The Golden Faced Visitor (Rhiiii!)

[Anonymous]

It had been a while since he had last been here. Things had been different then, and he had been much different. Now he was changed, at least for this Line. Why he kept his disguise with him when travelling out of his own realm he didn't really know. However, he couldn't bring himself to care. He was going to have fun here, as a new man, as a new being, as a different personality. It was going to be rather amusing and fun in his opinion, and that's all that counted right now. The smell in the air wasn't altogether pleasant, but in a place that was a commercial port, you couldn't expect anything pleasant.

The salt air from the sea was mixing with all sorts of others. Deadfish, pitch and wet wood from ships, bilge water, people cooking and preparing ocean delicacies...it was alive, but it was at the same time mixing too much. He kept his comments to himself, but he could hear whispers all about him.

His clothes were not regular for this world. They were abstract. A double button up blazer, black with gold pinstripes. A slight bit of gold colour was underneath that coat, it was his long sleeved gold coloured shirt. He wore a black tie tucked into his coat, one could faintly see the golden ivy print running along the tie. He wore black slacks, matching the blazer of course so it also had pinstripes on it. He wore a hat, a fedora with a white band around the base, with another set of golden ivy print. There were two strange things...well...even stranger things. The first was the golden mask he wore. It had no eye sockets, it had no nose holes or even a mouth slot. People have no trouble hearing him from behind the mask curiously. It has a beautiful shine to it, the lustre of the gold making it all the more beautiful.

He walked calmly, upon his feet nothing more than a pair of thatch reed sandals. That was by far the most interesting aspect about this strange man. A gentle hand went to the back of his head to scratch absently at the short golden blond hair. Despite the mask with no eyes that he wore, he had no trouble navigating where he went. This was about adventure now, this was not about finding old contacts, whether they lived still or not.

He was curious to meet some new people, and to see what powers there might be enclosed in this world. Something caught his ear however.

"It's old wive stuff you know. She just looks at your palm and makes a bunch of stuff up." He heard one man say. His attention was focused on the young man, who appeared to be a sailor. "She said we had encountered a storm before getting into port, and that when we left here again it would be clear skies!" Another sailor protested. "Of course you idiot, she lives here! She probably had the storm come inland, and usually there isn't another after that!" His friend tried to convince him. "She said I'd meet a beautiful lady at the next port." The sailor stubbornly was holding onto his belief it seemed. "You always meet a lady in any port. And they're always beautiful after you've had a couple." The young man in the mask chuckled quietly to himself. A fortune teller. That sounded like a right bit of amusement to him actually. Along his pale rose lips a smile came to light, though no one could really see it.

Sometimes the mask was a burden, but this Line he was supposed to wear it, and he would not dare defy it. That would be a mistake, a grave one he could not afford he was afraid.

He decided to stop the two sailors however, to discover the location of the supposed fortune teller. "Gentlemen, if I might interrupt your conversation." He must have looked a natural oddity to them, but they grunted to know they didn't really mind. "I was wondering perhaps if you could point me int he direction of this fortune teller of yours." He asked as he held an empty hand up. However as he turned it around, a silver coin was there, dancing between the slots of his fingers. "Down the street." One of them said, licking his lips greedily as he eyed the coin. "Her shop is attached to her house, it really isn't hard to find from there. It's got a sign or something." The other side. The young man smiled politely before he handed a coin to each of them. It was apparent that he had been spinning two in his fingers, and not just one. They each took them with impassioned greed and he began to walk again.

Simple men, of simple pleasures, he quite liked that actually. Men like that asked few questions, did what they were told, and remember little about your passing. Not that he planned much trouble of course, he was but an observer of the mortals. His scope of mortality was quite large of course, but he dared make little mention of it. He decided to continue on his way, a copper coin in his fingers, dancing along the slots as he moved his fingers with dexterity to have it flip from side to side. He had found the error of using a gold coin long ago. Some people were rude and greedy he found. The question was...what sort of person was this fortune teller? Did she have some gift...

Or was she just a woman who knew how to manipulate. Oh the possibilities. Would he denounce her fraudulance, or would he simply punish her in some abstract way? Punish? That wasn't his usual demeanour. Perhaps acting the "Father" of the mobbish "family" in his own realm was getting to him. He began to wander, ever alert for this strange fortune teller's shop and home.

[Rhindeer]

Iris' home was a simple, modest one located just off of the main marketplace. It was two levels, the bottom dedicated to her shop while the upper one served as her living quarters. That morning she rose just like every other morning, bathed, ate, and dressed for the day. She pulled her thick white hair into a long, simple braid, decorated it with a lilac ribbon she was told went well with her hair, for she was told her bangs were also lilac, and accented a few random strands of hair with some tiny beads and bells. Iris liked the sound they made, which was also why she piled on the bracelets and anklets and necklaces.

In her mind, she made music whenever she walked. To other people, well...they would always know when she was coming.

It was handy for her purposes, though. She had been blind since birth, her milky blue eyes and unfocused stare a dead giveaway, so it helped let other people know she was there.

When she was done and dressed and ready for the day, she made her way downstairs and went about setting up shop. She set a couple sticks of incense to burn, laid out her deck of cards, set a kettle of tea on the stove, and ran a quick inventory. In addition to providing card reading, palmistry, and scrying, she also sold a variety of teas, incenses, bones, precious stones, and blessed charms among other eccentric odds and ends. She made good business here. They got a lot of sailors and foreigners here that ate that stuff up--and even some of the skeptics liked to purchase something as a souvenir, just because it was so strange.

Once everything was properly in place, Iris found her sign by the door, felt along the wood to make sure it was the right side, and then opened the door and hung it out on a nail by the window. Open, it said. Hanging above her door was another sign she'd had a friend make for her, painted in bold shades of violet and blue and decorated with bright golden stars and moons. The letters were swirly--mysterious is what she was going for. Madame Iris' Psychic Services. She'd come up with the name herself.

Now it was just a matter of waiting and seeing what kind of business she got today.

In the meantime, she sat down on the steps in front of her home and shop, enjoying the warm sunlight beaming down on her tanned skin and the wonderful smell of fresh salty air. You stopped noticing the fishy smell after you'd lived here long enough.

It felt like it was going to be a lovely day.

[Anonymous]

She had very little idea about the impending power that was going to run rampant through her home didn't she? A good fortune teller should always start their day by telling their own fortune first. Of course, those who didn't believe in what they did...well, they would see no point to it. Those who had some talent, some skill, those who had the actual power to see or know the future, they would have seen him coming. A blind woman running a scam from her house though, scaring fishermen and bored housewives with tales of mystery and the future. There was going to be a lot of fun to be had however.

His steps were true as he found his way through Cerenis, finally coming along to the right place. There was a very obvious sign above the door. He stood not far from the house, clearly being able to read from there, staring at the sign. Though, if anyone could see his eyes, or if he had them, his gaze was directed at the golden stars and moons.

For a moment he just stared at it, holding the copper coin in his hand before he looked upward at the sky. "It is almost as if someone is up there, thinking that they are funny." A brief chuckle passed his lips. "I understand, visitor in your lands. Think nothing of me." He did not know if this world had any physical Gods, any real powers, but if there were, he wanted to ensure that he was not angering them. His presence was not meant to be by any means invasive and intrusive to their power. He didn't want to overthrow them, denounce them, insult them. Well, maybe one of them, but he wasn't sure she was really a Goddess. That however, was in the past, one that for the moment had been forgotten by a few of the participants.

That made him feel a little better about the whole thing.

There was a whole new life to be had now.

He decided to approach with conviction in his steps. There was a woman sitting out front of the place, she was dressed in a most bizarre fashion. He would not be able to complain or make comment, for his fashion was what they would call bizarre. The golden shielded mask over his face, held in place by leather straps that circled around the back of his head, was the most interesting thing he had...in his mind anyway.

Some might say his bizarre suit, the tie he wore, anything rally that wasn't a native fashion of this world. Still, he was enjoying the looks that he was getting from everyone. Oh how he loved the looks that he got from people. It was honestly nice, but people didn't look at him like they used to, when he dressed more like a priest of sorts. He still wore a blindfold, but nothing as extravagant as his current mask.

He stopped in front of the woman, having made very little noise as he approached. He looked down at her, or at least, his mask tilted downward to stare at her. He suddenly flipped the coin in his hand, the brass noise resonating as it flipped through the air before coming down into his hand. "Madame Iris' Psychic Services. You must be Madame Iris..." He made sure not to stand too close to her, he didn't want her to get startled and accidentally knock him over or some silly thing. He could see the blindness of her eyes, and almost felt...pity for her. She was however, going to be tested today by a higher power.

"But you look more like a Miss Iris if you do not mind me saying so." This Vec was a lot more...open with feelings, he was still a reserved man, but he was by no means chaste and as humble as he used to be. No, this was a whole new Vec...and this was a whole new world.

"I have travelled far to find a lady of your talents, as such, I was hoping I could get you to use your gifts to tell me the future in store for me. I am willing to pay whatever fees there might be." Throwing around the word money in a world such as this one...it made people show their real forms, show their true selves usually. It all depended on the type of person, and he was eager to learn just what type of person this woman was.

[Rhindeer]

"Oh!" Iris jumped when a man spoke from close in front of her, but quickly recovered. Gah! She hadn't heard him approach, but he wasn't supposed to know that! She smoothed out her features and lifted her chin up to face him, smiling. "Ya startled me. Yer early," she said, rising to her feet, brushing off her skirts, and adjusting her shawl. She couldn't help snorting when he called her a 'miss'. It was accurate, young and unmarried as she was, but 'miss' didn't sound nearly as worldly and mystical as madame. Who visited a fortuneteller with miss for a title? No one, that's who!

"That's very flatterin', thank you," was all she said on that, waving a hand dismissively and turning to start up the stairs to her shop. "An' I shan't disappoint! Fer what I offer, my fairs are cheap, unlike those old hacks that practically charge ya a first-born son. I have a gift an' a duty to serve the world. I ask only fer one silver glint per readin'. A woman's gotta eat, see? Now come in, come in! The future waits for no one."

Iris paused before her door and opened it, the heavy scent of incense wafting out. She lead the way inside, the room dark save for the candles lighting it, giving it a nice, mystic atmosphere. At least, that's what the friend who'd helped her decorate said. The furniture within was simple--in fact, apart from several bookcases where she stored both tools and merchandise, there was only a small table in the center, carved from an old tree stump. Surrounding it were plush, tasseled floor pillows for sitting, all dyed in vibrant hues. Like many of the items in her shop, they were from Thanatos.

Upon the table was a deck of cards and, for theatrical purposes alone, a crystal ball--made of glass. At the far end of the room was a small hearth, keeping the room warm and cozy and boiling a kettle of tea.

Iris fluffed out her skirts and settled down on one of the pillows.

"Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing, "and tell me a little about yerself, yer name at least an' what questions ya would like answered. I can see what's to come, but I'm not blessed with retrocognition I'm afraid. I can say that ya did well to come, though. I sense a tumultuous future in store fer ya..."

[Anonymous]

Under that golden mask of his, he couldn't help but smile to himself. That was adorable. She seemed very...convinced even, he had to give her that. She was very good at lying, but she wasn't dealing with some simple housewife or half-drunk sailor. He decided to simply let it go, she was the 'fortune teller' after all. He was simply the customer. "Many apologies, I hurried." He decided to go with that, help her out a little bit. He could just as easily ask her specific questions, like what he was wearing, that sort of thing. She was blind after all, any idiot could see that. It would just be cruel really.

"But of course." He followed after her as she started toward the inside of her shop. "My, that is cheap, I am fairly impressed Miss Iris." Would she know his name? Would she know who he was? Did she have such a gift. This was going to be such an interesting little trip. He couldn't wait to find out everything about this woman. It was fun to find out if people were real or if they were frauds.

Unless you believe that the future is made by you and is not predetermined. Vec thought to himself, a coy smile hidden on his face. It also had to do with the fact that Vec was not of this world. Even if there were predetermined fates, he would not be part of it. He was an outsider, literally, a complete outsider from a place that was not in the influence of the Gods here. Whether there were Gods here, he had yet to find out. One day he might even try praying and seeing if he can contact one. Stranger things had happened after all.

Vec's footsteps were quiet and light as he followed her. The heavy scent of incense might have made a weaker man cough or clear his throat, but he simply ignored it. He would admit that for a blind woman she had the right idea for a dramatic atmosphere. Candles, incense, a very mystical atmosphere really. The amount of pillows around the tree stump however made his soul jump. Pillows. Vec had to steel himself as he saw them, he had a thing for pillows, and they were so colourful as well, which made him feel a little upbeat. Maybe he wouldn't be so harsh on the woman...but at the same time...there could be so much fun.

Vec took a seat as directed, unbuttoning the lower button on his coat so he could sit better, his legs crossing carefully. The suit was made for flexibility, but he still didn't want to rip his pants or anything like that, it would be terrible. "Where I am from, they call me Vec Elehandru Lanrete. Vec is just fine of course. As for questions...well...there are some things that worry me." And now the lies would start. Oh how fun this was going to be. Lying was just like story telling, and he could do both very well. "My uncle is a nobleman from Serendipity, up in the wester highlands. He is a good man, but unfortunately he was never able to make our Aunt give him a child. He is dying sadly, and he has chosen my cousin and myself as heirs. However, our birthdays are so close to each other, and we unfortunately do not have a very good calender system...so he sent us on a quest. There is a trinket out there however, one he said he saw some time ago. A small puzzlebox, with some strange bauble within it." It wasn't that complex of a lie, a fight for succession of a minor throne, and a quest for a simple thing.

"He described the object as a box, about as big as a man's fist, made from steel, with intricate little designs on it. It had pieces that slide around on the face of each steel side, and one had to solve each face to find the treasure within. I need to know where it is, or where it is going to be. Even a direction, a village description, a city name." His tones were almost desperate, he made it sound like he needed it, like he had to have it at all costs. "I fear if my cousin finds it, he will ruin the lands and destroy the good name that my uncle created."

[Rhindeer]

That was different.

Usually when people came to visit her, they were pretty predictable: young men and women who wanted to know what sort of romance was in store for them, what their future lover would be like, when they would find them, if it would be a true and lasting love. Typical stuff. Or they might want to know if they come into more money, live a long life...they were all very generic and thus easy to whip up an equally generic and broad answer for.

This, however, was awfully specific.

This also sounded rather serious.

It gave Iris pause for all of two seconds as the empathic, moral side of her brain struggled with the issue. This wasn't flippant lovey-dovey nonsense. Serendipity nobleman? Ruin the lands? Iris may not have believed in this fortune-teller mumbo-jumbo, but she was raised in Adela and try as she might, she couldn't quite shake the superstition. What if he was serious? She could always just make up some story that sent him over to the next fortune-teller (whether the other ones were legit or not, she didn't know or care) so it could be their moral burden and not hers...

But then the con-artist side kicked in, the side of Iris that had traveled and worked with thieves and con-artists since she was old enough to walk. It wasn't her problem. It was his problem and fault for putting all his hopes and trust into something most people did out of curiosity and amusement. Nope. Not her issue. Besides, wasn't like she'd be in Serendipity for long. Her feet would start aching for travel, her crew was due to get back together after laying low for a bit, and as soon as that happened she would be out of the country and away from any doom that was due to happen because she'd sent someone on a fool's mission.

With that off her chest, she set to doing what she did best.

Plastering a reassuring smile on her lips, she stood and made her way over to the hearth with practiced steps. Everything in her home and shop was set up to precision, everything in its rightful place and measured by her own feet. She pulled a wide tea cup down from a shelf above, set it on a little platter, and picked then up the kettle, tipping it over the cup and pouring the steaming liquid in. "That sounds terribly serious," she said, hovering a finger over the cup to judge its fullness. When her finger just brushed the surface, she pulled it back and flicked the droplet off.

"And yer lucky ya came, fer I know just the remedy. Here, drink this. Mind the leaves," she instructed, walking back over and handing him the platter and tea. "When you've drained it to the dregs, tip it over onto the platter an' give it back."

[Anonymous]

Always throwing them a curve.

Vec enjoyed being unpredictable. He also wanted to convey a sense of immediate need with this particular story. People who were fakes, who were phonies and frauds would slip up when there was an immense amount of trouble on the horizon. Indeed, those in practice would surely remember to keep themselves as calm as possible, and to not let themselves get involved heavily into the matter presented before them. However, people who were greedy, people who saw the opportunity...they wouldn't resist it. This woman wasn't resisting, she wasn't even trying it seemed like.

A talented con-artist was still an artist, and an artist would be able to keenly get themselves out this situation. It would be quick, and it wouldn't make him suspicious. Perhaps she would speak a more suited person for the task, or lead him astray with some talk. Vec was good at reading people, and this woman was going to take his money and try to lead him astray. "Very serious." Vec agreed as he watched her with the tea kettle, rather impressed by her abilities. If he didn't know she was blind, he'd almost accuse of her lying about her malady. However, it was fairly obvious her sight was gone...he had ways of seeing after all.

Under that mask of his, he smiled. Strange and odd woman, she didn't know what she had asked him to do. While Vec had ways of simply...drinking and eating without taking off his mask...there was only one way for him to properly drink tea. "Of course, thank you." He took the platter from her and sat it on his lap. Then he removed his hat, and reached around to the back of his head. Slowly...he undid the straps, one by one, pulling the perfect leather through the metal buckles until each one was undone. Then, he pulled the mask from his face.

What was underneath was not a monster, was not a man of unerring cruelty and tricks. It was not the face of a man who wished ill-will upon others, who made his life on murder and crime. He looked so...pure and innocent, his face so soft and kind, his blond hair framing his boyish face, his young good looks absolutely off for the way he spoke and acted.

What was however, most disturbing and off about this man...was his eyes. They did not exist, not in any sense that a mortal could understand. Instead, a light, so strong and so pure, emanating from swirling pools of soft gold and white simply extended forth from his sockets. Such a terrible light it was however, the light of a soul, of a strange soul, so far from home, and so imbued with power was this light. He looked calm as he took the tea cup and raised it to his small, pale rose coloured lips, and sipped it. This light was upon Iris, as if a spotlight had been placed upon her.

He made no attempt to hold back, no attempt to stop the magic of the light, which would cause extreme feelings of guilt, even in those who barely, if they didn't feel it at all. There was no point in holding back now, there was no point in trying to conceal his power from her. A different Vec might be calm, he might be amused, but no...not now. He felt vengeance, he felt anger, he felt emotions that the old Vec simply could not. Was he drawn to it? Of course, what man wouldn't be? As these emotions gave a man such power, such control, and such dominance.

"Tell me Ms. Iris," He sipped at the tea once more. "Do you really intend on leading me to my prize?"

[Rhindeer]

"Of course I do. That's my job, helpin' people. Ain'tcha been listenin'?" Iris answered with a smile, and poured herself a cup of tea. "'Course, I know it must be hard to believe, seers an' all that, 'specially when ya got so much at stake. But rest easy."

When she was finished, she took her seat at the table again and took a sip of her drink. She had heard Vec fiddling with something but couldn't place what, and she heard him drink, but unfortunately for Vec (and fortunately for Iris) she seemed oblivious to his light show.

Which she very much was.

Iris was completely blind, unable to even register light. She could feel it sometimes, if the light produced heat like sunlight, but she still couldn't see it. Her world since birth had been enveloped in blackness and that was the only color she knew.

Setting her cup down on the table and folding her hands, Iris stared straight ahead at him, eyes blank and not really looking at him, but rather through him. "Have ya finished yer tea yet?"

[Anonymous]

She was not affected.

Most people would be...probably quite angry that one of their greatest tricks didn't WORK. It was hard to understand, the light of his soul, not working on her, but it also actually made him sort of happy. It meant she would be a challenge. It meant that he might actually have to do something about all this. He could only smile pleasantly at this outcome. It was rather fun actually. "Good, I would hate to have my terrible cousin rule and ruin what is essentially a good and kind place to live." Not a falter or a waver in his voice, he just continued to speak as he would have had he not removed his mask. Still, there was a little disappointment that it hadn't worked of course, but he hid that well.

Not only would have to stay around to make this woman into a first class liar and a cheat, but he'd also have to study her. Blindness shouldn't have saved her, but for whatever reason it had. Maybe his light was working differently this time...but...for now, he would have fun researching. Always working as it were.

"Yes, of course. Just let me tip it." And so he did, turning it onto the platter and setting it down in front of her. "It is right beside your tea cup Miss Iris." How much fun this would be! Vec moved a little bit, getting comfortable. He stretched out, lounging on his side like a bored noble. The other Vec would have never done this...the other Vec would have been sat up straight. However, this was more comfortable for the time being. He wanted to see this blind woman read tea leaves.

[Rhindeer]

"Thank ya kindly," Iris said, oblivious that anything was going on beyond scamming some fool. She felt along the table carefully until her fingers brushed the edge of Vec's platter, and then she slid it in front of her and lifted the cup off of it and set it aside. "Don't need this anymore," she murmured as she worked, and then it was time to do what she did best.

Lie.

Her fingers lightly felt along the platter, feeling each small clump of dregs and leaves while doing her best not to disturb any. Working counter-clockwise, she stopped on one clump and studied it with her fingertips.

"Hmm...it  appears we got an oyster," she said at last, brow furrowed in concentration. "Very interestin'. Yer a man of high tastes an' class. The oyster is also a sign that you will surely enjoy your pleasures in th' future, though not so much in the immediate one. Ya gotta be patient an' you'll find yer riches. Th' oyster is also of the sea an', well, here ya are, eh?" she smiled. "This is a good omen. Ya were meant to come here."

She moved along, ignoring a few small and orphaned dregs, then paused again over another clump. "A knife," she said. "A sign of quarrels an' bitterness. You've made an enemy in yer cousin an' yer journey will not be an easy one."

She didn't have to go far. The next clump was right next to that one. "A box. This one is closed. This is a wonderful sign fer ya, m' dear, as this means that you will soon find that which you've lost. Oh!" A gasp escaped her when her fingers felt along the next one, right at the top of the plate, the very last clump. "A fish, even better! I believe this is yer sign an' a most wonderful one at that! Th' fish means news from abroad."

With a grin, Iris sat back and wiped her fingers off on a nearby cloth. "I believe yer treasure is overseas."

[Anonymous]

While she was busy with the tea, he was conjuring up his own glass of tea. Hers was nice, but the dregs weren't his favourite. Perhaps he was used to tea bags, where there was very little if any leaves that escaped. This was a simple thing to do though, he created a very spartan cup filled with some jasmine tea inside of it. He barely listened to her as she spoke, but instead quietly drank his tea. Very quietly. He knew she probably had good hearing, so he was absolutely quiet about it.

He didn't want her to be confused after all.

Vec would admit that this woman was somewhat good at this whole thing. She obviously had some practise, and she was doing kinda good at this whole thing. Saying such smart things...like how there was trouble...but there would be reward. "Yes, I knew this was a smart idea." Vec said absently, rather amused by the whole spiel. She was a silly thing, and he could see how much...fun there could be had with her.

"Really? Across the seas then? My...it seems there is good fortune here." He took a sip of his new tea before setting it down, causing it to disappear like it was being blown away by an unknown wind. "Good for you of course. By the time I get back, you would probably be gone by then." Vec straightened up and smiled. "You know, I thought you would be rather terrible at this. You actually are quite good at this. Very smart of you to direct me across the seas though, make sure you have plenty of time to move." Vec gave a short chuckle as he crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap.

"I'm afraid however, that I was hired by the captain of the guard." He started to speak a little sternly, though his face looked relaxed. Not that she could see of course. "There were a lot of reports from sailors abroad about a fortune teller who apparently wasn't very good at predicting the future." He slipped his vernacular into something more relaxed, though detesting the use of contractions, it was necessary. He had to not act like a lord, and act more like...someone who was hired to sniff out a rat like her.

"It's funny really, I actually ran into a fortune teller who told me to 'look for the woman who couldn't see beyond the veil, or beyond the darkness of her eyes.' I don't believe in all that nonsense personally, but I think this person seemed to know more than I could have hoped for."

[Rhindeer]

For a couple seconds, Iris thought she was okay. She had bluffed her way through yet another reading, he would be gone soon, and her purse would be just a little fuller.

Then his tone changed completely and her heart plummeted as cold fingers of dread gripped her by the throat.

He knew. He'd figured it out. He'd known before he even came here.

He'd been hired.

"Wh...what're ya talkin' 'bout?" Iris' finally croaked, cloudy, sightless eyes going wide. Hired by the captain of the guard? Now, she knew fraudulent fortune-telling could potentially anger a client if they ever found out, but the law? She hadn't known it was a grave enough offense to attract the attention of the captain of the guard[! She scooted back on her cushion a little and groped for her staff, yanking it into her lap. While she didn't intend to use it on some hired soldier--she wouldn't stand a chance, and she didn't want to face the penalties--it made her feel a little safer just being there.

Okay, Iris. She just needed to keep a calm head, take deep breaths...

"I'm jus' a fortune-teller, sir," she whimpered, and she didn't try to keep the fear out of her voice. It was genuine fear, all right--but she also hoped it would earn her some mercy. After all, she was blind and harmless and helpless.

"I only tell what th' spirits an' th' cosmos tell me an' any fortune-teller worth their salt knows th' future ain't written in stone! When ya know th' future, ya can change it! If their future didn't pan out, it's 'cause they altered it themselves! Please, sir, I ain't done nothin' wrong. I never intended to upset anyone. I jus' report what I'm told...I'm jus' a messenger..."

[Anonymous]

It was almost like she thought she had gotten away with this.

How wrong she really was though.

Vec was good at these sorts of fabrications. He knew full well that a blind person could develop their other senses to super humans levels, and there were fluctuations that happened with things like lying or telling the truth. He could manipulate those little bits though, changing tone and pitch so it sounded like he wasn't making any of this up. He was of course, but he just had to make her think like it was the truth. It was better that she couldn't see his face, or the entire guise would be ruined. That was the hard part, making your facial expressions match, but in this case there wasn't a need to!

She however...was not so good at it.

Her voice, her expression, even grabbing something comforting like her staff, which as a blind person she probably very much cared for and adored. He didn't think she'd lash at him with it, but he would keep some magic in the palm of his hand just in case. He could always throw a shield in her way to stop her, and she'd be none the wiser now would she?

"You're a liar, a damned fraud who does nothing more than take money from people can blather on some bullshit tale to them. You've told sailors that they would encounter clear skies and still waters! Do you know how dangerous that is? You're a messenger who made all the letters herself." Vec told her as he slowly stood up and began to fashion something in the air. This was going to be fun actually! It was something that these people wouldn't develop for a little while no doubt, but it was something that she would know personally. She'd encounter a man who wielded one before. Slowly...the weapon came to shape, solidifying into the solid construction of a six shooter pistol. He'd be careful to destroy it afterwards, he couldn't let the locals get their hands on this.

"I don't think there's really anything that can get you out of this." He told her as he took the gun from the air and circled around her. With an almost childlike grin on his face he stopped behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder and crouching down as he touched the cold steel to her neck. "But...ah reckon tha' you could tell me tha name of the man who used this weapon." And with silence in the air, he pulled the hammer back, the unmistakable sound of the weapon loading and locking into place, ready to be fired.

[Rhindeer]

"A-an' they did!" Iris said, panic rising and fingers clutching her staff in a white-knuckled grip. "They did get their clear skies! But no one ever asked 'how long'! Please, sir..."

Oh gods help her. While Iris was Serenian by blood, she was Adelan-raised and while she had some knowledge of Serendipity's laws (all the better to know which ones she could subvert and which ones could wind her up in a load of trouble) she didn't know them all and had no idea this was apparently some grave offense. Nothing to get her out of this one? What did that mean?

There was a note of ominous finality in his voice that made her pulse race and her palms grow damp. No, but he couldn't mean...she hadn't realized she'd been doing anything that bad! When she worked with her troupe, oh, she could pick-pocket with the best of them, but here she had been doing mostly-honest work. Mostly. Because fortunetelling and being wrong wasn't a crime, was it?

"Please, sir, I didn't know!" she pleaded, voice trembling along with the rest of her body. She could hear him walking closer, off to the side of her, around her, and her muscles tensed and her shoulders hunched as she strained to listen for his whereabouts and prepare for whatever was to come. In times like these, she wished she could see so she knew what he was doing--which was made all the worse because her imagination filled in the gaps.

It didn't have to, this time.

Suddenly he was behind her and Iris jerked and gave a small shriek of fright when he touched her shoulder--and then she felt it, something cold and metallic against her neck. She gasped and went stock still, eyes widening and breath catching in her throat. A knife? No, it felt too blunt. She tried to lean away from it, but found her muscles had locked in terror and she couldn't move, body shaking and heart hammering in her chest.

Then he spoke, and her blood ran cold, and suddenly it dawned on her just what that was against her skin.

Click.

It was a sound she would never forget.

"V-Vortex!" Iris choked out, and it was practically a sob. A gun. It was a gun. That thing Vortex had used to kill those people, and it took was one hit. Oh gods. Tears welled up in her eyes and she buried her face in her hands. "His name was Vortex! Please, don' hurt me! Lemme go, please!"

[Anonymous]

Her incessant wailing was just starting to annoy him a little bit. However he was feeling incredibly devious and was rather enjoying this little plan of his. He felt bad, to some degree, because he was still Vec deep down inside. He was a different Vec though now, a much more...fun Vec in some ways. This blind little woman was quite interesting, and he wanted to test her mettle at this point.

See how far she'd go perhaps.

No one would hear her scream of course, he had made sure of that earlier. Originally he had different plans for her, thinking she was really just a terrible scammer, but with how good she really was...well it was always nice to be surprised wasn't it? Now he just wanted to see what he could get away with, what he could do before she really started to fight him.

While Vortex's dialect was usually quite annoying at time, it was sometimes fun to lapse into. The woman seemed to remember the sound of a gun's hammer, and that was good...that was very good. That means she would remember just how powerful it really was. She even seemed incredibly scared didn't she? "Let you go? That's just not in the stars. But maybe you can make your own fate. What'd you be willing to do for me if I didn't pull the trigger right now...if I perhaps...said that I couldn't find that ill-fated fortune teller." Vec asked her quietly as his free hand began to slowly rub her arm, up and down.

He wanted to see how far she'd go to stay alive. Would she be willing to degrade herself then? Would she give up her body for the chance to run. Vec would never go through with it...but he was going to find out either way. Some people had principals after all...and some people didn't, and would do anything they could to save their skin. How far would she go then?

Oh this was going to be fun.

[Rhindeer]

Iris shuddered as he rubbed her arm and tried to edge away from his hand, but she didn't dare move too much, or too suddenly. Not with that weapon against her neck. Her skin crawled under his touch and he was far, far too close and all she could do was silently pray to the gods to help her.

"Take whatever ya want!" she said, and fished around in the folds of her skirt for her coin purse, untying the strings. She fumbled it in her haste and nervousness, hands shaking too badly, and nearly knocked her cup and saucer off the table when she set it there. "Here. Take it! Take anythin' ya want. Th' crystal ball alone'd fetch ya something!" Never mind that it was glass--but it was genuine Essyrni glass.

"Anythin', its yers. Jus' please, lemme go. I'll leave here, I will. I didn't do nothin' wrong, I didn't know..." She certainly hadn't known reading fortunes, even fraudulently, was a crime worthy of a death-sentence...

One thought lead to another and she was suddenly hyper-aware of the cold metal at her neck, the memory of those two deaths only months back, and then she couldn't even try to hold back her tears.

[Anonymous]

She understood.

She of course was trying to leave that particular option for no doubt the very last thing. It was cute really, and she was really...really trying to do anything to stop him wasn't she? Vec found it admirable really, but he wasn't going to really stop until she offered what she would feel most disgusted by. Another one of those little tests of will, tests of strength and character. Already she had failed...and sold out Vortex to him...who had done nothing but want to save her.

Perhaps that what irked him the most. Vortex had only wanted to save her, to protect her, to be her hero...and she had done nothing but spurn him, and then she had sold him out. Did she know what Vec had planned to do to Vortex? No, not in the least. Would Iris be incredibly surprised by the new Vortex that would soon venture to find her? Oh yes. It would be interesting to see...but that was in the uncertain future...he was focused more on the present.

"Anything you say? Anything I want to take..." Vec's voice sounded sinister as as he moved his hand up to the shoulders, to the garment she was wearing. "Why don't you start taking these off then and I can have what I want. After all...you said anything. You wouldn't be lying to me would you? Because if you are...I might have to correct that. I don't like hitting women...but I will if they've lied to me." He told her as he roughly jabbed her in the back with the gun's barrel. This was...absolutely interesting.

How far would she go.

"What's it going to be criminal? Should I take you in to the captain, where you'll face time in the dungeon...or will you strip those clothes off?" The choice was all hers...and he really wanted to see where her morals would stand...where she would stand with all of this. It was a very fascinating little study, and it was definitely helping to pass the time.

[Rhindeer]

Iris couldn't help but cringe as he touched her shoulder and she flinched away from his touch--and her stomach flipped sickeningly when he spoke. So that's what he was after. She cried out when he jabbed her in the back and she wrapped her arms protectively around herself, fighting to think clearly through the haze of fear.

Strip off her clothes or face time in a dungeon? Somehow, she didn't think it would end at stripping down, or that doing so would even save her from prison. She wasn't even sure it would end even if she refused. But while she was willing to bargain with her possessions, she drew the line at her dignity, her body, and her life.

She had pride. Even if she had nothing else, she had that, and that was all she needed. He couldn't get her to surrender that.

It took every last bit of willpower and courage that she possessed to speak after all that he had threatened. "Throw me to th' dungeon, then," she said through her tears, voice thick and choked and barely above a hoarse whisper, "'Cause tha's one thing ya can't have." She drew a shuddering breath. "An' may th' gods forgive ya, fer yer makin' a mistake..."

[Anonymous]

How far was she willing to go? She compromised her morals once after all...it was long ago of course when she decided to become a fake fortune teller but it was still a compromise wasn't it? Vec wanted to see just how far she would go to save her own skin. It was a really classic situation honestly, a woman who was being blackmailed, who was being forced to choose...well it made him giddy just thinking about what may happen. Deep down, he'd never go through with it...well...maybe. Nah, she'd probably cry the whole way through, and though he was a changed man that really ruined the mood.

Vec was actually impressed when she said that she'd rather face the dungeon. How amazing was it to hear that? It was a death sentence to go there of course, she'd die in it, and yet she'd still want to go. If he wasn't keeping the charade up he'd have applauded her. Not yet though, but he would soon.

"Standing up to a man with a gun and sight...that is definitely worth noting." Vec murmured quietly as he removed the gun from her back. He slowly lowered the hammer with his thumb and began to chuckle quietly. The gun soon disappeared, turning back into sunlight and golden dust that faded and disappeared. "I was expecting you to actually give in but...this is quite a treat. A real treat." Vec stood and went back to the other side of the table to take a seat, once more putting his mask back on. "I had to test if you were real or fraudulent...the answer is now obvious...pity really." Vec sighed as he stretched his arms and legs, wondering if she would be very confused right now.

"I bet you would like to hit me right about now, or throw tea at my face...or a cup." Vec made sure to make a little shield between the two of them. He did not want to have anything bad happen to himself after all! No no no, he had to ensure that he'd leave here in one piece. If he decided to leave. This woman was going to get herself killed of course, a blind fake fortune teller...oh yes, he'd seen this before.

Didn't end very well.

[Rhindeer]

Even as she felt him remove the gun (which she had no way of knowing was no longer a danger), Iris braced herself, expecting the violence he'd threatened her with.

The pain and violence never came, but she was still trembling as he spoke, and only half understood what he was saying. She heard and processed the words just fine; they just made no sense.

"No," she answered when he said she must want to hit him, shaking her head and rubbing at her red eyes.

Throwing things at him and incurring his wrath was the last thing she wanted to do, and she was far too frightened to be angry. This was a man who had just turned an average day in what was a pleasantly unremarkable life into a nightmare.

She had trusted him, the same way she trusted any client, the same way she trusted most people to be good rather than psychopathic killers. She had let him into her home, given him the services he had asked, but he had done it only so he could trick her, and then threaten her with imprisonment, rape, and death. And all for what? Some sadistic test? Why? Because it was fun for him? Some kind of sick pleasure? So he could see how a woman like her would react when her back was up against the wall and she was scared out of her mind and then call it a 'treat' when she apparently passed...whatever it was?

She didn't understand. She didn't want to understand.

She just wanted to feel safe again.

"I jus' wantcha to leave. Please..."