#weekly wisdom

The super talented @ariabauer aka RunWithWolves joined us in The Library for this week’s #WisdomWednesday and cooked up this delightful prompt response in just ten minutes!

Prompt was to write something from Carmilla’s perspective:

“Cupcake,” Carmilla rubbed the bridge of her nose, “please. Just walk away. Everyone knows these games are a scam.”

“Absolutely not! I’m winning this thing!” Laura said.

“You’re really not.”

“Well,” Laura huffed, “Now I’ve got to prove you wrong. So feel free to ditch if you need to but I’m staying right here.”

Carmilla fingers twitched to simply haul her roommate away. Distract her that this was Laura’s idea of a recon mission. That this whole thing was worthless and pointless and going to get them all killed.

Except.

Laura’s nose was scrunched tight, a baseball gripped tightly in her fingers as the dollar she’d slapped onto the old wooden counter vanished into the vendor’s pockets. Determination written in every line of her body as she rubbed the worn ball between her palms.

It was adorable and Carmilla hated it.

And Carmilla loved it.

She turned her gaze to the carny instead. His smile was swarmy and Carmilla fought the urge to hiss at him when a glare would do just fine. He stepped back, smile dropping just a little, “Whenever you’re ready lil miss.”

“I was born ready.”

Carmilla couldn’t help but look at her again. Moth to a flame.

Flames of brilliant colour. The colourful midway lights bounced off Laura’s face, casting her in ethereal hues, but not even the rides had been enough to entice Laura away from her sixth consecutive try at the carnival game. Take the baseball. Knock over all the bottles. Win a prize.

Easy enough.

Carmilla knew better.

Her mother had been fond of scams of every sort and while being in a carnival may have been beneath her mother, owning one certainly wasn’t. Carmilla had seen the books of the very carnival they walked through.

There was no way Laura was making that shot.

No way for Carmilla to tell her that without revealing too much. Without shattering the fragile trust they’d created. Without losing Laura’s smile.

We missed this piece of Weekly Wisdom homework from a couple weeks ago by @dogsbeerandawesomeness 😱 The prompt was: Carmilla has dinner with Sherman

Running a shaky hand through her hair as she stared into the mirror, she slowly blew out the breath she’d been holding for the last forty-five seconds in a soft whoosh. This wasn’t something she’d ever put much thought into. Or any thought to be exact.

Because no one else had ever meant this much. No one else had ever even come close.

In over three hundred years…

“Carm?” Laura called, softly knocking on the door and drawing Carmilla’s wide eyes to the locked door. “You okay in there?”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice slightly catching in her throat. “Fine.”

She heard Laura release the tiniest squeak, the younger girl undoubtedly holding back whatever was rumbling through her brain, and Carmilla knew if she continued to hole up in the bathroom, she’d not only end up making herself more nervous but Laura would become a tiny, flustered mess.

Turning back toward the mirror, her grip tight on the porcelain sink, she nodded to herself once more before pushing off. She turned and unlocked the door, slowly opening it and feeling the right side of her lips automatically pull up at the sight of Laura standing there in a soft blue summer dress, hair pulled back, fresh faced, and wide-eyed.

So incredibly beautiful.

“Are you sure?” the tiny brunette asked, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind Carmilla’s ear.

“Yeah, cutie,” she said, reaching up and holding Laura hand against her face for a moment longer. Turning ever so slightly, she pressed her lips to the smaller girl’s wrist, the scent of her soft perfume just barely detectable. Sunshine and warmth.

“Okay,” Laura said, smiling softly, letting her thumb brush back and forth across the bow of Carmilla’s cheek before turning and making her way toward the front door of their apartment with a little bounce in her step, her sandals quietly clicking against the recently stained maple flooring.

Carmilla couldn’t help but smile harder as she followed.

***

“You’re still really quiet,” Laura said, nearly an hour later as the car slowed. She glanced over curiously as she turned left, the street lined with elms and picket fences and smiling people out walking their dogs.

It was nauseating.

Carmilla just shrugged, reaching up and adjusting her wayfarers and continuing to stare out the passenger window.

“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?” she asked once last time as she slowly aimed the car toward the curb, stopping in front of an off-white craftsman, the lawn immaculate, shutters freshly painted.

Carmilla stared up at the structure, eyes narrowing and feeling her stomach roll once again.

“Babe?”

Carmilla turned back toward her girlfriend, seeing the genuine concern here.

“Sorry, yeah, I’m cool,” she said, the slight tremor in her voice beyond noticeable.

“You know,” Laura started as she killed the engine and unbuckled her seatbelt. “If you’re nervous, it’s okay.”

“I didn’t say I was nervous.”

“That wasn’t even the least bit convincing, Carm,” Laura said, smiling and leaning in closer, resting her elbow on the center console. “But you don’t have to worry. Because it’s going to be fine. And because I love you.”

Carmilla stared back for a long moment, her eyes desperately searching Laura’s, but only finding that incredible love. Unable to help herself, she smiled softly as Laura reached up, pulling her sunglasses off, and leaving a soft kiss against her cheek.

“Come on.”

Carmilla blew out one final breath and nodded. Hauling herself out of the car, she stepped beside her girlfriend as they moved up the walkway, smiling when she saw a set of tiny handprints in one of the blocks, Laura’s initials proudly written above it.

Laura grabbed for her hand halfway to the house, linking their fingers together and squeezing, offering one last reassuring smile before they stepped up onto the porch.

Standing there, she felt her heartbeat speed up as Laura knocked on the door, the sensation still catching her off-guard after being absent for the better part of three centuries. Ten seconds later, the door opened. And there stood Sherman Hollis.

Sherman Hollis, who had immediately pulled Laura from Silas University the second he found out she’d helped saved the world from a cabal of evil vampires her junior year.

Sherman Hollis, who knew that his daughter was in a relationship with a woman who’d lived through the French Revolution.

Sherman Hollis, who Carmilla had been avoiding for the last two years since she’d followed Laura back to Toronto and the two had gotten serious.

Sherman Hollis, stocky and balding and positively beaming at his daughter. And utterly terrifying to Carmilla.

“Pumpkin!” he gushed as he stepped out and quickly wrapped her in a tight hug, lifting her off the ground. Laura giggled as soon as her feet left the porch, wrapping her own arms around his neck.

“Hi dad!”

“It’s so good to see you, sweetie,” he said, still holding tight for a few extra seconds even as he set her down.

Carmilla watched as the two finally pulled apart, still grinning widely before turning toward her. Laura’s smile somehow grew even brighter as their eyes met, but Sherman…

“Carm, this is my dad,” she said, patting his shoulder. “Dad…this is my girlfriend, Carmilla.”

“Ah, Carmilla,” he said, the smile now completely gone from his face, eyes hard, arms crossed across his chest. “Come in. We have a lot to talk about.”

Carmilla turned toward Laura as he stepped back into the house, her eyes wide, chest tight with nerves. But Laura just smiled and leaned in, leaving a soft, linger kiss at the corner of her mouth.

“Come on. I’ll hold your hand the whole time.”

Carmilla felt her lips just barely turn up as their eyes met, Laura’s hand squeezing hers once more as they stepped into the house.

This one is another piece of Weekly Wisdom homework - we’ve really been spoiled this week 😍😍😍. This fic was written by @itssmeghann

Prompt: Carmilla’s first time having family dinner at Sherman’s

“Well? Don’t leave me hanging here, Cupcake. Which ones?”

Laura just tilted her head and looked at Carmilla, a little smile starting to creep up. How could Carmilla, so sure of herself in almost every facet of her life, be stuck on this one tiny decision? Graduation was quickly approaching, and perhaps the combination of a celebratory dinner and the first time visiting Laura’s family home was getting to her. Laura pushed off of her desk chair, meeting Carmilla’s eyes in the mirror. She slowly walked over, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend’s waist.

“Carm,” she said softly, “it doesn’t matter. Honestly. Red heels, black heels, they are all the same. I think my dad is more interested in celebrating your graduation with us and is just excited we’re finally going to visit him for once. I don’t think he will care about what color shoes you are wearing. Truthfully, he probably won’t even notice if you have shoes on.”

Carmilla sighed heavily in response, leaning her head to the side to rest on Laura’s. Laura took a quick glance down at the outfit then back to meet Camilla’s eyes, now with a mischievous grin “You know, if you're really stuck, you could just revisit that outfit you had on last night..”

At that, Carmilla finally seemed to relax. She rolled her eyes, laughing at Laura while swatting her hands away and decisively grabbing a pair of shoes.

The ride to Sherman’s house was longer than they expected, as what should have been just over an hour’s ride was slowly turning into an almost two hour excursion. As the traffic continued to stand absolutely still, Carmilla’s drumming on the steering wheel intensified. Laura glanced over, sensing the levels of anxiety in the car rising. She gently reached a hand over to rest on Carmilla’s thigh, stilling the incessant tapping.

“Babe,” Laura said, “it’s okay. We aren’t going to be late. It’s a party for you. It starts when you get there. Besides, Kirsch and Danny are about 25 minutes behind us, so if anyone is going to be late, it’s them. Why are you so nervous? It’s not like you haven’t met him before. I mean, it’s been like, three years. Dad loves you!”

Carmilla rested her head back against her seat and gripped her steering wheel just a bit tighter.

“I’m not nervous Cupcake, I just… this is a lot. This is where you grew up. I can’t show you where I grew up, and I know how much it means to you to go home, and it’s a big deal that you are taking me home with you.”

Laura nodded, squeezed Carmilla’s leg before grabbing her hand tangling their fingers together over the gear shift.

“Carm, you’re right. I haven’t actually had anyone home before. But trust me, it’s not a big deal. Sure, Dad almost spontaneously combusted when I asked to have graduation dinner for you at the house, but he’s just dramatic.”

“And I used to wonder where you got it…” Carmilla joked.

“Yea, yea. Make jokes. But really, don’t be nervous. It’s just dinner, at a house like any other.”

13 Months Later

“And as evidenced tonight, ladies and gentlemen” Sherman concluded, “it was not just any dinner. To Laura and Carmilla!”

Continuing on with Weekly Wisdom. This next one was gifted to us by @gengarlovesclefable <3

Prompt: Laura doesn't like talking on the phone, but Carmilla always calls her instead of texting. Carmilla admits that it's because she wants to hear Laura's voice.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20106925

Here is Shell’s contribution! This prompt was based around a conversation between @thatwickedozian and @ukulelekatie <3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20056246

This next one belongs to @jg-firefly <3

Prompt: Carmilla has dinner with Sherman

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20059804

The Inner Compass Forecast | June 30th | Weekly Energetic Reading & Self...

It’s time to align with your truth and trust your path — one sacred step at a time.

Each week, I tune into the moon’s phase, pull cards from my two personal oracle decks and the tarot, and offer sacred self-care guidance to help you begin the week centered, clear, and in resonance with your inner wisdom.

This week's lunar influence is from a calming First Quarter Moon in the sign of Libra which arrives on July 2nd, it brings with it a profound pull towards balance, harmony, and restoration.

This isn’t just a forecast — it’s your invitation to come home to yourself. 🌙 Energetic themes 🃏 Oracle & tarot wisdom 🙏 Self-care reflections to support your journey 🧭 Inner compass activation