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As she became more acquainted with New York City, Ororo felt more comfortable going out alone to take a walk for looking around, enjoy a snack in the street or a small restaurant, and even buy some clothes: jumpsuits and dresses had become her favorite pieces of clothing in terms of comfort and usually not demanding underwear when her period wasn’t coming.
During one of her walks by the street, a sign in front of a small house amidst the brown brick buildings in Tribeca caught her attention:
“ Tarot de Marseille: Come See Your Future in the Cards For US$ 250. ”
While Ororo didn’t wholeheartedly believe in most soothsayers, she thought it would be fun to give it a try: seeing how many excuses a charlatan could make to try the disguise of either saying a wrong information or just affirming the obvious was a favorite amusement of hers.
So the windrider hit the establishment’s door three times.
“ Come in. ”
Ororo heard a voice calling. So she opened the door, and entered the small place, closing the entrance, and being covered in a darkness lightened by the orange flames of candles and scented incense.
“ Welcome. ”
The voice spoke again, and when she turned her head to search who said that, Ororo saw a man dressed in a black suit with crimson red shirt, wearing black shades and a fedora of the same color of the suit.
He had long auburn hair tied behind his head, with some spikes on the top of his head escaping through his fedora, and he showed a sardonic smile.
“ Please, take a seat. ”
He invited.
Ororo came close and took a seat in front of him. In front of the sardonic man, besides the deck of cards, there was a teapot and a teacup. He took the teapot, filled the teacup, and offered it to Ororo, who took it from his hand, thinking that the warm, herbal scent was very inviting.
“ Tell me what you wish to know, while you taste this cup of tea. ”
The man encouraged the weather witch, who paid more attention to his scent, which sounded french. Sipping the tea, she spoke:
“ Well… while I was born in this country, I grew up in Egypt and in Kenya. I have been living here for three months now, after receiving an ask for help. Now, I live with an eclectic group of people, and while some of those people are growing closer to me, I’m still unsure if I belong in that group, and if I did the right thing in crossing the ocean. ”
The man listened, while playing with the deck of cards:
“ Are you open to the possibilities? ”
He asked her.
“ I try to be cautious, yet open. ”
“ Sometimes, we need to give a leap of faith. Please, cut the cards. ”
He asked, putting the deck back on the table. Ororo cut the cards, slowly and patiently.
“ Now, choose three random cards, but without turning them. ”
Ororo took a deep breath, then chose a card and gave it to the man. Giving a second deep breath, she chose the second card and gave it to the man. Then, she took a third deep breath, and chose the third card to give to the man.
He held the three cards like a fan, then turned them over the table in front of Ororo: the images they presented were The Knight of Swords, The Page of Wands and The Tower.
“ There is someone among the group you described, that you misjudged. ”
The man spoke calmly, pointing to the card of The Knight of Swords. Ororo simply nodded with her head. He continued:
“ You two appear to be different, but have much more in common than you can imagine . Someone that cares for both of you will bring you two together, and they will offer you a challenge. Now, please take another card. ”
This time, Ororo felt more calm, and chose the next random card fast. The man turned it on the table, revealing the image of The Two of Cups.
“ The challenge is not to fight. When it comes, don’t fear it: accept it. ”
He assured her with a smile.
“ Thank you, and good afternoon. ”
Ororo took the money from her purse, counted it and paid the man. Then she raised herself from the chair and left for the door through which she entered.
The man looked at the leaves inside of the teacup from which the windrider drank: they were shaped like an L .
Ororo walked for a bit, before taking a jump to fly back to the mansion, thinking about what the card reading soothsayer told her.
“ A challenge that is not to fight, and I may not refuse… ”