#tktd

[licensedfool]

all of the results from the twitter kiss meme!!

[stainedcateyes]

the knife throwers daughter has changed me.

[unholy-fabray]

"In the summer of 1898, Santana Lopez joined the J.P. Adams & Son Traveling Circus & Menagerie as it toured the states of the Upper American Midwest. She also fell in love with the knife thrower's daughter."

Ever since I first read this fanfic in 2012, it's held a very special place in my head/heart. I still think about rereading it at least once a year. Over a decade later and I finally made some fanart!

Old-timey version + details version under the cut:

[thecircusgirl]

[themostrandomfandom]

Hi! I've read and re-read the Knife Thrower's Daughter many times and I find it one of the most beautiful stories I've ever had the pleasure of reading. That said, I do have a few questions about it concerning Santana's tarot card readings and her drawing the death card. Do you think the people she does the readings for die because of coincidence or is there a certain 'fantasy' aspect to your story? Does Santana really call death upon people or is it just mere coincidence that they die? (1/2)

Also, I’ve read somewhere that drawing the death card does not always mean a person will die in the foreseeable future but that it can also mean something like new beginnings of some sort. Do you agree with that, or did you intend for it to only mean literal death? (2/2)

Hey, @okay-peachy!

First off, thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you enjoy the story so much.

Second, in response to your questions:

So the truth is that there isn’t really one right answer to these questions. I purposefully wrote the story so that either interpretation could be considered correct.

If I did my job right, then it should be possible to read TKTD as a fantasy story in which the cards do hold supernatural powers, but it should also be possible to read TKTD as a realistic fiction story in which the cards hold no powers at all.

Either way, the story should make sense.

Within the story, Santana certainly subscribes to the first view, whereas Brittany subscribes to the second. 

If you view things the first way, then it would seem that Santana is indeed cursed and that the Death card does “bring down death” on the people for whom she reads. If you view things the second way, then it is just a very unfortunate coincidence that so many of the people for whom Santana draws the Death card die.

Of course, it is worth noting that while Santana frequently claims that “everyone” she draws the Death card for dies, statistically speaking, by the end of the story, when Brittany finds Santana chained to the pillar in the big top, about 67% of the people for whom Santana has drawn the Death card are confirmed dead, meaning that the other 33% are either confirmed alive or have an unknown status. It is also worth noting that not everyone for whom Santana draws the Death card dies immediately (or even shortly) after their tarot reading. 

For instance, in TKTD’s prequel, ACMCD, Santana’s abuela, Alma, dies several months after Santana draws the Death card for her. 

While Santana attributes Alma’s death to the card, her father is quick to point out that Alma was in all likelihood sick long before Santana drew the card for her and that she therefore would have died within the next year or so whether or not Santana ever gave her a reading.   

It’s basically the same deal when it comes to the Death card.

Santana believes that her cards hold literal meanings, not just in terms of death, but in relation to things like wealth and business dealings and love. If she draws the Ten of Pentacles, for instance, she’s going to see it as having to do with money, whereas someone else might view it more metaphorically, in terms of having security within one’s family or a general feeling of well-being. To her, when she draws the Death card, it means, absolutely, that the person she’s reading for is going to die.

But, as you mention, not everyone schooled in tarot shares Santana’s literalism.

One very common, metaphorical interpretation for the Death card is that it signifies a new beginning—or, since we’re talking about a Glee fic here, a “new direction,” if you’ll pardon the pun—and that it doesn’t refer to one actually losing one’s life but instead to one embracing new opportunities, often in a positive way. 

While Santana is very doom and gloom about the whole thing, more modern fortunetellers would probably tell you that the Death card is one of the most hopeful cards you can draw, as it often signifies moving away from unhealthy attachments and leaving behind the people or institutions that bog you down.

(You can read more about this possibility for various interpretations of the same cards here, if you’re interested.)

Again, I purposefully left it open to the reader to decide whether they were on board with Santana’s interpretation of the Death card or not.

Anyway, long story long, my advice is to go with whatever interpretation of the story makes most sense to you, given the context clues. I wrote the story so that both readings would be possible, depending on your point of view.

Thanks for the questions, and thanks for reading!

[thecircusgirl]

[thecircusgirl]

[thecircusgirl]