|
  |
Despite the recent nastiness in town, the Circus is still in swing. Hey, they just GOT here. Nothing like giants are gonna scare them off! And when things have finally calmed down a little, Circus lights went on and everyone was ready for the guests to arrive. Because after something like that, everyone needs a distraction, right?
The sounds of various animals and excited children permeate the air as Amanda peeks out from her little vardo (animal-drawn wagon) that she uses for her little part in the circus. She's even dressed the part, much as she finds it… distasteful at best. But gadje audiences expect Romani fortunetellers to dress a certain way, and Amanda knows as well as any that the "traditional" garb is going to interest people a lot more than a woman wearing something they'd see every day in the city streets. She slips out and keeps the vardo door open, smiling as people pass by. She makes her offers, explaining the cards to the curious. Some promise to come around after the other shows. Which is a common thing to say, so she doesn't seem all that disappointed.
*
The circus remains despite the nastiness, Marie finds her way here /because/ of the nastiness. Getting away from it all is something she longs to do more often than not these days, with her past filled with pain, her present uncertainty, and her future promising doom and gloom. When she saw the colorful advertisements hanging around town? It seemed like the /perfect/ place to go to cheer up for a while. So away she went!
Dressed in her vintage black coat — and clothing underneath which it does a good job of obscuring, she's been wandering around for the better part of a half-hour. Just enjoying the sights and sounds and… the infectuous energy that the place radiates. But when Amanda's making her offers? That catches her ears more sharply than the outfit would catch her eyes, and she's pulled as if drawn by magnetism. "Mademoiselle," comes the French-accented voice, demure and polite. "You read the cards, oui?" Making sure she heard correctly. "…how much do you charge for this?"
*
Amanda doesn't speak French; a mere smattering of words from the time the Circus was just outside Marseilles. But there are a few she knows. Mademoiselle, oui. These are ones she recognizes. She flashes Marie a bright smile and nods. "I do," she answers, gesturing to the inside of her vardo. "That depends on what sort of reading you're looking for," she says, adding, "But five dollars is usually what I ask. More for a deeper reading." A family goes by, the boy waving excitedly as they pass Amanda and Marie; Amanda waves back. She's seen them here before, and she's too happy to recognize them. Keeps them coming back. Well, that and the animals, especially for kids. "Is there a question on your mind that you're hoping to find some answer to?"
*
"The future lies in turmoil; I am sure you see this as well as I." Marie replies, a small frown coming over her lips — at least until she spies Amanda waving and turns to see the little boy waving as well. Aww. Kids are cute. That softens the frown some. "Mine, perhaps, moreso than others. I was hopeful that… another perspective would aid in ridding some of the clouds which surround it, and better prepare me for that which is to come." A pause. Amanda's accent is noticed; it's not /American,/ but neither is hers. "This country has a saying… a… 'second opinion'? I wish that, c'est vous plait."
*
"There is always turmoil in the future," Amanda agrees with a nod. "But how we deal with it…" She nods at the request of a second opinion, once more gesturing inside. "Let's see what the cards say, then."
The inside of the vardo is divided into two, the back looking like living quarters. The front is dominated by a table decorated with a deep blue tablecloth and surrounded by chairs. "Please, sit where you'd like. Would you like something to drink? Tea?" The centre of the table has the cards wrapped in a green silk wrapping. She seems to like the green and the blue, especially shades as deep as the cards' covering and the tablecloth, because these colours are reflected throughout the interior. "My name is Amanda," she offers as well. She knows that with her looks and her accent, the name seems… off. But it was the first name she heard that she liked, and so she took it on for her own when the circus came here. Most people can't pronounce her real first name anyhow.
*
The inside brings back memories long buried away. Memories of what life was like when she'd visited with her grandmother over her childhood, when she herself learned how to read the cards. Dutifully, she takes a seat at the table, folding one hand over the other and turning her head to follow Amanda with her gaze. "Tea would be wondeful, please — and it is a pleasure to meet you, Amanda. My name is Marie-Ange… but most simply call me Marie."
*
The little stove at the back is a wood burning one, with precautions taken from the inside of the vardo, of course. She was apparently keeping a kettle warm already, as she immediately pours the tea into two small cups. The smell from the fresh tea is akin to her accent: difficult to place. She returns and carefully places the cups within arms' reach, but not close enough that they could spill onto the cards. She takes the silk-covered cards in hand, delicately removing the covering. "Did you want to shuffle or cut the cards?"
*
Marie notices the little things. The care that Amanda takes in unwrapping the cards, the precise location that the cups are placed in, so it's with a polite, "If I may." that she resonds, waiting for the affirmative before reaching for the cards. Amanda may notice that Marie uses a very similar delicate touch when it comes to handling the cards, but at the same time she shuffles with a practiced grace that says: I've done this before. On the other hand, that could be true of /any/ cards used, not just the tarot. Once she feels like they're sufficiently shuffled? She gently places them back where they began, and only then does she reach out to take the offered cup of tea. Again, care is used; her free hand moves with her occupied one, sitting under the cup to catch it if her fingers should drop it. "How long have you read the cards, Mademoiselle Amanda?"
*
Amanda watches exactly how Marie handles the cards and takes note. She's had a lot of clients cut the cards and shuffle, and many who are careful - the cards are clearly old, though well-taken care of - but none have quite had the touch Marie has had with the cards. "My mother taught me when I was a little girl," she says. "She learned from her mother. It's been a family tradition for many generations." Now, were Amanda some charlatan, skilled enough in the cards to know what they mean, but without skill in the actual fortune-telling, the first card would be the obvious one - The Fool. Perhaps even Marie is expecting that. But when Amanda flips the first card over to represent Marie, it is something else entirely: "The Queen of Wands. She represents your basic instinct, your strength. Your attitude in life and the strength you draw from it can place you at odds with others. Frequently their opposite."
She flips over the next card, placing it slightly askew, but atop, the first one. "The Empress, reversed. At the moment your greatest challenge lies in a dependence on others - shelter, or money, or perhaps even food. You are new to this country, and that makes overcoming this obstacle more difficult than you had thought."
The next card is flipped and placed to Amanda's left of the first two cards, in the 'past' spot. "The Tower. Something drove you to this country. You fled whatever home you knew because of it, and it left you with more hurt than you knew how to deal with, and more uncertainty than before." The next card is placed to Amanda's right, in the 'future' spot. "The High Priestess. A woman of mystery and intuition, perhaps even more - power of some kind - who stands to offer the help you need, to help you overcome that first step you must take."
The next card is placed above the centre two. "The Seven of Pentacles. All of this," with a hand Amanda gestures to the other cards, "is what you're hoping leads to this one card. Reward, prosperity. You wish your talents and gifts to bring you some stability, to show you the reward waiting after great effort." Another card, flipped below the middle two. "Death." Reflexively she pauses there, but for a moment her cheeks flush; Marie obviously knows a little more about these cards than most, and is not likely to react as poorly as most of Amanda's clients on sighting this card. "Change, constant change has been the undercurrent of your life, pushing you onwards, even as it pushes you towards things to challenge you and brings out your best. You have had to change and cope with change more than most."
*
Marie watches the reading unfold and listens to the tale that the cards hold. Listening carefully, keeping her ears open even moreso than her eyes for similarities to her own readings; and perhaps more importantly, for the differences.
Marie tends to believe the best of people; she's naive to do so, but she does, and there's no surprise that at the cards that are laid down. The Queen of Wands to represent her? Appropriate, these days, since some of the liveliness of her youth has returned to her in the city.
Each card is listened to, with nods here and there as she's told the tale and finds accuracy. She doesn't interrupt; she knows that it's easiest when the seeker guides the reader along the path to discovery, but that would nullify the entirety of the second opinion. She's here to learn, not to teach.
It's towards the end that her reading changes; and it's now that she smiles. Smiles brightly at the Seven, and yes; even through the Death card. She knows exactly what that means, and even what it likely means in her situation. Change can be a bad thing, it can even /mean/ death in cases, but she can't see it meaning that this time. No, the current flow of her life is on a downwards trajectory, the cards themselves had been predicting doom and gloom; continued change could just as easily mean that things are /going/ to get better. To seek out that reward, even with the High Priestess herself.
And Marie sips her tea, grateful for this knowledge.
*
It's as if Marie sipping her tea indicates a point can pause. She reaches for her mug and takes a long sip before replacing it. As Amanda looks down at the cards, she can't help but steal a glance in Marie's direction, noting the smile. "You've seen this arrangement before, or… did something change from the last time?" she wonders. She's never actually seen anyone do a reading other than her mother, and the two seem to parallel each other well. It would be interesting to see someone else do it for once.
*
It's time for storytime. Marie reaches into one of the pockets of her coat and pulls out a little velvet pouch. From there, she withdraws her cards; generations old, well loved and preserved, but with enough character that she can tell them apart without looking. Once again she shuffles with that practiced grace. "Your mother taught you, my grandmother taught me." She pauses to turn the first card - the Queen of Wands, and continues to shuffle. "My mother thought them foolish. The sisters at the convent I stayed at thought them evil." The Empress comes next; likewise reversed, followed by the Tower. Marie's not even looking at the cards; just shuffling, and dealing them into place — a mirror of Amanda's spread so far. "I came to America to escape that. I was alone, until someone was kind enough to take me in and share what she has with me," The High Priestess comes next.
"Life was… better than I'd ever known it to be. Then came change." The Ace of Swords lands where the Seven of Pentacles, and lands reversed. "Then the President was assassinated. His assassin killed. The planet itself under more than just a threat of invasion." Followed by the Two of Swords, reversed again. "I sought answers, sought assurance. The cards chose not to give them directly to me."
*
Amanda listens intently, the sips from her tea slow and soft so as to not miss a word of what is being said. She watches the cards flip over, studying how different the cards are from her own. Noting where the reading was different, and mentally altering the reading so she can understand what drove Marie to look for a second opinion. "My mother has said sometimes the cards warn us only of the bad possibilities ahead to give us time to change or time to plan carefully."
*
Marie also sips from her tea, now. Pausing before she swallows to breathe in the aroma from inside the cup, then letting the liquid flow down her throat and setting the cup back down.
"It's certainly an interesting philosophy. I've often found them to be… much like a book. Written with the possibility of delaying what will come until the page is turned… but with such a certainty that fate itself will treat you better if you accept the guidance offered. Until now, I cannot say I've had one complaint." Marie replies, sharing her own insight on the situation now.
*
Of course given what has happened to Amanda's mother… she's often wondered if her mother saw the inevitable and did nothing. "My experience with the cards seems closer to yours. I have seen changes once guidance is accepted, however." Not that she's sure her mother is wrong. Just that she's not seen such things herself. Amanda takes another long sip of her tea, silent for a moment as she wonders. "How long have you been in New York?" she finally asks. "We - my friends in the Circus and I - have found it… a little overwhelming. We're used to camping just outside much smaller places."
*
"I have not seen very many changes when it comes to what the cards say; but admittedly, I tend to read in the moment. So I follow their path perhaps a bit more closely than others do, allowing me that… attunement with what will come." Literally, she checks every decision against her deck to see what it says. Should she go out? Ask the cards. Should she eat? Ask the cards. It's why they're always with her. Well. One of the reasons.
"I have been here… only a few months, really. Long enough to learn that the sidewalks are cold and that brick buildings do not make good pillows." But that's how she slept at first! "It /can/ be overwhelming, Mademoiselle… but there is /so/ very much that you can see. More than you would believe. Some things terrify… but others enrapture the very soul itself. Have you explored it much?"
*
Amanda shakes her head. "A little, before the…" Whatever it is the giants were. She gestures absently with a hand. "Found a man in white trying to kill another man. A woman and I stopped him, and he tried to attack us, but we drove him off." After that, well, she retreated to the safety and comfort of the circus. "Do you have recommendations?"
*
There's a look of surprise to the first. "Oh my; how brave!" …though she's gone and played hero before, Marie has /powers./ As far as she knows, she was the only one with abilities beyond pecognition. "Oui," Marie answers, smiling. "Places with wonderful food, beautiful music… even stairways with art that will make your very soul beg for more." A pause. "…if you wish — and if you have time, I would be happy to show you many of these things, myself."
*
The compliment brings a bit of colour to Amanda's cheeks, which she partially hides behind the teacup as she takes her final sip. The offer, however, makes her smile brightly and eases her self-consciousness. "I would like that very much," she says. The prospect of art and music exciting her more than food, though good examples of all three are things she would very much enjoy.
*
"Good. It is the least I can do for a fellow reader, and a guest in my adopted city. When would be good?" Marie asks, lifting the cup back to her lips for another sip while she considers Amanda. In a lot of ways, the other girl seems to be a lot like Marie herself. This isn't a bad thing. At all. It also makes her want to help her all the more.
*
Amanda considers for a moment. "A weekday afternoon. We do late shows during the week, and afternoon and evening shows on the weekend." At least, that's the plan the Circus has been adhering to. "I do not have to be here for both, but if I have plans I have to tell Management so they know to tell everyone else I won't be available." But of course, Amanda will feel guilty for not being able to contribute to the night's earnings.
*
"That will not be a problem." Marie assures, smiling. Marie herself doesn't exactly work; she cleans up around the apartment, and does odd jobs in order to get a little money for spending. Her schedule's easily rearranged. "Is this a good place to meet you? I can come by and we can travel together from here… I have achieved at least a passing knowledge of how the busses in this city operate; useful, considering it's size." Which is to say: Very overywhelming.
*
It's nice to meet someone that she can connect with quickly, The prospect of actually going /out/ and seeing the city is an exciting one, and that eagerness plays over Amanda's face as she thinks. "Here would be best. I could meet you in the city, but I may be a bit late and get turned around." She could teleport, but she needs a good idea of what the place looks like, and she's not completely sure she wants to reveal that aspect of herself just yet.
*
"Wonderful." Marie agrees, digging into a pocket after a couple moments and pulling out a ten dollar bill, which is set on the table. Once that's done, she collects her cards and returns them to the little pouch. "For you. Thank you for your guidance, and I shall stop by later in the week so that we can see the city, oui?" she confirms, gathering up her things.
*
Amanda stares in surprise at the ten dollar bill. "Thank you. I look forward to seeing you later." She murmurs something in Romani softly and in such a way that it almost sounds like singing. Asking for someone to watch over Marie.
*
forget to tag your log with the names of the participants as they appear on the game![[/size]]