Submission (#5037) Approved

"Hi there, you're Manadh?"

"Oh! Um, yes, hi."

"I heard you've got a bit of a fortune-telling thing going?"

The darker kittom frowned a little at this, but more in puzzled surprise than anything, "I guess so? I'm still figuring a lot of things out about it. Did you want me to try for you?"

"Yes, please. I've could use a look at how my luck's trying to go."

Manadh snickered a little in sympathy, rummaging the battered pack of cards out of his pack, "Well like I said, I'm still learning, so don't take any of this too seriously, okay?"

The blue faenin flicked his ears with a grin, "Can't be any worse than me staring at constellations and trying to figure out things by myself."

"Fair enough! Help me mix these up," and Manadh batted at the paper box holding the cards to spill them out onto the table, "but make sure they stay facedown. And think about the question you've got while you're doing it."

A bit of energetic mess-making later, the pair somehow managed to get all the cards back into a deck without any serious mishaps, so long as you didn't count a few cards that decided they'd much rather be on the floor and had to be retrieved. Taking a breath against a bubble of nervousness that just seemed to come with the activity, Manadh put his paw on top of the deck, "Okay, here we go..."

First one card of a mounted knight, crossed with one showing a youth holding a sword. "The Knight of Wands and the Page of Swords," the darker kittom began, tilting his head at the little book he had for reference. "Which... together seems to mean something about a trip, going to see things, and probably things other people are trying to keep hidden."

"The Knight's the one about the journey?"

"Yeah, see how he's charging off? And this Page is all about spotting things others might miss."

The next card made Manadh's ears fold back, though his head tilted quizzically almost at the same time, "Huh. The Devil's not a great card, but this time it's upside down. That changes things." A few bats at his book and some thoughtful frowning, then he quirked a look up to Tiruviel, "In that spot and reversed, that one looks like you're trying to get free of something."

The next card was also upside down, earning a puzzled little noise from Manadh, but he forged gamely on, "The 9 of Swords Reversed is a card about suspicion and lurking fears. That spot's your 'foundation,' basically what set the current problem in motion."

"Yeah, that one looks... oof," and Tiruviel shifted his paws uncertainly, regarding the card showing a person weeping in bed with swords hung on the wall behind them.

"Yeah some of these are a little spooky. The next one... huh, lots of these coming up reversed. Interesting." A pause, considering that, then Manadh shook his head to get things moving again, "Anyhow, this one's the 2 of Coins Reversed in your past, which is... basically saying you did something well, but only because you had to. Put on a brave face for other folks, like."

Flipping the next card, Manadh was almost relieved to see it land right side up, but that didn't get very far as he frowned at the picture of someone looming over several spilled goblets. "The 5 of Cups. Partial loss, empty friendship. Regret," and he shivered as he looked up from his little book. "And this one's in your Future."

"Uhf, that doesn't sound very good."

"Still got some to go, if you want me to keep at it. Might change things?"

"Yeah."

The next card was upside down again, and Manadh tried to ignore the growing unease lurking along his spine, just forging on and letting the notes in the book do most of the talking, "The Knight of Coins Reversed represents you as the questioner, indicating you feel stuck, fenced in."

"Different knights, huh?"

"Yeah, there's a few 'suits' and each one has knights, pages, kings and queens."

"What about the Devil then?"

"That's kind of another suit, they're a bunch of 'bigger' cards with names and everything." And as he flipped the next card (once again reversed), Manadh tapped it with his paw, "See, this one's the Star, that's another one. This spot's talking about your environment, and the Star Reversed is..." A few rustles of pages as he batted through his notes, "...Disappointment. So like, stuff around you didn't end up going the way you hoped."

"This really isn't sounding great."

"Happens that way sometimes, I'm afraid. Almost done, just two more." Another card flipped, and the darker kittom breathed out a little in relief just to see it. "The 9 of Cups. That's a good one, indicates success and accomplishment. And that spot's talking about your emotions. So despite all this," and he waved a paw at the earlier cards, "you still feel good about what you did, and you should."

"Huh."

"Okay, last card. This one's kind of a general thing, like when you look at everything together," and he frowned as the last card landed upside down too. "Hn, the 10 of Wands Reversed. Someone working against you, putting things in your way."

"But...!"

Manadh shook his head vigorously, ears flapping, "I dunno! It's not like these give details or anything. Now give me a sec to try and figure all this out."

Hunkering down, he frowned at the cards, ears tucked back, mentally chewing over all the bits he'd read off and where they sat in the pattern, with Tinuviel fidgeting impatiently, questions clearly boiling up inside him the whole time.

"I think," and Manadh stressed the word with a pause, looking up again, "this is saying that what you've been doing up to now isn't really what you've been after, and that you need to look for yourself at some things to try and figure out what's been hidden from you."

"Why the heck would..."

"I dunno, really. Like, I could try again, but these things aren't really what you'd call precise."

"Yeah... Hff!"

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault. And like you said, you're still figuring this out, so maybe it's just messed up?"

"Could be. Something to think about, at least."

"Guess so. Ugh. And here I was hoping for 'your venture will see great success!'"

Manadh snickered, "I tried." He glanced back down at the little pattern of cards, a little apprehensive still. The last time he did this, he had something else happen. Like something had spoken through him, using his voice. It hadn't happened this time though. Maybe because he was thinking about it too hard? It had only happened when he relaxed, and let his mind wander a bit...

"You will find what you seek. Do not let the steps of others lead you astray."

"Whoa! Your voice-?"

Manadh shook himself hard enough to lift himself up onto all four paws, then started grooming his fluffed-out tail vigorously, "That happens sometimes. Sorry." He was shaking all the way to his ears, though he tried to hide it, getting his fur back in order, "I think it's a sort of magic, maybe."

"This is a lot spookier than I expected."

"You and me both."