route_1065 | I'm Dreaming of the Life I Once Loved

Entry tags:

I'm Dreaming of the Life I Once Loved

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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Today is one of those not-quite-as-nice days, but at least the snow's containing itself to a few flurries here and there. Fresh-off-the-road Dave's on his way back from a grocery run before the big snows hit tomorrow, but the Eevee trotting at his heels stops at the café and yips at him. Dave turns to look.]

What. Seriously? [Vee! The Eevee crouches in a play-bow, bushy tail wagging but eyes fierce, and Dave sighs and gives up.] Fine, okay. But not too long, all right? And look after the baby.

[The Eevee looks slightly put out, but recovers like a hero when a little Litwick shuffles out from behind Dave's legs. The two bounce away to chase snowflakes along the sidewalk, and Dave watches, hands in his pockets, until something tiny wiggles out of the folds of his scarf. He glances at it and huffs a voiceless laugh.]

Do you want to play, too, dude.

[The Dedenne shakes his head emphatically, and Dave chuckles more audibly, until he sees Meridiana at the table from the corner of his eye. He straightens a little, then tilts his head.]

Aren't you cold sitting out here?

[It takes her a second to look up at the remark, as though she doesn't quite realize at first that it's being directed at her; when it hits her, though, she glances up to regard him with a smile, and tips her head to indicate her Tropius, who's waiting next to her with a sign.]

Not very much, thank you! Dear Tropius takes wonderfully good care of me, and I'll likely not stay out too much longer. I've a few Fire-types running about, as well; they've been helping marvelously with the chill.

[And then she blinks.]

Oh! How charming, is that a Dedenne? Goodness, look at him, he's all tucked in with you, how darling!

['Darling' is not a word Dave's ever heard referring to him or his even indirectly, and if his face weren't already reddened from the cold, it would certainly warm up now. He suddenly understands exactly how Wart feels whenever Dave shows him off on camera. The thought comes to him completely unbidden:

If any swear word I know accidentally comes out in front of this girl, I'm going straight to fucking hell.

Feeling weirdly shy, Dave steps closer to Meridiana's table and holds a cupped hand up towards his neck.]

This is Wiglaf. Wiglaf, say hi. He doesn't like the cold.

[He smiles a little, though, and here comes the little Dedenne into Dave's palm. He sets Wiglaf on the table so he can go inspect Meridiana's fingers, whiskers and itsy nose twitching.]

[She sets her cards aside quickly, offering her hands palm-up to the little mouse's inspection; it's lucky that she has a Dedenne of her own, or it's entirely possible she wouldn't be nearly so amenable to the sight of a tiny mouse — even an adorable electric one.]

And a good day to you as well, Wiglaf! My, you're terribly handsome — perhaps even a little moreso than my own Mortimer! Oh, but you mustn't tell Mortimer that, of course, do keep it to yourself.

Mortimer Mouse, huh? Good name.

[Wiglaf starts bashfully grooming his face and whiskers, completely flustered. He almost immediately turns and runs back up Dave's arm to burrow into his scarf again, squeaking softly.]

Wig, hey--all right, fine. Be that way. [He adds in a stage whisper:] He's young. Sorry about him.

[His gaze finally lands on the cards, and he blinks a couple times, half-recognition on his tongue.]

Oh, hey, aren't those--what do you call them, um. The fortune-telling cards, right?

Oh, it's all right. At least he's small enough to be easy to see to; I hatched an egg once and a great blue dinosaur fell out — I couldn't hold him up, even, the poor thing!

[But then she follows his gaze to the cards, nodding.]

Tarot cards, yes. That's why I'm out today, as a matter of fact. I've been reading for people; if you'd care for one, and you have a few minutes, I'd be more than happy to oblige.

[Okay, he's going to have to ask about the dinosaur thing, because fuck yes, dinosaurs. But the question gives him pause for a moment, and he looks up at the cards at her, then away at his Pokémon. They're still playing and show no signs of getting tired. After a beat of consideration, Dave nods.]

Yeah, all right. If you're sure, anyway, I mean I never met anyone who did this for fun. Do...should I sit?

Please do! It'll only take but a moment to shuffle up the cards.

[Which she proceeds to do, as she nods to motion him towards the empty chair at her table; the cards get mixed and straightened with practiced efficiency, and when she's content she fans them out, facedown, for him to select from.]

Now. Shall I do a general reading for you, or would you care to have me answer a question in particular? Either is fine.

[Dave takes the offered seat, and Wiglaf pokes his head out again, curious about the change in altitude and the related proceedings.]

I guess there's a particular thing I've been wondering about. It's about someone back home, though. Is that cool? I don't know how this stuff works.

Oh, yes, certainly. You can tell me about it or not, as you like, but in either case, I'll ask you to think clearly about the question and then choose a card from anywhere in the deck.

[She moves them toward him, a little closer.]

Then, if you'll simply set it facedown on the table, we'll see what it says.

...It's just about a friend of mine. Want to know how he's doing, that kind of thing.

[He takes the cards, fans them out a little, then slides a likely candidate over to her before neatly restacking the deck.]

We probably kind of left him in a lurch before getting here.

[She sets the rest of her cards aside, then reaches for the one he's set apart and lingers over it a minute before turning it over to reveal Strength, reversed.]

...I see. Well, it seems as though he's feeling that, er, lurch, as you put it. The Strength card in the tarot is one of inner strength, not outward might — like the woman taming the lion on its face, it signals virtues like patience and compassion, resilience and the spirit to endure and overcome. To find it reversed like this, however...that suggests doubt, or a feeling of being set back.

Your friend that you left in the lurch, as you say...Strength reversed suggests that he's having doubts about the journey he's on, whether he's following the proper path, if you will. He may be feeling as though his skills are inadequate, or otherwise somehow as though he's been left a follower rather than a leader, of sorts.

[She frowns a little, looking up at Dave carefully.]

It's...not the most optimistic of pulls, I'm afraid, but it's good to remember that a moment of doubt doesn't mean that doubt will last forever.

[Shit.

He presses his lips into a tight line as he stares down at the card, guilt churning away in his stomach. What the fuck, poor John, stuck there with all those dead kids and Dave and Jade and Karkat and probably Rose among them, and what even can he do about it? Is he alone? Did anyone survive?

God, it was his birthday. Dave should be there for him.

Finally, he breathes out and pretty literally shakes it off.]

He'll be okay. He always...That's the kind of guy he is. He always gets through no matter what crazy sh--shenanigans he gets slammed with.

[Nice save.]

And anyway, if it's true, it means he's all right, so that's good. He'll manage. Somehow.

I know that, er...

[She starts, then trails off, casting around a bit for the right words to say, before eventually settling on: ]

Well. As I said, sometimes...we don't enjoy the answers to our questions, but there's something to the notion of having an answer for them nevertheless.

And...if you should like me to draw another for you, perhaps to try to add clarity or something of the like, I'd be more than happy to.

[He fidgets with the end of his scarf for a moment, then collects himself and nods.]

I mean, yeah? If you don't mind. Not every day I get to meet someone with the inside scoop on the unseen, so. Yeah, that'd be cool.

Very well, then. We'll do the same as before, if you'll think about your question and choose another card...

[She picks up the deck, offering it to him again.]

'Kay.

[Dave closes his eyes, sifting through his dread and worry until he finds the one question at the heart of it.

Will things be okay?

He finally selects a card and hands both it and the deck back to Meridiana.]

This one.

[She nods obligingly, again setting the deck aside before turning over The World.]

...Well, then. It seems that really is the case, those feelings of self-doubt won't be lasting forever, after all.

[She raises the card up vertical, showing it to him like a banner of victory.]

The World is the last card in the major arcana; it represents the completion of a journey. Things start at the beginning, with the Fool who sets off on his way to explore the unknown, and ends here with the World — the fulfillment, the achievement. It means that there will be closure and completion, and a sense of being in the proper place — understanding the role one is meant to play in a greater scheme, and becoming one with that situation.

I mentioned that Strength reversed wasn't a very optimistic pull; I'm happy to say that this one is, and very much so.

[Dave's relieved exhalation is audible as he looks at The World, and the tension in his chest winds out through his arms to dissipate in the winter air. It takes a moment for the assurance to clunk down through his heart to find a place where it fits, but when it does, it clicks in snugly, makes the world feel a little more whole.

Rationally, a random couple cards aren't something he should put stock in, of course. But it's different when the universe confirms what he's already always believed.]

Cool.

[He scoots his chair forward and sits more comfortably, resting his elbows on the tabletop and looking at the cards with more of an artistic curiosity this time.]

The Fool sounds like a John kind of card, anyway, so if the story starts with him, it makes sense that he's got the chops to end it, too. Even if we're not there to shove his dumb face in the right direction.

Mm, that could very well be. For many people, there's a certain card that turns up in readings for them again and again — often when that happens, it takes on a meaning of its own in a reading. Perhaps for your friend John, it really would be the Fool.

[She picks up the rest of the cards, beginning to sift idly through them.]

And then there are other cards that often represent people in a reading as well — the court cards, when they turn up, sometimes signal a person in one's life in particular.

[He watches her, interested now that all that existential dread is out of the way.]

Do you have a card like that? Or a favorite card or something? My sister kind of did this stuff but in kind of a different way, so this setup is pretty neat.

...I do. I'm looking for it right now, as a matter of fact.

[And sure enough, after a few more moments she finds the Wheel of Fortune and produces it, setting it down on the table.]

There it is. The Wheel of Fortune — that one's mine, though I suppose I'd rather it wasn't, sometimes.

[He looks up from it to her, vaguely surprised.]

Why? I mean, it seems, you know. Pretty auspicious. There's a show named after it and all.

Well...

[She seems to hesitate, glancing askance, but then eventually starts carefully explaining anyway.]

Fortune...if it's a wheel, then it goes both ways, you see? The low are raised up, but those on high also can fall. It's not just about fortune, but about being trapped, in a sense. Forces out of one's control acting on one's fate — that's what the Wheel is about.

[...

Oh.]

Oh.

[ o h. ]

...Yeah. I'm familiar.

[He studies the card a beat longer, expression as closed-off now as it was obvious before, but then he eventually sighs and shakes his head.]

You could say it's my thing, I guess. Getting locked into choices that were never really choices at all.

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