In The Cards

Strike Witches-fanfic. Eila has offered to do a tarot reading for Sanya.
Sequel to "The One That Loves You".
(Eila/Sanya)

Read In The Cards

Disclaimer: All things Strike Witches belong to Gonzo and a bunch of others, though I’m sure I’m not hurting anything by borrowing them for a bit.

As I write this I’m up to episode 10 of the series, also this is the sequel/second part to “The One That Loves You”. I was suggested by Serai on Shoujoai to write something where Eila did a tarot read for Sanya, however I know precious little about tarot. Research basically left me even more confused, so besides the names of the two cards I mention, none of this has anything to do with actual tarot reading. Consider it Eila's own brand if you will. ;)




In The Cards
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by Carola “Ryûchan” Eriksson




The room is covered in darkness, broken only by the small circle of light here at the table. The small candles, one to my left and two to my right, illuminates the cards I’ve spread across the table surface and manage to light up her face just so, giving her an unearthly, floating, appearance.

We’re really supposed to be sleeping, and in Sanya’s room at that, but as neither of us are quite ready to sleep yet I suggested we stay in my room today instead. I wonder when our superior officers will finally clue in to the fact that Sanya sleeps in my room and not her own? The only time she stays there is when we are ordered to in preparation for the night shift.

To pass the time I suggested we do a reading on Sanya, and that is why the candles are lit. As much as I wish it was for some more auspicious reason, like a candlelit dinner for two or something likewise romantic, I know well enough that this is as close as I’ll get.

The first card I drew was the Fool, and if I had any doubts my Sight clearly told me that it was the symbol for her, for Sanya’s path or quest. All in all not a bad start, and I explained that to her as she watched with curiosity how I turned the cards.

Next I found strong friendship and acceptance, and while my Sight said nothing about it I would assume that it refers to me. My own feelings aside I do try to be as good a friend to Sanya as I am at all able.

After that came cards that spoke to me of a challenge she must face in order to have change, something for which she would need strength, faith and courage to obtain. Originally I intended this reading to be fake, just a tool for me to use to help Sanya get the courage to approach Miyafuji with, but that changed right away. I need not come up with a fake reading when the real one is saying all the things I had intended to.

There is someone in Sanya’s life that she has deep feelings of romantic nature for, and to win that person Sanya will have to find the strength to be brave, to take a chance. She will have the support of a good and accepting friend, and if she dares to go through with it the signs are in favour of success.

My palms are sweating and I am nauseous as we have gotten this far. I might have intended to do this on purpose, but I really did not want it to be true. I love Sanya after all.

Something will happen, something painful and difficult, but if endured it will bring positive change and... I lift the final card and turn it, but as I do it falls from my fingers, landing in the centre of the spread, face up.

The Lovers.

My Sight hits me, harder than I ever thought it could, only not the way it is supposed to. Instead of showing me how to interpret the cards laid out before me the present is yanked away from me, replaced with a vision so real and vivid that I can feel it. Taste it. Touch it.

Sanya.

Sanya, naked and beautiful, her skin flushed and her hair messy as she writhes, gasping, in the arms of her lover. I see her through that person’s eyes, but that is not all. I feel every sensation as if I was truly there, loving her.

Her skin is so hot and smooth against mine, the taste of it strangely electric as I move my lips against the pulse in her neck. She gasps as I do, her hands gripping onto me so hard I feel the bite of her nails though they don’t hurt. Nothing could hurt now, this is incredible, this is maddening, this is heaven; I rock with her until suddenly her body goes tense and arches beneath me. She is going to scream my name. My heart and the world both stop in euphoric anticipation.

“Eila!”

Darkness. Everything is darkness and I am strangely numb. I blink rapidly and try to focus despite feeling very confused.

My vision clears to a dark room with Sanya leaning over me looking very concerned. Apparently I am lying on the floor, something that is suddenly made abundantly clear as feeling returns to me as a sharp pain in the back of my skull and a dull ache in my back and left hip.

Sanya repeats my name, looking even more worried as she caresses my face. Wait, caresses my face? Dazedly I grin at her, thinking to myself that this falling off of chairs stuff is the life, if it comes with Sanya’s caresses in the bargain.

She is really worried by what happened, upset too, and it takes quite a bit of me to convince her that I don’t need to be rushed over to the medical wing. Even when she calms down I can tell that she doesn’t entirely buy that I am fine, apparently I was convulsing on the floor and it scared her quite a bit.

I am still dazed enough by it all that Sanya flips the roles of our relationship and tug me over to the bed, making quick work of undressing me before surprisingly sternly ordering me to get under the covers. I barely have time to realise what happened before she has shed her own uniform and cuddles up to me. She twists us around until I am lying with my head on her shoulder, our arms loosely wrapped around one another save for the hand she has gently playing with my hair.

What just happened and the ramifications of it finally begin to sink in for me, and I am sure that if Sanya was not holding me so sweetly I would have remained awake tonight, tormented by the images. Clearly I am going insane from loving her, but who can blame me? She is so wonderful.

Sleepily she informs me that we are going to get up a bit ahead of schedule so that we can go find Major Sakamoto or Commander Wilcke to report what happened to me. Her embrace is so warm and protective that I just fall head over heels in love with her again

On the table the tarot cards lie scattered, forgotten.