A Mysterious Art Contest!
Come One, Come All...
to a Mysterious New Contest...
Fireflies flitted in and out of Sakura’s vision. They left burning streaks across the dark sky before disappearing in the light of a lantern.
Around her, the festival was being dismantled. It had been a small one, and while at one point in the evening it had attracted a healthy throng, now the night was winding down.
Crickets labored in a shrill chorus to serenade her work as Sakura took apart a stall. She and Kakashi were contractually obligated to help oversee the celebration from start to finish, both having agreed that it would be a nice break from more strenuous assignments.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the partner in question wave at her; his dark glove was like a ripple against the backdrop of the equally dark forest on the outskirts of the festival. She straightened up from where she had been bending over a pile of wood, smiling as Kakashi approached her.
“How’s it going?” he asked, sidling into place beside her. His hands were submerged in his pockets.
“Good,” she answered, and dusted off her hands on her skirt. Hoping in passing that she hadn’t gotten any splinters, she smiled at him. “And you?”
He inclined his head back over his shoulder. “I think we’re pretty much done.” Indeed, the others who had stayed behind to help clear up seemed to be putting the final things in order.
She inhaled slowly, taking in the cool evening air. “It’s such a nice night,” she remarked.
Kakashi nodded slowly, casting his gaze out at the bordering forest. He was quiet, but after a few moments he said, “Fancy a walk?”
Sakura raised her eyebrows. He wasn’t looking at her, and she followed his gaze to the dark wall of trees. The leaves rustled mysteriously, reflecting moonlight in silver glimmers.
“I don’t know…” Truth be told, it looked a little foreboding.
Kakashi turned to her this time, a smirk alight in his eye. “You’re scared?” he jeered quietly.
An indignant pout curved her lip. “No,” she said obstinately, and promptly strode past him. She led the way to the forest, fuming, and he followed silently.
The thick trees loomed ominously as they approached. Not that Sakura was scared- of course she wasn’t scared, she had just been reluctant to disappear on the rest of the crew, that was all…
As they crossed the threshold of the forest, the dull sounds of the fading festival were muffled. Invisible crickets instead overwhelmed them with their songs, and in the midst of this natural symphony, Sakura suddenly felt more comfortable.
She turned to look at Kakashi. Moonlight that streamed through the breaks in the leafy canopy striped him in silver and shadows. His forehead protector glinted as he moved his head, the carved insignia winking at her in familiarity.
She smiled. Really, the forest wasn’t so bad. “Come on,” she said, hoping to convey through her light tone that her anxiety had evaporated.
They crunched over brambles and fallen branches. Walking side-by-side, they did not follow a particular path, but the forest was not very dense. Through the spaces between the trunks Sakura could see the outlines of bushes, other trees… and…
Kakashi stopped walking. Sakura followed suit and glanced questioningly at him. Stiff and alert, he returned with a concerned frown. It looked like he had started to mouth something at her, but then realized that a mask obscured his face. He shook his head briefly at himself before raising a gloved finger to point towards a dark gap between trees.
Sakura squinted, craning her neck forward to try to get a better view. She had thought she had seen an odd shape, but it took several seconds for her eyes to adjust. Obscuring the natural dappling of moonlight was a… blob. She squinted harder. It had the shape of a-
Tent? she mouthed, returning Kakashi’s look of guarded curiosity. His forehead creased with determination and he stepped forward.
They tiptoed towards the dark disturbance, stopping several yards short to crouch behind a cluster of thorny bushes. Upon closer scrutiny the unknown blob did turn out to be a tent; its midnight blue canvas sloped down to the forest floor, where the skirt was kissed by twigs and mushrooms. The tent was small, and a warm glow of what was presumably lamplight pooled through the slit of the opening.
Kakashi tapped Sakura on the shoulder; she looked up and was surprised to see how fearful he looked.
“I don’t like this,” he said in an undertone so quiet she had to strain to hear. “I get a weird feeling… what is it?”
Sakura shrugged, turning back to look at the tent. While definitely bizarre, it seemed benign to her.
All of a sudden, an unfamiliar voice cut through the crisp forest air.
“Dearies,” called the tremulous voice of an old woman; both Kakashi and Sakura started, and Kakashi looked ready to run. “What are you doing outside in the chill? Why don’t you come inside?”
The two crouching ninja exchanged looks; Kakashi muttered “trap”, but Sakura found the voice, as unexpected as it was, to be warming. To Kakashi’s desperate chagrin she stood and left their hiding place to approach the tent. Muttering under his breath and fingering his kunai holster, Kakashi got up and followed.
The canvas felt soft against her fingers as Sakura parted it to enter- and as she entered, she was slowed by awe. The inside of the tent was sweltering compared to the chill of the forest air. One lamp sat crammed into the corner, and candles were peppered throughout. There seemed to be no empty spaces; the tent walls were lined with all manner of trinkets and knick-knacks. Sakura was so captivated by the collection that she stood suspended in the entrance until Kakashi’s concerned cough behind her jarred her back to her senses. Her eyes swiveled to the central figure of the tent.
An old woman sat behind a table draped in purple velvet. She was buried in so many beaded shawls and scarves that it took Sakura a moment to register the small, wrinkled face grinning up at her. Several teeth were missing from said grin, which was cushioned by folds of spotted skin, and one was even golden.
Feeling Kakashi trying to push past her to see if something was wrong, Sakura moved in. When Kakashi squeezed into the tent she was squished against a table, the wooden edge of which cut uncomfortably into her thigh.
“There, dearies,” the old woman said, her smile widening. “Now that you’re all snug, how can I help you?”
Kakashi swatted at a hanging wind chime, which tinkled serenely over his voice. “Who are you?” he asked.
An eye set deep in wrinkles winked at him. “Young man, I can see that you are vexed. Many people share your plight, grappling with life’s difficulties, but I… I am here to help you.”
Sakura glanced at Kakashi, whose eyebrow had narrowed in confusion. He looked more vexed than ever. “Excuse me?” he asked suspiciously. Sakura elbowed him indiscreetly in the ribs; strange as the situation was, she felt no fear of this old lady.
“How can you help?” Sakura asked; she heard Kakashi give a tight sigh behind her. She couldn’t help it; she had always nursed a healthy curiosity for the occult, and judging by the strange symbols stitched into the tent wall behind her, this woman was nothing if not occult.
“I’m so glad you asked, dearie.” The woman bent over, fumbling behind the table at which she sat. After a moment of digging she unearthed a dusty felt pouch; she gave it a good blow before setting it on the table.
Sakura found herself peering forward. “What is that?” she asked.
The old woman chuckled wheezily. “So full of questions, so full of questions,” she said. “Lucky for you I have some answers.”
Kakashi muttered something skeptical under his breath, but Sakura ignored him, watching wide-eyed as the old woman in the shawls pinched apart the mouth of the drawstring pouch. Fingers knotted with veins extracted what turned out to be a deck of cards.
“My dears, have you ever heard of tarot?” questioned the old lady, setting the cards on the smooth velvet tablecloth. “It’s an ancient, magical art.”
Sakura’s brow creased in thought. “I think I might have heard of them…”
The old woman nodded sagely. “I should hope that a well-rounded lady such as yourself would have at least encountered the term,” she said. Her jowls wobbled as she spoke. “Now, since the two of you are so young and curious, I will give you a reading for free.”
“No thank-”
“Sure!” Sakura cut him off enthusiastically. This was cool, right? There was nothing odd about getting a card reading from a mysterious old woman in the middle of a dark forest. Nothing at all.
“Sakura…”
“Oh come on, Kakashi,” she muttered back to him. “It’s a little adventure!”
The old woman grinned toothily (or in her case, rather toothlessly). “That’s the spirit,” she said, and began to shuffle the cards.
They waited in apprehensive silence; Sakura grew mesmerized by the movements of the cards as they flew back and forth between the woman’s surprisingly nimble hands. Behind her Kakashi was standing with his hands clenched into fists deep within his pockets.
An owl hooted outside, and the woman stopped shuffling. “Now,” she whispered huskily. “Let us see what the cards reveal…”
With painstaking slowness she overturned the first card.
“Past,” she rasped.
The next card was placed parallel to the first.
“Present.”
Equidistant from the first two, the old woman turned over the final card.
“Future.”
It was difficult to make out the pictures in the flickering light of the nearby candle, so Sakura leaned forward eagerly to see.
With a heavy sigh and in spite of his better judgment, Kakashi peered over her shoulder so that he too could see the cards.
Which brings us to...
Information on Tarot
A deck of tarot contains 78 cards. These are split into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. There are 22 cards in the Major Arcana; these are the more familiar, such as I~The Magician or XII~The Hanged Man. Then there are 56 Minor Arcana, divided into the four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.
In some incarnation, these cards have been around for a long time! While in some countries they are used as simple playing cards, over the years they have taken on a more mystical flavor. In some parts of the world, tarot cards have been used in divination for many years now. Cards have been reimagined by different artists and have been assigned many layers of spirituality and meaning.
Tarot spreads are not limited to telling the future. They are meant to give insight into all aspects of life, including the past and present. By examining these two, tarot readers find clues and postulate possible futures, but the main goal is helping the Querent (person whose "fortune is being told") make sense of their life.
Your Interpretation
Your task will be to create a work of KakaSaku art based off of any tarot card in the Rider-Waite deck. This deck is used most commonly in the English-speaking world and will be used for the sake of continuity.
Superficially, the design of many cards is ill-suited for an adaptation of Kakashi and Sakura. For example, many cards only feature one person or a group of several people. That is why the layout of your submission does not need to mimic the original card. It doesn't even have to look like a tarot card if you don't want it to, as long as it is labeled with the title of the tarot card you choose to adapt. More important is a translation of themes and symbols.
Each tarot card is saturated with symbolism. Some are more direct, such as XI~Justice, whereas others are more subtle, like II~The High Priestess. It is okay to use some of the exact symbols from the tarot card in your submission, but make sure that they match the Naruto world. For example, a stained glass window might be more appropriate as a Shinto shrine.
Rules
- Your submission must feature Kakashi and Sakura.
- Your submission must be based on a tarot card in the Rider-Waite deck. Any card is acceptable.
- Your submission must incorporate themes and symbolism associated with the original card.
- Your submission must be clearly labeled in association with the card it is based off of. This can be done on the picture itself, or in the title if you prefer not to include the card name in the picture.
- You must claim your tarot card: No tarot cards can be claimed by two different artists. Once you've claimed your card, you can begin working.
- The deadline is Monday, December 20th by midnight. No entries will be accepted after this time.
- If your submission is NSFW, please label it as such. This is not to put a creative limit on your artwork, but just as a courtesy.
Entries will be disqualified if:
- You broke one of the rules listed above.
- Your submission is plagiarized from the work of another artist. (This does not include if you choose to use a layout similar to the tarot card you are adapting, but it DOES apply to any other work of art.)
Winners
Winners will be decided by popular vote. A poll will go up Tuesday, December 21st and will stay up for one week. I realize that this will fall during Christmas times, so if that causes a conflict, please contact me and we may be able to make adjustments. There will be first, second, and third place winners. In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker poll will be held.
First Place: A full-body picture by norree of a character you request; a oneshot (>1500 words) based on your submission by a mystery writer
Second Place: A half-body picture by norree of a character you request; a short fic (<1500 words) based on your submission by a mystery writer
Third Place: A sketch by norree of a character you request; a short fic (<500 words) based on your submission by a mystery writer
Resources
Aeclectic Tarot - This is a great site that takes you step by step through each tarot card, with particular emphasis on the Major Arcana. It explains each card's symbolism and also treats the ordered Major Arcana as steps in the journey of the Fool in the first card, 0~Fool. Even if it has more information than you will use in your submission, I would highly recommend that you go here to investigate the card you choose!
Rider-Waite Tarot Deck: Wikipedia - Here is a resource to find images of the cards.
Tarot Art Contest Promo - If you're ever feeling a lack of motivation, or heck there doesn't even need to be a reason-- JUST GO and watch the amazing video that bluerising made to commemorate this contest! She's outdone herself again! Oh and gosh she's even our featured member this month-- way to live up to the title Clear!
Claimed Cards
This is where we'll list cards claimed by different members; that way there are no repeats. There are no deadlines about when you choose your card, but I would advise you do it sooner rather than later! You can also change your card if you want, but don't flip flop too much or you might not have time.
Nine of Swords by kittenmymittens
Knight of Swords by stunninglythere
IX~The Hermit by nari_lightning
XVII~The Star by starlightdawn
Six of Cups by foxyninja
XV~The Devil by saphri
III~The Empress by cynchick
XX~Judgment by xwishingagainx
Two of Swords by slinkymilinky
Ten of Cups by ultravilent
I~The Magician by gothirishrose
X~The Wheel of Fortune by katzenherrin
VIII~Strength by velvetred
Four of Cups by oelly
Queen of Wands by doven
Nine of Wands by sureasdawn
Ten of Pentacles by scaryrei
Thanks to nimblnymph and winter_hawksan for your help in putting this together!
If you any questions, please send me a PM.