It was a rare thing for Daniel to be out of the Cafe this early in the evening, but he was trying slowly reduce the number of hours he spent there. Once they'd moved to that house all the way on the other side of the city, he'd more or less decided to work only half-days or so. The restaurant was doing well enough now that he didn't have to do all the cooking himself, and that meant more free time than usual.
Today, he just left a few hours early and decided to take a walk down to the Inn. He turned onto the path that lead to the porch, crossing that distance quickly before clearing the steps with a casual hop. He pulled open the door and paused for a moment, nostrils flaring as he took in the scents rolling out of the room. For once there wasn't a familiar one among them. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, then made his way up to the bar, wondering if any of the myriad people behind it was actually tending. Someone was making tea, too. His nose lead him unerringly towards it, and he paused on the other side of the bar from the small blonde pouring herself some. "Mind if I have some of that?" he asked.
The girl looked up and gave him a smile. ?It's tea. Orange pekoe.?
"It smells quite good,? Daniel answered.
She dug out another mug and a tea bag, plunking it into the mug before pouring hot water in. Then she slid it across to the man who'd ordered it. She followed it reluctantly with Mr. Honey Bear.
"No thank you," he said, regarding the honey. He accepted the mug of tea, though, nodding appreciatively. The girl nodded and took Mr. Honey Bear back, setting him down next to her mug. Then she reached into the wash-leather pouch that rode her hip and extracted her cards, laying them down next to her mug as well. Daniel looked the cards over curiously, adding some cream and sugar to the tea and stirring it up. Then he took a sip. Perfect. It felt a bit odd to be here alone, he thought, turning to look out into the room.
The girl sipped her tea again, turning her attention to her cards. She carefully unwrapped them, folding the scrap of purple silk into a neat pile before setting the deck down on top of it. She looked over to the man who'd asked for tea, taking in his clothing and his mannerism. He might have a bit of coin to spare. ?Read your cards, sir??
"What's that?" he asked, turning back towards the bar with a raised brow.
She held up a card to him. ?Read your cards? Tell your future??
?Oh, I see. Well, why not? Go ahead." He'd never had his cards read before, or any other sort of fortune telling.
She handed the deck across the bar to him. ?Ya gotta shuffle 'em 'til ya feel they're ready. And think of a question you want answered while yer shufflin'.?
He picked up the cards carefully, examining the cards and the pictures on them for several moments before shuffling them. They were somewhat larger than playing cards, but, well, he had plenty of natural dexterity with which to handle them. After shuffling them five or six times, he nodded, and handed them back to the girl. "Am I supposed to tell you the question?" he asked.
She took the cards back from him with a smile and then closed her eyes, holding the deck in one hand while the other hovered above it. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and laid out three cards. She shook her head. ?Nope. The cards know. I just help ya to understand what they're sayin'.?
"I see." He watched curiously as she began to lay out the cards.
The Seeress turned over the first card, displaying a man's hand holding a single flaming sword. She smiled softly when she saw it. ?This is an important part of yer past. It's the Ace of Swords. It means a victory after gettin' new information that helps to solve a problem ya got.?
He listened, not entirely sure what she'd just said had meant, but it sounded good.
She reached out to turn over the middle card. When the card was flipped, it revealed a well-dressed man, possibly a king, sitting on a throne and holding a stately scepter. ?This here's an element of yer present. It's the King of Wands and he represents a charismatic leader, someone who is honest and bold.?
He smiled softly. That sounded like someone he knew, indeed.
She smiled reflexively at his expression and then turned over the third and final card, the face of which was painted with six wands. That smile transformed into a grin. ?And this one here's a part o' yer future. It's the Six o' Wands and it promises the realizin' of yer hopes n' dreams.?
Well, he couldn't have asked for a better answer to the question on his mind. He smiled at the girl. "That sounds like exactly what I'd hoped for will happen," he finished with a chuckle.
?Good. I'm real glad to hear that, sir.? She put the cards back with the rest of the deck and then wrapped it back up in its scrap of silk. The Tarot reader then took a sip of her tea, gray-green eyes moving over the crowd once more, wondering if it would be possible to do another reading tonight.
"Thank you for the reading," he said. "It was quite fascinating." Then he paused for a moment before continuing. "You must let me give you something for it."
She gave Daniel a shy smile. ?Whatever ya feel the reading's worth, sir.?
He looked her over for a moment. She looked as though she'd missed more than a few meals; he wondered if she'd want money or food. Well, he'd let her choose. "I can give you coin, or a couple of free meals at my restaurant. Have you a preference?"
Today, he just left a few hours early and decided to take a walk down to the Inn. He turned onto the path that lead to the porch, crossing that distance quickly before clearing the steps with a casual hop. He pulled open the door and paused for a moment, nostrils flaring as he took in the scents rolling out of the room. For once there wasn't a familiar one among them. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, then made his way up to the bar, wondering if any of the myriad people behind it was actually tending. Someone was making tea, too. His nose lead him unerringly towards it, and he paused on the other side of the bar from the small blonde pouring herself some. "Mind if I have some of that?" he asked.
The girl looked up and gave him a smile. ?It's tea. Orange pekoe.?
"It smells quite good,? Daniel answered.
She dug out another mug and a tea bag, plunking it into the mug before pouring hot water in. Then she slid it across to the man who'd ordered it. She followed it reluctantly with Mr. Honey Bear.
"No thank you," he said, regarding the honey. He accepted the mug of tea, though, nodding appreciatively. The girl nodded and took Mr. Honey Bear back, setting him down next to her mug. Then she reached into the wash-leather pouch that rode her hip and extracted her cards, laying them down next to her mug as well. Daniel looked the cards over curiously, adding some cream and sugar to the tea and stirring it up. Then he took a sip. Perfect. It felt a bit odd to be here alone, he thought, turning to look out into the room.
The girl sipped her tea again, turning her attention to her cards. She carefully unwrapped them, folding the scrap of purple silk into a neat pile before setting the deck down on top of it. She looked over to the man who'd asked for tea, taking in his clothing and his mannerism. He might have a bit of coin to spare. ?Read your cards, sir??
"What's that?" he asked, turning back towards the bar with a raised brow.
She held up a card to him. ?Read your cards? Tell your future??
?Oh, I see. Well, why not? Go ahead." He'd never had his cards read before, or any other sort of fortune telling.
She handed the deck across the bar to him. ?Ya gotta shuffle 'em 'til ya feel they're ready. And think of a question you want answered while yer shufflin'.?
He picked up the cards carefully, examining the cards and the pictures on them for several moments before shuffling them. They were somewhat larger than playing cards, but, well, he had plenty of natural dexterity with which to handle them. After shuffling them five or six times, he nodded, and handed them back to the girl. "Am I supposed to tell you the question?" he asked.
She took the cards back from him with a smile and then closed her eyes, holding the deck in one hand while the other hovered above it. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and laid out three cards. She shook her head. ?Nope. The cards know. I just help ya to understand what they're sayin'.?
"I see." He watched curiously as she began to lay out the cards.
The Seeress turned over the first card, displaying a man's hand holding a single flaming sword. She smiled softly when she saw it. ?This is an important part of yer past. It's the Ace of Swords. It means a victory after gettin' new information that helps to solve a problem ya got.?
He listened, not entirely sure what she'd just said had meant, but it sounded good.
She reached out to turn over the middle card. When the card was flipped, it revealed a well-dressed man, possibly a king, sitting on a throne and holding a stately scepter. ?This here's an element of yer present. It's the King of Wands and he represents a charismatic leader, someone who is honest and bold.?
He smiled softly. That sounded like someone he knew, indeed.
She smiled reflexively at his expression and then turned over the third and final card, the face of which was painted with six wands. That smile transformed into a grin. ?And this one here's a part o' yer future. It's the Six o' Wands and it promises the realizin' of yer hopes n' dreams.?
Well, he couldn't have asked for a better answer to the question on his mind. He smiled at the girl. "That sounds like exactly what I'd hoped for will happen," he finished with a chuckle.
?Good. I'm real glad to hear that, sir.? She put the cards back with the rest of the deck and then wrapped it back up in its scrap of silk. The Tarot reader then took a sip of her tea, gray-green eyes moving over the crowd once more, wondering if it would be possible to do another reading tonight.
"Thank you for the reading," he said. "It was quite fascinating." Then he paused for a moment before continuing. "You must let me give you something for it."
She gave Daniel a shy smile. ?Whatever ya feel the reading's worth, sir.?
He looked her over for a moment. She looked as though she'd missed more than a few meals; he wondered if she'd want money or food. Well, he'd let her choose. "I can give you coin, or a couple of free meals at my restaurant. Have you a preference?"