Post by The Madness Menagerie on Nov 1, 2020 21:23:33 GMT -5
It didn’t take long for Belle to realize that running away from the warm lights of the hospital and into the cool and cold shadows of a fall evening in downtown Baltimore was a bad idea. However, distraught and caught up in emotion, Belle didn’t really feel like going back on her plans to just, push forward. That was all she had to do. It was hard to do at first, her initial burst of speed dwindling before she was just walking, every footstep heavy, her sobs catching in her throat. She probably looked like a hot mess, but she honestly didn’t care. This time of night, not a lot of people were out and if anyone DID see her, well… She’d deal with the tabloid pictures later. She just…
Before Zephyr, Belle had never imagined a life with another person. She always felt independent of the world around her, able to make things work in her favor and not have to worry about getting wrapped up in the much and grime. It gave Belle that hard exterior granted to anyone who was willing to build up that much of a wall against any outside force, but then, Zephyr wasn’t so much a force as… Belle couldn’t explain it. That first time she made eye contact with her, she knew that the world as she knew it was going to change. The normal everyday stuff would fade into the background and Belle would be swept into a life of pure joy, ecstasy, a life that most could only dream about. Most of the time that’s what Belle experienced while teaching Zephyr about the finer parts of being “human.”
Smiling through the tears, Belle feels her heart break a little more, her stomach turning into a knot as she thinks back on Zephyr throwing off whatever spell she was under and realizing that everything came down to one simple choice, what does her happiness look like? Zephyr spent hours upon days trying to describe the feeling to Belle. Her emerald green eyes would light up as she would interrupt whatever she was doing if prompted and she would start rambling about having a veil lifted from her vision, and seeing beauty for the first time. Belle would always blush and nod along as Zephyr would get more and more excited with every word, a child in a candy store of emotion. Zephyr being alone in that bed, unmoving… Belle’s pace quickens, trying to outrun her emotions.
She looks back suddenly, unsure how far she’s gone since leaving the hospital. Her thoughts had carried her far and upon stopping, she realizes she is outside the shop of one Silvio Leon.
The Oracle was doing some tidying around the parlor, a broom in one hand, humming to himself. His movements are a bit stiff from his fight, but he’s well on his way to recovery thanks to a little help from Spooky. Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he glances up briefly then does a double take as he catches sight of the woman outside his door.
“Belle!” he exclaims, setting the broom aside. Striding across the waiting area, he opens the door for her, brow knit in concern. “Hey...are you alright? Come in - I’ll get you some water or tea or something.”
Belle jumps slightly at the sudden noise and she shakes her head, smiling, “Yeah, that sounds great Silvio. Thank you. Water is perfectly fine.” She smiles at him, hoping that she didn’t look like a complete wreck but could only imagine how badly streaked her mascara was. As Silvio led her inside and then disappeared into the back to get her a bottle of water, Belle couldn’t help but let her eyes wander over the various pieces of art work covering the shop’s walls. Memories of her own tattoos flooded her senses and she briefly remembers how freeing it was to get art stamped on her. She smiles at the memory as she does her best to wipe away her tear streaked makeup. Maybe she could get away with saying she was cosplaying Alice Cooper if anyone were to ask.
Sitting down in a nearby seat, she tries to ignore her trembling hand as she carefully opens a nearby portfolio of tattoo work Silvio had previously done. Lost in the images, she didn’t notice Silvio’s reappearance.
Settling into the chair across from her, he set the water on the table between them along with a box of tissues. Asking Belle how she was after all that had transpired recently seemed a foolish question. Even if he hadn’t known, the streaks of mascara on her cheeks were indication enough. Instead, he folds his hands in his lap, eyes gentle and voice soft.
“How can I help?”
Belle smiles, appreciating not beating around the bush, so to speak. “In all honesty? I’m… Not sure. It’s…” Belle sighs, her voice catching as she grabs a handful of tissues to do her best to further wipe away her makeup, scoffing at the black streaks on the tissue, “They say that this is ‘wear proof, water proof, streak proof!’ I’m… Not convinced.” She laughs weakly before looking up at Silvio, “I’m not sure to be honest. After everything that’s happened, I kind of blew up at Mia and might have made her injury worse. I was talking to Cat earlier and after that… I just, had to get away. Kinda ran from the hospital and ended up here.” She sighs, her shoulders sagging as the weight of the last several weeks press down on her. “You… You’ve given some people guidance in the past, advice, and a torch to lead them through whatever path they were trying to get through. Maybe… I’m at a loss Sil, can I call you ‘Sil?” Belle’s lower lip trembles as her emotions threaten to get the better of her. She takes a swig of water.
“I just need to be able to, I don’t know. Guidance might be what I’m looking for.” She falls silent and decides to cover herself with another drink. Maybe it was too much, too late in the evening. Belle glances nervously at her watch, not even sure what time it was anymore.
“Well, I have been known to help people out with decisions that can only be reversed with lasers,” he says with a little grin, gesturing around the parlor. “So I’ll see what I can do. And Sil is fine.” Pausing, he watches her thoughtfully for a moment. “...Did...you want a reading? I’m happy to do that if it would help.”
While he typically used the cards to get in the first shot mentally before his opponent could get the first physically, the readings could be used for other purposes, too.
Belle hadn’t even considered the option, but now that she thought of it; maybe something else had drawn her here in the first place? Not wanting to waste any time, Belle nods her head, “Yeah, do you mind? I know it’s late, I can come back later if it would be easiest on you?”
Smiling, he waves off her concerns with a gesture. “Oh, don’t worry about that! I’m a night owl, anyway - big surprise, I’m sure.” Getting up, he starts back toward the alcove where he typically shot his promos. Retrieving his deck of cards, he turns back to Belle. “Have you ever had your tarot read before?”
Belle considers it, she had always been interested in the occult, but never had a chance to get her feet wet so to speak. She shakes her head before getting up, unsure if she should follow Silvio or not. “It was always something that interested me, but I grew up in a household that frowned upon things like this and I haven’t had the time after coming to Baltimore.” She sniffles before giving a weak smile and pointing at herself, “Professional reporter extraordinaire right here. Then I met Zephyr and… I remembered how wonderful it was to be in love.” She shrugs, “Sorry, probably too much information for a simple question.”
“Nah, it’s all good,” he says, motioning for her to take a seat in the chair opposite the one that showed up in his video work. “Honestly, knowing things like that can help with the interpretation.” Picking up his cards, he offers them to her. “Shuffle these and think about what you want answers to; what you want to know. Then, you’ll choose six and we’ll give them a look.”
Belle nods and takes sits down, shuffling the deck between her fingers. So many thoughts started flowing through her head at once, blanketing her senses in a comforting fog. Zephyr’s image popped up into her mind’s eye first, more specifically how she had fallen after getting hit by that barbed wire bat. Of course she was worried about her professional life with C$J still fully in charge, but she knew with people like Matt Knox, and as much as she hated to admit it, Mia looking out, she felt somewhat safe. Would Zephyr be safe? Would she ever wake up again and be able to hold Belle?
Her fingers stumble slightly but she rights the deck as Silvio patiently waits. Mia was still a sore spot and Belle almost preferred it when she was still Mitaxia. At least then she didn’t have good intentions that kept ending badly. Was Mia really as sorry as she said? Was SHE safe to be around? So there it was. Belle was in between two sisters, one her lover, the other the cause of so much pain, but fighting to prove, whatever it was that Mia was trying to prove. Maybe that she was just a good person, Belle didn’t know. She just wanted to know for certain.
Once Belle had chosen her cards, Silvio turned the first over. It showed a man and a woman standing in a garden. Above them, an angel spread its wings with a beneficent expression. Silvio’s expression softened and he looked up at Belle with sympathy in his eyes.
“The Lovers. This is how you’re feeling right now. You can’t stop thinking about her. I don’t blame you at all.”
Belle smiles, her fingers reaching for the card but coming up just shy. When she speaks, her voice is quiet in happy memory. “I wasn’t one to believe in anniversaries before I met her, something drew me to her though and… I just fell hopelessly in love. She insisted on celebrating anniversaries on a monthly basis, telling me how deserving I was, how I saved her from a previous life. I miss her so much…” Belle shuts her eyes but tears make their way out in spite of the action. She withdraws her hand and opens her eyes, wiping her tears away with her wadded up tissue, “Sorry…”
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” he assures her. “You’re having a perfectly reasonable reaction to something terrible happening to the person you love. If something like that happened to Ko? Axton? Hell, Ade, Mitch, or Knox? I don’t even want to think about what I might feel compelled to do.”
He wasn’t especially comfortable with knowing he had options he might not be disinclined to use given the right motivation. But that wasn’t the concern at the moment.
“Do you want to keep going?”
Belle hastily composes herself and sniffles. "I just keep pushing myself forward, just hoping that any moment she's going to wake up." As if something had happened, Belle reaches for her phone and checks it, only to realize that it was late at night and she only had one missed call, ironically, from Mia. She sheepishly puts her phone away and nods, "I'm OK. Yes… Please continue."
Nodding and turning over the next card, Silvio reveals an illustration of a woman in white robes holding the jaws of a red lion, a serene expression on her face.
“This is what you want. Strength.”
He looked up at her a little sheepishly.
“I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t already know. But you want the strength and willpower to make it through this. When the card’s in this position, it indicates that strength will be at its most powerful when it comes from a place of acceptance and tolerance. This could mean applying those things in your relationships with other people, but it can also mean applying them when dealing with yourself, as well.”
Belle considers for a moment. She always considered herself to be steadfast in her goals, resolute, and never stopping until she reached it. Of course she had considered herself strong and tolerant, but was she? Everything with Zephyr has been a roller coaster of a lot of intense ups. Memories swirled in Belle's mind of teaching Zephyr the finer points of being a human, more than just an "experiment." When things were down though, Belle was always quick to self destruct and wait to be saved. Now? She just wanted to accept things as they were and move on. She knew Zephyr to be strong, it was only a matter of time before she woke up, and Belle would be damned if she gave up on that. "I guess not everyone could survive everything I've been through without just a little strength." She grins over at Silvio, "You're good at reading those. Thank you for this. Please continue."
The next card Silvio flips over reveals a child on a white horse crowned in flowers. Above the child, the sun beamed down with a peaceful expression, a field of sunflowers stretching out in the background.
“This is what you’re afraid of,” he murmurs, tapping the card. “Belle...are you...afraid of letting yourself be happy? Or maybe of letting yourself accept your accomplishments for what they are?” He hesitates, sighing a little and rubbing the back of his neck. The Sun had sort of become personal to him as a card, and considering what it meant, it was difficult seeing it in this position in Belle’s reading. His next words are drawn out with great difficulty; each one leaden. “...Are you afraid things aren’t going to get better?”
A bitter smile crosses over Belle's lips, "Shouldn't I be? I…" She sighs, "I never thought happiness like what I felt and still feel with Zephyr would be possible. Every day I wake up so grateful for her but in the back of my head I keep asking myself how long something so pure and perfect could possibly last in the world. Everything just snowballed and with those Institute people here, I just feel like everything I care about is threatened and this prophecy in my head will come to pass…"
“You have a lot of people who care about you,” he says. “A lot of people who will support you. It’s weird to think of, but...it can take some real bravery to let yourself be happy. To not cynically hold yourself back because being unhappy is...maybe not easier, but more familiar. The Devil You Know, and all that. But I think you are that brave.”
Belle chuckles, "Thank you. Some call it brave but really I've just felt pinned in a corner and reacting as such."
“You’re trying, Belle. And that’s more than a lot of other folks would do in your position.”
Turning over the next card shows a picture of a regal woman dressed in a floral-print gown. Crowned with stars, she sits on a mound of cushions, holding a scepter aloft.
“The Empress. This is what you have going for you. Overall it usually has an association with feminine power.” He gives her a little smile. “You can draw upon your experience and the strength that comes from the fact you’re a woman in an industry where you have to work twice as hard to get half as far as your male colleagues. You will be more responsive, resourceful, and perceptive than others who do not share your experience because you have had to be in order to get where you are. There is potential for abundance, joy, and creativity at your fingertips. It’s all there for the taking if you have the courage to reach out for it.”
Belle smiles, "Beyond the Bell started and it wasn't really anything that was taken seriously. I never gave up on it though and it is by far one of the things I'm most proud of in my life. Now that Bert has his own show on Havoc?" She shrugs and smiles, "The competition is nice. It keeps my mind busy and distracted from everything so I can come up with new ways to keep the show not only relevant, but up to date, exciting… I don't know what the opposite of 'stale' is, but I want my show to be as successful as it can be. I like Bert and wish him and his show the absolute best, but at the end of the day, I'll always fight for my spot."
“I have no doubt in my mind you will,” Silvio says with a smile. “So, this next one is what’s going against you. Do you want to continue?”
Belle nods, "I've made it this far…"
Nodding, he flips the next card to show an illustration of an armored skeleton astride a white horse holding a black banner emblazoned with a white rose.
“What’s going against you,” he says softly, a note of sympathy in his voice. “Death.”
This card had been a double-edged sword for him lately.
“I’m...afraid that things might get worse before they get better. Or maybe you’re experiencing the depth of all of this right now. But, this card in this position...basically it’s saying that you’re going to find out just what you’re made of. Something is coming to an end. But that also means something is going to begin.”
Belle's eyes remain fixated on the Death card, "Change. Not bad, or good… Seeing positive change through requires strength to get there and tolerance for the things that work against…"
She shakes her head and looks up at Silvio, "No choice but to move forward, regardless of what that dark tunnel might hold. But…" She pauses and sighs, "Guess we'll have to see what the future holds, but at least I have people to help me through." She gives Silvio a warm smile,
“Let’s see how things turn out,” Silvio says, flipping the last card over. It revealed a young man at the edge of a cliff, a bindle on one shoulder and a dog capering at his feet.
“The Fool,” he muses. “When all of this is done, there’s going to be new opportunities for you. It’s going to be time to realize your full potential; follow your instincts, but be careful about your impulses. You need to know yourself. That can be a scary prospect, but it’s how you’re going to be able to make the most of this situation.”
Sweeping the cards back up, Silvio looks at Belle with a small smile, sympathy and concern creasing his brow. “Does that help at all?”
Belle nods again, looking at the spot The Lovers card had been just moments before, “It’s the age old adage, be strong, follow the gut, and really stop to think about brash decisions. Personally, I can’t let outside influences guide my decisions to an impulsive one that could lead down a disastrous path. I actually have to trust that I know what I’m doing…”
Belle breaks her gaze from the empty table and returns Silvio’s gaze, smiling as she does so. “No warrior in this life has gotten that status and title without being self aware and able to turn back anything that might disrupt their inner harmony….” She pauses, “Thank you Silvio, for everything, again… I know you aren’t one to take payment and,” she blushes, “In my haste to leave it looks like I left my purse at the hospital. So, you’ll just have to accept my undying gratitude for being such a sweetheart and I owe you a favor.” She smiles as Silvio begins to protest, “No. I… You’re a good person Silvio and just like you reach out to help the people you see in need, every now and again it’s good to have a favor in your back pocket to rely on if it’s ever needed.” She winks at him and gets up to leave, letting him open the door to the sidewalk for her. She turns and gives him a hug and a small peck on the cheek. “Thank you again. You’re one of the best Carnage has to offer.” She smiles again.
Touching his cheek with a tiny, exaggerated gasp, he flutters his lashes. “Why, Ms. Belle! The impropriety!” he says breathily before returning her smile. “I’m just glad I could do something you found helpful. Take care of yourself, Belle. We’re all here for you.”
Belle nods before turning back the way she came, heading off into the night and back toward the hospital, her purse, and most importantly, Zephyr.
Before Zephyr, Belle had never imagined a life with another person. She always felt independent of the world around her, able to make things work in her favor and not have to worry about getting wrapped up in the much and grime. It gave Belle that hard exterior granted to anyone who was willing to build up that much of a wall against any outside force, but then, Zephyr wasn’t so much a force as… Belle couldn’t explain it. That first time she made eye contact with her, she knew that the world as she knew it was going to change. The normal everyday stuff would fade into the background and Belle would be swept into a life of pure joy, ecstasy, a life that most could only dream about. Most of the time that’s what Belle experienced while teaching Zephyr about the finer parts of being “human.”
Smiling through the tears, Belle feels her heart break a little more, her stomach turning into a knot as she thinks back on Zephyr throwing off whatever spell she was under and realizing that everything came down to one simple choice, what does her happiness look like? Zephyr spent hours upon days trying to describe the feeling to Belle. Her emerald green eyes would light up as she would interrupt whatever she was doing if prompted and she would start rambling about having a veil lifted from her vision, and seeing beauty for the first time. Belle would always blush and nod along as Zephyr would get more and more excited with every word, a child in a candy store of emotion. Zephyr being alone in that bed, unmoving… Belle’s pace quickens, trying to outrun her emotions.
She looks back suddenly, unsure how far she’s gone since leaving the hospital. Her thoughts had carried her far and upon stopping, she realizes she is outside the shop of one Silvio Leon.
The Oracle was doing some tidying around the parlor, a broom in one hand, humming to himself. His movements are a bit stiff from his fight, but he’s well on his way to recovery thanks to a little help from Spooky. Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he glances up briefly then does a double take as he catches sight of the woman outside his door.
“Belle!” he exclaims, setting the broom aside. Striding across the waiting area, he opens the door for her, brow knit in concern. “Hey...are you alright? Come in - I’ll get you some water or tea or something.”
Belle jumps slightly at the sudden noise and she shakes her head, smiling, “Yeah, that sounds great Silvio. Thank you. Water is perfectly fine.” She smiles at him, hoping that she didn’t look like a complete wreck but could only imagine how badly streaked her mascara was. As Silvio led her inside and then disappeared into the back to get her a bottle of water, Belle couldn’t help but let her eyes wander over the various pieces of art work covering the shop’s walls. Memories of her own tattoos flooded her senses and she briefly remembers how freeing it was to get art stamped on her. She smiles at the memory as she does her best to wipe away her tear streaked makeup. Maybe she could get away with saying she was cosplaying Alice Cooper if anyone were to ask.
Sitting down in a nearby seat, she tries to ignore her trembling hand as she carefully opens a nearby portfolio of tattoo work Silvio had previously done. Lost in the images, she didn’t notice Silvio’s reappearance.
Settling into the chair across from her, he set the water on the table between them along with a box of tissues. Asking Belle how she was after all that had transpired recently seemed a foolish question. Even if he hadn’t known, the streaks of mascara on her cheeks were indication enough. Instead, he folds his hands in his lap, eyes gentle and voice soft.
“How can I help?”
Belle smiles, appreciating not beating around the bush, so to speak. “In all honesty? I’m… Not sure. It’s…” Belle sighs, her voice catching as she grabs a handful of tissues to do her best to further wipe away her makeup, scoffing at the black streaks on the tissue, “They say that this is ‘wear proof, water proof, streak proof!’ I’m… Not convinced.” She laughs weakly before looking up at Silvio, “I’m not sure to be honest. After everything that’s happened, I kind of blew up at Mia and might have made her injury worse. I was talking to Cat earlier and after that… I just, had to get away. Kinda ran from the hospital and ended up here.” She sighs, her shoulders sagging as the weight of the last several weeks press down on her. “You… You’ve given some people guidance in the past, advice, and a torch to lead them through whatever path they were trying to get through. Maybe… I’m at a loss Sil, can I call you ‘Sil?” Belle’s lower lip trembles as her emotions threaten to get the better of her. She takes a swig of water.
“I just need to be able to, I don’t know. Guidance might be what I’m looking for.” She falls silent and decides to cover herself with another drink. Maybe it was too much, too late in the evening. Belle glances nervously at her watch, not even sure what time it was anymore.
“Well, I have been known to help people out with decisions that can only be reversed with lasers,” he says with a little grin, gesturing around the parlor. “So I’ll see what I can do. And Sil is fine.” Pausing, he watches her thoughtfully for a moment. “...Did...you want a reading? I’m happy to do that if it would help.”
While he typically used the cards to get in the first shot mentally before his opponent could get the first physically, the readings could be used for other purposes, too.
Belle hadn’t even considered the option, but now that she thought of it; maybe something else had drawn her here in the first place? Not wanting to waste any time, Belle nods her head, “Yeah, do you mind? I know it’s late, I can come back later if it would be easiest on you?”
Smiling, he waves off her concerns with a gesture. “Oh, don’t worry about that! I’m a night owl, anyway - big surprise, I’m sure.” Getting up, he starts back toward the alcove where he typically shot his promos. Retrieving his deck of cards, he turns back to Belle. “Have you ever had your tarot read before?”
Belle considers it, she had always been interested in the occult, but never had a chance to get her feet wet so to speak. She shakes her head before getting up, unsure if she should follow Silvio or not. “It was always something that interested me, but I grew up in a household that frowned upon things like this and I haven’t had the time after coming to Baltimore.” She sniffles before giving a weak smile and pointing at herself, “Professional reporter extraordinaire right here. Then I met Zephyr and… I remembered how wonderful it was to be in love.” She shrugs, “Sorry, probably too much information for a simple question.”
“Nah, it’s all good,” he says, motioning for her to take a seat in the chair opposite the one that showed up in his video work. “Honestly, knowing things like that can help with the interpretation.” Picking up his cards, he offers them to her. “Shuffle these and think about what you want answers to; what you want to know. Then, you’ll choose six and we’ll give them a look.”
Belle nods and takes sits down, shuffling the deck between her fingers. So many thoughts started flowing through her head at once, blanketing her senses in a comforting fog. Zephyr’s image popped up into her mind’s eye first, more specifically how she had fallen after getting hit by that barbed wire bat. Of course she was worried about her professional life with C$J still fully in charge, but she knew with people like Matt Knox, and as much as she hated to admit it, Mia looking out, she felt somewhat safe. Would Zephyr be safe? Would she ever wake up again and be able to hold Belle?
Her fingers stumble slightly but she rights the deck as Silvio patiently waits. Mia was still a sore spot and Belle almost preferred it when she was still Mitaxia. At least then she didn’t have good intentions that kept ending badly. Was Mia really as sorry as she said? Was SHE safe to be around? So there it was. Belle was in between two sisters, one her lover, the other the cause of so much pain, but fighting to prove, whatever it was that Mia was trying to prove. Maybe that she was just a good person, Belle didn’t know. She just wanted to know for certain.
Once Belle had chosen her cards, Silvio turned the first over. It showed a man and a woman standing in a garden. Above them, an angel spread its wings with a beneficent expression. Silvio’s expression softened and he looked up at Belle with sympathy in his eyes.
“The Lovers. This is how you’re feeling right now. You can’t stop thinking about her. I don’t blame you at all.”
Belle smiles, her fingers reaching for the card but coming up just shy. When she speaks, her voice is quiet in happy memory. “I wasn’t one to believe in anniversaries before I met her, something drew me to her though and… I just fell hopelessly in love. She insisted on celebrating anniversaries on a monthly basis, telling me how deserving I was, how I saved her from a previous life. I miss her so much…” Belle shuts her eyes but tears make their way out in spite of the action. She withdraws her hand and opens her eyes, wiping her tears away with her wadded up tissue, “Sorry…”
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” he assures her. “You’re having a perfectly reasonable reaction to something terrible happening to the person you love. If something like that happened to Ko? Axton? Hell, Ade, Mitch, or Knox? I don’t even want to think about what I might feel compelled to do.”
He wasn’t especially comfortable with knowing he had options he might not be disinclined to use given the right motivation. But that wasn’t the concern at the moment.
“Do you want to keep going?”
Belle hastily composes herself and sniffles. "I just keep pushing myself forward, just hoping that any moment she's going to wake up." As if something had happened, Belle reaches for her phone and checks it, only to realize that it was late at night and she only had one missed call, ironically, from Mia. She sheepishly puts her phone away and nods, "I'm OK. Yes… Please continue."
Nodding and turning over the next card, Silvio reveals an illustration of a woman in white robes holding the jaws of a red lion, a serene expression on her face.
“This is what you want. Strength.”
He looked up at her a little sheepishly.
“I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t already know. But you want the strength and willpower to make it through this. When the card’s in this position, it indicates that strength will be at its most powerful when it comes from a place of acceptance and tolerance. This could mean applying those things in your relationships with other people, but it can also mean applying them when dealing with yourself, as well.”
Belle considers for a moment. She always considered herself to be steadfast in her goals, resolute, and never stopping until she reached it. Of course she had considered herself strong and tolerant, but was she? Everything with Zephyr has been a roller coaster of a lot of intense ups. Memories swirled in Belle's mind of teaching Zephyr the finer points of being a human, more than just an "experiment." When things were down though, Belle was always quick to self destruct and wait to be saved. Now? She just wanted to accept things as they were and move on. She knew Zephyr to be strong, it was only a matter of time before she woke up, and Belle would be damned if she gave up on that. "I guess not everyone could survive everything I've been through without just a little strength." She grins over at Silvio, "You're good at reading those. Thank you for this. Please continue."
The next card Silvio flips over reveals a child on a white horse crowned in flowers. Above the child, the sun beamed down with a peaceful expression, a field of sunflowers stretching out in the background.
“This is what you’re afraid of,” he murmurs, tapping the card. “Belle...are you...afraid of letting yourself be happy? Or maybe of letting yourself accept your accomplishments for what they are?” He hesitates, sighing a little and rubbing the back of his neck. The Sun had sort of become personal to him as a card, and considering what it meant, it was difficult seeing it in this position in Belle’s reading. His next words are drawn out with great difficulty; each one leaden. “...Are you afraid things aren’t going to get better?”
A bitter smile crosses over Belle's lips, "Shouldn't I be? I…" She sighs, "I never thought happiness like what I felt and still feel with Zephyr would be possible. Every day I wake up so grateful for her but in the back of my head I keep asking myself how long something so pure and perfect could possibly last in the world. Everything just snowballed and with those Institute people here, I just feel like everything I care about is threatened and this prophecy in my head will come to pass…"
“You have a lot of people who care about you,” he says. “A lot of people who will support you. It’s weird to think of, but...it can take some real bravery to let yourself be happy. To not cynically hold yourself back because being unhappy is...maybe not easier, but more familiar. The Devil You Know, and all that. But I think you are that brave.”
Belle chuckles, "Thank you. Some call it brave but really I've just felt pinned in a corner and reacting as such."
“You’re trying, Belle. And that’s more than a lot of other folks would do in your position.”
Turning over the next card shows a picture of a regal woman dressed in a floral-print gown. Crowned with stars, she sits on a mound of cushions, holding a scepter aloft.
“The Empress. This is what you have going for you. Overall it usually has an association with feminine power.” He gives her a little smile. “You can draw upon your experience and the strength that comes from the fact you’re a woman in an industry where you have to work twice as hard to get half as far as your male colleagues. You will be more responsive, resourceful, and perceptive than others who do not share your experience because you have had to be in order to get where you are. There is potential for abundance, joy, and creativity at your fingertips. It’s all there for the taking if you have the courage to reach out for it.”
Belle smiles, "Beyond the Bell started and it wasn't really anything that was taken seriously. I never gave up on it though and it is by far one of the things I'm most proud of in my life. Now that Bert has his own show on Havoc?" She shrugs and smiles, "The competition is nice. It keeps my mind busy and distracted from everything so I can come up with new ways to keep the show not only relevant, but up to date, exciting… I don't know what the opposite of 'stale' is, but I want my show to be as successful as it can be. I like Bert and wish him and his show the absolute best, but at the end of the day, I'll always fight for my spot."
“I have no doubt in my mind you will,” Silvio says with a smile. “So, this next one is what’s going against you. Do you want to continue?”
Belle nods, "I've made it this far…"
Nodding, he flips the next card to show an illustration of an armored skeleton astride a white horse holding a black banner emblazoned with a white rose.
“What’s going against you,” he says softly, a note of sympathy in his voice. “Death.”
This card had been a double-edged sword for him lately.
“I’m...afraid that things might get worse before they get better. Or maybe you’re experiencing the depth of all of this right now. But, this card in this position...basically it’s saying that you’re going to find out just what you’re made of. Something is coming to an end. But that also means something is going to begin.”
Belle's eyes remain fixated on the Death card, "Change. Not bad, or good… Seeing positive change through requires strength to get there and tolerance for the things that work against…"
She shakes her head and looks up at Silvio, "No choice but to move forward, regardless of what that dark tunnel might hold. But…" She pauses and sighs, "Guess we'll have to see what the future holds, but at least I have people to help me through." She gives Silvio a warm smile,
“Let’s see how things turn out,” Silvio says, flipping the last card over. It revealed a young man at the edge of a cliff, a bindle on one shoulder and a dog capering at his feet.
“The Fool,” he muses. “When all of this is done, there’s going to be new opportunities for you. It’s going to be time to realize your full potential; follow your instincts, but be careful about your impulses. You need to know yourself. That can be a scary prospect, but it’s how you’re going to be able to make the most of this situation.”
Sweeping the cards back up, Silvio looks at Belle with a small smile, sympathy and concern creasing his brow. “Does that help at all?”
Belle nods again, looking at the spot The Lovers card had been just moments before, “It’s the age old adage, be strong, follow the gut, and really stop to think about brash decisions. Personally, I can’t let outside influences guide my decisions to an impulsive one that could lead down a disastrous path. I actually have to trust that I know what I’m doing…”
Belle breaks her gaze from the empty table and returns Silvio’s gaze, smiling as she does so. “No warrior in this life has gotten that status and title without being self aware and able to turn back anything that might disrupt their inner harmony….” She pauses, “Thank you Silvio, for everything, again… I know you aren’t one to take payment and,” she blushes, “In my haste to leave it looks like I left my purse at the hospital. So, you’ll just have to accept my undying gratitude for being such a sweetheart and I owe you a favor.” She smiles as Silvio begins to protest, “No. I… You’re a good person Silvio and just like you reach out to help the people you see in need, every now and again it’s good to have a favor in your back pocket to rely on if it’s ever needed.” She winks at him and gets up to leave, letting him open the door to the sidewalk for her. She turns and gives him a hug and a small peck on the cheek. “Thank you again. You’re one of the best Carnage has to offer.” She smiles again.
Touching his cheek with a tiny, exaggerated gasp, he flutters his lashes. “Why, Ms. Belle! The impropriety!” he says breathily before returning her smile. “I’m just glad I could do something you found helpful. Take care of yourself, Belle. We’re all here for you.”
Belle nods before turning back the way she came, heading off into the night and back toward the hospital, her purse, and most importantly, Zephyr.