Running Through an Old Castle with my Ball Gown: Just as the fates predicted it

The olden days are so glamorized. I guess people forget about all the head chopping and those cruel and unusual punishments. People remember the pretty dresses and whimsical Victorian speech. I am People.

I went to my first renaissance faire! Technically, this was more for Pretty. Her birthday passed a while ago and she’s always talked about her dream of attending one. It was so lucky there was a renaissance faire that same weekend. We dressed up in our cute outfits! I was a villager peasant and she was a mysterious elf. The whole day, I treated her out for everything she wanted also as a part of her birthday present. Before I landed my current job, I was unemployed for almost 2 years. It wasn’t like my parents were giving me money willy-nilly (as they did to my sister), so sometimes when we went out, Pretty fought to pay for my stuff/dinner. She knew I was struggling at moments, and she cherished our friendship enough to cover some of my weak bases. Of course, I never asked her for these handouts, but I think she caught on when she noticed me ordering plain waters and the cheapest items on the menu. I was merry to give back to her for her birthday, and even though the Renaissance faire was a bit of a far ways drive, I want to make her happy.

IT WAS UNGODLY SCORCHING HOT. THE DRY HEAT MIXED WITH THE DUSTY ROAD LEADS TO HEAT STROKES. STAY INSIDE.

It was fun. Very hot. To make the vibes more “old timey” the event was held on rustic grounds. There was a lot of dust flying in the air. My boogers at the end of the day turned black. Pretty and I noticed our mistake instantly. When we were in the car with the AC turned up, we weren’t aware of the stupid blistering sun. the moment we got out and through the gates of the event, the sweats broke out. Everyone else seemed experienced since they brought battery-powered fans (although those broke the renaissance illusion a bit). We tried looking at stalls, but had to immediately search for water after 20 minutes. We were too hot to pretend to enjoy what we’re looking at anyways. The line seemed short. Maybe only ~10-15 in front of us. SO TELL ME WHY IT TOOK US AN HOUR TO GET WATER. The sun was blinding, blazing, scorching. I could feel the top of my head sizzling. Pretty had massive pit stains (thank god she brought her cloak) and my hair was so drenched in sweat Pretty said it looked like I just got out of the shower. We bought 2 32oz cups of ice waters and finished them both within the span of 5 minutes.

Lucky for us, being hydrated and cooled down, we didn’t need to stand in line for water again. We replenished plenty and had energy for at least an hour of walking and exploring.

Along the way, we passed by some tarot card readers. We looked at each other and made a run to fight to be next in line. I get it that most of those are scams (more like all of them) BUT ITS FOR THE FUN OF IT OKAY. I had many questions (mainly about love). When it was my turn, the reader asked me to shuffle the deck thinking about the questions I wanted answered.

Ahem.

“Will I ever find love? Good and true love not the toxic kind? Will I have to stay in this goddamned house and take care of my uncle, auntie, and cousin forever? Can I ever be truly free away from them like how it was before they came here? Will I perform well at my new job? Will I make any major mistakes? Will my life crumble and perish before its even barely began?”

I was able to voice record her reading of me (with her permission of course). I will find love…but not for a WHILE. Goddamnit. She had answers more about my work. She said a chapter in my work just closed (true the quarter just ended AND I just declined the offer to work for Evelyn). The next 4-6 weeks, my feelings will be “at sea” a.k.a I’ll be feeling very overwhelmed. AS IF IM ALREADY NOT. In the winter, I’ll be frustrated with my work. She described me as a plant trying to survive the winter air and needing to be replotted. By spring, all my uneasiness should be worked out. MOST IMPORTANTLY, she made a prediction that I’ll need to make a very important choice by next summer (again through work). Maybe considering if I should switch companies, or taking on a far away work trip? The session ended after the upcoming predictions, and it was finally Pretty’s turn!

They were sitting too far away, so I couldn’t hear as much, but Pretty’s predictions were definitely more catered to her. In a sense, what Pretty heard was “You need to work on yourself more.” Accurate. There’s a lot Pretty wants to achieve in her life, but her lacking skills prevent her from reaching her goals.

I remember we were at the beach this summer and laying down on the towel, I turned my head watching her working on her easel, painting a replica of the ocean scene. I called from behind, “Where do you think we’ll be in 5 or 10 years?” The sun in the sky sparkled in my eyes as I tried focusing on her silhouette and seagulls gawked overhead. She takes a pause to think but continues stroking her brushes across the painting.

In a calming manner, “I’ll be a world-renowned famous painter, and you’ll be a boss-bitch business woman. We’ll live next door to each other with our matching penthouses and go on dinner dates together with our husbands and families.” It’s sweet, but yes, also highly unimaginable with our current state right now. First, we both need to actually find boyfriends, get married, get pregnant, and then make our mark on the world, so yes, the tarot reader was right. We’ll need to work on ourselves first before dreaming too high.

After leaving her stall, both of us walked around more and bought gifts for our friends and family back home. She bought plenty Harry Potter wands and TV show replicas, while I bought naturally sourced teas for my tea-loving friends. Nearing the end of the faire, we stopped by a small stage that was displaying a cool mashup of the game “Dungeons and Dragons” with Shakespeare characters. The crowd was very interactive and the selected audiences pulled off a great performance for the rest of us to watch.

TLDR: Go have fun and get your palms read (even if it is a scam).