Our fingerprints are everywhere.

[impersona]

So, some of ya know that my computer is on the way out the door.   That's what's been going on since Thursday - trouble connecting to wireless networks, and then trouble getting my computer beyond Vista's WELCOME screen, which made me cry like a boo-boo.   But K's brother got to do voodoo magic on my computer this evening, and I'm more or less back in action.  As in the last few weeks, I'm out a lot still and probably won't be on very often.  Montana is lovely, as always.

Also I have my Taiki outfit to start sewing.  D: 

ANYWAYS.  Here is something to get me a little back in action, Interwebs-and-writing-wise.

Pick up to three of your RP chars (ones whom I am familiar with, please), and I will pick out for you a Representative Tarot Card and/or a Growth Tarot Card for that character, plus an explanation to what the card is and why I picked it for that char.  The Representative card is basically the card that I think epitomizes the char's personality/spirit/path in life.  If I give you a Growth Card, that represents the character's current lot in life and conflict that they have to overcome.  This is all by my perspective, so feel free to debate or suggest a new card.  I'm including all of the Major Arcana, plus the 16 Royal cards. 

ALSO if you like, request one of my characters as well (in addition to your three), and I will respond with his/her cards, just for fun.  I'd do this in the body of this post but I am tired and not sure if there is much interest in that sort of thing.  I can say though that like, for every game I've been in since ANCD, I've done Tarot find-and-replace in my own head, with the never-accomplished intention of actually drawing a deck based on that games' characters.   

(Kol, Angie, when were you planning on doing the music meme?  I don't want to miss that ;_; )

Comments

[thez]

Well I have one character with which you ought to be familiar, so go for it!

You should also tell me about Val's card. ACTUALLY, you should tell me what Val thinks of tarot and astrology and all that sort of New Age mysticism because I was sitting here wondering that and I could not guess! Val's face when Loni drags him to a palm reader, please select one: :D D: :( :| :O &:/ щ(°Д°щ) （╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

[kol]

I did not think anything could top the щ(°Д°щ) face, but I have been proven wrong. ╯°□°）╯ forever X0

[impersona]

ARI FIRST.

I chose the Page of Swords for his Representative Card. The Pages are cards that are part of the Court set, and Pages are the most youthful, energetic, and receptive to new lessons. Swords is the suit that corresponds to Air, though Swords also indicate intellectual power, the power of communication, and the cutting power of mentality. They are also masters of courage, change, and ambition, though their greatest weakness tends to be their own doubt. The Page of Swords, being a youth in control of the powers of Swords, then represents turbulent energy (yeah) that the youth is not entirely in control of, though he strives mastery of it. It is a bit of a situation where the Page knows that he has the tools to be as amazing as he knows he can be, but he doesn't always know how to apply them. The card suggests a vindictiveness against other people, but I think Ari tends to bend such anger towards himself instead of towards others.

I put Page of Swords as the Representative card cause this seems to be the place where Ari has been his whole life so far - in a situation where he feels he can't 'grow up' and be independent, though now he is determined to be on his own and master the world. I think there is potential for him to graduate up to a Knight of Swords once he becomes a master of communication (the best that he can) and feels secure in his own independence and abilities.

VAL'S FACE = （╯°□°）╯ A LUMPY BALL OF FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE. LONI WHY DO YOU SUGGEST SUCH THINGS YOU CAN'T TRUST THESE PEOPLE THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY THROUGH SWINDLING OTHERS AND VOODOO AND IS SHE TELLING ME I'M GONNA DIE AAAAAH.

HActually, the Page of Pentacles is where Val is right now. Like the Page of Swords, this is a young person who is bursting with ideas and energy about how he wants to be independent and command his future, though he doesn't quite have the means to do so yet. The Page of Pentacles is represented by a Page staring hypnotically at a gold coin in his hands, but this doesn't so much promise that he'll grow up into a Scrooge McDuck as it represents how absorbed he is by his dreams of building his future (education, his own business, his own family, etc). Val will evolve *Pokemon music* into a Knight of Pentacles at some point during the storyline, and possibly further into the King of Pentacles when he is much older.

[thez]

YAY! I don't know much about the tarot so that was hella cool. Thanks for the links, too! I was reading through the descriptions bobbing my head in a "Yep, that is Ari/Val" sort of way. Plus I didn't know that the tarot cards evolved. Tarotmon.

turbulent energy (yeah) YES

The card suggests a vindictiveness against other people, but I think Ari tends to bend such anger towards himself instead of towards others.

You win the Presidential Medal of Perceptiveness!

VAL. FLIP OVER THE PALM READER'S TABLE AND RUN VAL. （╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

[impersona]

Well, I felt like with Ari and Val, they are totally not going to be stuck in the Page state their entire lives, so I thought it was important to show that the Page is really a stepping-stone for them.

THROW A BIKE AT HER VAL - （╯°□°）╯︵ Op-O

[thez]

...let's change the title of "Bike Fu and You" to just that emoticon.

[mindsplinters]

We can try but how would you pronounce it? It'd be like The Artist Formerly Known As Prince.

[thez]

"The Log Formerly Known As 'Bike Fu and You'"

I am kidding of course.

But we all need dreams.

[kol]

*sends good vibes to computer!*

Hm! I'm picking Mara and Neve .... but I'm also curious about Deon ^.^;;

[impersona]

MARA - THE MOON

Right now, I think there is no question that Mara is best represented by the Moon. The Moon is about female energy, but more about the negative side of that energy, and heavily about the Jungian Shadow and darker side of the human consciousness. The Moon represents a powerful, capable person who feels as if she has lost control of most of the aspects of her life - nearly like a female Magician who has gotten absorbed in the world of the occult and other-worldly, and who has let fears and anxieties turn shadows into monsters. Mara is obsessed with the troubles of her past to the point where they very strongly color her present perceptions of herself and other people, which unfortunately doesn't always represent reality, and could cause her to push away or misunderstand people's intentions. There is a major difficulty with accepting change that she must overcome. There is a deeply sensitive side to the Moon, but fear tends to overwhelm its expressive, and she feels like she has to protect her sensitive feelings from the harshness of the world and reality. The fact that she hides in an attic is not surprising with this card in play.

The Moon is actually one of my favorite cards, much for the same reason The Devil and Tower are two of my favorites - because it gets a lot of negative press, but the negativity and the struggles suggested by that card mean that a person who can take the card's weaknesses and turn them into strengths is an enlightened individual. When Mara learns how to really embrace the power, I think she could have a very powerful understanding of herself and her abilities, like the Magician emerging from the bog of darkness.

I believe that she is truly a Queen of Swords (with a strong dose of Queen of CupsNEVE - THE HANGED MAN

I have no doubt that this is Neve's card. As of late, the reversed meaning of the Hanged Man is more apt for her as she is now, but the positive meaning of the card seems appropriate for her in the best of times.

The Hanged Man is best described as a person who is making sacrifices in the pursuit of higher ideals. The card looks horrific in meaning at first, especially with the image of a man hanging upside-down on the cross, but it's the concept that wisdom and spiritual enlightenment can be won at the expense of worldly comforts.

Neve pretty obviously wasn't willing to sacrifice worldly comforts such as the lives of her friends and stability, but that was the lot given to her, and she has the ability to develop spiritually from it. She has a very strong well of spirituality and strength already in her - Neve just has absolutely no idea how to tap into it, besides the vapors. She has been forced into a lot of situations where she has to sacrifice parts of herself, but she hasn't encountered many situations where she freely decides to make a sacrifice, and that could be a major point of transformation for her.

Neve right now is extremely bogged down by the negative aspects of this card. Self-denial, self-absorption, escapism, evasiveness and love for drugs has become a replacement for spiritual nourishment, which is her true soul food.

Once she conquers the negative aspects of the Hanged Man, I really think she can embody everything positive with that card. In the future, I can't imagine Neve graduating up to a Knight or King card (Queen is so inappropriate for her), but I can imagine her going back to the Fool, and starting her life fresh there.

(fun fact - the Hanged Man was also Galen's representative card.)

DEON - THE CHARIOT/

To clarify, the Chariot is his true Representative Card, but that cart has kinda been stuck at the Devil's pit stop for a while now.

The Devil is a fair bit like the Moon. Both are teeming with negative forces, but the Devil is a bit more masculine and positive in expression, and a much more energetic card overall. Unfortunately, those energies can be squandered on pointless, indulgent and even self-destructive activities. The Devil chiefly represents bondage, but a bondage that could be escaped if the person chooses to.

He doesn't know how to handle frustrations and blocks in his path, and though he would like to charge right through them, that's largely impossible in this day and age. Because Deon absolutely hates to look as if he is working hard or struggling with something, he just flat out ignores anything he perceives as a frustration or a block. Of course, frustration doesn't disappear into thin air, and a lot of his inner self is a big churning mass of turmoil and frustration that he only knows how to let out when fighting and drinking and bringing down other people.

But again, he's only The Devil in the same way Mara is The Moon - it's not what he truly is, but it's a bit of the monster he's become. He's real nature is absolutely the Chariot, the eternal warrior and champion. The Chariot is about conquest, movement, will power, and the successful marriage of a person's positive and negative attributes. You can imagine a Charioteer wildly flying around the corner on his horses, ready to barrel over all of his competition, and Deon is really not far away from being such a clear-sighted, driven person. The Chariot also is a person who never gives up the good fight, ever, and as I told you before I imagine him continuing the Hunt in some capacity through his entire life (even just through relic-making, though I think he'll be sneaking out on actual hunts too).

[impersona]

Durr some of the message got scrambled. Starting at Mara's Queen stuff -

I believe that she is truly a Queen of Swords (with a strong dose of Queen of Cups, and that sort of depends on if she places more value on financial/intellectual/business success (Swords) or on successful relationships (Cups). Or she can have a bit of both. Who knows! Either way, she's totally a Queen card.

NEVE - THE HANGED MAN

[kol]

1. Mara.
I find it interesting that you pinged most of the cards I kind of associate with Mara. Moon is definitely a huge factor, so I'll start off with that one. With Mara, not only does she have this huge inner emotional turmoil seething beneath the surface, but she's disconnected from that turmoil to the point of being called emotionally stupid. She just isn't aware of how much her emotions color her interactions with people. And this disconnect also negatively affects her abilities. Mages are essentially blind to daemons, but this sense is balanced by their ability to sense potential teammates in the area. But Mara's so disconnected from her subconscious/gut that she hasn't figured this part of her abilities yet. She has to use a dream journal to figure things out, use a creative bridge where other Mages can figure it out right away. In away, her inability to release those emotions blinds her to the world around her. It is when Mara is able to learn how to trust other people, to start to heal the wounds she's held herself under, to open her heart up (just a little, but come on, there's a HUGE amount of trust between those two with Shot Wars when you think about it, especially on Mara's end) and to do it without that controlling want-you-all-to-herself behavior she has with other people she cares about (her dad, Lynn, other cousins)?

I think connecting with her emotions, starting to understand how her abilities really work instead of just focusing on the molecular aspects, really diving into the less physical aspects, will allow Mara to grow the best into her abilities. And as a plus side, help her grow as a person as well.

Magician is another Mara card, definitely, especially if you immune the card with a feminine/group approach. Because Mara is all about transformation, but her element is a little more subtle-- she's less about the singular transformation of the self, and more for the transformation of the community as a whole. At her core, Mara is a person who brings people together. It is no coincidence that she had the crazy idea of starting a house/HQ for Hunters in the area-- indeed, in any timeline you can count on Mara to be the one trying to pull people together for whatever cause she's supporting. There is this dynamic force to Mara that, while she might not always be the one people turn to in a crisis, she's smart and strong and knows how to place people to do their best. She's great at planning things out... as long as they aren't about HER. She's far more aware of the people around her than she is of herself, and part of this is the inherent Mage nature. I do feel that Mara *is* fundamentally a bridge character; for many characters she was the one to bring them into the Hunting fold, she was the one to organize, she was the one to figure out the 'miracle' of the seal. It was important to me that the whole seal breaking be Mara channeling other people's "energies/powers/shiny bits" because in a weird way, Mara is the Community Magician.

I'm not sure with making her development a Queen, though, because I kind of see Mara willingly taking a backseat to the whole hunter thing once she settles down. Goes the career path, but still mentoring, because she'd never really get out of the Hunting life any more than Deon. I do see her as a person who could easily function as the head of a business, in the financial district, or hawking real estate. Whatever she does it will be with people, and her being part of a community. She's not the type who could operate a tiny business-- she'd need people to keep her busy, plenty of projects to keep that innate creative bits of her alive. I think that's partially why she's so stagnate in canon at the moment-- she's just been ignoring college, ignoring everything but the Hunt, and that sole focus does her no good at all. She needs her attention divided or she'll get tunnel vision and obsess, and that's healthy for no one.

I think Mara arguably has the reversed Queen of Wands going on now, too, and I don't think she's every going to drop that temper of hers. If anything she's going to get more energetic as time goes on, as the emotional maturity warms her personality up, burning off the jealous bits. I don't really see her being a Queen of Swords-- I could see it in Mexican AU, or in alternate!Long December AU, but as long as there's hope for a future, Mara's not going to be that ultra rational, detached, scientific person-- that's her negative growth cycle, I think, not her more positive eventual cycle. ^.^;; I see her positive growth being about finding balance and understanding with her emotions and not, you know, being uncomfortable after hugging someone because ZOMG WHAT IS THIS HEART THING LET ME DROWN IT IN BOOZE AND KARAOKE. ;)

I just find it hilarious that a 'fiery' Queen card kind of fits how I see Mara maturing. Oh my poor watery girl, how far you have fallen since 2001 XD

I would write more but, you know, enough is enough X0

[kol]

2. Neve

I think most people would put Neve with the Hanged Man card, and I'm totally one of them, especially for this bit:

The Hanged Man in some decks is Odin, who hung on the world tree for nine days and received the runes. The tree is Yggdrasil, the living World Tree (notice the living branches), rooted in the underworld and supporting the heavens

Because at her core, the underline bits are precisely who Neve is and are fundamentally what her driving motivations are. Neve is not the keeper of Heaven who flies around blissfully-- she carries that load on her back much as Atlas did, a burden she refuses to shed because it is she's earned it, damn it, and it isn't YOURS to shoulder. There is an almost religious undertone to this, which is why if there was any sort of a wandering clergy in Arcadia, I could see Neve finding her way into it. She's just too broken to settle down as a 'norm,' and if Sin goes, the whole piracy trade is going to become the new villain, and Neve wants no part of that. Better to be the lesser of two evils and flourish on the in betweens than be the new bad people focus on. I could see her developing into a sort of ascetic mystic, living on the backcliffs of Icarus in a cabin by herself, finding some sort of piece while people wander in for aid.

And what is clear about Neve is while she functions perfectly fine in a community setting on the surface (she's been a part of the crew of the Raiders for half of her life, after all, and she'd have been tossed out if she couldn't relate to people on all sorts of levels), at her core she's really a person who draws her strength from herself. This is why she's survived yet hasn't thrived. If she'd found her way to Icarus and hidden out in the backcliffs like Taavi suggested she do at 17, Neve would have been an entirely different sort of character, far more put together, less of the walking dead.

But that part of Neve is gone, there's no spiritualism to Neve at all, just the grueling pursuit of survival and piecing each broken part back in, jury-rigging some way to make it stay functioning, a movement towards the future just so something of those she lost would continue on.

If there was a way to ping the hope/enlightenment of Star with the completion/integration of World, that would be Neve's development. Because a big old emotional bandaid isn't going to fix Neve. She needs to find her redemption, and the only way I can see it is if she lives long enough to either put Phoebe on the throne or be the one to sacrifice herself for Phoebe if Sin lobs an attack her way. Because without Phoebe, there was no heart in Neve's chest, but now that the Princess is alive, for the first time in years there is hope. Because there's a reason now, a meaning for a revolution, and not a hopeless fight against a superior force. Now there is justice and redemption and a clear way to succeed, and maybe, just maybe, if she can restore Phoebe she can finally claim her rest, lay down that burden of the heavens she carries, and be at peace.

So basically, Neve is the Tinman who just needs a heart (hope). Don't ask me why I hadn't figured this out before XD

[kol]

Or you know HERMIT. I love how it only occurs to me HOURS after I typed this up XD

[kol]

3. Deon

Perfect cards *___*

I'm curious, have you looked at the Knight of Wands for Deon? I think the card, as you said, works super well for Dusty, but that of the reversed card match up with Deon at Long December:

The Knight of Wands reversed indicates delays and frustration, getting nowhere, and feeling anger at obstacles and at being denied what you want to have. This card, in the reversed position, represents a loss of personal power or the negative use of power. It can indicate that you are trying to camouflage or compensate for your inability to control this situation. Accompanying emotions would involve a loss of self-esteem and pessimism.

Also, I am amused that one of the health issues for the King of Wands is wheelchair. X3333.

I think part of why I like Deon and Mara is how well their particular drives gel together. For two ridiculously driven people, it is very surprising that there isn't a constant posturing between the two for dominance. I believe Shot Wars started out that way, but it eventually became a code for a deeper sort of connection, a friendly rivalry that deepened into a more satisfying allegiance of their awesomeness. So while there is undoubtedly a lot of competitiveness with the two, their drives frequently run parallel with one another, encouraging the other rather than pushing the other down. You can see this working in a positive light during the Running log. I think it makes the eventual fallout over Deon leaving that much more painful, because from Mara's standpoint, she just got run over by Deon's chariot and the dumbass is too stupid to realize she's been left behind. XD

What makes the whole thing exciting, obviously, is the opportunity for growth Long December offers. I think it really is a huge turning point for them both, an opportunity to escape the negative paths both are on and actually help one another onto a more mature and positive growth cycle. And I really think the beauty of the two characters is they wouldn't *have* to be on a romantic journey for this growth to happen. Because there's friendship there, strengthened by Shot Wars and Fighting The Good Fight and Sharing with one another.

And from Mara's standpoint, Deon being the Chariot completely validates her attraction to him. Because Deon is undeniably this masculine, confident, champion figure, the type of guy you KNOW is going to change things but isn't going to let them change him. So there's a false sense of stability to Deon, that no matter what happens he'll be on the couch with a warm beer and some snarky comment one minute, out killing the bad guys the next. Because Mara can't see the Devil card in Deon, and I think if she'd had more of a hint of the baggage he was carrying around, she'd never have gotten herself tangled up with him in the first place. Which would have been a HUGE loss all around, so I'm pretty happy they were both drunk XD

I think around Deon, Mara actually feels like a woman, which is incredibly overwhelming/addicting when you think of Mara's issues with control and abandonment. She doesn't think she has to worry about either with Deon, which lets her reach out more with him than she would with anyone else. She can just be herself with Deon, doesn't have to put on fancy clothes for approval, doesn't have to watch her tongue, doesn't have to be "normal" to fit in. But this is a false sense of security, because both of them have their demons that are holding them back, and what they are doing isn't really being adults so much as avoiding/being oblivious to their issues. Which really makes Deon an interesting character to foil against Dusty and Mara against Tasha.

I'm starting to get super tired, so I'm going to stop babbling about Deon and Mara because you've heard it all anyway and I can't figure out how any of this relates to Deon's cards anymore XD.

[impersona]

THERE IS SO MUCH TO COMMENT ON AND AWESOMENESS AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START AND AAAAAAAAAAH.

MARA

WELL AT LEAST I GOT THE MOON PART RIGHT and sort of about the Queen (you only want Deon as Knight of Wands cause she is Queen of Wands. I see your crafty plot!) Actually I wouldn't have guessed at looking at a Fire element for Mara, so I consider myself schooled. I can agree with the having a strong Magician influence, but I think the community bits are more in the realms of other cards - like the Queens or even Lovers or Justice.

NEVE

I'm happy you agreed with Neve = Hanged Man. She seemed like such a perfect textbook case of it that I would have been sad otherwise. Actually it is sad as it is, especially about her going on without any sense of spirituality to drive her anymore. Sounds like trying to drive a car just on your battery power. Sort of a wonder that she has made it this far, even if she doesn't look better for the wear.

What about aiming for Judgement with Neve, and once she is through with the revival/regeneration of that card, she can fully embrace the World?

DEON

KNIGHT OF WANDS DOES WORK REALLY WELL. Especially the reversed position, that description lines up really well with his emotional state during that time.

Also everything you said about Mara/Deon is brilliant and I could have never said it better. On his side of the "WHY DIDN'T THEY KILL EACH OTHER IMMEDIATELY" curiosities, what helped him trust Mara and actually come to approach her as a friend was this impression she was a peer to him, somehow, rather than someone he could easily play with and disregard later.

If it helps, Deon doesn't exactly see the depth of the Moon in Mara either. Especially initially, he thought that a lot of her negative reactions and bitterness were amusing, curious bits of her personality - not the result of like five years of gnarled and snarled personal history. (Which reminds me, I would like for him to learn about her dad at some point, if you'd be cool. Not sure if she'd mention anything or if he has to hear through Reddel/Lynn, but it'd kinda give him a bit of a clue. Fortunately I don't think he'd tell Mara he knows.)

I love how Long December isn't solved through the POWER OF LOVE/kissyface too (pfft that would actually make things PROFOUNDLY WORSE if timed wrong). For those two especially, if they can't respect each other as friends, I can't imagine any kind of force getting them together.

[impersona]

Durr durr, Deon's headline should be "THE CHARIOT/THE DEVIL", not a blank spot.

[sporky_rat]

I want Tertia's card. SO SHE CAN EAT ED'S FACE.

[impersona]

As of her time in HG!, Tertia was definitely Queen of Pentacles, though stuck a bit in the reversed meaning of the card. Positively, she did know the meaning of hard work and perseverence, and was confident, practical, and even kind in her own uptight way. What hung her up was a fear of losing everything that she earned through hard work, especially through the magic of sexism. She also tended to care too much about work and her future and not enough about enjoying the present, and she also really isolated herself from others and had trouble reaching out for help. In interpreting her for Hera, I wanted to address the bad press that Hera gets as being a giant defensive mechanism on her part - the mythical Hera had no one to trust, and in the same way, Tertia was afraid to share her dreams and ambitions with others for fear that they'd betray it in the end.

The plan was that she'd eventually graduate up into anEmpress, cause lol Hera. She would have been able to be very successful in her business ambitions without feeling the need to steamroll everyone, or to feel fear that other people just wanted to take advantage of her. I like to think that she would have evened out her anger issues after the course of the story, yet not have relinquished any of her enjoyment of being the queen of the neighborhood.

I would really like to bring back Tertia at some point <3 I'll be sure to let you know if I see any games that would be appropriate for the both of us!

[tatterpixie]

Yay for functional lappy! ^______^ Yay for Taiki too! <3

UM LET ME THINK. I should like to see what you pick for Dusty, Pwyll, and ummmm Yukio. XD And also I second Kol -- I'm really curious about what you picked for Deon. ^_^

[ambientfiligree]

It was literally voodoo. He didn't even know what he did to fix it. XDDD Just some random things that sometimes help.

[impersona]

Because you asked for three, and that I believe you have a good understanding of the Tarot (you do, right?) I will be a fair bit briefer with your reading XD You can ask me to elaborate if you need it.

DUSTY - KNIGHT OF WANDS/CUPS

Absolutely, unquestionably a Knight card. However, like Mara, I'm having trouble deciding which suit is better for him, the Knight of Wands or the Knight of Cups. Actually, now that I write it down, I'm fairly certain that he is more a Knight of Wands, though I think there is a little bit of Cups to him to soften his nature. He is unarguably a Knight card simply due to his entire nature - he has the confidence and pride of a noble knight without an insufferable ego, takes his battles incredibly seriously (for example, not compromising his pride in the event that lead to his discharge), and he is willing to pass on his knowledge to any little Pages in his area. The only thing stopping him short of being a King is a lack of ambition, but I think he'd agree that he's better off without that sort of thing. It means so much responsibility that would tie him down, after all.

Perhaps the Knight of Cups wanders in a little bit because of the effects of Tasha and the younger Hunters who he adopts as his little bros and sisters. It takes an edge off of his individuality and is giving him some relationship growth that he seems to be taking pleasure in.

PWYLL - TEMPERANCE/DEATH

Actually, I would argue that Pwyll's Representative card would be Temperance. I know it doesn't seem like a natural fit, especially since Pwyll comes across as a bit wacked out, but I think Pwyll was naturally intended to be a very balanced, even-tempered and just creature, and certainly one who avoids excess. He is unquestionably well-mannered and thoughtful of others, and understands both patience and the occasional need for alone-time in order to progress intellectually and spiritually. I imagine he could look forward to this card's path again after the events of the game.

His present Growth Card is Death (durrrrrrrrrrr), but I think it is appropriate for him. Having his sister in his head inevitably has to offer some issues with letting go of the past, and he will have to let go of his sister too eventually in order to move on as a person. I think Death is good because it seems to me that he is still afraid of the very thing he represents, and he has to conquer the meaning of Death and all of the positive and negative elements stemming from it.

YUKIO - THE MAGICIAN/THE LOVERS

The Magician is Yukio's Representative form. While he didn't necessarily exhibit all of the wisdom of the card during his stage of development in the game, he certainly possesses all of the power and potential of the card within him, if he is given more time to master himself. The Magician is a bit of a Willy Wonka - unlike most people and artists, he is someone who can take all of the images and noise in his head and manifest it into reality, giving his dreams real shape. Once he masters himself and gives up on using his magic for the deception of others, he is a person would could have truly attained anything he desired.

His Growth card is The Lovers. Obviously, it will represent an important romantic development, but more importantly, the card indicates a general testing of bonds and relationships, and also of being forced to make a major choice. Through the Lovers, Yukio would be forced to take a side in the Moral Mexican Stand-off of his soul - continue making lies and stories that would contribute to the dream world he wants his parents/himself to believe he is a part of, or to embrace the truth and to share it with others, even if it would cause some of them to scorn him.

[tatterpixie]

Wow. Yeh, I have a pretty darn good knowledge of the Tarot, and these are brilliant choices. And brilliant observations, too, especially with Yukio, who never got a lot of face-time in the game, and Pwyll, who is just coming into his own as a character. (Temperance is a brilliant choice for him!)

Thank you! <3

[charis]

Taiki! ♥

(I'd be curious to know what card you'd have picked for Tamaki, even if that game is dead and buried.)

[impersona]

For Tamaki, I feel like I have to give her two separate cards - one for her as Sailor Pluto, and one for the happy reincarnated Tamaki. There isn't one card that neatly covers the whole of her personality, I think XD

For Sailor Pluto, Knower of Everything, I have to give the
Judgement card. Judgement is the sum of all of the talent and knowledge amassed in the 19 cards before it, from mastery over the occult to mastery over knowledge to mastery over one's own weaknesses. Judgement is taking the power of the Magician and High Priestess and using that to change the world utterly, and fortunately Judgement has the wisdom needed to provide positive change. She is not utterly selfless, and her human nature still emerges through frustration and a perceived lack of gratitude for what she does. This is also a card of self-reckoning and insight, because a person tends to be the harshest judge of herself.

Judgement also happens to be the card of regeneration and reincarnation, which was certainly helpful in Pluto's case XD

For Tamaki, the girl, I would assign The Fool. I think there are definitely chunks of Judgement that will always be with Tamaki, but as a reborn individual, she strives to enjoy all of the things she missed the first time, with little hesitation or fear. This card is not to say Tamaki is an idiot, for the Fool is wise in her embracing of all of life, not simply the parts of it she likes. I think the Fool's rediscovery of trust is also an important aspect, since Tamaki was one of the chars most challenged by sudden team situations.

Changed my mind

[mindsplinters]

Eeee, Taiki love! <333 And I'll nab Kol and we'll alert you to when we music drabble. I'm wary of the trash I'll provide, though.

Hm, characters.

Mine - Toffee, Vaiko, and Tasha. Do one, two, three, whatever.

Yours - Roi!

... I'm buried under kitties.

Re: Changed my mind

[tatterpixie]

Doing your Brian imitation as cat-magnet, huh? <3333 *ducks and runs*

Re: Changed my mind

[mindsplinters]

Sadly, I am neither tall enough or thin enough to pull it off. Sigh.

Re: Changed my mind

[impersona]

As with Pixie, you got three, so I will be a bit briefer <3

TOFFEE - THE FOOL/THE SUN

Toffee's Representative card is the Fool. Of course, the Fool does not indicate an idiot, but rather someone who has yet to see and understand the world. They have no shortage of trust, both in the goodness of the world and in people, and the idea that they are capable of doing anything they set their mind on doing, no matter what they are told. The Fool doesn't work conventionally though, and on their way from A to B, they might wander through V and N and D just for the hell of it. There is a strange sort of wisdom and genius to how this person operates, though they still have plenty to learn about the world.

Her Growth card is Strength. I picked this because it does highlight what Toffee could learn to be even a stronger person than she is now. She gets by with being blunt and direct, but there will be times when that is taken aggressively, and not as innocence. Strength suggests that she should learn tact and apply her charms of kindness in a way that she can hold her own without compromising the wishes of others, like her father. It is also about applying the power of one's heart to solve outside conflicts, which will be relevant once she gets to know the outside world better XD

VAIKO - KING OF CUPS/KING OF SWORDS

The
King of Cups is the card that best represents Vaiko. I have to mention that with Tarot cards, there is no 'absolute male/absolute female' cards, and that a King card does not always indicate a man. The King of Cups is a stable creature with her emotions under tight check - she can feel, and could do so very deeply, but unlike others she can keep reign on her heart. There is a definite calmness and generosity to her character, and also powers of diplomacy and coolness during crisis. Unfortunately, it is easy for the King of Cups to close herself off to others, and may withhold her emotions from other people as a protective mechanism.

Because that shut-off is clearly where she has gone in development, her current Growth is dominated by the King of Sword, a master who relies on knowledge, power, and stern power over others in order to keep control over her private realm. While the King of Swords has the same powers of perception that the King of Cups does, there is no feeling of tenderness and generosity left, and this King is out to protect himself. But he wields a double-bladed sword, one side intended for the enemy, but the other side fated could land as easily in the face of an ally.

TASHA - HIEROPHANT/KNIGHT OF SWORDS

It seems strange, but to me, the card that closest to being Tasha's Representative is the Hierophant. The Hierophant being a card you are familiar with, of course. When I think of Tasha, I do think of the Unmovable Object, which is very much how the Hierophant is. The Hierophant values tradition, order, and a Job Well Done, which I think are parts of what Tasha is, even if she wants to deny that part that she gets from her mother. The Hierophant may seem stern, but that hardness merely is a cover for compassion and insight. The Hierophant also takes very well to positions where she can be a teacher and guide to others.

Her Representative card is the Knight of Swords
. She literately just rode into town, like the gallant hero the Knight of Swords is. Sharpness is the defining word when you are talking about the Swords, both intellectually and offensively. This is a time of a lot of power for her, but she has to be very careful of where her cutting is aimed - at her enemies, her allies, or herself?

ROIMATA - THE MAGICIAN/THE HERMIT

Roimata is Represented by the The Magician, and his Growth right now is dictated by the Hermit. He is actually moving through the Major Arcana on the Fool's journey (since the Fool in some interpretations is actually Orpheus), though his time of innocence and naivity is over, and he has learned enough mastery over his abilities to be a Magician. The Magician is the card that represents talent, being the Jack of All Trades and Master of All. He knows that skill and initiative is needed, and is not afraid to patiently apply himself to his art. He is a visionary, and spends his life taking the images and sounds flying around in his mind and transforming them into art.

While his Representative is in the Magician for now, his Growth has been taking a quicker progression through the Arcana. Though he passed through the others fairly quickly, he has been stuck at the Hermit since Adelita abandoned him. He has been living a largely friendless existence since then, and this is partly because he is still stuck in the deep introspection of wondering what he did wrong. He has a great control over himself, considering his age, but he's close to being too self-involved, and the Hermit is a bit of an overload given how sensitive his default nature is. I think soon he has to come to grips with the Wheel of Fortune as well, definitely during the time of the game. He is a guy who needs control over his life and emotions, and even the other people in his life to an extent, and he has to learn what it is like to have things out of control and forced to fate.

[thez]

KNIGHT OF SWORDS, AHAHAHAHAHA. Ari gets to be Tasha when he grows up.

[mindsplinters]

Does he find this at all objectionable? <3

[thez]

Not in the least (as long as he doesn't have to make out with Dusty).

[impersona]

SPOILSPORT

[thez]

LOL SORRY BUT DUSTY HAS BACON BREATH (the food, not the cat or the time traveler oh god I am making it worse)

[ambientfiligree]

HOW ABOUT UHM.

Kiyuri.

Raquel.

AND Tahorou. <3

[nanners]

OOH ME, ME! DO ME!

GUESS WHO.

WALKER OF COURSE SILLY.
Also Rufus would be cool but even I don't really know all that much about him yet so it might be difficult! GIVE IT A SHOT IF YOU DON'T MIND, THOUGH, THAT WOULD BE SWELL.

[twistdfateangel]

Man, picking only three was HARD, but I think Jane, Nessa, and Phia (almost went with Kohaku, but perhaps another day, also Jess had NO TIME to develop, apart from that softcore porn fic we're all going to pretend never happened because augh).

And somebody already requested and got Roimata, soooo... "Adelita"?