#raxlestrange

raxlestrange‌:

Avery couldn’t help but grumble as he unlocked the front door to the shop, finally able to open the storefront for business after whisking away the rest of the rose petals that seemed to have taken over the front of his shop. While the Department of Law Enforcement had been dead set on scouring the street for any evidence of their perpetrator, it seemed they hadn’t been quite as preoccupied with making sure the damn flowers hadn’t spread elsewhere.

While Avery hadn’t been quite as bothered by the political drama or squib scare due to privilege alone (that and he had been avoiding the topic of children like the plague considering his wife didn’t even life with him regularly until this mess), he had to admit it was starting to mess with his business and image, which he or the family certainly couldn’t afford. It didn’t help that his brother was hell bent on involving him regardless, and it was becoming more and more difficult to avoid it. He couldn’t ignore that it was affecting his staffing situation, either. Though he didn’t mind taking up more hours manning the shop, it also meant more time divided between the store and his workshop– where his real passion lied. Heaving a deep sigh, he flipped the ‘open’ sign before adjusting a few products in the window display to his liking.

“Il pleut des roses … incroyable. Bloody fantastic.”

The trips to Diagon Alley would become less frequent once the spring term started and Julian was already hesitant to pass through by Floo just to go into St. Mungo’s. He was friends with Samuel Prince – sort of? – but not in a way where Julian felt obligated to express some kind of ‘I’m sorry this happened to you’ yet. After all, they did make awkward small talk and Julian did get some awkward advice about – well, can’t deal with that yet.  Let’s go with never?

At least Diagon Alley wasn’t crowded in the morning; give it a few more hours and everyone will want to see the blood splattered on the wall – or what was left of it, if the Aurors did their fucking job and cleaned up after themselves. Julian entered a jewelry shop, not really thinking about which one he was supposed to have gone to.

“Excuse me – would you be able to tell me what this ring does?” He waved at the only other person in the store, taking off the blue ring that Julian had been wearing on his right hand. Of course it’s probably worth a lot – its previous owner didn’t know much about it, or just refused to tell Julian about it except for the fact that he just wanted it out of his hands.

Left: MARIUS – Four of Swords [Mullein, Verbascum tapsuse]

From the Herbal Tarot: Expectorant. Demulcent. Anti-inflammatory. Anti-spasmodic. Used for all upper respiratory complaints. Relieves mucus congestion. Topically relieves pain. Mild calmative. Healing from the wounds of battle. Rest before the final onslaught.

Key words: rest, restoration, contemplation, meditation, calm

Pat’s Summary: Marius has returned home—or at least to Vivienne’s place, basically licking his wounds—not only has he lost Beatrice, he’s had to accept help from places he didn’t think he’d ever need help with. He’s no closer to finding her killer, so he’s that point where he’s just over it. He’s not angry with Avery but he’s certainly not particularly apologetic either—but he’s calmed down significantly. I’ve been pulling a lot of fours lately, so it tends to lean towards these characters being the more ‘stable’, more ‘consistent’ than others.

Right: AVERY– The Devil [Lobella, Lobelia inflata]

From the Herbal Tarot: Lobelia is an antispasmodic, a stimulant, an expectorant and a nauseant. It is used for asthma, lung problems, relieving spasms, nervous tension and cramps, and to induce vomiting. Playfulness. Frivolity. Make believe. Getting loose. Lightening up.

Key words: excess, materialism, playfulness, temptation, seduction, manipulation, addiction, lust

Pat’s Summary: From a previous reading I did for you, the Devil is about temptation—yes, you have choices, but that doesn’t mean those choices don’t have hidden consequences to them. However, the Devil also refers to addiction, obsession, or manipulation. Is there something about Marius that Avery is particularly hyperfocused on? Or is there something he would need to convince or manipulate Marius to do? Most likely he may just be wary of Marius and it’s hard for him to take him seriously. Since this is the only card from the Major Arcana that’s been pulled, Avery’s the one who’s going to be the catalyst for change or conflict of their relationship.

Top: PAST – Queen of Swords [Lady’s Slipper, Cypripedium pubescense]

From the Herbal Tarot: Nervine. Tonic for hysteria, pain, all nervous inflictions and premenstrual syndrome. A serious woman, over thirty-five, who is unswervingly faithful to her goals—quite often at all costs. On the more positive side, she is eminently capable of upholding executive positions.

Key words: complexity, perceptive, clear mindedness, honest, knowledgeable, opinionated

Pat’s summary: So this card really just highlights what their relationship is about: both of them mostly bring their thoughts and opinions to the table and perhaps connecting through their mutual agreements. For the two of them, it’s about the honest truth and hard facts. Marius has no reason to lie to Avery, and Avery has no reason to lie to Marius.

Center: PRESENT + DYNAMIC – Five of Swords [Mistletoe, Viscum albume]

From the Herbal Tarot: Nervine. Antispasmdic. Regulates blood pressure. Treats cancer. Calms the nervous system. Realization of defeat. Need to regain composure and inner peace after the fray. Realization that there are no winners in war.

Key words: defeat, loss, battle, conflict, win at all costs, ambition, sneakiness

Pat’s Summary: They’re both kind of stuck in a garbage situation. For Marius, he’s back where he started—or definitely worse off; he’s at the mercy of his siblings’ generosity. Not to say they’re always fighting (though perhaps they are), but it’s getting to the point where the fight has gone a little too long. Perhaps this fighting has led to some bitterness. Perhaps one of them has gone a step too far—not necessarily something unforgiveable, but enough to put some pause in conversation it’s mentioned.

Bottom: FUTURE – Six of Swords, [Vervain,Verbena Officinaliis]

From the Herbal Tarot: Alterative. Hepatic. Bitter. Antispasmodic. Used for nervousness and irritability caused by congested liver and gallbladder, and for premenstrual tension.

Key words: transition, leaving behind, moving on, healing, travel

Pat’s summary: They’re going back to France. Like, this is the card that has to do with travel over water. Aside from this very straightforward interpretation, it’s probably the only thing they can probably agree on, or the only way to really recover from the stress of conflict.

So, a few other observations about this reading: they don’t have any reversed cards—not to mean that there’s anything explicitly bad about their relationship, but just that it’s very clear to them what’s involved in this relationship. Four out of five of the cards are from the suit of swords (the element of air, involved with logic, ideas, and intellect) so their disagreements are based on certain core fundamental beliefs rather than a true dislike of the other person. Their relationship is almost formal, in a way—if there’s a possible ‘meeting of the minds’ for the two of them to perhaps finally be on the same page, I think that’s the most they may be able to manage in the meantime.

@raxlestrange:

“I’ll be right with you–”

Avery’s voice quickly chased the sound of the entrance bell connected to the front entrance of Lestrange Allomancy, a precautionary measure he had once viewed as cliche but eventually deemed necessary considering the amount of time both he and his employees spent in the workroom with their wares. Between the recent bout of illness that had swept the nation and tragedy upon tragedy racking up more personal days than he dared count, Avery’s shop was terribly understaffed. He had been bouncing back and forth between the front of the shop and his personal work space, though with the state of their world lately he found he spent more time in the back than usual. Business wasn’t exactly dire, but he preferred their usual bustle any day. Hell, he’d rather work a busy day single handed than cater to a ghost town.

The warming charm bracelet prototype he had revealed to Colette had since become one of their most popular items for the holiday season (after a bit of tweaking, of course). He found that his customers loved the convenience of one-stop shopping, being able to find accessories that were both functional and impressive enough to be given as a gift among the cases in his storefront. The travel ban had put a stop to his imports for the time being, but because they weren’t exactly jewelers they could get away with the man-made crystals for the everyday customer.

Straightening the collar of his shirt, he returned to the front of the store with his best customer service smile and leaned his hands against the counter. “Bonsoir – can I help you find anything this evening?”

Lucy was startled by the voice behind her, his French a slight bit unwelcome. She thought she could do her shopping without having someone hovering over her shoulder. She had to give the awkward nod and smile wandering a little further away from him, despite the fact that she had been to Monsieur Lestrange’s house to help his wife with interior design. She didn’t actually expect to see him in the shop. “I’m just – I’m just looking, thanks…”

Although Lucy liked to accessorize, even she didn’t have the politician money her father did to afford anything in the shop. Unfortunately for Lucy, she wasn’t a crazy rich Asian. Surely Monsieur Lestrange was used to the just looking excuse? But the more she eyed the rings on display, the stronger an idea settled in her head. “Have you Madame Lestrange? I came by your place last month to help her with some paintings, but the Gringotts goblins have told me no one’s transferred the gold into my vault.”

It was weird, spending time in this house, technically she lives here, but the whole place is so foreign to her. The worst part is, she has no idea where most things are. Which means... Well, this isn’t going to be pleasant, Colette thought. Its not that her husband is a bad man, on the contrary, he is extremely kind to her (kinder than she deserves). 

Knocking on his office door, she only waits a second before sticking her head in. “Avery? Are you in there?”

“I can’t believe you let her die. You have all the money and power in the world and you let her die. Your sister is married to the Minister’s son and you’re sitting around like you couldn’t do anything -- you’re a damn liar, Ave -- especially since you’ve been trying to get her murdered for so damn long! I can’t believe I even let you have the change to kill her.