#elfcon

[herbalsingularitea]

Holly Jolly (Chapter 2)

Summary - The only thing more frustrating than his snarky comments was how lovely his eyes were in the firelight.

Pairing - Bernard/OC

Word Count - 5049

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Chapter 2 - Chestnuts Roasting

(December 26th, afternoon)

She’d been set up for about a week now, apparently. The week leading up to Christmas, it was horrible timing. Usually a human wouldn’t be able to get this close without some strategic deterrents sent their way to make them want to turn back themselves. Faced with a dangerous storm, a hungry polar bear, or a sudden crack in the sea ice, a human is much more likely to give up and leave. If they think exploring the arctic wasn’t worth it on their own then that tends to be more effective than if someone tries to convince them there’s nothing to see here, curious stubborn creatures that they are.

Bernard typed out a message to the Elfcon team on his watch asking about this obvious oversight. How had this human slipped through?

According to the team, her arrival was noted as she first made camp about 20 miles away and a snowstorm was sent to make conditions uncomfortable enough that she’d leave on her own. The report was sent to his office and he’d signed off on it himself. He could vaguely remember something about that, but he had been busy directing the Core teams on the final stretch to Christmas. An elf scout had been sent out to check on her during the storm; they didn’t want to accidentally freeze her to death after all. But while her tent and supplies were still there, she and her snowmobile were nowhere to be found. With Christmas on the horizon and no reliable way to confirm her departure with radar once the storm started, the elves assumed she had left. Not so, apparently.

She was approximately two miles east of Bernard and the reindeer and over a small ridge of icy cliffs, less than 10 miles away from the entrance to Santa’s Village. The thought of her stumbling onto their little secret was enough to make Bernard break out into a sweat. His head throbbed as he looked at the 8 uncertain reindeer out in the open.

They weren’t quite as far out from the village as they’d normally want to go, but the cliffs blocked her from seeing them here. He hopped off Dancer and told them all that this year they’d have to keep it confined to the small stretch from here to the Village and a southern flat patch that was around 8 miles total. Not nearly as good as they deserved, but this was a delicate situation here. He placed a small tracker on Dancer’s antler and told her to keep close to the other deer so he could find them all if they needed a quick getaway. She nuzzled his face in response and he gave her a pat before heading out on his own towards the cliffs. If this human wouldn’t leave by conventional means, then he’d have to get confrontational about it. An elf’s gotta do what an elf’s gotta do, afterall.

—

Holly was freezing her ass off here. Her pop up tent wasn’t as warm as her main tent at home camp, but luckily she’d found a little divot in the ice cliff she’d stumbled upon in the storm. It was enough to cut the wind at least and offer enough shelter to help her thin little travel tent keep her body heat trapped. She was glad she had the thought to bring her backpack when she saw the storm coming and took off on her snowmobile to find XJ-17’s trail. There were plenty of warm layers, rations, fire starters, and flares. She wasn’t worried about freezing to death, but it certainly was an inconvenience. She had a nice cozy set up at her home camp, which was… somewhere. That was kind of her current problem. When she saw the storm starting, she was so worried it would cover the polar bear tracks she’d found her first day on site. She didn’t even get to properly determine which direction the bear was traveling before snow started falling. She thought if she just rushed out to the last place she saw prints, she could get an idea of where to start when the storm blew over. Alas, the way to hell is paved, yadda yadda.

She got lost almost immediately. None of her radar equipment worked in the storm and surprise, surprise: the one thing she did not have in her backpack? A compass. So onward she’d traveled, practically blind in the storm, looking for something, anything she could use to find her way. When she hit the cliffs she knew she’d definitely not gone the right way and decided to hunker down and wait out the weather. It had been a solid week, if her watch was working correctly, before the storm had finally broken.

Sitting around in a tent shivering doesn’t seem too strenuous, but she was still exhausted. She couldn’t wait to start heading back to her comfortable little set up.

She looked out at the frozen land before her. The cliffs ran a good way into the distance. Across the flat ice, she saw a break in the cliffs that she recognized. Directly east from that break was her home camp. And between her and the camp was the towering jagged ice mountain she’d admired her first day in the arctic. She must have gone around it in her blind panic to find the tracks. But at least she knew how to get back! Step one, down. Those stodgy old professors who said she wouldn’t make it out here on her own could suck it. She was absolutely killing it right now.

Holly turned back towards her humble little temp camp and had to do a double take as she saw a dark figure standing on top of the cliffs above her camp. She choked on a scream as she saw the figure jump from one ledge of the cliffs down to another. That was at least a 15 foot drop!

She felt her breathing speed up as the figure smoothly hopped down two more cliffs with no problems, bringing them just one 30 foot drop away from her and her tent.

She could see them more clearly now. It was definitely a person, they looked small and wore a cloak and hood so it was impossible to make out their features except for two dark eyes peeking over the edge of a crimson scarf. Despite their acrobatics, they didn’t look particularly threatening. Still, a weapon could go a long way and there was nobody to call for help out here. She made the decision to try diplomacy here in the hopes it would at least give her a better idea of the person’s intentions.

“Hi there! That’s some fancy jumping.”

The figure kept their gaze locked on her in silence for a long moment before they suddenly jumped the remaining 30 feet, tucking into a roll before popping up onto their feet again in a practiced fluid motion.

Holly took several steps back at that, keeping a good distance between them should this strange person try to attack. Her body was tense, but she purposely kept her voice light as she exclaimed, “Wow! Very impressive!”

They stood in silence, locked in an uneasy staring contest. Holly took the opportunity to get a better look at the newcomer. Their green cloak looked thick and warm, fur lining the hood and bottom which brushed at the stranger’s knees. Golden tassels attached to the cloak hung down from under a red scarf with golden accents. Long leather boots that also looked fur lined covered what wasn’t hidden by the cloak. Their face was partially covered by the scarf and hood, but Holly could clearly see those sparkling dark eyes, unflinching in their intensity.

“Didn’t think I’d meet a LARPer all the way up here in the arctic circle.”

“What?” The stranger’s voice was deeper than her own, gruff, but with a pleasant tenor that reached her ears over the ambient sounds of wind rushing over the snow drifts, sending a pleasant tingle up her spine. What a strangely musical voice.

“Your clothes? You look like an extra out of Lord of the Rings. Or, considering where we are, maybe one of Santa’s little helpers,” she chuckled.

The stranger lifted their arms, revealing a leather gloved hand from underneath their cloak, and tugged self consciously at their hood. Holly caught a glimpse of a golden inscription stitched down the side of the green cloak, but she didn’t recognize any of the characters.

“I’m Holly, by the way.” She looked expectantly at the stiff figure standing between her and her camp.

“I’m Bernard. Nice to meet you and all, but you need to leave.”

“Oh yeah? And why’s that, Bernard?” She said slightly insulted by his brusque tone.

“You aren’t supposed to be here.”

“I am, actually. I’m with the Hale Company. I’ve been assigned to track a missing polar bear and her new cub for the research division.”

“Your presence will upset the polar bears, you should leave before they eat you.”

This guy was really starting to piss her off. “Listen, buddy—“

“Bernard.”

“—Saint Bernard, more like. If you’re so worried about the bears, then fine,” she growled, marching past him to reach her supplies and rustling around in her backpack before pulling out a folder of laminated pages. She handed him the top piece with a smug look. “See? I’m official. The Hale Company has been tracking these bears for over 20 years, so I’m pretty sure what I’m doing is perfectly fine.”

Bernard scanned the document before him, an annoyed edge crinkling the space between his brows. In a barely audible grumble he said, “Twenty years? That’s nothing. We’ve been keeping track for over 200.”

“Wait, what? Are you with a research team too?”

He started at her words, his eyes widening briefly before returning to a neutral glare. “The Hale Company. Yeah, I’m familiar with it.” His words were rushed. “Fine, but you aren’t supposed to be this far out.”

“We follow the bears, Saint Bernard. Our bear, XJ-17, has taken her cub to the mountains just northwest of here, we think.”

“You must mean Catherine, she’s the only one with a cub right now. She’s a sweet bear.”

“If that’s what your team is calling her, then sure.”

A sweet polar bear? She doubted that.

He ducked his head, seeming conflicted for a moment, before straightening up with squared shoulders. “You’re gonna freeze out here, y’know. Your little campsite here is pathetic.”

She bristled at his tone. “Excuse me? I’ve trained for years for this assignment. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And this isn’t my main camp, it’s a temp. I got caught out in the storm. I’ll be returning to my home camp just as soon as I can.”

She turned and pointed at the distant break in the ice ridge. “See that opening? If I head that way, my camp is a straight shot east from there.”

Once again, a worried look shadowed his eyes. “You can’t go that way.”

“I have to! I’m not gonna climb the mountain, that’s crazy. I’ll just ride around it. In fact, I should probably get going soon. The storm may have broken for now, but who knows when another will hit.”

“No!” He eyed her snowmobile and the dying embers of her fire, his brows pulled tight. “Uh, I mean, shouldn’t you rest a bit first? You seem tired.”

She had planned to rest some before returning actually, but she was eager to escape the rude pushy man who had appeared from seemingly nowhere.

“Where did you come from anyways? How did you get up on those cliffs?”

“Got anything to eat?”

She was briefly thrown by his sudden inquiry. “Um, yeah, I have some rations. Why? You want something?” She felt a sinking feeling of guilt as she put the pieces together. This guy was slim and short, that much was obvious even with the thick cloak. And his voice sounded pretty young. He probably had gotten turned around in the storm himself and was far from whatever research camp he came from. He couldn’t be younger than 18, there’s no way any team would bring a kid up here with them, even for practical education. But maybe he was an advanced uni student? There were certainly other research teams who had less than ethical requirements. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility, she supposed. So odds were that he was just a few years younger than her. He was putting on a brave face, but the stress he was under was apparent. Poor guy was probably hungry and cold and scared.

Her remaining anger melted away in an instant and she suddenly felt responsible for this young stranger. “Hey, listen. I’m sorry, okay? How about we get you something to eat and then we can find out where you come from.”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, that would be great. Food, I mean. Thanks.”

“Of course! Have a seat. I’m out of firewood, I’m afraid, so we’ll need to eat quick and be on our way.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem. I have wood.”

“Wha—you do? Where?”

He shuffled a bit under his cloak and revealed a brown leather bag slung low at his right hip. It wasn’t very big and she started to protest, they’d need wood bigger than whatever he had in there. But her words died on her lips as he pulled several good sized cut logs from inside the bag. She blinked, and his cloak was back in place, covering the bag once again.

…She must have misjudged how big that bag was. She couldn’t believe he’d been hauling around all that wood. His shoulders are probably killing him right now.

They settled down around her new fire pit, the fire now cackling steadily as if laughing at her disgruntled appreciation. Of course he’s an expert at making cozy fires. This kid was unnaturally good at everything, it seemed. Typical young genius. She had to work her ass off the past 8 years in university to get here, and she still had some trouble making a fire by hand. But he got one going in less than a minute.

She watched as he poked the base of the flames, the flickering light reflected in his dark eyes. His eyes were quite distinct, now that she could look without him pinning her in his intimidating glare. Big and brown, deep set but with a sharp edge that kept her on her toes and made her feel uncomfortably seen. His lashes were thick and stark against the tops of his cheeks as he concentrated on his task. As she watched, a small snowflake stuck itself to the edge of his lashes.

“So do you know where ‘Catherine’s’ trail picks up? You seem to know an awful lot about polar bears.” She blurted out to distract herself from that little snowflake and the added sparkle it gave his eyes.

“As a matter of fact, I do. Not that it’s any business of yours. She’s got a cub to care for now, she doesn’t need some girl intruding on her privacy.”

She made note that he, once again, talks about the bear like she’s a sentient person. And talks about Holly like she’s five years old. So maybe he wasn’t a teenager then. But he can’t be much older than, what, mid twenties at the oldest? Her age, but definitely not older. He’s short, and the few features she can see while he’s bundled up look incredibly youthful, but the way he carries himself is more deliberate, not at all marked with the usual teen awkwardness.

He was setting up some sort of bracket. Or maybe a rack? His hands were steady as he used a metal tool to dig a narrow hole through the ice and placed polished wooden sticks in them. That bag of his had all sorts of things stored, apparently. He fastened the poles with a complicated looking tie and knot and moved to adjust the whole thing so it was above the fire.

“That’s why I need to find her! Her cub needs to be registered with our research division. We don’t know how old it is or if it’s healthy. We haven’t even been able to confirm if it’s a male or female.”

“She’s a girl. Her name is Crystal.”

“Okay…Your team sure has some weird naming conventions. But look, I can’t just—”

Holly abruptly cut herself off when she noticed Bernard was removing layers and hanging them over the rack he’d built over the fire. He’d removed his heavy cloak and hood and placed it at the right end of the rack, carefully arranging it so that it wasn’t drooping too far into the flames. Next he unwound his scarf and hung it beside the cloak. For the first time, she was able to get a good look at the tenacious man who had harassed her doggedly the past 2 hours.

Underneath his hood he wore a green beret, decorated with a small medal and ribbon that seemed like real gold, at least it looked that way in the fire light. He pulled it lower on his head and fiddled with its arrangement for a minute, trying to get it to cover his ears. Which she supposed made sense. If he didn’t have any muffs on him then it would be a bit cold to have exposed ears, even by the fireside.

His hair, a shaggy cut of bouncy dark curls, was constantly in motion as he expertly pulled at the fingers of his leather gloves, his intention obviously to place those on the rack next. His figure was clearer now, and her confusion grew as she took in his slim body shape. He wore a tunic with intricately decorated stripes of gold and silver threaded down his torso and cut off partway down by an ostentatious leather belt. Around his neck hung a wide gold necklace with what looked like bells hanging down from it. The whole thing looked almost like a costume but the obvious care put into the craftsmanship of it spoke to it being a genuine outfit. What an odd ensemble for an arctic trek. Despite his strange attire, he was proportional like a man, no gangly limbs here.

But his face was so youthful. Or was it?

His jaw was cut and square, his nose long and proud, but something about his face as a whole didn’t look quite right. His cheeks were so smooth, like he’d never needed to shave a day in his life. They were rosy and plump and she swore as the fire flickered across his face, she saw stars light up on the tops of his cheeks. Strange, but not off putting. There was something unusual about how all of his features came together though. Something otherworldly and ethereal. She brushed it off and decided he was just handsome in a unique way, which he definitely was. The warm fire and beautiful snow must just be tricking her imagination into making things seem more mystical than they actually were.

She took all this in as he placed his gloves on the rack and pushed them over to make more room. In a brief panic, she wondered what else he could possibly be planning to remove next when those sharp eyes flickered up to hers, her silence stretching a touch too long. She realized then that he was leaving room for her clothes to also hang and scrambled to remove her own coat as she continued her argument.

“—I—I can’t just take your word for it. I don’t know who you are or what team you’re with, but if you won’t identify yourself then whatever you claim about XJ—sorry, Catherine—can’t be properly recorded.”

“What does it even matter, I mean, why do you care so much if Crystal is recorded? It’s not necessary, she doesn’t need to be in your records.”

“She does, actually. In case you haven’t noticed, the sea ice is melting at an alarming rate. We need to keep track of every polar bear we can, especially now that their natural habitat is disappearing. Any researcher worth their salt knows that, Saint Bernard.” She bit out the last sentence with some frustration. “What research team did you say you were with again? Russian?”

“I didn’t.” His voice was ice. “And we’re quite aware of the climate change issue, thanks. We’re working on it.”

“You’re working on it? Okay, great, nothing to worry about then since Saint Bernard and his 200 year old research team is working on the whole ‘climate change issue’. And when can we expect a solution, chief?”

“Look, I don’t mean to minimize your work. I’m sure what you’re doing is very helpful—“

“It is, actually. These bears deserve life. Every life on this planet is precious, Bernard, even one’s out here in the remotest place on earth. I don’t know what your teams’ goal is here, but ours—mine—is to preserve habitats for the best life possible for wild animals. Polar bears are struggling and we need to help them. We can’t do that if we don’t know where they are.”

He seemed at a loss for words for a moment, staring her down with an unreadable expression. His cheeks twinkled as one side of his mouth quirked into the first smile she’d seen from him so far. Her stomach flipped at the sight of it, but her determined face remained steadfast. She believed in this with all her heart, and she wasn’t about to give up on her life’s mission just because some handsome stranger from a rival team wanted to scare her off.

“Fine.”

She broke out of her impassioned thoughts at his even tone.

“Huh?”

“I said ‘fine’. I get it. You want to record Crystal, then okay. The polar bears are traveling further and further outside their normal territory, I should have seen this coming, really. But the area they’re in now falls under our jurisdiction. The Morozko Company has precedent here, that’s our registered name by the way, since you keep asking, Morozko.”

He spoke with sure authority and she realized she must have seriously misjudged him to think he was a junior researcher. He definitely seemed like he was in some position of power. She’d been warned about the mysterious Morozko Company. No one knew what nation they were affiliated with or where they got their funding. They were a strictly by the book company and had been heading the field on arctic research for the better part of a century. Very prestigious and very exclusive. She suddenly felt a bit out of her depth here dealing with someone who was probably leagues ahead of her in knowledge and experience.

“Oh, uh, sorry I didn’t know you were Morozko.” She took the opportunity to pry a bit about the legendary team that put fear into the hearts of any unethical arctic explorers. “So are you guys Russian based?”

“Sure. Now listen, I’ll let you track Catherine for as long as you need, but you need to keep to the areas I tell you, okay? The ecosystem here is more delicate than you know.”

Her breath escaped her in a sudden rush. “Oh, wow, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me. And yes, of course, I’ll keep to the approved areas. I’m not a complete amateur, y’know, I’m very aware of how fragile things are up here. I’ll gladly follow your lead.”

“Great, I’m glad we understand each other.”

They chatted here and there as Holly retrieved and prepared a couple of field rations. Bernard’s face was conspicuously blank as they ate and she wondered what sort of researcher that had the authority to allow her into another team’s territory wouldn’t be long used to eating the dry tasteless field rations that came standard on this sort of expedition. Morozko probably had special high-end rations or something.

He certainly was an odd little fellow. But after breaking the ice earlier, so to speak, he actually made quite good company. He was quick witted and funny and certainly knew his stuff. He gave a quick run down of the trails for quite a few bears that had gone off Holly’s radar months back, including Catherine, drawing everything out on her map for her to reference later. He marked places where she could potentially set up cameras to keep track of the bears and also marked quite a few places off limits, saying the bears didn’t come close to those areas anyways and that his team was in the middle of conducting some very temperamental observation research there. She promised not to interfere, after all, she was here for the bears. Nothing more.

He insisted they get a few hours of sleep before heading out to their respective camps. She just yawned in reply, too tired to argue.

The already light snow stopped falling altogether as they settled into sleeping bags around the fire, Holly’s tent was too small for them both and she was still a bit wary of leaving her supplies out here with a stranger. Luckily she had an extra sleeping bag for him in her snowmobile and the temperature wasn’t too frigid for sleeping with no shelter.

“So Bernard, got a last name?”

“It’s Evergreen. Bernard Evergreen.”

“You really take this LARPing thing seriously, don’t you? No, I mean for real.”

“It is for real. That’s actually my name.”

She blinked at him in mild surprise. “Wow, that’s cool then! Sounds kind of like an elf name.”

“Uh, yeah. So what about you?”

“Oh! Right. I’m called Holly but it’s not my real name. My parents started calling me Holiday when I was seven, because my British aunt said she was ‘going on holiday’ instead of ‘vacation’ and I thought it sounded so cool and fancy, so I started slipping it into any conversation I could. I think I drove everyone a bit crazy with that. Anyways, it eventually evolved into just Holly. As far as nicknames go, it isn’t the worst, I guess.”

“Holiday is a great name, though! Very festive.” He nodded with a slight smirk. “I approve.”

She rolled her eyes a bit, a smile tugging at her lips at his light teasing. “Easy for you to say, you don’t have to live with it. No one back at the station knows that’s why I go by Holly, thank god. ”

”So what’s your real name, then?”

She grimaced as she told him.

He chuckled at her exaggerated expression. “Names are important, no matter how silly it is. I’ll be sure to remember yours.”

Well that sounded ominous. “That sounds ominous as hell, you aren’t secretly a fae are you?” She said with a comically dramatic squint of her eyes. “You are dressed kind of strange, y’know. Maybe you really are one of Santa’s elves come to keep me from discovering his workshop!” She laughed at Bernard’s deadpan expression.

“Funny. Is that a dig at my height?”

“Well, now that you mention it—“

“Shut it, Holly Jolly.”

She burst into laughter at his dry remark, and he joined in with her infectious laughter. His own laugh was as musical as his speaking voice, like ringing bells and she felt like she could almost make out a melody in the lovely sounds that came from the man across the fire. It gave her a warm happy feeling that prolonged the fit of laughter they’d descended into for several minutes, one of them cracking up again and pulling the other back into mirth a few more times before they settled into a comfortable silence.

Holly’s eyes started to droop as she snuggled deeper into her sleeping bag. It had been a very long day. A long week, in fact. She couldn’t wait to get back to her home camp and relax a bit. She could hear the hot water bottle in the bottom of her trunk calling her name.

“Sleep well, Bernard.”

She couldn’t see him clearly anymore hunkered down as she was, but his quiet voice had a comforting tone to it as he answered back.

“You too, Holly.”

—

Bernard watched the human woman’s chest slow to a steady rhythm, waiting for her to fall into a deeper sleep. She was… tolerable. Good company, he had to admit. It was nice to speak to someone who wasn’t intimidated by his position. Curtis never treated him as an authority figure, but he didn’t treat him much like a friend either. More like an older brother he begrudgingly had to admit was in charge while mom and dad were away. And Judy was sweet and professional, she and Bernard had known each other for the better part of millennia. But they just didn’t have the same kind of humor and didn’t often talk about things outside of work. In a lot of ways he appreciated them both for the interaction he got with them. They were the only elves even close to his station of importance. They understood the pressure.

But Holly was sweet and smart and volleyed his comments right back at him with her own spin. She was interesting. He found himself regretting having to leave her so soon. He wouldn’t have minded another couple hours of chatting. But humans need their rest, and the reindeer needed to be brought back to the village before she started her trek. If she had left for the break in the cliffs right then, she could have gotten an eyeful of flying reindeer. This whole situation was too close a call for his comfort.

He pulled himself from the sleeping bag she’d generously provided and quickly dressed himself back into his warmer outside cloak and scarf. He grabbed a pen from her supply bag and wrote a quick note explaining his absence for when she woke up and started tugging his gloves back onto his hands. He watched her peaceful face as he did, and found himself admiring the shine of starlight on her hair. It looked quite soft and pleasant to touch if he had felt so inclined. Which of course, he didn’t. That would be creepy.

Her lips were pouted in sleep. ‘Cute.’ He thought to himself.

She was a nice human, all things considered. Respectful and willing to play by the rules. He could work with that.

[sagesipsblog]

Happy Festivus to all who celebrate! Welcome to what I'm calling Blurry Time '23. Elfcon is over, the preparations are done. It's all cookies and coffee from here.

I'm a fan of Outlined, the web comic by Chaz Hutton. My favorite comic is the drawing of a December calendar page where the second half is basically a bunch of wiggly lines.

That perfectly captures the feel of the season. Even for those of us working a normal day job schedule, there is a sense of shared down time and camaraderie among those out and about actually doing the things  for that week between Christmas eve and New Years day.

It's truly liminal space and time. It is magical time. It is time disconnected from time - or something like that.

2023 as a whole felt very liminal and transitional. It was a blurry-ish year moving from the extended pandemic dumpster fire years 2020-22 (2016-22 if you live in the U.S.) We'll get back to how 2024 is looking when we do the annual just-for-fun (and wishful thinking) year-ahead Tarot reading next weekend (-ish)

In the meantime, I want to use blurry time to bridge years.

2023 was the first full year of Sage Words Tarot. I want to circle back around and use the blurry time re-introduce it all for the bright, shiny new year on the way.

I don't know why - probably no reason at all - but it always seems to start with musing about names.

Hi! I'm Sage.

I'm also a Tarot reader and author of Sage Sips blog.

I've been reading Tarot and oracle cards since around 1992 which adds up to 30 years of experience with Tarot and intuition development (!)

I didn't originally start out to be a Tarot reader (who does?) At first, I did readings for myself and friends (why PAY for it when you can DIY it?) After close friend suggested I go online with my readings (eternal gratitude!) I offered psychic Tarot readings through Keen, Advice Trader and AllExperts under my old internet handle, Baihu. After doing hundreds of online readings (I stopped counting after 400) I opened my own Tarot practice in 2003 which grew to include ModernOracleTarot.com, the Tarotbytes blog and the now-defunct Quirk & Flotsam shop on Etsy.

It was all good, but had become a hodge-podge of names and logos over the years. Then along came the Covid pandemic and changed things even more. After a short interim as TaoCraft Tarot (2018-2023) I've been working as SageWordsTarot.com and writing Sage Sips blog ever since.

TaoCraft lingers in layout names. TaoCraft was drawn from my love of Taoist philosophy. My Tarot work will always be guided by the principles of simplicity, authenticity, and kindness. It was also drawn from my affinity for solitary eclectic witchcraft. The TaoCraft name means a lot to me, but not so much to anyone else who sees it and that's a problem because these Tarot readings aren't about me - they are for YOU and about YOU.

Sage is a pen name, which helps to protect our privacy. Christian nationalism and religious bigotry is a very real thing here in America.  I will do all I can to make this a safe space for everyone, especially for the lgbtquia+ community and those of us who are not Christian.

The herb sage has a comforting, familiar scent and flavor that most of us know from home cooking and holiday turkeys.

In aromatherapy, sage incense and essential oil can clear negative energy, calm anxiety and promote a feeling of general well being.

The word sage also means something or someone who is wise. The word sage describes the wise advice Tarot gives.

Safety, comfort, calmness, wisdom and a feeling that things are going to be alright are all qualities I hope you’ll experience when you read the blog, visit my social media or best of all get a private reading of your own .

Click HERE if you would like to order a private Tarot reading by email, no appointment needed.

Click HERE to schedule a flat rate ($40) in-person, phone or online reading (valid email required to participate)

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[nat1vibes]

AAAAHHHH I FORGOT THE OLD AND NEW PARTY HAD SO CLOSE VIBES. Stark and Fern being shocked by the lewdness of a blown kiss, and Eisen and Heiter also.

OFC NOT putting the Frieren ''smooooch'' in. i don't wanna give ppl out here a cuteness stroke

We not talking about Himmel thet desprate Elfcon

AAAg i love the Frieren anime.

i can't belive how much this adaptation is making me like the series i already loved.

Originally, i was just positive towards Sein.

BUT THE ANIME VIBES AROUND HIS CHARACTER SO WELL, I CAN'T.

Only thing that would make it better is if he wore black robes and not dark blue, they remind me of cheap plastic toy bootlegs you used to get in balkan mini-fares set outside churches when a locally important Saints name day happened.

[celestaei]

MARKKUS-SPECIFIC STARTER CALL  \  @magicgiver​  .

        IT’S HIS THIRD-NO, FOURTH CUP OF THE MORNING.  maybe his cocoa intake was what caused his nerves to consistently rise during their busy season. or maybe it was the rise in human exploration to the north pole that spread him so thin.  ❝ had another call for elfcon 2 today. sure we can’t put a yeti out there or something to scare the humans off ?  it’s the third time this week this same group has gone poking around the ice too close to the pole’s entrance and i’m sure no one can get anything done being so on-edge. ❞

[maybe-im-dark]

So everybody, here's the first chapter you have all been waiting for! Please tell me what you think!

---------------------------------------------------------

Bernard was eating the best lunch of his life. Three pitas stacked onto his plate. He'd been very protective over his food ever since Neil had yanked it out of his mouth eight years ago.

A crackling sound came from his satchel. Annoyed, he took out the radio.

"Security center to head elf, please come! I repeat, please come! "

With one last longing look at his plate, he straightened the strap of his shoulder bag and ran. It wasn't often that North Pole Security would sound the alarm and he dreaded the thought of what might have happened.

"What happened?" He asked the security elf, panting.

A sharp pain shot up his left leg and he gritted his teeth together. Dr Hismus had diagnosed him with plantar fasciitus, an inflammation of the tendons in the heel area. Movement made it worse, but Bernard didn't even bother to rest. Christmas was in a month and there was a lot of work!

"An airplane directly overhead," replied the security elf, "they are listening to the North Pole. No idea how much they have already noticed."

Bernard let out a hiss of air through his teeth. "Time to get Santa."

He pressed a button and shortly afterwards a platform rose from the ground. Santa stood on it, looking into a telescope. The top of the telescope broke the snow cover on the ground of the North Pole and a camera emerged.

"A partridge in a pear tree," the boss informed everyone.

"Bring us to ELFcon 1."

Buttons were pressed, levers operated. The display jumped into the red area with the label ELFcon 1. The highest alarm level. An alarm would sound in the workshop to tell the elves to stop their work immediately and be quiet. Bernard pushed and turned the settings on the system, an expression of sheer concentration on his face. If they were discovered, it was all over. The humans would bring their machines, break through the ice with their drills and destroy Elfburg, the elven city underground. Santa would be arrested and the elves would be put in laboratories and examined. Bernard gulped at the thought of sharp needles in his skin. The plane was approaching on the radar. A cold sweat of fear formed on his forehead and he stared at the screen with silent fear. Everyone in the room held their breath.

"You better watch out, you better not cry ..."

The first line of "Santa Claus is coming to town" rang out through the loudspeakers. At a volume that the plane was sure to catch. Bernard and Santa looked around in panic.

"Find out where that music's coming from!" Hissed Santa.

A blond curly elf operated the locator. A floor plan of the workshop appeared on the screen. The image turned and a red dot lit up.

"I got it on the locator", informed the elf.

Santa and Bernard leaned forward to examine the position and nodded to each other. The head elf followed his boss through the workshop to the reindeer stables. An elf who was about to feed one of the reindeer a carrot looked around, confused. Santa pointed to the doors to the sleigh room. Bernard began to heat up on the inside. Whoever was responsible for this could would get, what was coming to them! He would assign that person to the garbage disposal for the whole month, or better yet, the job of clearing the stables of reindeer droppings. With a toothbrush!

The doors to the sleigh room opened to reveal two feet that protruded from the sleigh and dangled to the beat of the music. Two feet in pointy brown shoes that went with two legs in red and black striped pants. Bernard only knew one elf in these clothes!

Santa and Bernard ran to the sleigh. The boss pressed one hand to the elf's mouth, with the other he switched off the singing Santa Claus toy.

"We're on ELFcon 4. All clear," came a voice from the loudspeakers.

The two breathed a sigh of relief.

"Curtis, what do you say we get you headphones this Christmas," Santa suggested. "All right, guys, back to work."

The Stable elves took pitchforks and buckets and went to work. Bernard, who had positioned himself behind Curtis, was now leaning over him menacingly. Anger sparkled in his brown eyes. He already knew the young elf from his days at college and even then he had robbed him of the last nerve. Whenever something went wrong you could be sure that it was Curtis. It wasn't the first and it wouldn't be the last time Bernard wondered how on earth Curtis had passed his elven exam. Not to mention the current position as keeper of the handbook and his successor as head elf. One thing was certain: Bernard would do everything in his power to ensure that Curtis did not overtake him and throw everything into total chaos!

“Curtis! You are 900 years old! Grow up! ” He hissed.

"Bernard!" Called the voice of Santa.

With one last spiteful smile, he turned away and followed his boss. The pain in his heel flared up again, making him limp. What a day! And he didn't even get to eat his pitas!

[britonfire13]

#omgsantaiknowhim #elf #sonofanutcracker #elfcon #akroncivictheatre #willferrell #smilingismyfavorite #throneoflies #buddytheelf #buddytheelfwhatsyourfavoritecolor #sidebyside (at Akron Civic Theatre)

[cmweller]

Challenge #02175-E346: A Trail a Mile Wide

Elves. they come in all shapes and incarnations from Lord of the Rings to Santa's little helpers. What if they all got together for ElfCon. -- Anon Guest

Welcome to Warpvale. The impossible happens daily.

In this case, the 'impossible' is a wide and varied range of Elves, from all over the multiverse. All possible hues of skin and more than a few that aren't. All possible sizes of ear, too. From 'vaguely human but huge', through 'human with a point stuck on', to 'actually impossible if you bother with physics'.

There were short Elves, tall Elves, large Elves and small Elves. All with different demographic traits. Elves that rode on enormous wolves, Elves who flew as casually as anyone would walk. Elves so tiny they were barely visible to the untrained eye, Elves so gangly and awkward that it amazed the eye to see them move.

[Be sure to visit internutter (dot) org for a link to the rest of this story, and details on how to support this artist]

[internutter]

Challenge #02175-E346: A Trail a Mile Wide

Elves. they come in all shapes and incarnations from Lord of the Rings to Santa's little helpers. What if they all got together for ElfCon. -- Anon Guest

Welcome to Warpvale. The impossible happens daily.

In this case, the 'impossible' is a wide and varied range of Elves, from all over the multiverse. All possible hues of skin and more than a few that aren't. All possible sizes of ear, too. From 'vaguely human but huge', through 'human with a point stuck on', to 'actually impossible if you bother with physics'.

There were short Elves, tall Elves, large Elves and small Elves. All with different demographic traits. Elves that rode on enormous wolves, Elves who flew as casually as anyone would walk. Elves so tiny they were barely visible to the untrained eye, Elves so gangly and awkward that it amazed the eye to see them move.

[Be sure to visit internutter (dot) org for a link to the rest of this story, and details on how to support this artist]

[magicgiver]

❆   ┊  @patentyd​​​​​​​​ said : “ what is it? what is happening? ”

this was bad ! this was very , very bad !   an elfcon three had just been issued , the alarms blaring and warning all elves that something , or someone , was encroaching on north pole air space .   boots move quickly against the snow , cutting mrs. claus off as two hands go up in front of her to warn her to stop .     ❝   we’re in elfcon three !   ❞     he says in a hushed tone , eyes lifting to the flashing lights that topped the shops of elfsburg .     ❝   which means something is threatening to expose the secrets of the pole right now !   ❞     there’s a crack in his voice as he speaks , the urgency of the situation becoming all to clear as eyes drift further up to the entrance of the pole .     ❝   currently , they’re about two - thousand yards out .   any closer , and we’re going to need to shut down the workshop !   ❞

[eaotheelf]

Guys... it’s happening again guys...

ELFCON!

[tydrel]

elfcon 2018 day 1 #animelosangeles #dungeonmeshi

[herbalsingularitea]

Jolly Old Saint Bernard (x Reader) (Chapter 2)

Summary - Bernard’s voice was ice. “And we’re quite aware of the climate change issue, thanks. We’re working on it.”

“You’re working on it? Okay, great, nothing to worry about then since Saint Bernard and his 200 year old research team is working on the whole ‘climate change issue’. And when can we expect a solution, chief?”

Pairing - Bernard x gn!Reader

Word Count - 5004

Looking for Chapter 1? Check the Holly Jolly Masterpost pinned to my blog.

Chapter 2 - Chestnuts Roasting

(December 26th, afternoon) 

The human had been set up for about a week now, apparently. The week leading up to Christmas, it was horrible timing. Usually humans wouldn’t be able to get this close without some strategic deterrents sent their way to make them want to turn back themselves. Faced with a dangerous storm, a hungry polar bear, or a sudden crack in the sea ice, a human is much more likely to give up and leave. If they think exploring the arctic wasn’t worth it on their own then that tends to be more effective than if someone tries to convince them there’s nothing to see here, curious stubborn creatures that they are. 

Bernard typed out a message to the Elfcon team on his watch asking about this obvious oversight. How had this human slipped through? 

According to the team, their arrival was noted as they first made camp about 20 miles away and a snowstorm was sent to make conditions uncomfortable enough that they’d leave on their own. The report was sent to his office and he’d signed off on it himself. He could vaguely remember something about that, but he had been busy directing the Core teams on the final stretch to Christmas. An elf scout had been sent out to check on them during the storm; they didn’t want to accidentally freeze the human to death after all. But while the tent and supplies were still there, they and their snowmobile were nowhere to be found. With Christmas on the horizon and no reliable way to confirm their departure with radar once the storm started, the elves assumed they had left. Not so, apparently. 

They were approximately two miles east of Bernard and the reindeer and over a small ridge of icy cliffs, less than 10 miles away from the entrance to Santa’s Village. The thought of a human stumbling onto their little secret was enough to make Bernard break out into a sweat. His head throbbed as he looked at the 8 uncertain reindeer out in the open. They weren’t quite as far out from the Village as they’d normally want to go, but the cliffs blocked the human from seeing them here. He hopped off Dancer and told them all that this year they’d have to keep it confined to the small stretch from here to the Village and a southern flat patch that was around 8 miles total. Not nearly as good as they deserved, but this was a delicate situation here. He placed a small tracker on Dancer’s antler and told her to keep close to the other deer so he could find them all if they needed a quick getaway. She nuzzled his face in response and he gave her a pat before heading out on his own towards the cliffs. If this human wouldn’t leave by conventional means, then he’d have to get confrontational about it. An elf’s gotta do what an elf’s gotta do, afterall. 

You were freezing your ass off here. Your pop up tent wasn’t as warm as your main tent at home camp, but luckily you’d found a little divot in the ice cliff you’d stumbled upon in the storm. It was enough to cut the wind at least and offer enough shelter to help your thin little travel tent keep your body heat trapped. You were glad you had the thought to bring your backpack when you had seen the storm coming and took off on your snowmobile to find XJ-17’s trail. There were plenty of warm layers, rations, fire starters, and flares. You weren't worried about freezing to death, but it certainly was an inconvenience. You had a nice cozy set up at your home camp, which was… somewhere. That was kind of your current problem. When you saw the storm starting, you were worried it would cover the polar bear tracks you’d found your first day on site. You didn’t even get to properly determine which direction the bear was traveling before snow started falling. You thought maybe if you just rushed out to the last place you saw prints, you could get an idea of where to start when the storm blew over. Alas, the way to hell is paved, yadda yadda.

You got lost almost immediately.

None of your radar equipment worked in the storm and surprise, surprise: the one thing you did not have in your backpack? A compass. So onward you’d traveled, practically blind in the storm, looking for something, anything you could use to find your way. When you hit the cliffs you knew you’d definitely not gone the right way and decided to hunker down and wait out the weather. It had been a solid week, if your watch was working correctly, before the storm had finally broken. 

Sitting around in a tent shivering doesn’t seem too strenuous, but you were still exhausted. You couldn’t wait to start heading back to your comfortable little set up. 

Looking out at the frozen land, you could see that the cliffs ran a good way into the distance. Across the flat ice, you saw a break in the cliffs that you recognized. Directly east from that break was your home camp. And between you and the camp was the towering jagged ice mountain you’d admired your first day in the arctic. You must have gone around it in your blind panic to find the tracks. But at least you knew how to get back! Step one, down. Those stodgy old professors who said you wouldn’t make it out here on your own could suck it. You were absolutely killing it right now. 

You turned back towards your humble little temp camp and had to do a double take as you saw a dark figure standing on top of the cliffs above your camp. You choked on a scream as you saw the figure jump from one ledge of the cliffs down to another. That was at least a 15 foot drop! Your breathing sped up as the figure smoothly hopped down two more cliffs with no problems, bringing them just one 30 foot drop away from you and your tent. 

You could see them more clearly now. It was definitely a person, they looked small and wore a cloak and hood so it was impossible to make out their features except for two dark eyes peeking over the edge of a crimson scarf. Despite their acrobatics, they didn’t look particularly threatening. Still, a weapon could go a long way and there was nobody to call for help out here. You made the decision to keep your cool here in the hopes it would at least give you a better idea of the person’s intentions. 

“Hi there! That’s some fancy jumping.”

The figure kept their gaze locked on you in silence for a long moment before they suddenly jumped the remaining 30 feet, tucking into a roll before popping up onto their feet again in a practiced fluid motion. 

You took several steps back at that, keeping a good distance between you and the stranger should they try to attack. Your body was tense, but you purposely kept your voice light as you exclaimed, “Wow! Very impressive!”

The both of you stood in silence, locked in an uneasy staring contest. You took the opportunity to get a better look at the newcomer. Their green cloak looked thick and warm, fur lining the hood and bottom which brushed at the stranger’s knees. Golden tassels attached to the cloak hung down from under a red scarf with golden accents. Long leather boots that also looked fur lined covered what wasn’t hidden by the cloak. Their face was partially covered by the scarf and hood, but you could clearly see those sparkling dark eyes, unflinching in their intensity. 

“Didn’t think I’d meet a LARPer all the way up here in the arctic circle.”

“What?” The stranger’s voice was deep and gruff, but with a pleasant tenor that caressed your ears over the ambient sounds of the wind rushing over the snow drifts. It sent a pleasant tingle up your spine. 

What a strangely musical voice. 

“Your clothes? You look like an extra out of Lord of the Rings. Or, considering where we are, maybe one of Santa’s little helpers,” you chuckled. 

The stranger lifted their arms revealing a leather gloved hand from underneath their cloak and tugged self consciously at their hood. You caught a glimpse of a golden inscription stitched down the side of the green cloak, but you didn’t recognize any of the characters. 

You introduced yourself and looked expectantly at the stiff figure standing between you and your camp. 

“I’m Bernard. Nice to meet you and all, but you need to leave.”

“Oh yeah? And why’s that, Bernard?” you said slightly insulted by his brusque tone. 

“You aren’t supposed to be here.”

“I am, actually. I’m with the Hale Company. I’ve been assigned to track a missing polar bear and her new cub for the research division.”

“Your presence will upset the polar bears, you should leave before they eat you.”

Okay, this guy was starting to piss you off. 

“Listen, buddy—“

“Bernard.”

“—Saint Bernard, more like. If you’re so worried about the bears, then fine,” you growled, marching past him to reach your supplies. After some rustling around in your backpack, you pulled out a folder of laminated pages and handed him the top piece with a smug look. “See? I’m official. The Hale Company has been tracking these bears for over 20 years, so I’m pretty sure what I’m doing is perfectly fine.” 

Bernard scanned the document before him, an annoyed edge crinkling the space between his brows. In a barely audible grumble he said, “Twenty years? That’s nothing. We’ve been keeping track for over 200.” 

“Wait, what? Are you with a research team too?”

He started at your words, his eyes widening briefly before returning to a neutral glare. “The Hale Company. Yeah, I’m familiar with it.” His words were rushed. “Fine, but you aren’t supposed to be this far out.” 

“We follow the bears, Saint Bernard. Our bear, XJ-17, has taken her cub to the mountains just northwest of here, we think.”

“You must mean Catherine, she’s the only one with a cub right now. She’s a sweet bear.”

“If that’s what your team is calling her, then sure.” 

A sweet polar bear? You doubted that. 

He ducked his head, seeming conflicted for a moment, before straightening up with squared shoulders. “You’re gonna freeze out here, y’know. Your little campsite here is pathetic.” 

You bristled at his tone. “Excuse me? I’ve trained for years for this assignment. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And this isn’t my main camp, it’s a temp. I got caught out in the storm. I’ll be returning to my home camp just as soon as I can.”

You turned and pointed at the distant break in the ice ridge. “See that opening? If I head that way, my camp is a straight shot east from there.”

Once again, a worried look shadowed his eyes. 

“You can’t go that way.”

“I have to! I’m not gonna climb the mountain, that’s crazy. I’ll just ride around it. In fact, I should probably get going soon. The storm may have broken for now, but who knows when another will hit.” 

“No!” He eyed your snowmobile and the dying embers of your fire, his brows pulled tight. “Uh, I mean, shouldn’t you rest a bit first? You seem tired.”

You had planned to rest some before returning actually, but you were eager to escape the rude pushy man who had appeared from seemingly nowhere. 

“Where did you come from anyways? How did you get up on those cliffs?” 

“Got anything to eat?” 

You were briefly thrown by his sudden inquiry. “Um, yeah, I have some rations. Why? You want something?” You felt a sinking feeling of guilt as you put the pieces together. This guy was slim and short, that much was obvious even with the thick cloak. And his voice sounded pretty young. He probably had gotten turned around in the storm himself and was far from whatever research camp he came from. He couldn’t be younger than 18, there’s no way any team would bring a kid up here with them, even for practical education. But maybe he was an advanced uni student? There were certainly other research teams who had less than ethical requirements. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility, you supposed. So odds were that he was pretty young. He was putting on a brave face, but the stress he was under was apparent. Poor guy was probably hungry and cold and scared. 

Your remaining anger melted away in an instant and you suddenly felt responsible for this young stranger. “Hey, listen. I’m sorry, okay? How about we get you something to eat and then we can find out where you came from.”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, that would be great. Food, I mean. Thanks.”

“Of course! Have a seat. I’m out of firewood, I’m afraid, so we’ll need to eat quick and be on our way.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem. I have wood.”

“Wha—you do? Where?”

He shuffled a bit under his cloak and revealed a brown leather bag slung low at his right hip. It wasn’t very big and you started to protest. You’d need wood bigger than whatever he had in there. But your words died on your lips as he pulled several good sized cut logs from inside the bag. You blinked, and his cloak was back in place, covering the bag once again.

…You must have misjudged how big that bag was. You couldn’t believe he’d been hauling around all that wood. His shoulders were probably killing him right now. 

The two of you settled down around your new fire pit, the fire now cackling steadily as if laughing at your disgruntled appreciation. Of course he’s an expert at making cozy fires. This kid was unnaturally good at everything, it seemed. Typical young genius. You had to work your ass off the past 8 years in university to get here, and you still had some trouble making a fire by hand. But he got one going in less than a minute. 

You watched as he poked the base of the flames, the flickering light reflected in his dark eyes. His eyes were quite distinct, now that you could look without him pinning you in his intimidating glare. Big and brown, deep set but with a sharp edge that kept you on your toes and made you feel uncomfortably seen. His lashes were thick and stark against the tops of his cheeks as he concentrated on his task. As you watched, a small snowflake stuck itself to the edge of his lashes. 

“So do you know where ‘Catherine’s’ trail picks up? You seem to know an awful lot about polar bears,” you blurted out to distract yourself from that little snowflake and the added sparkle it gave his eyes. 

“As a matter of fact, I do. Not that it’s any business of yours. She’s got a cub to care for now, she doesn’t need some amateur researcher barging in on her privacy.”

You made note that he, once again, talks about the bear like she’s a sentient person. And talks about you like you’re five years old. So maybe he wasn’t a teenager then. But he can’t be much older than, what, mid twenties at the oldest? Definitely not older. He’s short, and the few features you can see while he’s bundled up look incredibly youthful, but the way he carries himself is more deliberate, not at all marked with the usual teen awkwardness. 

He was setting up some sort of bracket. Or maybe a rack? His hands were steady as he used a metal tool to dig a narrow hole through the ice and placed polished wooden sticks in them. That bag of his had all sorts of things stored, apparently. He fastened the poles with a complicated looking tie and knot and moved to adjust the whole thing so it was above the fire. 

“That’s why I need to find her! Her cub needs to be registered with our research division. We don’t know how old it is or if it’s healthy. We haven’t even been able to confirm if it’s a male or female.”

“She’s a girl. Her name is Crystal.”

“Okay…Your team sure has some weird naming conventions. But look, I can’t just—”

You abruptly cut yourself off when you noticed Bernard was removing layers and hanging them over the rack he’d built over the fire. He’d removed his heavy cloak and hood and placed it at the right end of the rack, carefully arranging it so that it wasn’t drooping too far into the flames. Next he unwound his scarf and hung it beside the cloak. For the first time, you were able to get a good look at the tenacious man who had harassed you doggedly the past 2 hours. 

Underneath his hood he wore a green beret, decorated with a small medal and ribbon that seemed like real gold, at least it looked that way in the fire light. He pulled it lower on his head and fiddled with its arrangement for a minute, trying to get it to cover his ears. Which you supposed made sense. If he didn’t have any muffs on him then it would be a bit cold to have exposed ears, even by the fireside. His hair, a shaggy cut of bouncy dark curls, was constantly in motion as he expertly pulled at the fingers of his leather gloves, his intention obviously to place those on the rack next. His figure was clearer now, and your confusion grew as you took in his slim body shape. He wore a tunic with intricately decorated stripes of gold and silver threaded down his torso and cut off partway down by an ostentatious leather belt. Around his neck hung a wide gold necklace with what appeared to be bells dangling down from it. The whole thing looked almost like a costume but the obvious care put into the craftsmanship of it spoke to it being a genuine outfit. What an odd ensemble for an arctic trek. Despite his strange attire, he was proportional like a man, no gangly limbs here.

But his face was so youthful. Or was it? 

His jaw was cut and square, his nose long and proud, but something about his face as a whole didn’t look quite right. His cheeks were so smooth, like he’d never needed to shave a day in his life. They were rosy and plump and you swore as the fire flickered across his face, you saw stars light up on the tops of his cheeks. Strange, but not off putting. There was something unusual about how all of his features came together though. Something otherworldly and ethereal. You brushed it off and decided he was just handsome in a unique way, which he definitely was. The warm fire and beautiful snow must just be tricking your imagination into making things seem more mystical than they actually were. 

You took all this in as he placed his gloves on the rack and pushed them over to make more room. In a brief panic, you wondered what else he could possibly be planning to remove next when those sharp eyes flickered up to yours, the silence stretching a touch too long. You realized then that he was leaving room for your clothes to also hang and scrambled to remove your own coat as you continued your argument. 

“—I—I can’t just take your word for it. I don’t know who you are or what team you’re with, but if you won’t identify yourself then whatever you claim about XJ—sorry, Catherine—can’t be properly recorded.” 

“What does it even matter, I mean, why do you care so much if Crystal is recorded? It’s not necessary, she doesn't need to be in your records.”

“She does, actually. In case you haven’t noticed, the sea ice is melting at an alarming rate. We need to keep track of every polar bear we can, especially now that their natural habitat is disappearing. Any researcher worth their salt knows that, Saint Bernard.” You bit out the last sentence with some frustration. “What research team did you say you were with again? Russian?” 

“I didn’t.” His voice was ice. “And we’re quite aware of the climate change issue, thanks. We’re working on it.”

“You’re working on it? Okay, great, nothing to worry about then since Saint Bernard and his 200 year old research team is working on the whole ‘climate change issue’. And when can we expect a solution, chief?” 

“Look, I don’t mean to minimize your work. I’m sure what you’re doing is very helpful—“

“It is, actually. These bears deserve life. Every life on this planet is precious, Bernard, even one’s out here in the remotest place on earth. I don’t know what your teams’ goal is here, but ours—mine—is to preserve habitats for the best life possible for wild animals. Polar bears are struggling and we need to help them. We can’t do that if we don’t know where they are.”

He seemed at a loss for words for a moment, staring you down with an unreadable expression. His cheeks twinkled as one side of his mouth quirked into the first smile you’d seen from him so far. Your stomach flipped at the sight of it, but your stern determined face remained steadfast. You believed in this with all your heart, and you weren't about to give up on your life’s mission just because some handsome stranger from a rival team wanted to scare you off. 

“Fine.”

You broke out of your impassioned thoughts at his even tone. 

“Huh?”

“I said ‘fine’. I get it. You want to record Crystal, then okay. The polar bears are traveling further and further outside their normal territory, I should have seen this coming, really. But the area they’re in now falls under our jurisdiction. The Morozko Company has precedent here, that’s our registered name by the way, since you keep asking, Morozko.”

He spoke with sure authority and you realized you must have seriously misjudged him to think he was a junior researcher. He definitely seemed like he was in some position of power. You’d been warned about the mysterious Morozko Company. No one knew what nation they were affiliated with or where they got their funding. They were a strictly by the book company and had been heading the field on arctic research for the better part of a century. Very prestigious and very exclusive. You suddenly felt a bit out of your depth here dealing with someone who was probably leagues ahead of you in knowledge and experience. 

“Oh, uh, sorry I didn’t know you were Morozko,” you muttered. You decided to take the opportunity to pry a bit about the legendary team that put fear into the hearts of any unethical arctic explorers. “So are you guys Russian based?”

“Sure. Now listen, I’ll let you track Catherine for as long as you need, but you have to keep to the areas I tell you, okay? The ecosystem here is more delicate than you know.”

Your breath escaped you in a sudden rush. “Oh, wow, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me. And yes, of course, I’ll keep to the approved areas. I’m not a complete amateur—I’m very aware of how fragile things are up here. I’ll gladly follow your lead.”

“Great, I’m glad we understand each other.” 

The two of you chatted here and there as you retrieved and prepared a couple of field rations. Bernard’s face was conspicuously blank as you ate together and you wondered what sort of researcher that had the authority to allow you into another team’s territory wouldn’t be long used to eating the dry tasteless field rations that came standard on this sort of expedition. Morozko probably had special high-end rations or something. 

He certainly was an odd little fellow. But after breaking the ice earlier, so to speak, he actually made quite good company. He was quick witted and funny and certainly knew his stuff. He gave a quick run down of the trails for quite a few bears that had gone off your radar months back, including Catherine, drawing everything out on your map for you to reference later. He marked places where you could potentially set up cameras to keep track of the bears and also marked quite a few places off limits, saying the bears didn’t come close to those areas anyways and that his team was in the middle of conducting some very temperamental observation research there. You promised not to interfere, after all, you were here for the bears. Nothing more. 

He insisted the two of you get a few hours of sleep before heading out to your respective tents. You just yawned in reply, too tired to argue. 

The already light snow stopped falling altogether as you settled into sleeping bags around the fire. Your tent was too small for you both and you were still a bit wary of leaving your supplies out here with a stranger. Luckily you had an extra sleeping bag for him in your snowmobile and the temperature wasn’t too frigid for sleeping with no shelter. 

“So Bernard, got a last name?”

“It’s Evergreen. Bernard Evergreen.”

“You really take this LARPing thing seriously, don’t you? No, I mean for real.”

“It is for real. That’s actually my name.”

You blinked at him in mild surprise. 

“Wow, that’s cool then! Sounds kind of like an elf name.”

“Uh, yeah. So what about you?”

“Oh! Right.” You told him your name, hands fiddling a bit into your sleeping bag as you said it. 

“That’s a great name!” He nodded with a slight smirk. “I approve.”

You rolled your eyes a bit, a smile tugging at your lips at his light teasing. “Yeah, it’s alright, I guess. It’s just a name.”

He chuckled at your exaggerated expression. 

“Names are important. I’ll be sure to remember yours.”

Well that sounded ominous. 

“That sounds ominous, you aren’t secretly a fae are you?” you said with a comically dramatic squint of your eyes. “You are dressed kind of strange, y’know. Maybe you really are one of Santa’s elves come to keep me from discovering his workshop!” you laughed at Bernard’s deadpan expression. 

“Funny. Is that a dig at my height?”

“Well, now that you mention it—“

“Shut it, you.” 

You burst into laughter at his dry remark, and he very quickly joined in. His own laugh was as musical as his speaking voice—like ringing bells—and you felt like you could almost make out a melody in the lovely sounds that came from the man across the fire. It gave you a warm happy feeling that prolonged the fit of laughter both of you had descended into for several minutes, one of you cracking up again and pulling the other back into mirth a few more times before you settled into a comfortable silence. 

Your eyes started to droop as you snuggled deeper into your sleeping bag. It had been a very long day. A long week, in fact. You couldn’t wait to get back to your home camp and relax a bit. You could hear the hot water bottle in the bottom of your trunk calling your name. 

“Sleep well, Bernard.”

You couldn’t see him clearly anymore hunkered down as you were, but his quiet voice had a comforting tone to it as he answered back. 

“You too.” 

Bernard watched the human’s chest slow to a steady rhythm, waiting for them to fall into a deeper sleep. They were… tolerable. Good company, he had to admit. It was nice to speak to someone who wasn’t intimidated by his position. Curtis didn’t often treat him as an authority figure, but he didn’t treat him much like a friend either. More like an older brother he begrudgingly had to admit was in charge while mom and dad were away. And Judy was sweet and professional, she and Bernard had known each other for the better part of millennia. But they just didn’t have the same kind of humor and didn’t often talk about things outside of work. In a lot of ways he appreciated them both for the interaction he got with them. They were the only elves even close to his station of importance. They understood the pressure. But this human was sweet and smart and volleyed his comments right back at him with their own spin. They were interesting. He found himself regretting having to leave so soon. He wouldn’t have minded another couple hours of chatting. But humans need their rest, and the reindeer needed to be brought back to the village before the human started their trek back to camp. If they had left for the break in the cliffs right then, they could have gotten an eyeful of flying reindeer. This whole situation was too close a call for his comfort. 

He pulled himself from the sleeping bag he’d generously been provided and quickly dressed himself back into his warmer outside cloak and scarf. He grabbed a pen from a supply bag and wrote a quick note explaining his absence for when the human woke up and started tugging his gloves back onto his hands. He watched their peaceful face as he did, and found himself admiring the shine of starlight on their hair. It looked quite nice and pleasant to touch if he had felt so inclined. Which of course, he didn’t. That would be creepy. 

Their lips were pouted in sleep. ‘Cute.’ He thought to himself. 

They were a nice human, all things considered. Respectful and willing to play by the rules. He could work with that. 

[sagesipsblog]

I don't think this works quite the way the guidebook says.

I could be wrong, so let's stick with two card readings for a while and see what turns up.

With the Lenormand deck, a "tableau" reading puts the cards on the table in a simple grid, with the "Grand Tableau" using the entire 36 card deck.

I've used the classic 10 card Celtic Cross layout and one of the first layouts I learned was the 9 card in Sam & Carson's Medicine Cards. It was interesting to compare those two. Even years into reading experience 9 cards was a tipping point for me. 9 was a lot, but it was a perfectly serviceable layout with plenty of detail, but it was a heavy lift at times to work through it, even later with plenty of reading experience behind me. As soon as I would use a 10 card cross, the energy would get knotty, and contradictory and verge on nonsense. Double digits seems to be a tipping point. Rather than perpetually dancing on the edge of spilling the beans, I wrote the 5 and 7 card Modern Oracle and TaoCraft layouts that I've used for private readings from the beginning.

All along the time that we've been looking at individual Lenormand cards, the guide book has mentioned how pairings and connections with other cards could modify the individual card's meaning. We saw energetic connections and flow in the three card reading we did last time, but it was more of a flow of meaning, like making a sentence rather than changing meanings through the series of cards.

It might be interesting to do some two card sets to see if any of those specifically meaning-modifying connections emerge.

In this case, the guide book doesn't give a modification for either the moon card or the fish card relative to the other. I get the flow, sentence like connection again. The water connections to both cards gives the sense of intuition and flow as being the main message with the fish's association with prosperity taking a little bit of a back seat to the mental image of actual fish swimming and in motion.

I get no sense of energy at all from the playing card insets, so will let that sit for now. Follow your own instincts if you think they are meaningful. Research the 8 of cups or King of Pentacles if either of those grab your attention.

My hunch is to keep up with the two card sets for a little while. Water, tides, depth all are associated with the images here. In RWS tarot deep water has to do with mystery, deep knowing. My hunch is that there is something here that hasn't quite shown itself  yet.

Let's abide with it, and see what else two card sets have to say.

See you at the next sip!

Winter Hours: All of them!

While in-person sessions are closed for the holidays, email private readings are OPEN to order 24/7, no appointment needed. Most orders arrive in your inbox within 24 hours.

Delivery times may vary in December depending on the Elfcon status.

[herbalsingularitea]

Holly Jolly (Chapter 7)

Summary - Bernard looked bemused as he listened to her spiel.

“We’re friends, huh? And when did this happen?”

“Well, you are hanging out at my place, eating my popcorn, and avoiding your responsibilities. Sounds like friend type activities to me.”

Pairing - Bernard/OC

Word Count - 5243

Previous Chapter -- Next Chapter

Chapter 7 - Cup of Cheer

That had been too close. 

The card game had been a fun distraction. Holly was terrible at it, but he really didn’t expect she would be able to keep up with elven speed and dexterity. She was a good sport. Well, in attitude at least. She kept trying to win hands by tricking him or outright fibbing, but it was all just good natured silliness, really. She was dramatic at times, making light of both his strange aptitude and her own losing streak. 

A buzzing tingle of magic against his wrist had made him glance down at his snow globe watch, his attention still half on the human woman sat across from him. Elfcon had sent an alert that Noel and the sleigh had breached the area immediately above Santa’s Village and were heading out over the arctic towards Bernard and the human’s location. 

He had to think quick. The card game was fine, but he could tell she was starting to get bored with it. She patted his head, a quip on her lips about how much younger he supposedly was, and he brushed her hand away with a scoff.  

“Okay, keep laughing, chuckles. I’m still taller than you, y’know.” 

He looked away from his watch and back to Holly. He felt his heart stop as he saw the cherry red sleigh in the distance behind her head. It was still far away. Holly wouldn’t notice unless she turned and looked. A creeping dread crawled into his stomach as he searched his brain for something, anything he could do to distract her. His heart was screaming at him to not let her see that sleigh. To not let his secret be revealed. To not lose her like this. 

“By like an inch,” she retorted. 

“A few inches, thank you very much. Plenty enough to do this—“ he didn’t think, he just acted on pure instinct, letting his heart guide him on this one. The next thing he knew, she was in his arms, startled and breathless and so incredibly soft . 

She had been hesitant at first and it filled him with a profound sorrow to see that humans continued to lose their natural love of dance. It was a pure expression of joy. The North Pole was filled with dancing. Half the time when an elf was moving, they were dancing. Walking to go on break, leaning over to grab the next toy part in assembly, climbing the stairs to the workshop—elves incorporated dance wherever they went. The casual way they all lived in musical joy was something they used to share with humans, a bridge in the two species’ cultures. But that had been fading in recent centuries. It was such a profound shame. 

After some gentle coaxing, she fell into a rhythm, easily letting her own natural inclination to move tug her into step with him. Once she saw he wasn’t trying to mock her, her eyes sparkled with pure joy. He knew his own eyes mirrored them. 

Gentle swaying turned into silly swinging with the odd hop or hip shake thrown in. Holly was really getting into it. His face split wide at how cute and carefree she looked. Humans could be wonderfully delightful creatures sometimes. 

--

Humans could be terribly wretched inconveniences sometimes.

Jack strolled through the quaint little Downtown, a leisurely swagger to his step. Elves waved and greeted him wherever he went, their sparkling eyes and cheeks lighting up to see the spirit of winter walk through their Village. He loved the attention, the appreciation. Humans never showed him this kind of respect. If they brought him up at all, it was in a complaint spat out between chattering teeth. They used their stinking plows and disgusting salts to ruin his beautiful work, like he was the problem here. 

But elves were charmingly simple little creatures, humbly slaving away for a noble cause, or Claus as the case may be. They worked with the lovely fallen snow to make their already whimsical homes even more picturesque. Most every elf village in the world had some purpose it bragged—the best shoemakers, farmers, potion makers, book binders, whatever. Elves were skilled by nature. They were also little magical sponges. And North Pole elves were on a whole different level, altogether. 

Their inherent magic was powerful, but the little buggers had gone and managed to harness the magic of human children as well. Santa’s Village had become a hub for the most influential trade items and industries in the magical world. Only the best of the best got to live here. And only the best of the best of the best got to work in Santa’s Workshop. And only the best of the best of the best of the best was elected to lead his fellow elves as the prestigious Head Elf. 

Bernard was a pain in Jack’s shivering ass. He was the only elf whose magic was even close to being on par with Jack’s own, and thanks to the new Santa settling affairs down south, Bernard had the authority to back it up. 

If that candy cane sucker would just take a hike, he’d be able to do all sorts of fun things up here. Like maybe soak up a bit of that human magic for himself. Still, just being up here was a boost to his mood. Magic hung heavily in the air, energizing every creature within the Village. The constant compliments from the sweet little elves was an extra perk, as well. They were just so cheery and nice , it did something to his already legendary ego. 

A swift turn around the corner and he was heading up the grand stairs to Santa’s Workshop, intent on visiting Bernard’s twerpy assistant. 

Curtis had been a favorite of his to mess with lately. He was already wound tight due to his boss nitpicking his every move. Bernard was such an oppressive little control freak, insisting on perfection. 

Lately, there’d been an interesting twist in their dynamic—Curtis had tried his best to keep up with the Head Elf’s demands and failed miserably. Bernard would usually take on these responsibilities himself, but the ever poised Spirit Head, Judy, had been stepping in instead. Bernard was obviously struggling to not look down on his assistant for this, but his aggravation had been shining through more and more. Curtis wanted to take on more responsibility, but he became overwhelmed every time he tried, further inciting the ire of his ever impatient boss. Curtis’ self confidence has never been lower, and Jack loved to pluck at his pathetic internal contempt. 

“Look out!”

He’d barely managed to duck out of the way as Santa’s iconic red sleigh and half the reindeer team dove down in a grand swoop before zooming off back into the sky. 

A crowd of elves were suddenly swarming the courtyard outside the Workshop. He tried to ask an elf what was going on, but no one would stop long enough to hear him. A bewildered scowl twisted his face and he looked at the open set of doors that everyone was rushing in and out of. He slipped unnoticed inside and followed a line of uniformed Elfcon agents down one of the hallways. When in doubt, follow the breadcrumbs. 

He managed to stay silent as he trailed after them, but they seemed too preoccupied to notice him anyways. They soon came to the Elfcon control room, where Curtis was huddled with two elf women. One was decorated in the Elfcon uniform with a badge stuck proudly on her chest. Tamika, the big cheese around here. 

The other elf woman was dressed plainly, with her hair in a tight decorative bun and a sensible green velvet dress. Most likely a bore and not at all his focus right now. 

Poor little Curtis was sweating bullets. Jack decided his arrival was excellently timed. 

“And just what seems to be the problem here?” 

The three elves whipped around at his voice, varying levels of surprise on their faces. 

“Jack Frost!” Tamika looked angry at his unexpected appearance, and he felt a thrill of giddiness shoot through him at being able to finally visibly shake the normally composed Elfcon leader. 

“Santa’s sleigh is out of control. We need to figure out a way to get it down.” The stiff elf women answered him evenly. 

“Betty!” Tamika growled. “This is elf business! We don’t need to bother Mr. Frost with our problems.” 

“Maybe he could help us, though?” Betty looked conflicted, recognizing that Tamika was upset, but not understanding why. 

“No, no—Betty, was it?—no, if our Tamika here believes this is for you elves to figure out, then I’ll gladly keep out of it. The last thing I want is to be a bother.” His teeth gleamed like ice. “After all, since Bernie seems to be missing from this little meeting, that would make this a job for the next one in the command chain, wouldn’t it? I’m sure Curtis has this all under control.” He gave the blonde elf a pointed look, brows raised. “Don’t you?”

Curtis looked like he might pass out. 

--

“Can we control the sleigh remotely?”

“You know we can’t, Curtis. Quintin hasn’t even started practical tests for those features.” 

The veins in Tamika’s forehead throbbed with the effort to keep her voice even in front of Jack. He had backed them into a corner here, putting Curtis on the spot. This was an Elfcon job, but since Curtis was acting Head Elf while Bernard was out playing ref with the human, he technically outranked her for now. At Jack’s incessant prodding, the young elf had stepped up and started taking a more active role in trying to solve their current problem. Too bad he didn’t know what he was doing. 

Betty had faded into the background once it became clear there was now a power struggle between Curtis and Tamika. The last thing she wanted was to get in the middle of that. She was manning the radio transmitter now, trying to get through to Noel. If he would just listen to her, then this could be solved in no time. 

Jack had kept his word for the most part, staying out of their way. He made sure to send a quip here and there, though, to keep the sparks flying between Curtis and Tamika. 

“I think it was a fine suggestion, Curtis. No harm in asking, is there?” Frost’s smirk was sharp and cold. 

Betty saw now why Tamika was opposed to having Jack Frost involved. He was obviously trying to sow discord, but for what, she couldn’t even guess. 

“What about a reindeer whistle?”

“That is it ! Curtis, you don’t know what you’re doing. Just stay out of it and let me handle this.” Tamika had reached her limit, evidently. 

“I’m trying, okay! I don’t hear you coming up with any solutions!” The young elf was beet red, his little fists balled at his side. When Tamika just ignored him and went to join Betty at the radio, he whirled around and marched over to the opposite side of the room, stomping as he went. Jack saw his chance. 

He slipped in beside the distraught blonde elf, giving his back a consoling pat. “I thought you were doing a great job there, personally. What insubordination, am I right? I bet she’d never talk to Bernie like that.” 

Curtis wiped his sleeve discreetly across his eyes, a quiet sniffle escaping him. “He wouldn’t have let it get to this point, period. Bernard would’ve known what to do from the beginning.”

“Curious that he’s not here to help out, isn’t it?”

“He is helping! He’s keeping the human distracted.”

The… human? Hmm. 

“Ah, yes, of course. But it’s not quite as hard a job as getting a sleigh down, now is it?”

“Well, it’s no walk in the park, I’m sure. The human’s set up so close to the Village, all she’d need to do is look up at the wrong time and our secret would be out! He’s counting on us to get that sleigh back before that happens.” 

“You mean he’s counting on you. You're his assistant, aren’t you? You’re his first pick to be Number Two elf. You should be the one to get that sleigh back.”

“Fat chance of that. Tamika’s right, I don’t know what I’m doing. Bernard should never have picked me to be his assistant.” The little elf looked like he might start tearing up again. 

“Hey, now, that can’t be true! Bernie saw something in you, kid. Now let’s think: if we can’t get that screaming oaf to land the sleigh, then maybe we should be looking at other options. I liked your idea about a reindeer whistle. Maybe we could lure them down some other way?” 

“Well… the reindeer love carrots… maybe we could use those to entice them? And… and maybe we could send out ELFS! They could jet pack up to meet the reindeer and use the carrots to lead them down!”

“Ha! Now you’re thinking, kid!”

“But, it sounds a bit crazy, doesn’t it? I don’t think Tamika will go for it.” He shot a worried glance at the elf women talking lowly across the room. “I probably shouldn’t suggest that one. She’ll just yell at me again.”

“Well, I think it’s a great idea, little guy! But that Tamika, she’s a real stale cookie, isn’t she? You’re the one in charge here, though! If you think it’s a good idea, then make it happen.” 

“I-I don’t know…” 

But before he had the chance to make up his mind, Judy ran into the room at full speed announcing, “I have a plan!” instantly grabbing everyone’s attention. 

“I’ve been thinking—we can’t get Noel’s attention, but maybe we can get the reindeer’s!” From behind her back, she held up a bound bunch of fresh crisp carrots. 

Tamika gasped. “Judy, that’s brilliant! We can send out ELFS and lead the reindeer back manually!” She turned to type something into her watch. “I’ll let Bernard know the plan.”

Curtis’ mouth hung open as he watched this all unfold. His indecision had cost him, and now if he said anything, it would look like he was just trying to steal some of the glory for himself. A cold chill swept through his body as a sickly sweet voice whispered in his ear. 

“That should have been you.” 

--

Bernard let go of her hand abruptly and looked at his watch. Holly hadn’t heard an alert or anything, but maybe he needed to keep an eye on the time? Whatever he was checking, it seemed to put him a bit more at ease. 

Their playful dancing had slowed as Holly tired, her laughter breathy and her steps sluggish. She spun around one final time before collapsing in her chair with a half sigh, half groan. He continued to step jauntily to the beat, chuckling at her incredulous look. 

“ How do you have so much energy?” 

“I eat all my green vegetables.”

Her eyes flicked up in a partial roll. “Well, at least you’re eating.” 

“You’re never gonna let that go, are you?”

“It was like the second time we’d ever met! Left a pretty big impression.” 

He finally made his way over to the table, smoothly taking a seat as well. 

“You’ll be happy to know I haven’t skipped any meals since then.” He remarked cheerfully. 

“Til now, of course.” She shot back. “It’s past dinner time.”

“Ah, so it is.”

“Do you need to go? I saw you checking your watch.”

“Oh, ah, no. Actually, I was hoping to stay longer, if that’s alright.”

“Sure!” She chirped, but smoothed her face soon after to not seem so eager. “So, uh, you avoiding something back at your station?”

“Let’s just say, there’s a bit of a fiasco going on. It’s best for everyone if I stay here for now.” A growl echoed about the camp and Bernard grimaced, his hand laying across his stomach. “So what’s for dinner, then?”

She held up the foil bag of uncooked popcorn she’d set aside earlier and gave it a little shake. 

--

Noel hadn’t screamed this much since Betty proposed. The wind whipped around his cold ears, blood pumping so hard he thought he might pass out. He’d really done it this time. He was definitely gonna be kicked out of the North Pole for this one. He’d have to return to his old village, a failure. And Betty, sweet perfect Betty, would stay here and try to forget what a careless, foolish partner she’d had. She would move on, find some hunky new elf to call her Honeybuns, become the most successful business-elf in the world, and live her happily ever after. His screams turned to sobs at the thought. 

Through his tears he saw a shape fly out from behind him towards the front of the sleigh. He blinked the moisture away as best he could and saw three more shapes suddenly surrounding him and the reindeer. He watched in awe as the shapes pulled something orange out of nowhere and showed the reindeer who abruptly yanked the sleigh in a different direction. 

“Noel!”

He looked up at the sound of his name and there was a fifth shape descending from above, the silhouette against the moon creating a silvery halo that stole his breath. 

An angel. 

The shape came closer and the familiar form of a certain elf became clear. She smiled at him and he felt his breath return, a wide relieved smile splitting his face. 

“Betty!”

--

“Okay, I gotta ask. What’s with the hat?”

“Oh, you mean the one you hate?”

Bernard convinced her to move their impromptu party into the tent claiming he wanted more comfortable seating. She shrugged at his request and brought everything inside without much further convincing. If the guy wanted to get away from work and relax, she’d do her best to accommodate. And no, not just because of her crush. She’d have done this for anyone. Probably. 

She had a blow-up cushion she deployed and draped her sheepskin over. It made a decent couch. The popcorn foil was meant to withstand an open fire, but it cooked fine on her electric stovetop too. She made them a couple thermoses of powdered hot chocolate to go with their ‘meal’ and they settled down to enjoy. 

She lightly knocked his arm from her position seated next to him. “I never said I hate it!” She smirked. “I said it was stupid.”

“Right, which is so different. My mistake.”

“It’s just cause you insist on wearing it like that. It’s a beret, Bernard. It’s not supposed to be pulled low like a beanie.”

“I know that! It’s just how I like to wear it.”

“Uh huh. You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

He looked caught off guard at her accusation. “Wha—no! No, I’m not hiding anything. I told you, I just like to wear it this way.”

“Holy shit, you are hiding something! What, do you have a weird mutation? Birthmark? Nasty scar?” 

He glared at her and she giggled a bit. “Ah, sorry, sorry! That’s pretty insensitive of me, isn’t it? But look, whatever it is, I promise I won’t care. It won’t make me think of you any differently.” 

“Ha, yeah, I seriously doubt that.” He mumbled under his breath, his shoulders stiff. 

“I’m not that shallow, y’know. Looks don’t matter for much. I mean, you’re a handsome guy and all—“ his eyes shot to hers, rosy cheeks darkening, “—ah, ahem, uh, but you’re also really nice! I know you’ve got this tough guy thing going, but you’re actually a secret sweetheart.”

He scoffed. “Okay, so you’re obviously delusional is what you’re telling me.” He angled himself slightly away from her, looking around at the tent with a tense brow. 

“No, you really are! You might be a sarcastic grump sometimes but I can see you’ve got a good heart in there. It shines through whether you mean it to or not, Saint Bernard!” She nudged his side. 

He snorted, still looking away from her. “You’re the sweetheart, Holly Jolly.”

Her face heated at his flippant reply. She cleared her throat uneasily, the irony of basically the same compliment she just handed out making her flustered wasn’t lost on her. 

“Look, what I mean is that I don’t care what you’re hiding under that dumb hat, okay? We’ll still be friends either way, cause you’re an amazing person.” 

Bernard looked bemused as he listened to her spiel. 

“We’re friends, huh? And when did this happen?”

“Well, you are hanging out at my place, eating my popcorn, and avoiding your responsibilities. Sounds like friend type activities to me.”

“Okay, good point.” He inclined his head her way, a teasing curl to his lips. “Fine, we’re friends.”

She let out an exaggerated whoop and tossed a popcorn piece into the air, catching it in her mouth. He laughed at her theatrics and copied her trick, tossing his higher than hers had gone with a cheeky wink thrown in for good measure. 

“Pff, show off!” 

They took turns tossing popcorn up into the air, trying to outdo each other with each try. Several pieces were littered on the floor of her tent, but neither seemed to notice. 

“So what’s Russia like?”

“Um, cold.”

“Wow, no kidding?”

“Shut it, you.”

She tossed another piece up, but it arched over towards the opposite side of the couch. Bernard leaned back and caught it in his mouth, taking a mock bow now half sprawled out while Holly clapped in delight. 

“You must miss it, huh?”

“Not really. I don’t think about home much these days.”

“What about family? Are they in Russia?”

He chewed a mouthful slowly, looking out at some distance that Holly couldn’t see. “Maybe. Probably. I haven’t really talked to my family since I was a lot younger.”

“Complicated family stuff?”

“Something like that. My mother wasn’t the warmest person on earth.”

“What about your dad?”

“Never knew him. For most of my life, it was just me and my mother. She was a pretty strict person. Always demanding the best out of me.” 

“She must be proud of you, being the Head of Operations at a prestigious research station, huh?”

“I don’t think she thinks about me much either. We didn’t part on the best terms.”

“She’s your mother, though! I’m sure that’s not true. She probably brags about her hot shot son to everyone in Russia.” Her lighthearted tone swiftly faded into something unsure as she saw the look on Bernard’s face. He still wouldn’t look her in the eye and now his lip was curled up on one side in mild disdain. 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Holly.” He said evenly, stiff shoulders hunching. 

She hadn’t read this discussion correctly at all. He was uncomfortable, had been uncomfortable the whole time. And she’d just continued to push. She’d gotten carried away thinking of them as ‘friends’ now, but just because they had formed a tentative friendship, didn’t mean Bernard was suddenly ready to spill his guts. He’d tried to set boundaries before when she pushed with his hat and she’d just ignored it then too. She’d made a joke out of something he clearly felt embarrassed enough about to hide. Guilt churned in her stomach as she thought back on their conversation. 

“Bernard, I’m so sorry. You’re right, I don’t know anything about your mom. It wasn’t cool of me to assume like that.” She swallowed nervously. “I’ve been an ass all evening, haven’t I? You came here to relax and I’ve just been poking and prodding into your business.”

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, his brows slightly knitted. She looked away from those sharp eyes, feeling terribly seen . 

Hands twisted into each other in her lap, her anxiety shown plainly. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ll try to do better from now on and respect your boundaries. I hope you can forgive me.” 

“You really know how to stretch out an apology.” His voice was carefully neutral. 

“Ah, sorry—I mean, sorry! Shit, I mean, I’m just kind of anxious about this sort of thing, I guess. I misread tones sometimes. It’s not on purpose, but I’m still sorry when it happens.” 

He sighed deeply. “It’s fine, Holly Jolly. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. My relationship with my mother is complicated, but it all happened a long time ago.” 

“I get it, I’ve got issues with my mother too.” She winced. “Not to make this about me, though.”

He breathed a soft laugh at her conflicted look. “You’re good. Stop worrying so much.”

“Easier said than done.” She huffed a quiet laugh of her own. 

“Look, I’ll let you know if I think you’ve overstepped, okay? I’ll be direct about it, so there’s no more misunderstandings. Sound good?” His smile was kind, patient. She couldn’t quite return it. 

“Yeah, sounds good.” 

He kicked his feet out and leaned back into the couch with a sigh. He checked his watch again and scowled at whatever he saw there. He sighed again and dug his hand into the popcorn between them. Her stomach still churned uncomfortably, her thoughts turning decidedly unkind toward herself. She went to take a sip of her drink when a popcorn piece hit her on the side of her cheek. 

“How about a game?” His head tilted back confidently, hand still posed after his popcorn assault. She blinked at him blankly. 

“A game?”

“Yeah, I try to toss popcorn in your mouth and you toss in mine. Whoever makes a shot gets to ask the other a question.”

“But what about before when—“

“Consider this practice! If we don’t wanna answer a question, we just say so. End of turn. There's no pressure and no hard feelings. What d’ya say?” 

This guy. 

Air rushed out in an amused breath and she finally smiled back at him. 

“Uh, sure. Okay, why not?”

“Okay, me first. Open wide!”

He launched a piece across the couch and banked it right into her mouth. “Yes! Okay, first question. What’s your favorite color?”

She giggled as she chewed, already feeling a lot better than she had. “Blue! But purple’s nice too.”

She picked up a piece of her own and landed it perfectly in Bernard’s waiting mouth. “What’s yours?”

“Red—like a deep crimson red.”

They continued like this back and forth. 

He’d make one. 

“What’s your favorite type of music?”

“Anything by Rush. You?”

“I’ve always been partial to Freddie Mercury, myself.”

Then she’d make one. 

“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“Maybe Australia? It’s one of the only places I haven’t really been much.”

“Wow, you must have traveled a lot.”

“I used to. What about you? Where would you go?”

“Hmm… maybe India? I’ve heard it’s gorgeous there.”

“It is—very colorful.”

But eventually, the game turned into them just throwing popcorn at each other while asking questions without really keeping track of whose turn it was. 

“What’s your favorite holiday?” She asked.

“Besides you?” They both giggled at his pun, Holly throwing a handful of popcorn at him in jest. “Christmas, for sure.”

Her face lit up. “Same! It’s the most wonderful time of the year. All the decorations and lights, the cookies and candy. And the songs!” She pointed her finger for emphasis. “I love Christmas songs so much, sometimes I even listen to them in the summer.” 

“Yeah? Same here.” A spark of humor appeared in his dark eyes. “It’s certainly a magical holiday.”

“For sure! The whole spirit of Christmas is so pure and wholesome too. Giving gifts and being with loved ones is the best. It’s like the one time of the year where everyone tries that much harder to be a good person.”

His cheeks sparkled in the lamplight as a wide grin overtook his face. “What’s your favorite part about Christmas?”

“Oh man, that’s a tough one. Maybe the kids?” Her hand came up to rub at her chin as she thought. “I love kids, especially around Christmas. They just really believe, y’know? They get so into the idea of Santa Claus and it’s infectious. Makes me wish I believed.”

“Why’d you stop?”

“I’m not sure I ever started! My older sister was a teen already when I was born and she never really bothered to censor herself, so I kind of grew up knowing that Santa was just for fun. Like pretend.”

Bernard looked profoundly sad when she said that. “So you never got to experience the magic at all then.”

“I guess not? But it’s not like it was a tragedy. It was still fun to put cookies out and pretend some guy was gonna bring me toys. I never felt like I missed out.”

He didn’t look cheered by her words. He was strangely bummed that she’d known the truth about Santa as a kid, and her heart twisted at his downturned expression. She scrambled for something else to say, to maybe bring the conversation back to something lighter. 

“My favorite part of that whole myth was the elves, though.”

He looked startled. “What? Why?”

“Why not! Santa delivers the toys, sure, but the elves make them, right? Just picture it—cute little elves that happily make all kinds of toys for kids out of the goodness of their hearts. What’s not to love?”

“I… suppose.”

“Anyways, it’s a fun little story. And seeing kids come alive because of it makes everything about Christmas a hundred times better.”

“I agree,” she looked up at his gentle tone to see the sweetest look on his face, eyes sparkling with something warm and soft, “children are wonderful. The best.” 

Her heart melted at the sight. “Do you want kids, Bernard?”

He froze and went silent for a long moment. “That’s probably not in the cards for me, unfortunately.”

A cold stone dropped in her belly at his words. She was curious, but she didn’t want to pry again. She’d obviously stumbled onto another sore spot. 

He glanced down at his watch once more before springing to his feet. 

“It’s late, I should probably head back before the place burns down.”

“Oh! Yeah, sure.”

She didn’t want to leave it on such a somber note, but she really wasn’t sure what to say. She hoped she hadn’t overstepped again, but Bernard had promised to let her know if she did. She’d just have to trust him. 

“Thanks for letting me hide out here, Holly Jolly. And for the popcorn. Not for the powdered hot chocolate, though, that was terrible.” 

Perhaps she didn’t need to worry about leaving on a sour note after all. Bernard seemed like he was back to his usual snarky self. 

“Ungrateful brat. See if I feed you again!” 

He chuckled at her grumbling as he pulled his outerwear back on and headed outside. She followed him out and watched as he climbed aboard his snowmobile. 

“You should bring Tiny Dancer by, sometime. I miss her.”

“It’s up to her, really. But I’ll try to put in a good word for you.” He smirked, kicking the engine on. “See ya, Holly Jolly!”

“See ya.” 

She watched him recede into the distance, her heart clenching a bit. This crush was getting complicated. 

[sagesipsblog]

I like to knit.

Sometimes that means making stuff out of yarn.

Sometimes it means weaving together disparate ideas in a Tarot reading. Or a Tarot blog post.

I'm doing both lately. It's that Elfcon 5 gift making time of year, but I'd also like to knit together the past couple of blog posts. We've looked at a couple of narrow topics, now lets connect them back into the grand scheme of things a little bit.

The grand scheme is how Tarot and intuition actually works - at least the way I go about it.

Recently we talked about the role of imagination in intuition and the idea of accuracy in intuitive processes like Tarot.

My readings do not predict the future. So that kind of "accuracy" doesn't factor into things even if it were possible, which it isn't for all of those cause and effect sort of Heisenberg uncertainty-ish sort of reasons. In this case "accurate" means "it contains some sort of useful insight or idea."

Can we get insight or inspiration from Tarot and imagination? Yes - absolutely. It's about the most human thing I can think of to do.

Let's go back to our imagination as intuition example - think of an elephant taking a shower.

When I first learned this concept in an email conversation with Chris Fleming, my first thought was a Babar-like, highly antropomorphized cartoon elephant in a cartoon human shower with a big white towel wrapped around it's waist a la movie men's locker room.

Was this a prediction? No, of course not. Was it accurate? Yes - it was whimsical and playful at a time in life where I needed a reminder to be more playful and find more humor in life.

In response to last week's post, a client said she visualized a real life elephant being lovingly cleaned by an attentive caretaker and seeming to enjoy the experience.

Like a Tarot card in the context of a layout, this image in the context of the person who saw it is a beautiful message from and for a beautiful person.

This person is a natural caretaker in a care taking profession. Her visualization is a tremendous validation that she is on the right path in her work, and even if they don't say it her clients appreciate her as much as her imaginary elephant was enjoying its shower.

It is also the classic reminder for caretakers to allow themselves to be cared for or at least give themselves a little TLC. It could be a reminder to let yourself be that happy elephant.

These aren't "accurate predictions" relative to physical events. To make Tarot or psychic readings into that is to strip it of all its depth, emotion, beauty and humanity. Making Tarot and psychic readings about predictions is like taking a living breathing elephant and turning it into a two dimensional rubber stamp shadow image of an elephant.

Imagination is our window to intuition. Tarot is the battery sparks intuition. Together, they let us see marvelous things far beyond physical predictions.

Are you ready for something more advanced than pool ball toy predictions? Are you ready to glimpse the ideas that help you create your future rather than (maybe) predict it? Tarot doesn't tell you what will happen in life, it helps you figure out what to do when life happens.

[sagesipsblog]

For several weeks we've been learning about the Lenormand Tarot deck the same way I learned Oracle and RWS Tarot cards back in the '90s: card by card by card. One card daily meditations is an excellent way to learn to read Tarot in larger layouts.

Just as a reminder, Lenormand Tarot card readings do not use or consider reversals. That is significant with today's cards because:

Latitude.

In RWS deck readings, intuition leads the way when deciding if and how a reversal is significant. Lenormand eliminates that intuitive opportunity, but replaces it with another. It has another way to give you a little latitude to use your intuition.

Today the playing card inset takes the lead on our card, the Heart.

In Lenormand, the playing card inset is what gives us an easy, safe structured way to learn to read with pure intuition. In RWS, you can practice pure intuition when you decide if an how to use a reversal. In Lenormand, you can practice pure intuition when you decide if and how much the playing card inset factors into the card's message in a given reading. Both scenarios give us a defined safe space to practice intuition that isn't guided by established card meanings.

You know how multiple choice tests in school always seemed easier than being faced with a blank sheet of paper and being asked to write an essay about something? It's a bit of the same thing here. Using your intuition to decide between two defined things (reverse vs upright, is the inset a factor or not) is easier than a free form psychic reading without the help of cards or anything.

That isnt't to say that you should discount the main image when the inset steps up as the stronger energy. They always work together. Think about ballroom dancing: One person leads, but both partners dance. Dancing well together, the two dancers make something wonderful. And so it is with Lenormand images and their playing card insets.

Today's heart card is just what you expect - love, romance, commitment. Christopher Butler, this deck's author, puts it with the ring card to mean marriage or committed partnership, fully fitting with the European culture that gave us both Lenormand and visconti-sforza (Marseilles, RWS) based decks.

The Heart card is very analogous to the two of cups.

The Jack is knight energy, hearts connect with cups, so we have some elements of the knight of cups here, too. That brings a more flirty, fickle, but active element to it. To my eye, the active, action piece of it is in the forefront.

Put it all together and we have our advice for today: ACT on the love you feel. Compassion and kindness is love put into action.

********

Social media and the blog will be on a long weekend break but email private Tarot reading orders are OPEN - and will be all holiday season.

Delivery times might vary a bit as we work through all the Elfcon levels (panic knitting - ENGAGE!) but you can order anytime, 24/7.

The blog and socials will be back Monday Nov 13, 2923

*The "leave a question in the comments and get a one card reading in the blog" offer is back full time, for any blog reader. After 12-31-23 it will revert back to using the RWS card deck. ONLY questions submitted on www.sagewordstarot.com will be answered. NO questions or DMs are accepted by social media. 

You know the drill - readings are folk art for spiritual contemplation, personal enrichment and entertainment. They do not predict the future.

If you want a fully private one card reading by email, you can order on the ko-fi page  (only $5 !)

Thank you so much for reading. See you at the next sip!

Healing Light Lenormand by Christopher Butler © 2021 Lo Scarabeo srl, via Cigna 110, 10155 Torino, Italy. All rights reserved, used by permission.