First Day on the Job (Solo)

by **Blythe** on March 2nd, 2011, 2:23 am

1 Spring, 511 AV

Blythe was sitting on a patch of grass just outside her family's cottage. Her first client of the new year was sitting directly across from her. The woman was perhaps half her age, and the scales that lined her forehead glimmered a pale pink in the sunlight. Her long blonde hair tumbled around her shoulders, mixing with the lavender-colored cloth that made up her dress. Like the sun shining through the time in which it was setting, and giving the night control of the sky, for a time.

It felt somewhat strange for Blythe to receive another Konti as a client. She knew that her sisters were the race that made up most of the Island, and she knew that not all of them studied tarot, but it still seemed out of place. Blythe still felt as though they should know. She had removed her new Shadowscapes tarot deck from the box. The cards smelled fresh. Felt fresh, smooth, beneath her fingertips. Rather unlike the Palladini deck she had often borrowed from her grandmother. The feeling, she was sure, would take some getting used to.

Blythe placed the box in her lap, and was shuffling the cards as the woman who sat across from her shifted nervously. The cards were 8.5x11, and more difficult to shuffle than her grandmother's worn deck, even though the deck possessed only a portion of the cards the Palladini did, being that it consisted of only the major arcana and not the minor arcana along with the major arcana.

"So what sort of reading are you looking for?" Blythe asked the girl. She had been told that her name was Linda.

"Oh just whatever you have time for," the girl muttered nervously.

Blythe continued to shuffle the cards. "Well, did you have a question in mind?" Blythe asked, "one can always be guided to a specific type of reading, when they know what it is they wish to ask of the cards."

The girl nodded. "My question is should I go on call and leave my mother home alone, when she is so sick?"

Blythe nodded as she shuffled the deck one last time, before spreading them face down, in a straight line, on the grass before each of them. The sun seemed to cause the cards to shimmer, as though they were inviting the girl to turn them over. As though they were inviting her into the world of tarot decks and symbolism, which only the wise seemed to be able to truly decipher. "Well, the two paths spread seems just right for you love. The spread provides insight into your decision, the possible outcomes of each of your two decisions, and the things that guide you towards each individual path."

The girl nodded, "that does sound about right."

Blythe smiled, nodded. "No significator shall be used to represent you during the course of the reading." The girl nodded. "Now, I would like you to pass your left hand over the cards." Linda raised her left hand, and allowed it to hover two inches above the line-up of tarot cards. "When you feel drawn to one of the cards, pick it out of the pile, and then hand it to me, please. You will need to pick five cards for your reading."

The girl nodded and did as she was told. Within a few seconds, she had handed Blythe the first card. Blythe held it in her hand and waited for the other four to be drawn. When the girl had picked her five cards, Blythe placed the cards she was holding in her hands in her lap, and then scooped up the remaining cards. She placed the cards she would not be using in the box and then, put the box down at her side. She lifted the cards she would be using from her lap, and then began to place them in accordance with her spread.

The last card Linda had picked up was on the top of her five-card stack, the first, on the bottom. Blythe placed the first card on the right, and the second, just below that one. She placed the next card more in the center, diagonally below and across from the last card she had placed. She placed the next card to the north west of the card in the middle, and the last card above that one. The cards now formed a "V."

"Alright Linda, are you ready for your reading?" Blythe asked. The girl nodded. "Alright," Blythe replied with a smile as she began to flip all the cards over.

Resources :

by **Blythe** on March 2nd, 2011, 3:18 am

Blythe pointed towards the card in the top left hand corner. "This card represents your first possible outcome," Blythe explained. The girl nodded, as each of them peered down at the card she had drawn. The card depicted a man standing on a stone pillar that seemed to resemble both an old wise man, and a crescent moon. The man was standing on the tips of his toes, his legs were bent at the knee, and his body bent into his feet, as though he were using them as a chair. His hands were outstretched before him, and a greenish-yellow orb of light hovered between them. The man's skin was pale, his body slightly hunched over. He was wearing only a tight fitting pair of white pants, and a tattoo that looked as though it could be a sun was drawn over his left shoulder. Two large bird's wings sprouted out of the top of his back. The inner-most feathers were black, the outer-most, a milky white. Two birds were perched upon his wings, and a series of red ribbons had been tied into the top of his wings. Each of the ribbons had something dangling from the bottom- a lantern, a single black feather, 5-pointed dark green leaves. The man had short golden-colored hair, much like Linda's own. A large black, curved horn, with spikes, was coming out of the side of his head. A splotchy purplish-white sky hung in the background, along with the occasional flower that wrapped itself around the pillar.

"This, my love, is the magician card," Blythe said. Linda nodded. "The card represents originality, one's will-power, their self-confidence. The card has to do with finding a way to control the intangible things that surround you, and causing the intangible to become tangible; a reality."

Linda nodded. "At first glance," Blythe began, "the card seems to suggest that everything shall be alright. That whatever it is you cannot yet control, will in some way shape or form, become something that you can."

"That's great!" Linda exclaimed, sounding truly cheerful for the first time since they began the reading.

Blythe simply smiled. Her eyes seemed to sparkle playfully. "Yes it does seem that way. But perhaps it is best we wait on our interpretation. After all, the wise magician is only one of the pieces in this puzzle."

The girl became quiet, and her eyes fearful again. Blythe couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She knew how difficult it was not to come to depend on the cards, to hang onto every word of their cryptic nature. Their symbolism, the hopes and dreams they could support or crush in an instant.

Blythe pointed to the top right card. "This card represents the second possible outcome." Linda nodded. The card Linda had drawn depicted a blonde woman floating in midair. The woman was playing a horn, and was wearing a long, flowing milky white dress. Golden-colored wings sprouted from the middle of her back, sharply contrasting the light blue background. The sky she seemed to be stuck in. A series of intertwined dark blue butterflies and ethereal woman could be seen in the flowing skirts of the woman's dress. The woman seemed to be trying to catch the butterflies as they fluttered upwards, towards the sky. A small field of orange poppies lined the bottom of the card, which gave the impression that the woman had risen out of them. "This is the judgment card," Blythe explained. "This card is associated with choice. A sort of reawakening. Heeding a call." Blythe paused. It simply seemed too fitting; too perfect. "It is a rather self-explanatory card really," Blythe muttered.

Linda nodded. "But what does it mean in relation to the question we posed?"

Blythe pulled her right hand back into her lap. "Well, if we don't consider the full picture... the card restates your need to make a decision about whether or not you should stay or go. It suggests, however, in its final meaning, that you do leave Mura on call."

Linda nodded, Blythe's answer seemed to have satisfied her. At least, for now. She moved onto the next card. "The card just below the magician signifies the force that leads you towards your first outcome."

OOCI would seriously suggest looking up the cards on google. My descriptions don't even begin to do them justice!

by **Blythe** on March 2nd, 2011, 4:41 am

The card Blythe was referring to depicted a woman hovering in mid-air. Her arms were stretched out on either side of her, as she held a gossamer wrap in each of her hands. The wrap was white, and twisted around the top half of the woman's body. It left only parts of her arms and her belly-button exposed. Her left hand held only the cloth, while the right held the cloth and what appeared to be a pomegranate, with a bite taken out of it. A pair of bird's wings sprouted out of the middle of her back. The feathers closest to her back were black. The larger ones that fanned outwards from the black ones were pure white. Wild, wavy, medium-length blonde hair circled around her pale face like the sun, as pale purple skirts draped down the sides of her legs, exposing only her feet. The skirts were kept in place by a belt of interwoven brown twigs, from which several black fathers, which matched her wings seemed to dangle. Falling yellow-green leaves seemed to hover before her clothes, suspended in space on the card, much like the woman who was suspended before a light blue background. A tree grew out of the bottom of the card, and split into three separate, twisted branches. A light brown and white feathered owl with a circular face, and pointy black beak was flying in front of the tree. A red ribbon had been strung through the keyhole of a golden key the bird was carrying in its right talon.

"The card," Blythe explained, "is the high priestess. It is associated with wisdom, learning, intuition, and virtue." Linda simply nodded. "Thus far in the reading, the card seems to suggest your desire for knowledge leads you to your first outcome... your need for more, your need to fulfill your destiny, if you will."

"The card below the judgement card represents the force that brings you closer to the second possible outcome," Blythe continued. The card Linda had drawn depicted a woman who was clothed in a long, flowing, red and orange dress. The woman was standing on an orb that resembled a purple moon. A large branch curved around it, and a series of orange and red roses seemed to surround the orb like a shield. The background of the card was a mixture of deep purples, yellows, grays and blues. The woman's hair was a white blonde, that had been left down. A single leaf hung from her hair, and two iridescent white butterfly wings sprouted from the center of her back. They mimicked the wings of the butterflies that were erupting out of the large brown bowl the woman held in her left hand. The bright oranges, reds, yellows and greens of the butterfly wings in the air that surrounded her. Forming circles and lines. It appeared as though the woman had plucked them from the bowl and then tossed them into the air; set them free.

"This card is the empress. It signifies creativity, abundance, fertility, and embracing that which is only natural; one's true nature," Blythe explained. Linda looked puzzled, as though she didn't know whether or not to be happy or not with the cards she had drawn and Blythe's explanations of them thus far.

"The card suggests that you choose to do what is normal. Something that is second nature, perhaps. Of course, this may or may not make things any more clear considering how it is normal for our kind to go on Call at sometime during our lives, just as it is also normal for one to take care of the sick," Blythe commented, her eyes still sparkling.

Linda nodded. "It really doesn't help much," she muttered.

"It may become clear with time," Blythe replied, as she moved onto the next card. "The card on the bottom indicates the factor which decides which path you choose to walk. In this case, going on Call, or staying in Mura in order to care for your mother."

"I should like to hear this," Linda said simply, as she straightened her body out.

"Very well," Blythe replied. "As you wish."

by **Blythe** on March 2nd, 2011, 11:02 pm

The final card depicted a man who was riding a large bird whose feathers were a mixture of dark blues and greens. The bird was wearing a golden crown with four points atop its head, the man was clothed in white. Large white and golden colored feathers fanned out of the center of the bird's back; wings. The man's hair was a white blonde, cut close to the head, a golden-colored aura swirled around the man's head. Several birds of all different colors fluttered about the man and his mount. They were flying high in a golden colored sky, the sun soaring far above them. "This card is the sun," Blythe explained, "it signifies one's enlightenment, or their level thereof, gaining notoriety and a higher social standing, joyous energy, health, and confidence."

Linda nodded. "This early in the reading it suggests your making a decision based off a number of factors. Some of those factors include a search for knowledge, and your need to acquire a higher level of understanding for the world and how it works, a desire to gain a higher rank within society, and good health, which would make it far easier on you... whichever path you choose to walk in the end," Blythe explained.

"But what do the cards mean when they are considered all together?" Linda asked.

"Ahhh," Blythe said, her eyes sparkling. "Let us see..."

Blythe looked over the cards for a moment, and remained silent. When she spoke again, she raised each of her hands. Her palms were facing up, towards the sky. She appeared to be weighing Linda's options. "On one hand," Blythe began as she raised her left hand a little higher than the right, "the cards suggest that you will come to a point in which you can overcome the challenges that have arisen. That your will power and overall desire to succeed will empower you in such a way that if you choose to go on Call, you shall overcome all obstacles. Despite your struggling with them for a time. Likewise, it suggests that you will be able to care for your mother successfully. Perhaps even return her to a healthy state."

"It suggests that your desire for knowledge, and your need to do what is only natural will lead you to this path. Your desire to see the outside world. To heed the call. To learn new things. To experience new things." Blythe continued. "It is only natural to heed the Call, and so you will go... but again, it is natural to care for the sick, so perhaps you will stay... or perhaps you will go and leave your mother in the care of someone you trust. A sibling perhaps. Maybe a cousin, or aunt. Let her stay in the clinic at the Opal Order, and get well, while you are away following your life's path; carrying out your destiny."

"On the other hand," Blythe said as she lowered her left hand, and raised the right, "the cards suggest that you are led down the path you ultimately choose by your inner nature. Perhaps, in the past you have buried your true self, or ignored the things you wanted and needed, and in a way, neglected yourself."

"Perhaps you are truly an adventurous person who hasn't been able to go out and do things because something was keeping you here," Blythe continued. "Like fear, or lack of funding. Perhaps your age and your abilities or lack thereof...."

"Or, maybe, you are truly empathetic and sensitive person. Perhaps you are extraordinarily caring, and would not think to leave your mother's side while she is ill. Perhaps you would choose to take the time to care for her believing it selfish to leave her side when she was in such a state. Although... that is not selfishness as much as needing to carry out one's fate," Blythe continued, ending with a rather absent look upon her face.

"The cards suggest that this particular path will force you to make several tough decisions. To deal with several dilemmas in which you will have to choose between equally unpleasant outcomes. Or at least, if they are pleasant, or even neutral ones, they will be difficult to make..." Blythe's voice trailed off. "Many obstacles, many choices, much time to wrack the inner reaches of your mind and choose based off of what your heart tells you. How you ultimately feel."

Blythe placed both of her hands in her lap. "The path you wander shall be determined by your need for enlightenment, which experience you feel will teach you the most, and benefit you most in the long run. Not the short-term. Best not to be myopic, a wise move to make... the cards should be thanked," Blythe commented.

"The cards suggest that your level of confidence, in your own ability will aid in determining your path. If you feel as though you will struggle with being away because you lack the skill to survive in the wilderness or tell where you are going, you shall stay. If your heart hurts at the thought of leaving, you shall stay. If you feel incapable of travel because of the shape and physical condition of your body, than you will stay. If you feel more capable of taking care of your mother than traveling to far away places, you will remain in Mura," Blythe said definitively.

Blythe was silent for a moment. "Is that all?" Linda asked.

"That is all," Blythe replied simply, before adding, "the cards only say so much, the rest is up to us. Ultimately, we choose our own paths." Blythe scooped the cards up in her hands, and then placed them in the box with the others. She then closed the lid. Blythe held the box of cards in her hands as she got to her feet. "Thank you for guiding the cards, Goddess," Blythe said simply, as though in prayer.

Linda got to her feet as well. "Thank you for the reading," she said.

"You are welcome," Blythe replied as she received her payment for the reading, and watched as Linda slowly walked away, and disappeared behind a lush, green, rolling hill.

OOCBlythe sounds like a loony fortune teller now. All I need is a crystal ball... and her transformation shall be complete! Ohh and a turban! And long, fake red nails. Bright red ones...

by **Alice** on March 19th, 2011, 1:10 pm

Blythe

Experience: 3 Fortune Telling, 2 Observation
Lores: The Magician Card, The Judgment Card, The High Priestess Card, The Empress Card, The Sun Card, Sounding like a Fortune Teller
Other: Linda has paid 5 gm!

Comments

That was quite the impressive reading, haha! Blythe does sound a little cryptic, like every fortune teller, I guess. Apart from the skill-specific stuff, I couldn’t come up with any other lores to add, so here’s your reward. (If you have already gained one of the cards lores, you don’t have to add it to your CS a second time!)