more ancient & thirsty gods

001. THE FAIRY.

chipped nail polish. glitter highlight. tall trees with smooth bark. tangled hair. the taste of cinnamon sugar. talking too loud and too fast. overgrown flowers in your hair. crumbling buildings reclaimed by nature. flirting. walking home at three am with no coat. platonic hand holding. blowing smoke out of your nose. dragonfly wings. chaotic good. freckles. fairy rings. secret meetings. gender nonconformity. leather. smudged eyeliner. forbidden fruit.

002. THE REAPER.

computer errors. a shiver down your spine. haunting beauty. hard liquor. crowns of thorns. shadowed alleyways. decaying plant matter. shattered mirrors and broken glass. corrupted memories. stopped clocks. the scent of stale cigarettes. tattered black hoodies. walking your friends home. the crescent moon. the sea. a graveyard on a foggy day. cold rings on cold fingers. absolution. looking out of the window of an airplane. soft kisses.

003. THE WITCH.

graffiti. pretending to know what you’re doing. worn paperback books. growing up too fast. parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. lace and combat boots. moth wings. candles on every surface. a weathered deck of cards. turning the music up. fireflies in jars. calloused fingers. drawing on your skin. sunlight filtering through clouds. petrichor. a dying rose in a jar. wearing a crystal pendant. illusions of spells. black cats. mint gum. chapped lips. dirt under your fingernails. the cycle of life and death.

004. THE WOLF.

murders of crows. frost - bitten leaves. wolves howling at midnight. knocking on your door. leaving food out for stray animals. the twang of an acoustic guitar. honey. tiny red buds on trees. claw marks on the walls. golden eyes. slightly too long stubble. knitted finger - less gloves. sleeping on the forest floor. always finding your way back home.

EMERALD ORBS DILATE as the smoke fills her lungs, mind drifting off to the depths of outer space just as she’d experienced many times before. she never thought she’d be able to experience such a magnificent gesture of vulnerability —— complete strangers opening themselves up to each other through body and mind, a spiritual journey through art and love beyond her wildest imagination that not even she herself could imagine. the smoke exhales from the pits of her lungs to blow into the other woman’s face in a playful manner, the familiar sense of her face contorting into that of a smile as her eyes close for the briefest of moments, enjoying the kaleidoscopic-like visuals she often experienced during the first few moments of pure bliss.

“free…” eyes remain closed as she allows her body to surrender to the plant assaulting her mind, “i feel FREE.” a gentle laugh escapes into the room as her eyes finally open to stare at the woman sitting across from her on the canvas-covered floor. afraid? she doesn’t bother to say anything in response to her concerns, but rather candy allows her actions to speak for her as her hands tugged at the fabric of her shirt, lifting it off and over her head in one efficient swoop. it’s then and only then does she mimic scathath’s motion of dipping her finger into the neon pink acrylic paint, reaching out to rub her paint-stained thumb across the woman’s cheek. “you’re the most natural beauty my eyes have ever had the pleasure of seeing….” her voice trails off in thought, eyes searching for any sign that she needs to pull her hand away— “can i paint you? all of you?”

        Scathach shuts her eyes to accept her anointing, as though Candy were streaking her with holy oil, and with eyes still closed she grins. “Yes.”

       Her dress is a thrifted rag so old Candy’s grandmother could have worn it, its falling floral pattern faded over years of sun and washing, with a few buttons still clinging to the front. She opens them and shifts onto her knees to pull the dress over her head. She’s no longer afraid of this body, no longer its victim; now, after hundreds of years, she can believe it when told she’s beautiful--her and her belly scarred from pregnancy, her rough fur of auburn where so many women shave themselves smooth, her scars, her missing little finger, her monster’s teeth.

       Candy has only lived in this world of plastic and Photoshop, bodies contorted past recognition into grotesquerie, a mockery of sex and spectacle on the screen of every phone, the expanse of every billboard. Scathach pities her. How can she hope for true vision in a universe of distortion and lies? An artist should be free.

        Scathach watches Candy cling to the hit, holding it as long as she can before exhaling in smoke. They sit together on the floor, face to face, knees nearly touching, the grimy newfound intimacy of two near-strangers sharing a high. The room is full of the scent, ancient, mossy-deep, earthy, a little foul, but sweet, too, like fruit gone to rot. She grins and looks down to dip her finger into the paint on the artist’s palette, a thick gob of red, which she streaks slowly onto the gessoed canvas spread on the floor. She’d insisted that they prepare for inspiration: take out your paints, take out your brushes, ready a space. Let it all in! You’ll see the heavens tonight! They even have glitter. We will, she’d breathed, collaborate...

her own form of cold reading, which is a combination of basic psychology and her constant low-level ESP, which generally doesn’t enter anyone’s mind but does let her perceive stuff about them, physically, that might normally be hidden. she can/will also use her tarot cards or other props for this form of fortune-telling, same as any phony psychic, without actually investing any magical energy into it. 

some details which i may add to later:

the moon card depicts the moon presence.

     she has been on set for a few weeks now , has been learning the ins and outs of her character and the real person she is meant to be playing . it’s taken its toll on stefani , however , and with each passing day she feels more and more tired — drained . she’s good at masking it , though . regardless , having been in the area for a while now , she’s surprised to see the store … it hadn’t been here before , right ? it appears to be quite established , though , she’ll notice after entering the building .

     for a second stefani is unsure if anyone is actually here , but the further back she walks she’ll come into direct contact with a dark haired woman — the owner ? the individual definitely fits in a place like this ; it’s almost scary .     “ thank you , ”     she’ll attempt a kind smile , though she knows she wears her fear and uneasiness on her sleeve for the other to see . clearing her throat , stefani slowly turns her head and walks down another aisle , and then another , browsing just as the woman had told her to .

     no matter how long she looks , though , stefani can’t help but to realize that none of these items necessarily suit her . she’d come in out of curiosity as to what this shop had to offer , but her curiosity now lies in the fortune the owner had offered to read . without a second thought — were she to think any harder she’d end up leaving — the actress will make her way towards the back , walking through the beaded curtain with her head held high and her hands as lax at her side as possible . she looks calm now , right ? definitely not .

        Scathach looks up from her seat at the low table, and grins. “Come,” she says, “sit with me.” A stick of incense smolders in the far corner; here, the room is warm, the air dense, and the shadows lean closer, intimately dark.

        As Stefani sits, Scathach stares. The fear is a miasma around her, clouding her lovely, hooded eyes, her long face, the fragile pout of her mouth, but fear and curiosity walk together, two sides of desire. What a creature. How different they are from each other, a little star facing a black hole, the mouth of the void yawning open in front of her to swallow her light, and she does not see. Maybe she feels the tug of gravity. Maybe she senses that she is about to fall.

        “Shuffle the cards.” Scathach’s deck is old, the size of an ordinary pack of playing cards. “Then... Choose for me. Ah...” Twin discs, painted in fading ink, pass between a juggler’s hands on the card’s face, upside-down. “The two of coins. You have... Tasks. You have... Responsibilities. And... Demands. Little hands... Tugging... Each trying... To take their piece. Until you have nothing left for yourself.” She watches her face.

bold   –   always  ⁄  often italic   –   sometimes

001.   smoking:  the  action  or  habit  of  inhaling  &  exhaling  the  smoke  of  tobacco  or  a  drug.

002.   binge drinking:  the  consumption  of  an  excessive  amount  of  alcohol  in  a  short  period  of  time.

003.   drug abuse:  the  habitual  taking  of  illegal  drugs.

004.   nail-biting:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  anxiety / tension.

005.   lip-biting:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  anxiety / tension.

006.   night owl: a  person  who  is  habitually  active  or  wakeful  at  night.

007.   early bird:  a  person  who  rises ,  arrives ,  or  acts  before  the  usual  or  expected  time.

008.   negative attitudes: a  philosophy  of  approaching  life  with  criticism  &  pessimism.

009.   positive attitudes:  a  philosophy  of  approaching  life  with  optimism  &  confidence.

010.   swearing:  the  use  of  offensive  language.

011.   superstitious:  an  irrational  belief  that  an  object ,  action ,  or  circumstance  not  logically  related  to  a  course  of  events  influences  its  outcome.  

012.   inspecting fingernails:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  boredom.

013.   scratching your neck:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  uncertainty.

014.   foot  & finger  tapping:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  stress / impatience.

015.   nose touch:  a  subtle  body  language  sign  of  deceit.

016.   flipping  hair:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  craving  attention.

017.   twirling  hair:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  flirtation.

018.   cracking  knuckles:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  readiness.

019.   hands behind back:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  confidence.

020.   finger  –  pointing:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  authority.

021.   hands on hips:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  readiness.

022.   hands in pockets:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  mistrust / reluctance.

023.   frequent touch:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  warmth / familiarity.

024.   throat  –  clearing:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  rejection / doubt.

025.   jaw  –  clenching:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  hostility.

026.   eye  –  rolling:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  irritation.

027.   head  –  tilt:  a  common  body  language  sign  of  interest.

028.   whistling:  to  emit  high  –  pitched  sound  by  forcing  breakthrough  a  small  hole  between  one’s  lips  or  teeth;  usually  to  a  tune.

029.   humming:  make  a  low,  steady  continuous  sound  like  that  of  a  bee;  usually  to  a  tune.

030.   perfectionism:  refusal  to  accept  any  standard  short  of  perfection.

031.   photographic memory:  the  ability  to  remember  information  or  visual  images  in  great  detail.

032.   paranoia:  a  mental  condition  characterized  by  delusions  of  persecution,  unwarranted  jealousy,  or  exaggerated  self  –  importance,  typically  worked  into  an  organized  system.

033.   exaggeration:  a  statement  that  represents  something  as  better  or  worse  than  it  really  is.

034.   intuitive:  using  or  based  on  what  one  feels  to  be  true  even  without  conscious  reasoning;  instinctive.

035.   quick  –  witted:  showing  or  characterized  by  an  ability  to  think  or  respond  quickly  &  effectively.

036.   interrupting:  breaking  the  continuity  of  a  conversation  with  one’s  own  statements.

037.   doodling:  to  scribble  or  make  rough  drawings,  absentmindedly.

038.   irritable:  having  or  showing  a  tendency  to  be  easily  annoyed.

039.   gambling:  to  play  games  of  chance  for  money;  bet.

040.   travel – sick:  suffering  from  nausea  caused  by  the  motion  of  a  moving  vehicle ,  boat ,  or  aircraft.

041.   sensitive:  having  or  displaying  a  quick  &  delicate  appreciation  of  others’  feelings.

042.   melancholy:  a  feeling  of  pensive  sadness,  typically  with  no  obvious  cause.

043.   chewing gum:  the  exercise  of  chewing  flavored  gum  which  is  not  intended  for  swallowing.

044.   fidgeting:  to  make  small  movements,  especially  of  the  hands  &  feet,  through  nervousness  or  impatience.

045.   skeptical:  not  easily  convinced;  having  doubts  or  reservations.

046.   neat–freak:  compulsively  obsessed  with  cleanliness.

047.   gossiping:  divulging  personal  information  about  others.

048.   prim:  feeling  or  showing  disapproval  of  anything  regarded  as  improper;  stiffly  correct.

049.   abbreviating:  giving  others  nicknames / shortening  names / giving  pet  names.

050.   having a catchphrase: having  a  sentence  or  phrase  typically  associated  with  a  specific  person.