to me. And some of my siblings. I do not use it…intentionally.”

No need to tell the merman that the mentioned siren is his mother and that Dream has indeed inherited quite a lot of her powers. He truly is not in the habit of using his voice to charm others. He prefers to not be around others anyway.

The merman blinks, seemingly fascinated. Dream studies him more closely. He is an adult male with copper skin and dark brown, almost black hair that flows over his shoulders and down his chest into the water. Dream wonders how long it is. The man’s face is handsome, with a strong nose that would make any harpy envious and amber eyes that look kindly up at Dream, shining with curiosity and intelligence.

“Apology accepted. Just please don’t use it on me anymore,” the merman says easily and draws himself a bit more onto the rock. Dream notes the length of his hair, the wet ends curling just around his dark brown nipples. The feathers at Dream’s neck stand up as he fights his irritation at the alluring display. He draws his gaze away from the merman’s chest to meet his eyes again. The man is smiling guilelessly.

“My name is Hob,” he says brightly, “can I ask your name, stranger?”

Dream straightens and tries to answer with dignity, hoping the other has not noticed his staring.

“I am called Dream. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Hob.”

He is surprised that he means it.

#eeee I hope you like it Anon! I do xD #mermay 2024 #dreamling #harpy Dream #merman Hob #the sandman fanfiction #asks

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mochinomnoms · 11 days

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thinking about punk!jade and piercing his ear for him. maybe jade decides that he wants to experiment with his sense of style more by having his other ear pierced and who better to ask than his mate? he sees it as his mate making their mark on him and feeling giddy about being known as theirs. finally the times come to pierce his ear and he closes his eyes to prepare himself. jade’s seen his fair share of blood, so he’s fine, but the prefect mistakes his actions as him being nervous. While he waits he hears the prefect’s voice to focus on them then he feels their hand on his face, their body pressed close, and best of all, their lips on his. he barely notices the needle when he’s got his lover smothering them in love. if getting his ears pierced means he has his mate all over him and some cool-looking earrings then perhaps he’ll look more into punk inspired looks.

this was spurred on by a gif exactly like this but i feel as though this might be kinda niche so if it doesn’t vibe with you please ignore me and my 2am thoughts ( ´ ∀ `)ノ

-🪸

See this is cute, but also you need to be very careful when piercing, so unfortunately for Jade, if his mate is the one piercing him they can't be distracted with kisses. HOWEVER if they go to a professional piercer:

“So you did this one.” The piercing artist pointed at the sturgeon scale earring on his left. “When you were 12. Under the sea—”

“With a fishhook.” Jade added, 'helpfully.'

“...with a fishhook, and by some miracle it didn't get infected?”

You snorted at the look the piercing artist gave Jade, a mix of incredulous and impressed. She was covered in a variety of silver jewelry, from her lips, nose, and eyebrows, to her cheeks and the many in her ears. They suited her very well, especially with her pointed ears and the skeletal tattoos on her arms.

“My mother found out the next morning when she woke us up for school. Just about scared the whole neighborhood awake with her screams.” Jade's lips quirked up, as he was fond of the memory.

“She'd agreed to have the doctor do it for us after school the next day, but my brother was rather impatient and wanted to wear the earrings right then and now.”

“Jade let out a soft chuckle. Indeed Ms. Nastasia. We did end up going to the doctor to clean the holes out and fashion the scales to a proper earring instead of a fishhook, as Floyd was already having a reaction.”

The artist sighed again and fiddled with the chain hanging between her ear lobe and the tip of her ear.

“Sounds right, so the rest of these,” she pointed two fingers around his ear lobes. “Are from the doctor later on?”

“Yes.” Jade clenched his hands uncomfortably as the pulled on a pair of black latex gloves. He thinned his lips as she started touching his ears.

You tapped your own fingers on top of his hand, which he opened and let you lace your fingers with his.

“Sorry.” Natasha gave Jade a small smile. “I'll quit poking you in a sec, I gotta inspect your ears. I gotta make sure that your old piercings are still good. Merfolk don't wear jewelry often, right?”

“It's fine.” Jade looked down, watching as you fidgeted with his hand. “No, we don't. You tend to run the risk of long or dangling jewelry getting caught in someone else's fins, in kelp, or in fishermen's nets.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” Nastasia smiled as she leaned back, turning to her countertop to get her tools ready.

“Unfortunately, it seems that most of them did close over time, I'm guessing it got too long since you've worn jewelry in them. I'll have to repierce most of them, but I recommend doing just one today to see how you'll do, and we can do some more at another session.”

Jade nodded and tapped his free hand against his chin.

“I see...which one should I do...” He turned to you to ask. “What do you think of another earring on me?”

You gasped excitedly and bolted from his grasp, confusing him and Nastasia. They watched as you looked among the various jewelry, humming to yourself.

“Oh!” You twirled back around, grinning. “If you get another earring on your right ear, can I pick the earring?”

“Jade raised a brow at you, smirking as he crossed his arms. I suppose, what is it?”

“It's gonna be a surprise! Ms. Nastasia! Can you do this one?”

Nastasia got up, looked at the piece you pointed at and nodded.

“If he's fine with it.” She looked over at him, to which he nodded.

“Alright! Let me get everything ready.”

You took a seat next to Jade again, excitedly tapping your feet against the ground and playing with Jade's hand again.

“It's great! You're gonna love it Jade!”

“Jade smile and squeezed your hand in his. I'll trust your judgement then.”

Nastasia slid over in a rolling chair, pulling a wheeled trolley with her tools. Jade noticed that she was hiding something wrapped in plastic as she prepared her piercing needle.

“Alright, sweetheart? Why don't you talk to your boyfriend? Something sweet while I get his ear ready.”

You nodded, moving to his left side as Jade tensed at the cold alcohol pad being wiped over his ear lobe.

“Hey, Jade?”

Jade moved his gaze to you, lips quirking as you came closer to whisper in his ear.

“Yes?”

He felt a tingling feeling go down his spine as he felt your breath against his skin.

“Should we match too? Me and you?”

You giggled as Jade smiled, his left arm reaching to curl around your waist.

“Oh? Isn't that what humans use wedding bands for? To match to each other? Don't you want to be wed, my dear?” Jade murmured back, closing his eyes as you pressed soft kisses against his temple.

“Yeah, we can do those too. We can have matching earrings, bands,” You laughed again against his ear. “This is just so when people ask about your earring, you can tell them all about how I picked it out, cause you're mine.”

Jade closed his eyes, basking in your affections as you continued to flutter his cheek, lips, and forehead with kisses. A cough interrupted you two.

“As cute as this is, you're all done now.” Nastasia laughed at your surprised expressions. “Here, take a look and tell me what you think.”

Nastasia handed Jade a handheld mirror, who was currently looking flustered.

“Apologies, I hadn't realized that you even finished.”

“It's fine.” Nastasia waved her hand, smiling as Jade inspected the heart shaped mushroom stud in his right ear. “I try to get my clients thinking about happy thoughts so they're distracted from the pain. Most of them don't even realize that they got pierced.”

You rested your head against Jade's shoulder, waiting for his response.

“Do you like it?”

Jade remained silent, still staring at the silver mushroom.

“...Jade?”

He handed the mirror back to Nastasia, turning to you to grab your cheeks in his hand and squeeze them together, making you purse your lips.

You squealed, laughing as Jade returned your earlier favor and kissed your lips.

“It's wonderful, my dear.” Jade let you go, turning to Nastasia with a smile. “If we still have some time, perhaps we can follow through with their commitment and pierce their ear as well?”

Nastasia snorted as she looked at you for your response. “Oh? You want to match with your boyfriend?”

The teasing tone in her voice made you warm up as you nodded shyly.

“Yeah…you really want to, Jade?”

“Why, of course!” Jade moved to let you take his spot as Nastasia put away the used tools and grabbed sterilized ones. “You said you wanted others to know I'm yours as much as you're mine? We should make that a reality~”

#mochi asks #🪸 anon #twst #twisted wonderland #jade leech #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #jade leech x reader

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huggybearhughes43 · 1 month

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okay so i have an idea.. basically reader just broke up with someone and she went back to her hometown to get away from everything for a little bit, and she re found her old high school boyfriend (vince dunn) but now he was older more mature and like really hot 😜 and they would in secret “hang out” (iykyk😉) so they wouldn’t be caught by paparazzi (ALSO THIS CAN BE SMUT BUT IF YOU DONT WANNA WRITE IT AS SMUT THEN U DO WHATEVER U WANNA WRITE GIRLIE 😝()

More than anything

Vince Dunn X Fem! Reader

Warnings- none just fluff, past mentions of Vince being toxic in high school, lmk if you guys want a part two with smut

Summary- in the request :)

Word count- 624

My fingers fidget at my side as I contemplate actually doing it. I’m back in Lindsay, Ontario. It was off season, I knew that. I’m stood in front of Vince Dunns childhood home, the one I knew he stayed in when he wasn’t in his apartment in Seattle. I couldn’t lie, I missed him, his stupid smile, his pretty eyes. It might’ve been an act to just get back in my pants, it’s what he would’ve done in high school. But after the breakup two months ago, I had to see him again.

My shaky hands raise to knock on the door. I curse under my breath as I wait for someone to open the door, he didn’t know I was here. Hell, we hadn’t spoken in about five years, six years after we broke up our senior year. The last we had spoken was us catching up, nothing special. It wasn’t even in person, it was over text.

The door creaked open to reveal Vance. He was older, obviously, I knew he was going to look different. But what I didn’t know was how amazing he’d look. His curls were more defined, so were his cheekbones, and his jaw line. I was surprised he didn’t have a line of girls out his front door.

His eyes lit up at the sight of me. I figure I looked different as well. “Y/n…?” He smiled. God that smile, the smile I remember from every football game, every break in between classes, every hang out sesh after school. “Shit, I’ve missed you! I- I- fuck, come in.” He smiles, standing to the side to let me into the house.

That’s how me and Vince Dunn became friends again. For the first time since high school we actually laughed together, watched movies together, went on walks together. But what I forgot was that he was literally famous. People were taking photos from every corner of every road we walked on. In a week’s time our photos were plastered every where. “Vince Dunns new Girlfriend” “Who is Vince Dunns new girl?” “Vince Dunn spotted with new girl in his home town of Lindsay”.

Me and Vince were tired of it. Originally we planned to spend a day at the beach down at Sturgeon lake. But with all off these creeps taking photos, I didn’t feel like spending a day in public in a bikini knowing old men were probably taking photos. So instead Vince suggested to spend the day at his place in which I happily agreed to. Which leads to now, a pizza box on his coffee table as we’re cuddled up into a shared blanket, watching “The Haunting In Connecticut”. I had to force myself not to joke him at the fact that he remembered our favorite movie to watch together.

Vince’s arm was wrapped around my waist, his thumb rubbing at my side. We spoke about everything and nothing, catching up on our years spent apart. His voice had deepened and his jaw line had sharpened, everything that was new I couldn’t help but notice. It was like he was a new man, like hockey had changed him.

“I’ve missed you so much.” He softly whispers in my ear as he manages to wiggle himself to lay his head on my lap. I smile as my hand falls to his hair, combing my fingers through his curls. “Happy I came back to visit, hm?” I tease and his smile falters. “I’m just fucking with you,” I giggle “if I hadn’t missed you I wouldn’t have came here.” My fingers find their way to almost caress the side of his face. I naw at my bottom lip, staring at him.

“I’ve missed you more than anything.”

#smut #hockey smut #nhl #new jersey devils #jeremy swayman #jeremy swayman smut #boston college #john marino smut #luke hughes smut #umich hockey #vince dunn smut #vince dunn

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merakiui · 3 months

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*sits like a little devil on your shoulder*

Please write an eels fic I will hand all my mortal possessions to you if you do

- 🦈

🦈 anon, my little devil, waaaaaa it's too tempting. I want to write lots of eels after seeing the new manga panels. T^T mean eels who hold you down to pierce your navel or ears so that you can wear sturgeon scales and match with them. Or finish The Diary of Floyd Leech fic I started a while ago (perhaps even write a diary for Jade as well)!!! More omegaverse. More eels in captivity who are paired with another eel mer darling because their species is on the verge of going extinct.

Omg or a concept with student!reader x professor!Jade and you confide in him that you're pregnant and you don't know what to do. He offers to help you. Plot happens. Somehow you find yourself giving birth in his bathtub and he's not going to let you go after the fact. The real father will never get a chance to meet the baby because Jade's going to take that place now. <3 you can trust him. He's your professor; he always looks out for you. Academically and now personally.

Ojiisan eels with their trophy wife shrimpy........ orz or arranged marriage for Floyb who fights it with everything he's got because he hates being told what to do. You like him because he's so authentically himself, but Floyd is so cold and mean to you. >_< so eventually your feelings dry up, but it's terrible timing because Floyd eventually ends up falling for you. And now he's chasing after something that will never happen. Legally, you're married. But there isn't any emotion there. It's one-sided. T_T

So many eels!!! Rotting the brain!!!!!!!!!

#twisted chit chat #🦈 anon

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breelandwalker · 10 months

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Sturgeon Moon - August 1, 2023

Buckle up, witches - with two supermoons in store, August is gonna be a wild ride!

Sturgeon Supermoon - August 1, 2023

The Sturgeon Moon is the name given to the first full moon in August. The name comes from the plentiful numbers of sturgeon which appear around this time of year.

Sturgeons are living prehistoric relics, examples of which appear in the fossil record as far back as 200 million years ago. Today, they are endangered due to overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss, but giant sturgeons growing up to 12ft (3.65m) long were once a common sight in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain in North America.

Other North American Indigenous names for this moon include Flying Up Moon (Cree), Corn Moon (Algonquin and Ojibwe), Harvest Moon (Dakota), Dry Moon (Catawba), Mountain Shadows Moon (Tlingit), and Black Cherries Moon (Assiniboine). European names for this moon include Haymaking Moon (Norse), Lightning Moon (English), and Grain Moon (Anglo-Saxon).

It's also interesting to note that in China, the seventh full moon of the lunar year is called the Hungry Ghost Moon, during which spirits of departed ancestors visit their relatives and homes, and trickster spirits may cause mayhem among the living if not properly appeased. Food offerings and incense are put out for ancestor spirits, families visit gravesites to offer prayers and site maintenance, and festival dances and floating lanterns celebrate the honored dead. In 2023, the Hungry Ghost Moon month will take place from August 16th to September 14th, beginning and ending on the new moons.

Blue Supermoon - August 30, 2023

Blue moons can occur when a full moon appears twice in a calendar month or four times in a season, as opposed to the usual three. August's Blue Supermoon is an example of the former, falling on the night of August 30-31 and peaking around 9:36pm EST.

This blue supermoon is especially notable, since it's the closest that our beloved satellite has been so far this year. The next time the moon will be this close to Earth again will be November 5, 2025, and we won't see another Blue Moon until August 19, 2024.

What Does It Mean For Witches?

Both blue moons and supermoons are particularly advantageous times for spellwork, especially that which involves the fulfillment of goals, desires, and wishes, or the culmination of long-term plans. It's also a great time to start new projects and set new goals for the fall and winter.

Blue moons carry your magical workings forward with a little dash of extra strength and vigor, and may provide extra clarity during divination or reflection. It's also the perfect time for spells related to second chances and abundance, drawing in that much-needed do-over or extra bit of luck or prosperity you've been needing.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

In August, we harvest one set of crops and sow another, reaping the rewards of our previous efforts and planting the seeds of future success. Look back on the magical workings you've done so far this year - how are they working out? Have any of your spells manifested in especially notable results? Go back and add to your notes, making sure to record anything that worked particularly well.

Evaluate your progress and reflect on what you want to carry forward and what you might need to put on hold or just let go for the time being. If you're partial to divination, a reading may help to provide some additional clarity on your current status, as well as some perspective on the possibilities for the near future.

Celebrate the harvest of grain and corn with your favorite recipes or a summer picnic. This year's August moon falls on Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, and the baking of bread and corn cakes are traditional for this occasion. But don't just limit yourself to corn and wheat! Late summer fruits are also ripe and make a tasty addition to any table.

Set your intentions and your goals for the latter part of the year and start preparing for the autumn and winter. It may seem silly to prepare for the cold when the weather is still blazing hot, but it will be here before you know it. Take time for one more summer beach trip or camping excursion before the hustle and bustle of the fall sets in.

The observation of the blue moon as a magical occasion is a modern addition to witchcraft, but the lack of antiquity doesn't mean there's any shortage of metaphysical potential!

Dive into your stash of blue clothes and accessories for some color magic. (Blue is generally associated with peace, harmony, understanding, clarity, and truth.) Set out a big jug of potable water to catch the light of these double supermoons - it will be great for cleansing, protection, wish-making, and drinkable potion bases later!

All in all, August is supercharged with lunar energy and primed for magical workings, so make your spells count!

Happy Sturgeon Moon, witches! 🌕🐟

Further Reading:

Additional Lunar Calendar posts by Bree NicGarran

Sturgeon Full and Blue Moon: August 2023, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Sturgeon Moon 2023: The Unique Supermoon Meaning of August, The Peculiar Brunette.

Blue Moon Meaning and Astonishing Spiritual Secrets in 2023, The Peculiar Brunette.

Hungry Ghost Festival, China Travel, June 20 2023.

Sturgeon, Wikipedia Article.

Lughnasadh, Wikipedia Article.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

Image Credit: "Leaping Gulf Sturgeon," by Dawn Witherington

(If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

#witch community #witchcraft #witchblr #lunar magic #full moon #Sturgeon Moon #moon magic #pagan #lunar calendar

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ryker-writes · 1 year

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TWST characters as siblings (Octevinelle and Scarabia)

Lot's of thoughts for Azul so there's more under the read more

Azul:

oh the power you have

you've seen Azul when he was younger so you have seen his octo-mer form and seen every embarrassing thing he's ever done

he's so scared you'll tell people about all that

he scrambles to find something he can make you sign a contract over to make sure you stay quiet

but you have the advantage here and he hates it

he doesn't hate you though

he cares about you a lot he just doesn't like the idea of someone knowing everything that he thinks is embarrassing

but on that same note, you two are pretty close because of all this

you've helped him in the past whenever he was insecure about himself and so he relies on you so much for support

he doesn't want anyone else to know he relies on you that much because it will ruin his cool businessman image

he really wants you to be in Octevinelle with him

if you don't he may try to convince Crowley to let you switch dorms

unless you don't want to switch dorms

then he'll be upset but accept it

Azul is absolutely a protective brother

he is worried that these other people may damage the bond you guys have and that you might care about him less

so he's very cautious about your friends

if you get into a relationship he is...a little scared

your partner has a better chance of ruining the bond, they're already very important to you, and this person can easily hurt you

he's taking precautions just incase

him and the twins will quickly find some sort of blackmail on your partner that they can use if needed

Azul may also try to corner them into a contract

but it's because he cares about you a lot!

come to him with your problems and he will fix them right away

doesn't matter what the problem is he will find a way

he also wants to be there for you as much as you have been for him so talk to him when you're feeling down

you get special privileges at Mostro Lounge

like discounted food and you can just walk into the VIP room without any sort of invite

because of this it's very likely you walk into him blackmailing someone into a contract

the student will quietly beg you to save them from Azul

it's up to you if you want to support his shady business or not

Jade and Floyd:

you get two brothers instead of one!

your parents taught all of you self defense when you were little so you can take care of yourself

that doesn't mean Jade and Floyd aren't gonna step up to defend you when you have a problem

they are both really happy that you're at school with them

and they are even happier if you get into Octevinelle

like when the mirror says Octevinelle, Floyd is running up to you and hugging you

Jade comes to greet you too but he's just smiling

if you don't get into Octevinelle Floyd will be more upset

he'll start whining until Jade stops him

both brothers are a little protective, just in different ways

they don't mind your friends that much

they kind of just let you do your own thing with your own people and they aren't to worried

but a romantic partner is a little different

Jade is very polite unless he thinks they're going to hurt you or have bad intentions

if your partner does then Jade already has blackmail ready and will threaten them with a smile

Floyd is more likely to threaten them right away

and if Floyd doesn't like them, he will not hide it

for your partners sake, please try to control them

if you have a problem you get to choose how you want it to be handled

if it needs a more thoughtful and careful approach then tell Jade

if it needs a more direct and aggressive approach then tell Floyd

they offer you a job at Mostro Lounge

you also sometimes get free food from them (Azul hates this)

Floyd is the type of brother to offer piggyback rides

also other students may come to you in hopes that you can handle Floyd's mood swings better

the two of them would get more scales from the sturgeon to make you earrings (if you wear earrings)

they would give you two so you could have one on each ear

they have the kind of sibling relationship with you where they tease and sometimes pick on you

only they can do it tho if anyone else does they get upset

Kalim:

so many siblings

I wish you luck in keeping track I mean there's like 30-40 of them

Kalim tries to be close with all of them so you bet he's close with you

especially since you two go to school together

the fact that you both go to the same school means that he's closer with you than the rest of his siblings

of course he's super excited you get to go to school together no matter what dorm you end up in

you probably also have a servant like Jamil (maybe even Jamil's sister Najma)

you also have the ability to buy literally anything you want i mean you are rich rich

of course you get invited and notified of every party

you are like the first person he think of inviting every time

Kalim doesn't have a protective bone in his body

like he doesn't want you to get hurt or anything but he encourages and is happy when you meet new people

he would never be able to see if someone is sketchy because he's so trusting

your friends are his friends too!

if you're in a relationship he's happy for you

will try to be close friends with your partner

he fully supports your relationship and would even help you set up for dates/special events

Kalim loves to surprise you with things so expect surprise parties/gifts for any small accomplishment of yours

if you're sad then he's sad

hates seeing you upset and will do anything he can to help

he wants you to be happy and having fun at all times!

he probably introduces you to everyone he knows at NRC

good luck

Jamil:

classic sibling relationship

the kind where you care about each other but you argue over small things

that's just how he is

considering you're in the Viper family, you're probably a servant for Kalim or one of his siblings

so he may leave you with taking care of Kalim when he needs a break

Jamil likes that you get to come to school with him

but he's a little worried you will ruin any sort of plans he has or add more stress

he hopes you're in Scarabia because it's much more convenient (and he can hang out with you more)

if you get assigned elsewhere he won't mind

Jamil is a protective brother

he's gonna make sure your friends are good people and have no bad intentions

he'll do his investigation on his own tho

he's mostly worried about you getting hurt

same goes for if you have a partner

but his investigation is more intense and lasts longer

will dig and find any information he can about your partner

once he knows your partner is a good person, he's a bit more relaxed but still cautious about them

Jamil doesn't talk to your family much about his life at school so they would be happy if you told them

you and Najma can pick on him together

he's also weirdly strict about your grades and will help you maintain them

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bitterkarella · 2 months

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Midnight Pals: Trapdoor Spiders

Fletcher Pratt: i'd like to welcome you all to the first meeting of the No Mildreds Club Mildred Baldwin: hey what are you boys doing in here Pratt: um excuse me Pratt: [pointing at sign] sorry mildred

Pratt: first order of business for the NO MILDREDS Club Pratt: the chair recognizes isaac asimov Isaac Asimov: yes can we change the name? Asimov: its a little on the nose Pratt: well what would you call it? Asimov: how about Asimov: the trapdoor spiders

[meanwhile] Poe: hey did you guys hear about this Trapdoor Spiders club? Poe: seems really exclusive King: whys it called that? Barker: its a sex act Poe: no its not clive Barker: be a lot cooler if it was

King: so what is it? Poe: its a male eating club Barker: haha well i know all about that Poe: no clive it's not that kind of male eating CB Blanchard: i know all about that Poe: it's not that either

King: so it's an exclusive club for boys? Patricia Highsmith: sounds fun. maybe i'll stop by Poe: oh sorry patricia it's men only Highsmith: yeah i think they'll let me in Poe: Poe: yeah i don't know why but that scans Barker: yeah that really does doesn't it? Highsmith: you know, chat with the boys, hang a few laughs, maybe chase a skirt

Franz Kafka: can i join? Poe: King: Koontz: Lovecraft: Barker: Barker: i'm going to tell her Poe: no clive Poe: the prime directive Barker: that's stupid Barker: i'm going to do it

Barker: we need to get into this club King: well gosh clive it's invite only King: and they're sci fi guys King: i don't know that we have any horror guys in that you could ask Dean Koontz: there's theodore sturgeon Barker: why yes Barker: there IS theodore sturgeon Barker: dean, you're a genius Koontz: i helped :)

Theodore Sturgeon: [wearing lab coat, holding erlenmeyer flask] behold it is i Sturgeon: theodore sturgeon Sturgeon: critical thinker and seeker of knowledge Sturgeon: excelsior!

Barker: hey theo Barker: i wanna ask a favor Sturgeon: speak, fellow science fan!

Barker: so Sturgeon: [scribbling equations on chalkboard] silence, clive! i'm almost at a break-through Sturgeon: soon, if my calculations are correct Sturgeon: i shall soon perfect Sturgeon's Revelation Sturgeon: or perhaps even Sturgeon: Sturgeon's law

Barker: Barker: yeah so anyway Sturgeon: eureka! I've found it Sturgeon: by my calculations Sturgeon: 80% of everything is crud Sturgeon: wait a second Sturgeon: 90%. 90% of everything is crud Sturgeon: sorry, forgot to carry the one

Barker: yeah ok i'm gonna leave you to Barker: whatever the hell all this is Sturgeon: scientific progress! Sturgeon: behold! the fruits of science! Sturgeon: a marvel of modern technology! Sturgeon: i'm building a killdozer

Sturgeon: behold! the killdozer! Sturgeon: bullet proof glass. Touchscreen gear shift. Sturgeon: and the steering wheel is a squircle

Sturgeon: the killdozer can cross water up to 2.5 feet deep Sturgeon: but also um you shouldn't get it wet Barker: Sturgeon: especially don't back it into a lake or something

Barker: you scientists are always so busy asking whether you CAN build a killdozer, you never stop to ask whether you SHOULD build a killdozer Barker: cuz that thing looks like shit Barker: like it really looks like shit

Sturgeon: you think i'm smart? you should see my brother peter Sturgeon: you know mensa? Barker: i've heard of it Sturgeon: he's so smart he FOUNDED it Barker: yeah? is he a member? Sturgeon: Sturgeon: i don't know

Barker: so you're pretty smart huh? Peter Sturgeon: [levitating, enormous saucer person head throbbing] Heard of Plato? Aristotle? Socrates? Peter Sturgeon: all morons!

#midnight pals #the midnight society #midnight society #stephen king #clive barker #edgar allan poe #dean koontz #theodore sturgeon #peter sturgeon #isaac asimov #mildred baldwin #fletcher pratt #CB Blanchard #Patricia Highsmith #Franz Kafka #hp lovecraft

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blackcherryvelvet0909 · 10 months

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Shadowed Ripples (Deuce x GN!Reader)

Content Warning: Mild violence (brief fistfight), mild hurt/comfort

“That’s a big ass fish!” Ace declared as he stared up into the large tank.

There was, indeed, a very big fish that swam by. You glanced over at the small info cards that decorated the sides of the display tank. “I think that’s a sturgeon.”

“What other fish could be that big?” Epel asked.

“Various creatures trump the size of a sturgeon.” You glanced over your shoulder to see Sebek approach your little group from behind. “Whales, sharks, crocodiles, squids.” Sebek crossed his arms as a brash smirk twitched at his lips. “You humans would know such things if you cared to read.”

“Would’cha quit with that better than thou shit?” Epel cut back at Sebek. “Take that ‘humans er better than fae’ crap and shove it up yur-!”

“Epel!” Epel winced at the sound of Vil’s harsh tone, his head snapping in that direction. There Vil stood at the tank three paces away, the one that held a series of colorful jellyfish. His eyes were so sharp they could cut glass - even you gave a shiver. You and Epel both meekly turned your heads away, though Epel’s was followed by a grumble of words you couldn’t discern.

“What do you want to see next?” Deuce stepped over to your side, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. It was the one he often wore while he was out riding his magical wheel - the leather was resilient to water, which was why he wore it today. No rain would dampen this aquarium trip. He smiled down at you as he patiently waited for your answer, his cyan eyes catching the light from the tanks. They looked pretty…

“I saw a sign outside advertising manta rays,” you said. “They have tanks shallow enough for you to pet them; I want to try that!”

“That baby stuff?” Ace laughed. “What’re you, four?”

“Ace, shut up.” Deuce huffed before he turned back to you. “Let’s go find out where they are, [Y/n].”

“You babies have fun,” Ace chuckled as he waved you off. “Me and Epel are gonna go look at some actual cool shit.”

“Like the anaconda that scared the piss outta ya when it came down from its branch?” Epel snickered.

“Shut up, dude!”

You let out your own chuckle as Ace was reprimanded for his raise of voice by Trein. That was the last you saw of Ace as you and Deuce separated from the group and turned into the hall that led to the other part of the aquarium.

***

“There they are!” Deuce pointed towards the little shallow tank of water in the center of a room in the distance. Sure enough, there were the manta rays you’d been searching for. Your smile widened as you and Deuce walked over to the open pool of water, so clear it almost sparkled in the lighting. You were about to reach out and touch one, but you were compelled to glance over at Deuce. He gave a nod as he said, “Go ahead! I’m just going to take off my jacket real quick.”

You gave a nod in return before you went about your fun. You dipped your hand into the cool water and reached out to one of the little manta rays swimming about. When your fingertips grazed its back, you gasped: It was slippery! A little slimy, too, but not in a gross way. It felt a bit like lip gloss, maybe nail polish. You didn’t linger on the thought too long - you were too preoccupied with petting the little creatures.

Deuce came to stand beside you a minute later. After a glance at the tank attendant, his hand slipped into the water close to yours. The smallest of giggles left his lips as his fingers touched a manta ray’s back; you couldn’t help but think how cute the sound was. As the two of you continued petting the rays, you asked Deuce, “Have you ever been to an aquarium before?”

“A few times,” he replied. “My mom worked at one for a while when I was little. She would get discounts on tickets, so she’d bring me there on the weekends when she was able.” He glanced at you as he recalled the memories. “We didn’t have a lot of money back then, so I only went twice, maybe three times. Still, I’m happy I got to experience that with her - and now with you.”

Your heart fluttered at that last part. Deuce seemed genuinely joyful at the fact he got to come here with you and your friends. Sure, this was part of the school trip, but…it felt special when he put it like that. You smiled back at him as you nodded, “I’m glad, too.”

Just then, your hands accidentally brushed. Deuce let out a small gasp and yanked his away and out of the water, sending a few droplets splattering to the ground. “Sorry!” he blurted out.

“Sir, please keep your voice down,” said the tank attendant.

“S-Sorry, ma’am,” Deuce uttered, clearly embarrassed.

You couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction; Deuce could really be adorable at times. You took your hand out of the water and shook it a little to dry it. “It’s okay, Deuce. It’s not like it hurt or anything.”

Deuce simply nodded his head meekly. It was just a touch, no big deal. Why was he so flustered? Before you could ask, Deuce grabbed a few paper towels from the dispenser at the corner of the tank. He walked back over and handed you a few. You took them with a ‘thank you’ as you began to dry your hands. As you looked around the room, then back to Deuce, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Deuce, where did you put your jacket?”

“Hm?” Deuce perked up at your question. “Oh, over there.” He pointed at the bench behind him - but there was no jacket. A look of panic crossed his face as he glanced around the room. As you’d noticed before, his leather jacket was nowhere in sight. Deuce jogged over to the tank attendant, and in the most polite, yet rushed way asked, “Excuse me, ma’am? Have you seen a leather jacket anywhere? I put mine on that bench over there.”

“Leather jacket?” The woman thought for a moment, then she seemed to remember something. “Oh, yes, I saw it there a moment ago. I…I believe someone grabbed it.”

“Who did?” Deuce glanced around the room to try and find the person in question.

“A boy around your age,” she replied. “They just left.”

Deuce quickly thanked the woman before he sprinted out of the room, muttering apologies to the people he passed by in a hurry. You haphazardly tossed your paper towels in the trash can before you took off after him.

***

You finally caught up to Deuce outside the aquarium, where a few picnic tables were scattered about. It looked like a small garden set aside for people to eat in. Three guys sat on one of the tables, the middle wearing a very familiar jacket. Deuce was already in front of them, voice calm and level, yet by his body language you saw he was irritated. “Excuse me,” he said, “that’s mine.”

“Huh?” The young man turned his head to look down at Deuce. He was around the same height, but he had the high ground from where he stood on the table. “This one?” He opened the leather jacket and did a little spin, then gave Deuce a grin - one an asshole would give. “Sorry, man, finder’s keepers~ If you wanted to keep it so bad, you shouldn’t have left it.”

“I took it off so I wouldn’t get it in the water.” You could tell Deuce was trying to keep it together. “It was right behind me on the bench, where I left it. You didn’t think to ask if it belonged to anyone?”

“Why?” The boy smirked as his words were lined with a faint chuckle. “As I said, if you wanted to keep it so bad, you should have left it on - maybe tied it around your waist. You just abandoned it there - sounds to me like someone who doesn’t care for it.”

“My mom gave me that jacket.” You’d forgotten about that. You watched as Deuce’s hands slowly balled into fists. “I do care about it.”

“Aww, your mommy gave it to you?~” The man and his buddies let out a small bit of laughter as the leader mocked him. “Well, then mommy’s little boy should take better care of his things.”

“Look, man,” Deuce’s voice grew more angry by the minute, “just give it back.” He held out his hand. “We’ll forget all about it if you do. I don’t want things to get ugly.”

“Ugly?” The guy laughed. “What’re you gonna do, huh? I could snap you like a twig!”

“Would you just give it back?!” you piped up, equally as angry as you marched up to the picnic table. As you approached, you noticed something about the boy: on his shirt was pinned an RSA pendant. He was a Royal Sword student? And he acted like this?! Guess the school wasn’t full of ‘goody two shoes’, as Ace once told you. They had their own share of assholes.

You decided to try and use that newfound knowledge to your advantage. “Do you really need us to get your headmaster involved? I’ll go get him myself!”

“Oh really?” The guy jumped down the table and stepped in front of you. “Who do you think he’s gonna believe, huh? Us, three of his most beloved students, or,” he grabbed your collar and yanked you forward, “some snot nosed NRC-”

He let go of your collar as he was suddenly yanked back and thrown to the ground. Deuce stood before him, face twisted in rage as he glared down at him. “Don’t touch them. Never touch them!” Deuce cracked his knuckles. “You wanna fight someone, you fight me.”

“Hey!” One of the guy's friends stood up and grabbed Deuce’s shoulder. “Who do you think you-?!”

That guy was shoved back onto the picnic bench. The third came up from behind and tried to punch Deuce, but Deuce ducked out of the way and delivered his own square to the guy’s nose. The student yelled out in pain as he, too, stumbled to the ground. The leader got back on his feet and charged at Deuce; unfortunately, he managed to hit him in the stomach. Though Deuce wobbled a few steps back and groaned in pain, he quickly regained himself. Swiftly, he grabbed the guy by the shirt, surely about to start beating him to a pulp - and then the double doors behind you swung open.

***

You watched as the two headmages, Ambrosius and Crowley, shook hands, ending their conversation. You stood close by, nervous at what they’d agreed upon. When Crowley had stepped through the doors and broke up the fight, an argument ensued. The RSA students tried to accuse Deuce of attacking them because of their school, while you and Deuce explained that the boys had stolen Deuce’s jacket and refused to give it back. You also mentioned that the leader of the friend group had grabbed you by the collar, and that was the reason why Deuce attacked. Not long after, Ambrosius had arrived; apparently, another RSA student had heard the commotion and went to fetch him. Ever since then, the two had been in a discussion as to what to do with the boys.

Your eyes landed on Deuce, who sat on a bench a small distance away. The three RSA students still sat at the picnic tables within the little garden, one of which now had a bruise forming on his face. The leather jacket was no longer on the lead’s person; as Crowley approached you, you saw it was now draped over his arm. “Would you please hold this?” he asked as he offered you the jacket. You nodded and took it without a word. Crowley then walked over to where Deuce sat, head hung low in shame. He’d been like that since he realized what he’d done - that he’d tapped into his delinquency again.

Your heart sank as you watched Deuce look up at the headmage as he addressed him. You wished you could hear what they were saying. Deuce looked so disappointed in himself…so sad. He nodded along to whatever Crowley was saying; when the short conversation ended, you were able to read Deuce’s lips as he said, “Yes, sir. Thank you, Headmage.” The man laid a comforting hand on Deuce’s shoulder and patted it lightly before he walked off to dispel the small crowd of students that had gathered several feet away. You saw Ace, Epel, and Jack among them - you gave them a wave and a small, forced smile to try and ease their worried faces.

In moments, you were at Deuce’s side, sat next to him on the bench. You glanced down at the leather jacket in your arms; thankfully, there was not a scratch on it. You offered the garment to Deuce with a little smile. “It’s not damaged. I’m happy you got it back.”

Deuce’s cyan eyes flicked down to glimpse the jacket. He gently took it from your hands and put it on his lap. “Thanks…” he mumbled.

A silence filled the space between you two for a few minutes. You watched as the students dispersed, most going back to their regularly scheduled activities. Your small group of friends, however, lingered at the entrance to the aquarium, likely waiting for you two to join them. Your gaze then landed on the garden space several feet away. You could barely make out the face of Ambrosius as he spoke to the boys - scolded them, most likely. To you, he looked like a disappointed father. For the way the boys’ postures drooped as he led them away, you were sure they got the lecture of a lifetime. You just hoped they wouldn’t try and come back for vengeance at some point.

“Crowley said that he and Headmage Ambrosius believed us,” Deuce finally spoke. You turned your full attention to him as he continued. “He said this would be my only warning though…he told me to tell a staff member if something like that happened again.”

“That’s good.” You gave your friend a comforting smile as you placed your hand over his. “I’m happy you didn’t get in trouble.”

“Yeah.” Deuce looked like a kicked puppy, a deep frown set upon his face as he stared down at his jacket. “But I still messed up. He’s right - I should have just gone to one of the professors for help. They would have helped me…I need to stop being a delinquent.”

“You did nothing wrong, Deuce.” The pain in your heart mixed with anger as you thought back to the fight. “They picked a fight with you - you protected me. I would have done the same for you!”

Deuce let out a small chuckle at your words. The tiny smile that tugged at his lips quelled your anger for the time being. He glanced in your direction as he spoke. “Thank you, [Y/n]. You…weren’t scared, were you?”

“A little.” You gently squeezed his hand. “I was afraid of you getting hurt.”

There was a glimmer of something in Deuce’s cyan orbs as he looked at you. His posture straightened as he scooted closer to you. His hand squeezed yours in return, a determination apparent in his voice as he began with, “[Y/n], I-”

“Hey, Deuce!” Both your heads looked in the direction of Jack, who now stood halfway between your bench and the entrance of the aquarium. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, Jack.” Deuce suddenly appeared a little startled, but kept himself together. “Thanks for waiting on us.”

“No problem.” Jack smiled as his tail wagged a little behind him. He gestured back at the others with a nod of his head as he said, “We’re ready when you are.”

“We’ll be there in a second.” Deuce waited for Jack to turn and begin walking away before he faced you again. “C’mon, we should go. We only have an hour left here.”

“Yeah, we should.” You stood up from your seat on the bench, with Deuce quick to follow. Your smile grew as you saw Deuce slip back on his jacket. You glanced up at the sky - gray clouds still hung overhead. “I think the rain might start back up soon, too. It’s probably good to head back in.”

“Mhm,” Deuce mumbled, rolling his shoulders as the jacket slipped over them. He spared a glimpse over towards the entrance of the building; Ace, Epel, and Jack were gone, likely somewhere in the lobby. That determination rose in his heart - if he was going to make a move, he better do it now.

“By the way,” you lowered your gaze from the clouds back to Deuce, “what were you saying before-?”

A pair of lips met the skin of your cheek. You sucked in a breath as you gasped, eyes blown wide at the sudden contact. Deuce leaned back to his full height as he pulled away, his handsome face meeting your vision. An equally attractive smile was stretched across it, pretty cyan eyes looking right into yours as Deuce asked you the thing that’d been on his mind since last night. “Do you want to have lunch with me after this?”

Your heart pounded in your chest, blood rushed to your cheeks, your mind went nearly blank. Deuce, Deuce Spade, was he…asking you on a date? You slowly nodded your head as you let out a whispered, “Y-Yes.”

Deuce seemed to sigh in relief, shoulders now lax, loose of tension. He gave a small nod of his own, but it seemed to be more of an assurance to himself - that he just asked you that and succeeded. If only you could hear how giddy his thoughts were then. He offered his hand to you, “Let’s go, then. We’ll go eat after we leave here.”

Words were not possible to produce for you at the moment - you simply took his hand with a shaky smile and let him lead you onward. You barely registered the questions your friends asked you two, whether about the fight, what Crowley had said, or why you were smiling like an idiot. For several minutes, you had trouble registering the many aquatic animals swimming around the various dimly lit tanks. All you could focus on was Deuce Spade: his handsome smile, his warm hand, how the jacket hugged his attractive figure just right, how softly he spoke to you - and how pretty his eyes looked as they shined with the shadowed ripples along the aquarium walls.

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punkpandapatrixk · 10 months

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Full Sturgeon Moon in Aquarius ♦︎ Moon Magick Pick A Card

Ah, Aquarius Full Moon… The inventor, the engineer, the pioneer, the communicator. Yes, the communicator. A world-changer needs to communicate with the community to gain insight and also to communicate the changes they wish to roll out.

Being the last Air Sign, Aquarius is all about gaining insights/perspectives in order to understand fully and deeply the matter at hand. Aquarius endeavours to understand how the Devil ticks so it can begin a revolution and beat the Devil. Ya know?

This full moon is not a time to give up on you dreams and move on to a different, more practical things. This time around, honey, really allow yourself to be a lil crazier than usual. Bask in this over-the-top eccentric Aquarius energy because that’s how the genius bleeds unto your consciousness.

‘I think I mentioned in previous shows, I spent half my life in the military. And I used to come home, take off my little soldier hat, put on my painter’s hat and there, I’d build the kind of world that I wanted. It was peaceful, it was quiet, there was no hassle, nobody was yelling… and it was good. Everything was good. Nobody was going to get shot or hurt, not in my world… and it’s a happy place.’ – Bob Ross

From all the contrasts and oppositions you’ve experienced, what kind of new innovations can you bring Mankind? Can you develop the wisdom to bridge between personal truths and maintaining a social life? Your place in the world—your role—is important; you just need to figure it out first and this Full Sturgeon Supermoon in Aquarius will help with that🎣

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☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 1 – Your New World Begins Right Here Right Now In Your Mind

c o m m u n i c a t i o n – 8 of Wands Rx

You’ve been in the process of manifesting a huge, life-changing something in your Life for quite a while now. I think on a deep Soul level your heart and mind are sick and tired of waiting. You haven’t even been just waiting, you’ve actually been working actively to change something significant in your Life. But it’s only felt like nothing’s changed at all. It feels like you’ve been stuck in a strange loop of the same motions of emotions. Your train of thoughts has been circling the same miserable place again and again.

It feels like everything has changed and yet nothing seems to have changed at all. I’m still stuck in the same place—why?

Well, because your train has been held back from changing destinations. And I’ll have you know that it’s not your fault entirely. It’s your subconscious fearing to shift lanes but this isn’t because you’re incapable, it’s because there was a bad situation/environment that has caused you to become afraid of the unknown. This has slowed down your manifestation game…

m o t i v a t i o n – 5 of Wands Rx

Something terrible happened in the past that really broke your confidence in the benevolence of the Universe. You got disappointed after believing that things would get better but they didn’t. And now you have trust issues. You can’t really trust that the Universe would have your back if you tried something new and got into trouble because in the past, the Universe has let you down. At least this is how it’s felt for you. Was it the case that the Universe, your Higher Self and team of Spirit Guides really let you go? Umm… not exactly.

There’s this psychologist on YouTube (forgot his name) who has this to say about the nature of trauma: ‘Trauma is not what has been done to you. Trauma is how you perceive what has been done to you.’ It’s quite fascinating, so I hope you could understand this notion intuitively. Now, whatever happened that’s caused your trust to be tarnished, I’m not saying the people who let you down or hurt you horribly are excusable. The point is not that.

The point is that from now on you can take back control of your mind. By realising patterns and the sources of our internal chaos, gradually we can unravel the threads of trauma.

Before the battle of the fist, comes the battle of the mind. Everybody was kung fu fighting~

i n n o v a t i o n – 6 of Pentacles Rx

I’m seeing that right as you’re reading these words, you’re in the preparation stage(s) of a new beginning that will make you really HAPPY (you have the Priestess of Happiness in the bonus content). I think you’re leaving behind an environment, a job, a relationship, a mindset even, that isn’t serving your highest good. It’s been a long time coming, but the lane shift is finally possible.

It's like you’re finally getting out of a karmic loop that’s been halting your explosive manifestation. You’re no longer empathising with that kind of mindset, point of view, or way of life. You’ve held on for too long now you must go and leave that hopeless case however it likes to continue. It’s none of your business now. You’re not sharing your energy with these situations or people anymore.

You’ve got to give your attention to your real desires to be of service to this world. There is a place somewhere in this world where you’re needed and that’s where your Soul truly belongs.

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 2 – An Alien Doesn’t Belong With the Mortals

c o m m u n i c a t i o n – I The Magician

Wow, I don’t pull this card very often😜You’re an eccentric alien who’s been hard at work mingling with the rest of the Humans, aren’t you? I think to a large extent, you’ve shielded this world from truly seeing your Light, which is such a shame because you have so many amazing gifts to share with Humanity. But the way I see it, it’s just a survival tactic. After all, this world isn’t very kind towards eccentrics.

You might’ve come from a family/school background in which you were ridiculed (maybe even bullied) for being different. It was really painful and whether or not you’re conscious of this, you’ve made quite an attempt to shield yourself from the world so you don’t get made fun of.

But right now, this full moon in Aquarius wants to let you know that you can’t hide forever. Your brilliance is too magnificent to hide forever. Your shield, your covers are all falling apart because the world is needing your talents, soon enough. You’ll see✨

m o t i v a t i o n – Knight of Wands Rx

I’m thinking right away of that theme song from Disney’s Big Hero 6. It keeps saying something along the line of, ‘We could be immortals~’ or something like that. That song is nice, and I think the lyrics could awaken something in you.

You are an immortal, when you really think about it. So, don’t be afraid of losing time or thinking you’re too old to begin now. Your dream doesn’t have an expiration date, OK? If something is your calling, it will keep calling you. So, whatever you’re thinking right now, if it gives you an unmistakably strong feeling that you’re meant to do it, that’s it. Your calling is calling you.

You’re meant to walk the plank towards a great big adventure. Of course, you could choose to ignore and brush it off and then go back to your ordinary Life that’s pretty much miserable on a spiritual level. But are you really alright with that?

i n n o v a t i o n – Knight of Cups

The change from the Knight of Wands Rx to this Knight of Cups tells me that you’re actually a lil afraid of your passions because you could have somewhat obsessive tendencies. You do know that a lot of people struggle with this, right? Once you’re into something you’re passionate about, once you get super excited, super into something, you go full deranged mode and become obsessive for like 3 weeks or 3 months straight. And you think this is crazy person behaviour and you try to avoid that as much as possible because that seems like the reasonable thing to do.

STOP RIGHT THERE.

This kind of tendency is actually your overcompensating for all the hours, days and weeks that you’ve starved yourself from basking in the glory of all the things that do bring you a sense of being ALIVE. Think about that for a moment.

Aaaand… Basically, this is your invitation to start bringing small elements of the things, activities, pursuits that do make you feel alive into your everyday Reality. If you’re surrounded by these things every day, they become such a natural part of your daily life and you’ll be rescued from any sense of temporary addictions☃️Relax, hon, you’ve got this~❄️

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 3 – Flow Naturally to Where the Love Is

c o m m u n i c a t i o n – Queen of Cups Rx

You’re somebody who’s incredibly accommodating to other people. In spite of your best effort to be kind and affectionate, you still feel misunderstood. I think you’re also often taken advantage of and you know that, but you can’t really stand your ground, so you keep all your thoughts and laments to yourself, bottling up a lot of unspoken emotions that are quite heavy to carry alone.

With that, you often feel like you just wanna run away from all Humans. You want to be free from the chains of human connections and terrible interactions. I think you’re tired on a level that’s hard to put into words. You’re a free spirit incarnate in Human form and that’s quite suffocating. I think many aspects of the modern life don’t suit you.

At this point, you’re not sure yet what you’re supposed to be doing to change your world. You’re simply emotionally tired. And I think that’s fine. Being tired is not a mistake; it doesn’t make you a failure. It makes you Human, ironically🦩

m o t i v a t i o n – 9 of Cups

The way I see it, right now you’re needing to swim more in your dreams and emotions. Try to be one with those watery sensations. I’m sure you’ll find clarity of purpose when you actually let yourself feel all your feelings. It’s like, the answer you’re looking for can only come to the surface when you’re in the waters. I hope that makes sense.

Of all the piles, you’re like so magical and fluid and I’m totally not getting a concrete vision of what it is you’re supposed to be doing in terms of manifesting your ideal life in accordance with this Aquarius full moon energy. Baby, you’re not even here; you’re hallucination. Right now, you’re not even properly grounded in Earth Matrix Reality that it doesn’t even feel like you are part of the collective🤪

But ultimately, that’s also the very thing that makes you magical. You don’t play in the same dimension as most Humans do. It’s safe for you to listen to the whispers of your heart right now, because ultimately, I think your Higher Self just wants you to realise how deeply lovable you are, first and foremost, and for that reason alone you are deserving to see all your dreams manifest into Reality, eventually enough😉

i n n o v a t i o n – 7 of Wands Rx

The funny thing is, if you’ve decided you want to live in your desired reality right now, that’s also possible, right? I know there is logic and sequences in this rigid reality, but at least, if you’ve made up your mind about not wanting to participate in the rat race, that conviction will guide your actions accordingly. If your actions do not reflect your inner thoughts yet, it’s because you’re still resisting the change.

Don’t be afraid of being disliked by others. Their thoughts about you reflect more about them than actually yourself, so what’s your care? It will do you good to choose the path of least resistance. Flow naturally to where the Love is. Where is the Love, you ask? First, within yourself. The moment you decide that you will uphold Love and respect for yourself, you will stop tolerating people who do not show you the Love and respect you deserve to be treated with.

Go naturally with it. Your heart, when you’re honest with yourself, will lead the way towards a happier Reality. Just enjoy the swim for now🥰

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔��🌖🌗🌘

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

[Masterlist] [Patreon] [Paid Readings]

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