Flash in the Pan

i found this list and kinda fed into it each time i got the flu or a migraine, and u know what, it's just me revealing just how much i love the caring threads and the soft threads and the fondly exasperated "let me help you" threads! use at your pleasure, DO NOT ADD TO THE LIST NOR EDIT IT! i will be changing it accordingly!

" i found you passed out in the kitchen. you wanna stop working yourself so hard? or do i need to keep hitting the gym to carry you to bed every day? "

" you're burning up. "

" your neighbour called me and said you could use a nurse. looks like they were right, too. "

" you were told to take it easy, so... yeah. this is kinda on you. "

" you took a sick day. you NEVER take a sick day. so yeah, i got worried, and i figured i'd come over and keep an eye on you. "

" you texted me a long and incoherent text that held about 90% of the emoji list and about four different languages. figured it wouldn't hurt to drop by and see how you were doing. "

" how long have you been sick for? and don't lie. "

" you look like hell. "

" i brought you some soup; let me heat some up for you? "

" okay. it's time you went to the hospital. "

" hey… hello there, sleeping beauty. you gave me a bit of a scare yesterday. how are you feeling? "

" i swear, if you even think of getting out of that bed… "

" you know when i said to call if it's an emergency? a fever is most DEFINITELY considered an emergency! "

" if you think you're going to work like this, you better think again. "

" don't worry. my family swears by this remedy; just let it work its magic and you'll feel good as new in no time. "

" I don't care about getting sick. i'm not leaving you until you're back to full health. "

" you didn't stop to think that this might happen when you're burning the candle at both ends? "

" yeah, I can play the role of nurse AND say "I told you so" at the same time, actually. "

" you better drink every last drop of this tea, no matter how disgusting it is. "

" i told my boss it was an emergency so they've given me a full week to look after you. "

" quit being so stubborn and get into BED! "

" what part of doctor's orders hasn't sunk in yet? bed rest! for the WEEK! "

" right, where do you keep your saucepans? i'm going to make you my famous noodle soup. it's a cure-all, i'm telling you! "

" hey, unless you're going to the bathroom or the sofa, I don't want to see you out of that bed. got it? "

" when are you gonna start letting people look after you, huh? "

" i know, i know, i turned off all the lights once i figured you had the migraine. you want some tea? water? "

" don't be mad, but i saw your fridge, and... it frightened me. so i've taken you back to my place, and i'm gonna get deliveroo to bring some groceries to your place tomorrow. okay? "

" i know your appetite is a little off, so i ordered in a whole tonne of options. just try a little bit of something, please? for me? "

" i've brought half a pharmacy, enough movies and boardgames to last us a decade, and every single snack i could fit into the basket at the grocery store. so sit your butt down, eat your soup, and try and make the most of your bed rest for the next week, will you? "

ACTION PROMPTS ( SEND THE FULL LINE! and feel free to reverse if u wish! ):

[ TOUCH ]: sender gently rests a hand against the receiver's forehead to check their temperature.

[ DAMP ]: sender presses a cool cloth against the receiver's face, neck and forehead to try and lower their fever.

[ BLANKET ]: sender wraps another blanket around the receiver to try and stop them from shivering.

[ SPOON ]: sender gently coaxes spoons of soup into the receiver's mouth to build up their strength after an illness.

[ CARRY ]: sender, finding the receiver weakened/unconscious on the floor, immediately lifts them up and carries them back to bed.

[ AROUND ]: sender keeps a protective arm around the receiver to help them walk without the risk of stumbling or collapsing.

[ STAY ]: sender decides to stay by the receiver's bedside after learning that they're sick.

[ HAIR ]: sender smooths back the receiver's hair in a soothing gesture to try and help them go back to sleep.

[ TILT ]: sender tips a bottle of water up for the receiver to sip from.

[ HUM ]: sender hums/sings to soothe a sick receiver back to sleep.

[ BACK ]: sender gently rubs the receiver's back, either to soothe them or warm them while they're unwell.

[ SHARE ]: sender climbs into the receiver's sickbed with them, wrapping their arms around them to offer warmth and comfort.

[ SHOWER ]: sender, learning the receiver has a high fever, takes a cold shower with them in order to lower their temperature.

[ WAKEN ]: the receiver wakes up in bed, having been found unconscious by the sender and carried into the bed from the floor.

Shutterbug sat blinking for a moment, rapidly processing the information that was flying at her courtesy of the individual sitting across from them.

“It’s nice to meet you Forte.” Shutterbug found her voice gaining a little volume. It wasn’t much, but it was definitely something. “I…um…I’m not really sure what to do here now.” She mumbled, a wing flutter betraying her state of mind.

Forte giggled, a hand going over their mouth to prevent themselves from being any louder than the giggle already was. They thought Shutterbug was cute, being so unsure of herself like that. Forte had so much confidence in themself that they were willing to share, but only a little. Besides, now wasn’t the time to focus on others besides Arcadia. He was the target for them and Forte planned to rip him limb from limb.

Their overly cheerful expression didn’t hint to how they felt, rather they seemed just as happy as they had before. They were, but for an entirely different reason. They slid down onto the couch next to Shutterbug, dark pink eyes shining with excitement.

‘I’m not sure, Forte. I mean, I can take you as far as I remember going.” Shutterbug’s hands were shaking a little as she signed back, swallowing past the lump that had formed in her throat. ‘That place still scares me and I don’t want him to get mad and keep me there even after you’re finished with him.”

Shutterbug felt the anxiety in the room ramping up, both from her own and from Pizi. It twisted in her chest and tried to bind her lungs but she kept breathing.

The process of watching them fuse was dazzling to say the very least. She didn’t even recognize what was happening until the magic dissapated and there was only one person where there had previously been two. She blinked in surprise, almost missing the signs directed her way.

“Yeah. I’m a little rusty but I should be ok.” She answered softly. “You’re Forte, right?”

‘Oh, thank the Entity of Greed,’ Forte visibly relaxed, though they hadn’t shown any sign of being tense in the first place. Their eyes sparkled as the promptly sat on the back of one of the couches, their shoes not even leaving a speck of dirt on the cushion they now rested on. Their manicured nails rhythmically tapped on the back cushion as if listening to some unheard music.

Shutterbug watched all three of them. The look on Pizi’s face had a twinge of guilt twisting in her stomach alongside the lingering panic. She hadn’t noticed that Kouki had moved until she looked up and found him standing next to Pizi and the still sleeping Sho.

Forte? Something about the name sounded vaguely familiar. Shutterbug went digging through her memory for where she’d heard the name before but turned up nothing.

“I mean… Could I meet them first? If that’s ok with you guys.” Her voice was quiet, shyness stealing away some of her volume.

There was silence in the room following the question. Both Pizi and Kouki cast uncertain glances at one another for a mere second before looking back at Shutterbug. Forte, being who they were, would most likely clash with Shutterbug or scare her. Still, Forte’s power was necessary in this situation and Pizi wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. They would deal with any repercussions later.

Flopping Sho over onto his other side where he quickly fell back asleep and curled up, Pizi stood and stepped over to where Kouki stood. They grabbed his hands in theirs and looked over at Shutterbug. Their anxiety was radiationg from their body and they knew it, but Forte had to be brought forth if Arcadia was to be taken care of. After a short moment, Pizi gripped tighter onto Kouki’s hands allowing their magic to flow into his body.

After a short moment, magic enveloped the two of them, their forms swaying and crackling as they seemed to fuse into one form. This person was a mix of their dark and light skin tones, with horrendously long yellow-blond hair that ended in a few inches of pink. Their eyes were some sort of light pinkish red, framed by a pair of thick rimmed black glasses. They had thick eyeliner and black lipstick, their face void of makeup otherwise. Piercings also littered their ears. Clothing wise, they dressed pastel punk.

The process of watching them fuse was dazzling to say the very least. She didn't even recognize what was happening until the magic dissapated and there was only one person where there had previously been two. She blinked in surprise, almost missing the signs directed her way.

“I don’t really remember seeing any other humans?” Shutterbug’s voice quirked up a little and she flinched at the sudden increase in Pizi’s volume. She took a few breaths to steady herself, fingers working into the (kinda dirty) sweater she’d been wearing as a security blanket. 

“I…I dunno.” She forced the words past a lump in her throat. “My mem’ry’s fuzzy and I don’t… i don’t really want to go back. He- he might decide it’s not good for me to be out and not let me leave again.” 

“I get that but…,” Pizi trailed off, trying to figure out what it was they wanted to say. They deeply related to the feelings Shutterbug was experiencing. They’d gone through the same thing over a century ago, so the wound definitely wasn’t fresh, but they could still feel their empathy pooling in their stomach. While they thought, their hands busied themselves with petting the black cat ears positioned atop Sho’s head.

Pizi was tempted to wake him up and ask him for advice, but he was so hard to wake up that they wondered if it was even worth it. They almost went into a haze as they tried to think of what to say, getting distracted by the thoughts flying through their mind at alarming speeds. Pizi startled as Kouki placed a hand delicately on their back. They flinched at first, but caught Kouki staring determinedly at Shutterbug now.

“We have someone that can keep you safe,” He insisted, it seemed he had been explaining something before, but Pizi had zoned out from it, “Pizi knows them, their name is Forte-”

Forte? Something about the name sounded vaguely familiar. Shutterbug went digging through her memory for where she'd heard the name before but turned up nothing.

🍵: Do you stick with your family’s values and beliefs? Why or why not?

🍶: Can you hold you liquor? How much can you take before you act drunk? How much before you pass out?

🍺: What are some traditions that you have? What do they mean to you?

🍸: Do you like your body? Do you wish to have a different skin tone, hair color, eye color, etc.? How come?

🍹: Dream vacation? What makes it so appealing to you?

🍷: Have you made any modifications to your body, such as plastic surgery, piercings, tattoos, etc.?

🍕: Are you a sports fanatic? If so, what kind?

🍔: Would you rather eat out or cook for yourself? If you were forced to eat out, what types of places would you go to?

🍟: Do you train, whether it be just working out or learning to control any abilities you have? Do you enjoy it? Is there something you do or enjoy doing afterwards?

🍗: Are your sleeping and eating patterns well-established or irregular? Do you wish to change that?

🍖: How much time do you spend with family and friends? Do you feel as if it is enough?

🍝: Is there a random thing that just reminds you of home or a pleasant memory? Do you understand why or do you see absolutely no correlation between it and the memory?

🍛: Do you open up to strangers easily? How long does it take to earn your trust? What does it take?

🍤: Do you believe that broken relationships can be mended? What is something that, to you, immediately breaks a relationship?

🍱: What is your thought on keeping pets? If you had to have one pet, which would you have?

🍣: Do you live a simple or fancy lifestyle? What is the underlying reason? Do you wish to change that?

🍥: Do you pay more attention to intricate details or the bigger picture? Or do you believe that you keep a balance of the two?

🍙: Do you practice a religion? If so, which one? For what reason do you practice it?

🍘: What does honor mean to you? Do you have honor? To what extent do you have it?

🍚: Is there such thing as “too plain” to you? What is the embodiment of those words?

🍜: Do you like heat or cold more? What is something you find unappealing about the other one?

🍲: Are you patient? How far does your patience go? What is one thing that will tick you off no matter what?

🍢: Are you open to trying new things? Why or why not?

🍡: Have you ever met a person who changed you significantly? How did they change you? Did they open your eyes? Make you a better person?

🍳: Do you accept hospitality and help from others? Are you someone who will provide assistance? To whom?

🍞: How do you view your current life? Do you find it to be a fortunate or unfortunate situation? Is it plain, or does it have flavor?

🍩: Do you approve of your hometown’s law enforcement? How about your current home’s system? What makes you feel the way you do about it?

🍮: Traditional or Modern? What do you dislike about the other lifestyle?

🍦: How often do you treat yourself? What do you treat yourself to? A spa day, alcohol, etc.?

🍨: Do you stress eat? What (other) activities do you take part in to relieve stress?

🍧: Do you want children? If so, how many? Do you believe that to be complete, a woman must bear offspring?

🎂: Do you celebrate birthdays? Do you enjoy birthdays? How do you usually feel on your birthday?

🍰: Are some holidays overly mainstream? Which ones feel pointless and over-exaggerated?

🍪: Are there simple things that make you happy? What are some of them? Do they make you feel that way because of a connection to something? If so, what is that connection?

🍫: Do you have any guilty pleasures? Does the guilt in them come right away or slowly build up? Despite those feelings, are they worth it?

🍬: Do you have a sweet tooth? How often do you indulge in sweets?

🍭: Did you enjoy your childhood? Why or why not? What memory most influenced your current reflection?

🍯: Have you ever made a promise to someone or yourself that you couldn’t keep? How do you feel about it?

🍎: What, in your opinion, is your best quality? What do others say is your best quality? Do you agree with them?

🍏: What, in your opinion, is your worst quality? What do others say is your worst quality? Do you agree with them?

🍊: What do you look for in a leader? Can you describe an ideal leader?

🍋: What are qualities in a leader that you feel are not acceptable in the very least? Why do you believe this?

🍒: What is your sexual orientation? What is your romantic preference? If you have any, what are your turn ons? What about turn offs?

🍇: Are you a virgin? If so, do want to stay that way? If not, how did you lose your virginity?

🍉: Could you stay with the same person all your life? Do you feel comfortable with a commitment like that? Why or why not?

🍓: Do you give second chances? Are you comfortable with cutting all ties and bonds with people?

🍑: Is there a meaning behind your name? Do you like your name? Have you ever changed it?

🍈: What do you identify as in terms of gender? Are you male, female, genderfluid, genderqueer, agender, or non-binary? Do you identify with the gender you were assigned at birth? If not, what was the point when you found out that you weren’t cisgender?

🍌: Do you like playing pranks? Do you find them amusing? If someone were to play one on you, how would you feel?

🍐: Do you carry a lot of responsibility on your shoulders? Does it bother you?

🍍: Which do you find more appealing, beaches or mountains? What are your reasons behind your opinion?

🍠: Does everyone have the potential to be a great person? Why or why not? Is there prejudice in your society against a group of people for a reason they cannot control?

🍆: Does someone’s past define them? Can their mistakes be washed away completely, or will there always be significant damage? Does someone who’s committed a crime deserve a second chance?

🍅: What is something you absolutely hate? What caused you to hate it so much?

Leave a card in my inbox! 

The Fool: When has your character been excited to start a new journey? The Magician: How does your character unleash their creativity or resourcefulness? The High Priestess: When has trusting their instincts paid off for your character? The Empress: Who has been a positive female figure in your character’s life? The Emperor: Who has been a positive male figure in your character’s life? The Hierophant: Who has served as a mentor to your character? The Lovers: Which of your character’s relationships has been the most positive? (Romantic or otherwise) The Chariot: What goal is your character determined to reach? Strength: On what issue is your character persistent? The Hermit: Write about a time your character did some soul searching. What did they find? The Wheel of Fortune: What are your character’s proudest successes? Justice: When has your character felt satisfied with the conclusion to a major dispute or concern? The Hanged Man: When has your character needed to step back and look at things from a different perspective? Death: When has your character had to let go of something in their life? Temperance: How does your character balance their life? The Devil: Does your character ever neglect their wild side? The Tower: When has your character lost an ideal or relationship? The Star: When has your character been most hopeful? The Moon: When has your character’s path been unclear? The Sun: When does your character sit back and enjoy themselves? Judgment: Has your character ever been given a second chance? The World: When has one of your character’s dreams come true?

Bonus: Major Arcana in Reverse!