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+---- Thread: [SE] it's true, swear, scouts honour (/showthread.php?tid=10458)
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it's true, swear, scouts honour - Flora - 12-13-2024
[say]"I told you it wouldn't be hard to find one."[/say] Flora is saying as she and Jack pass yet another little stall in the market boasting fortunes! learn your fate! find true love! Of course Flora, having already found TrUe LoVe, happily sashays past these, looking for something that seemed more authentic.
With the afternoon nearing its end the port began to slowly shift in tone from bustling and lively to something a shade darker and more discrete, if not quiet. Having dressed more or less to try and conceal her new scars rather than for the weather, Flora found herself pulling up the sleeves of her cream-coloured sweater in an effort to cool herself off. It was probably silly to be self-conscious of scars earned from literally dying, but having never had any before—certainly none as grotesque as the mess on her shoulder—the Doubletake wasn't quite ready to endure the looks and questions she'd get by baring her scars to the world just yet.
With a mental gesture about what she was going to do, Flora drifts away from Jack's side in order to purchase two cups of freshly squeezed juice, before returning to him having nearly drank half of hers already.
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Jack - 12-13-2024
[say]"I never said it'd be hard to find one. I said it'd be hard to find a good one,"[/say] Jack says, his hands comfortably resting in the pockets of his coat. His own new scars are luckily much more easy to hide than Flora's, and it's less the visual aspect than his still stiff muscles and uneasy posture that he's keen to be rid of. Nonetheless, he walks easily enough with the Doubletake through the port, his eyes drift to the sea (as they always do, as if by habit) until he turns just as she heads off to get a drink.
Pausing to linger so he doesn't slip away too far down the boardwalk, by the time Flora returns Jack is amusing himself by watching someone have their fortune badly read, though you wouldn't think it from their expression. [say]"Leafchange brings the worst of these types out,"[/say] he mutters, accepting his drink with a mumble of thanks and taking a long sip of it, an arm slipping automatically around the Doubletake so they can move on.
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Alys - 12-15-2024
Alys sat at her small booth, which was decidedly less flashy than the rather tasteless, larger tents strung up with signs promising true love and all sorts of other nonsense, and waited. Perhaps it would be easier to find clients if she practiced the same questionable tactics as the other "fortune tellers" along the docks, but she, unlike them, attempted to provide real readings - not just what her clients wanted to hear. And sure, maybe it took longer to attract clients, but at least those who stopped at her booth were often in search of something more authentic.
Besides, it was kind of nice to have a slower season, given that the new magic that had manifested this season for her was still rather overwhelming. It was bad enough to be bombarded with emotions from all sides - it was harder still to hone her magic to focus in on one or two people who were closer to her. And, truthfully, she wasn't sure how she felt about such an invasion of privacy. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anything at all that she could do about it.
Most people who walked by her little booth were dismissive - that is, if they noticed her at all - but there was a pair wandering along who seemed less than thrilled with the other stalls set up nearby. Perhaps they would appreciate the type of reading that she could provide - and, if they would only wander a little closer, then she might be able to make that determination.
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Flora - 12-15-2024
[say]"You think in another life you'd have ever ended up doing that?"[/say] Flora wonders, freeing up her hand in order to slip it into Jack's back pocket as she leans comfortably against him. She can't imagine him with a crystal ball and a cheap smoke machine, but it doesn't seem out of the question to picture him on a path that led away from the water and into the heart of the Haulani where there was good money to be made for a telepath.
Still glancing through the various stalls, still looking for one that looked authentic rather than flashy, it was Alys herself rather than the booth she was seated at that grabbed the queen's attention. [say]"Hey!"[/say] Steering Jack toward the seer with a mixture of mental and physical nudging, the queen guided them over with a grin. [say]"Alys, right?"[/say] It had been years ago that she'd bumped into the seer while she'd been in Halo, and had it not been for all the gods-forsaken spiders covering everything in their webbing, Flora might have forgotten the encounter altogether.
[say]"You do readings?"[/say]
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Jack - 12-16-2024
[say]"Gods, I hope not,"[/say] Jack mutters with a scrunch of his nose, despite the rather lucrative picture that Flora paints for him in her mind. [say]"Waste of talent, wouldn't you say?"[/say] You know, given what he's been able to accomplish instead of reading people for shits and giggles. He's been considering moving on, taking another sip of his drink just as Flora all but herds him in a direction of one of the stalls, the captain forced to quicken his footsteps to keep up (given that she has her hand jammed in his pocket and all).
[say]"Y'know, knowin' the person who reads your fortune is a little biased,"[/say] he can't help but point out, scoffing and glancing to the seer in question, only for a flicker of a frown to pass across his face. With his telepathic demigod of a son kicking around Torchline, Jack's own block against power similar to his own is constantly up, but he feels himself passing a mental hand across that magical wall as if testing that there are no weaknesses. Just in case.
Jack has the following active:
Magic: Iron Mind | Blocks mastered-level telepathic magic at a range of 30ft. Completely effective if the user's END is greater than 30. At a range of 11-29 attackers can read the odd emotionally-charged surface level thought. A difference of less than 10 makes the block subject to a narrative battle of wills.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Alys - 12-16-2024
It took time to find the right sort of clients, but Alys had time in abundance today. She was more than happy to wait for passersby to decide that her drab little stall was worth checking out. Not that it was completely barren. She had a table draped with an ornate cloth and a couple of chairs set out for clients to sit in. There was even a small sign that identified her as a seer. But the over-the-top promises of the other fortune tellers were noticeably absent.
A voice greeted the seer, and she looked around to see a young woman towing a man over towards her stall. She vaguely recognized the young woman as Flora; they'd met some time ago, if she remembered correctly. [say]"Hello, Flora,"[/say] she said with a smile, picking up on something akin to satisfaction from the blonde and absolutely nothing from the man, which was an oddity in and of itself. [say]"Yes, I do. Would you like one? My treat,"[/say] she added. It was the least she could do for the Queen of Torchline, who had not-so-recently returned from the dead.
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Flora - 12-17-2024
[say]"You sure you want me to answer that?"[/say] Flora counters, as if holding her tongue will keep her thoughts at bay. Despite his rocky start and the years he'd spent forcing the world to let him through, she didn't think she was blinded by rose-coloured glasses in thinking that Jack's talents would be wasted doing just about anything that he didn't want to do.
[say]"Oh hush."[/say] The queen scolds affectionately, before flashing the seer a bright smile. [say]"Yeah, I would actually. This is Jack, by the way."[/say] Nodding toward the man whose back pocket her fingers were currently jammed inside, again Flora grins. Not that the Doubletake kept her playful affection a secret, while Jack had grown used to the colourful thorns and blossoms of the queen's thoughts, Alys would feel them as pulses of rose gold and lilac as Flora shot the captain a look over her shoulder.
[say]"We're dating,"[/say] she adds, if for no other reason than to be a shit.
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Jack - 12-17-2024
Giving Flora a gentle nudge with his hip for her trouble and opting for a no on letting her expand on that point, Jack hushes as asked and follows her over to the tent and the fortune teller. As he's introduced - not just by name, but as the man Flora is dating - he can't help but scoff out an affectionate laugh and reach for his cigarettes and matches. [say]"We're not,"[/say] he jokes, glancing at her hand in his pocket, [say]"she's just a really shit pickpocket."[/say]
Lighting a cigarette and shaking the match out, Jack inhales deeply on the smoke and steps a little closer to the Doubletake once he's certain that there are no ongoing shenanigans - or at least none that can break through his telepathic block, anyway. [say]"How does one become a fortune teller?"[/say] he wonders, also to be a shit.
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Alys - 12-19-2024
Alys focused in on Flora, unsurprised to find that the Queen was awash with affection. The seer smiled at Jack, who remained quite emotionless (which, honestly, was a bit of a relief). [say]"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack,"[/say] she said, laughter in her eyes at the captain's joke. Then, to answer his question: [say]"Luck, mostly. It takes a bit of skill to read the cards, but without people to read for, it's a bit of a useless occupation. I've been fortunate to find clients who value my abilities."[/say] She shrugged. The tarot wasn't for everyone, and that was fine. Alys had long since stopped being put out by those who didn't believe.
She wasn't sure whether these two truly wished for a reading or were just in it for the fun, but either way, she was happy to oblige. [say]"Please, sit,"[/say] she said, gesturing to two chairs on the opposite side of the table from her. [say]"Is there anything in particular you wish to know, or would you like a general reading? And are you looking for separate readings or for one reading as a couple?"[/say]
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Flora - 12-19-2024
[say]"How dare you!"[/say] Turning, Flora playfully swats at Jack's shoulder, before affectionately rolling her eyes. In a rom-com this was where she'd say something like, If I'm such a bad thief, how'd I manage to steal your heart? or something equally as cheesy, but having just come back from the dead, the queen's humour was still on the darker side of things.
Sliding into one of the seats and waiting for Jack to occupy the other, the Doubletake leans against Alys' little table, folding her fingers together and then resting her chin on them. [say]"Oh definitely a couple's reading."[/say] She answers before the captain has a chance to get a word in about how ThEy WeReNt A CouPle.
As for what she'd like to know? [say]"Well, you might have heard from that voice in everyone's heads that we died recently. Any idea if that'll happen again anytime soon?"[/say]
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Jack - 12-19-2024
[say]"How lucky for you indeed,"[/say] Jack quips to Alys as she explains her profession and the people who had helped her earn it, smirking meanwhile at Flora and feeling more than a little grateful that she'd swatted his shoulder rather than anywhere near his still healing torso. Wincing and dropping into the seat beside her nonetheless, his arm stretches casually about her and his eyes predictably drift to the ocean before he focuses back in on their fortune.
[say]"If you draw the death card, by the way, I'm out."[/say] Before he dies again of the irony, or perhaps purely because it hits a little too close to home, no matter how literal or metaphorical the meaning may be. But nevertheless, the captain is here, and for all of his conversations with the Doubletake about his concerns with seers at times, he seems relatively comfortable. For now.
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Alys - 12-20-2024
Alys selected a deck for the couple as she waited for a response. While she would normally ask a querent to select a deck, she'd found that couples had a tendency to choose different options, and so for a couples reading, she selected on their behalf. This one was themed in gold and black, and she'd found it better suited to couples readings than her usual decks. [say]"I did,"[/say] she said solemnly, beginning to riffle the deck. [say]"I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm glad to see you looking well, after such an ordeal."[/say]
After riffling a few times, she switched to an overhand shuffle, humming as she considered the query. [say]"I wish I could,"[/say] she said regretfully. [say]"But my cards rarely deal in absolutes. The future is ever changing. One small decision could change the course of your life and, therefore, any predictions offered by the cards. I could give advice on avoiding negative outcomes in your endeavors, but I cannot promise freedom from death. After all, it comes for most of us, eventually. I will do my best to avoid the Death card, though,"[/say] she added with a hint of a smile. Obviously, she had no control over what cards she drew, but she thought that perhaps a touch of a joke might dispel some of the disappointment that was sure to come next.
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Flora - 12-20-2024
Glancing affectionately over one shoulder at Jack, though the casual way he puts his arm around her likely looks just that way—casual—it's for that reason exactly that Flora's stomach flutters ever so slightly. [say]"Oh hush. The death card doesn't even really mean death,"[/say] the queen says confidently, before glancing at Alys with her eyebrows raised. [say]"Right?"[/say] Having grown up with a witch for a grandmother hadn't made her an expert in things like tarot, but she had learned enough to think that whatever the cards were, their meanings didn't boil down to just the words written upon them.
If nothing else the gold and black aesthetic was absolutely something she could get behind, as was the smooth way that Alys's fingers were able to manipulate the cards. [say]That's hot[/say], Flora thinks silently, without looking at Jack.
[say]"I know that one day we'll stay dead when we die, it'd just be nice to know if it was going to come sooner rather than later."[/say] She clarifies with a shrug. As for avoiding negative outcomes? Grinning, Flora chuckles under her breath. [say]"Nah that's too easy. What about..."[/say] Hazarding a glance at Jack over one shoulder, the queen's thoughts shimmer and shine with mischief. [say]"..can the cards say if we'll still be together in a year? Because I mean...if we aren't then I might as well pack up my things now, and if we are.."[/say] Her smile turns wicked as she eyes the captain, before looking back to Alys.
RE: it's true, swear, scouts honour - Jack - 12-22-2024
[say]"Whatever it means, havin' looked death quite literally in the face not too long ago, you'll forgive a man for not wantin' to repeat the experience."[/say] Scrunching his nose ever so slightly and watching with keen eyes used to seeing people count cards as Alys shuffles her deck, the captain can also appreciate the gilded gold and black design. And for as many thoughts that he can read from Flora, he can't respond to them verbally unless they are alone, so his approval and agreement comes in the form of a brief squeeze to her (uninjured) shoulder.
As the Doubletake's thoughts cool away from garnet and pick up the yellows and lilacs of mischief, he can only raise his eyebrows and turn his blue eyes away from Alys to gaze directly down at her. [say]"I don't need cards to tell me we'll still be together in a year, love,"[/say] he tells her boldly. She'd pulled the words I love you from Jack Barclay, and the captain is nothing if not meticulous with the things he cares about.