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Smitten PV Aodhan Shaw Finished

Image posted by the member
October 17th 2024
Did You Knows with @Aodhan Shaw
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
Emily could see the young lad itching to get a look. With a chuckle, she leaned to the side to let him take a look at the card. With the way his head was angled to the side as he regarded the drawn card like a curious cat, and his sudden spill that honestly sounded like something Emily would say had their places been switched, Emily found herself smiling brighter at his inquisition.

"That's the neat thing about a deck like this," she added. "There's never a right way or a wrong way of doing what they instruct. The meaning changes with each and every new context. As an example, the way I interpret this card... Is that there's not only different sides to a story, but also different avenues."

She shuffled in her chair as she prepared for "Tangent Mode."

"And what do I mean by 'avenues' you might ask? I just mean different methods of solving the issue at hand. It might be that there's a perspective I haven't considered yet, or a method I've tried yet to make a solution."

The boy suddenly moved away. Picking up on what he meant, Emily grinned and shook her head. "Hehe... It's okay! Here... If I shift about like this-- there!"

She invited him back round where there was more space for him at the table now that she moved herself around some more.

"And ohh no...!" she shook her head gently as she laughed some more. "I'm most definitely not going to hurt someone. I can assure you of that. While you might be right in saying it's not a tree..." It did seem just ever so slightly outside the realm of possibility, didn't it? "...I'm certain there's a way to proceed peacefully. I am a pacifist after all, except maybe in self defence... But that's if, and only if, there really is someone that's hindering our progress to fulfilment."

She was joking about all this, but then again... Was there someone?

Word Count: 365
Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace
Trust Yourself - Love Yourself - Be Yourself
iNPC = Casey Stone
Smitten PV Aodhan Shaw Finished
Image posted by the member
Date: Oct. 17th, 2024 | Outfit: school robes | Speech: #B03A2E | Mention: @
𓆩⟡𓆪 ─────────────────────────── ⊙ ☉ ─────────────────────────── 𓆩⟡𓆪
He appreciated the extra space she had made for him, but instead of verbalizing this, Aodhan chose to capitalize on the moment and grab an extra chair. It seemed the threat of self-consciousness scared him out of delaying the action any longer, as he certainly did not want any repeat of the earlier humiliation. Not that what he did was that bad, however, the issue was not entirely on what was. Rather, it laid in what could have been, and he still could make himself seem like a giant lame-ass if he took the risk.

So, the youth happily set the wooden chair next to his companion, and plopped down just in time for her to finish speaking. Now, what had she brought up again? It was a multitude of things, really, that forced his brain to make far more connections than normal. Where could he start?

From the outside, he seemed momentarily paralyzed with his gaze set in some random direction, a noticeable change to the excitability he exuded previously. Then, upon finally reaching some level of definitive ideas, his eyes finally snapped onto her.

"If there are no right or wrong ways to doing all this, then what's the point of even reading the, uh... 'readings'?" he questioned simply. He proceeded to have a battle with himself, opening and closing his mouth as if unsure how to proceed. This was a brand of contemplation he was unaccustomed to, after all, with a touch of maturity not often found in his day-to-day musings. Spirituality, "bad energy," the extreme fluidity of the solutions. It took a few seconds before Aodhan formed another cohesive thought, struggling to organize all the things floating around in his head. Ugh, he hated having to slow down. Maybe he could just—

"Cause we're using these to find a clear answer, but there is no clear answer if everything is an answer. So, you can technically just do anything you want to solve the problem. And if that's true, then—well, it sounds like a fun way to handle things, but doesn't that mean this card was kinda wasting our time? We could have been brainstorming actual solutions."

Yes, it was exactly as he assumed—speaking freely instead of trying to filter and condense his thoughts was far, far easier. Plus, the Hufflepuff seemed to follow his ramblings well enough anyhow, stemming from her comfort and experience no doubt. Or perhaps she was just used to people with his mannerisms. Regardless, he would mentally pat himself on the back for trying.

"Like for your whole 'peace' thing. What if it is someone, uh, 'hindering progress' by pushing out negative energy and hurting yours? What if they're not going to listen to you trying to be peaceful? At that point, what would you do?"

From the nature of his questions, anyone could likely see that Aodhan was getting carried away, and was entertaining things with no reason beyond playful curiosity. He simply wanted to know, to see what other interesting notion she could present him with.
xxx
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« INTERACT: @Emily Shephard »
ooc: long again Dx hope the post is okay despite that!
[inpc is jamie saeng]
i've set my sights so high, my eyes are in the back of my skull
Smitten PV Aodhan Shaw Finished
Image posted by the member
October 17th 2024
Did You Knows with @Aodhan Shaw
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
It was funny. The longer Emily conversed with the Gryffindor boy the more she was starting to see little snippets of herself in him; endlessly curious, extensive trains of thought, but also a lot of questions... Some of them more one-sided than the others. Had Emily not have discovered for herself how a blend of all avenues in a given situation can provide her with a satisfying answer, she most likely would've asked a lot of the same similar questions as the Gryffindor boy was.

"Just because something can have neither a right or wrong answer, doesn't mean we can't take advice," She answered thoughtfully. "One thing to remember is that tarot cards don't necessarily predict the future... Well, these ones don't. I'll not speak for the divination classes here at Hogwarts, but my main point is to consider what the card says and then act on it based on what you feel it means. The cards are there to offer guidance, but only you can make the ultimate decision yourself."

That was really as best as she could explain it. It was certainly one of those ones people could only really understand unless they undertake it themselves. In Emily's case, quite a few times before she understood the ways in which the cards would present and translate themselves into Emily's head.

"Much like life itself, nothing is quite written in stone. The same goes for these cards. They're little messages to promote balance, rather than dictate front and centre how we solve our issues."

She took one at random. "And yes, it's very possible to get the same card over and over again, and no, not because of random luck. Much of the time it's a sign that your path hasn't changed, or maybe that there's something still left to do in the guidance set out for you."

"What if it is someone, uh, 'hindering progress' by pushing out negative energy and hurting yours? What if they're not going to listen to you trying to be peaceful? At that point, what would you do?"

Emily tapped her chin. A very good question that deserved a very good answer. She took a minute to construct her thoughts into the right words. Something like this is easy to misinterpret.

"I mentioned before how these cards are styled in a way that draws upon our dark sides... As well as guidance, these cards also promote balance, to allow us to get in touch with all aspects of ourselves. So when negative energy is thrown at us, we can use both light and dark to counteract it."

She flicked through all the cards like she was ready to shuffle them. "While I'm sure it would take a lot of spiritual sense to end all the bad stuff in the world... So long as you remain open-minded, tarots can at least help protect yourself in the long run...!"


Word Count: 516
Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace
Trust Yourself - Love Yourself - Be Yourself
iNPC = Casey Stone
Smitten PV Aodhan Shaw Finished
Image posted by the member
Date: Oct. 17th, 2024 | Outfit: school robes | Speech: #B03A2E | Mention: @
𓆩⟡𓆪 ───────────────────────── ⊙ ☉ ───────────────────────── 𓆩⟡𓆪
So, that was where he was leading himself astray? By focusing too much on the final answer, than on the path taken to even get there? It was a slow process, but he was beginning to understand what she was trying to explain to him. The tarot cards were like guideposts, or perhaps a map, for those who were indubitably lost. Yet they were also far less direct than those comparisons, far more flexible and abstract to fit whichever situation they were needed in.

Still, his brain worked to contradict this idea planted within his mind, and all the questions and scenarios he generated in that little period of time eventually pointed to one concept: the cards were best used by those who had nowhere else to turn. No wonder this hufflepuff girl was so keen on following his suggestion, since her own predicament seemed to have pushed her against a wall. Yes, this was all starting to make more sense to him.

However, just as he gained footing in one area, her response to his question seemed to drag him elsewhere.

"You really, really hate fighting, huh?" he remarked with a hint of amusement in his tone. The youth was fairly certain that most other people in her position would be more than happy to fight back, regardless of whether the negative energy stemmed from a person or not. From his own experience, namely the playground chases he experienced in grade school, he figured violence was an instinctual decision. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, sometimes not. Sometimes due to overwhelming anger, and sometimes out of crushing fear.

Did that mean she was actively fighting against instinct? Was hers simply different from others? Regardless, he wanted to push her a bit.

"Okay, what happens when the cards can't protect you? Cause I doubt that can last forever. Oh, in fact! Let's say you find the source, and with a single spell—"

Suddenly, Aodhan shot his arm out over the table, fist clenched like it would be should a wand have been in his grasp.

"WHAM! You can put an end to everything, right there," he then finished, unable to wipe the playful smile off his face in the process. It was obvious the choice he would take, being the glory seeker that he was, but it technically wasn't about him at the moment. No, the brunette's answer would be the more interesting, with her being the first "pacifist" he'd ever come across.

Especially with these cards at her side, which seemed to open up a world of possibilities.
xxx
𓆩⟡𓆪 ───────────────────────── ⊙ ☉ ───────────────────────── 𓆩⟡𓆪
« INTERACT: @Emily Shephard »
[inpc is jamie saeng]
i've set my sights so high, my eyes are in the back of my skull
Smitten PV Aodhan Shaw Finished
Image posted by the member
October 17th 2024
Did You Knows with @Aodhan Shaw
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
When Emily first received her cards she was warned by "Auntie" that it would take time before she would truly figure out what each and every individual card would mean to her. She never said it took months. She never said it took years. Just time. Even after years, the meaning of the cards for Emily forever seemed to change with every new reading. It was fascinating, albeit sometimes tricky to wrap a head around. It was hard for Emily to explain when there was hardly any explanation for it for herself.

That inability to grasp it all in a neat little package also seemed to check out for the young Gryffindor lad, whose facial expressions looked like they were the effect of some serious brain wrinkling in his enthusiastic mind. Emily just smiled and laughed, entertained by his eagerness.

"Oh I'm far from a fighter! I can defend but I reckon myself an awful aggressor!"

She chuckled to herself.

"This practice isn't meant to be mastered just like that," she said. "Remember, this is something that we, as humans, adopted as a means of study. Astronomical signs, shadows, runes... The list continues. All kinds of rituals and readings for the sake of learning. So take it as a means to learn more about yourself, one bit at a time."

She packed the cards neatly back into the box before taking a stone into her palm, its cool surface cold in her grip.

"And even if cards don't provide a whole answer, the only thing as strong as any spell is energy. Whether it's our own, or that of the natural world... We can trust in it. It's not really how much energy one has, but how strong it feels to oneself."

She sighed contemplatively.

"We share this world with a variety of beings. Humans. Plants. Animals. Spirits. How we coexist relies on how much we learn... And it's my hope that we can do it peacefully."

A quick glance at a nearby clock made her jolt. She got up as she gathered her things.

"My, how time flies so fast..."

She smiled at the boy. "Unfortunately I don't need cards to guide me to Potions. So what about you? What will you do now?"

Word Count: 407
Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace
Trust Yourself - Love Yourself - Be Yourself
iNPC = Casey Stone
Smitten PV Aodhan Shaw Finished
Image posted by the member
Date: Oct. 17th, 2024 | Outfit: school robes | Speech: #B03A2E | Mention: @
𓆩⟡𓆪 ───────────────────────── ⊙ ☉ ───────────────────────── 𓆩⟡𓆪
At her laughter, a familiar and light feeling began to well up in his chest, and Aodhan could only feel proud of himself. He was pretty funny, wasn't he? What a reassuring confirmation of this fact. His words didn't carry a joke by any means, an admittedly rare occurrence, but such positive attention was the equivalent of lifeblood for him. So easy to hold on to, so consistently grasped, yet quickly lost in the face of negativity or uncertainty.

The same predicament he found himself thrust into.

She was—her response honestly frightened him. There was nothing about her person that was scary, quite the opposite in fact, nor should her words encourage anything but deep understanding of oneself and the world around them. A door into a realm that many chose to ignore. However, it was this same door that Aodhan, due to acknowledging its existence, always wished to run away from. "A means to learn more about yourself"? It was a large, unconscious part of his mind which held this sentiment, but he'd rather jump off a cliff than delve into everything that he was.

Funnily enough, that was not the only thing she said, and it was likely not the main idea of her statement. After all, weren't they discussing peace and battling off negative energies? Still, his fear locked onto it all the same and manifested as a form of mental discomfort, something that caused him to retract his hand and furrow his brow in thought. Something that subdued him, and rather quickly.

Conceptualizing everything without including himself in the "not fun" mix was safe, and made things that much smoother for him to run with. However, as she continued on, he was realizing the connection implied in everything she was saying. This energy within the cards, within the self, within the world, it flowed and balanced each other out. Or something? A push and pull, maybe? Okay, he wasn't entirely sure yet.

What he knew for fact, was that she claimed it took time to master and discover, apparently. Master... discover... to understand the world and properly use the cards, he had to understand himself too? Did she already pull that off to be discussing her own energy, and her connection with other energies? That was... He didn't—

"Unfortunately, I don't need cards to guide me to Potions. So what about you? What will you do now?"

She managed to drag him out of his musings, evident by the way his gaze had been sent downwards, only to snap up in her direction. She was leaving? Curious, the youth stole his own look towards the nearby clock. Ah, that made sense.

"Well, I don't have a class yet because Astronomy is today, so, uh... I dunno! I'll just go mess around with my broom, or—" What was that reading again? "—lay down outside and 'respect the land' instead. Maybe both," he joked with a smile that seemed more contemplative than his usual.

There was no doubt in his mind he'd ponder on everything he learned for the day, or ignore it due to his... poor attention span. Yes, certainly that. But really, what a different perspective she carried. What a different landscape she was a part of. It made his confidence waver, yet he refused to let much of that show.

Aodhan consequently did his best to come across as nonchalant, rising to his feet and stretching subtly before sending a wave to the Hufflepuff girl.

"Guess I'll see you around, Miss Mystical," he said, his mind directing him to a nickname instead of simply asking for one, "I hope your spiritual sense recovers sooner instead of later."

With that, he made his way out of the library, thoughts colored by flowing energies and peculiar cards.
xxx
𓆩⟡𓆪 ───────────────────────── ⊙ ☉ ───────────────────────── 𓆩⟡𓆪
« INTERACT: @Emily Shephard »
ooc: hope this was okay for you, and thank you!
ACTION: EXIT THREAD
[inpc is jamie saeng]
i've set my sights so high, my eyes are in the back of my skull
Smitten PV Aodhan Shaw Finished
Image posted by the member
October 17th 2024
Did You Knows with @Aodhan Shaw
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
Emily had a feeling that the two of them were running out of time. A pity really, since Emily was really enjoying their chat, even if there were moments where it took a rather bizarre and sometimes outright ludicrous turn. All a part of understanding the mystical art of tarot reading and even more understanding of the expansive world both she and the boy lived in.

She only felt a little guilty for seemingly making the boy muse on her ramblings for so long after every utterance. Hopefully he was taking it all in hypotheticals and not overburdening himself. The way he would contort his face made Emily wonder if she had over-explained it, or maybe not well enough. Some of the ideas that he came out with would've suggested the latter, but with the sincere enthusiasm with his every reply, perhaps he was getting it after all... In his own unique way.

Emily pushed her chair into the desk as the boy packed up. "Well, if I might be so bold, you could continue to think about all we've discussed today. It would be interesting to see what you've settled with when it comes to this form of divination. Depending on what you conclude, it might be fun to debate about it if and when you choose Divination as an elective for your Third Year!"

When both were ready to leave, they began heading for the door out of the library.

"Guess I'll see you around, Miss Mystical," he said to her. Emily smiled at the nickname.

"Miss Mystical... I like that," she chuckled. "Until next time, my young friend. And on that next time we meet, call me Emily."

She winked before heading down the corridor, leaving the boy to head on his own way.

Word Count: 298
Emily has left the thread <3
Thanks for the interaction!
Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace
Trust Yourself - Love Yourself - Be Yourself
iNPC = Casey Stone
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