also people yelling at americans to do something about our country as if i chose to be born here, as if everyone here actually gets a say in how things are run, as if our government doesn’t actively work to disenfranchise everyone who isn’t in a position of power. fuck off

Scales and Bones | Supernatural AU ficlet

Yo! So I’ve finally managed to get out this little ficlet I’ve been planning that is based on @itsladykit  ‘s Atypical fic. Basically just how I think my Papyrus would fit into the AU if he was there - I also added Cash because he seems really interesting so far *-*

I’ve been a little behind on writing but seeing @bonesaws-and-dust  ‘s lovely Naga art I’ve finally been given enough inspiration to finish up this one.

Unedited because I’m lazy lmao. 

“Saw Scaled Vipers include some of the species responsible for causing the most snakebite cases and deaths in the world.”

The warm summer waters were swaying back and forth with the waves, gently rocking the body of the dozing skeleton. He gave the occasional lazy swish of his tail, ensuring he didn’t drift too far towards the shore. Being spotted by some irritating monster or human would only be an inconvenience – it was better to stay closer to the rocky cliffs to avoid notice – he didn’t quite feel like having to throw anyone into the water when he could simply enjoy basking in the sunshine.

He lazily cracked his sockets open, squinting as his eye lights attempted to register his surrounds under such harsh light. Scanning the rocky beach along the water’s edge, he was surprised to spot a small cave opening, and entrance seemingly eroded into the side of the cavern and allowing a small measure of water to enter.

Cash rolled over onto his stomach, using his powerful tail to keep himself upright as he scrutinised it further. He couldn’t exactly say he was familiar with that particular part of the coastline, and the promise of possible exploration and adventure sang out to him, pulling him in closer. Or perhaps it was the tide dragging him closer, he couldn’t tell.

He hummed softly to himself, happily enjoying the sound of his own perfect tone for a few moments in thought before ducking under the water and beginning his approach. He stayed low, shadowing the outline of the coral and jagged stone as he proceeded to stealthily worm his way closer to the cave, pausing every little while to ensure there was no danger. A siren was no creature to be trifled with, but it never hurt to err on the side of caution when traversing unknown waters.

Once he had reached the point where the water flowed into the cave he surfaced again, taking another look. The entrance was far larger than it had appeared, and from his underwater viewing, it was also a lot deeper than he had first expected. Nevertheless, it still appeared to be deserted, despite his inability to see too far into the darkness beyond. However, being a monster used to the dark of the ocean he knew he would have no trouble navigating the tunnels, no matter how far they led.

He calmly sunk once more into the water, beginning to slowly creep through the large underwater passageways. He was forced more than once to use his arms to pull himself through gaps where the water narrowed, but he was otherwise able to simply give a few flicks of his tail to propel himself at a leisurely gait.

From the cave ceiling above hung small worms that were illuminated a bright blue, looking almost like the stars on a clear evening, and whenever Cash happened to breach the surface he would watch as small alien-like insects and lizards scuttled from the light of his magic that seemed unnaturally bright in such a dark place. It was like an entirely different planet, and despite the almost eerie atmosphere, he found himself deeply enchanted by its beauty.

Eventually, the water came to an end with a shallow pool, and the aquatic skeleton was forced to poke his head out of the water and balance on his front arms. The cave seemed to continue onwards, but unlike the area, he had just passed through there was light shining through a small opening at the highest point on the ceiling. It lit up the particles of dust that drifted through the air and cast deep shadows upon all of the stalactites and stalagmites.

The natural cave structure, however, was not what had caught the monster’s interest. Several metres from the water’s edge sat a large chest upon a raised stone platform. While the platform appeared crudely made at best, the chest was obviously something of high craftsmanship, its deep red wooden body, while old, still stood strong against the elements. It was edged with a slightly clouded silver metal that, while coated in a thick layer of dirt and possibly mould, could easily be polished and restored to its former glory. Strangely enough, the box’s wood was intricately carved with ancient etchings of large serpents. It triggered something deep within his memory, but he couldn’t quite recall what.

While normally he would have jumped at the chance to investigate the chest and its contents further, something put his body on edge, sending uneasy shivers all the way from the top of his neck to the tip of his tail. The possibility of finding himself some more riches was exciting, but still, his body screamed of danger and so he moved as slowly and silently as possible through the water and towards the rocky pool’s edge.

He sniffed the air but was uncertain what could be a dangerous creature’s scent and what was simply rot and damp. With each movement timid and carefully placed, the siren gently pulled himself from the water, beginning to drag his lengthy tail across the smooth stone with as little sound as possible.

He took another look around at the cave from his new vantage point, but still saw nothing of danger. However, his with mind reminding him constantly of the exciting chest he had yet to investigate, he was unsure if curiosity did not cloud his senses. Deciding to continue creeping forward, he was pleased when he managed to reach the object of his interest without problem.

Although he tried to pry the box open as slowly and quietly as possible, the rusted hinges creaked awfully and filled the cave with the unavoidably loud echoes. He tensed momentarily, pausing to listen for a moment before rearing up to consider the contents of the chest. He was stunned to find it filled with all manners of riches; and yet they were no common coins or jewellery, but rather elaborate golden tributes to ancient deities and alien objects that he sensed had been somehow enchanted.

In his excitement, Cash reached out to snatch a golden plate to inspect the illustration sketched onto its surface. It was the image of a many-armed human woman, riding astride a fierce tiger, holding weapons in some of her hands. He had never seen this particular goddess before – not that the siren spent much of his time studying ancient cultures – but due to his great love of expensive fabrics and gems, he could tell from the style of the clothing and jewellery adorning the woman that she hailed from some Indian philosophy.

He hummed in interest, his phalanges trailing over the picture and taking in all of the ridges and indents that covered its surface. It would take him many trips if he wanted to add the chest and its insides to his own treasure trove. He began to rummage about, pushing the gold at the top aside so he could search deeper when a sound caught his attention.

Cash’s head shot up from the confines of the wooden chest, his eyes darting around the cavern, but unable to spot what exactly was causing the sound. It was an odd noise to say the least – almost like water sizzling on a heated frypan – it was less than pleasant to listen to and more than a little unnerving. It had begun as only a soft sound, but it rapidly rose in crescendo until the horrible sound practically bounced off the walls.

From the gloom, the siren could only sit and watch as a slim, lengthy body of scales began to slither out from behind a few pillars. It was a serpent and a massive one at that. Its body was lined from head to toe in thick maroon scales and as it swept forward across the floor he could see that it was deliberately scraping the lines of scales against one another, creating the sizzling sound he had been alerted by.

While most of the body resembled a snake, the creature had the torso of a skeleton monster, one of its eyes alight with magic. It hissed softly, tasting the air with its tongue before its eyes settled on the smaller monster before it.

“Easy there, friend, ‘m just passing through,” Cash said quietly in as calm a tone as he could muster. He could feel a cold sweat beginning to form on his skull as he began to try and anxiously inch back towards the water. He knew better than to move too quickly, concerned that he would agitate the monster further, however, every time he attempted to move away the serpent would slither closer, looking him up and down with blazing intensity.

He didn’t even manage to get halfway back to the pool before the snake lunged forward with almost impossible speed. He grunted loudly as he was knocked onto his back, the air knocked from his non-existent lungs as the creature snatched his wrists. His momentary stupefaction gave the reptile just enough time to wind a few of its coils tightly around his waist and tail, ensuring it had a firm hold on him before lifting him up to its eye level.

With every slight relaxation of his tail’s muscles, the snake tightened its hold, quickly beginning to grow uncomfortably constricted. It was then that he was glad he didn’t need to breathe, otherwise, the monster could have easily begun to draw out the oxygen from his lungs and suffocate him a little more with every exhale. “I mean you no harm, Lamia” he choked out, continuing to try and free his arms.

It tilted its head, a soft rumble emanating from its chest, “I’m no Lamia,” it hissed, tongue slipping past its teeth to slide along one of its venomous fangs, “I am obvioussssly a Naga.” The snake, evidently a male from the sound if his voice and the general shape of his body, gave a soft chuckle, the tip of his tail reaching up to bind Cash’s wrists together behind his back.

“Wa’s the difference?” He growled, wincing as the scales jutting from the Naga’s body began to stab into his far less armoured tail. He couldn’t so much as twitch it anymore, only his chest and skull remained free.

The serpent’s jaw pulled upward in an almost playful smirk as his hands lighted upon Cash’s hips, “Nagasss are far sssuperiour to Lamiasss,” he began, humming to himself happily, “We are the guardiansss of ancient templesss and great treasuressss. We are sssemi-divine creaturesss, but you could probably tell that from my ssstriking good looks.”

Cash saw his opportunity for escape, offering a smirk of his own in return, “’course I could, handsome,” seduction was his forte – he wouldn’t make a very good siren if he couldn’t tell people exactly what they wanted to hear in order to lure them in – he slipped into the same mindset he used to trick unwary humans and monsters to their demise as easily as flicking a switch, “You’re feelin’ a little cold there, how’s about I help keep you warm?”

The Naga’s grip on him loosened as it moved closer, pressing its exposed ribs against Cash’s with what almost sounded like a purr, melting into the monster’s warmth. “Tha’s better now, isn’t it?” The snake was growing unweary, just like any monster beginning to fall under the siren’s charm, his body growing slacker with every passing moment and every silken word from the aquatic monster’s mouth.

“Mmm,” the serpent hummed back, tail uncoiling from Cash’s arms as he begun to slip into a relaxed haze. “I sssuppossse you’re not that bad, little fish,” He started to hum louder when the siren reached out and began to massage his ribs, his grip on the monster’s hips and tail almost non-existent.

Cash saw his opportunity, twisting from the creature’s grasp and practically throwing himself at the nearby water. He ignored the outraged snarl from the monster behind him, sliding across the ground faster than he’s ever moved in his life before plunging into the cool water. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite make it, a hand snatching his tail before he had the chance to flee and beginning to drag him back and out of the water.

He began thrashing in panic, scrabbling at anything he could take a hold of before the serpent could get a proper hold on him. There was a sudden pain that shot through his fins as something sharp clamped down on them, easily piercing the soft ectoflesh. He wrenched his tail away from whatever had impaled his tail, feeling another sudden burst of pain as he managed to reclaim his lower half.

Without sparing another moment the siren was racing back through the caverns, ignoring the scrapes he gained from moving so irrationally through the narrow tunnels. Even under the water, he could hear the distant sound of the snake’s scales rubbing up against one another, spurring him on like a whip to a racehorse.

He dove out from the cave’s entrance, not caring if he was seen anymore, refusing to slow his rapid pace until he was back in familiar water far, far away.

Cash allowed himself to sink into the water, closing his eyes as he relived his rather narrow escape, breathing heavily. He certainly wouldn’t be going back for that treasure. With a grimace of pain, he looked down at his tail, frowning at the way the large fin had been torn apart, a small trail of his magic drifting from the open wound.

He reached out and touched the injury, his eyes narrowing at the slightly discoloured magic leaking out from alongside his ‘blood’. He began to rub at his temples, sighing softly as he felt a headache beginning to grow. However, his mind had begun to cloud over, making focusing quite a troublesome task.

Sensing something was wrong, he slowly swam towards a large gathering of rocks poking just above the water’s surface. With no little amount of effort thanks to the numerous golden chains hanging from his neck, he hauled himself onto the stones, laying himself down and glancing down to inspect his tail closer. From where the fin had been pierced, lines of maroon magic had started to wind up through his veins, infecting the limb with what he could only assume was some kind of venom.

He cursed, gritting his teeth as a foul mixture of bile and magic began to rise up into his throat, his head spinning and rendering him limp. He was no expert in healing magic, nor with venoms and potions, but even if he had been he wasn’t sure he could hold focus long enough to do anything substantial.

Cash closed his eyes, grumbling quietly to himself, a mixture of curses and complaints. He lay still, resigning himself to simply waiting until the venom’s potency had dropped and its effects wore off… or the possibility that they wouldn’t.

“The creator deity Brahma commanded Nagas to bite only the truly evil or those destined to die prematurely.”

Atomic Habits

A habit is a routine or behaviour that is performed regularly, and in many cases, automatically. In the long run, the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our habits. This summary includes a step-by-step plan for building better habits – cue, craving, response, and reward – and the four laws of behaviour change that evolve out of these steps. There’s no one right way to create better habits, but this summary describes an approach that will be effective regardless of where you start or what you’re trying to change. The Fundamentals Too often, we convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action. However, the difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. The effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them. We often dismiss small changes because they don’t seem to matter, but over your lifetime, these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be. Habits are a double-edged sword. Bad habits can cut you down just as easily as good habits can build you up. Your habits can compound for you or against you. Productivity, knowledge, and relationships positively compound. Stress, negative thoughts and outrage negatively compound. An atomic habit is a tiny change, a marginal gain, a 1% improvement. They are little habits that are part of a larger system. Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results. There are three layers of behaviour changes. The first layer is changing your outcomes, such as losing weight, publishing a book, or winning a championship. The second layer is changing your process, such as implementing a new routine at the gym, decluttering your desk, or developing a meditation practice. The third and deepest layer is changing your identity, such as your worldview, your self-image, or your judgements about yourself and others. The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become. Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. In order to become the best version of yourself, you must continuously edit your beliefs and upgrade and expand your identity. Habits can change your beliefs about yourself. A habit is a behaviour that has been repeated enough times to become automatic. The ultimate purpose of habits is to solve the problems of life with as little energy and effort as possible. Any habit can be broken down into a feedback loop that involves four steps: cue, craving, response, and reward. The Four Laws of Behaviour Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits. They are: 1)   Make it obvious. 2)   Make it attractive. 3)   Make it easy. 4)   Make it satisfying. The 1st Law – Make It Obvious Over time, the cues that spark our habits become so common that they are essentially invisible. Our responses to these cues are so deeply encoded that it may feel like the urge to act comes from nowhere. Therefore, the process of behaviour change begins with awareness. Before we can effectively build new habits, we need to get a handle on our current ones. This can be difficult to do, but there are two exercises that can help. Pointing-and-Calling is an exercise that involves verbalising each of your actions in order to raise your awareness from a nonconscious habit to a more conscious level. Once you’re aware of your habits, keep a Habits Scorecard and mark whether the habit is negative, positive, or neutral. Habits are easier to start if you have an implementation intention, which is a plan you make beforehand about when and where to act. The implementation intention formula is: I will [BEHAVIOUR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]. Habit stacking is another exercise that can help. The habit stacking formula is: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT]. Small changes in context can lead to large changes in behaviour over time. Every habit is initiated by a cue. We are more likely to notice cues that stand out, so make the cues of good habits obvious in your environment. Gradually, your habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behaviour. The context becomes the cue. It is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cues. You can break a habit, but you’re unlikely to forget it. Once the mental grooves have been carved into your brain, they are nearly impossible to remove entirely. That means you must reduce exposure to the cue that causes bad habits. The 2nd Law – Make It Attractive The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming. Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. When dopamine rises, so does our motivation to act. It is the anticipation of a reward – not the fulfilment of it – that gets us to take action. The greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike. Temptation building is one way to make your habits more attractive. The strategy involves pairing an action you want to do with an action you need to do. The formula is: After [HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT]. Social norms are extremely powerful, and they determine which behaviours are attractive to us. We tend to adopt habits that are praised by our culture because we have a strong desire to fit in. We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups: the close (family and friends), the many (the tribe) and the powerful (those with status and prestige). One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where your desired behaviour is the norm, and you already have something in common with the group. The normal behaviour of a tribe often overpowers the desired behaviour of the individual. Most days, we’d rather be wrong with the crowd than right by ourselves. Every behaviour has a surface level craving and a deeper underlying motive. Your habits are modern-day solutions to ancient desires (ie the desire to connect and bond with others results in the habit of checking Facebook). Your habits are caused by the prediction that precedes them. The prediction leads to a feeling. You can break a bad habit by highlighting the benefit of avoiding it to make it more unattractive to you. Habits are attractive when we associate them with positive feelings and unattractive when we associate them with negative feelings. Create a motivation ritual by doing something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit. The 3rd Law – Make It Easy The most effective form of learning is to practice. Focus on taking action – the amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it. Human behaviour follows the Law of Least Effort. We will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work. Therefore, you are more likely to succeed if you create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible. Reduce the friction associated with good behaviours. When friction is low, habits are easy. Increase the friction associated with bad behaviours. When friction is high, habits are difficult. Habits can be completed in a few seconds but continue to impact your behaviour for minutes or hours afterward. Many habits occur at decisive moments – choices that are like a fork in the road – and either send you in the direction of a productive day or an unproductive one. The Two-Minute Rule says, “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do” so break your habits down into bite-size chunks. Standardise before you optimise. You can’t improve a habit that doesn’t exist. Committing to habits will increase your future behaviour. The ultimate way to lock in future behaviour is to automate your habits. Prime your environment to make future actions easier. Automate your habits. Invest in technology and onetime purchases (like buying a better mattress or enrolling in an automatic savings plan) that deliver increasing returns over time. The 4th Law – Make It Satisfying Humans are more likely to repeat a behaviour when the experience is satisfying. The human brain evolved to prioritise immediate rewards over delayed rewards. The Cardinal Rule of Behaviour Change says, “What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided.” To get a habit to stick, you need to feel immediately successful, even if it’s in a small way. The first three laws of behaviour change increase the odds that a behaviour is performed. The fourth law increases the odds that the behaviour will be repeated. One of the most satisfying feelings is the feeling of making progress. A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit – like marking an X on a calendar on days you did it. Habit trackers and other visual forms of measurement can make your habits satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress. Don’t break the chain. Do your best to keep your habit streak alive. If you do miss a day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible. Never miss twice in a row. We are less likely to repeat a bad habit if it is painful or unsatisfying. An accountability partner can create an immediate cost to inaction. We care deeply about what others think of us, and we do not want others to have a lesser opinion of us. A habit contract can be used to add a social cost to any behaviour. It makes the cost of violating your promises public and painful. Knowing that someone is watching you can be a powerful motivator, so use social interactions to motivate behaviour change. Advanced Tactics The secret to maximising your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition. Pick the right habit and progress will be easy. If you pick the wrong habit, it will be a struggle. You cannot change your genes, which means they provide a powerful advantage in favourable circumstances and a serious disadvantage in unfavourable circumstances. Habits are much easier when they align with your natural abilities. Choose habits that best suit your genes. Genes do not eliminate the need for hard work, they clarify it. They tell us what to work hard on.   The Goldilocks Rule states that your motivation will be at its peak when you work on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard, not too easy. Just right. The greatest threat to success is not failure, but boredom. As habits become routine, they become less interesting and less satisfying so we sometimes get bored. Anyone can work hard when they feel motivated. It is the ability to keep going when it isn’t exciting that makes the difference. Create a schedule and stick to it, regardless of your motivation levels. The benefit of habits is that we can do things without thinking. The downside is that we stop paying attention to little errors. You can master a habit by narrowing your focus to a tiny element of success and repeating it until you have internalised the skill. Then use this new habit as the foundation to advance to the next frontier of your development. Each habit unlocks the next level. Keep building. Reflection and review is a process that allows you to remain conscious of your performance over time. Try not to cling to an identity – it makes it much harder to grow beyond it. Success is not a goal to reach or a finish line to cross. It is a system to improve, an endless process to refine. If you make habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying, you will be more likely to stick to them. If you keep making tiny changes, you will discover remarkable results.