To an outsider looking in, Lucy Loud could be considered a freak. With her tendency to dress in dark colours, speak in monotone and always conceal her eyes, most people would write her off as being creepy, especially for an eight year old. For those who truly knew her however, such as her family, Lucy was far more than that. Sure, her appearance and speech could be off putting, but at heart Lucy was just like any other girl. She had her interests, such as reading and watching horror movies, she had a set of hobbies that included tarot card reading and writing poetry, and she was prone to fangirling over her favourite characters such as Edwin. In her downtime, Lucy displayed great examples of creativity when it came to her poetry and other writings. Safe to say that Lucy was a prime example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, having so much to offer.
Because of her quiet nature, there were a couple of times when Lucy would be forgotten about by her other siblings. It was never intentional for the most part, but it did leave Lucy feeling a bit upset whenever it occurred. The fact that she could go unnoticed by her siblings wasn't exactly a pleasant one. Still, Lucy didn't take it too personally, acknowledging that it was rather easy for her to be left behind. On this particular evening however, Lucy would find herself alone, not through being forgotten about or any malicious intent, but through a series of coincidences. In what was a rare occurrence, it just so happened that all of her siblings as well as her parents were preoccupied with other affairs, be it Lynn Sr having to work late at his restaurant, Luan having a meeting with the drama club after school, or Lincoln meeting with Stella to collab on a group project, practically all of her family was busy with something. That left Lucy at the home all alone with nary a soul to keep her company. Fortunately, Lynn Sr and Rita had planned ahead and hired a babysitter to watch over Lucy while the family was away.
Lucy was sitting in front of the TV, watching The Vampires of Melancholia, when she heard a knock at the door. Lucy suspected that to be the babysitter and quickly got up to answer the door. Using a stool, Lucy took a peek through the peephole to make sure she wasn't inviting danger into the house. What she saw was a tall, dark skinned man with messy black hair and glasses, wearing a green hoodie, blue jeans and black and green sneakers. The man certainly didn't appear to be a threat and was quite handsome in appearance, but that didn't mean that Lucy should automatically trust him. For all she knew, he could be a burglar trying to take advantage of a supposedly empty house. That's when the man spoke.
"Hello?" He asked. "Hello, hello? Is this the right house, I'm supposed to be babysitting a girl named Lucy Loud."
"So that's the babysitter that mom and dad hired," Lucy said to herself, "they certainly made a good choice. I suppose I should let him in."
Lucy put the stool away and unlocked the door, opening it up just a crack and allowing it to slowly swing open in a manner reminiscent of old school classic horror films, complete with an ominous creaking sound. Lucy then made sure that she was out of sight as the babysitter cautiously took a step inside.
"Um… hello?" The Babysitter called putting, taking a careful look around as he entered the house. Judging by the all too apparent caution in his voice, Lucy doubted that he had ulterior motives or was after any possessions in the house. "Is anybody here?"
It was at this moment that Lucy decided to make herself known, appearing behind the man and asking "Hi," causing the man to nearly jump out of his shoes from fright. Once he calmed down, Lucy asked "So I take it you're the babysitter?"
"That would be correct," the man said, offering her a friendly smile and bowing. "The name's Shinovii and I shall be your babysitter for the evening."
"Shinovii?" Lucy asked, to which Shinovii replied "You can just call me 'Shin' if you'd like."
"That works for me," Lucy said in her deadpan monotone.
"So I take it that you must be Lucy?" Shin asked, extending a hand to Lucy.
"I'd be a little scared if I wasn't," Lucy snarked.
"As long as you don't jump scare me again, that's fine," Shin said before asking "I'm guessing you got a little lonely being here all by yourself, huh?"
"Not really," Lucy said, "it was kinda nice being able to watch my favourite show in peace without interruption… or having to fight for the remote."
"Well I hope I haven't killed your vibe," Shin told her as she took a seat in front of the TV and he took a seat on the sofa behind her.
"Don't worry, you didn't," Lucy assured her, returning her focus to Vampires of Melancholia.
Shin quietly watched the show alongside her for a couple of minutes until the show went off air and a trashy reality show aired behind it. Neither Lucy nor Shin we're particularly enthused by this.
"Sigh," Lucy said at the same time Shin let out an actual sigh. Both of them said in unison "I hate this show."
The two of them exchanged a look, with Lucy asking "You hate this show too?"
"More than you'll ever know," Shin replied, "Like, there is nothing to like about this show, it's literally just a bunch of us likeable jerks starting drama for the sake of drama."
"Tell me about it," Lucy agreed, "my sisters Lori and Leni tried getting me into it, but I couldn't watch it for more than 10 minutes before I couldn't take anymore."
"I know what you mean," Shin said.
Picking up the remote, Lucy asked "Mind if I find a horror movie to watch?"
"Aren't you a little too young to be watching scary movies?" Shin asked. "I mean, I don't want you getting in trouble with your parents or anything."
"Mom and Dad are used to me watching scary movies," Lucy said, "In fact, it's my Dad who can't watch scary movies without fainting. One time, Lynn and I tried getting him to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre and he spent most of the movie huddled under a blanket."
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre?" Shin asked. "The Original or the 2003 reboot?"
"Original," Lucy answered. "We don't talk about the 03 version."
"Clever girl," Shin complimented her as Lucy changed the channel and found The Thing airing on one channel.
"How do you feel about The Thing?" Lucy asked. "Are you okay with watching this?"
"Are you kidding?" Shin asked, "The Thing is one of my favourite horror movies of all time."
"Really?" Lucy asked, "What are some other horror movies you like?"
Shin smirks and asks "Ever heard of Society?"
"That movie really is bizarre," Lucy said, "but I did like it. Have you ever heard of Suspiria?"
"Oh, that movie's a classic," Shin said, "you weren't kidding when you said you were a huge fan of scary movies."
"Was that ever in doubt?" Lucy deadpanned. "I mean, just look at me."
"What do you mean?" Shin asked.
"I wear black all the time, cover my eyes, talk like a zombie, and I jump scare people" Lucy said, "I'm just the creepy little goth girl, it should be obvious that I like scary movies."
"Hold on, did you just call yourself a 'creepy little goth girl'?" Shin asked.
"I'm not wrong, am I?" Lucy retorted.
"Well you may be goth and you may be a girl, but you certainly aren't creepy," Shin assured her. "I mean, yeah, you did jump scare me when I first got here, but nothing about you in particular strikes me as being creepy."
"Do you really mean that?" Lucy asked.
"Of course I do," Shin said, telling Lucy "Any 8 year old girl that can sit through the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and watch The Thing is pretty awesome to me."
"Thanks," Lucy said as she turned to Shin. "Hey, do you mind if I- nevermind."
"Mind if you what?" Shin asked.
"It's nothing," Lucy said, "just forget I said anything."
"You can ask me whatever's on your mind," Shin told her, "I won't mind, really."
"Are you sure?" Lucy asked.
"One hundred percent positive," Shin assured her.
"Can I do a tarot card reading of you?" Lucy asked.
"I don't see why not," Shin said with a shrug. "I don't mind at all."
"Thanks," Lucy thanked him before going upstairs to retrieve her tarot deck. "I'll be right back."
Lucy returned one minute later and took a seat in front of Shin, holding her deck in front of him, but making sure he couldn't see the face of the cards.
"So… what's the first thing I do?" Shin asked.
"That's simple," Lucy said, "all you have to do is choose ten cards at random."
"Okay," Shin said, selecting ten random cards from the deck and taking a quick look at what he pulled.
"Now show me the cards you drew," Lucy instructed him.
Shin did just that and revealed that he drew The Star, The Hermit, The Hanged Man, The Devil, Temperance, Strength, Justice, The Magician, The Chariot, and Hierophant.
"So… how'd I do?" Shin asked nervously.
"This isn't a game or contest," Lucy informed, "this is a way to predict your future and find out more about yourself."
"Ahh, I see," Shin said. "So what next?"
"Select three cards that relate what you feel are your strengths," Lucy instructed him. Shin did just that and chose The Star, The Hermit and The Hanged Man. "Very good, now select three cards that relate to your weaknesses."
Shin obeyed and this time chose, Strength, The Devil, and Temperance.
"Now all that's left is to select three cards while thinking about your future," Lucy told Shin. Shin obeyed and chose The Chariot, The Magician, and Justice. "That leaves Hierophant as the odd card out."
"So what does this mean?" Shin asked Lucy.
"When it comes to the cards you selected relating to your strengths, these cards show that you are a spiritual person," Lucy informed him, "you ask questions about yourself, your family, and your life path. These cards highlight the importance of your free will and invite you to make a decision regarding personal challenges that act as obstacles to you and are otherwise hindering you. The cards also show that you have adopted a different and more active behaviour in addition to having reconsidered your goals. Most importantly, your draws evoke a major upheaval in the upcoming month, perhaps a change in direction or the start of a new story."
"Interesting," Shin said, "that's certainly got me excited for what's in store next month, even if it does make me a little nervous."
"Very understandable," Lucy said, before asking Shin "Would you like to know about the cards relating to your weaknesses?"
"Why of course," Shin said, "I'm going all the way with this tarot reading."
"The cards you chose as your weaknesses may serve as a warning of what's to come," Lucy warned. "You may consider someone close to you to be a friend, when the reality may be much different. A betrayal may arise from nowhere in the coming days. The perception you have of that trusted person is false. The future will reveal why that is in due time, but the cards are warning you today. Heed their words and be careful of who you trust."
"Well that's rather ominous," Shin quipped with a nervous laugh. "So what about the other Three cards I drew?"
"Those cards as I said symbolise your future," Lucy told him, "and suggest that love will knock on your door within the next month. The main card of this draw highlights that said love could lead to a lasting relationship. So, keep yourself ready for this decisive encounter… it's the sort of meeting that happens once in a lifetime."
"And I like the last prediction, that one fills me with a little hope," Shin said.
"Now all that's left is to talk about the card you didn't pick," Lucy said, "The Hierophant."
"What about it?" Shin asked.
"Is there a particular reason you didn't pick this card?" Lucy asked.
"Not that I can think of," Shin answered, "that card just didn't really seem to fit in with the others"
"I see," Lucy said before explaining "The Hierophant incarnates the father figure. He's an enlightened person, mature and benevolent. He's open to the world he knows while being apprehensive when confronted with the unknown. At his worst, he's a conservative character who struggles in adapting to the modern world and generational changes."
"I see," Shin said, nodding his head.
"By not choosing The Hierophant, you reject this set of values that are often imposed today, where each one has their place according to their social background," Lucy said, "You have a more moderate view of the world. You love change and believe everyone should have their own chances. This is what makes you an open and tolerant person." After wrapping up with her reading, Lucy asked Shin "So how do you feel about my reading? Do you agree or disagree with what the cards said about you?"
"I'll admit, those cards are scarily accurate," Shin said, "but they do have me looking forward to what's to come… while also simultaneously dreading it."
"There is no room for dread," Lucy informed him, "as the cards said, you must keep an open eye out for the people around you and keep your eyes peeled for those who may have ulterior motives."
"So, forgive me for asking, what does this all mean?" Shin asked.
Lucy smiled and said "Oh, I'm so glad you asked."
"To begin, in your draw the Emperor is in first position," Lucy said, explaining "This refers to your assertive temperament, your willingness to move forward and find fulfilment. You are aware of both your qualities and your faults, and you act as you do to make sure your character is seen at its true value in society. As a result, your loved ones seem to appreciate you - they see you as an understanding person, ready to listen to them, and someone they can trust."
Shin nodded his head in understanding and Lucy continued.
"But despite this attractive personality, you are facing difficulties that are emphasised by the presence of the Devil as your second card. In the divinatory tarot, the Devil represents passion. It represents feelings that can be destructive if taken lightly."
"Your draw, with the Lovers in third position, is inviting you to make a choice. You must seize opportunities when you have them so you can meet new people and move forward in your life plan. Let me draw your attention to the draw's summary which is highlighting a mature and honest character: the Hermit. Associated with the Lovers in third position, it refers to the link between cause and effect that exists between the decisions you make and your personal situation."
"So what does this all mean?" Shin asked and Lucy gave him an answer.
"It seems that in the next few months, your personal situation could greatly improve," She said. "The cards that I drew for you highlight some real opportunities in the future and show that some things may soon change in your life. Today, you mustn't repeat the mistakes of the past, but rather go forward into your future with more foresight and serenity, and in this way you can make progress towards a stable and fulfilling situation."
"I'll keep that in mind," Shin said, "thank you, Lucy."
"Don't mention it," Lucy said, "in fact, I should be thanking you. Outside of my siblings, most people tend to be afraid of my tarot reading."
"In my case, feel free to read my fortune any time," Shin said.
"Thank you," Lucy said before her stomach started to growl.
"Getting hungry?" Shin asked. Lucy nodded her head and Shin offered "How about I order us a pizza? How does that sound?"
"I'd like that," Lucy said as Shin pulled out his phone to dial the pizza place.
"What kind of pizza do you want?" Shin asked her.
"Pepperoni please," Lucy said.
"You've got it," Shin said, giving her a thumbs up.
Once the pizza had been ordered, Shin and Lucy resumed watching The Thing on TV until it went off a few minutes later. Lucy let out her trademark "Sigh," and began scrolling through the channels looking for something else to catch their attention. The two were hoping that they could find another horror movie or maybe an action drama or perhaps even a paranormal documentary. Alas, nothing interesting appeared to be on, leaving them at an impasse. A bit frustrated, Lucy went and retrieved her book of Edgar Allan Poe to read to pass the time.
"You like Edgar Allan Poe?" Shin asked.
"He's only one of my favourite authors and a huge inspiration for me," Lucy replied, "he really is one of the greatest writers of all time."
"That's pretty cool," Shin said, "most kids I know don't get into Edgar Allan Poe until they reach high school."
"That's on them," Lucy said, "They don't know what they're missing out on. No one knows how to build suspense and create an eerie atmosphere quite like Poe."
"I know right‽" Shin exclaimed. "You know, I'm actually a fan of Poe myself."
"Really?" Lucy asked.
"Yeah," Shin said, "if you don't mind, maybe we could read one of his works together."
"Are you sure?" Lucy asked, "I mean, I don't want to bore you to death or anything."
"It's no trouble at all," Shin assured her, picking the book up from Lucy and inviting her to sit on his lap as he selected a short story to read. A few minutes later, Lucy wore a smile on her face as Shin read to her. "A trembling I could not stop filled my body, and fear without reason caught my heart. I sat up, looking into the darkness of my room, listening_ I do not know why_ to certain low storms which came when the house was quiet. A feeling of horror lay upon me like a heavy weight. I put on my clothes and began walking nervously around the room."
The pair's reading session was interrupted when they heard a knock at the door.
"That must be the pizza," Shin said, getting up to answer the door and instructing Lucy "Wait right here, I'll be back in a second."
Upon opening the door, Shin exchanged some small talk to the pizza delivery guy before handing him a 20, telling the teen to keep the change as he took the pizza. Shin quickly rejoined Lucy and opened up the pizza box. Lucy took the first slice and Shin took the second with both taking a couple minutes to stuff their faces. Once they finished their pizza, Shin picked up where he left off when it came to reading. The two wrapped up reading Fall of the House of Usher and were preparing to read The Black Cat when they heard the sound of the front door being unlocked. The two of them turned towards the door just as Rita was walking into the house.
"Awww, look at you two reading together," Rita said upon seeing them before telling Shin "Thanks again for agreeing to look after Lucy, I hope she wasn't too much trouble."
"She was no trouble at all," Shin assured her, "We had a great time together."
"She didn't scare you too much, did she?" Rita asked.
"Aside from one tiny jumpscare when I first got here, no not at all," Shin said.
"Well I'm glad that you two had a fun time together," Rita said, "Thank you again for stepping up at the last minute."
"It was my pleasure," Shin said before Lucy spoke up.
"Wait," she said, asking Shin "is this going to be the last time I see you?"
"I would hope not," Shin said, "I'd be happy to come around again if your parents are up for it"
Lucy looked at her mom pleadingly, who said in response "We'd be happy to have Shin come back, you two seem to get along really well."
"I look forward to it," Shin said before looking at his watch, "well, looks like I've gotta get going." He turned to Lucy and said "I can't wait until we see each other again."
"Shin, wait!" Lucy said, stopping Shin in his tracks as he headed for the door. Lucy then gave him a hug and said "Thanks for not treating me like a freak or like a creep or anything."
"Don't mention it," Shin said, "like I said, you're far from being a creep. You're a pretty awesome girl if you ask me. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
"Thanks," Lucy said before letting go of Shin.
As he walked out the door, Shin said to Lucy "Next time I see you, I'll let you know how my fortune turned out." He smiled at her and added "And maybe you can predict my future again next time. Either way, I'm looking forward to it."
With that, Shin walked off into the night, leaving Lucy happy at having made a new friend, but counting down the days she could see him again.