# Mystic Readings

Title: Mystic Readings
Status: Complete
Characters: Anon, Fang, Stella, Rosa
Rating: SFW
Classification: One Shot
Author: Anonymous
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The basement of Stella’s house was cramped, little more than a semi-cleared space amid the clutter of a modern family. Old boxes containing family history rubbed shoulder-to-shoulder with junk bought at Scaleco, each of them reaching an excessive amount. It seemed Stella’s mother had a bit of a hoarding issue, and given how full the basement was, it had been going on for a while.
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Still, the basement wasn’t all bad. One corner of the room had been cleared away, where an old couch now sat in front of an equally old television, the boxy kind that took a few good men to move. A small minifridge sat next to couch, filled to the brim with exotic Japanese confectionaries and juice drinks direct from the Orient, and a very retro coffee table completed the look of long-forgotten furniture. Small also described the couch, its three occupants proving to be one too many. But when Stella invited them for a night of fun hangouts, who were Fang, Anon, or Rosa to disagree?
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“So, how does this work exactly, Stella?” Fang asked, sitting with one arm draped over the side of the couch and one leg stretched across Anon’s lap. She was busy polishing off the first bag of dino-nuggies the couple had brought with them, asking her questions around mouthfuls of mashed-up meat. “I mean, do you have to like, light a special candle, dim the lights, all that mystic stuff?”
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Stella glanced up from where she sat on the floor, on the other side of the coffee table. She was currently shuffling her Tarot deck with extreme care, making sure not one card got so much as a dinged-up corner. “Oh, no, nothing like that, Fang,” the lime-green stego replied, beaming up at the much paler woman. “I’ll just do a quick one for each of you, just a few cards.” Stella caught Anon’s eye for a moment, waggling her eyebrows in anticipation. “Just ask Anon, he’s had a reading before!”
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“Ay, Stella, you know these cards are magia negra, si?” Rosa occupied the other end of the couch, her arms cross underneath her considering breasts. It seemed she was still resistant to her best-friend’s favorite hobby, no doubt due to her heavy religious upbringing. “I do no think these cards are what Raptor Jesus had in mind!”
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“Pfft, lay off, Rosa!” Fang punctuated her words by flinging a half-eaten nuggie over at Rosa, her smile making it clear she meant no offense. “It could be kinda fun, actually, getting my future told to me and shit. Maybe get some answers of my own.” Now it was Fang’s turn to waggle her eyebrows at Anon, causing the only human in the room to blush furiously. Anon had some thoughts about just what Fang wanted to know…
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“Umm, it’s not actually that kind of reading…” Stella looked crestfallen as she stacked her Tarot deck carefully upon the table. “But it is a great way for introspection, reflection and-“
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“Blah blah blah,” Fang said, leaning over to pluck the half-eaten nuggie from Rosa’s lap. Popping the last morsel into her mouth, Fang dusted her hands off before leaning forward, tapping the lacquered cards with one black nail. “Let’s just get this over with, okay Stella? Do me first!” Turning her head, Fang shot Anon a wicked grin at Anon. “Well, maybe not the first time someone did me today…”
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“Ugh, Fang!” Rosa chastised as Anon groaned, burying his face in his hands. Fang held her hands up in surrender, as Stella nervously played with her tail. Rolling her eyes, Rosa turned back to her friend, smiling encouragingly. “Stella, go ahead dear, start your reading.”
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“Uh, okay!” Taking a deep breath, Stella flipped the top card of the deck over, pausing for dramatic effect as the other three leaned in to see what was on the card. It was a woman in a silken gown, a crown of thirteen stars sitting upon her head. “This, is the Upright Empress! Fang, that means you must connect with your feminine side. This can be done a few ways – think, like, creativity…”
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“Done,” Fang interjected. She had just written a new song for VVURM DRAMA this morning.
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“…elegance…”
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“Done again!” She had also secretly picked out a new dress to wear on her upcoming date with Anon.
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“…fertility…”
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“Bingo, all three!” Fang glanced back at her now mortified boyfriend, elbowing him in the ribs while sporting a wicked grin. “Why, just this morning, this dweeb and I-“
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Anon attempted to bury himself in the plushy back of Stella’s basement couch, his face feeling like it was on fire. “Fang, I’m BEGGING you to shut up!”
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“Whatever, you like it, dude.”
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“Can we PLEASE get back to the reading?” Huffing, Rosa began shooting daggers towards Fang, her stance on pre-martial “cuddling” very apparent. Flicking her hair over her shoulder, Rosa affixed her best smile, nodding encouragingly towards Stella. “Stella, how about you do a reading for me, si? What does my future hold?”
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“Oh geez.” Stella’s face was a mess of embarrassment now, her tail flicking back and forth in a clear sign of her emotions. “Okay, the next card is…” Once more Stella flipped over the top card of the deck, pausing for dramatic effect before laying it next to its twin on the coffee table. It was a picture of an old-timey priest or something, holding a strange staff tipped with a triple-cross. The card was upside-down sat upside-down for Stella, making it much easier to read for the other three. “The Inverted Hierophant! Rosa, this encourages you to rebel against your existing conventions, and, um…” Stella waivered under Rosa’s unflinching crimson stare. “Maybe, uh, lighten up a bit?”
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“Wooooah!” Fang took this opportunity to jeer, nudging Rosa in the ribs as the Latina ankylosaur sat back against the couch, blushing furiously. “Could this have anything to do with that cute guy I saw you talking to after school, Rosa?”
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“¡Ay, Fang, cállate! He’s just a friend from church is all.” Woah, that was a quick response.
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“Okay, okay, Anon, since I’ve done you so often, I’m gonna’ skip you for now and do one for all of us.” Stella glanced up from her deck, catching Fang’s silent look. “Umm, I-I mean, I don’t DO Anon, or anything! I m-mean, I do DO Anon, but just Tarot readings, I promise!”
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Anon leaned slightly forward, forcing his face to remain neutral. “Stella, just flip the card, before Fang kills us both.”
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“G-good idea! The next card issssss…” Top card off the deck, pause for dramatic effect: “Bam! Oh, uh-oh.” Stella stat back, leaning away from the card as if it were a dangerous object. The other three, however, leaned forward, heads nearly together as they looked at a flaming tower being struck by lightning.
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“The Tower,” Fang read, twisting her head to make out the small lettering at the bottom of the card “What does that mean, Stella? Why the ‘uh-oh’?”
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“T-that means something really BAD is going to happen soon.”
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Dead silence met Stella’s words. The other three sat there, staring at the small card in front of them, no doubt imaging the worst. Without warning, a strong vibration rumbled the couch, causing all three of them to jump slightly. Anon fished out his phone, the black rectangle buzzing slightly in his hand. It was an unknown number. Glancing up at his friends, Anon hesitated, letting the phone buzz several more times.
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“Should I…”
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“ANSWER IT!” Came the response, all three women nearly yelling out in unison. Anon quickly thumbed a picture of a green phone, before setting the phone on speaker.
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“H-hello?”
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“Is this Mr. Mous?” An unfamiliar woman’s voice called out from the other end of the line, faint conversation echoing in the background. Fang glanced at Anon, her amber eyes full of worry. Suddenly, this night didn’t seem so fun, anymore.
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“Yes, this is him.”
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“Mr. Mous, I’m calling from Rock Bottom General. I’m afraid something has happened to your parents…”