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Riverview Moderator ([personal profile] riverviewmod) wrote in [community profile] riverviewlogs2018-01-01 08:00 pm
Entry tags:

monthly mingle: THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: monthly mingle: the festival of light
when: The month of January.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

festival of light


In the days leading up to January 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The Festival of Light. This holiday is in celebration of the end of the Quarantine's short-lived winter and serves to welcome the new year. The traditions associated with The Festival of Light involve fireworks every weekend of the month, a days-long formal ball that with an open invitation to everyone in the city, and lighting magical candles and incense with loved ones and new friends alike.

a celebration of the end of winter and the new year


As the Capitol World stops blocking the path between the sun and its moon, the snow melts and the rains of early spring begin to fall and the residents of the Quarantine gather together to celebrate the new year. New beginnings are honored as the sky is lit with fireworks to banish the cold and dark of winter, and residents share the light and warmth of the new year with each other by sharing candles and incense with fellow residents. These traditions are steeped in magic, like many other things in Riverview, and have certain magical emotional effects on participants. Additionally, over the weekend of January 5th - 8th, the Government will be hosting a formal ball to welcome the New Year, which is open to all residents and offers food, drink, dancing, and other activities, as well as places to stay the night and relax or 'relax' with friends.


i. fireworks


One of the main traditions of the Festival of Light is to brighten the sky to welcome the new year, and as always, the Government of Riverview and various other city entities including businesses and various organizations and clubs, have gone all out to light up the sky. Each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the month of January, residents can gather outside on the beaches or park, or indoors at various observation lounges set up on city rooftops for the occasion, to watch elaborate, beautiful fireworks displays.

Outdoor observation is facilitated by use of rented forced-air umbrellas that make viewing the fireworks without having to squint into the rain or peer out from under a traditional umbrellas easy. Curl up with a friend or lover under an umbrella to watch the fireworks displays. Temporary indoor observation lounges have also been set up on most of the rooftops of buildings in the city, if the outdoors isn't your thing. The lounges can range from simple transparent-roofed spaces with rustic benches and hot cocoa to elaborate, fancy bars or restaurants with food service, music, and dancing. Some of the lounges may even have themes, whether they're 18+ adult or just quirky. Let your imagination run wild - if you can think of it, someone in the city's probably set one up.


ii. lighting up


Throughout the city, residents will find booths and special sections in their favorite stores set up with stands displaying magical incense and candles in a wide variety of colors. These are traditional trappings of the Festival of Light, the original and ancient tradition that's built up into the modern celebration as residents know it. Most prolific are the candles - ranging from tiny tea lights to large pillar candles, they are inscribed with the word 'glow' in a variety of different alien languages, including some that residents might recognize. The incense comes in small variety of dusky, earthen colors, each with a different scent and effect, all clearly labeled.

Candles are meant to be lit with one or more other people, and when this tradition is observed properly with a candle inscribed 'glow' - the wick lit by two or more people at the same time, and held together between them for a minimum of 30 seconds - every participant will feel and see certain magical effects. As the candle is held between the participants, they will start to see each other's skin glow, seemingly lit from inside, and as the glow increases, all participants will start to feel an emotional lightness. Stress and despair will slowly dissipate, giving the participants a temporary feeling of absolute contentment, warm and happy. The effects last from 5 minutes to a full 24 hours, depending on the number of people who participate and the length of time the candle is held between participants (more participants or longer timespans will increase the length of the effect), and effects are cumulative - lighting a large number of candles with different people will cause the effect to draw out for longer.

Incense is something usually lit in private, at home or a small gathering at a friend's house, and in recent years as the celebration has become a bit more modernized and commercialized, at the Glow Ball. There are a few varieties of incense with different psychological effects, all of which are pleasant and take strongest effect when the incense is lit with one or more other people, and enjoyed long enough for the whole stick to burn down. Orange and yellow incense will increase feelings of affection and openness, sienna red incense will do the same but also induce arousal; blue-grey incense will make it easier to share and ease grief and sadness, while grey-purple will lull participants into an easy sleep with pleasant dreams.


iii. glow ball


Every year during the Festival of Light, the Government of Riverview hosts a formal ball called the Glow Ball on the first weekend of the month - this year, it spans from nightfall on Friday January 5th until dawn on Monday January 8th. The ball is a relatively new custom, but has quickly skyrocketed to one of the most anticipated events of many residents' year. Similar to the castle-themed maze during Hygge, the Glow Ball is hosted inside a beautiful golden palace erected in the City Center that is much larger on the inside than it appears to be on the outside. While there is no specific theme to the ball, many residents take it as an opportunity to really glow in a wide variety of ways, all up to each person's imagination.

The palace is magically-augmented to be lavish, comfortable, and fully-stocked at all times, and features a banquet hall with ample and frequently-replenished food, a bar and lounge area for attendees to get a drink and sit for a while, a beautiful grand ballroom as well as several smaller ballrooms with different styles of music, a swimming pool with hot tubs, a garden, and smaller private vestibules that feature a pillow lounge, incense selection, and a small bedroom where residents can rest or enjoy each others' company in private.

NOTE: New characters are welcome to join in with the party, even if they haven't had time to prepare. Any new arrivals who come to the party in the clothing they arrived in will be whisked up by a fussy light golem or attendant who will fit them with a nice set of clothing for the evening so they can enjoy the festivities.


dinner and dancing


The banquet hall is ringed with tables that offer a buffet food catered to the time of day - breakfast in the morning, light food in the afternoon, lavish dinners in the evening, and desserts, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, and snacks available all night. With ample seating at group tables, residents can share a meal with friends new and old. The bar and lounge has several large free bars staffed by glowing, ethereal light golems that never tire and never get an order wrong, and offers seating at tables and in cozy dimly-lit booths. Riverview's drinking age is 14 years old.

The grand ballroom is themed golden this year, with the walls tiled in gold and featuring a dance floor of white marble veined with gold. The grand ballroom has classical, traditional dance music playing for those who want a classy formal dance. There are four wing ballrooms that feature different genres of music for residents who enjoy alternate types of dancing, with the genres consistently rotating - whether you like punk, country, rock, pop, or any other type of music from any planet or country, it's likely to be playing in a wing ballroom at some point. Schedules are posted outside of each door and there are four genres per wing ballroom per day.


swimming and gardens


Another feature of the Glow Ball is the beautiful swimming pool - warm enough to be comfortable but cool enough to be refreshing, the outdoor pool has both flower petals and the season's glow candles floating on it, a champagne service offered by light golems, and tables to sit and enjoy a drink and conversation while drying off. There are also small hot tubs ringing the swimming pool where residents can soak away the aches and pains of the day. The pool offers change rooms where speaking a magical incantation (helpfully posted on the door) will change the occupant's formal clothing into an equivalent swimsuit, and will change it back (and dry the occupant) after the dip has been taken.

The gardens are also available for any attendees who want to get a bit of fresh air. With beautiful flower-lined winding paths under a perpetually starry sky and ample candles hanging from the trees and edging the paths for visibility, the gardens are a scenic and relaxing place to take some time away from the light and get some air.


privacy


For residents who want a little private time or want to spend more than just an evening at the ball, there are small private vestibules scattered throughout the palace. Featuring a lounge area with pillows and lap tables for eating, and a comfortable queen-size bed, each room also has a vanity whose drawers hold both suitable pajamas for sleeping in and (in 18+ rooms only) supplies for intimacy ranging from massage oils to packaged toys. And most importantly, each room is fully stocked with a selection of the season's incenses for use in private.


v. roommates or wildcard

Feel free to use this prompt to meet new roommates, for the purpose of getting to know each other, or hit up the mod-posted prompt to create a Communal Housing floor mingle. Or, if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set during the Festival of Light, feel free to write it up!



visual inspiration


click on thumbnails for larger view


Credit: image i: Jakub Grygier; image ii: Shutterstock; image iii & iv: credit unknown

navigation
burntbridges: To the unknown (Glance ☿ How long baby)

fireworks

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-04 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
The people here call them 'fireworks'. They light gunpowder and launch it into the sky - it catches fire up there when it explodes. It's lovely to watch, isn't it?

[She isn't even sure if he knows what gunpowder is, but she wouldn't be the right person to explain it... in any case, she can immediately pick out his accent as being the same as Ivar's.

And Ragnar may notice that she has an English accent, despite her fur cloak being something very Norse in make. The dress underneath is frilly and gothic, but between the cloak and her soot-based makeup, and the crow skull adorning her hair, she's definitely got some air of Norse about her.
]

Are you a Viking? I seem to have met a lot of them lately.
storradr: (15)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-05 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
[He had no idea what gunpowder was but, at the moment, it didn't seem overly important. Something highly flammable, obviously.]

They are just to look at? [Not that they weren't beautiful, but he had to wonder if they were like fire-arrows. It certainly didn't seem like they were under attack, however.

Her question got his attention, enough so that he tore his gaze away from the fireworks. The furs and crow skull didn't escape his notice either, though her manner of dress was something he'd never seen before.]


I am. Is it so obvious? [He raises an eyebrow, curious.] Who do you speak of?
burntbridges: To the unknown (Mischief ☿ And I have broken)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-05 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Your accent. I've met Ivar the Boneless, and a girl named Gyda - both from Kattegat, I think. You sound just like them.

[He looks quite a lot like them too, but that could mean any number of things. Changing realities has given her a lot to think about in that regard.]

I spent some time in Kattegat myself - we may have met, in passing. My name is Cinna.
storradr: (6)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-06 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
[He broke into a smirk colored by pride.] I am not surprised. Ivar is my son and Gyda is my daughter.

[He actually took a small step back to give her a better once over, studying her face for a moment, but coming up blank.] I do not recognize you, but it is possible. When you were in Kattegat, who was Earl? [She wasn't the only one catching on to this whole shifting times and realities thing.]

Cinna. It does not sound familiar... I am Ragnar Lothbrok.
Edited 2018-01-06 02:29 (UTC)
burntbridges: To the unknown (Doubt ☿ Oh it feels like ages)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-06 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
[Ahaha... oh, god. She wrinkles her nose, thinking hard for a moment. She had lasted a month hiding her identity from Ivar, surely she can manage a conversation with his father and come out alive. Right?]

I can't say I paid much attention. I was only a slave, the politics didn't mean much to me.

[She hesitates, wondering how much she should let slip. But... common knowledge can't hurt, can it. Surely she can pick and choose what Ivar's told her about his father, and blend it well into her narrative.]

I know your name, though. King Ragnar Lothbrok, who brought England to its knees. Everyone sang your praises, even where I was bought in Varberg. I'd never seen a man more beloved by his people.

[This is part truth, part lie based on Ivar's version of the truth, and part flattery. From what she's seen, it never hurts to tell a Viking they're famous.]
storradr: (646)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-06 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
[It was only through a lot of effort and practice that his expression remained unchanged. Ivar had not yet let it slip that he had become king. Naturally, he was churning through any and all of the possibilities that could have led him to become one.

Her mention of England has him thinking though.]


You know... We are no longer in Norway and you are no longer a slave here. You do not need to lie in order to flatter me.

[King was a possibility, though he didn't know how or when, but Ivar had told him that it was not he, but his sons, who would truly bring England trouble. Of course, he wasn't going to specify which part of what she'd told him that he thought was the lie.]
burntbridges: To the unknown (Smile ☿ I ain't never)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-06 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
[Well... of course, she should have expected him to catch on quickly. He's Ivar's father, after all. And Gyda had told her nearly the same thing - this is not Norway, she is not a slave, and there is no need for her to lie.]

I admire you for not letting it go to your head. I know many men who would take my word if only because they wanted it to be true. [She gives him a charming smile.] In any case, I'm not sure I have a reason to flatter you. As you said, this isn't Norway and I am not a slave. Therefore, I only tell what is, what was and what will be.
storradr: (5)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-06 08:03 am (UTC)(link)
[He chuckled softly in agreement at her musings about why she might want to flatter him. He was, of course, oblivious as to her true identity.] I can think of no reason why you would want to.

[He suddenly raises an eyebrow, smile dropping as he goes silent. Something she's said obviously catching his attention. There's no suspicion in the way he looks at her, just wariness.]

'What will be'? Are you... a völva?
burntbridges: To the unknown (Glance ☿ How long baby)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-06 01:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Something like that.

[She slips a pack of cards from a hidden pocket in her dress; she had left her tarot deck in Riverview when she left, and thankfully it was one of the few things Ivar seemed to have left alone.]

I can show you my talent, if you like. It isn't always correct, but every so often something rings true.

[She spreads the deck to show him the backs, as if to sweeten the deal with how pretty they are. Each card depicts a starry night, and in the middle a single eye crying a tear painted in gold. It definitely looks like magic... even if she knows that tarot is a parlor trick, and she has never made a completely accurate reading.]
storradr: (583)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-07 07:17 am (UTC)(link)
[He eyed the cards with obvious reservation. Magic in all its forms, even trying to understand your future, came at a price.]

How does it work?

[Never enter into a deal unless you know what the stakes are. One thing he did miss from Kattegat was the ability to go to Seer, to ask questions about what might be. If this girl could also interpret the will of the gods, she might be a very valuable acquaintance.]
burntbridges: To the unknown (Mischief ☿ And I have broken)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-07 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
You'll shuffle the deck and pull out three cards with your left hand, without looking at them - they represent the past, the present and the future. The gods choose which ones you draw, so it's important they pass through your hands. Then I'll look at the pictures and interpret their meaning.

[She shuffles the deck preemptively as she speaks, then offers it to Ragnar.]

You can ask specific questions of me as well - I can predict your health, your romantic endeavors, even the time of your death. Anything the gods feel you might want to know.

[She has never believed in gods, but... maybe that's why these cards have never quite worked. She'll never know.]
storradr: (633)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-08 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
[He smirked, snorting softly in skeptical laughter.]

I already know the past. And the present. [He turned thoughtful for a moment. The Seer had already revealed a lot about the things that would come to pass. All vague of course. What he had no idea about was his fate here, in Riverview.]

I will try. But I do not believe they will work. My gods are not here. ... Maybe there are other gods, gods of the people who were here before us. Maybe they will see fit to tell me my fate.

[Still a little reluctant, he made a face and held out his hand for her to pass over the deck.] Tell me what will happen during my time here.

[He picked three cards and waited, unsure if he was supposed to turn them over or not.]
burntbridges: To the unknown (Smile ☿ I ain't never)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-08 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
[She nods smartly as she takes the cards, and shifts to lay each one on her lap in turn. The first one is the Knight of Swords, showing a radiant hero with his sword outstretched in the style of a stained glass window. Action, recklessness and excitement.]

You've already made quite an impression on the people you meet. You thrive on short encounters, leaving ripples as you pass from person to person. Just be careful to keep yourself in check - stretch your energy too thin, and you risk the web falling apart. If your relations with others stay shallow, there will be nothing for you when they lose interest.

[She draws another card. The King of Swords, a figure stooped in a throne with his sword propped under his chin like a cane, his golden cloak flowing around him. Clear-mindedness, authority and intellectual power.]

In time, you will learn the ins and outs of this city. You will find your place in it, though you may not like what you discover. And in time, you will have a choice to make about whether you would rather take a higher perch. If you do, luck will be on your side.

[She hesitates a moment after speaking. Had she read that one right? She thinks for a moment about whether she had flipped it by accident, but... no, she'll move on. The final card is flipped over, revealing the Sun - a dazzling golden disk inscribed with intricate patterns, and a young boy basking in its glow.]

Most importantly, you must know that your travel to this world is a good sign. You have been given an opportunity to explore new lands and gain new knowledge, and you will thrive as you find it. [A genuine smile spreads over her lips as she speaks.] And you know, the Sun is a symbol of heritage as well. You already have a strong line here, even if it isn't all by blood. I believe your family will make a strong mark on this world, if it hasn't already.
storradr: (642)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-08 09:23 am (UTC)(link)
[He sat through the entire reading, remaining still and silent, a fixed vaguely amused neutral expression fixed in place. He leaned in a little in order to investigate the cards more easily, taking a closer look at them.]

You are certain this is my future here and not my present and future where I have come from? [So much of what she'd said sounded similar to the Seer's predictions and things he'd experienced not in Riverview, but in Kattegat and England.]

Perhaps. If these cards are predetermined by the gods, my gods, then they only know my fate where I am from and not my fate here.

[The urge to ask about his future children, naturally, crosses his mind, but then he could just as easily ask Ivar. He looked at the card, smirking a bit to himself.] You said you could tell me about romance? Do I need to pick more cards?
burntbridges: To the unknown (Smirk ☿ I took a little journey)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-08 01:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Are you certain the predictions you sought before were about your own world, and did not take this one into account?

[She speaks without looking up, as she gathers the cards again and offers them to Ragnar to re-shuffle.]

Pick three new cards - and if there is anyone in particular you'd like to ask about, I can concentrate on them. Otherwise, we'll see if the gods have any thoughts on what your next relationship will be.

[Is it weird to talk about romance with him? No, not really. Romance was such a rare sight among her family that she really hasn't learned to be put off by it in any form. Even her own parents were open about the fact that they did not have a love marriage. They could barely stand each other.]
storradr: (534)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-08 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes. [He didn't hesitate. Not for a moment.

He silently watched as she shuffled the cards again and waved off her request for an actual name... or names. That certainly wasn't happening, but he was curious what they would say regardless.

Leaning forward again, he picked out three cards and slid them over to her.]
What do they say?
burntbridges: To the unknown (Cheer ☿ But I can hope)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-08 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
The first card will tell what you'll seek from your next relationship. The second will tell what they'll seek. The third, which direction it will take the two of you.

[It's a mark of Ivar's impact on her that she doesn't assume it will be with a woman. She's starting to get used to how nonchalant Vikings are about sexuality.

The first card is the Chariot; a man riding behind two beautiful golden stallions, his matching sword pointing the way with pure determination. It looks quite a bit like Ivar, riding on his own chariot.
]

You're after someone who will belong to you. An anchor to the world; someone who will always be there to make you feel as though you matter, definitively, with no room for doubt. I have the feeling your thoughts are being driven purely by what you need, and not what might be best for the others around you... but that isn't always a bad thing.

[The second card is the Two of Wands. A man holds a golden staff in each hand, as if deciding which of them he would rather have. It's a simple card, but intricate in pattern at least.]

Your partner is hoping your relationship will last - they worship you, even if you don't notice. They're looking to learn from you, gain your experience and your praise. Having you take control of them may very well relieve a burden from them - and they're unlikely to argue.

[The third and last card is the Knight of Cups. It shows a knight in shining armor riding in on a white horse, offering a golden cup to a beautiful woman. A rather good omen, even by the looks of it alone.]

Above all else, the two of you will be happy. Rough times are inevitable, and you will never become bored, but you will find peace in one another. A sort of peace that one may call 'fairy tale romance'.

[She looks up at him with a cheerful smile.]

The gods have nothing but good in store for you, it seems.
storradr: (684)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-09 09:39 am (UTC)(link)
[His brow furrowed as he listened intently, trying to figure out who the card was implying. More than that, he was trying to figure out if it were true. Surely, of all of these cards, 'what he was seeking' should be something he knew. Naturally, his mind went to children. It was what he'd asked the Seer about shortly before leaving for Uppsala and it was what he'd asked the gods to reveal to him, the woman who would have his children... irregardless of what it would do to the people around him.

But was that what he was seeking here? Was he seeking anything here aside from companionship?

He seemed to hang on every word as she continued, but ended up feeling more frustrated than happy as she wrapped it up.]


These cards of yours are so vague. These things could be about anyone. [In fact, he could think of possibly three, maybe four people.] Is there no way to... get a-[he gestured vaguely at the deck]- a sign of who they refer to?
burntbridges: To the unknown (Ignoring ☿ And you'll give nothing)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-09 11:23 am (UTC)(link)
[Letha thinks it over for a moment. She usually sticks to three card spreads - they're vague and simple, but most people are impressed by them alone, or else immediately write them off and move on. This man seems to be quite familiar with looking toward the future, though; it's something important to him.

She could very well mention that tarot is far from an exact science, but she doubts that would do much. Instead she starts reshuffling the cards, going through various spreads in her mind.
]

Some people like a vague answer; it lets them mold it into the life they're living, instead of worrying that they've broken away from some greater plan - or worse, that the greater plan will sweep away their decision in favor of what they're meant to have. [She offers the cards again.] Pick twelve this time - we'll see if we can get a clearer answer.
storradr: (8)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-10 06:15 am (UTC)(link)
[He scoffed, chuckling almost bitterly.]

But their fates have been decided. Not in all things and many roads may lead to one destination, but they will arrive there regardless. There is no way to avoid ones' fate once the gods have decided it.

[But this place, this was somewhere outside of time and beyond the reach of the gods. Or so he thought.]

Twelve? You are sure?

I would like to know, but I do not want to keep you from the feast.
burntbridges: To the unknown (Smile ☿ I ain't never)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-10 05:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[She smiles at that, shrugging lightly.]

There will be time for feasting. If you're worried about it, we can agree that this will be your last fortune for the night. I'm sure the fates will grow tired of our questions soon anyway.

Still, if you're worried about it, we can cut it down to five. They may answer your question well enough on their own.

[That would be enough to answer gender, occupation, appearance and general personality... assuming any of her readings are correct, and that the fates feel like sharing all this with them.]
storradr: (642)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-11 07:58 am (UTC)(link)
I am the one keeping you. Not the other way around. [He eyes the deck.] This does not tire you?

[He didn't really wait for a response as he reached for the deck, apparently liking her compromise of five cards, because that was how many he drew from various areas of the deck, sliding the five cards over to her. Again, he leaned in in anticipation like an excited child trying to be patient.]

What do they say?
burntbridges: To the unknown (Mischief ☿ And I have broken)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-11 02:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[She shakes her head smartly, a playful smile on her face.]

This doesn't tire me at all, no - I've heard Seers have trouble keeping their visions going, but these cards take the burden for me. It's them that are sneaking glances into the gods' minds.

[That said, it's time to start the reading. The first is the Eight of Cups; it shows eight golden goblets stacked neatly in an uneven pyramid, and a young man turning away to trek into the mountains with his golden staff in hand.]

It is a man you're destined for. [She'd planned to guess that by the gender on the card; they're fairly even enough for that.] He is restless like you, but for different reasons; a man who has seen glory, and lived exactly the life he thought he should, but discovered it was nothing like he had expected it. He is defined by his dissatisfaction, and now tries to escape his life by any means necessary.

[The second card is the Four of Swords. It shows a splendid golden coffin adorned with an effigy of the knight within, one golden sword beside him and three more pointed at his head from the wall above. When she draws it, though, the card is reversed.]

This man throws himself into his work, and into everything else in his life. He fears having time to contemplate, and to relax. It would not be surprising to see him awake at odd hours of the morning, working because he cannot will himself to sleep. Taking time to look into his own mind is too terrifying to allow himself otherwise.

[Interesting.. she pauses then, thinking over the reading. It's a card she hasn't seen in a while, but that was a much more inspired interpretation than normal. Oh well, moving on.

She has to hold back a small laugh at the next card; Ten of Swords for his best side, really? The card shows a man laying face down on the floor, with ten golden swords jammed into his back all along his spine. It takes some thought to spin that in a positive light.
]

His best attribute is his ability to handle calamity. He has lived through Hel, and come back to tell the tale. As many times as he has been dragged through the mud by others, he continues to will himself to keep going, for the hope that it will be worth it. This man has endured more pain in every sense than most of us could fathom, but he is still alive. And that is a testament to his strength.

[His worst trait on the other hand.. is Death, and that makes her wonder what sort of person the cards might be referring to. The card depicts a cheerful skeleton riding in on a white horse, nearly trampling corpses as it displays a black flag with a white rose in the center.]

This man is afraid of anything coming to an end, the way most of us fear death. He clings to fleeting happiness as much as he can, afraid that each time he loses a friend, a lover, or even a good bottle of wine, he will not be able to find that happiness again. He resists change, and makes it that much more painful for himself when it must come. Perhaps he has chosen to shut himself off from new things because of it; it would be an apt way to avoid losing things, if one never gains them to begin with.

[The fifth and final card is the Five of Wands. It depicts five men, each holding a golden staff and standing with no rhyme or reason in relation to one another. One moment one might think they're fighting, and another one might consider that they're enjoying themselves in a chaotic fashion. Either way, Letha is starting to think she's painting a rather interesting image of a person.]

The man you're after is an image of rebellion. One would be able to tell from looking at him that he would rather force his own idea than settle for someone else's, and rarely wants to listen to anyone else once he has a plan in mind. He has lived many different lives; perhaps they have given him scars, or painted his body with tattoos. He is a man full of stories that will likely never share them. Still, his attitude makes frustration common on both his side, and that of anyone who speaks to him.

[She returns the cards to the deck and shuffles them neatly, as she concludes her reading.]

Overall, you're in for a chaotic life with him. For however long it lasts. Do keep in mind that men of his kind are as fragile as they are dangerous; he may act like he can take anything that's thrown at him, but men like that rarely stand a chance once their protective walls are blown away. He may need your help much more than he admits.

[At this point she's completely making things up as she goes along, but it seems correct. And at the end of the day, she's fairly certain that's how divination is supposed to work.]
storradr: (586)

[personal profile] storradr 2018-01-12 07:22 am (UTC)(link)
[He listened to her reading carefully, most of his focus on mentally keeping track of what she was telling him instead of on trying to think if he recognized someone who fit what she was describing. As much as he hated the idea that his fate had somehow been resolved, that everything that would happen was, for some reason, meant to happen, he also had a difficult time not believing it. Mostly because the Seer had never been wrong before and, so far, the things that she had told him sounded right.]

Chaotic... but from the last cards, also very good? [He tilted his head slightly, unsure it could be both. But maybe some people would classify he and Lagertha's relationship as chaotic. He still considered it good.]

Thank you, Cinna. I will have to let you know if your cards are right. [He gave her a crooked smile.]
burntbridges: To the unknown (Smile ☿ I ain't never)

[personal profile] burntbridges 2018-01-12 03:31 pm (UTC)(link)
My last relationship was the same. Chaotic, but good. You'll never be bored, I can tell you that much.

[She and Ivar had gone through dinnerware more than anyone they knew, smashing plates and throwing furniture when they disagreed on anything. But it had been fun, and loving. While it lasted.]

Please do. I'll be looking forward to seeing you again, my King. But I suppose we should be heading out to the feast, yes?

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[personal profile] storradr - 2018-01-12 23:32 (UTC) - Expand