Completed The Empress and the Hanged Man

[Leda]

Leda did not say anything about the sudden change in the man. Only raised her eyebrows at the fact that he seemed to have become a different person. She didn't move as he leaned forward, but rather kept her eyes on him, observing his actions with a slight cock of the head to the side. Again, she waited to answer until he had finished asking his questions, greeting them with a small, cynical smile. "I am sensible of the compliment you are potentially paying me but I will resist the notion that I should make money selling my body, and ask that we keep any flirtation at bay until after I have finished my reading. It might seem strange and even an excuse, but I'm worried it would disturb any vibrations which might be hovering nervously around." She gracefully moved her hand forward and turned over the first card as before. The Hierophant. Again. Never a good one to start off with, but it was upside down again and she chose to take it as before. Continuity. "The idea of duality and deception is here straight off. I can't say more until I see the next card." The Magician. "The Presence of the Magician seems to me to be a good thing, suggesting progress. It's full of energy, creativity and practicality..." except that it was upside down - negative - and she couldn't help but remember the card before, "Hang that. There might be an element of all those things. Indeed, there probably is, but I don't think there's any progress. The magician is more an indicator of manipulation, self-confidence, personal power and growing power. It's almost like this person - K - is growing in control." Finally, she turned to the last card. The Moon. More common in speaking of the future than of the present. "The Moon however, which encourages the element of deception and of intrigue, could also suggest a side to..." she paused, stumbling stupidly on the name, "...to K that even he doesn't realise yet. The Moon holds psychological conflict but likewise a lack of clarity, doubt and even the danger that one thinks of oneself too highly. Noting that, it is the card of illusion, tension and unrealistic ideas, ambitions or fantasies. Although it might seem to conflict with the magician, which indicates a growth in this man's power, what this then indicates is that he should be careful of not being too confident in himself. After all," she looked up with an amused laugh, "Pride comes before a fall." She took the cards back, put them into the pack once again and shuffled. Then spread them in front of Kise. "The Future now. Many people consider this the more interesting of the three. Pick your cards." Leda wondered if he would head straight for the middle three again.

[Kisetukai]

 He had liked what he had heard. For it was like this girl was reading him like a book. With these cards...Held power. She looked at his cards reading, everyone sounded more epic than the next one. Every card told him what he wanted to hear, no matter negative or positive. He smiled at the thoughts...But that smile was soon faded by her comment of pride before a fall. For as anyone, K wouldn't appreciate a fall. "I see...mhm." He said after ever card. He was enjoying it because he loved for people to think they had him figured out when they didn't know half. She had shuffled the cards and place him on the table giving him a look. Hyping this last one up so much it just felt natural to switch it up. Go out with a boom. He looked at her charmingly. 

"Ya know...I wasn't giving the idea of selling your body. I was just saying like perhaps a waiter or something..You did the prostitution thing on your own." He said with a chuckle as he lied. "But anywho! Let's get this show on the road!" He quickly swiped the middle card for original luck, but took the outside cards on both ends. "Ah...I'm interested now. I'm paying attention!" He said as he looked into her eyes. Fortune tellers were just as you would expect, mysterious while during business. "So? What do you see?" He said as he notioned a waiter to bring him some water.

[Leda]

"If you say so," she replied, countering his charming smile with her own charming smile, amused but regarding him with a light element of cynicism, "Although I did not know you had to be attractive to be a waiter... unless I misunderstood what you seemed to be implying." She turned to look away from him and back to the cards. She flipped over the first one. The Wheel of Fortune. "The Wheel of Fortune is a tricky card and many people don't like to see it in their future. It indicates change, whether for better or worse, I won't know until we flip the second card, but superior forces are in movement. Destiny, Fate, whatever you wish to call it. It might even indicate that there is a tough decision to be made. And soon." Leda tucked her hair back behind her ear and leaned forward to flip the second card. The Tower. Even worse. Probably the most negative of all the cards. Of course, she wouldn't try and sell it that way. "Ah the tower. Well, I'm afraid this change looks to be negative." There really was no other way to sell it, "At best, the tower indicates a sudden transformation, but that is the very best. Really, it indicates chaos, downfall, disruption, hard times ahead and... the realisation of the truth. Maybe K is lying to himself, but some sort of hard truth might be about to hit him and it heralds a downfall. Either way, his ego will suffer at some point in the future. I suppose," she paused again, "There is a slim chance that it won't be a downfall for him but for someone close to him. Hell, he might be the one causing the downfall and chaos rather than being the victim of it. Either way, both he and those around him should watch out." Hoping that this wouldn't anger Kise and not looking up, she turned over the third card. The Chariot. "It is certain that there is a downfall to come, but maybe it won't last long. I said his ego might suffer, but this card indicates egocentrism and success. Wealth, Victory, Conquest. In general, it's overwhelmingly positive for the person in question but certainly not for those around him. Accompanied by the wheel of fortune though, it does seem conditional. Success, Wealth, Victory and Recognition - it all depends on a pivotal event in K's life and he will have to experience hardship or wreak hardship on those around him before achieving it." She gathered the cards together. "I wouldn't know what to say or advise you to do. You say it's your brother..." For some reason, Leda didn't completely believe that but she didn't comment on it, "Be careful. Be very careful. Many people are relieved that Death doesn't come up in their future but death rarely means a physical death. Indeed, it would probably be better than the Chariot for those around K, since it usually indicates a re-birth and from what we've seen before, he might need it. I would have been happier to see a less powerful card for the last one, a less dominant one. Not for K's sake. After all, though it indicates pride and narcissism, it's a symbol of success. No... for those he's closest to. I don't believe he'll change his ways and that he'll be just as lecherous and as hedonistic as in the past. Maybe you prefer it that way. Maybe I've over-stressed the danger. Still..." She put her cards into her cloak pocket, took a sip of her ale and pulled her knee back up to rest her chin on it, hoping he wouldn't find it rude. "Do you have any questions? I can read your palm now if you like." She smiled, "Or, if you've heard enough, you can attempt to flirt again. I'll not promise to be receptive though."

[Kisetukai]

 K had quickly lost interest when he noticed the woman wasn't giving him what he wanted. After all he thought her job was for entertainment, not actual cosmic forces and that nonsense. He looked at her with an "is that so" look, obviously not accepting. Once she finished and put up her cards, she offered to read his palms or let him attempt at flirting again. "Flirting?" He said with a chuckle as slid off his gloves placing them in his cloak. "I wasn't flirting..I was merely being a good fellow. Welcome to Syliras." 

He placed his hands on the table, smiling because of the softness, the reason he wore gloves at all times. He looked at her and smiled. "I thought you were doing the flirting..." He then looked at her a bit confused. "I can tell you got somethings on your mind. Your a psychic after all. You wanna talk? Vent? You tots any questions?" He was confident she had something to hide. Perhaps he could turn this around to be some fun flirting. Perhaps.

[Leda]

"Thank you." she said in reply to his welcome. He didn't look altogether happy with what the cards predicted for him. Well, what did he want to hear? He picked them and they were generally quite accurate, in her experience. "I try not to flirt too much. Well, I enjoy flirting but I tend not to do it with those I have trouble analysing." She smiled, and stared at him unblinkingly, "I can't work you out and it disturbs me slightly. I usually have a very good understanding of people." She laughed, "It may sound ridiculous, but you seem to have changed completely after I did my first reading. It's as if you're two different people... and I really don't have the time to study someone with two personalities." Leda hoped she hadn't offended him for it almost sounded like she was suggesting he was two faced, "I hope you realise that I speak purely in jest." She finished her ale and, unwisely for she was unaccustomed to drinking much, ordered a second one. "And I am not a psychic. I cannot read minds. I am merely a humble fortune teller. Not nearly as glamorous as a psychic. I just know to interpret all the signs." She sighed and put her leg down then took her food which she had put to the side and started eating, or rather picking at it. "I hope you don't mind my eating while we speak." she said with a light smile.

[Kisetukai]

 "Two different personalities?" K gave a small chuckle as he looked at the girl. "That's ridiculous..So I guess you were right." He then did a small sigh. "But I guess in your field of work...You get a lot of people." He stopped talking, his soul flying back to the mind, replaced by his opposite. "I'm sorry about my attitude." Kise quickly said trying not to be awkward and not look weird, but still getting the apology out. "I'm so sorry." He smiled at her. "Seriously...K. Why were you acting like that?" Kise mumbled to himself a bit. He looked up at her with a smile, as he turned to see his old table had been occupied. Letting out a small sigh, with a head bow. "I'm sorry to disturb you mam...I'll be leaving soon, just give me a bit." 

He looked around for a waiter. As one of the people came up he whispered a bit. "Same thing as her please...Just not as much sauce." He smiled. "A squire can't just not watch what he eats...Gotta stay in shape." He then gave the lazily sitting girl his opinion, which was odd, because normally he was quiet. "I love the way you sit...It shows that you don't really care." Letting out a small giggle he barely could look at her. "Or perhaps you just feel most comfortable that way. "Either way...I respect you." "You have no skill with women..." K said to Kise in an annoyed rage. "These body changes are becoming unfair...I feel your in the body way more than me." "Nope..We get it evenly." Kise mumbled. "So..This is weird to ask buy I have found it that lately a lot of people are..." He looked at the girl across from him. "You gonna be a squire?" His food was brought to him...Finally. He wasn't really hungry, just buying it to be buying it. Pushing it to the side he looked at Leda, trying to actually get a real conversation going, and fix K's mess.

[Leda]

And he seemed nervous again... Leda really could not comprehend how he could be so confident, arrogant even, and go from that to nervous in so short a space of time. She supposed there were people like that. "Don't be sorry. I really did not mind." And she didn't. Though she wouldn't admit, not even to herself really, she was a person who had trouble saying no to any form of flirtation. He was going to think that she had a nervous tic, she knew, but she couldn't help it and less than two minutes after putting her leg down, she pulled it back up. "Yes. I am more comfortable this way, and don't be too sure in saying I don't care. I may seem nonchalant, but I am a sensitive soul." she grinned mischievously, "Part time." So he was a squire, though she had supposed she had guessed it. He was built like one and a lot of people were, like he mentioned a split second after he asked her if she was. "No. It's not really my sort of thing, at least I do not think so. Who knows... maybe in the future, though I currently doubt it." Her second ale arrived just as she finished her meal, or rather had eaten as much of it as she desired. Though she usually had a great appetite, it had shrunk slightly in the last few days. She took a sip of her drink, then another then put the mug down, careful not to drink too much too quickly. She was glad for Kise's company, though in truth any company would have been welcome, since she had had plenty of time to be left alone with her thoughts in the last couple of days and was a little starved of human companionship. "What do you do? As a Squire?" she asked with a smile, curiously.

[Kisetukai]

 "What do you do? As a Squire?" she asked with a smile, curiously.

"Haha...What don't I do." Kise said trying not to sound like he was a big deal. "I'm always on the move running and buying selling and getting information...But as a squire? Hm..." He smiled as he found the only way to put it, simple. "I patrol the city, and I'm training on my knightly skills as we speak...Well not as we speak." He said with a slight chuckle. He began to feel a bit uncomfortable, after all she was a girl, and they were at a table...Like in a date. 

"Wait, normal friends can sit at a table right? Is that all she thinks about me? I'm a friend? Wait...We just met, that's understandable..No! Why am I thinking like this?!"

He turned back to real life as he stopped thinking to himself, seeing her do that...Knee-leg-face thing again. "Are you...Ok?" He mumbled softly. Then instantly the thought hit him, like lightning. "She must be nervous also..." He slowly sighed a bit at realizing, after all he was just some guy who intruded on her meal. "I'm sorry." He said with a smile. "I hope to see you soon." He got up out of his chair, pushing it in gently, then giving her a small wink goodbye. "It was so nice to meet you...Hopefully next time, you'll be looking at a knight." He knew he was being a bit optimistic, with that pipe dream, but hey...It was worth a shot. He slowly began to walk off, happy he met such a girl, although there were still many questions he had. 

It would have to wait for another day perhaps?

[Leda]

"Good bye. It was nice to have met you too." Leda watched as he disappeared with a light frown and wondering why he had apologised, but said nothing of it, silently disappointed. She didn't talk to many people, or not as many as she liked and she supposed that she wanted to know more of him. She still hadn't figured him out, not even mildly, and that was something she detested. If he had stayed a little longer, she might have had a good go. She might have discovered why his personality was so... whimsical, to say the least, but volatile might have probably been a much better word. She turned back to her ale and took another sip. Her head was starting to spin in a way to which she was quite unaccustomed since she usually took her alcohol very well. Trying to shake it away, she brought her cards out again. Maybe they'd help her figure Kise out. She shuffled quickly, quietly, then flipped the first three cards. The Hierophant (again - it intrigued her) The Lovers, upside down indicating that she shouldn't take it at its first meaning, and the Moon. What was it exactly that had intrigued her about Kise? She supposed, the volatile nature of his personality, his different attitudes which had changed so quickly. Which had changed so quickly. Twice, as far as she could tell... and did not the Hierophant represent duality and deception? Even the lovers could be considered to support that notion, or rather since it could mean bonding and connection and was upside down. She broke off her thoughts for a moment and took another sip of ale, before turning back to the cards. And the moon. If anything made it clear that there was some intrigue or psychological conflict going on, it was the moon.

[Accolade]

Leda

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Fortunetelling	+ 5 XP
Observation	+ 5 XP
Leadership	+ 1 XP
Rhetoric	+ 1 XP
Socializing	+ 4 XP

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Syliras - Not a city of fortune
•	The Rearing Stallion (location)
•	The cards say danger
•	Kisetukai Yamehaka - squire

Kisetukai

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+ 3 XP
Socializing	+ 5 XP
Rhetoric	+ 3 XP
Interrogation	+ 4 XP

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	To be a knight or not to be
•	Reflecting into a glass
•	K is growing in control
•	Leda the fortuneteller

Notes :

Good thread you two. Just remember to subtract the amount for the meal from your ledger.

The Sylir has spoken

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.