Closed Think twice...

[Amelia Cross]

[6th day of Winter, 512.a.v.] [The Nitrozian Plaza] Amelia couldn’t help but smile, the weather was charming, at times like this she could really see why the people of Ravok are so found of this place and why she came to visit her father, the winter of Ravok was amazing. Not half as cold as the ones you could see in Zeltiva in Syliras. Still, nothing compared to the summers and late springs of Syliras and Amelia couldn’t wait to get on the road and travel back to the city where her mother lives, but first she’d have to earn some money and preferably find a few men who are traveling that direction. All in all, the day has been surprisingly good for Amelia. She managed to stop by her father for a cup of warm tea with milk, he didn’t seem to mind that she was about to go out on the streets to work what was surprising, or maybe Amelia just couldn’t manage to read her father’s eyes. One way or another, she was happy and that was all that mattered to her on days like this when she couldn’t care less what happened, after all, when your father is pleased, what else is there left? Nothing, as far as Amelia could see. Still, she was eager to continue the trail of ‘good luck’ she has been having all day and wanted to find some more of Ravok’s nobles to read their future to. Nobody was more eager to spend their mizas than a pleased Ravokian, and Amelia knew well what a citizen of Ravok was most eager to hear by just looking at him. That must have been the reason why she loved to work in Ravok. She was walking around the plaza, smiling at the nobles she has already done a reading to; hopping it would catch the attention of others as she was shuffling her cards slowly, making sure not to drop them. ”don’t tell me I missed my chance…” she thought to herself as she kept walking along the plaza with a smile on her face, hopping to at worst interest a man or two.

[Kelmar Hedos]

Kelmar never had days off, which was a shame since there were so many interesting things to do in the city, but being a self-employed freelance agent and information gatherer meant on top of his focused driven personality meant that he never let himself rest. So it was that he found himself back in the Nitrozian Plaza again, his ears open and eyes shifting back and forth, as he had nearly every other day for a while and had been doing for a long while during that day as well. His steps carried him around the exterior of the plaza, hugging the buildings and canals as he paid attention to the more secretive corners of the area. Everyone was bustling through as usual, only a few today hanging around on the edges and in the thick of the crowd there were fewer performers than usual. In short, it was one of the days the city decided to pack it in. Kelmar hated slow days; fewer people meant fewer groups of interaction meaning fewer words being exchanged, and those words were what Kelmar was after. Frustration was not a native emotion to the young man's calculating mind however, and so he continued his circling of the plaza, trying to catch up on some small bits of conversation, find a rumor that may be useful. That is, until he saw a familiar face. Nearly a season ago, a strange pale traveler approached him at random and offered to read his fortune. Things didn't quite go as initially planned, but suffice to say they left on neutral terms with the promise of an evening in the tavern. Normally Kelmar would hold no interest in this kind of endeavor, but she knew someone within the Black Sun and was not afraid of playing dirty, two aspects that the young agent hoped to reap the benefits of someday. Now, he was looking at the very same woman, a pale creature with jet black hair and an exotic dress walking around apparently aimlessly, shuffling her cards with absentminded ease. He knew better. She was looking for some man to seduce most likely, to manipulate him into a higher pay and practice her skills. However, he didn't know if he would ever find a chance like this again, and perhaps after this second meeting they could schedule another. Coming forward wasn't usually his way, a man who preferred the shadows, but the potential rewards were too many to pass up. Walking briskly across the Plaza, his long strides carrying him easily and swiftly, he quickly drew up near the woman. "Good to see you again," he greeted, the miniature fabrication just to get her attention more than anything. He gave a slight bow, remnants of courtesy he had learnt as a child, and began studying her again, gauging her response and his chance at successfully interacting with her amicably.

[Amelia Cross]

Amelia had finished her second stroll around the plaza, she had little to no luck to actually find a man that would be worth her time and interested in her, or more precisely, available. So far all the men who were worth the trouble where walking with other woman, meaning they were their wives or maybe a simple affair, one way or another the men of Ravok wouldn’t usually go for a fortune teller if they had a lady by their hand. This left her stranded with the simple, common men who were cheapskates and wouldn’t pay more than an average reading. Sometimes she even got frustrated about how the fortune tellers here have lowered the price. She was just about to go to the docks, hoping to find fresh blood there, someone with money and not familiar with the affairs going through the city of canals. She wanted to, but had no chance as she was startled by a voice that was greeting her, like an old friend, funny since she had no friends in Ravok. The black haired woman turned around not quite recognizing the voice that had spoken to her, only to see a courtly bow. It toke her a brief moment to recognize the man standing in front of her. So many faces and people ran though her head, until she remembered the man she had read a fortune to, a disappointing encounter if she does say so herself. ”It’s a pleasure to see you once more” Amelia avoided specifying his name, she knew he had told it to her, she remembered that moment when she refused to give her own name away, but she didn’t remember the name fully and knew it’s better not to use one than use the wrong one. ”are you looking for another reading?” was all she could say as she let her eyes wonder up and down the man in a judgmental manner, trying to figure out the true reason of him coming up to her. Amelia wasn’t dumb; she knew well that this one of all men in Ravok, was the one man who was least interested in fortune readings. Was he interested in Amelia? It could be possible, but he had rejected her the last time, and even though the girl did want to play and win the game of seducing him, she felt more obligated to sniff out the true reasons behind his actions.

[Kelmar Hedos]

A pleasure. Lies were useless if the liar didn't put effort into it, and he could tell through her lack of energy and indifferent facial expression that she held no real excitement at seeing him again. Of course, things didn't exactly end up her way last time he'd met, and he wasn't expecting otherwise. If he knew how, he would start acting friendly and amicable, talking to her and smiling and asking how'd she'd been. Friendly and amicable were not traits he did well however, and so did a more honest attempt at reconnecting with the teller. "No, no more readings," he told her honestly. "Last time was more than enough for me to learn all I need to about what's in store. Though when we parted ways, I promised that next time we met that drinks were on me at the Sliver. Well, here we are, and I'm ready to follow through on that offer." Meanwhile, he tried to think of ways that he kind manipulate her into opening up. Last time she tried to seduce him, and though it didn't work as well as she may have liked she gave enough away for Kelmar to get at least a loose grasp. He knew she liked manipulating through seduction, though for what reason he could only guess, and wondered if he could use that to his advantage, maybe give a bit of ground and go along, pretend it was working. Once she was confident, she would be all the more loose and easygoing.

[Amelia Cross]

Amelia had to note the man’s honesty, she didn’t expect him to want a reading and he didn’t. None the less she was a bit surprised by the way he mentioned the Sliver. For a second her eyes showed the little glimpse of surprise that she shock away quite fast. Faintly it came to her memory that yes, indeed he had offered some time in the tavern ”I remember, but I didn’t expect you to actually search for me” Amelia stated while having a little bit of a mellow smile come across her lips that hinted amusement as she crossed her arms across her chest. ”but can I blame you for wanting to see me?” more of a mock than a joke or an awkward attempt to flirt, as she did find it quite amusing. After all, he had quite clearly showed her off last time. He wasn’t looking for a reading, he was looking for her so what did he want from her? What seemed a million possibilities ran through her head, but none made sense to Amelia. After all, the man was a common citizen of Ravok. He was well mannered, but clearly not from the upper society. There was no way he would have anything to do with Amelia’s father and her job license was set and clean. The only little lead was the reading, but she had little to no memory of what was said except a few facts, for Rhysol’s sake she didn’t even remember his name. So now she was left with one thing, sniffing out what he had in mind, too bad he didn’t show much of any emotions. It was all set in her head; she’d agree to go for the sake of curiosity that was burning her mind. Amelia came closer to him, limiting the space that was in between. ”what makes you think I want to go anywhere with a man who holds no passions?” the voice smooth and even teasing, even if she knew she’d go with him, she wanted to see some reaction from the stone wall that was practically asking her on a date...or so she thought.

[Kelmar Hedos]

Her heart wasn't into what she was saying, and he could tell. The joke she told fell flat from her lack of energy, which wasn't a good thing as Kelmar wanted her to be energetic and enthusiastic about this meeting. As she stepped a bit closer, asking why she should, his mind worked quickly to formulate a response that would encourage her to join him. He could remain monotone and to the point, but she didn't respond well to that as he remembered from their previous encounter. So he decided to play the game as well, not seducing her but egging her on. In response to her approach, Kelmar took a step of his own that narrowed the gap between them until they were standing right next to each other, face to face. "Because maybe there's more to me than you think," the agent whispered, his voice dropping suddenly. It was a hard play, especially since he had no experience in this field, but it was worth a shot.

[Amelia Cross]

Surprised by the man’s actions, of all things she assumed him to be annoyed by her joke, even if just the slightest bit, or not show any signs of any emotions. However you can’t say she was displeased by the little surprise, she wasn’t even angered at herself for not expecting this. She was actually quite glad, as she assumed that it was all thanks to her. She was sure the man was gaining interest in her, the type of passion and desire she had always tried to light in any man she encountered ”You think?” Amelia drifted off into the state of games. Her calm black eyes seemed to shimmer with excitement and the ruby red lips offered a smile, lips slightly parted as she had noticed that was the way men liked to see them ”what if I say I know what you want from me…?” she questioned him, not even assuming that the man’s motives could be different than the ones she has played out in her head. Being sure in her words, the voice came out completely confident, yet low and a bit more silent than before. Eyes glued to his, Amelia wanted to see the reaction. Reactions of others were what she aimed for and what she really craved, even more than knowledge. A mischievous smirk escaped her ”I read you like the cards I play with” a statement false, yet true at the same time. She could read him, but not as well as she liked to think. Blinded so quickly, tricked by his quick change of nature, she was sure he craved her company, the jealousy of others that would see her laugh at his jokes, smile and talk only to him and be so engaged in him as if he was the only man in Ravok. Amelia could offer it with no trouble, but she didn’t assume that this agent could wish something different of her skills. If only she’d keep count of how often she had assume wrong of the man standing before her in only the short encounter they shared in the past. ”but I am interested, love” short and simple, before she put her deck back inside her purse. However she wasn’t intending to ease the game, she wanted to push it further and so she did, letting her pale fingers casually find their way to his. She pulled a bit closer to him ”but if you play with me, you play by my rules” she chuckled before pulling back the slightest bit, but not letting her fingers part from his, she’d let him decide if they should stay.

[Kelmar Hedos]

Her smile was pleasingly seductive, black eyes shimmering warmly and bright red lips parted just so. The dark lashes of her eyelids fluttered a bit as they drooped as if heavy, a knowing and flirtatious gaze looking out from beneath the pale skin. If Kelmar had any less self-control, he might have given in wholly and truly. She was better at this than he remembered. However, he managed to hold himself together and keep his focus strong. He was too good and experienced to fall for something like this. When she stated that she knew what he wanted from her, he at first assumed she actually meant that and that she was onto him. Before Kelmar went into thinking of salvage plans however, he realized that, as far as she was concerned, he wanted her for her sexual appeal. That was good, his plan was working. "Even so," he replied, his voice dropping to a barely audible whisper, "would it not be entertaining to find out for sure?" This kind of response did not come naturally to him, he had to think about what to say, but so far it seemed to be working. To the emotionless automaton faking passionate interest was nigh impossible, but Kelmar thought of a workaround. He did not know what someone would do when seduced beyond what he logically thought of, so he decided to do just that but remain withdrawn enough to make his lack of knowledge appear to be just him trying to be enigmatic. He noticed that her eyelids had drooped slightly as a component of her seduction, so he let his do the same albeit fractionally. His own mouth, while unsmiling, remained loose, not open like hers but not far from it either. He kept his face relaxed, easing the tension from his usually set jaw and furrowed brow, and returned her gaze. "Maybe you can," he answered her assumption, "but if I recall correctly your cards don't tell you everything. I can tell you so much more." Behind his mask of calm and assurance, his mind was running quickly, calculating what he could say that would sound taken in. "You're too fond of your cards, you need to find a new toy to play with." Putting away her cards, she intertwined her fingers with his and leaned in close, stating her terms of sorts for her company. People who wanted to portray a sense of fondness and attraction Kelmar noticed tended to be physically as well as emotionally intimate, and since that was what he was trying to achieve he kept the contact with her fingers. As she drew back, he followed her, keeping the distance minimal until their faces were nearly touching. "What rules would those be?" he whispered softly. "I'm sure we can reach some... understanding."

[Amelia Cross]

Quite pleased with herself, the girl who believed to read people like books and cards was truly believing it was all her skill that seemed to draw the agent towards her. Her blindness and pride had gotten the best of her. ”my dear, I am sure that there is nothing you can tell me…” she began, her voice gaining a more light sound to it, much as if she was singing a child to sleep, not seducing a man. Amelia believed she didn’t have to try anymore, she thought she had him in the palm of her hand and now it was all about speaking correctly ”...nothing the sun can’t tell me” she lied, remembering well how much interest she drew from the man when she mentioned the black sun last time. Amelia did know a person or two, but they wouldn’t tell her what she craved or more precisely she wouldn’t dare ask them. ”above all, my cards tell me just enough to keep it fun” Amelia explained, starting to get amused by her friend. He seemed to be a bit too eager even for Amelia’s liking, and that was a bit of a confusion. She enjoyed it, something was wrong, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. She was smiling, drawn in by his smile and despite keeping herself in logical boundaries quite, eager to follow and listen to the smooth voice. Then it all changed, his mention of a ‘new toy’ seemed to snap something in her head. Even if she assumed that for every night from the moment they met, he had been dreaming of her face, gentle touch and inviting smile. It is highly unlikely for him to be like this. Pulling her own mind in order, she began putting things in places, the scenes form there last encounter. There was something in him that seemed to be completely different from the man she encountered, the man she read to. That man held no passion, made fun of love and loneliness. This man seemed to be full of it,of love and desires, too full of it for Amelia to believe him. ”…but dear, I have a lot of toys as it is” she managed out of her lips, while her head was still carefully analyzing the things she might have missed out on. She was hiding her face, trying to appear shy rather than full of distrust, calculating. ’If you want to play, let's play...I'll win’ She was angry with herself for not seeing it sooner and she was mad at him for being blind and not seeing on what he was potentially missing out on. Even so, somewhere, deep down she felt ripped off, because she was enjoying his attention and reaction, even if it was fake…while she believed him everything seemed to be perfect ”my rules mean…no lying” lowering her voice once more, giving her en excuse to pull up to his face, yet making sure to keep her eyes half close and not give the agent a chance to see directly into them. Their lips being dangerously close to each other, she let her hot breath hit his lips ever so slightly. If she wasn’t concerned about smudging her lipstick, she would be probably pushing him more out of his comfort zone with a kiss. Not because she might want to kiss him, to give a bit of a harder game to play along. If he wanted to play games and pretend he had to face a few difficulties, no? The time of her luck with fortune telling seemed to be passed for the day and she could afford to keep the man by her side till Akajia toke over. ”I have a limited amount of time, use it well boy” even if she did have time, she never liked to say that. Above all, a man seems to be more interested if he thought that Amelia had canceled a few things in order to spend time with them. ”such an interesting specimen…” Not about curiosity anymore, now, it was about winning him over for real. She wanted to see honest desire burn in those eyes and she will do anything to get that before Leth starts t shine over them.

[Kelmar Hedos]

As her voice began to gain a more lilting tone, Kelmar's confidence that his ploy was working increased. The man who felt nothing managed to portray enough desire and lust to convince the very woman who tried to seduce him that he cared. It was a small triumph, but a triumph nonetheless. She brought up 'the sun', by which he assumed she was referring to the Black Sun, and again he was drawn forward in interest. The chances that the Black Sun actually cared about him were close to nil, after all he was no blasphemer and had utter faith in Rhysol. He was just quieter about it, not as reverent. She was trying to play him, not win him over, which was another subtle sign that he had won. Then her face changed, withdrew a bit as she closed her lips and looked down. Both were the marks of shyness and she could easily pass off for being timid, yet he knew from experience that she was anything but. A woman who used her sex appeal to seduce men was not timid. A woman who used her fortune telling as a way into a man's mind was not timid. A woman who drooped her eyelids and parted her lips and painted them bright red was not timid. She was onto him, she was finally thinking. Perhaps this would b a good challenge after all. Her first rule only confirmed what he thought, but he kept his face as still as he could, keeping it relaxed as possible while thinking of retorts and lures. He no longer had the seduced toy as a viable tactic, she knew about it and it would be a waste of effort to keep the ruse alive. As she leaned in real close, threatening to kiss him, he tried to analyze her face and deduce what she wanted now. She hadn't left, so something was keeping her here. Unfortunately, he couldn't see into her eyes, her lids being as low as they were, so he hadn't much to go on visually. If he was unable to visually interpret what she wanted, all Kelmar had to go on was logic. It was well known to him that she liked playing with men, as given away by her behaviour, winning them over and placing them in the palm of her hand. Then it dawned on him: she wanted to play. She wanted to win. Now that he'd given her a taste, he thought, she wanted it for real. However, that kept the advantage on his side actually, as much as it seemed otherwise. She would go to great lengths to win him over, and if he could convince her to loosen her tongue and give him information in exchange, then he'd get what he wanted. "A limited amout of time, huh?" he repeated questioningly. "So is that why you were wandering aimlessly around the plaza, shuffling your cards between your hands, asking if I wanted a reading instead of bustling off? Because you're on a tight schedule?" Lifting his hand that held hers within, Kelmar brought it right beneath their faces in a gentlemanly gesture. "Give me more credit than that," he said mysteriously before bribing the back of her hand up and giving a quick kiss, short enough to remain respectful but long enough to evoke a reaction out of his new... companion. "Shall we visit the Sliver then, milady?" Kelmar asked, dropping their hands to their sides, keeping his hold on her.