Ich Spreche Kein Deutsch.

[caelestialis]

WHO: Ainsley and Grell.
WHERE: Ainsley's apartment.
WHEN: A day after this post, roughly around late afternoon.
WHAT: Why is translating so difficult??
WARNINGS: Rated G for [muffled suffering in german.]

She was simply glad had a chance to catch up with Grell again after all this time. With all that's been happening... she's rather grateful the need to translate these German letters had popped up. It gave her and Grell a chance to discuss things and see how the other was doing.

It might explain why Ainsley took the extra effort to clean up her apartment for today's visit, finally stowing away some moving boxes at long last and setting up a plate of sweets and drinks for the two of them in her living room.

After making sure Kara's been fed her early dinner and is happily dozing off in her bed, Ainsley presents Grell the letters with a look of gratefulness evident on her tired features.

"Thanks so much for your help. A lot of progress is being made with what these contain!" While her smiles aren't as sunny like they used to be before, her spirits are genuine and the bounce in her step simply cannot be faked. "I found someone who could help but it would have taken them over a month or more to translate all of this so... Yeah. I'm so thankful for all the help you and the others are offering."

Comments

[erythristic]

"I'm glad for the excuse to see you again, really. Sorry if I've seemed distant at all - long story short, I've been covering for someone's shortfalls at work. But we did manage to talk it out, and hopefully he'll shape up soon."

Taking the letters, she tosses her friend a grin.

"Before we settle down to business and I make sure that my study's held firm for me, tell me about what's been going on though. Anything. You know I love hearing about your adventures and how things are going with you and yours." Perhaps it was a side effect from making her friends her family instead, but when she asked, she always meant it. Tell her, because she'll listen, because she wants to know.

[caelestialis]

"Oh gosh- Where to start?"

Rubbing the back of her neck, she tries to find something positive to tell Grell. Last thing she wants to do is worry her friend over something like the dagger or the worries she had about her past(?) self so- Something cheerful. Yeah. She can do that. "Weeeeell- Lucian was a darling and he let me stay over his place for a while after I had a nasty fright. He's a dear and honestly? He's been such an anchor ever since this has been happening. He's thoughtful and sweet and-"

Actually this is a terrible idea now that she realises how warm her face is after she catches herself speaking about Lucian so much.

"A-And Kara's been a wonderful trooper too." She looks over to where Kara is napping for a quick second, her smile fond because she has a feeling her doggie friend was not expecting any of this when getting adopted by her. "I've also become interested in learning more about tarot cards. I have a feeling they may hold a key to my memories, at the very least. If not well- Feel free to call me if you need someone to spout random trivia during a boring parry! Been learning all sort of things while studying this."

[erythristic]

There's a certain look on her face when she sees Ainsley talking about Lucian, coupled with a very gentle nudge to her shoulder. Come on, she's the last person who's going to judge a crush, given her own situation, but she'll let it slide for now to bother Ainsley for details later.

Kara though, Grell's glad she's settling in and doing well. Ain couldn't have gotten a more faithful companion for all of this.

"Can I call you if I just want to learn more trivia? I don't know a thing about tarot or astrology or any of that-" To the point of mocking it in private, but she won't say a thing in front of her friend. "-so you're probably leagues ahead of me in anything you find out. Memories or not, all that has such a history, doesn't it?"

[caelestialis]

Please don't make her confront her romantic feelings when her general feelings are so muddled as is. Please.

She smiles and nods her head in agreement at Grell's assessment, her eyes sparkling as she tried to temper herself. Last thing she'll want to do is chat her poor friend's ear off. "It does! Especially the ones concerning the tarot cards. It's so fascinating to read about all the symbolism and the meaning that's been layered on top of them. I've been doing my best to read up on it all since my memories tie quite heavily with a group who seem to theme themselves after the cards."

At this point she falls a little quiet, the doubt she has in her knowledge showing itself before she tries to shake it fact. "In fact- Here!" She goes through her bags and pulls out a pack of tarot cards. She had heard that the Rider-Waite deck was popular but something about the Marseille Tarot deck drew her to it. "Pick a card, any card, and I'll try to tell you about what it means."

Seems like a cute icebreaker to do. Right? Right.

[erythristic]

"Okay!"

Really, she's been listening to Ainsley's talking with nothing short of curiosity in her eyes. She wants to know, would gladly let her friend talk on and the translations she's supposed to get to wait for a while longer, but what she says goes. Grell reaches out to pull forth a card.

"Judgement. Number twenty."

[caelestialis]

Okay! I'll try my best to explain that one. First of all one needs to pay attention to the design since that tells you what it's meant to represent right off the bat. [ she begins to point out crucial elements for judgement.

the most obvious one is the angel, the celestial being emerging from a gathering of dark clouds and what looks like a ring of fire or sun rays. the angel's face is left purposefully blank, their emotions kept away from this moment.

the angel hovers above three naked individuals rising from their graves. the faces of the two who ca be seen are a mixture of anticipation and expectation, their eyes trying to catch the angel's as the holy figure calls out with their trumpet. all the while ainsley explains what this card is meant to embody and symbolise, her voice pitched in excitement and sometimes she needs to catch her breath due how breathless she is due to her excitement. something about this is so familiar and comforting but she isn't sure how or why.

well- she should focus on this for now. ] What's happening here is that the archangel Gabriel has come to judge the dead, calling them awake from their slumber through the trumpet's call. No one can avoid it's thunderous cry so they all rise from their tombs and are appealing to the angel since they are to be judged by the universe, the heavens themselves. The most important thing to know is that they're all ready for this to happen.

Because when this Arcana is brought into the reading and is in the upright position, it suggests you're going to have some sort of epiphany or awakening for yourself. You're going to back on your life and learn all you can from it. This is considered both a crucial and a positive thing to happen. In order to stay true to yourself and to your needs, you need to live your life but in a different way. You can't always live life in one, static state. Life is about growing, becoming something else for the better.

It also means that there you feel there is a calling that lies dormant within you. A truth about yourself that is now being brought to light. Usually realising this truth and accepting it as your own helps you take action, seize the chances that are right in front of you. This is your reward- You're now open to new possibilities and chances of leading a more fulfilling life. It's why the people in this card are praying, readying themselves to be assessed because they know what awaits them after. They know that if they pass this then they'll have a new lease on life, a new chance for themselves to start over and... and...

[ she takes a deep breath now, her face red now as she winds down from that burst of exposition. wow she was really- really into that. whoops. ] S-Sorry about that... I think I got carried away for a second. ]

[erythristic]

[Grell listens, and something about this tugs. she dismisses astrology as pointless generalizations, fortune telling as iffy at best, and yet. Ainsley's talking on, her familiar voice soothing, and she finds herself listening. one card, such a symbol. such a romantic notion, really, all of this meaning behind one card.

but...even her rational mind is pulled in. an awakening. living in a different sense. a truth to light. automatically her mind reaches for the piecemeal memories she's been getting, and she shouldn't be reaching to justify this, it's like Ainsley said, a party trick. but...

it's easy to want to believe. that's how it gets people. that's how fortune telling works, reading in your own lines. all these happen to be things people know, and can see themselves in. (but why now, why this? she can't tell. not yet, when symbols are symbols and the future is still undecided.)]

It's beautiful, Ain. I like listening to you explain it all - even when you know me, ready to go and call all this silly. I don't know, there's something about how you do it that makes it so not silly. Nothing to be sorry about.

[caelestialis]

Really?

[ ainsley's face just lights up at that, her smile bright and her eyes twinkling. ] ... Thank you, Grell. That means so much to me. It really does!

[ she can't help but be fascinated by fortunes and turns of fate. especially with what's been happening lately. there's something soothing in thinking that you can predict the supposed unpredictable with the formation of stars on a sunny night, the layout of some cards on a table.

lately she's started to believe in the idea of something magical, something more. it's one of the few explanations that made the most sense of what's going on. so it's had her reading star charts, trying out fortune readings, and counting her blessings every day.

her friends are definitely part of her blessings. ] Oh-! Sorry if I'm tearing up right now, Grell! Last few days have been pretty wild for me so... little moments like these are just wonderful.

[erythristic]

Nothing to apologize for, my dear.

[and before Ainsley can say anything, Grell pulls her over into a strong hug, making sure to smile.]

Right now, at least, we've got nothing grander to do than read a few letters together. Take the night off, hm?