dantesdichotomy (dantesdichotomy) wrote in worldsapart_ic, @ 2019-05-02 20:50:00 |
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Entry tags: | xx_dante ruiz, xx_naeva lindard |
What The Cards Tell Us
Who: Dante Ruiz and Nina Erins (aka Naeva Linard)
What: A date goes in a very different direction.
When: Wednesday, April 3rd, Evening (Backdated)
Where: Downtown Los Angeles
Rating: PG
He wasn’t looking for something magical… that feeling… whatever it was… that made a person feel like they were with the person that they wanted to be with. That feeling that he knew that his grandparents had felt. That feeling that he somehow saw when he saw the two of them together, even if it was just the pair being wordless and just… being themselves. Dante may not have been able to explain whatever that was, but he knew that he believed in it, because he saw it so often.
Casual dating had made up a decent portion of Dante’s social life for a few years, ever since his last meaningful relationship ended. That one, he remembered, hurt when the end came… but it was also a natural end. Their lives were moving in different trajectories, and neither of them felt strong enough about their union to budge in ways that could have allowed the relationship to continue on. Dante remembered it fondly, and took comfort in the knowledge that, despite how much the breakup hurt at the time, he no longer felt that pang. Now he just remembered the good times. Mostly.
While casual dating was something that Dante frequently found himself participating in, casual relationships were basically an impossibility for him. He didn’t judge people who did, it was just something that didn’t fit his character. Dante was the kind of person who committed to a relationship when it got to the point where it was an actual relationship. Of course, Mami still thought that he was a virgin… and that wasn’t a conversation he really wanted to have with his grandmother… possibly ever. Or maybe she didn’t think that about him anymore, not really, but she just… didn’t want to talk about it, either.
Andrea was the niece of one of his coworkers. Like Dante, she was a Los Angeles native. Her Uncle, who worked at the same company as Dante, but in another department, had been subtly hinting that they should try to set up a dinner or something for a while, and their e-mail conversation eventually did end in the request to meet up and share a meal. Dante used his work e-mail, of course. Andrea seemed like a very lovely woman, but, at least at that point, he was treating… whatever it was that they had… as something firmly etched in infancy.
She picked the place to eat, which was a tactic that Dante usually employed when he was going on a first date. He didn’t want to seem pushy, and, for the most part, Dante could find something to eat just about anywhere. As they were both locals, that helped keep them away from the chain places, like an Olive Garden or something. Not that those places were bad, but local flavor was almost always preferred.
Andrea was an attractive woman, to be sure. Tall-ish, he would have guessed 5’9’’, with mid length brunette hair and green eyes. They had meaningless, if amusing, conversations. The things he learned about his coworker certainly included a few tidbits that he would have to confirm at a later date. But the conversations were just pleasantries, nothing more, nothing less. He wasn’t expecting a spark, but he doubted that he’d get it with her. Still, he was having a good time, and there was no need to just cut ties entirely.
He held the door open for her as they left the restaurant. It was located in one of the many areas of Los Angeles that stayed active until the early hours of the morning. While East Los Angeles would always be Dante’s home turf, as long as he was in some portion of Los Angeles, he would probably always be comfortable.
While there weren’t a bunch of people dressed up in costumes, looking to take pictures with tourists for a tip, like one would usually find in Hollywood, there were a fair amount of street vendors, musicians and the like. “Is there anything else that you’d like to do around here, Andrea?”
The woman was ready to decline the offer, but something being offered caught her attention. “I think that person over there is doing tarot cards. You know… fortune telling? What do you think? Could be fun, right?”
“I…” and he was ready to say no, but he stopped himself. What was the harm? He gave a quick shrug of his shoulders. “Sure. Why not?”
Andrea smiled, grabbed him by the arm and led the way over. “I wonder if this stuff is for real.” She was talking to Dante, or at least he assumed that she was, but her voice was well within earshot of anywhere nearby.
..
It was the least she could do, really, being here to help; despite the brush-off she’d originally given, she’d come anyway, cheerfully showing up in front of Annette’s table with a bright, “Changed my mind!” Annette - still not used to her quirks, but grateful for the help - quickly put her to work setting up, and before long, the knick-knack and oddity stall was ready to get rid of whatever the woman had found in the past few days. Most of it was junk, honestly; odds and ends that Nina didn’t think had a drop of magic in them, despite Annette’s insistence.
Really, though, it wasn’t all that interesting as she’d hoped. Before long, she’d grown bored, sitting down off to the side and whimsically pulling out her cards. A quick one-card for the day, however, resulted in Ten of Pentacles - which at least encouraged her to stay and see what happened, as opposed from just skipping away.
It caught the eye of a few others, though, and before long, she was doing her own set of business. Annette, at first, was a bit skeptical- however, when Nina managed to smoothly transition a read or two in to ‘you know, there’s a good charm on the table that could help stave off some of that bad luck we saw’, she accepted the change in ‘help’ style and continued about her own business as Nina found a marker to scribble up a quick sign.
Readings - $15, half off with purchase →
Easy enough. And considering she was doing only basic spreads, she figured it was a low enough cost to entice some appeal. Already she was getting more out of today than she thought she would, and Nina smiled happily to herself as she leaned back in her chair, idly shuffling her cards.
“-wonder if this stuff is for real?”
A glance towards the voice. A couple, man and woman, and- by the way the woman was on the man’s arm, had to be an actual couple. Immediately, Nina put on another smile - her most charming, winning one, offering the lady a wink.
“Judging by how the day’s going, I’d say the cards are behaving themselves and being honest. Would you and your friend like to see what they have to say for your own paths?”
..
Andrea was silent for a moment, giving a look at the woman that seemed to be a mix of alarm that she had been heard, and worry that whatever it was that she had said was enough to offend the person who was doing the task that she had just questioned. She shook those feelings off almost immediately, however, knowing full well that what she said wasn’t really offensive. “Yes, could you do a read for both of us, please?” Just in case she had put her foot in it, she decided to add the please. Be nice. Maybe it would help with the reading. How was she supposed to know?
Dante looked at the offerings of the stall that they were at, seeing the sign that was offering a discount. In his lifetime, Dante had been to more than a few flea markets in the area. As a child, it was one of his favorite weekend activities to do with Mami and Papi. And, to this day, it was still one of the better places to get certain produce. Any time he went, he made sure to get Mami some mangoes. Which he hated, personally, but… if his grandmother loved something, he’d spend money on it, regardless of his own personal feelings on the matter. Well… most of the time.
This particular stall didn’t have anything that attracted his attention. Indeed, if it wasn’t for Andrea’s assistance, he probably wouldn’t have even walked over by himself. Instead, he just reached into his wallet. When he paid for dinner, which included her single glass of wine, which was worth noting because Dante, who did not drink, would never pay for alcohol under any other situation other than being on a date, he used his debit card. However, Dante almost always had a small amount of cash on him at all times. Maybe for one of those flea markets. Maybe because the churro stands at Disneyland were easier to get in and out of if he just handed the cast member some cash. Maybe because, growing up, he didn’t always have cash on hand. The Ruiz family was rich with love, not money, and while Dante did not resent his upbringing, it did leave a lasting impact on him well into adulthood.
It was during this quick scan of the stall that Dante noticed Andrea take a phone call, which she signaled wordlessly by putting her index finger up and walking away. Not really worth noticing. He pulled out the money to pay the card reader, a twenty and a ten, and put it on the table, ready to wait for his date to finish her phone call. “Okay,” he heard her say to the person on the other end of the line. “I got it.”
Andrea finished the call and her posture changed slightly. “So… Dante… that was my best friend. You remember me mentioning him? High strung as all hell, but quite possibly the sweetest person in the world?”
“Yeah. Is he okay?”
“He’s just doing his usual self-doubt spiral. Swears he’s not going to pass this exam he needs to pass in grad school, even though he always passes. But he’s begging me to help him study.” She paused. “I’m really sorry, but I gotta go.”
Dante gave a quick nod. “I get it. Your friend needs you. Just drive safe, okay?”
He made no movement for a hug, a kiss, nothing. Again, waiting for her to decide what she was comfortable with. When she put out her hand, he gave it a quick shake. “Thank you for understanding. It really was nice meeting you.” And, with a quick smile, Andrea was on her way off.
Dante turned around, facing the card reader. “You think those cards will be able to tell me if she actually does need to help her best friend, or if I basically just got written off?”
..
“Of course.” Nina’s eyes practically sparkled, seemingly having taken no offense. And why would she have, really? People doubted them all the time. Hell, she doubted them from time to time, but most of it...well, they seemed to tug her one way or another, and without much else of a guide, who was she to say ‘no’ to the pull of what some called fate? “Why don’t you take a bit and figure out what you want to ask, or I can give you a general idea.”
Then there was a phone call to take, and Nina only listened with half an ear as she sized up the guy. If she had to guess...first or second date, judging by how they were interacting with one another, but it was at least going decently. Couldn’t quite see enough in the two of them and how they interacted to tell whether or not this was something she could claim to be true love, but at least a beginning, probably? Already she was forming a general thought of how to read the cards, something to look for as a potential guiding line.
At least, until the girl had to leave. Nina arched her brow, especially at the pause between the handshake - well, well. That changed things. Quite a lot, actually, but at least the money was still on the table (for another moment, anyway, because she was quickly stowing it under) and this wasn’t a complete loss. For that, and the poor guy?
“Tell you what,” she began, doing one more shuffle. “I’m usually only giving people four of vie cards, but for you, I’ll give you what they call the ‘comic strip’. Easy spread for even the people who don’t know how to read, because you can look at the pictures yourself and piece things together. Not only are we going to try and figure out if this is a dead end, but...”
The deck was held up to him.
“...we’ll see what lies down the road for you. Go ahead and cut the deck, or shuffle it yourself if you’d like; I find it works best if the one I’m reading for actually handle them a bit.”
Not untrue. In her mind, this was the way of getting the other person involved, letting the cards get to know the other - at least, for whatever that meant. More likely than not, it was just superstition, but even then, it gave her a little bit more time to stall and get a read on them.
“I’m guessing you haven’t known her that long, huh?” she casually asked. Just to confirm her suspicions.
..
“First date. Blind one, too… I guess. We had been communicating by e-mail for a little while before we set up today’s date.” So maybe not totally blind. But, like, sight unseen? Semantics. “I work with her uncle. He’s been trying to set us up for awhile.” Dante had a feeling that his coworker was one of those people who believed that, by their age, young adults should have already been married, possibly with children, or at least with the plan to have children. Dante knew what it was like to interact with people like that. Most of his uncles fell into that category, too. Dante himself? Obviously, he was still dating, and didn’t have kids… so, like in so many other ways, he found himself deviating from the Ruiz family norm.
“Comic strip, huh?” His interest was increased just by the name. It certainly wasn’t Peanuts, or something like that, but he never thought that such a phrase would be used for card reading. His own ignorance, really. After all, Dante didn’t give much thought to card reading altogether. “Sounds interesting.”
“I’ll just cut the deck.” He stated, eyeballing the deck for a moment and splitting it where he thought was roughly around the middle. The reason why he didn’t shuffle wasn’t really because he was spooked by the possible mysticism behind the cards, no… it was purely because, to his chagrin, Dante did not have any idea how to shuffle cards. It was one of the finer skills that he had just never seemed to get a grip on. One of his secret shames, really. Not that she needed to know about that. And she didn’t seem to have any problems shuffling, either. There was the smallest ping of jealousy for that.
He handed the deck back to her, “I’m Dante, by the way. Figure if you’re telling me what’s in my future, you probably should know my name.” All of that checked out in his mind. “You… mentioned something about being able to ask questions? What kind of questions do you normally get asked before you do one of these?”
..
“Pleasure, Dante. I’m Nina, and I’ll be your fortuneteller for the day. Sorry about the lack of crystal ball.” Always good to slip in a joke now and then, keep the mood light. Some people took this kind of thing way too seriously, more than they should, and if they received bad news tended to take it as set in stone...as opposed to, well, being able to be changed. That was partly why Nina enjoyed her readings so much; helping people honestly gave her one of those warm and fuzzy feelings that were so rare, and so important.
To her, at least.
Accepting the deck’s return, she shrugged a little at the question. “Oh, ‘should I look for a new job’, ‘where will I find the one’, ‘what do I need to watch out for’, that kind of thing. A kid came by earlier and managed to talk their dad into letting them have a read; theirs was, ‘what should I be when I grow up’.” Her smile returned, albeit pressed a little thin with humor. “I don’t tell and tell, so you’ll just have to wonder on that one.”
Though the boy had gotten a kick out of both the Magician and Emperor being in his spread. Two strong cards of power, honestly, Nina had seen him becoming whatever he darn well wanted to be, for better or worse. She’d tried, at least, to offer something a little helpful to others with such a force; a teacher, perhaps, or an authority. “You could be a real-life superhero,” she’d said, which had absolutely tickled him to no end.
But for this guy? She was already wondering. It was bad form to deal before the question had been asked, so for now, she was cocking her head expectantly.
“For you...we could look at where your love life will go in general, or anything else, really. Maybe significant events to watch out for. Completely up to you- and if your question doesn’t fit the strip, I’ve got a few other spreads that use about the same amount of cards.”
..
“Luckily, I’m not the type of person who needs everything to be as stereotypical as possible, Nina.” Indeed, striking against stereotypes had almost always been Dante’s mission in life since… well… forever, really. Although, if he were being completely honest, the idea of having a crystal ball around, that lit up at just the right time, did sound kind of neat. From a purely theatrical point of view. And maybe that was what he was looking for. He didn’t even know.
He had to chuckle at the story about the kid that Nina told him. “Sounds like a pretty smart kid, really.” Kids were getting smarter and smarter as the years went on. At the same time, it was kind of sad that a small child had to ask something like that. Childhood was the time for innocence and superficiality. Something so deep as a career trajectory, that early? It made sense, sure, but he would have wanted his own children to not have to fret about something like that so soon. “I am curious about what the cards said for him, but, like you said… some things are kept between you and your clients.” Maybe the kid was going to be the president. Hell, at that point, he’d probably be better than the one that they already had. Both of them likely had to adhere to nap times, after all.
Dante weighed the options in his mind, thinking about what kind of questions he wanted to ask. Maybe… maybe he didn’t even really want to know anything specific. Like… asking a specific question would sort of cheapen the end result… assuming Dante believed in the authenticity of the reading. Which he wasn’t sure he did. But, in a world where magic existed, who was he to deny at least the possibility?
“That future event thing would probably be best. It could involve my career, my love life, all of those things and more. It’s like a buffet. Little bit of everything.” Yeah, that made sense.
…
“Then comic strip should be fine for you.” And with that, she began the spread- three by three.
"Three of wands. This is you, where you are now; you see how he's standing with these staves, looking out into the distance? He's just started something new. He's expanding his horizons, or maybe just gone on a first date." An impish smile, and she moved to the next card. "Two of Wands. The world is in your hand, my friends, but there's some doubt, especially since you’re looking back at yourself- is this really what you want? Is she really the best fit for you? When you go home, think about how this date was, how she acted...
"Seven of Cups." This card, however, got a few taps - likely because of the fact it was upside-down. "Its energy is stagnated. Normally I'd talk about the rest of the opportunities available to you, but I think, here, this is relating to her. I think she's also a little overwhelmed right now, but they're not being clear as to why. It's mostly interesting because the next card is the Empress, which is a strong femininity; even if she doesn't come back, there *will* be a female presence who comes in to your life. The Empress is known for good sense, compassion, and being a healing influence; she's here for you, and you're going to need it."
Nina paused here, looking at the next five cards for a longer period of time. After a moment, she took a breath and continued.
"Two of Coins. This man is juggling his life, now, because things have gotten hectic - I think as a result of that Empress he’s practically dancing for. He's not sure where to go, and if you look at the water behind, you can see those crazy waves; he has to make a decision soon. Something's about to happen, but that something is leading to...I'm sorry, I have to read these next two cards together."
She adjusted the spread slightly, putting them next to one another.
"The World. The Fool. End and beginning. *Something* is going to change in your life, but it's not...it's not a bad thing." She licked her lips, almost nervously, the words all but pouring out of her. "Of all changes, this is about the best you could get. You're leaving behind an old life and stepping on to a new one. It's nothing like a move, nothing like a marriage, almost..."
A pause, and she glanced up.
"...almost like you're being reborn."
A brief pause, and then she continued, tapping another card that was upside-down.
"Reversed Six of Cups. Something is stopping you from learning everything you can about this new life, this change in situation. You have to let go of what's holding you back and keeping you from accomplishing everything. Especially because you've got a big responsibility in the final card, the Ten of Pentacles. I'd...normally call this the 'money' card, but looking at everything else? You need to plant the seeds to get the harvest. There's been such a big change in your life, here, but...you can use that to help others, if you use what you've learned from everything."
There was another pause, and she leaned back with a heavy breath.
"Two reversed cups. I hate to break it to you, but I don't think you're going to have much luck in the romance factor in the future." The smile was gone by now, and she looked, if anything, a little tired. "You've got some immediate passions, and I think you should enjoy them while you can, buddy. Wish I had better news for you."
…
So… she was using his experience, that she knew about, to try and influence how he interpreted what she was saying. Of course Nina would say something about the date, he told her that it was a blind date. But what if it wasn’t her reading the situation? What if it really was the will of the cards? Figuring that the uncertainty was what drove people a little bit crazy, Dante tried to push those thoughts out of his mind… and yet, they lingered there. Annoyingly. Hardly unexpected.
Even the second card he could brush off as taking known information and making it seem deeper than it probably should have been. Would he think about Andrea? Sure. Did he think he would pursue something more with the woman? Probably not. And he was okay with that.
That third card, though… the Empress. That gave him pause. Good sense. Compassion. Healing influence. Someone that was going to be there for him when he needed it. Those were all things that already described Imelda. And then the fourth card. The way that she described ‘dancing’ for the Empress… that could easily be a way of describing the way that Dante usually did everything that he could to appease the woman who was, without question, the most important person in his life. Disappointing Mami was his worst nightmare. Actually, scratch that. Losing Mami was his worst nightmare.
It was during that portion of the reading that Dante squirmed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. A nervous tick. Easy enough to tell, and one of the easiest ways to read the man, but Nina didn’t know that. Plus, she was focused on the read. So she probably wouldn’t have noticed. And even if she did, did it really matter?
The fact that she was starting to talk in abstracts, or at least in ways that he could view them as abstracts, instead of something that was honed in on a very personal experience caused Dante to loosen up a little bit. “Reborn?” He asked softly, quietly. The word was puzzling, to be sure. He didn’t know what it meant. And basically inferred that it was a good kind of rebirth. The best kind of rebirth. What did that even mean? He wasn’t even looking for something that could constitute rebirth. His brow furrowed, because he was truly confused by what that meant.
The next card did sound like him. He wanted to help people, constantly. People who needed his help. People who deserved his help. People who didn’t deserve his help, but still needed it. But since he didn’t know what about his life could possibly be reborn, he was at a loss as to what he could use from that experience to help other people. Still, it fit his personality. And there was no way that Nina could have gotten that from literally a quick conversation that she overheard between him and a first date. Right? Right?
Hearing the news about his romantic life not going anywhere was… deflating, in a way, but not crushing, really. He knew that he wasn’t in dire need of finding ‘the one,’ or even someone who could act as a longstanding pit stop until he found ‘the one.’ Still, if it just so happened that he was going to have that chance encounter, it would have been nice to know that it was going to come sooner, rather than later. Based on Nina’s read, later seemed more obvious.
“I’m used to taking unfavorable things and… finding a way to work with them.” Maybe not turn them to his advantage, although that was something that happened from time to time. Maybe that part of him that was Caucasian was Irish. He didn’t know. “But if all it means is more churros…” he gave a casual shrug. “There are worse things in life.” Like no churros. The darkest timeline, indeed.
“So… in your experience, as someone who does this, have you ever seen people later on and seen for yourself how much of the read ended up happening at that point?” He wasn’t really a man of science, but Dante was a man of logic, and he liked having data to factor in.
…
“Well, then, maybe you’ll get to see what’s in the next issue of the comic without too much trouble.”
Nina seemed relieved that Dante had taken it rather positively; by the look of him, too, he’d already made some associations. That, at least, was almost guaranteed; people tended to apply their own interpretations no matter what was read. She could have read the entire suit of swords and someone would find a way it made sense; that, at least, or later on when things happened, they’d find ways to trace them back to the reading.
This one was interesting, though. The World and the Fool kept floating in the back of her mind as important; they were, without a doubt, the most important two cards in the reading. And the way they’d been on different rows implied a harsh transition, one worthy of a sudden stop before the story was finished. Part of her would always wonder just what it was that would happen…
“Hm?” His question brought her out of her thoughts and back to the present, and she absentmindedly fiddled with one of her dreads. “Yes and no. I haven’t exactly recognized anyone from the news, but I haven’t forseen anyone winning the lotto, you know? That said, for what it’s worth…”
She leaned forwards conspiratorially.
“I remember every single read. And the couple of regulars I have, the ones whom I do see often enough to confirm what’s going on?”
Another tug of her lips.
“They got what they needed from the reads, whether it’s reassurance, a warning, or anything else. And sometimes people just want to know that the sun’s gonna rise tomorrow, which, I can absolutely promise it will. So, between you and me, ask yourself; what are you taking from this?”
…
What was he taking from this? That was such a simple question, almost an innocent one, in fact… but it carried a lot of weight behind it. Dante looked at Nina for a second before averting his eyes, as if looking at the woman who asked the question somehow made it harder to formulate an answer. The silence lingered in the air for what seemed like forever, even though it was probably only a few seconds. “Honestly… I don’t know?” That was the most accurate way to answer the question that she had given him. He had no clue.
“Like… sure… there are some things that you’re telling me that make sense to me. The Empress sounds like someone I know.” No need to go into further detail with the woman about his grandmother. In truth, Dante had a feeling that if Imelda knew what he was doing, she’d probably pull him away by the ear or something. Despite living in a world where magic was very real, his grandmother was very much the kind of person who believed that God was the only kind of magic a person needed in their life. “And there are a few other things that I might be able to apply to my life without thinking about it too hard…” again, vague, on purpose.
He paused again, trying to process what he was being told by a woman he didn’t know, by means that he wasn’t entirely sure he actually believed in. “This thing about a rebirth, though… I just can’t figure that one out.” The last part of that sentence was an octave or two lower. “There’s nothing going on in my life right now that I can say would mean I was going to be reborn. And there isn’t anything that I can think of that could possibly happen in the future that would qualify as being reborn, either.” He wasn’t in line for a promotion at work, at least not that he was aware of. There wasn’t even a position at work that was available that he could be promoted to at that point in his career. And he was okay with that. Dante was young, and he was hungry for career success, but he was also more than content waiting for his time to come. And it would. He believed that. And even if he was to get a promotion, would that really be a rebirth? Maybe, because he wouldn’t be whatever he was before the promotion. That did make sense.
“And then there’s the romance thing,” easier to process, sure, but no less pleasant to hear. “I may not be looking to meet that one person who is going to make my life complete tomorrow or anything like that, but, eventually, yeah, I’d like that.” Perhaps there was a part of him that actually believed he should have already met that person, been with her, started planning their future together. After all, his grandparents were already parents by the time they were his age. Several of his Tios were already married, and a few of them were already parents, by the time they were his age. Only his mother and one of his Tios remained unattached. And even they had kids, despite lacking a life partner. It was a tough act to follow, in that respect. Especially when, depending on how one looked at it, Dante could be seen as a failure in that respect. And he hated failing just about anything… but failing his family? That was the worst.
Vocalizing his insecurities didn’t make him feel much better about having them, but at least he could say that he processed them… slightly. “So, I guess what I’m taking from this is a lot more questions than answers. On the plus side, at least my date left… because I’m willing to bet that she isn’t the type of person who finds uncertainty to be attractive.” Trying to bring some humor to the situation was almost a sign of desperation. Although it could also be seen as a way of coming to terms with everything that was being said. Again, open for interpretation. Just like the cards.
…
“I’m not sure many people do.” A beat. “Find uncertainty attractive, that is. Unless they’re trying to keep their options open,” Nina added with a light shrug, leaning back just a bit and starting to gather up the cards.
Now, what could she say that would at least get him out of her with a little more optimism…
“Sometimes the cards are just trying to give you advice on where you’re currently heading,” she pointed out. “It may be that with a little adjustment, you can find your partner- but honestly, I wouldn't worry about it that much? You may have enough on your plate soon enough, that trying to wrangle anything else just breaks your back. Not that you can’t try,” she went on. “I mean, even if for whatever reason someone got a reading that was nothing but Tower, Death, and tens in the Swords and Wands - and that would be an awful omen, mind you, not necessarily meaning actual death but still, geez - I’d take it more of ‘hey, there’s a storm coming, batten down the hatches and do what you can to prep yourself!’”
Another little shrug as she began to reshuffle the cards.
“The future’s never certain. Some things in it are pretty much guaranteed to happen, but that whole rebirth thing…”
She frowned a bit, lips pulling to the side as she furrowed her brow and thought about it a little more.
“Endings and beginnings. The World...it’s maybe better said to be completion. Something is being finished, and the universe is guiding you in to the next step of your life- and the Fool?” She chuckled a little. “They’re an idiot, but they’re also innocent. Things’ve stopped holding them back, and they’re on the next step of the journey. It’s the fact that they’re one after the other that makes me think about new cycles and rebirth - if nothing else, some sort of scene change. It’s just…”
Just what? The sense of finality that accompanied the cards. The assurance that this change wasn’t just a small matter. That the Fool was more innocent than ignorant, and simply hadn’t had the chance to understand what had happened to them.
On a whim, she took another card out, this one with its back to Dante. As if to mock her earlier words, the Ten of Wands displayed its worn face; that of a just-as-worn man carrying a burden that was all but more than he could handle. But it wasn’t that what drew her, so much as the town in the background.
Soon.
“...just keep in mind what I said about batting down the hatches, alright?”
…
He felt like she was humoring him now. It wasn’t really her fault that he went into such a spiral of self-reflection. Although, she was the person who had read the cards, and those were the cards that did make him think about things, possibly a little too in detail. But that wasn’t Nina doing it. No, it was all him. And it was all in character, too. One of those qualities that he tried to keep hidden from basically everyone, except for himself. And even then he tried to hide it from himself, but Dante… wasn’t a good liar.
Wordlessly, Dante listened to what Nina was telling him, soaking in this additional knowledge from a woman who, over the span of their short interaction, seemed to be quite well versed in giving advice. Very insightful. But then… maybe that was all part of the plan. He didn’t know. He chose to believe that she was being genuine, even if that belief was firmly rooted in the fact that he just didn’t see the appeal in the alternative.
At her last piece of advice, to batten down the hatches, Dante gave a quick nod of his head. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out another ten, placing it on the table. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, Nina. Here’s a little bit of a tip.” Not the kind of tip that she had given him, and he was fully aware that he paid for both the reading that Andrea was supposed to get and the reading that she gave him, but it didn’t really bother him.
His weight shifted a bit, ready to take a step back and head towards his car, but he stopped himself for a moment, “Maybe you might want to consider putting a couch out when you do readings, too. Just in case you have to give someone another quick shrink session.” Dante grinned softly. “I hope you have a good evening.” One shallow wave later, and Dante walked away. Nina’s words, or at least the words that made the most impact on him, continued to echo in his memory.