10 Jun 2020, 23:31
What's a Divination?
No tools required. Seers must truly carry a curse and a blessing, at the same time. Was this similar to having an epileptic seizure? Maybe. Probably not. Although... Internally, she waved that idea away. Felt like it was going nowhere and everywhere. Where it shouldn't be.
'Mirror-gazing?' Nico tried to imagine what that would mean. This technique. One would need a mirror. And then... gaze... into it. 'I can see why someone... would use cards. If you shuffle them and then pull out a card without knowing which one, it can show you things you could never imagine. But... with a mirror. How do you do that? Do you stare intently into your own eyes? Do you maybe... put a spell on the mirror?' At first the dhampir got stuck in her Muggle way of thinking. A mirror was but something you use to make yourself look pretty or to atleast see if you don't look sick. For example.
The professor spoke of dark places that would be shown in the mirror. In the few years that she had been on this school, Nico already had her fair share of 'dark places' that would occasionally pop in at 3 am in the morning when she tried to find her will and ability to sleep. Something inside her really wanted to ask more about these dark places but would that be wise? Asking herself if she'd regret not asking about it, to then not be able to fall asleep again at night, because she was too shy and scared to ask a professor about something she was curious about, the dhampir couldn't hold back. 'Wh-...What kind of dark places, professor? If I may ask?' There. Her question, sitting upright on the table facing the elder wise tutor. There was a chance she'd regret asking this later. But what if it wasn't for nothing? Maybe Nico wasn't the bravest but atleast she'd hope to get some knowledge to be armed with it. As the Professor mentioned before.
When she finished shuffeling her cards and offering to her, to see them more up close and to even try out something herself. 'R-Really? I- Okey , I'll give it a go.' Hesitantly, the dhampir placed the deck of cards closer to her. What would she see? Would she do good? There was only one way to find out. Swallowing the tension from her throat, her pale fingers pulled the first card.
'T-The Four of Wands...' What did this even refer to? The image showed four tall sticks standing up right, aiming at the sky. 'Are these maybe... the four houses? Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin...' The child paused and decided not to eloborate further until she drew two more cards. The Ace of Swords and the Devil. Slightly alarmed, she pulled her hands away, inspecting the cards carefully. 'A-Are they connected? U-Um, the Ace of Swords. Is this referring to a hero or... to a fight? Are the Houses going to fight one another or beside one another? And um... the Devil. Is there maybe.. something going to cause them to fight one another? Or... ' Was she just rambling? Was there and truth behind this? Maybe, maybe not. The redhead tried to keep her cool, trying to objectively read the cards and amybe what they could refer to. But this was hard and terrifying at the same time. However, these are just speculations. Ideas that might happen or may not. Or was this just a weird coincidence that Nico started to see things that weren't there... 'I-I'm not sure... I'm just.. saying what comes to mind, professor...'
You're gonna need a bigger boat
12 Jun 2020, 01:16
What's a Divination?
"You mirror-gaze in a psychomanteum. The mirror is angled to reflect darkness - or your face, in some methods - in the dim light of the psychomanteum, you can have visions of things which have past or those that are yet to come," Rosalind explained, with little regard for the girl's understanding of terms like psychomanteum. Perhaps she had chosen a grim favourite, but grim topics like that provoked interest in children who so desperately wanted to be taken seriously. "One of the few methods which is said to call upon the spirits of the dead... though if I wanted to ask a ghost, I'd wait for one to pass me in the hall."
Maybe the ghost bit would have more impact on Nico, considering her Mugglish upbringing. Rosalind thought of ghosts more as pests than the spectral terrors of undeath that they really were. It was strange that the taboo on defying death through magic did not extend to ghosts. Perhaps it was because they were so lovable and innocent compared to their reputation among Muggles. "No spells on the mirror. Stare into the dark, or into your own eyes, whichever you wish. Though, you might not like what you see in the second method. It gets a little personal. I'm afraid you'll have to find your dark places yourself. Divination is something that varies significantly between people."
The girl took the cards to begin her amateur reading. Professor Kibitzer was pleased with her initiative, even if she was a bit unimpressed with her initial assumptions. The older woman leaned over the table to stare down at the drawn cards... immediately perplexed. "Hold on..." she said, examining the rest of the deck. She must have shuffled a few tarot cards amid her playing cards by mistake. But fate often appears under the guise of mistakes or coincidence, so the professor observed with rapt attention, engaged entirely with the girl's reading.
She rose from her chair and swept around the table, swooping in over the girl's shoulder to check her cards. What could be the meanings of these fortuitously placed cards? It must be the girl - something to do with her, a message that the professor had to deliver. That she was compelled to deliver, by some force beyond her understanding. Nico had given her the pieces, she just needed to put them together.
"Oh, dear girl... why, I think you might be right." Rosalind wet her lips, finding that her breathing had suddenly picked up, perhaps uncomfortably close to poor Nico's ear. Visions weren't the only form of Divination that could seize a person's mind. The old woman's mind was running through every possibility. "Regarding the four of wands, that is. Yes... something like the houses. The ace of swords... strength, of mind or body. What was- oh, the Devil."
Rosalind paused, deep in thought. It took a few moments for her to realize that the sight of the Devil on a card might be unsettling to the young oracle beside her. "Oh, dear, don't fret over the Devil." Odd advice, but true. "No! No, I see now. The ace of Swords is not a fight, but your victory. Your victory over your own fears, and flaws, in the form of the Devil."
The professor stepped back around the table, returning to roost after a successful reading. No doubt that the fortuitous drawing would have an impact on the girl's self-esteem as well as her interest in Divination. Rosalind offered a small question to draw the girl in further, to pique her curiosity. "Strange luck that you'd draw that at a time like this, isn't it?"
Maybe the ghost bit would have more impact on Nico, considering her Mugglish upbringing. Rosalind thought of ghosts more as pests than the spectral terrors of undeath that they really were. It was strange that the taboo on defying death through magic did not extend to ghosts. Perhaps it was because they were so lovable and innocent compared to their reputation among Muggles. "No spells on the mirror. Stare into the dark, or into your own eyes, whichever you wish. Though, you might not like what you see in the second method. It gets a little personal. I'm afraid you'll have to find your dark places yourself. Divination is something that varies significantly between people."
The girl took the cards to begin her amateur reading. Professor Kibitzer was pleased with her initiative, even if she was a bit unimpressed with her initial assumptions. The older woman leaned over the table to stare down at the drawn cards... immediately perplexed. "Hold on..." she said, examining the rest of the deck. She must have shuffled a few tarot cards amid her playing cards by mistake. But fate often appears under the guise of mistakes or coincidence, so the professor observed with rapt attention, engaged entirely with the girl's reading.
She rose from her chair and swept around the table, swooping in over the girl's shoulder to check her cards. What could be the meanings of these fortuitously placed cards? It must be the girl - something to do with her, a message that the professor had to deliver. That she was compelled to deliver, by some force beyond her understanding. Nico had given her the pieces, she just needed to put them together.
"Oh, dear girl... why, I think you might be right." Rosalind wet her lips, finding that her breathing had suddenly picked up, perhaps uncomfortably close to poor Nico's ear. Visions weren't the only form of Divination that could seize a person's mind. The old woman's mind was running through every possibility. "Regarding the four of wands, that is. Yes... something like the houses. The ace of swords... strength, of mind or body. What was- oh, the Devil."
Rosalind paused, deep in thought. It took a few moments for her to realize that the sight of the Devil on a card might be unsettling to the young oracle beside her. "Oh, dear, don't fret over the Devil." Odd advice, but true. "No! No, I see now. The ace of Swords is not a fight, but your victory. Your victory over your own fears, and flaws, in the form of the Devil."
The professor stepped back around the table, returning to roost after a successful reading. No doubt that the fortuitous drawing would have an impact on the girl's self-esteem as well as her interest in Divination. Rosalind offered a small question to draw the girl in further, to pique her curiosity. "Strange luck that you'd draw that at a time like this, isn't it?"
6 Jul 2020, 20:39
What's a Divination?
'Psycho...man..teum..' She muttered, letting the words roll in her mouth. Big words. But what did it mean? The Professor would most likely notice her puzzled expression. And Nico kind of knew that maybe,... maybe the professor was using these big words on purpose. However, most likely, she just wanted to educate her in the best way possible. With a big word vocabulary she could surely impress her peers.
Ghosts. Right. They were a thing in this school. If she hadn't been a more dangerous creature than a ghost, her jumpiness from whenever one appeared infront of her, peeking from between the food on the dinnertables in the Great Hall, then her fear would've been more justified. Why did that one ghost keep on doing that? It was absolutely annoying and scary. Even during her Prefect duties, she could recall a few moments where she had yelped when a ghost just passed by her. She hated it.
Once the Professor mentions that staring in ones own eyes in a mirror would be a unlpeasant experience, Nico couldn't help but feel a chill run up and down her spine. Was this another ghost playing tricks on her? Cautiously but subtle enough to not alarm the Professor, the dhampir had a quick look around. Hm. Nothing.
After having been offered the cards to have a look at them, and accidently doing a reading, Rosalinde was perplexed. Within her regular playcards, some tarot ones had slid in. Or was this something bigger at work? The Professor reassured her however that all these signs on the cards just showed the dhampirs journey in this castle so far. Overcoming her fears. Really?
Her iceblue eyes grew wide, astonished by her... own accidental skill? Maybe this was another showing of a magical ability except with Divination? The child couldn't believe it. Was this really a thing or did the Professor know more about her than Nico could ever realise?
'W-What do you mean by strange luck, Professor? Could I maybe have some ... sort of undeveloped feeling for your class?' Nico didn't want to get too excited but how couldn't she?
You're gonna need a bigger boat
13 Jul 2020, 04:27
What's a Divination?
"Psychomanteum," the woman kindly repeated, letting the girl get a hold on the new vocabulary. the complexity of the word was nothing compared the the complexity of the practice, and the girl would have no use for either until she was much deeper into her studies of divination. The professor could not resist the urge to chuckle as Nico looked around for ghosts - her apprehension in regard to mirror-gazing was really quite amusing. As if the mere mention of them would summon the spirits of the dead to them. No, no. More likely that not, the ones in the castle were floating mirthfully through the halls, chatting with teenagers. Rosalind hoped that, if she were to die, she would not be cursed with such a terrible fate as speaking with students for all eternity.
The professor focused again on the student in front of her - the girl's excitement was infectious, and the woman gave her a little smile as she asked her question. She would not give any further insight, however - the girl would need to take the initiative to discover her own talents. "Well, I would be willing to bet on it. Only a small bet, but a bet."
She reached out and scooped up the cards, separating the tarot cards from the deck of playing cards and shuffling the playing cards once more. A heartwarming moment, but she would do better to be careful with her cards, next time. A warm heart was hardly worth a disorganized deck of cards. "The only way to know certainly is if you attend next year, hm?" She chuckled and set the cards aside, letting out a sigh as her amusement rapidly depleted. "Just something to think about."
Professor Kibitzer scratched her chin, staring the girl down for a moment. "Now, was there anything else?"