I'm Dreaming of the Life I Once Loved

[occultigen]

Who: Meridiana (occultigen) and YOU!
Where: Goldenrod City
When: Anytime during the month of February!
Summary: What do you get when you cross a Victorian-era seeress with a pack of tarot cards? There's one easy way to find out...
Rating: PG!
Log:

[It's not particularly nice out these days, but at the very least it's not snowing most of the time and the weather's usually above freezing, and even on the worse days of the month, with the benefit of a couple of Fire-type Pokemon (and a few who happen to know Sunny Day) it's not altogether difficult to keep warm in spite of the chill in the air.

Which is why, at various times during the month of February, you might just see Meridiana bundled up and sitting at one of the outdoor tables of a cafe in Goldenrod, facing the street and playing with a pack of tarot cards. Every so often, she'll make a face and shake her head at a card she turns up; most of the time, though, she's shifting and arranging them with practiced and familiar ease. She's done this sort of reading before, in a similar way, and made a little bit of money at it and helped give passerby some guidance into their circumstances and futures, so all in all it's a reasonable enough way of passing the time on a quiet afternoon.

On days when she's out, she's got a little handmade sign up to advertise her business (which her Tropius is helpfully displaying for her), so if you happen to be passing by and would like to sit and have your fortune told — or even just stop by to chat a while — feel free to pause and say hello!]


[OOC: Okay, so! This is an open log for people in Goldenrod who'd like to stop in and interact with Meridiana, either just to hang out or to use her fortune-telling as a hook! As a standard disclaimer, I am not anywhere close to being an expert at this myself, so I'll be using this website for any readings she's asked to give and just going with whatever it returns; if you'd prefer to handwave something or for character/plot reasons would prefer to have her give your character a specifically-tailored prediction or result (that is, specific cards, a particular overall meaning, whatever), feel free to let me know and we can swing it that way as well! And of course, you're not obligated to ask for one; you're just as welcome to chat and hang out with her instead!

This log is good for the entire month of February, so please give me a rough date of when a thread is taking place on your starter, along with anything else I might need to know before we get rolling!]

Comments

[occultigen]

[At the sound of her name, she perks up at once, and after a moment of looking him over it abruptly clicks, and she quickly puts a name to a face.]

Ah, Mr. Brando! How very pleasant to see you, you've made it to Goldenrod City! I hope you've found it a pretty place so far!

[Eagerly, she motions to an empty chair across from her.]

Of course, please do sit down, and I'd be more than happy to. Would you care to ask a question in particular, or simply have a more general one?

[diosmio]

It's by far my favorite place in this world.

[Actually, outside of the surrounding routes and the detour for that fusion nonsense, it's the only place he's ever been to. But there's no real need to mention that. So he won't, instead, he'll just take a seat, and he'll sit like a normal person since he hasn't grown into the type of person that cycles through three or four poses just to get in and out of a chair.]

And a general reading is more than fine. I don't happen to have any pressing concerns at the moment, so I can hardly ask for something specific.

[occultigen]

Well, I'm very pleased to hear that! No pressing concerns is certainly a fine state to find oneself in.

[As he sits, she picks up the cards and begins to shuffle them neatly, with practiced ease, before fanning them out facedown and offering them to him.]

I'll ask you to choose three, please, and set them facedown on the table — one to your left, one in the middle, and one to your right. Whichever ones you feel most drawn to.

[diosmio]

Let's see.

[He'll stare at the cards for a moment before selecting the one in the center and setting that one in the middle. Next comes one from the inner right and that's set on the left. And last...after a moment's hesitation, one from the outer right and set on the right. But only a moment's hesitation. He, Dio, is sure of the path he's on, so why do anything more?]

I believe those will do nicely.

[occultigen]

Very well! Let's see, then...

[She sets the rest of the cards aside in a neat stack, examining the cards for a minute before reaching to turn over the left one — revealing the Six of Swords, reversed.]

...Mm. The Six of Swords. This is a card about transitions, of...moving on, of sorts. Upright, and found in your past, it would suggest that you've previously undergone a rite of passage of sorts, perhaps one that was very influential on you, but reversed...

[She frowns at the card a little.]

Reversed, it would suggest that there's been something in your past that, perhaps, you know you ought to move on from, but that as yet you've not been able to. Perhaps you've felt that there's been something holding you back, or keeping you from making that sort of transition. It might also be that you've resisted that need to move on, yourself...

In either case, I would think that this...er. "Baggage", I think the word is — you've found it very difficult to carry along with you, and it's given you trouble before; likely we'll find that it will have some influence on your present and your future, as well.

[diosmio]

[There's a slight frown on his face too because wow, he does not have baggage weighing him down at all. Just because of the thing with his mother and the everything with his father and the not as bad as it's going to get, but still unpleasant stuff with Jonathan how could he, Dio, have...

Okay, yeah, he's got some baggage. But it's hardly keeping him from moving on, if anything it's spurring him forward into the future and really, how could it not? How could any of that garbage affect his future?]

I think we all have things in our past we would rather not have, but believe me, I'm not the type to let past experiences dictate my future.

[That might've sounded profound, but it's more his way of sort of putting his fingers in his ears and claiming he can't hear it.]

[occultigen]

That's a very good way of looking at it, I think. And perhaps the next card will shed a bit more light onto things...

[As she says this, she reaches for the middle card, turning it over to reveal Justice.]

Ah, it's Justice, then. You're right, it seems as though you aren't that type at all; Justice is exactly as it sounds, a card of truth and fairness and...well, justice! And as it sometimes also signals a time when decisions are being made, I should think that with this card in your present, you've likely been considering and settling on the decisions that will take you away from that past. Perhaps, where you've felt held back before, you've now grown determined to put those changes into effect.

Likely, then, Justice is here as a reminder to be as objective as you can in those decisions, and to seek out the truth in making them. That way, you'll be certain to make good ones that will carry you into your future.

[diosmio]

...Justice.

[Does he look like that weird old woman he hasn't met yet?

He's quiet for a moment, deciding to prop his elbow up on the table and rest his chin on his hand because apparently he feels the need to show everyone that he's contemplating the card in question. But still, justice. That's a fun topic. Not one that he normally thinks about, but he can see how Meridiana's interpretation suits him.]

I would say that's a much more fitting card. Just by being here I'm forced to take things into account that I wouldn't back home, but beyond that, you could certainly say I've made decisions that will take me away from my past.

[And now there's a grin as he relaxes again. Or more of a smirk really. It's a private joke. One between him, and well, himself, Dio, but yes, he's made those decisions all right. They might take a while. Probably years, but yes, he's making good decisions all right. Only the best decisions being made here by Dio. Yup.]

[occultigen]

[HAVE FUN AT LAW SCHOOL, DIOS MIO

Nodding slightly, she gives him the space to relax before reaching for the last card, curious what they might find when she turns it over. Ultimately, when she flips it, it proves to be the Three of Pentacles.]

Mm, and it seems as though you'll be rewarded for those decisions! Here in the future, the Three of Pentacles represents the completion of a goal. Not the greatest one you might aspire to, perhaps, but certainly one of the initial ones, at least. It's an encouraging card, you see, suggesting that you'll receive your satisfaction while reminding you to continue working toward the fulfillment of your greatest dream. And as this is a card of cooperation, perhaps you'll have some help with it, as well; you mustn't doubt the value of assistance that others might provide you, and should listen closely to the insights that others might have as you work together.

All in all, this is a very fine card to find in your future, Mr. Brando. As a reminder that it's possible to make dreams come true, I should think it's telling you that yours certainly will, if you continue working towards them.

[diosmio]

[He will have the time of his life.

And he merely smiles as he hears the description of that card, because yes, this suits Dio well.]

So as I understand it, I will overcome my past, make decisions that carry me into the future and succeed along the way?

[He is just the smuggest person to ever smug right now. Like he is somehow putting the Snivy line to shame right now.]

I expected nothing less, but it is reassuring to hear that the cards predicted that which I've already predicted for myself. Still, I must thank you for providing such a valuable service. Now then, what do I owe you?

[Because nothing is free, right?]

[occultigen]

Well, er.

[She indicates a basket elsewhere on the table, which from the looks of things is there unobtrusively for tips.]

I'm very happy to oblige for nothing; it's not for money that I've decided to come out, but rather to help others. But if you'd care to leave a tip, of sorts, anything is appreciated, certainly!

[diosmio]

[He could leave a tip. Or he could be a complete jerk and decide that the best way to show his gratitude is by letting her be in the presence of Dio, but he's still a ways off from being that much of a jerk. Still, what exactly is the proper way to tip someone for not telling you anything new, yet saying almost everything you want to hear?]

Let's see.

[He'll look through his wallet and decide to leave...a fairly decent tip. Why not? He isn't hurting for money, and not that he needs to hear he's on the right path, but it's still nice to hear that fate apparently thinks so too.]

I believe in making sure that people are appropriately rewarded for a job well done. Wouldn't you agree?

[occultigen]

[SHIT YEAH, A FAIRLY DECENT TIP. Mr. Brando shoots up even higher in her esteem, oh yes.]

That's so very kind of you, Mr. Brando — really, you're too generous!

[said literally no one except meridiana, ever]

I'm very glad it was some help; that's the true reward of it, certainly.

[diosmio]

[Yeah, something in the universe has clearly gone wrong because Dio Brando is being called generous. And not in the “Thank you Dio, you're so generous for not turning the baby into a vampire” sort of way. Or the “Thank you DIO you're so generous for just destroying the one steamroller, some buildings, and everyone near that restaurant, but not all of Cairo” way either.]

Thank you, I certainly try.

[He's trying to feign embarrassment, but it just sort of comes across as smug asshat instead. Or maybe that's what he was going for the whole time since it's how he really feels most of the time.]

And who knows, when this reading comes true, perhaps I'll come calling again for additional guidance.

[Not that he needs it of course.]