What Does It Hold?(Shi)

Work was hard, predicting futures for children with a set of arcana cards she had bought. The money she got was manageable, it was enough so she could support herself, it had been a week since she had met Soki and was given permission to stay at her estate. Although she was living there free, she didn’t expect to stay, making a ‘living’ so she could afford her own place because making that third and final ‘social link’ was taking forever. Although, did it have to be three different links? Could it be just a three level social link? Not even caring anymore, Shi would stare forward with a blank stare as someone entered.

“Put your wallet away boy. Now, may your fate be in the cards.” Shi took out her deck of arcana cards, drawing six cards and placing them face down before placing the full deck down to the side. Flipped all the cards over to see what she had drawn:  Justice, Chariot, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, and Hermit. She looked at the cards and back at the mortal in front of him. The important thing about an arcana reading was to base it off the person you were reading. She then looked back at the cards, pointing to each as she spoke, “Justice, False accusations will be put onto you. Chariot, you are not fully facing the reality of the world. Empress, you have not decided something very important recently. Emperor, you have a tendency to be gullible. Hierophant, you are very vulnerability to the reality of things. Hermit, the period of solitude you've been in is nearing completion.” Shi stared down at the cards, was he going to awaken soon, all of these predictions pointed to an awakening, him denying his shadow. “Well, sorry for the bad stuff, it’s just what I saw as your fate.”
 

Drawn cards:

“If you wish, I shall draw another card.” Shi picked the top one out of the deck, she laid it in the middle of her and the boy. Flipping the card over slowly, she came to face death, her own Arcana. It was strange; does this mean an ending, or a trouble? “Death Arcana…” She stopped herself, looking at the boy and then back at the card. “… you will narrowly avoiding a serious accident. This accident is eminent and will require all the power of your friendships to overcome; you will escape it with any luck. That is all that I can say…” Not keeping any secrets but that was the best thing to say, the boy didn’t seem like he was going to die. He must be a future persona-user. All these cards pointed to one thing.

“You will survive, I just can’t tell you want the danger is though…” Shi would take the cards and place them into a pile and putting them off to the side, looking across the table again. “Calm down child, it’s not like my predictions can be actually true. There might be a chance but it’s fine.” Shi would look down at the table, her blank stare still eminent. A light wind blew and her hair flowed with it, but she did not react. Lost in her own thought, Shi would continue thinking about her recently departed home, three social links, or three levels. This would be her third encounter with a human. Could this be her ticket to home? It could be, although second guessing would be to rash. Maybe after this, she would be able to see the Velvet doors again.

Shi returned her gaze to the boy after he spoke, “I’m not voracious, so no thank you.” Her eyes would look at her deck, if her predictions were right, she would be ‘home’ today. All thanks to two people, that was, if this worked. Was it almost time for her work hours to end, wasn’t the carnival supposed to end soon? Ahh she just hoped it would, this place was filled with a lot of crap she didn’t want to deal with. The people here infuriated her, she had fully blown up on one of them by accident, messing with Shi was a bad idea, even if she ‘likes’ you, she Will rip you into pieces. “Don’t worry about me child, I’m alright…”

[Exit]

Shi looked up and waved goodbye to the male before looking forward; where was it? That same velvet door would have to be there right? She had completed her task. Why… Did it have to be three different people? But Shi would look down; she wasn’t really depressed, or disappointed, she was just expecting to have her compendium back, be home back in velvet. The real world had to many colors, there wasn’t enough blue, her real color was really only in the sky but even then, it was a light blue. Her clothes were light blue though. She still doesn’t know why she doesn’t wear velvet. Maybe it was the way Igor pictured her. But either way that door had to appear.

The one who governs power, Elizabeth-san had told her about that. She never really understood it even though for a short while, she was one. Would they even accept her now? Was something wrong… I might be what she did in the past, but she wanted to make up for that. She already knew a persona-user. In the past week, she had learned to understand the real world, how things really worked, how people really acted. In learning this, Shi has realized her true purpose. Sure she can make her existence what she wants, or neglect her ditties like Elizabeth, but maybe sticking around would be better for her, if she ever got back. Looking up to the sky, Shi closed her eyes “I understand…”

[End]