[ She'd let him go if he wanted to go be lazy, she gets it?? But good on him for agreeing anyway. ]
I'd like that. It's been quite some time since I visited the shrines... Ah, though come to think of it, I've never visited them in the daytime before. [ Mmm. ] I'm certain they're even lovelier in the day as they are at night.
[ He used to visit them around nightfall as well, but only because that's when his free time aligned after work. The cold bite of winter provides a similar sort of solitude, though, in a blanket of undisturbed snow that muffles voices and footfalls both. ]
Take your time finishing you tea. I'll be around ten minutes.
[ Even if it feels as if time slows and stretches the moment the words leave his mouth. Nothing to do but to stand and wait, maybe make sure that the hot water isn't running low, or the tins of tea leaves are all shut tight. ]
[ ...He doesn't have any other customers, so it must get boring, waiting until he's allowed to go. Her uncle's flower shop, when it was still Ophelia's Lament, was quite the same.
Of course, she wiled away the time simply reading books, but it was family-owned. He didn't mind if she slacked off a little. Elizabeth nurses her tea for a bit, at least until she pulls out a deck of playing cards and tips them out gently onto the counter. ]
Do you know anything about cartomancy, Arisato? [ very pleasant. she can still do a little conversation. ] It's something I've picked up recently.
[ Some days he still holds out for being able to wear his wireless earbuds and hide them in his hair as he works/stands here idly for half an hour at a time, but his attention towards people is already fairly poor without being divided.
Cartomancy isn't a word he's familiar with, let alone the art, so he blinks down at the cards for a moment trying to piece it together— he knows "cartography" and "necromancy" but map... magic... doesn't sound like the right definition here. There are cards, but card tricks doesn't sound right either... ]
Divining one's fortune through the use of cards. [ As one might guess, given her items here. ] Though really, it's best when used as a clarifier or finding peace with your inner turmoil...
[ Or so she's read. She had a good time sussing out Dave's fortune, though. ]
Tarot is the most common form of it, but you can certainly do it even with simple cards like this. Hence, I've been practicing. [ She hasn't found a tarot deck that she likes, and... she doesn't know if she really wants to mess with it like that, anyway. It hits a little too close to home, to say, and Elizabeth carefully shuffles her cards. ] Simply focus on a query or circumstance while you shuffle, and once you feel as if you've done it enough, spread your cards out like so...
[ She'll do so on the counter, neatly laid out. ]
And pick some cards. Three is the most common number, but one is quite good for anything you may want a quick answer to. There's also larger spreads and ones in between those as well. [ ... ] But I've made myself most familiar with one and three cards, at least for now.
[ Speaking of: she'll pick a card herself. Four of hearts... ]
My, that's favorable. The red suits, hearts and diamonds, symbolize positives. Hearts in particular are for relationships, both romantic and platonic varieties. This one in particular... [ Mm. ] Things are slightly less clear with simply one card, I'll admit, but if I recall correctly, this one represents emotional stability and the strengthening of bonds in some way.
[ THROUGH MARRIAGE OR PHYSICAL INTIMACY, TYPICALLY, but given her thing was of a platonic nature she's willing to interpret it differently and not think about the other Elizabeth's relationships at all. ]
[ He's not so sure about entrusting his future to the cards... But he looks somewhat intrigued as his eyes follow Elizabeth's hands through the shuffle, sliding a card out of the pile and laying it flat out on the table, the superstition and ignorance in him seeing "four" and "hearts" and going "ah yes, death to all relationships."
Hm... ]
Is it only the diviner who can ask the questions? Or can I keep a question in my mind without sharing and have you read the cards...?
The latter, provided you at least shuffle them for a little while. That imbues your energy and question in them, supposedly. [ It's superstition, but we don't mess with superstition in this house, so. ] Would you like to give it a try?
[ Minato nods and takes the cards in his hands, not so much shuffling as he simply takes a stack from the center of the pile and moves it towards the bottom, idly turning the order over like that as he thinks of a question, not having one ready when he'd asked. This is probably his one chance to find an answer he otherwise won't ever bring up again, he thinks. If it's that, then... something important to him... something that's been gnawing at him for years upon years...
It's that, then.
Should I have run away? Did I really hurt them? Is it too late to go home and say I'm sorry?
...
That's more than one question. Just the one, then: "Did I do the right thing?" ]
...Alright.
[ He sets the cards flat on the counter, and slides it over in front of Elizabeth. ]
[ The most unexpected people take this seriously. Elizabeth spreads them out as evenly as she can, then gestures to them without looking at him. ]
Depending on the nature of your problem, or how specific you'd like the answer to be... Please pick either one card, or three of them. If it's three, lay them neatly in a line in the order you pick them.
[ So the first will be left, second will be middle, third will be right.
[ If it's his one chance to assuage some of his worries, it'll have to be all three. Minato reaches out and chooses the ones sitting right in front of him, side by side and lays out one by one-
[ ...Mm. She studies them for a bit, frowning slightly. It's a bit of a confusing spread at first glance, if she's honest... but she doesn't know his question; maybe it suits what he's looking for. After a moment, she starts up, fingers gently laying on each card as she talks about them. ]
To begin... Spreads with more black suits than red tend to be negatively-inclined, though the final card of any draw is always the strongest influence on how one should read them. It's quite fortunate that your last card was a red suit then, wasn't it? [ haa, though... ] Even if it was the Six of Diamonds.
[ If it's any consolation: this is not the worst final card she's seen. Then again, it's hard to beat the Ten of Spades. ]
We'll begin there, as it colors the rest of them... It represents a lack of communication and nervous energy—it's a contributor to how restless and high-strung diamonds can be. The Two of Clubs and Three of Clubs both ordinarily symbolize quite wonderful things—benevolent correspondence, gifts of both the material and immaterial variety, such as time, effort, and advice for the former, and for the latter: an increased understanding, and good fortune in all ventures. Particularly for business and social matters. Yet, in a trio with this one...
[ ...she drums her fingers back on the six of diamonds. ]
I suppose I'd read it as such: that the first two cards are opportunities you have missed for some reason or another. [ She's not going to say it's because he doesn't talk, but... ] What opportunities these could be are endless—diamonds topping clubs implies your practical matters are in order, at the very least, so I'll wager it isn't business-related. If not that, then social... Time that could have been spent bettering relationships and learning from another, lost due to ignorance. I'm not unsympathetic, [ a briefly sad smile before it flits to neutral ] but it would seem you're being scolded.
[ A slight pause, before Elizabeth looks at him and rests her chin in the palm of her other hand, fingers curled against her cheek. ]
It's never too late to turn it around, though. If we go purely by suits: clubs beside clubs represents taking action, and clubs beside diamonds represents reward—it isn't a terrible spread to take advice from, on that end.
[ There is very little change in Minato's expression as he listens to Elizabeth read the cards, eyes half closed and contemplative while he turns his question over in his mind and tries to fit the reading with what he'd suspected the answer would be. Did he do the right thing in leaving his grandparents and starting anew? He had wanted to say yes before, that he'd been able to get through his schooling on his own and pick up enough work in order to support himself without having to rely on others— he thought he was doing well for himself, despite what Elizabeth so aptly picked up on as "a lack of communication and nervous energy" that always lies beneath the surface of his thoughts.
And he's being scolded by the cards. The thought makes him laugh, just a huff of breath that he lets go in order to draw another in; one that feels a little like relief. ]
That answers my question pretty well. It's been a long time since I've been scolded by anybody...
[ Not because he's been a saint- far from it- but he has precious few people who care enough to do so, who put more stock in him than his feelings. ]
[ ...As long as he's satisfied, then she can rest easy on this front. Tension unwinds out of her shoulders gently at the thought, and she carefully gathers her cards back up. Mostly to shuffle them between her hands the way he had, misplacement instead of folding.
That's too noisy, after all. ]
Ask me for a reading any time, and I'm certain they'll be more than happy to scold you again. Provided you deserve it, at least.
I have a lifetime of things to be scolded for, but I'll get to that backlog later.
[ Since... his shift seems to be over, glancing up at the clock on the wall when he turns it to slide the smile off his face. He'd probably burned through a lot of those ten minutes sitting there trying to decide on a question in the first place, but it was time better spent questioning than cleaning already clean cups. ]
If you haven't tired of my company yet, then certainly.
[ ...It's a joke, but really, if he'd rather go home... Elizabeth shuffles them one final time before she puts them away. Her tea's not quite done, and she eyes it... then simply drinks the rest and sets that aside, too.
...oh. ]
Does Tea Kittle do tips...? I've been carrying change on hand recently, just in case there are chilies to donate to.
[ she killed nazuna and mao with ghost peppers it was Fine ]
[ He's just. Tired. And would like to go home, but even he'd feel bad about Elizabeth doing so much for him, just to turn around and go "Bye." He takes the cup instead to rinse out before hanging his apron and getting his things from the back room. ]
We don't usually do tips, but we could probably start a robot cat fund. ...The owner's allergic to cats. [ Evidently, by how overly cat themed the shop is without having an actual cat around. They haven't found a better solution than a robot cat yet. ] Or you can hold onto the coins and donate them at the shrines.
Oh, they're not coins. [ ...Wait, maybe she should get coins?
Hmmmm. Regardless, there's $20 set on the counter, and she tucks her wallet back away. ] For your robot cat fund. I sympathize with the cat allergy... I'm quite the same way. All of my friends have one or more of them however, and even my roommates do as well...
[ #suffering but she loves cats, so it's fine. she's willing to die like this. ]
All the same, Minato finds an empty jar and Sharpies "ROBOT CAT FUND" on the glass before folding the donation up inside and setting it by the register. ]
Thanks. My roommate has a cat... I try to lint roller my clothes every morning, but if I ever make you cry, it might only be 98% my fault.
[ Cat fur is impossible to remove completely; how do you live at home ]
[ elizabeth "my family sometimes buys horse for birthday gifts" velveteen
also she dies slowly, and also does her best to keep everything clean, and just takes medicine when she needs to. BOTH OF HER ROOMMATES KNEW SHE HAD AN ALLERGY AND STILL GOT CATS SO....... ]
Duly noted. You'd be the first boy to make me cry though, if you do. [ A light smile, before she collects her things and gestures to the door. ] Shall we?
[ ...Was that not supposed to be a challenge? He can't imagine a scenario where it would happen though, outside of letting cats loose inside the music building, so he lets that lie in silence while he ducks back to collect his coat, zipping it all the way up so that it covers his neck and mouth before leaving.
It's cold outside and he ducks his head a little further so that even his nose is covered by the collar. The shrine isn't too far from here, but he's used to going alone, setting his legs to autopilot to carry him there while his mind wanders at a different pace. ]
[ ...That wasn't a challenge, Minato... The truth is she hardly ever cries, which doesn't really spell good things for her, but that's not really the point here!!
She's content to be quiet though—sitting in silence and walking in silence are two completely different things, after all? One is slightly more awkward. The second, at least, has a motion attributed to it. She likes looking at the snow too, or idly glancing at store windows to see if there's anywhere she'd like to stop on her way home today... She can keep herself busy, essentially.
And the shrine isn't far, either. Elizabeth perks up a little when it comes into view, and she smiles with a soft clap. ]
It truly is different walking in during the day, instead of running or flying in at night...
[ That sounds dangerous for a multitude of reasons and he isn't sure where to start. Let's do the most obvious one: ]
There aren't many streets lights around, and the city lights wash out everything else when flying overhead. When I first flew in, the only thing I could see were the Towers.
[ Presumably Elizabeth is rich enough to have her own private jet that she goes around taking midnight flights on IDK ]
[ LAUGH TRACK..... She isn't going to tell him she flew on a dragon, it's fine.
...That requires getting back on the topic of Minako. How is she supposed to explain that his sister has a dragon. Actually, she has two dragons, Elizabeth has been lucky to meet both of them— ]
They're quite striking, aren't they? [ Even from the ground. ] They're also one of my favorite places to shop... I suppose that's not unusual though.
Edited (punctuation is important) 2017-12-20 15:19 (UTC)
[ With everything imaginable in the Towers, it's more like it's the only place to shop. Everything is self-contained, something he appreciates for its convenience, but there's also the crowd that he doesn't, and sometimes it's nice having to walk from place to place, take a detour through the shrines where it's quiet and he can be with his thoughts. ]
I've only gone in once or twice, actually. Wanted to go all the way to the top floor, see the city lights from the highest bridge at night. I think I was stuck in that elevator for half an hour while it climbed, and eventually I gave up and went back down.
The time you spent going back down could've been used completing your journey, you know.
[ ...but she won't give him too hard of a time, the Towers can get a little much even for someone as good with people and crowds as she is. The further into the area they encroach, the more she looks around; she lingers on the washing station and then the main shrine building, but turns back to him soon enough. ]
If you wouldn't mind being my teacher for the moment, Arisato... Both times I've been here, it's only been for a quick stop. [ In... a way. ] I'm sure there's a proper way to go about that, so...
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I'd like that. It's been quite some time since I visited the shrines... Ah, though come to think of it, I've never visited them in the daytime before. [ Mmm. ] I'm certain they're even lovelier in the day as they are at night.
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Take your time finishing you tea. I'll be around ten minutes.
[ Even if it feels as if time slows and stretches the moment the words leave his mouth. Nothing to do but to stand and wait, maybe make sure that the hot water isn't running low, or the tins of tea leaves are all shut tight. ]
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Of course, she wiled away the time simply reading books, but it was family-owned. He didn't mind if she slacked off a little. Elizabeth nurses her tea for a bit, at least until she pulls out a deck of playing cards and tips them out gently onto the counter. ]
Do you know anything about cartomancy, Arisato? [ very pleasant. she can still do a little conversation. ] It's something I've picked up recently.
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Cartomancy isn't a word he's familiar with, let alone the art, so he blinks down at the cards for a moment trying to piece it together— he knows "cartography" and "necromancy" but map... magic... doesn't sound like the right definition here. There are cards, but card tricks doesn't sound right either... ]
Nothing at all. What's it about?
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[ Or so she's read. She had a good time sussing out Dave's fortune, though. ]
Tarot is the most common form of it, but you can certainly do it even with simple cards like this. Hence, I've been practicing. [ She hasn't found a tarot deck that she likes, and... she doesn't know if she really wants to mess with it like that, anyway. It hits a little too close to home, to say, and Elizabeth carefully shuffles her cards. ] Simply focus on a query or circumstance while you shuffle, and once you feel as if you've done it enough, spread your cards out like so...
[ She'll do so on the counter, neatly laid out. ]
And pick some cards. Three is the most common number, but one is quite good for anything you may want a quick answer to. There's also larger spreads and ones in between those as well. [ ... ] But I've made myself most familiar with one and three cards, at least for now.
[ Speaking of: she'll pick a card herself. Four of hearts... ]
My, that's favorable. The red suits, hearts and diamonds, symbolize positives. Hearts in particular are for relationships, both romantic and platonic varieties. This one in particular... [ Mm. ] Things are slightly less clear with simply one card, I'll admit, but if I recall correctly, this one represents emotional stability and the strengthening of bonds in some way.
[ THROUGH MARRIAGE OR PHYSICAL INTIMACY, TYPICALLY, but given her thing was of a platonic nature she's willing to interpret it differently and not think about the other Elizabeth's relationships at all. ]
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Hm... ]
Is it only the diviner who can ask the questions? Or can I keep a question in my mind without sharing and have you read the cards...?
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The latter, provided you at least shuffle them for a little while. That imbues your energy and question in them, supposedly. [ It's superstition, but we don't mess with superstition in this house, so. ] Would you like to give it a try?
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It's that, then.
Should I have run away? Did I really hurt them? Is it too late to go home and say I'm sorry?
...
That's more than one question. Just the one, then: "Did I do the right thing?" ]
...Alright.
[ He sets the cards flat on the counter, and slides it over in front of Elizabeth. ]
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Depending on the nature of your problem, or how specific you'd like the answer to be... Please pick either one card, or three of them. If it's three, lay them neatly in a line in the order you pick them.
[ So the first will be left, second will be middle, third will be right.
...here's a generator. ]
There's no right or wrong answer... Simply choose those which call to you.
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Two of clubs.
Three of clubs.
Six of diamonds. ]
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To begin... Spreads with more black suits than red tend to be negatively-inclined, though the final card of any draw is always the strongest influence on how one should read them. It's quite fortunate that your last card was a red suit then, wasn't it? [ haa, though... ] Even if it was the Six of Diamonds.
[ If it's any consolation: this is not the worst final card she's seen. Then again, it's hard to beat the Ten of Spades. ]
We'll begin there, as it colors the rest of them... It represents a lack of communication and nervous energy—it's a contributor to how restless and high-strung diamonds can be. The Two of Clubs and Three of Clubs both ordinarily symbolize quite wonderful things—benevolent correspondence, gifts of both the material and immaterial variety, such as time, effort, and advice for the former, and for the latter: an increased understanding, and good fortune in all ventures. Particularly for business and social matters. Yet, in a trio with this one...
[ ...she drums her fingers back on the six of diamonds. ]
I suppose I'd read it as such: that the first two cards are opportunities you have missed for some reason or another. [ She's not going to say it's because he doesn't talk, but... ] What opportunities these could be are endless—diamonds topping clubs implies your practical matters are in order, at the very least, so I'll wager it isn't business-related. If not that, then social... Time that could have been spent bettering relationships and learning from another, lost due to ignorance. I'm not unsympathetic, [ a briefly sad smile before it flits to neutral ] but it would seem you're being scolded.
[ A slight pause, before Elizabeth looks at him and rests her chin in the palm of her other hand, fingers curled against her cheek. ]
It's never too late to turn it around, though. If we go purely by suits: clubs beside clubs represents taking action, and clubs beside diamonds represents reward—it isn't a terrible spread to take advice from, on that end.
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And he's being scolded by the cards. The thought makes him laugh, just a huff of breath that he lets go in order to draw another in; one that feels a little like relief. ]
That answers my question pretty well. It's been a long time since I've been scolded by anybody...
[ Not because he's been a saint- far from it- but he has precious few people who care enough to do so, who put more stock in him than his feelings. ]
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That's too noisy, after all. ]
Ask me for a reading any time, and I'm certain they'll be more than happy to scold you again. Provided you deserve it, at least.
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[ Since... his shift seems to be over, glancing up at the clock on the wall when he turns it to slide the smile off his face. He'd probably burned through a lot of those ten minutes sitting there trying to decide on a question in the first place, but it was time better spent questioning than cleaning already clean cups. ]
Still want that walk?
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[ ...It's a joke, but really, if he'd rather go home... Elizabeth shuffles them one final time before she puts them away. Her tea's not quite done, and she eyes it... then simply drinks the rest and sets that aside, too.
...oh. ]
Does Tea Kittle do tips...? I've been carrying change on hand recently, just in case there are chilies to donate to.
[ she killed nazuna and mao with ghost peppers it was Fine ]
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[ He's just. Tired. And would like to go home, but even he'd feel bad about Elizabeth doing so much for him, just to turn around and go "Bye." He takes the cup instead to rinse out before hanging his apron and getting his things from the back room. ]
We don't usually do tips, but we could probably start a robot cat fund. ...The owner's allergic to cats. [ Evidently, by how overly cat themed the shop is without having an actual cat around. They haven't found a better solution than a robot cat yet. ] Or you can hold onto the coins and donate them at the shrines.
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Hmmmm. Regardless, there's $20 set on the counter, and she tucks her wallet back away. ] For your robot cat fund. I sympathize with the cat allergy... I'm quite the same way. All of my friends have one or more of them however, and even my roommates do as well...
[ #suffering but she loves cats, so it's fine. she's willing to die like this. ]
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All the same, Minato finds an empty jar and Sharpies "ROBOT CAT FUND" on the glass before folding the donation up inside and setting it by the register. ]
Thanks. My roommate has a cat... I try to lint roller my clothes every morning, but if I ever make you cry, it might only be 98% my fault.
[ Cat fur is impossible to remove completely; how do you live at home ]
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also she dies slowly, and also does her best to keep everything clean, and just takes medicine when she needs to. BOTH OF HER ROOMMATES KNEW SHE HAD AN ALLERGY AND STILL GOT CATS SO....... ]
Duly noted. You'd be the first boy to make me cry though, if you do. [ A light smile, before she collects her things and gestures to the door. ] Shall we?
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[ ...Was that not supposed to be a challenge? He can't imagine a scenario where it would happen though, outside of letting cats loose inside the music building, so he lets that lie in silence while he ducks back to collect his coat, zipping it all the way up so that it covers his neck and mouth before leaving.
It's cold outside and he ducks his head a little further so that even his nose is covered by the collar. The shrine isn't too far from here, but he's used to going alone, setting his legs to autopilot to carry him there while his mind wanders at a different pace. ]
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She's content to be quiet though—sitting in silence and walking in silence are two completely different things, after all? One is slightly more awkward. The second, at least, has a motion attributed to it. She likes looking at the snow too, or idly glancing at store windows to see if there's anywhere she'd like to stop on her way home today... She can keep herself busy, essentially.
And the shrine isn't far, either. Elizabeth perks up a little when it comes into view, and she smiles with a soft clap. ]
It truly is different walking in during the day, instead of running or flying in at night...
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There aren't many streets lights around, and the city lights wash out everything else when flying overhead. When I first flew in, the only thing I could see were the Towers.
[ Presumably Elizabeth is rich enough to have her own private jet that she goes around taking midnight flights on IDK ]
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...That requires getting back on the topic of Minako. How is she supposed to explain that his sister has a dragon. Actually, she has two dragons, Elizabeth has been lucky to meet both of them— ]
They're quite striking, aren't they? [ Even from the ground. ] They're also one of my favorite places to shop... I suppose that's not unusual though.
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I've only gone in once or twice, actually. Wanted to go all the way to the top floor, see the city lights from the highest bridge at night. I think I was stuck in that elevator for half an hour while it climbed, and eventually I gave up and went back down.
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[ ...but she won't give him too hard of a time, the Towers can get a little much even for someone as good with people and crowds as she is. The further into the area they encroach, the more she looks around; she lingers on the washing station and then the main shrine building, but turns back to him soon enough. ]
If you wouldn't mind being my teacher for the moment, Arisato... Both times I've been here, it's only been for a quick stop. [ In... a way. ] I'm sure there's a proper way to go about that, so...
[ Be her senpai, or something. ]
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