She was playing with cards.
But they weren't just any old cards..
They were tarot cards..
The detailed, authentic kind..
"Okay," she nodded to herself, after mixing the deck a total of four separate times, "Solo fortune, tri-fortune, or do you want to ignore the future?"
"Uhh," Matsuda murmured, narrowing his eyes at the stack of cards that dwarfed her small, pale feminine hands, "Tri-fortune, I guess..?"
"Alright," Natasha grinned, flicking the deck briefly with her pointer finger before sliding the cards out in an even placed arc along the coffee table in front of her victim, face down. "Pick three, one at a time- but don't peek-!"
Matsuda eyed the cards, hesitated, then slid three cards out of separate spots. Natasha slid the ark back together, leaving the three chosen out to lie in front of Matsuda. She clicked the cards together to align them, before setting them aside, and flipping the one on Matsuda's left over.
"This is the Hierophant," she explained calmly, Matsuda's big brown eyes watching both her and the card intently. The design was of a sort of green-clad priest with his arm raised to a blue bird. She flipped the center card, exposing the design of a bearded king, side view, upside down, "This is The Emperor, but it's flipped.." She flipped the final card with a flick of her fingers, revealing a blonde, naked angel with a long horn that had a cross-patterned flag, "And this card is Judgement.."
"What do they mean?" he asked dubiously, lifting the last card to see it clearer. She didn't blame him, the future was messy for everyone.
"Well," she started calmly, lifting up The Hierophant for him to see clearly, holding it delicately with the sides of her thumb and index fingers on both hand, as if boxing it in, "This card warns you against being too stubborn." Matsuda looked confused, but she shook her head, collarbone-length, snow-white locks bouncing, and continued, "This card pulled for past, suggests that a panic that you once had has been silenced and good, practical advice may be offered, you know how to solve a personal problem." Matsuda was slowly nodding, looking kind of dazed, and she continued, "This card says, basically; it's not easy, or a quick fix, bit it's still possible to do it. The solution to a problem is there, but you had to dig deep to find it."
"Ryuzaki.." he muttered, and when Natasha raised an eyebrow, he backtracked, "That's like.. trying to earn Ryuzaki's trust.. becoming part of the Kira investigation.."
"How about present," Natasha offered smiling slightly as she lifted the next card in the same way she had he first one, "The Emperor, but it's flipped.." "Is that bad..?" Matsuda asked hesitantly. A few months ago, no one would believe in things like gods or ghosts or the supernatural.. but heart attacks with only a name and face..? "Well.." she murmured, trying to lighten the meaning without losing the point, "The Emperor Reverse can mean that either you or a person of influence in your life is being overbearing and dominating."
Matsuda had a deadpanned look on his face, but she continued, now with a more sullen tone, "It may indicate the misuse of power, too. Erratic behavior by someone of authority or weak and indecisive behavior in someone who has responsibility to and authority over others, those are some aspects you need to be mindful of.." Natasha's voice became harder, and Matsuda nodded to her expectant look, "You need to remain strong- always seek a positive direction. Plan and work each day- so concentrate on your self discipline."
"Wow," Matsuda muttered, glancing at the final card with a notable amount of fear, "Is.. is that one bad..?"
"Actually, it's a good card," Natasha smiled, ignoring his sigh of relief to pick up the card delicately, "This card is called 'The Judgement' and it is the twentieth card of the Major Arcana. It represents clarity of judgments and decisions in life. It means the end of a phase after which you can look back and make a clear evaluation of past events. It represents the end of one project with the chance to start something new, professionally. Things that have been holding you down will no longer trouble you in the near future. You have clarity at last and you are finally happy with the turn of events."
"Whoa.." Matsuda sounded stunned, before delicately taking the card, and holding it up for closer inspection, and sending her a hopeful look, "How long off is that "near future"..?"
"I'd say about six years or so," Natasha bit back a smile when he looked shocked, and deflated, groaning in slight agony. "Aww man.. it'd be great if this applied to the Kira case.. but I would hope it would end sooner." "Who knows," Natasha shrugged, flashing her teeth in a grin, "I'd brush up on your shooting skills, though.. something tells me we'll need your sharpshooting for the end of all this.."
"Sharp..?" he got an immediate blush, and she held back a cackle, taking the card in his hands and reshuffling the deck, "I had fun.. anything else..?"
"Do you do horoscopes..?" he asked hesitantly, almost jumping when she bolted form her chair to the door, "Wait here-! Ill get all of my practices-!"
"Oh boy.." Matsuda murmured, glancing down at the hand he'd fisted over his knee, "Clarity, huh..?"
Just a sweet little drabble between my OC and Matsuda a few weeks after they get moved to the new Kira Investigation building.