MAL 2025 Anime Watching Challenge

You quietly point at the deck of cards and the woman lets out a gentle chuckle. The candle flames flicker green for a moment, distracting you, and when you peer back at the table you're mildly shocked to realize the crystal ball has disappeared.

“Do not fear, my child, you are safe,” the fortune teller reassures you. Her hand reaches forth and you watch as her bony fingers curl around the deck to pick it up. She begins to slowly shuffle the deck while humming a soft, pleasant tune. You look around a little more and notice a thin layer of smoke drifting around the tent. The scent of lavender and sage gently fills the air, which you aren’t sure you’ve ever smelled outside of the funky shops that sell cool statues of dragons, various crystals, and anime sword replicas.

The woman places the deck in front of you, then asks you to take half of the cards and place them to the side. You do as she asks, and she places the other half back on top of the cards you moved before drawing three cards. She lays the three cards in front of you face down, and begins to explain.

“Now dearie, this is a simple reading known as a Past, Present, Future drawing. The first card here is a card that represents your past. The middle card represents your present, or you as you are now. The final card is one that will tell you what to expect in the future. Now, lets see what we have here….”

She reaches forward and pinches the card on her left, flipping it over with a satisfying flick sound. The card shows a young man holding a stick, alone in a barren plains. The fortune teller chortles softly to herself as she describes the card and its meaning.

“Ahhh, the Page of Wands, a card that shows adventure, excitement and curiosity. A young man stands defiant in a barren land, facing worlds that he has yet to explore, ready, willing and able to take the next steps on his journey. I suppose this card and the curiosity from it is what led you here, to meet me, as not just anyone would step foot in this tent. Eeeeh heh heh heh.”

The fortune teller cackles heartily as she reaches to flip the second card, the one representing the present. With another pleasant flick the card is flipped to show a jester juggling bright balls in equally colorful clothes. Does this mean she thinks you’re a clown? She looks at you and shakes her head gently as she speaks again.

“The Fool. Now this is always an interesting card, and I promise it isn’t an insult to you. The Fool is a card that represents limitless potential, a blank slate, someone who is poised and ready to begin a journey. This could be a journey of self-discovery, self-improvement, or even a physical one where you will travel to mysterious far-off lands. The Fool isn’t an unintelligent person, but someone who knows enough to know he knows nothing and is ready to learn further.”

You ponder the meaning of this for a moment as the fortune teller begins to reach for the third card. You begin to get a strange feeling about this third card, like maybe you should turn it upside down. You lunge forward to put your hand on the card, feeling the ornate pattern on the back of the card. The fortune teller pauses and looks at you, almost as if she knows what you were about to do.

You listen to your urge to take control of the reading and flip the card over. The fortune teller stares at you in puzzlement for a moment, and maybe a bit of shock. Then the flames flicker a deep crimson for just a moment as she then nods in quiet approval before a toothless grin spreads across her shadowed features. Or, you assume it's toothless because you hadn't seen the glimmer of teeth in the candlelight. She flips the card in the same orientation it was drawn with that sharp flick sound that you have grown to enjoy.

CHANGED FATE

You see an upside-down card that seems to depict some sort of religious figure sitting in a church. The fortune teller hums softly to herself as she clears the table of everything but the three cards to allow you to focus only on the cards that have been drawn. She nods slowly before beginning to explain.

“Now, The Hierophant is normally a card that is about tradition and conformity to an organization… but you… you took the step to reverse this card, and in doing so you truly proved that your future reflects what the inverse of this card represents. A reverse tarot card holds the opposite of its usual meaning, which means that for you this is a card of rebellion, a card of refusing to go with the grain. This is a card that shows your future will involve you needing to think unconventionally, and be willing to employ fresh new methods that perhaps others may not have thought of. But this is a future of your own making, one that you have taken control of. I hope it was a good choice… heh heh heh heh…”

The flames crackle and spark for a moment, the sudden bright light making you close your eyes as it sounds like the fortune teller is being pulled far away from you. Your eyes open and you’re back in the middle of the carnival grounds with the crowd bustling around you.

You look around for the tent but it’s nowhere to be found. Even the clearing where you swore it was resting just moments ago has been filled with yet another candy floss stand. As you look around in confusion, the girl behind the counter speaks to you.

“Hey, uh… I think someone left this for you. Here!” she says cheerfully as she hands you a tarot card. The Hierophant. Even as you hold it, for some reason it looks wrong to you until you turn it upside down. You put it in your pocket and smirk slightly, but as you do so you hear the candy floss girl cackle, almost in the fortune teller’s voice. Your gaze snaps back over to her but she’s already serving new customers. You decide it was just your imagination and fade back into the crowd, but this time walking the opposite way from everyone else.

You keep your hand on the card for a moment and look up into where you think the fortune teller’s eyes are. The lighting is too poor and the hood is too deep to be able to see them. The candles suddenly flicker to a golden hue for just a moment as the fortune teller smiles a toothless grin at you. Or, you assume it's toothless because you hadn't seen the glimmer of teeth in the candlelight. You slowly retract your hand. She flips the card in the same orientation it was drawn with that sharp flick sound that you have grown to enjoy.

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WHAT THE CARDS DECREE

The card is flipped, revealing an image of a person sitting inside of a chariot-like vehicle driven by two monsters. The person is looking determined, keeping control of the situation with confidence as they wrangle the monsters who seem to want to run in different directions. The fortune teller chuckles again, leaning forward in interest as she enthusiastically describes what this card means, and what it could mean for your future.

“The Chariot! An incredibly powerful card indeed! This card represents determination, confidence, self discipline, and control. I think this card is telling you that you are bound for great things, but you will need confidence and discipline to accomplish those great things! So whatever you face in the future, face it with your chin held high and race towards your goals as a chariot would!”

The blue flames flicker wildly, almost as if the fire itself is growing excited as the old woman speaks, and the sudden increase in light causes you to blink rapidly a few times. And in that instant it’s all gone. The cards, the fire, the tent, the fortune teller, all of it. Did you dream it all? Was it even real?

You look around, and suddenly the sounds of the carnival grounds pick back up in your ears. You look over to see golden light cast onto the area ahead of you with all the crowd ebbing and flowing between the stalls. After a moment you look behind you, into what is now a dark empty field. No, not quite empty. A tiny blue flame floats just above the ground, shedding its dying light onto a card laying in the dirt. Unsurprisingly, it's The Chariot. You pick up the card and put it in your pocket, returning to the crowd with your head held just a little higher than you did before.

You timidly point towards the crystal ball, which seems to swirl with an odd light as you select it. The fortune teller cackles and the candle flames swell slightly as their color tints from blue to deep purple. Your attention returns to the table as you notice that the other items have disappeared and now in their place sits only the crystal ball front, resting atop a purple silk cloth with golden edges. You hear the strike of a match as the woman lights a stick of incense that immediately changes the scent inside the tent to one of Sandalwood as she gently wafts the stick around, spreading the billowing smoke about.

Setting the incense in a little tray to the right of the table, the fortune teller makes herself comfortable in front of the crystal ball before placing her hand atop the glass orb. A glowing cloud of smoke plumes out from her palm to fill the ball, spreading lazily across the surface like ink injected into water. The cloud then swirls and twists, with the light blue color illuminating both you and the previously obstructed face of the mysterious woman.

Her features are soft, wise, and kindly, with wrinkles deeper around where her laughter lines would be. Her olive skin shines with an odd blue hue under the light of the candle flames and the glowing orb before her. Her mouth is spread wide in a toothless smile as she looks up at you and begins to speak.

“Now, this ball will allow me to scry for images of your future, but you must first give it direction. Provide it with a question, and I will tell you what I see in the mists of the murky future as they become clear to me. Now… a question, if you will.”

You think for a moment, stunned by the situation and forces that are at play. How is the ball glowing? Is this all some sort of elaborate trick? Is she trying to scam you? She hasn’t even asked you for any money yet… You figure ‘what the heck’ and decide between a few questions you’ve been pondering for a while.

You ask your question, as you often worry about how dangerous the world is or how risky certain things are in life. You often get told that you worry too much by those around you, but you usually reply ‘It’s better to be safe than sorry!’. The fortune teller hears your question and seems to focus in on the crystal orb, as if she’s trying her hardest to make sense of the chaos. She repeats a few things to you as if they’re scenes she’s witnessing in the depths.

STAYING SAFE

Listening closely, you hear the old fortune teller whispering to herself softly as she tries to make sense of what she sees in the crystal ball. Eventually she speaks a little louder.

“A bridge over troubled waters… two paths, one through a dark forest, one past a bright cliffside… a warm home, filled with family and friends as a blizzard howls outside in the darkness… a beach on a sunny day, but the waves are ferocious…”

She seems to be struggling a little to understand what she is seeing before the crystal ball goes dim, and then she relaxes. The fortune teller breathes a sigh of relief and exhaustion as she looks back up at you. The candles by her side flicker between green, red, and blue for a moment before settling back to their “normal” blue light.

“A lot of these images are hard to make sense of, but I think I understand. Your future will hold many situations where your choices will determine how much risk you feel. The bridge over a stormy sea is only one you should take if you feel confident in your footing. The home is safe and warm and you might feel the desire to leave the house for whatever reason, but do you really need to do so when the blizzard is howling so ferociously? The beach is sunny and warm, and you might want to swim, but keep an eye on the intensity of the waves.”

You stare at the fortune teller as she describes each scene and what it could mean for the future, and you slowly begin to understand.

“Safety comes from confidence and skill. If you are confident in your path, you may walk the bridge. If you have faith that you are a strong swimmer, you may leave the beach and test the waters. But if you have cause for concern, it may be best to stay where it is safe and only bite off that which you know you can chew. This is what I have seen. Now it is for you to decide what you do with it. Farewell my child, and stay… safe.”

With that final word, your vision blurs. After a moment it clears and you realize you’re now back out in the carnival grounds, staring up at the night sky. You look around for the tent, but it’s nowhere to be found. It has gotten very late and all of the attractions are preparing to close. You look over to a dark path that you know is a shortcut through an equally dark field back to the train station, but decide to take the long way around instead.

You close your eyes and think hard about your question before declaring it to the fortune teller. You often wonder how to be successful, or how successful people got to where they are. Upon hearing what you ask her, the fortune teller leans in, focusing her beady eyes into the mists of the orb before her and straining to see through the fog. As she does, she begins to speak.

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HOW TO WIN AT LIFE

You hear the fortune teller make various “mmm” and “ahh” noises, as if she’s having something explained to her that is finally starting to make sense. Just as you begin to grow impatient, she speaks.

“A podium, with you standing in all three places, first, second, and third. But you look older when you’re standing in first place than you do in second, and even more than third… Several failed test papers with the score slowly improving, until the tests are passed… Children running a race, and one of them cheats to take a shortcut, only to be disqualified… Mmm. I think I understand.”

The candle flames flicker between golden and purple hues as she stares into your eyes. The otherworldly glow of the crystal ball dims as the candle flames settle back to their usual blue.

“These scenes, they’re saying something all people should know, and it's that success takes time, hard work, and sometimes failure. No one was instantly a master at a skill they decided to start learning. Yes, some have the privilege of starting off in a better position than others, but they still had to work to ensure that privilege was not lost. If you want to succeed in the future, these scenes are telling you that you will need to be ready to work for your success. The more you work, the more you will succeed. You cannot take any shortcuts, nor can you just trick your way into success; it has to be what you claim with your own diligence. This is what I have seen, and it is up to you to decide whether you want to put in the work… Farewell, my child.”

With those final words you blink, and then you’re suddenly back at the fairground. The noise of the crowd is overwhelming, the sight and smell of the food causing your stomach to rumble. You decide to stop by one of the stands to get a bite to eat before making your way home.

A long, incredibly steep hill looms in your near future to reach the nearest bus station. You take a deep breath and with a sharp exhale, you start your climb with a pleasantly full stomach and a determined smile.