Chapter 2: What The Cards Tell

Roxas couldn't remember the last time he woke to an unfamiliar ceiling. It stared down at him, blankly and ignorantly, as if not even regarding his presence. Of course, all the people never noticed him before, why should a ceiling be any different? Roxas sat up in his bed, falling backward again into it, relishing the comfort and softness of it. The sheets felt like a cool, comforting breeze against his skin, yet they were warm and soft. Roxas sat up again, realizing he couldn't go back to sleep. He stretched and yawned, deciding it was time to wake up now. He slipped on his pants and changed his shirt, a blue one for his white one, and changed his socks. He rummaged through one of his open bags, found a mesh bag and stuffed it with the socks and underwear he wore the day previous.
After finally dressing, Roxas, opened his door to find attached to its front a printout of various rules, of which Axel mentioned the night before. Roxas looked over the rules carefully, considering each one and finally setting it on the couch in his living room. He started down the hallway toward the stairs, the door on his right with an X on its front opened as Roxas passed. The two regarded one another momentarily in silence.

He was taller than Roxas by a head, short bleached hair, a full goatee and moustache. He regarded Roxas in kind. His fashion sensibility seemed dapper, as he wore a turtleneck under a blazer and khaki pants.
"So you must the new tenant?" he asked, crossing his arms. He spoke with an accent unrecognizable to Roxas.
"I'm Roxas," he nodded.
"Otherwise known as Roxas," the man added. "I'm Luxord. It's a pleasure. I suppose you were going to get breakfast, then?" Roxas nodded.
Luxord chuckled. "Damn shame, boy," he said. "It's afternoon."
What? Shit! Roxas was asleep that long? That bed really was comfortable if he slept through the morning.
"Well come on in, then," said Luxord. "I just happen to have the kettle on for tea. I tend to make more than I can handle by myself. What say you join me?" Roxas contemplated a moment.
"I'm not sure," he said warily.
"I prefer some company while having lunch, and I always have enough for two," Luxord added. "Consider it my token of welcome into the House." Sold! Roxas immediately warmed up to the idea.
"OK, thank you, Luxord," Roxas said gratefully. Truth be told, Roxas wasn't sure what he'd do for food being so new here. So a kind offer like this he wondered was probably stupid to pass up. And Roxas didn't like feeling stupid.

Luxord showed Roxas in, closing the door behind him. His apartment seemed like the same as his, only reversed, and the supposed kitchen area with a stove and counter. Atop one of the burners was a kettle, and on the counter a cutting board with knife and ingredients.
"Have a seat, I'm just getting the sandwiches made up," said Luxord, returning to the cutting board. "How do you like chicken salad?" Roxas moved around the table in the living area to the couch, sitting in the center.
"Can't remember the last time I had it, honestly," he said. "It's been so long since I ate real food."
"Consider that soon changed, then," Luxord responded. "The Organization are very kind benefactors for Nobodies like us. Give enough food you thought you were royalty." Roxas stared upon the walls, one of which housed a shelf adorned with poker chips and small trophies.
"Y'like those, do ya?" Luxord asked, returning Roxas' attention as he set a plate of sandwiches on the coffee table. "Some of those are my pride and joy. Some of them, well…" his voiced trailed off as if he lost himself in thought, "Never mind. Tea coming up." He returned to his kitchen just as the kettle begun whistling, took it off the heat and poured it into a teapot. He brought the tray over to the coffee table and set it beside the tray of sandwiches.
"Dig in, then, I'm not one to waste formalities on, now," he said.

Roxas sat back in his seat. Those sandwiches were amazing!
"So," said Luxord, teacup in hand and saucer in his lap. "Were those good or what?"
"Oof," Roxas grunted, trying to move. He reached forward, grasping his teacup and sipped at his chamomile tea finding it had cooled finally. Luxord chuckled. He offered another pour of tea—which Roxas kindly refused, two cups were enough—and set to put the trays in the kitchen. After a moment, Luxord returned to the table, carrying in his hands a lacquered wooden box. It was small and rectangular, but unadorned. Setting it on the table, Luxord slid the top off it, revealing an interior of fine red velvet and nesting inside… a deck?
"This is my most precious treasure," said Luxord finally, removing the deck of cards. "You've heard of Tarot cards, right, Roxas?" Roxas shook his head. Luxord slid the box to the side, and shuffled the deck.
"They're cards that can tell of your past, what you feel in the present, and even predict the future," Luxord explained. He cut, shuffled and mixed them. He set the deck on the table before Roxas. "Cut the deck." Roxas reached over, grabbed the top third of the deck and set it to the side. Luxord took the separate side and slid it underneath and began laying cards face down across the table.

The card in the center was a person huddled in a box made of four swords.

"Huh. The Four of Swords. You've grown, alone, attached to yourself, it seems," said Luxord. He flipped the card to the center's left—right from Roxas' point of view—showing a person on a chariot flying over the world, "The Chariot. You've wandered alone and have found yourself here. I wonder why…" Luxord flipped the card to the chariot's top left corner, revealing a figure on a throne, with a coin mounted over his head, "The King of Pentacles. Perhaps it was meant to be that you come to us, Roxas, but not without—oh." Luxord had flipped over the one of the next card's lower left corner. It depicted two figures, this new card, one running the other through with a sword and four more laying scattered. Luxord stroked at his beard then looked to Roxas. Roxas tensed as the cards made him realize what he was seeing.
"I'm sorry, lad, I didn't know."

Roxas never talked about it. Not once. He pushed it from his mind whenever he could, trying to lock it away. The scars itched again on his back, prickling for the first time since he can't remember when. Roxas looked away, hiding his disdain for what the cards had revealed.

"Well," Luxord said after what seemed like a long moment, "The past is the past, Roxas. There's no denying it happened, there's only accepting it did and moving on. You can't go back and change it, no matter how much you wish to, just for a second chance. The cards tell your life, how it is now. Not how it could have been or would have been if things were different. It happens so we learn from it."
"How do you live with the burden of what you've been through?" Roxas asked solemnly.
"Plant your feet," Luxord responded. Roxas looked up, tears glistened on his cheeks at the fortune teller. "The road we Nobodies choose is always the hardest, but we never dwell on the paths that have led us to where we are. Simply go forward, Roxas." Roxas wiped the tears from his eyes looking to the cards left face-down.
"What do the rest of the cards say?" Roxas asked. Luxord smirked and flipped the face-down card right of the center. It depicted a womanly figure, clad in green, with leafy vines coiling around her arms and over her head.

"The Empress," said Luxord. "Usually this card means fertility, either in a girl or land, depending who's asking. But the meaning for you could be you can expect to meet someone special." Meet someone special? That's ridiculous. Who could Roxas meet that would mean something to him? The next card to the Empress' top right corner showed a female figure with two pitchers in hand, pouring water from one into the other.
"Temperance," Luxord recognized the card. "You will definitely find someone who means something to you, but the hardship will be one you and them will compromise on. It should end well." Luxord flipped the final card. "And, finally, the Ten of Cups. Very good news for you, Roxas. Intimacy and love is in sight for you, I think." Roxas tilted his head to the side in curiosity.
"So what does it all mean exactly?" he asked.

Luxord sat back in his chair, bringing his teacup to his lips and sipping, deep in thought.
"The cards themselves all have an individual meaning," he explained. "Normally, when cards are spread like this," he gestured to the cards on the table, "their meanings come together. For you, Roxas, it means despite all your hardships and past experiences, things are sure to get better. Expect love and joy soon. It is the contrast to the hate and misery you have suffered."

Roxas was lost in thought. He couldn't make sense of it, even when Luxord just explained it. Was it really that plain and simple? Roxas lifted his gazed from the cards to Luxord.
"Have you done readings for the others?" he asked.
"Of course," said Luxord, nodding. "Some of them took their fortunes rather well and to heart quickly. Others don't believe it possible and simply pay it no mind. I'm not saying you have to believe what the cards tell, Roxas, but take it to heart and maybe they might come true." They were right about Roxas's past with his father after all…
"Thanks, Luxord," said Roxas after a pause. He sighed again, and asked after a thought, "How'd you know I was going to be there at your door?" Luxord chuckled at the question.
"Coincidence," he answered. "Life is full of it."

Author's Commentary: I want to start by apologizing with how rushed the ending of this chapter seems. I could really think of no other idea as to how it should have ended. When I set out to write Luxord, I wanted him to seem like more than a gambler like in Kingdom Hearts II. Several of his weapons in 358/2 Days are in fact named after cards in the Major Arcana of Tarot, so to me, it seemed the right thing for him to read Tarot cards. And, yes, I happen to have a few Tarot decks myself, something I am not wholly capable of reading expertly, but have an inkling once in a while. The other thing about this chapter, is Roxas' past is brought up only briefly. I'll leave it to the readers' imagination as to what happened between Roxas and his father, because it's not really something I want to spoil, maybe some will figure it out, maybe some will just pass it off a bit of character development, who knows? Other than that, I really enjoyed doing this chapter. I naturally went with that Oh shit! moment without realizing I never mentioned the time of day Roxas woke up to begin with and just said, "Yeah, I'll leave it in, maybe it'll get a few laughs." This will be the last chapter of 2013, so in 2014, will be the next chapter. Not to worry, ya'll, this'll definitely be ongoing.