(Flashback) Slaves of the Muran Sands (Anja)

[Blythe]

When Blythe asked Anja if she knew how reading shells worked, her face lit up as it shook, some of her light-colored hair twisting around her face. "I have no idea," Anja replied inquisitively. She sat and smiled, curious. "Could you teach me?"

Blythe nodded, "sure," she began, "just hold on for a moment, I'm going to go over there," Blythe pointed, "because I'm going to need a few more of these," she held out her hand to put the shell on display one again, before forming a fist around it, to make sure it didn't fall out of her hands, and get lost on the beach.

Blythe got up and walked over to a section of both shells and stones that had been washed up and unto the shore by the sea. It was perhaps 20 feet away from where she and Anja had been working on their sandcastle.

Blythe leaned over, and began to sift through the sand, stones and shells with her fingertips, glancing hurriedly over the cracked ones, and the rounded stones, and picking up three more cockle shells. All of the shells were in perfect condition, no crackles or creases, and very few rough edges, if they had any. One of the shells was a pale white like the moon, one was a mixture of purple and blue swirls, and the last was brown with bands of dark green.

Blythe held them all in her hand, inspecting them, nudging them with her fingers, these should do, she thought, as she stood back up and walked over to the water. Her feet getting wet, as well as cold as the water whirled around her feet. Blythe bent over and washed off the shells before returning to Anja. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said as she sat back down on her knees, and put 3 of the 4 shells on her lap. The last shell, Blythe held in her hand, it was the first one that Anja had found. "I'm no expert, and I know that colors mean something, but I only know the basics, and therefore, don't know what they mean," Blythe blushed, feeling silly in front of her friend.

"When you read shells, one should call upon a god or goddess in order to answer the question that you wish to have answered in a reading. Usually, you will pray, before asking your question.... it has to be a yes or no question."

Blythe pointed to the side of the cockle shell with the thin lines and deeper shades of colors on it, "this side denotes that the shell is closed." Blythe flipped the shell over with her thumb, and pointed to the inner curvature of the shell, "this side means that the shell is open."

"There are five possible outcomes in a four shell reading like this. One is when all the shells are open. This is called Alafia, this is a strong yes, you have the blessing of the god's. The next is called Etawa. When this happens, you will have one closed shell, and three open ones. This is also a yes, however, unlike in Alafia, you may be forced to face several obstacles in order to get what you want. You will have to work in order to make your desired outcome a yes."

Blythe paused for a moment before continuing, "The next is called Ejife, this is when a balance has been reached, two open shells, two closed ones. This also means yes. However, if the shells land in this formation, you are to stop asking questions on the subject matter you began the reading for, supposedly, if you do continue, you will anger the gods you called upon in the reading."

Blythe paused again, letting her words sink in, hoping her friend was keeping up ok. "Okana is when there is one open shell, and three closed shells, means no, and lastly, Oyeko is when all the shells are closed. This also means no... but it means that negativity surrounds the one being read... they need to be cleansed... through ritual. All questions MUST be stopped if this is the outcome of the shells," Blythe warned her friend, who seemed to be sitting quietly, listening to her words intently, like the best of all students.

"Anyway? Why don't we try it? You can ask a question first, and we'll say a little prayer to Avalis before we toss the shells and see the outcome," Blythe smiled over at Anja as she scooped up all the shells, waiting for her friend's response.

OOCAll the information I gave is based off some research I did on cowrie shell divination, but I adopted it and geared the information towards the game and cockle shells as opposed to cowries. More specifically, Ifa divination...

[Anja]

Anja sat forward and listened carefully as Blythe explained the seemingly complicated art of shell divination. The more information Blythe rattled out, the more overwhelmed she became. There was so much to learn and understand to get it right. She felt herself tingle with excitement. What an interesting subject to learn from her greatest friend!

She found herself staring intently at the shells as she explained the differences in outcomes that the shells could have. She would have to remember these. Blythe explained that even the colors of the cockle shells played a role, but she only knew the basics. Anja noticed she blushed so she smiled, signaling that she was willing to learn anything that Blythe had to teach. She was inquisitive and curious. Always eager to learn something new. Being with Blythe made it even better.

At the final description of the shells' possible outcomes, she found herself intrigued.

"I would love to try! However..." She paused, eyeing the shells. "Oyeko, this outcome, you say it implies negativity arond the one being read, and that they must be cleansed through ritual. Does this mean that shell divination is dangerous? Could it be, I mean?"

[Blythe]

"I would love to try! However..." Anja paused, eyeing the shells. "Oyeko, this outcome, you say it implies negativity arond the one being read, and that they must be cleansed through ritual. Does this mean that shell divination is dangerous? Could it be, I mean?" Anja asked, slightly wide-eyed, curious, seeming to hang onto each of Blythe's words.

Blythe thought about Anja's question for a moment, before saying, "no, I don't think so, although, it could bring about bad luck, or perhaps, indicate bad luck or general misfortune." Blythe paused, considering her words again, "but then again, is the process of divining shells anywhere near as accurate as what we may receive using vision water, or from Avalis herself?" Blythe questioned, thinking that divination shells, tarot cards, tea leaves, crystal balls and the like couldn't even come close to matching Avalis' power and accuracy.

[Anja]

Anja cocked her head to one side, her brow furrowed. Blythe had made a good point. Nothing, in her opinion, could be as accurate or meaningful as a response from Avalis herself. She nodded, still thinking. She certainly did not want any bad luck, but how would she learn if she didn't try? With a little smile she looked down at the shells, anticipation swelling. What would she ask?

"You're right. That makes sense... How silly of me not to assume such." She shook her hair. "But yes, I'd still like to try. I'm anxious to see the divination firsthand." Her smile broadened. "You first?"

[Blythe]

Anja tilted her head to the side, her brow furrowed. "You're right. That makes sense... How silly of me not to assume such." Anja shook her head, sending her hair into a swirling and spiraling mess around her. "But yes, I'd still like to try. I'm anxious to see the divination firsthand." Anja's smile broadened. "You first?"

"Alright," Blythe replied as she shook the shells around in her enclosed hands, as though she were about to throw a set of dice. Now, what to ask? Blythe wondered, glancing up at the sky, as if for inspiration. Unable to think of much of anything, Blythe moved into a little prayer, allowing herself more time for a question to formulate in her mind.

Blythe lifted her cupped hands that contained the shells closer to her face, before whispering the words, "Avalis, please guide these shells in showing me the way," blowing on them softly, before closing her hands up again, and resuming the pre-dice throwing motion. The shells clicked lightly against each other, emitting a low clacking noise, and the shells tickled the inside of Blythe's hands with their subtle motion, but nothing more.

Finally, coming up with a question, even if it was more general, maybe even foolish, and generally not to exciting, Blythe raised her voice, asking the shells, "will I write a poem today?"

As soon as Blythe's words had left her mouth, she rolled the shells onto the ground in front of her, but far enough away from the sea that the waves wouldn't carry them away. One open shell, and three closed shells; Okana. "Guess not," Blythe laughed, picking up the shells again and rolling them around in her hands before tossing them, after having asked the question, "will I write something tomorrow?"

The shells landed in the sand just in front of where Blythe's body rested. She had thrown two open shells, and one closed shell; Ejife. "Guess all the inspiration will come tomorrow," Blythe laughed, as she scooped up the shells and held them out to Anja, face up, in the palm of her hand, Blythe didn't know why, but she felt the need to follow the superstition, no more questions on the matter for her. "Guess it's your turn," Blythe smiled over at her friend, the shells still being held out in her hand.

[Anja]

Anja watched with enjoyment as Blythe gently shook the shells. She offered a prayer before dropping the shells and reading the answer they displayed. Twice she questioned the shells and read before handing the shells over to Anja. Gingerly, she took them into her own hands and admired their colors before beginning.

What should she ask? What was there that she really wanted to know? She wasn't sure why she had nothing in her mind to ask the shells. The felt slightly silly. With a giggle she shook her head.

"Hmmmm...." She took a quick look around. She thought of a simple question and loses he eyes, silently offering a prayer similar to Blythe's. With a light motion she gave the shells a shake and asked, "Will I find something I've lost today?" She released the shells.

They landed in the Etawa formation. She looked up at Blythe with a smile. "I wonder what I may find?" She smiled and picked the shells up again. "Will I sing a song before the day is out?"

The shells fell from her hands. "Also Etawa." She smiled, passing the shells back to Blythe. "Would you like to ask again?"

[Blythe]

Anja took the shells from Blythe, she sat quietly for a moment, as though she were thinking about what she should ask of the shells. Suddenly, Anja shook her head, giggling a bit. Blythe wondered what was so funny, perhaps her friend felt foolish?

"Hmmmm...." Anja said as she looked all around her."Will I find something I've lost today?" Anja asked as she released the shells. There was one closed shell, and three open; the Etawa formation.

Anja looked up at Blythe, there was a wide smile etched across her face. Her eyes seemed to glow; radiant, happy. "I wonder what I may find?" Anja said, as she picked the shells up again. "Will I sing a song before the day is out?" Anja asked next, as the shells fell from her hands. "Also Etawa." She smiled, passing the shells back to Blythe. "Would you like to ask again?"

"Just one more time," Blythe laughed, as she took the shells from Anja, raising them, cupped in her hands, and blowing on them lightly, as if for good luck. "Will I ever become a master at fortune telling?" Blythe asked as she released the shells from her hands. The shells landed in the Ejife formation once again, "guess that's a yes," Blythe laughed as she picked up the shells, holding them in the palm of her left hand, and gently nudging them with her right index finger. She seemed to be inspecting them

Blythe was silent for a few moments, as if deep in thought, although her mind was merely blank as she smiled shyly over at Anja, and listened to the waves crashing along the shore, and then she held her hand out to Anja. The shells were glistening in the sunlight as they rested in the palm of her hand. "Would you like them?" Blythe asked, offering their day's find to her friend, her smile growing stronger. The waves crashing into the shore, the gulls calling overhead, the sand that was encrusted in the shells tickling her skin, the sun beating down on them all.

[Alice]

Blythe

Experience: 2 Conversation, 1 Acting, 2 Teaching, 2 Fortune Telling
Lores: Meeting an Old Friend, Building a Sandcastle, Shell Divination, How to do Four Shell Readings, Having Fun Together

Anja

Experience: 2 Conversation, 3 Listening, 1 Fortune Telling
Lores: Meeting an Old Friend, Building a Sandcastle, Shell Divination, How to do Four Shell Readings, Having Fun Together

Comments

That was a very cute and exciting thread! I especially liked the light-hearted atmosphere of a relaxing afternoon at the beach. You showed the loose connection between them very well. They really had fun together, and it’s even a good thing that Blythe didn’t let the emotions from her past overwhelm her. I’m looking forward to more threads.