New Beginnings [Eleanie Carr, Jett Winters]

Some days the lure of the sunlight shining through the high windows of the library called to Jett with such remonstrance of his generally indoor life style that he gave in and fled the quiet of the castle for the more open grounds. Today was such a day: he had been sitting hunched over books for he knew not how long, his chest rising and falling in such even breaths that an onlooker may have thought him asleep if not for the occasional turn of a page. It was chance that the sun began to fall in the sky and the golden light of evening shimmered across his page, causing him to look up into the window. Yes, he could do with a stretch of his legs and a breath of fresh air.

A short time later he found himself wandering aimlessly across the fresh blanket of grass of the school's grounds. His mind was too occupied with one thing or another to fully take in the beauty of the glow of the evening around him, or hear the crickets and birds as they flew overhead and serenaded those who had  more of an ear for such melody than Jett. In fact, his walk had not yet achieved its intended effect. He was still living in his head, in his studies and thoughts of the social environment he threw himself in so fervently, allowing him no respite from a constant buzz in his mind. His need to reign in his veela aura for the comfort of those around him was also tearing at edges of his mind; there was no relaxation for Jett unless he was sleeping.

His wanderings led him to the the tall reeds and covering trees that hid the edges of this section of the Black Lake, and there something finally caught his attention. It  was a noise more melodic than the nature around him, one that rose and fell in a hum of song that somehow pierced the stress of his thoughts and made him realize he had walked so far without thinking. A rare kind of smile came over Jett then, one that was reserved for when he was alone and not trying to put on an act or impress. It had been so long since he had stopped and enjoyed nothing more than being aware of something so lovely, with no other motives, that he was loath to even breathe in fear of breaking the magic. He did, though, and even risked a few steps in the direction of the sound. He could place it as a woman's voice, but nothing more. His curiosity was revved, and so he continued, attempting to step lightly and stay in the shadows of the trees, until he reached a spot he could hear more easily and take a seat himself, leaning up against the trunk of a tree and allowing himself the peace of the moment, hoping whoever was out there would continue in their song and never notice his intrusion.

The hope of remaining undiscovered was taken from him when he heard the girl call out and Jett was nearly on his feet when he realized she was not speaking to him, but instead something he could not see from where he sat. He listened as she laughed, the sound cheery in the quiet lakeside. The voice was familiar to Jett, though he did not immediately place it. He was certain he knew the speaker, but was having the hardest time remembering which girl of the castle spoke so lightly and sweetly. The curiosity got the better of him some moments later, when the humming resumed, and Jett quietly stood up, intending to move just a few feet closer in order to see who was nearby.

The figure was immediately recognized by him as that of Eleanie and he let out a small sigh upon realization. He was not in the mood to deal with her today. Her mood swings and hostility towards him was draining at the best of times, and plain irritating at others. Jett knew if she was to spot him here some harsh words would pass her lips in his direction, no doubt about an intrusion of privacy and why was he watching her anyway? It wasn't as if he tried to run into Eleanie so often, they just seemed to be in the same places at the same times quite often. He doubted she would believe that, though, and instead think he was following her. Which of course he was not, though her challenging nature had intrigued him on occasion.

Yet, he had not known it was her from the start. He had assumed it was someone else, for he had never heard her speak in such a way, nor had he ever imagined her to be somewhere so peaceful and calm. He tilted his head for a better angle to see her, now thoroughly invested. There were of course things about Eleanie which he did not know, how silly would it be for him not to think that? This view of her was entirely new, and one that Jett felt the urge to intrude on, to learn more and attempt yet again to befriend her.

He was faced with a dilemma. To turn back, return to the castle and spend the rest of the evening with his nose in a book, was a safe bet. Time would be spent calmly, and quietly. Things wold get done, he would go to bed feeling accomplished if not relaxed. Less clear of an option was to remain here and speak out to Eleanie. He could not guess how she would act, exactly. Perhaps her mood was so serene at this moment that she would welcome his company. Yes; that was probably it.

With a few more steps, ones he did not try to hide, he emerged on the lake side some distance from Eleanie. Feigning a look of surprise, Jett gave a small wave in her direction. “I hope I am not intruding,” he spoke from his place by the edge of the trees, waiting for a cue that it was acceptable for him to join her.

Excuses and made up reasons flooded Jett's mind as answers to Eleanie's question, but instead of using one he sighed and ran his hand through his hair in defeat. “I don't know,” he said -the truth. “I thought a walk around the grounds would clear my mind but I seem to have been mistaken. Funny, I never seem to be right when it comes to these things.” The words left his mouth in a much more docile tone than he was accustomed to speaking to anyone with, one he reserved for very few occasions. He was tired; it was easier than mustering up the energy to put up a front as usual. Besides, Eleanie already did not think well of him – what harm could it do, now?

He walked nearer to Eleanie and took a seat on the ground by the lake, careful to keep away from the water but close enough to facilitate conversation. It really was a lovely area and he was silent a moment as he looked out across the water, spotting the occasional ripple caused by whatever lay with its depths. The air smelled fresh and warm, signs of a lazy spring evening wearing on. His eyes slipped closed for a breath as he inhaled, then let it out slowly. When he had become so focused as to forget sights and moments like this were important, too?

With a slight smile he looked over at Eleanie, hoping she wasn't disturbed by his sitting near her. He noticed the cards in her lap, set up in some sort of arrangement. Jett had never taken a Divination class, believing them to be a waste of time. He had only so much time to learn and there were much more important and relevant, not to mention sensible, things to learn about. Still, he was not about to insult Eleanie and her choices of pastimes. “What have you got there, El-” he stopped short of finishing her name, recalling how averse she was to it previously. “Sorry,” he said, genuinely not meaning to upset her. "I should just sit quietly and let you be, shouldn't I?"

Jett pondered over what she meant by calling him almost normal as he picked idly at the grass beneath him. Was it a compliment, to be normal? He had never considered himself to be too out of the ordinary; he was intelligent, and yes, of course he was different from others – different in a way that made him someone special – but to be normal, well, Jett had always imagined he was close enough. He did not want to be just like everyone else, though. He wanted to be more than that, and being plainly normal would never accomplish anything. Eleanie had no way of knowing that, though, and thus her off hand sarcasm did not hurt Jett as it most surely was meant to.

For once he did took his own advice and stayed quiet as Eleanie spoke again, more to herself than him. It was another moment, like the one had he inadvertently seen earlier while she was humming, that left Jett mystified at how little her knew of her. They had shared many encounters, yet this was the first time he had heard her use a voice that sounded so defeated and tired. He could hear in it the same tones he heard in his only moments before. Was it possible that she too spent so much energy putting up a front that it left her precious little time in which she could relax? If so the two of them had more in common than most of the other students Jett knew. His mind was on this subject as he continued to watch her arrange and turn the cards on her lap, listening as she told him what it was. Much as he suspected, it was some form of card reading that he did not know. Interested, if only because he imagined it might further the conversation, he moved a few feet closer to Eleanie in order to see more clearly what she was doing.

“How interesting. Is it accurate? Perhaps, if you would be willing and I promise to be a good listener and not interrupt, you would read off something for me?” Though he had no inclination for the sort of magic that the tarot cards represented, Jett could not deny they had a power behind them if used correctly, and it was possible Eleanie was proficient at reading them. He raised his eyes from the cards to look at her, trying his best to show his genuine interest rather than appearing fake. It was easier than ever before, as he had shed all his airs and graces when he had spoken to her from the edge of the trees earlier. He was now just Jett, wishing to continue a meeting with Eleanie that for once did not end in an argument.

Eleanie's offer to try reading the cards himself came as a surprise. He had not even really hoped she would agree to read them for him, instead bracing himself for another harsh retort. Her offer, though, sounded more like a peace offering than anything else. Still, it was not a task he had imagined himself ever doing. He had no real interest in learning the craft of card reading, as again, he found its use trivial to him. Jett's focus was hard facts, things that could be proved and turned concrete. It was simpler that way, to know something was true and unchangeable. Subjects that left room for interpretation also left more room for mistakes, and mistakes were things that Jett could not let himself make.

Instead of answering right away he waited until she dried off and took a seat next to him. Her closeness was unusual, for she generally had shown an aversion to being even in the same room as him, and yet here she was voluntarily placing herself by him. It suddenly felt as if he was not interacting with Eleanie but someone else entirely, someone who did not hate him for one reason or another, and still someone who was not going to jelly inside because of his veela aura. It was a comfortable feeling.

His green eyes, reflecting the grass beneath him, watched Eleanie's hands as she shuffled the cards again and again. They moved fluidly through her fingers, following an invisible path from one hand to the other. He saw flashes of pictures blur by as they flipped, never enough to catch what they were, but only colors blending together. Eleanie wasn't watching what she was doing, but instead staring off to the castle, letting her muscle memory take care of the task. He watched a moment longer, enjoying the simple pleasure of listening to the cards ruffle together, before speaking. “I will try, but I am afraid I do not know much about this subject. I may need your help in showing me what to do” He confessed, something that he didn't like admitting. It was not often he needed someone else to show him how to do something; he would rather learn it on his own before attempting something new in the company of others.

The breeze that was swaying the reeds in the lake nearby picked up and Jett could feel it ruffle his hair, causing him to reach up and pass his fingers through it, hoping to keep it from becoming too tangled. The silky thickness of it was warm from the sun, and he smiled at the feeling. It was in a veela's nature to be fond of their hair, where many of their magical properties manifest. It was stronger in full veelas, of course, but Jett still had cause to be attentive to the state of his dark hair. As his hand returned to its place on his folded knees he listened to Eleanie's voice drift across the grass between them.

Jett pondered over the use of a personal item. While he understood the theory behind such a need it still seemed rather superfluous to him. If the cards were being read by the person themselves, didn't the mere touch and thoughts of that person qualify as personal enough? Again, he was speculative of the effectiveness of this, or any, form of divination.  Still he listened to Eleanie as she explained the meaning of the positions of cards, and how each new location symbolized a part of life. He watched as she used her wand as her personal item and pulled his out of his bag in preparation for his reading.

The light color of the Holly stood out amongst the dark green of the grass, the twisting handle of the wand worn and smooth from the years of Jett's warm palms grasping it. While a wizard's wand always shares a deep connection to its owner, Jett felt even more attached to his than he suspected others did. The core of his wand was not merely another ingredient to the magic but something  close to Jett's heart; the veela hair acting as his wand core once belonged to his own grandmother. While he had only met her a handful of times her memory stood out as a shining light, despite her often aloof attitude towards her half-breed grandson. Jett felt his wand brought him closer to the culture that he wished had a bigger part in his life, that with that strand of hair he was closer to his family that wanted little to do with him.

Banishing the hurtful thoughts, Jett refocused his eyes from the cards in the grass to Eleanie's blue eyes, giving her his undivided attention. His persistent eye contact tended to leave many recipients blushing and glancing away, but with Eleanie he found he enjoyed the way she was able to stare back and not let it make her uncomfortable.  “I believe I understand the principle. Please, continue.” He gave her an encouraging smile, waiting patiently until she felt ready to press on with her reading.

Jett studied Eleanie more than the cards she turned over as she did her reading. He watched the little changes in her eyes and face she she saw each card, and listened to her words when she spoke. As usual they told him little about who she actually was, but Jett was expecting no more. She was a private girl.

That did not keep him from asking, though, what she got out of the cards once she had finished. “Did this tell you much? I do not mean to pry; I understand this can be quite personal. I only wonder, as you seem to put such stock in it, if the cards had given you the knowledge you are searching for.”

When it was his turn, Jett let the wand in his hand hover over the deck for the slightest moment, before proceeding to shuffle the cards thoroughly. Jett put little stock into the so called magic of the cards, and the need for he to be the one to shuffle them. If the theory was the cards somehow could tell his personal life just from the mere touch of his hands on them, then he would indeed be impressed. But that hardly seemed likely.

Jett had of course grown up in a world of magic and whimsy. He believed in charms and spells and all manner of wondrous beasts because they were a truth of the world. He had seen them with his own eyes, had learned to replicate the magics he had witnessed as a child. It was easy for him to put faith in because it was real and concrete. Such schools of magic such as divination and the art of tarot reading, well, those were things that could not be measured and broken down. Were they real? Maybe, but they were not reliable, and subject to much subjective interpretation. So it was with a grain of salt that Jett drew five cards from the deck and placed them in the same layout he had seen Eleanie do.

He looked up into her eyes, his own reflecting the green of the grass beneath them. “The moment of truth approaches, no?” With a quick smile, he reached out his hand and flipped the first card over.

What Eleanie had implied this card showed was heaven –a strong trait of his that perhaps overshadowed others. The image on the card he had turned over was a young boy, holding the symbol of a pentacle in his hand. Page of Pentacles it read on the bottom of the card. “This seems promising,” he said as he looked at the card closer. It felt somehow right in his hand as he placed it back onto the grass.

The next card he turned didn't look quite so appealing. It was turned upside when he flipped it, and showed a man laying prone, swords plunged into his back and blood dripping into the ground under him. Ten of Swords, Jett read, and had a moment of discomfort as he imagined what it could mean, and how the gruesome image could connect to his past.

Jett did not make a comment on the card and instead moved to the next one. This one was supposed to tell him something of his present situation, which was not something he really needed telling about. He was living it, after all. What could it be that he did not know about what was currently happening in his life? He had already committed to humoring Eleanie with the reading, though, so he flipped the card. Again it was reversed when he turned it. On it was a woman sitting with an open book in her lap and a cross around her neck. She reminded Jett vaguely of his mother, and he smiled to himself at her memory. The card revealed itself as the High Priestess.

“Ah, this is a lovely card. The depictions on this deck are all so skillfully done.”

The next card was to represent his future, and when he turned it over he there was an image of a winged man blowing into a trumpet with a group of naked onlookers below him. Judgment, it read. It was all rather too religious looking to Jett's tastes. He had not grown up with any particular religious belief, and he glad for it. It was another instance of life that did not have enough proof for him to put any faith into.

That last card waited to be flipped. All Eleanie had said about it was that it was supposed to be Hell, and he assumed that like the Heaven spot, it would represent an aspect of himself that was not at all desirable. Although he put no stock in what would appear, Jett still hesitated when he reached for the card. He knew he had flaws – everyone did. But maybe his were somewhat less than the flaws of others.

The last card was flipped, a look of casual interest on his face for show. A knight with a raised sword adorned the card, riding atop a charging horse. It didn't look so bad. Knight of Swords. That was the second card that featured swords he had picked.

Done with the reading, Jett leaned back, letting his back rest on the soft grass. It felt cool and refreshing, and now that he was done turning silly cards over he felt as if he had nothing to do besides relax with the sun hitting his skin. “Does this tell you anything about me you didn't already know?” He asked Eleanie, wondering just what meaning she had taken from the cards he had drawn. She already had an opinion of him, and he had decided it wasn't worth trying to change anymore. He was just too tired.

Notes on card choices: