Closed Love and Despair Pt. 1

[Dev'Ania]

Love and Despair Pt. 1
80th of Fall, 519

Dev’Ania sat at the small table looking out the window of her shop. She had arrived later than usual to her small fortune-telling shop. She honestly did not want to be at the shop at all. Her feelings were just not into it. All she could think about was Cala and her death. The killer was still on the loose and the city was in chaos. All she wanted to do was lay in bed all day and cry and sleep and cuddle with her kitten. But, the shop would provide her with a way to pass time to get her mind off of all the chaos.

The Konti wondered to herself whether being at the shop was the best idea. What if the killer decided to strike again, this time Dev’Ania being the target. She was painting a large target on her back.

Dev’s journal sat open on her lap to the list of her wants she made. She hadn’t written in it since the day Madeira came to the shop. Breaking out of her stream of anxious thoughts, she looked down at the list. Her eyes were lured to a name on the page, Zach with a heart drawn next to it. Her eyes lit up. Zach was the main thing keeping her from losing her mind at the moment. If she was feeling down and depressed, all she had to do was think of the hunter. She had even made a song about the bright-eyed hunter, which she began to sing to herself.

“My love for you is beyond compare,
I sing for you without a care.
Stay forever in my heart and in my mind
I wish for us to never part.

Oh, how I love you, Zach
From your deep blue eyes that keep me sane
To you strong arms that keep me safe
You are the greatest man to walk in Lhavit.

You keep me happy like the cuddles of kittens
And always know how to brighten my day
I love you, Zach.
Until the end of our days.”

Dev’Ania sang the song with a smile spread across her face. Love had an interesting effect on a person. From the moment the Konti met the Drykas, she had instantly fallen under his spell. She continued to sing the lyrics of the song when the door opened.

A woman dressed in a light-blue silk dress entered with a lost almost saddened look on her face. Her hair was a deep brown and neatly curled down to the middle of her back. She walked in with a sense of lightness that made it seem like she floated. In an instant, Dev could tell this woman was part of the more wealthier class. Closing the door behind her, she turned and addressed the Konti who had since, stopped singing and put her journal away under her chair.
“Uhm, hello. Are you Dev’Ania the fortune-teller here?” The woman asked.

“Yes, I am. Welcome to the Nine Lives. Why don’t you take a seat.” Dev’Ania stood to greet the woman and gestured toward the seat across from her.

WC: 519


boxcode credit - Ennisa

[Dev'Ania]

“What brings you to my shop, today?” Dev asked as she sat back down. She looked into the woman’s doe eyes, noticing how green they were. They were stunning.

“I need some guidance. A friend told me you would be the best person to get guidance from since you can tell my fortune and look into my future. You can do that, right?”

“Yes, I can. What is it that you wish to receive guidance on? I can do a card runestone reading. I can read your palm or look into my crystal ball. Or if you want to know anything about your past, I can even divine into that. It is up to you, Miss…what would your name be?”

The woman smiled and extended a hand. “My name is Venita Zuver. How much would it cost you to do a runestone reading and a palm reading? Can you tell me about my love life? I have never been to a fortune-teller before, so this is a little new to me.”

“It is a pleasure to have you here, Venita. Don’t worry, you are not the only first-time I have had, all that matters is that you are here now. For both readings, it will only be three kina. Both are great ways to learn more about what love has in store for you in life. And they can be really fun to do!” Dev’Ania picked up the pouch of runestones that lay in the middle of the table and shook them as she began to explain how the worked to the Venita. “Runestones are essentially as they sound - small stones with runes drawn on them. Some are even made of bone or wood. The meaning of the symbols is each different and unique for what fortune you are reading, whether it be love or your career. They need to have a precise question asked to give the best answer.”

Dev opened the pouch and pulled out three runes. The first rune had a symbol depicted a diamond shape. “Ingwaz. This is an interesting one. This represents growth and learning from your mistakes. This will prove to be very important. The second rune here is Wunjo. It represents joyfulness entering your life - possibly in the shape of a lover.” Dev smiles at Venita and could see the smile spreading across her face.

At the sight of the next runestone, Dev’s smile faded and a look of concern planted on her face. “The last rune...Hagalaz. This is not one I would have expected to see grouped with the other two. It means something is very destructive and there is something very, very wrong with a current romantic relationship you have…”

Dev was puzzled. How could she have a bad relationship, and a good one at the same time? The Konti could only come up with one explanation and judging by the expression on the brunette woman’s face, her explanation had to be correct. Was it possible this woman had a lover and a side lover?
WC: 505


boxcode credit - Ennisa

[Dev'Ania]

“Well, then. Those are the individual meanings of each rune, and all together, they have a combined meaning. That meaning, you will have to interpret on your own, for you know the whole story and I do not. But it shouldn’t be too difficult.” The Konti smiled as she returned the runes to their pouch and returned the pouch to its place in the middle of the table.

She had the urge to ask Venita about her inherent love triangle situation but decided to wait. Perhaps the palm reading would reveal more information. Or maybe she would get lucky and Venita would tell her situation on her own. Anyhow, Dev would know the whole situation before the woman left.

“On to the palm reading, shall we?” Dev’Ania reached for the woman’s hand and placed it palm-up in her own hand. For a few ticks, she silently looked it over, moving it sideways and closer to get a better view of the lines carved into the palm.

“Okay. This line on your palm here,” she traced the line with the tip of her finger, “is what is called the heartline, or the love line. It reveals the information on your romantic relationship.” Relationships.

The line in her hand ran deep like ravines carved into the planet or the cracks that appeared on aging buildings. The specific line Dev was looking at was long and spread across her whole palm, though a break separated it into two in the middle of it.

“The lines on everyone’s palms are all different. Your heartline happens to be split in two in the almost very middle. Right between your ring finger and middle finger. This is...quite interesting…” Dev paused looking at the woman and then examining her palm again with ‘hmm’s’ and ‘mmhm’s’ as if she were really interested in what the lines looked line.

The woman spoke before with a bit of a curious yet worried tone. “What? What does it mean?”

“Well. It means that you have a failed, or failing, marriage that is not going to last for very long. But it also means that after this marriage, you will have a better, happier marriage with the person you consider to be your true love.”

A sigh of relief exhaled from Venita’s mouth. “Oh, well, that doesn’t seem too bad. I mean, it could be worse, right?”

Dev was taken aback by the question. But wouldn’t you want to have only one perfect marriage that lasted forever? The Konti thought to herself for a few ticks. Marriage was sacred in Dev’s eyes. In her own Konti culture, the woman rarely got married, but she didn’t want to be like the rest of her kind. She wanted to get married and have children and grow old with her spouse, watching as her family grew. Why waste time on a marriage you know would not work out?

The woman leaned closer to Dev’Ania. She seemed to be less worried than when she had arrived. “Can you tell me any more?”
WC: 507


boxcode credit - Ennisa

[Dev'Ania]

“I could do a card reading. Those always give good advice.” Dev’Ania could tell how torn the woman was. She didn’t know what to do and she was looking to Dev to help her. Yet, the fortune teller didn’t know what to say herself.

The brunette woman nodded her head as she rummaged through her back looking for the additional kina. “How much is a card reading?” She paused from rummaging to ask the question.

“Oh, it is only three kina, but don’t worry about it.” Dev’Ania waved off the woman’s advance to give her the money for the reading with a warm smile. The Konti just thought it was a nice gesture to do for her.

“No, no! I insist. Trust me, it will not hurt for me to give away only three kina.” Venita placed the kina on the table in front of Dev’Ania. Dev took it, politely, and placed it in her bag next to her.

Dev’Ania took out her stack of cards and shuffled them. She placed them in front of Venita and spread them in a row across the table. “Choose three cards that you feel a drawing towards. Make sure you are concentrating on the question you want to be answered.”

The woman thought for a tick before choosing and turning over three cards as Dev had instructed her to do. “Okay, what do these mean? I don’t understand what these pictures mean, Dev’Ania.” asked the woman.

“As I expect.” Dev smiled and pointed to each card, giving its name. “This card here is the Ace of Pentacles. This is the Knight of Cups and this last card is the Five of Wands. What I am inferring the cards are saying to me, well you, is that you have a very complicated with your romance. The cards are saying that someone has, or will enter your life that will provide you with true love and trust and a long-lasting relationship. You may find this to be the most perfect man in your life and indeed he will be. He knows how to make you special and he treats you like you are his queen. Yet, there is still a part of you that is hesitant. Something or someone is making you hold back from spending the rest of your life with him. You are faced with a challenge and a difficult decision to make.”

“You are right, Dev’Ania. I don’t know what to do!” The dark-haired woman cried out to the Seer. A single tear escaped her bright green eyes. Then another and another until streams of salty tears ran down her pale cheeks. All of the sadness and sorrow Venita had held in were now being released and revealed to the Konti across from her.

“I’m so sorry, Venita. If you explain to me what is wrong, maybe I can help by giving some advice,” Dev’Ania replied. The Konti felt bad for her and just wanted to help in any way she could.
WC: 500


boxcode credit - Ennisa

[Dev'Ania]

The young woman looked up at the fortune teller with her glossy eyes and wiped the tears from her face. Her pale face was left blushed with red. She took a couple of ticks to bring herself back together before speaking.

“It began a long time ago. I was arranged by my parents to marry a man who was a little bit older than me because he was wealthy. We needed the money, and I was young and naive, so I didn’t mind moving into a big mansion for a change. But deep down, I knew it wouldn’t last. If only I would have just said ‘no’ right then and there, but I didn’t. We were married only days after he proposed. Everything was fine for the first couple of seasons we were married, but then my husband started to be very petching mean!”

The tone of the woman turned from saddened to almost angry. The tears stopped streaming down her face at the mention of her husband. “Graig just became so mad all the time and I was left to deal with his anger. When he was mad…he would...sometimes hit me. Yet, every time I wanted to leave, he begged me to stay and I always did. Truth is, a big part of me loves him. He helped my family. But then came Sergio.” Once again, the woman’s tone and expression changed. A smile spread across her cheeks blushed with red again. This time not from crying, but from being in love. “Sergio made me feel like I was worthy of happiness again. I love him and he loves me. We have a different kind of love than I have with Graig. It is real and pure love. And that is the problem I have. Who do I go to? Do I stay with Graig who provides for my family, or do I leave him for Sergio who truly loves me?”

Venita looked at Dev for the answer to her question. Dev’Ania held the woman’s hands in her own on top of the table. “I cannot decide for you. You must use the information from the readings to decide for yourself. What I will say, though, is that true love is rare. You should follow it when given the chance. Even if it means you will no longer live as comfortably as you do now,” she advised. “I think the answer is clear. You need to ask yourself ‘is it worth it?’ What will you gain from staying with your husband? What will gain from leaving him for Sergio? What will you lose? There are consequences to everything.”

The woman looked down at the glimmering, blue gem on the ring on her finger. She twisted it off and placed it in the bag she held close to her. “Thank you Dev’Ania. You really helped me today. I know what I need to do.”

The two women stood up. Dev placed Ember down of the chair in the same position she was laying in and then walked over to the door with Venita. Venita walked out of the shop with a lighter, somewhat more cheerful stride than when she arrived.

“I’m glad I could help. Come back another time!” Dev’Ania yelled out to the woman as she walked away.
WC: 550
Total WC: 2581


boxcode credit - Ennisa

[Ambrosia Alar]

Grades!

Dev'Ania

Skills

● Fortune Telling +3
● Investigation +2
● Logic +1
● Music Composition +1
● Negotiation +1
● Observation +2
● Persuasion +1
● Planning +1
● Rhetoric +1
● Singing +1
● Socialization +2
● Teaching +2

Lores
● Zach: An anchor in difficult times
● Singing: A song for a lover
● Reading a client by their presentation
● Venita Zuver: A wealthy client
● Catering to a newcomer
● Runestones (Ingwaz): Growth/learning
● Runestones (Wunjo): Joyfulness
● Runestones (Hagalaz): Destruction
● Venita Zuver: In two relationships
● Investigation: State assumptions and read responses to them
● Fortune Telling: Requires intent and a specific question
● Negotiation: Free readings added in after initial ones as a kind gesture
● Tarot: Meaning of Ace of Pentacles
● Tarot: Meaning of Knight of Cups
● Tarot: Meaning of Five of Wands
● Venita Zuver: Deciding between provision and love
● All choices have consequences

Comments

Dev, I really enjoyed the setup on this one, and the many intricate aspects of fortune telling and how each piece works together. I'm excited to explore this with you in future threads. If you feel I've missed something or if you would like lore rephrased, just send me a PM. Be sure to mark your request as graded. As always, thanks for the read.