The cards told a tale of heartbreak, but held the promise of overcoming that which threatened to strangle. Alys peeked at Hotaru from under her lashes, surprised to find that the woman stared at the cards as though seeing into another space. Another time. When Alys reached to touch Hotaru's hand, she could see a woman at war with herself; in the end, the other woman turned her hand over, her fingers skimming the underside of Alys's wrist.
The Seer swallowed hard and, before she could think too deeply, gripped Hotaru's hand in her own. Not usually one for offering support, she was surprised to find that it was almost natural, bracing Hotaru against her past and present struggles in this way. She was even more surprised when Hotaru offered further insight, exposing her fears to someone she barely knew, leaning into the reading in a way that Alys was wholly unused to. Mostly, she'd been met with skeptics and cynics, but this... belief warmed her in a way she hadn't thought possible.
With her free hand, Alys flipped another card and laid it under the Ace of Cups. "The Hanged Man," she said, gently straightening the card, which showed an upside-down man hanging by a foot. Surrender. Letting go. New perspectives. Alys drew another card. "The Emperor, reversed." A stern-looking man on a throne: inflexibility and excessive control. "You have a need to keep everything carefully under control. If you can control things, they can't hurt you. But moving forward means letting go, surrendering. Accepting that things being out of your control is a part of life."
It wasn't a straight answer, but the cards were hardly ever black and white. Alys squeezed Hotaru's hand, compelled to continue, building from the cards' momentum. "Love is hard. Letting people in is hard. I can't tell you what kinds of relationships may be coming your way. It could be romantic. It could be platonic. It could be familial. But you need to open yourself up. Feel your emotions. It's the only way to know that you're alive."
The Seer swallowed hard and, before she could think too deeply, gripped Hotaru's hand in her own. Not usually one for offering support, she was surprised to find that it was almost natural, bracing Hotaru against her past and present struggles in this way. She was even more surprised when Hotaru offered further insight, exposing her fears to someone she barely knew, leaning into the reading in a way that Alys was wholly unused to. Mostly, she'd been met with skeptics and cynics, but this... belief warmed her in a way she hadn't thought possible.
With her free hand, Alys flipped another card and laid it under the Ace of Cups. "The Hanged Man," she said, gently straightening the card, which showed an upside-down man hanging by a foot. Surrender. Letting go. New perspectives. Alys drew another card. "The Emperor, reversed." A stern-looking man on a throne: inflexibility and excessive control. "You have a need to keep everything carefully under control. If you can control things, they can't hurt you. But moving forward means letting go, surrendering. Accepting that things being out of your control is a part of life."
It wasn't a straight answer, but the cards were hardly ever black and white. Alys squeezed Hotaru's hand, compelled to continue, building from the cards' momentum. "Love is hard. Letting people in is hard. I can't tell you what kinds of relationships may be coming your way. It could be romantic. It could be platonic. It could be familial. But you need to open yourself up. Feel your emotions. It's the only way to know that you're alive."
alys glasse
waiting for the right mind to drive insane
