[SE] So here's the truth

Elizabeth

Elizabeth could understand that, nodding her head along with the sentiments. Similar to therapy, people took their own meaning from her observations or advice. She could only give them the tools to help them process the events and emotions. The rest was up to them. 

Alys's next image didn't need much explanation considering how miserable the man on the bed looked. She leaned forward to inspect the image. Her move to Halo had evoked the usual nerves of excitement, but she wouldn't say it was to the extent described. Biting her lip, she shook her head with a soft smile, "I can't say that's very comforting." Her accompanying laughter was still light, somewhat unconcerned with the news. She'd deal with whatever may come in stride as she always had. With that in mind, she tilted her head as if to better listen to what revelations the next card might have for her.

Dive into the sea of thought,
and find there pearls beyond price.

If anyone had asked Alys, she would have considered the cards to be a form of therapy - especially when she read for herself. After all, like Elizabeth, all the seer could do was provide the meanings of the cards. What people chose to do with her interpretations was up to them.

Elizabeth took the next card well enough, and Alys cracked a smile. "The thing to remember about the tarot is that there is often positive to be found, even in the darkest of cards. Take Death, for example: it might mean the passing of something old, certainly, but the flip side is that it ushers in a new beginning. It is a metamorphosis of sorts. Perhaps there is something positive to be found for you in this reading, if we look for the connections."

With that, she pulled another card. Her illusion flickered and shifted into something new: a winged angel with a trumpet, presiding over a group of people below. "Judgement," said Alys. "A moment of reflection and awakening. This might be a time of self-evaluation, to consider how past decisions might affect the future. If you do suffer from any anxiety over a recent decision, this card calls you to use this time to consider the best path forward and leave behind whatever ails you."

ALYS GLASSE

Elizabeth

Elizabeth could very much appreciate the example, nodding her head. "That's understandable. Life and death. Yin and Yang. Push and pull. Give and take. The world always finds a way to balance itself. We just have to look in the right places." It was something similar she told her own clients. There are two sides to every coin after all. It didn't make one side less 'correct' or 'real,' but both needed to be considered to see the truth in the whole - to find the light in the dark. She would just have to do the same when the time came. 

Considering the angel that shifted into the illusion, Elizabeth let the new piece of information fit into the larger image. "So... I will have negative feelings about a change, but if I release that tension, it will help me grow as a person? Is that about right?" She didn't want to make assumptions or steal the seer's thunder, but she was curious if her understanding of the links was correct.

Dive into the sea of thought,
and find there pearls beyond price.

Alys was pleased with how quickly Elizabeth seemed to grasp the nuance of the cards, and she nodded along with the therapist as she spoke. "I couldn't have said it better myself," she agreed warmly. The universe always sought balance, and the cards sought to guide the querent towards that balance. The decisions one made and the paths one took determined how in or out of balance one became.

Allowing her illusions to fade entirely, Alys nodded again. "Yes," she said. "You're a natural." She grinned at her friend. It was always nice to read for someone who didn't require her to spell out the intricate interplay between cards. "Do you have any questions for the cards?" she asked. Sometimes people needed a little extra clarification, but if Elizabeth was happy with the outcome, then their reading had come to a natural close.

ALYS GLASSE

Elizabeth

The plethora of praise and compliments had her blushing slightly at the flattery. Shaking her head, she laughed lightly. "Thank you, but it's only because your images and explanations are so comprehensive." Smiling, she looked closely again at the cards and how spot-on her illusions had been. "You really have a talent for it."

Elizabeth momentarily considered whether she had any specifics to ask, but quickly dismissed the idea, certain she had enough to think about. "Not for now, but I'll let you know if I think of anything." She sent Alys a playful wink, wondering if the next time she sought out the seer's expertise, it might be in search of the stereotypical 'romance' request. For the time being, she settled into comfortable conversation with the woman, content to enjoy their time together until they'd ultimately depart for their homes. 

[FIN]

Dive into the sea of thought,
and find there pearls beyond price.