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Fate's Hand

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  1. #1
    Hades_Roses's Avatar

    Cole Volker

    Mien is dull grey skin with seemingly molten veins, runes are barely carved
    Summer Mantle 1

    2
    PRE

    Rebecca Barrows was attending college in Sacramento. Of her many developed interests since arriving in the country, fortune telling had quickly risen to the top. She took every opportunity to practice privately and- when she was finally confident enough- publicly.

    With permission from the owner, a large black tent was set up alongside a card shop she frequented. A colorful handmade board with the words "Tarot" hung above the entrance. A propped-up whiteboard near the front stated "No Cost" along with hours of operation (5:00 pm -11:00 pm) in black Sharpie.

    Within the tent was a large, cheap unfolded table with a dark cloth and a spread of cards already laid out. A figure covered in a black cloak sat behind it, barely illuminated by a series of small electronic candles and hanging Christmas lights. Her skin was pale, hair long and brown. Her hands were spidery thin with nails painted purple. Should anyone take a seat in the front chair, or enter and ask to have their fortune read, a voice with a tint of an Irish accent would address them as such:

    " Take a seat. Pick three cards. And see what Fate's Hand has dealt you."


    Alright so- tried to make this super simple for the format. This is a type of three card spread. If ya want to play, here's how:

    *You'll pick three cards- each card by selecting a letter between A-F, and a number between 1-13 (ex: A10, E1, C13). You cannot pick the same card twice.

    *The first will represent your Character's Past, the second their Present, and the third their Future.

    *After picking the cards, this Shade will provide an interpreted reading. In addition, the 'textbook' definition included with the deck will be given for each pick after their interpretation.

    *A link to an image of the spread out deck, and a simple chart to help understand how to choose, noting the side the cards will be interpreted from. The deck will be shuffled and dealt again for every new submission, the same format will apply for each.

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  3. #2
    Hades_Roses's Avatar

    Cole Volker

    Mien is dull grey skin with seemingly molten veins, runes are barely carved
    Summer Mantle 1

    2
    PRE

    Additional Notes:
    Rebecca is a Normal Human Person. Her dots are as follows:
    *Intelligence bumped up to 3
    *Occult up to 2
    *Academics up to 2

  4. #3
    A
    Allen Brackett

    Allen noticed the tent on one of his long evening walkabouts. He was all over the city, poking into various nooks and crannies. Which is how he's found this... fortune-teller?

    Don't get it the wrong way, Uratha certainly make use of omens, dreams and their own forms of divination. From Gifts, to certain Lodges, to asking an appropriate spirit, there were many ways to glimpse what's to come, but none of them involved asking some human about it. So why was he here? Simple - Allen knew there was more to the Herd that met the eye, and if the owner exhibited even a tiniest amount of supernatural ability (or copious amounts of guile to fake it all), they could be a resource to exploit. Or steal from under the noses of spirits or Anshega.

    Besides, he would admit to being a bit curious. Who doesn't want to know their future, right? Especially in a new city, with footing still far from sure.

    "What's with the lie?" He enters the tent with confidence, but there's no aggression "'No cost'. How's that? Either you believe what you do is for real and you know Fate is not going to show you her panties without a proper bribe first... or you don't believe it, and you get something else out of it" He'd be interested in her answer. It'd infoirm his next move. The interior decoration provided a strong argument for this being just a cheap parlor trick, but Allen understood the value of misdirection.

  5. #4
    Hades_Roses's Avatar

    Cole Volker

    Mien is dull grey skin with seemingly molten veins, runes are barely carved
    Summer Mantle 1

    2
    PRE

    Well. This latest client was certainly an interesting one- she hadn't expected a discussion of Fate right off the bat. "Thaht's an interesting take on Fate- and irrelevant, I think. Fate's fate, just like time or space or whatevur other Laws of the Universe exist. Just need the right tool to obsurve them, and this is mine. Thaht's how I see it." Seeing it any other way was futile- humans couldn't change Fate, if it existed (and Barrows was inclined to believe it did).

    She gestured to the field of Tarot "If ya feel so inclined, yar welcome to donate I suppose." She gently kicked the box she used to store the lights from under the table and out the side. "Besides, I'm hardly an expert- think I'davea tent otherwise? just practicing. Speaking of- were ya actually looking to tayke a look up Fate's knickers? Or did ya just come in for a debate on philosophy?" There went the whole mysterious vibe. Still, practice was practice- what she might have lacked in presentation she could make up for in the actual fortune telling. "Rules are simple- tap three cards. Past, present, future. I'll flip, and I'll tell." Definitely needed to work on presentation.

  6. #5
    A
    Allen Brackett

    "What, so proficiency in this thing is measured by real estate?" He sounds genuinely amused "Funny, I never saw a fortune-teller in anything but a tent" Allen wondered if there's a Guild of the Oracles somewhere among the Herd, keeping the novices in dusty tents with Christmas lights and the true pros in... gothic villas, perhaps? Or something equally atmospeheric?

    That was, ultimately, irrelevant. The girl seemed to be more than a mere charlatan, in that she appeared to believe in the yoke of fate. Allen could empathize, on some level. Uratha were, after all, slaves of their nature, whose actions were dictated by an ancient sin commited millenia ago. Not very different from this fatalism.

    He tosses a crumpled 10-dollar bill into the box. That's about as much he can, or will, pay for a moment of entertainment.

    "Relax, I came here for the service you offer. Just was surprised by the sign, is all. We can do the debate thing later" That is, if no more clients show up "Anyway..."

    He taps three cards in quick succession. You're not supposed to overthink it, right? "Past" He touches one on the edge "Present" A tap near the center "Future" And one more close to the right end of the spread deck.

    Allen picks D1 (past), C8 (present) and F13 (future)

  7. #6
    Hades_Roses's Avatar

    Cole Volker

    Mien is dull grey skin with seemingly molten veins, runes are barely carved
    Summer Mantle 1

    2
    PRE

    "If I had to guess, Proficiency is mehsured by how accurate ya are. Or, how mehny people believe ya." Or how well you could spin things. Psychic shows peddled by con artists- not what Rebecca was interested in. "And if I was proficient enough, I think I'd have other problems." A scary thought, if she could eventually understand people's lives through tarot. Supposedly some people could do that. The Rasputins' and Nostradamus' of history... If they were legitimate.

    She was a bit surprised that he actually donated, but nodded as he made his choices. "Fate thanks you for the donation. I'll put it to good use." Maybe buy a table that didn't need a wooden block on one end. Regardless, he'd finished choosing. She cleared her throat, and spoke in a more mysterious tone that buried her accent.

    "Past..." She flipped the first card over. From his point of view, it was upside down- and on the card was a man that seemed to be juggling a pair of pentacles. One seemed to have a sun aesthetic, another a moon theme. Behind the figure were two ships sailing in the sea. "The two of Pentacles. Upright it usually represents balance or flexibility. But here it is upside down- representing Disorder, or even recklessness... Is it still so?" What might they take it as? Any number of things could cause unrest in this world. Any number of things could be interpreted as 'reckless' behavior.

    "Present..." Another card upside down, this one a female figure sitting between two pillars and holding a holy text- other spiritual symbols were also included. The crescent moon appears underneath her, though upside down this symbol appears high in the sky. "The High Priestess. Normally representing Secrets, or Wisdom. But upside down... A lack of Wisdom or information... Sometimes it can represent Pride." Or perhaps willful ignorance, though Rebecca was keen to believe that this man was indeed missing or lacking something. If he wasn't, well... He wouldn't have much reason to want her services, would he? That's what she thought at least.

    "And Future." Finally a card upright. This one featured a man on a beach, a calm sea behind him and goblet in his hand- peeking from it, a fish of all things. Tarot cards were renown for their symbolism. Or, weirdness. Whoever was judging. "The Page of Cups. He is often seen as a sign of inspiration and possibility... Occasionally love." So that was that. But together?

    If she had to piece things... "So, your past was out of balance. There was A point of instability in your life. Perhaps in the past you rushed headlong until you ended up here? Yet now- likely due to this discord you experienced- you are confused. Or find yourself still missing something crucial in your life." A raised eyebrow for dramatic effect. If she made enough interpretations, one would normally stick. If she eventually got better at this, maybe she wouldn't need so many attempts. "Whatever the case now, your future is one that shows the potential for more. For something to inspire you... Or, maybe even passions? Perhaps it will be the thing you're missing. I cannot promise you will find what you seek- but if the cards are right, you will have the chance." A shrug there, and a smile.

    The accent steadily returned as the reading came to a close and her tone returned to normal. "So, thahts that. What did ya think?"

    Two of Pentacles- Upright: Priorities, equilibrium, flexibility. Reversed: Disorder, Imprudence, Recklessness
    High Priestess- Upright: Arcana, Unknown, Secrets, Wisdom. Reversed: Missing information, Conceit, knowledge without wisdom
    Page of Cups- Upright: Creative Starts, Inspiration, New Love. Reversed: Artifice, Callow youth
    And here are those three cards, as they appear in my deck.

  8. #7
    A
    Allen Brackett

    To be honest, Allen is conflicted.

    On the one hand, he knows enough about human psychology to suspect the woman might try to exploit him by making high-probability guesses that will resonate with him, and then build up increasingly specific guesses based on his body language and reactions. Who wasn't a bit reckless in his past? Who can't recognize lack of information in his present life? Who doesn't see possibility in the future? It's called cold reading, look it up.

    And yet, the Irish cartomancer might be onto something here, if only accidentally. After all, wasn't the Thunderflash Guard, his previous pack, undone due to his lack of insight and forethought? Doesn't he, in some sense, lack wisdom by not knowing this new territory? But doesn't the newness of it all, the mercurial nature of Sacramento, present a host of opportunities? He isn't sure about this 'love' part, though. Love is a tricky business in the world of Uratha.

    "Of course, you must be aware that, conveniently for you lot, Fate tends to speak in riddles and generalities which may be interpreted in a great number of ways. What you just described can be said of most modern Americans, indeed - most modern human beings" He leans back in his chair "Still, you may be interested to know that your prophecy is not without merit. I have recently moved here from another state, so it's all new job, new apartment, new circle of friends for me. I expect to stay here for a while, look for opportunities. And, like most of us, I want something which I don't have, but I'm obviously not going to tell you what it is" Allen smiles mischievously.

    He taps a short tune on the spread card deck "So, question about time. How far along can the view of the 'past' get? How present is 'present'? How deep into the future can you glance?"

    For ten bucks, he expects to at least narrow the temporal search.

  9. #8
    Hades_Roses's Avatar

    Cole Volker

    Mien is dull grey skin with seemingly molten veins, runes are barely carved
    Summer Mantle 1

    2
    PRE

    Well. He didn't seem the normal type to go starry-eyed at the cards- which was a shift from the norm. Not exactly an unwelcome one?

    At least her Tarot had seemed effective, even if he was aware of it's shortcomings. "Ah thank ya for your honesty. Yes, the tool's a bit broad- but, the meaning cahn be just as valuable." And indeed- it had been this instance. As per his privacy "No need ta tell me thaht stuff. Might influence the Tarot anyways." Fate was best tested and read blind, yes? Wasn't the Oracle blind as well? She couldn't recall why at the moment but it seemed a fitting analogy.

    As per his desire for a timescale. "If ah were that exact, ah'd be playing the lotto. Fate and time don't go perfectly together- what's what and when are two different things, and ahm only measuring the former." How would one even determine time anyways? Probability wasn't that easy, was it?

    "Most ah can say is that they'll happen, have happened, and are happening. Ah know that's not exact, but any more specific and ah'd be dishonest." A shrug there- they were cards on a table, not some dystopian sci-fi supercomputer calculating every factor in existence... Still, a light sigh. "In my experience, Tarot doesn't have a long shelf-life. The readings are meant to be done often, sometimes daily for a few folk. Other times it's perception- you picked the cards, right? So, when ya picked it what did you think the past was? Were ya thinking in terms of weeks? Months? The general idea of it? Whatever the case- that's how ya should think of the results." That was as close as she could get to a close answer, without flatly lying.

    "So. Anything else for ya? Hope you enjoyed this."

  10. #9
    A
    Allen Brackett

    He smirks. At least she was honest. Not pretending she was on first-name basis with Fate. Most in her profession try their hardest to convince you their craft is basically science.

    This couldn't be farther from the truth.

    "I have no questions about the reading" He admits "But seeing that there's no line forming outside, perhaps you'd humor me with conversation? Why did you choose this profession? It can't pay well to read people's fortunes in a tent. Or maybe it's a side job? Or even just a hobby?" An infulgence of a bored industrial fortune heiress, perhaps?

  11. #10
    Hades_Roses's Avatar

    Cole Volker

    Mien is dull grey skin with seemingly molten veins, runes are barely carved
    Summer Mantle 1

    2
    PRE

    She looked outside and saw the... Complete and utter lack of a crowd, giving a grumble and a curse under her breath.

    "Sure, whai not." A shrug as she started gathering the cards, flipping some idly over as she collected them and listened to him speak. Two of Swords, The Hanged Man, The Tutorial Card That Shouldn't Have Been Included in the Damn Stack...

    Profession? Ha. Far from it. "Ahm not doing this for a job- Ah took an interest in it when ah started college, and wanted the practice." The deck was shuffled, rather flimsily- not at all capable of that fancy 'frrrrrip' thing people did, and not wanting to mess up the cards even if she could.

    "ahs for why, just old tales Ma used to tell me. 'Old Wives Tales' and the like. Suppose ah just wanted to test some of them, and one thing led to another." She slowly started to lay the cards out again, meticulously making sure each one was laid down in the exact manner as the other.

    "And yourself? Wahts someone like you want their Fortune for." He already had an interesting take on Fate. Surely there was slightly more to it than the bored whims of a stranger?

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